A day like today is not to be wasted on....

I am in the mood for a debate. I want to select the moderator and the place for this needed set-to, making sure we all feel comfortable. I want a soft swivel chair and a table with elbow room and a place for coffee. Probably need a rug so it could muffle the sound of stomping feet. Won't need a microphone, as I know the voices and they are able to project at least a couple of acres in a wind storm!

My close relative and the lady at the customer service window in a large department store located in Minneapolis have squared off and are pawing the ground. A check for a large amount was sent to said store and cashed. The receipt was never received. And, although the merchandise was supposedly mailed, it also was never received. Dilemma of great depth at the onset and it began boiling when the bank assured my close relative the check had cleared. The war drums have been beating for several hours now -- a weekend full of uncontrolled anger and it is building.

I am old and intend to stay way outside this area. You learn after a good many years to go to the barn or the pasture or town when the war paint is brought out. I want the money back or the merchandise delivered and I might drive to Minneapolis if necessary, but I don't want to! I will stay with my nose to the grindstone today and, hopefully, the mess will be cleaned up by noon! If not, I know how to go to the coffee emporium and order a cheeseburger.

The jobs at hand are going along smoothly, little rust here and there but, with weather like we have been experiencing, how could we complain? I have been insulating pipes with new stuff and hooking up new heat wires. We who raise beef know that frozen lines and frozen ground make for a miserable job. I have been looking at the new water heaters that float in the stock tanks but have not decided to purchase any of them. I spent good money for some several years ago and they lasted about a week. That week was wonderful, but sure enough short lived!

The offspring are off to a heifer sale today. Looking at good registered heifers for show calves is conducive to going home and explaining that we will need to wait till next year to trade off that car!

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, a day like today is not to be wasted on anger, bidding on cattle we might not be able to afford, stomping out fires around the round table or gritting teeth. I believe you and I can walk around the fence line or saddle up and ride around the fence line and stay completely content all by ourselves! I want to go by foot so I can watch for tracks of quail, rabbits and coyotes and, besides, old Dog likes the pace!

Bite the bullet and stay outside!

Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette-area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 10/19/2016