Page 4 - MWC 02-25-2021s

The Midwest Cattleman · February 25, 2021 · P4
With well over half of the
country in the “icebox” as I write
this and many as far south as
South Texas going into their
third or fourth night with-
out electricity, which for many
means ‘no heat’, I couldn’t help
but be reminded of a night my
two grandfathers spent togeth-
er well over a half a century
ago, in December of 1964. It’s a
night I’m sure they would have
liked to have forgotten.
Pete Carmichael and Floyd
Henson both grew up on farms
in Oklahoma, not that many
miles from one another, but
I don’t believe they had ever
met until just before my par-
ents were married. Although
very different, both loved a lit- out much insulation and the
tle ‘knee-slapping’ humor and
drama when it came to telling
stories. This story, however, was
different. I’m convinced both
would refer to it as ‘the night
they almost froze to death’. Nei- three layers- tar paper, wood
ther of these men were prone to
using profanity, but on this sub- es there was no plaster. I know
ject, they might have made an
exception. It was a story that
didn’t come up often, but when
it did, there was no ‘knee-slap-
ping’- only a bit of shaking of the
head (the slow kind) and then,
out of nowhere, a ‘shudder’ - no
matter what the present tem-
perature might be.
The trip from the Texas pan-
handle to Montana’s Missouri
Breaks was not a short trip in
a comfortable car during the
best of conditions, but it had
to be a grueling one in an old
truck, pulling a trailer, driving
right straight into the coldest
December on record. ‘Pa-Pete’
drove a two-wheel-drive pickup
with ‘stock-racks’ and hauled
two horses the fifteen hundred
miles. After driving for days,
he slid down into those ‘breaks’
with twenty inches of new snow
and minus 20 degrees. As he got
out of the truck he said, “Son,
you don’t need a four-wheel
drive. You need a helicopter!”
‘Grandpa Floyd’ arrived a few
hours later with me and the rest
of the family. I’m sure that my
two grandfathers were no doubt
exhausted after their trip. They
were a long way from home. I’m
certain they were both also in a
bit of shock at their children’s
new ‘winter wonderland’ home.
It had been quite some time
since either had used an out-
house and I doubt if either one
had ever used one at twenty-be-
low! They both stayed exactly
one night.
The old house was built with-
small ‘shed’ (bedroom) that was
literally tacked onto the east
side of the house had none at
all and it was exposed to the
wind on three sides. There were
slats, and plaster. In some plac- And tired, so, so tired.
because it was my room for four
out of nine winters. It was in
this room that my two grandfa-
thers spent that cold December
night together. There is no tell- start.
ing how far the mercury dived
before morning and the wind
blew all night. There was only
one bed. It wasn’t a large bed
and as they settled in neither
of them was willing to take up
more than their fair share of the
space. As the story goes, it was
my Grandpa Floyd who spoke
up first. “Pete!” he said, “If you
don’t move over here some, we’re
both going to freeze to death!”
Well, they didn’t freeze to
death, and the next morning
they could hardly wait to head
back south. Over the next sev-
eral years they visited us from
time to time there north of Lew-
istown. It was always great to
see them. It was always in the
summertime.
KwC
A PRAYER FOR RANCHERS
THIS WINTER
By Amanda Radke
As I write this blog post,
I pray for calving to go
it’s a bone-chilling -20°F in smoothly.
South Dakota. We, like so
I pray for the power to stay
many others, have begun our on and the furnace to keep
calving season, so keeping a up.
watchful eye on the cattle has
been a 24/7, round-the-clock I pray for your safety.
effort. I pray for your health.
Much like what my family I pray for your strength.
is experiencing, I see the fa- I pray for your families.
I pray for your marriage.
tigue in our entire ranching I pray for your children.
community. In recent conver- I pray for your elderly par-
sations I’ve had with industry ents.
peers, I see the worry in your I pray for your rural com-
eyes, the fear in your voices, munities.
and the sadness at where our I pray for peace in your
country is headed and how hearts and minds as you bat-
you might fit into the chang- tle the things outside of your
ing dynamics where food, control.
fiber and energy are taken And I hope you’ll send the
for granted and blue-collar same prayer my way.
jobs aren’t valued. From the weather, to the
And yet, you keep pushing markets, to the change in
forward. You keep showing political winds, the writing
up each day. You keep work- on the wall is very clear —
ing hard for your family, your we will face hard days. We
multi-generational farm and will face challenges. But we
ranch, your children’s future. won’t face these things alone.
You keep leaning on your We’ll stand firmly together
faith that things will work in strength and fortitude. We
out. won’t let a friend, neighbor,
You wonder if it will be or family member struggle
enough. If you are enough. alone.
If you did enough. If you’re I pray for you today. I have
ready for what’s to come. faith we will overcome this
And in your fear, worry and storm. Stay well and stay
fatigue, you’re cold, so cold. safe, my friends.
Today, I pray for the weary Amanda Radke:
cattlemen and women. Ag Speaker, BEEF Blogger,
I pray for the waterers to Western Gifts – See Aman-
work. da’s work on AmandaRadke.
I pray for the tractor to com.
Reprinted by permission.
I pray for the windbreaks
to stand strong. beefmagazine.com
I pray for the barns to have
enough space for the need.
®
Hammer
shown with
optional NitroGrit ™
Carbide.