A stiff neck is a bad thing to occur

I hope I am not in the final stages of senility or worse, but I think I may be repeating myself lately. This happened once before in my earlier years too. I would tell one of our offspring to do something and then repeat it a few times in the next hour. I may have just developed a habit, and that would mean I am OK, wouldn't it? I was told by my close relative that I repeat myself daily about my lack of enjoyment in winter weather. And she isn't real nice about it either.

My new pickup is just dandy, starts instantly, still smells new, has new tires and what a radio! The hay truck is not like that at all. I had a flat this morning and it did not matter to the world if it was minus wind chill and the wind blowing. The tire stayed flat while I stared at it, said some stuff to it and kicked the ground -- not a good idea when the ground is frozen.

I got hold of my close relative and had her send me some assistance. She called back and said they were really tied up for the next hour -- frozen pipes at one home -- and they would be here when they could. You gotta know what that meant, fix it yourself if you want cattle fed. I can do most anything I could do 20 years ago. It might take me longer and hurt more, but I managed to jack it up, put a plug in the tire and get started haying.

The radio in the truck is spastic, but I managed to hear a winter storm warning for my county and that sorta jacked me up. I delivered double hay to all the pastures and, before I was back to the hay lot for my second load, it was pelting sleet. I grumbled and loaded up, had a hard time getting a grip to get out of the lot due to the slick tires, then it started snowing!

I have windshield wipers on the truck, they work in conjunction with the spastic radio. The wipers wipe as the blank space on the radio happens and then the radio plays as the wipers wait. A blizzard would be deadly!

I didn't see any living person as I worked, and I guess that was fine. I made it without any assistance as I have before. I was getting stiff-necked and realized it, a little pouched and, if it were possible, which it is not, feeling a little sorry for myself. I stopped at the last gate, opened my great silver coffee mug and sipped for a while. By the time I got out to close the gate, I was being grateful for offspring that could repair frozen pipes without me, good cattle to hay, and knowing I had a big old pot of Irish stew waiting on me for lunch.

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, a stiff neck is a bad thing to occur. It causes your eyes to be blinded to good things, your ears to be plugged up with sour grapes, and the only cure is to just get over it! I had a thought of the widow woman who lives on the west side of town and her four or five cows she keeps, and so I made the run and put a big bale in for her. Made my neck feel so much better!

Bathe even if you don't need it this next Saturday!

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