GRAVETTE — Time and again I wonder why I don’t sell out and get me a house on the corner in some town. I could mosey over to the post office and be delivered the morning mail without a ton of bills and go on down to the coffee emporium. I could drink some brew, rich and black, and then amble on back to the house for lunch. Not much work involved in that, and if it were cold I could just sit at the house!

But, No! I have chosen this life of a beef producer. Joy on top of joy in this here profession! No, don’t remind me of the words I have spewed during the spring and fall describing my life as ideal; I don’t want to hear it. What I want to hear now is that some help is coming to thaw me out and continue checking cattle. I want someone to fix the dang old fence that got run into by a driver so full of alcohol that he couldn’t have frozen if he tried.

Yep, the Patrolman said that perp, learned that on TV, would be back in a warmer climate real soon and his liquor would probably be accompanied by a worm. But I have to shell out the dough for the wire, posts and do the labor! Sure, it could happen in July on dry roads, but slick iced over pavement helps a heap!

The cost of the supplies won’t be too much but the heifers that got out through the hole spent the remainder of the night in my neighbor’s hay yard. That cost me eight thousand pound bales of hay and a couple of hours cleaning up the mess! I sent the offspring over to take care of penning the heifers andcleaning up. They will also be required to assist me when we are able to build the fence back. I patched it with panels for the time being.

My close relative is a dandy. She had a pot of chili made for my supper this evening and it certainly revived my good spirits. We had a dab of blueberry cobbler to finish the meal and then the preacher called. I was so happy to hear from him and was sure enjoying the call when he dropped the bomb.

The pump at the church was waterlogged or something. Would I come see about it with him? Well, of course, how do you gracefully deny a request like that on an evening of only 18 degrees? I can’t say no to the preacher any time, let alone a night like this one. So I pulled on so many clothes that I looked like the abominable snowman and went. It wasn’t so bad when I got there as several of us showed up and we got things running pretty quick.

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, these days might be tests for me. I may be applying for my future destination on the new earth when that comes. I might be so grumpy and cranky about a little cold and bad weather that I will be assigned to the far north, feeding sled dogs whale blubber for eternity! I will pray hard tonight and ask for forgiveness, and be thankful for what I’ve got.

Remember to pray and support the Haiti folks in any way you can.

-Bill

Enjoy Bill’s Opinions every week in The News Herald

Opinion, Pages 4 on 02/03/2010