Once we were in contract to purchase the ranch in July/August 2003, we were informed we had to "buy a brand" before closing on the ranch. It seems cattle grazing on Arizona ranches must have a registered "mark." As we had a short closing, I went to Phoenix to the Land Department and met with the Brand Guru. She was 80+ years old, and her system was keeping a large notebook, at least 18" thick, with each registered brand in Arizona listed. The Brand Book had not been scanned and documented for the internet. The Brand Guru told me that if we designed a brand, it would take her at least 90 days to go through the Brand Book to compare it to the hundreds already on record. Our purchase contract for the ranch had a quick closing and we didn't have time to wait 90 days. I asked about brands that might be available for purchase and there were three. The ideal brand has the fewest points that meet, so a circle would be the absolute ideal brand. Needless to say, the three that were available were not ideal. I chose the lazy NB. We soon after started calling it Not Bad. Our neighbors call it Neighbor's Beef.
