Podcast Summary

Podcast: Katching Up With Katie

Host: Katie Van Slyke
Episode: They Did… Better Than I Thought!
Date: November 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this relaxed and spontaneous episode, Katie Van Slyke and her friends (including Abigail, Matt, and Nate) gather on a cold, snowy Tennessee day to play a series of impromptu games. With little new farm news since the last recording, the group leans into humor, banter, and quick-thinking trivia about their farm lives, animals, and each other. The theme is camaraderie and fun, with moments reflecting the quirks, challenges, and warmth of running a working ranch and a family business.

The episode features:

• A trivia quiz focused on their animals and farm happenings
• Playful debates about answers and memories
• The “same word” guessing game that showcases their mind-meld moments (and failures)
• Plans for upcoming live events and the challenges of social media engagement

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Life Updates & Setting the Scene (00:00–02:26)

• Katie jokes about “being a hunting widow” as her husband is away (but reassures listeners he'll be back by the time the episode airs).
• Tennessee weather has suddenly turned wintry and “it is snowing” (00:17); everyone’s bundled up, with some discussion about wool vs. polyester clothing layers.
• Farm animals like Kimmy the chilly dog make cameo appearances—“This is Kimmy’s least favorite time of the year... she needs, like, a parka.” (02:00–02:16).

2. Impromptu Game Night—Farm Trivia (03:23–16:25)

Favorite Horse (03:32–04:57)

• The group tries to recall which horse is Abigail’s favorite.
• Katie: “Abigail has expressed who her favorite horse is on multiple occasions. One horse that she has always favored. Who is that horse?”
• After much hemming and hawing, the correct answer is Junie B. Jones.
• Matt: “I was literally like rewinding a tape record because we just had this conversation.” (04:42)

Baby Goats (05:26–07:30)

• Question: which of last summer’s baby goats did Abigail and Katie keep?
• Correct answers: Bean, Sprouts, Briar, and Blue.
• Only “Bean” is correctly named by the group; debate ensues about the others.
• “I thought you had Bean and Stalk! I could have never told you Brian [Briar].” —Nate (07:49)

How Many Foals in 2026? (08:14–11:01)

• Group guesses the number of foals expected next year.
• Correct: 12 (9 Standard + 3 Mini foals).
• Breakdown and confusion over breeding plans and the count is a recurring theme.

Name the Herd Bulls (11:20–13:57)

• The two herd bulls at Running Springs are Justice and Sugar Daddy.
• “Why was I saying Montgomery Gentry?” —Matt (13:42)
• Half-points awarded as not everyone gets both names.

Moo’s Middle Name (14:28–16:23)

• The farm’s famous mini cow, Moo, has a middle name.
• The actual answer is Louise (but it sometimes comes out as “Lewis”).
• Katie: “It’s Lewis. It’s Louise.” (16:09)
• “I hear Lucifer way more often, actually.” —Nate (16:23)

3. Mind Meld Game: Guess the Same Word (16:27–34:32)

• Groups pair off and try to match words by building off of previous answers.
• Highlight: Katie and Nate nail it in just two turns with “Pineapple” → “Paint” → “Yellow” (17:28–17:40).

Memorable Moments

• Extended (and hilarious) sequence as Katie and Matt spiral out from “laser” and “tape” all the way to “piglet,” taking 10 turns in total (18:34–24:21).

• Strategies develop ("Let’s go off the wall." / “I’m bailing on the concept.”)

• The group reflects on how easily you can get “stuck” after leaving the initial topic.

• The “Sound”/“Howl”/“Wolf” digression leads to confusion and laughter (29:36–30:03).

• “This is what I hate about this game though, is when you go too far and now you can’t get out.” —Matt (28:55)

Other Notable Rounds:

• Katie & Matt: “Frog” + “Wood” → “Pond” + “Forest” → “Nature” (32:19–32:41)
• Katie & Matt: “Fairy” + “Plain” leads to a brief mix-up over “ferry” (the boat) vs. “fairy” (the mythical being), showcasing the kind of light confusion that’s routine for the group (33:18–34:21).

4. Planning for Upcoming Events & Social Media (34:47–37:40)

• Katie previews their upcoming role at the World Show, as their brand sponsors the coffee cart (donuts included!)
• The idea of live-streaming or Q&A from the cart comes up, with some concern about participant awkwardness with cameras.
  • “I do feel like people are going to be like… weirded out that there’s a camera there.” —Katie (35:40)
• Discussion about their recent YouTube live experience and the challenge of keeping up with viewers' questions.
  • “If I do those, I either need an iPad and … moderators to then like text me questions or something.” —Katie (36:08)
• Announcement: Future lives will be on YouTube, especially as foaling season approaches.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants planning:
  “We’re just flying by the seat of our pants. So the first one everyone has requested... A lot of people have wanted to see y’all answer questions again.” —Katie (01:12)

• On wool vs. polyester:
  “I need some of that [merino wool]. I was looking at my stuff and it’s all polyester. And I’m not trying to wear that anymore, I don’t think.” —Nate (02:08)

• On naming goats:
  “Bean is right... I’ll kept wanting to say stalk, but it was sprouts. I was like, it’s not beanstalk.” —Nate (07:27)

• On game struggles:
  “I was gonna say bean, but I thought that was just my cat, and I was just making that up.” —Matt (07:39)

• On mind games (literally):
  “The trick to this, I think... but I would never in a million years be able to put it into words to explain.” —Matt (19:06)

• On group dynamics:
  “Are we about to see who the problem is?” —Katie (31:48)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Life updates, weather, pets: 00:00–02:26
• Farm trivia Q&A starts: 03:23
• Favorite horse guessing: 03:32–04:57
• Goats’ names challenge: 05:26–07:30
• Counting foals for 2026: 08:14–11:01
• Name the herd bulls: 11:20–13:57
• Moo’s middle name: 14:28–16:23
• Same word guessing game begins: 16:27
• Best round (pineapple/yellow): 17:27–17:40
• Longest mind-meld chain (laser/piglet): 18:34–24:21
• Word confusion/ferry-fairy: 33:18–34:21
• Coffee cart/world show plans: 34:47–35:38
• Live video/social media reflections: 35:55–37:21
• Episode close: 37:21–end

Episode Tone

This episode is playful, irreverent, and very “behind-the-scenes.” The group’s chemistry—and willingness to make fun of each other’s memory lapses—shines through. The farm-life details are woven into the games, and listeners get an authentic sense of the everyday camaraderie at Running Springs. The episode is full of farm humor, light trash-talk, and moments when everyone’s just trying to be “less smart,” as the rules of the games morph on the fly.

Takeaway

A feel-good, laughter-heavy episode that highlights the charms and challenges of rural life, family, and friendship—plus a glimpse at how social media outreach is evolving for Katie and the Running Springs crew. It’s not about having all the right answers; it’s about enjoying the process together.

Winner: Abigail takes the trivia crown, beating Nate by a narrow margin.
Next time: Anticipate a recap of Denver’s World Show—hopefully with success stories in tow!

For more episodes and info: www.katievanslyke.net