I am coming to you from the deep piles of stuff in the barn. I am tired and I won't be broadcasting long as I believe my air is about gone! Yes sir, this is a job I have put off for way too long and I am sorry as I can be today! I thought of doing it a couple of months ago but decided to wait until cooler weather, and now I wish I had, at the very least, started!
The jobs on the place for old men are just not too plentiful. I mean, there is the bossing that has to be done, the driving of the hay truck, the checking of fences and cattle; but as far as real jobs like cleaning out barns, they are just not for old men. Good thing I ain't old yet! I sorta look forward to someday slowing down a little, but that won't be for awhile yet.
We had to rent a dozer for some dirt work on the place and, so, the offspring are busy happily playing on a big toy as I sweat great drops of my bodily fluids that are necessary for life. I cannot believe the good fortune of the wet summer we have had and God knows I have thanked Him many times for it. The rains did wash the road out to the south pasture and the road to the well house in the west end of the east pasture. I don't mean little ruts washed out, I mean drop-into-a-cavern-size holes and they are 20 to 40 feet long in places. I don't know how it happened exactly; this place has a few rocks in the dirt.
I guess the first white man to inhabit this place decided to build the log cabin on this spot because it would drain well. I mean you can't drive a post in the yard because of boulders and most of the pastures are like that too. But a couple of places were just dirt, plain good soil and, therefore, they washed away! Well, after the first home was built here on this spot, how could we change anything? We had the old home torn down and the new one put in the exact spot when we finally could afford it. That means when the banker couldn't stand to see my close relative cry again!
So, back to the hard work of cleaning out the barn in the sick pen. The stall isn't very big and we can use the tractor with the blade to clean out the shed, but the stall does get pretty deep and I tackle it myself, usually. Sorta makes me feel able just to do it and why should I not get some exercise? I will answer that in the morning!
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, every little thing has a reaction when done. If I smile at the clerk, the clerk will smile back. If I spur old Snip, suddenly he will wink up and try to unseat me. If I am kind to my close relative, I might get pie for supper. You fellers know if you are cranky and mean spirited at home, you are gonna regret it and maybe in more ways than one! So I suggest we think ahead, sorta look for the reaction we want or need before we do the deed and see how things go from there!
I am thinking of these things because I could be in hot water at the house, and I guess I will just try to be nicer from now on! I am proud of laptop computers so I can stay away from the house for awhile!
Bill is the pen name of the Gravette-area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 09/02/2015