Not slowing down here.
Six years ago, I was sitting in the doctor’s office. He kept repeating a phrase. After the fourth or fifth time he said “middle aged woman”, I interrupted him. “Whoa, hold on right there. I’m planning on living ’til at least a hundred, so I’m not middle aged yet”. I am getting closer, though. This was the same doctor who told me that I needed to get more exercise. “Wait a minute,” I said, “I’d like to see you follow me around for a couple of hours and not get tired from watching me”. “I know,” he said, “but your body gets accustomed to the amount of exercise you get, so you need to do more”. Sure. If anyone had told me twenty years ago, that I would be learning how to irrigate at my advanced age - I’d have told them that they were joking. Seems the joke’s on me.
Monday night while feeding, I noticed that the bale wasn’t spinning. I looked behind me to see if the chain had broken. No, it was intact. Uh - oh, hydraulics! After taking a shower in hydraulic oil, I got the hose connected. I washed the oil off my arms in the ditch. I dried off with my shirt, which is now a rag. I still felt like I had applied tanning oil, but without that pleasant coconut smell. I came home and scrubbed with some Dawn. That was an improvement. I decided to harrow the pasture.
As soon as I started, the chain link on the harrow broke. I called it a night and went home.
The cattle have been keeping me busy too. We branded a week ago. I told my father-in-law that I didn’t want to move any cows to the dryland until I had checked the fences. On Tuesday morning, he took off back there while I was preparing our lunch. Except he didn’t tell me. I wasted time looking for him here. I finally gave up and went out to the hills with the Mule. Sure enough, my father-in-law was already there.
The fence had some bad spots, but fortunately nothing major. We were going to have to come back and work on the water gap, though.
After stopping for lunch, we headed for home. The four wheeler is slower than the pickup, so I stay behind to eat more dust. As I came off Cottonwood Road, I realized that I was coasting. Hmmmmm. . . I watched the pickup ahead of me turn and keep on going. I was stranded six miles out. The Mule would start. I could shift into forward and reverse - but it wasn’t going either way. It was making a hellish noise when I’d put it in gear. I turned it off, put it in neutral and started pushing.
By some miracle I had cell phone service. I called Beartooth Kawasaki and explained my situation. Jim said, “Quit pushing and stay right there - we’ll be out in twenty minutes.” How’s that for service? That was better than AAA. The friendly tech came out with a trailer, dropped me off at home with my fencing supplies and brought the tired Mule back to Red Lodge. My father-in-law never wondered where I was.
On Wednesday, we brought a telephone pole out to the water gap with a pipe trailer. We got the pole across the canal and fixed the wires above it. Now the place was ready.
Yesterday, we sorted the cattle and hauled them back there. Last night, I went out with the dogs to check them and bring them some salt. I let the dogs out for a while for some exercise. They need it too. Not near the cattle though. The cows get enough exercise.
June 2nd, 2006 at 1:55 pm
Sounds like you shouldn’t have any trouble sleeping, if you ever have time to go to bed! Hydraulic oil is about the stinkiest stuff to shower in! Glad it wasn’t too hot. I have seen some nasty burns from that s—. bonnie
June 3rd, 2006 at 5:49 am
And I thought my boys kept me busy! Wow!
June 3rd, 2006 at 7:04 am
My goodness!!! When do you have time to eat and sleep?
Sam’s Darling Wife
June 3rd, 2006 at 8:51 am
Wow, I am a farmer, but I know for sure I couldn’t keep up with you for even one day. Hope you get to take a break now and then.
June 3rd, 2006 at 3:37 pm
I’m tired just reading this!
LOL, glad you are keeping yourself busy.
We are planning to head your way around 1 July!!
June 3rd, 2006 at 9:20 pm
whewww! I woke complain of chasing my boys around any more! I was tired from reading that! Despite the Dr. take a rest now and then~
June 3rd, 2006 at 9:31 pm
Wow, that must have been a slow day!!!!
June 4th, 2006 at 10:47 am
Gee, all I did on Friday was drive from Billings, Montana to Hurricane (the locals pronounce it Her-uh-CUN), Utah. I was on the road for 14.5 hours. Somehow managed to lose one of my two MP3 players; had a burger order mangled in Blackfoot, Idaho; got a ticket for failure to stop at a stop sign in Nephi, Utah (actually stopped, thought the way was clear, but failed to see the semi that was coming, with a cop car right behind which means I’m now out 82 bucks); and to top it all off, when I got to Hurricane the Motel 6 had a sign that said they could only allow small dogs of 25 lbs. or less (Motel 6 says they allow one “well behaved” pet, regardless of size) — which Sheba is definitely not. Fortunately, the nite clerk backed down when I told her to cancel my reservation, and we stayed there for the night. But I will not be spending any more time and money in Hurricane, Utah (and Motel 6 is going to hear from me — I can take slights, but I refuse to put up with scurrilous attacks upon my dog).
Was glad to finally meet Karen while I was up there (but disappointed I wasn’t able to meet the canines, especially the birthday girl). Hopefully the vice was versa, even though the Old Man was taliking all the time. (What is it with elderly people? Karen knows my dad better than she does me. But the Old Man likes her — and I’ve never heard him say a good word about anybody, even his own family, although he doesn’t say bad things about me to my face. Anymore.)
Oh, and for those of you who are complaining that it’s too damm hot in Montana right now, in Phoenix yesterday it was 112 — and summer is still three weeks away. (And as for Doctors’ advice, I tend to believe in the famous words of another New Yorker, Rodney Dangerfield, who once said, “I figure that if I take excellent care of myself I’ll get very sick and die.”
Until then, remember that when the waitress asks how you want your eggs, the best reply is, “Cooked, please.”
From the Smart Ass Room at the Lost Dutchman Mine,
Kirk & Sheba (a/k/a “Tiny”)
June 4th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
It’s a day at a time…
June 6th, 2006 at 11:05 am
What gorgeous country - your work environment. Glad that duties call.
June 6th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
Not much slowing down here, either. But there is plenty of dang breaking down. Radiator blew up on the feed truck this morning. Only about 1000 left in the lot but still need the truck every day. Swather was broken down at noon for the fourth time in two days. People are in such nice moods. OH WELL! bonnie
June 6th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Not much slowing down here, either. But there is plenty of dang breaking down. Radiator blew up on the feed truck this morning. Only about 1000 left in the lot but still need the truck every day. Swather was broken down at noon for the fourth time in two days. People are in such nice moods. OH WELL! bonnie
June 7th, 2006 at 9:55 am
Boy, and I’ve been whining about a little interior painting! It wouldn’t be farming if you didn’t have equipment breakdowns. Hope things are better today!
June 9th, 2006 at 11:17 am
Sounds like you’ve got a gem in your Kawasaki dealer. Wish they worked on trucks too, maybe then you wouldn’t have had the luck you did with the ‘goodwrenchs’.
June 9th, 2006 at 10:43 pm
I’m looking forward to seeing you next weekend, hope you can take a break and come on over.
Take good care,
June 10th, 2006 at 9:59 am
With all the scientific prowess we have, one would think that somewhere in a lab at MIT a researcher could come up with a fool proof, cost effective way to fence a water gap.
I don’t live on a large ranch anymore, but I remember the days after a big rain. At first light you better go check the water gaps to see if they are still in the creeks.
I have tried them all. Pallets on cables, just t-post and no wire spaced 10″ apart, the list goes on, but if the rain comes down hard and fast, just plan on putting up a new gap because the old one is a mile or two down the stream.
September 29th, 2007 at 11:03 am
[…] The Kawasaki started right up. Then the shifter, too, decided it was a good day to die. So it’s running, it’s just not going anywhere. Deja vu. True to form, the mule is being obstinate about being pushed. Since this happened in front of the garage, my good pickup is now blocked in. […]