March Diary 1968

[Soapweed]

1968, March 19, Tuesday Journal

I was compelled to arise at midnight and check cows. I wandered down to the barn about half asleep and stumbled through the heavies, playing my flashlight beam on each and every one. One heifer in the corral had a calf coming with one foot back, so I trotted to the house and woke up Dad. While waiting for him to dress and get down there, I got the heifer into the barn and put into the stanchion. We performed the operation, checked through the other cows, and hit the sack again at 1:30.

My alarm brought me around at 6:00. I climbed out of bed to a blizzardy sort of day. After breakfast, Lloyd grained the calves while Dad and I put a battery in the "crawler." It started without trouble, so we put gas in it.

Dad headed the "cat" north to the first stack yard, with Lloyd and I bounced along on the empty hay sled. We loaded on half a stack. Lloyd and I then started feeding cattle in the comparative shelter around the buildings and tree lots. Dad started up north in the four-wheeler to check around. He got stuck right away, so came back afoot and got a reliable form of transportation, his horse Penny. Lloyd and I fed the hay on the sled, so went inside to thaw out until Dad returned.

Dad had moved the cow bunch into the middle pasture and the heifers into the home meadow. I saddled Sassy and rode out to get the heifers on in to the "old bull lot." When I returned, Dad and Lloyd had finished their work in the barn, so we came in to an early dinner. I made up about twenty minutes of my lost sleep over the noon hour.

Dad took the pickup to the pasture north of the west meadow. Lloyd and I bucked the wind with the feeding outfit, having to stop now and then to pull Dad out of a deep spot. Blowing snow and mud kicked up by the cat didn't make my job as driver overly comfortable.

We pulled on most of a stack (loading twice), and fed the cows with little calves. They were getting along pretty fair, despite their lack of shelter. Better time was made going home because of a good strong tail wind.

At home, we warmed up a bit and went out to feed some more. We loaded two thirds of a stack, and fed the cows and heifers. A little more was also fed to the heavies and yearlings. I didn't help on this last bit, because I had to look for a lost pitchfork. I never did find the darn thing, but it will probably turn up—in a tire, most likely.

Lloyd and I got the heavies in. Dad and I sorted them while Lloyd fed the bulls. [Every night, we would get the heavies into the corral. Dad would "sort out" the ones most likely to calve that night. We would leave them in the corral and turn the rest out into the heavy lot. After supper, it was usually my job to "check the cows" before going to bed. These cows in the corral would be put into the barn on the coldest nights. As a rule, none of the "most likely" cows would calve, but invariably there would be one or two new babies out in the heavy lot that would have to be dealt with. It was not the greatest system, but that was how we did it. I empathize with Spike Van Cleve's assessment. He said about his relationship with his dad: "There were always three ways to do any task—the easy way, the hard way, and Dad's way, which made the hard way look plum easy." I concur.]

I was told to "put the pickup away" [as in the double garage just north of the house]. I got it stuck between the bunkhouse and the new garage [called "the Butler building"], so it will have to sit outside tonight. This was just one of the many incidents which helped to make the last 24 hours a very imperfect day.

Sybil went outside last night to help Dad check the cows. Sandra caught the urge to be out in a blizzard also, so the two of them accompanied Dad on his rounds tonight.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 20, Wednesday Journal

I got up again at midnight to check the cows last night. I played it a little smarter than the night before, and slept the first half with my clothes on. Nothing much was going on, so I came back in to complete my night's sleep.

Joyfully, I awakened at 6:00 to find that the blizzard had broken. It was not nearly as wicked as a couple preceding storms I could mention, but it was still a wild, undesirable bit of weather. One thing in our favor was the temperature—it averaged about 27 degrees throughout the whole affair.

I saddled Sassy and jogged out after the calves. Then Dad got out the crawler and we pulled the pickup from its night's resting place. Dad got Lloyd lined out for the day's work, while I got ready for school.

The four of us—Dad, Sandra, Sybil, and I—piled into the four-wheeler for the journey to school. We got stuck between the bridge and the oil strip, so some digging was required. The oil strip was really an "ice strip" today, but we made it to the highway without mishap. The state road department had plowed the highway, but had our entrance completely clogged with dozed snow. Putting the pickup into four-wheel-drive, getting a hard run at it, and a generous amount of griping was necessary to plow through the pile of snow. The remainder of the trip to town was uneventful.

Band was over and typing was well underway by the time we arrived. "Getting stuck" was used as an excuse for our lateness. We failed to mention our late start. I got a couple of lines typed before the bell sounded, so had to finish the lesson during the afternoon study hall.

We reviewed for a test to be given tomorrow in Geography. It will consist of questions about volcanoes, earthquakes, and glaciers. Mr. Nelson entertained us for the remainder of the period by telling us the disadvantages of working for the "Wilson Construction Company." He convinced me not to attempt this sort of work.

Mr. Card gave us a five-problem assignment in Geometry. He then told John and me what to review for the scholastic contest to be held in Chadron on Friday.

In Biology class, Mr. Krotz gave us notes concerning Reptiles. At about 11:30, the sun was melting the snow on the roof enough that the ceiling of the Science room began leaking fast and furious. Ken and I went upstairs with a dustpan and crawled out on the roof from the restroom window. We scooped some snow away from the hole, but it didn't do any good. The last I knew, water was still dripping, and many gallons of water had been collected.

Dinner consisted of fried chicken, potatoes and gravy, corn, bread, and peaches. I spent the noon hour doing my Geometry.

We read in our Literature books about Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, and Helen Hayes. We lucked out with no assignment for tomorrow.

Mr. McKay took Shirley and me out for Driver's Ed. Shirley drove to the Eli turn-off and back, and then some more around town. I rode along for observation. Until time for Phys Ed, we had study hall. I caught up on my typing lesson.

Phys Ed was spent rather inactively. I put up a couple hooks to hang belts on in a locker. John forgot his clothes, so I loaned him mine for his track practice.

After school, Dad picked us up right away. We headed home, meeting the road grader between Merriman and our turn-off. Dad stopped and talked with Gail Welch, and asked him if he would clear our driveway. He said he would.

At home, I changed clothes and devoured a sandwich. Dad and I took the pickup north of the west meadow, and checked the cows with little calves. They seemed to have weathered the storm in good shape.

We sorted out 24 heavies from the cow and heifer bunches. We didn't have to ride too far to do this, as both bunches were close to the buildings. Dad helped Lloyd load a stack butt while I held the "cut" (the cows that had been sorted out). Then we corralled the new bunch, and got in the rest of the heavies. About fifteen head were sorted out to put in the barn for the night. Chores were done up, and we came in to supper. We watched "Green Acres" on TV.

Dad and Sybil went out to check the cows. We kept in contact with the girls' "walkie-talkies" that they had gotten for Christmas. Dad needed a little help, so summoned me. We walked in two cows that were about ready to calve. One needed her stitches pulled, so that operation was taken care of. We drove through the rest of the cows and came in.

I lucked out and don't have to check cows in the "wee hours" tonight. Adios'.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 21, Thursday Journal

Today was the first full day of spring, but you'd never know it from the actions of the weather. It has been downright cool since the storm. At 6:00 this morning, I piled out and had breakfast. Then I went out to get in the calves on Sassy.

We bucked the drifts to town in the green pickup. I once again resumed my driving job, as the road was pretty well broke open from yesterday. The gate by the bridge had to be opened, as the auto gate was pretty well clogged. The oil strip was slippery. Mike Davis was cleaning out the turn-off, so we had a short wait while he finished. We stopped to mail some letters, and then proceeded on to school.

During chorus, we worked things a little different. Instead of singing, Mr. Phipps gave us a sort of quiz on musical symbols.

Typing class went along pretty fair. We had a test in Geography about glaciers, earthquakes, and volcanoes. After some talking, I raised my grade from a 92% to 94%.

In Geometry, Mr. Card gave us a short assignment due Monday. Then he reviewed John and me for the scholastic contest tomorrow. Mr. Krotz led the Biology class in a discussion about Reptiles again today. Then he also brushed me up for the Biology end of the scholastic contest.

The bill-of-fare for dinner was hot dogs, beans, and peaches or pineapples; also you could have orange juice along with the usual half pint of milk. John and I mostly "chewed the rag" [shot the bull, visited, etc.] over the noon hour.

Mrs. Jess popped a review quiz in Literature. I squirmed through with 80%--not good, but not bad considering quite a few of the class flunked entirely. Jeana, however, studied and came through with flying colors—97%.

Vonda and Carole drove during Driver's Ed, so the rest of us looked through old Merriman Blue Jay yearbooks and studied some. The rest of the day was spent in this fashion, and we were kicked loose at 3:50.

We climbed in the pickup and headed home, stopping first to get groceries, the mail, and a calf chain at Weber Equipment. At home, I changed clothes and snacked on a sandwich.

I went out, saddled Sassy, and rode through the heavies. Then I got in a couple cows that were with the yearlings. Some yearlings got through the gate, so I had a little hard riding to do before everything was back where they belonged.

I got the heavies in, with Lloyd helping slightly on foot. Dad checked the cows and calves that were dropped back, to see if they were matched up right. Two heavies had slipped back, so we had to get them in. We sorted out a few to put in the barn, and kicked the rest back out south. Chores were completed, and we came in to supper.

John called up to say they'd had a nearly record run on newborn calves. In the last 26 hours, they had gotten 24 calves. Dad's all-time record run has been 27 calves in 24 hours.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 22, Friday Journal

My alarm was set for 6:00, but Mom shoved me out at about 5:30. I dressed in my "Sunday best" and then joined the rest of the outfit for a good breakfast.

We left for school at 6:30. I left the girls and the pickup at Grandma's, and then walked down to school. We waited around awhile for late-comers, and then headed to Chadron for a scholastic contest. John, Ken, Ernie Bennett, and I rode in the Driver's Ed car with Mr. Nelson. Aunt Lois, Mr. Card, and Inez Goodwin (driving Micheel's car) all took cars filled to overflowing with "young scholars."

Our caravan arrived in Chadron at 8:30. My first class began at 10:00, so I had ample time to kill. Geometry was to be held in Hildreth Hall, but I was under the impression it was to be in the Administration Building. I hunted all over for Room 304. When I couldn't find it, I wised up and looked at my admission card—which clearly stated "304 HH." Besides Geometry, I also had a Biology test to take.

There were all kinds of students from all over the country at the contest today. I knew a few of the kids from the various towns represented, but not a very big percentage considering the quantity—around 1200.

We had dinner cafeteria-style at 50 cents per plate. When we four sophomore boys were finished eating, Mr. Card took us out to his place. His "week-end retreat" is three miles south of Chadron, and consists of a quarter section of land located on Chadron Creek. We were introduced to Mr. Card's brother, Lloyd. In looking over the place, somewhat the worse for wear but "homey" in appearance, several antique prospects were disturbed from their resting places. An especially interesting item was an old water wagon which had belonged to the county. John and I are seriously considering trying to get hold of this relic on a partnership deal. Mr. Card showed us the dam providing Chadron's water supply, and then we headed back to Chadron State College.

Mr. Nelson is a qualified Driver's Ed teacher, so he let us four boys drive on the way home. I drove from Rushville to Gordon. By the way, I didn't do too well at the contest. In Biology, I ranked 62nd out of 77. 24th out of 85 was my ranking in Geometry.

I picked up my sisters at Grandma Grace's, and we came on home. Grandpa and Grandma Anderson [from Benson, Minnesota] arrived this afternoon. Just as we got home, Roy and Dorothy Anderson [Grandpa Rudolph Anderson's brother and also from Benson, Minnesota] and Margaret Johannson called from Grandma Grace's [Moreland] place in town. Their car was heavily loaded, so Grandpa Rudolph and I took our car into Merriman to pick them up and bring them out to the Green Valley.

When we got home, I changed clothes and went down to help Dad and Lloyd finish up chores. We sorted out a few cows to put in the barn, and then went to the house.

Mom had a good supper fixed. Also, today was our neighbor, Terry Snyder's birthday, so he and his dad Ronald had dinner with my folks.

We got close to ten calves today, with about seven of them being heifers' calves. The cable on the puller calf puller broke, so Dad had to pull one with the cat. [Just typing it as I wrote it 48 years ago.]

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 23, Saturday Journal

First off, I neglected to put in a couple details from the scholastic contest yesterday. Entertainment was provided after dinner. The "Eagleaires" sang, and some tumbling acts were demonstrated before we got there. A colony of Samoan exchange students put on an act of native dances, which was pretty good but rather lengthy. A quartet sang, and then a trio played guitars and sang. Two girls sang and played the piano. Some karate holds were displayed, but we took off before the show was finished. After a hard search for the other members of our carload, we came home.

I got up shortly after 6:00 on this Saturday morning. I slept downstairs on the "roll-away" bed, using my sleeping bag. The rest of the house contained an abundance of company.

We had breakfast, and then I went out to get in the calves. As Sassy was turned out, I rode Penny.

Dad took Roy and Dorothy Anderson and Margaret Johannson to town. Grandpa, Sandra, and Sybil went along for the ride.

I got out the crawler and filled it with gas. Lloyd was done feeding the calves by then, so we started on our hay feeding operation. We had one heck of a hard time loading a top half of a stack in the first yard. A roller of a cat track came off, so I jogged home and got the M tractor. We hooked on to the sled with the M and left the crawler there.

We fed the young bulls, the heifers, the old bulls, and the yearlings—in that order. Dad was fixing the wheel on the 450 tractor, so we then went to help him. I put a sack of cake in the new pickup and drove down to the "old bull lot" to give it to the heifers. Dad had me saddle Penny, as he had some riding to do.

Lloyd and I took the 450 and sled, and went to load the rest of the previously mentioned stack. That job takes the cake for the hardest to load stack in my career. It took an hour to load the blamed thing.

We fed the yearlings some more hay, and gave some to the cows with little calves that Dad had put in the south lot. Then we went in to dinner. I enjoyed a short snooze before we once again resumed feeding hay.

We fed the rest of our load to the cattle around the place, and then headed for the west meadow. A stack butt was pulled on and fed to the cows and calves north of the meadow. Also, we "cleaned up" some more scattered hay to give to them. Somehow in the process of all this, the prop stick got broke [a 4"x4" board about three feet long that hung from a chain bolted to the middle of the frame of the hay sled bed. It was used to "prop" the sled up in tilted position, to enable hay to be pulled or pushed onto the sled]. We started home in the dark at about 7:00, but Dad came along in the pickup. He told us to leave our outfit there. He had already done chores.

A lot of snow went off today. It was real nice—getting up to 50 degrees. This was a welcome relief after the cold of the last few days.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 24, Sunday Journal

Yesterday was the Town and Country Day Celebration in Gordon. We were to have sung for the stage show last night, but the storm and getting ready for Bill and Rose Marie Arnot's reception hindered any possible practice sessions. [we got out of that one—whew!]

Dad and I got up at 6:00, and went out to do chores before breakfast. I fed the bull bunches while Dad milked out some cows.

For breakfast, we had half an orange, soft boiled eggs, bacon, Grandma Signe's famous brown bread, and bologna, as well as milk and cereal.

I put out the grain for the calves and got them in on Penny. Then I brought in the horses. Dad captured Silver, and I put my saddle on Sassy. We loped over to the west meadow and sorted out quite a few pairs (some of the cows have sunburned teats) from the pasture north of the meadow. We also cut out a few heavies from the cow bunch in the west meadow. Dad drove the herd home, leading my horse, and I took the tractor and sled. I helped Dad put the cattle in the corral and then pushed on a dab of hay.

Dad tied up a couple cows and left them while we fed the hay. The heavies and yearlings were short on hay, so we fed them. We finished this job just in time, as one of the tied-up cows was choking to death. She is alright now however.

We finished up our work outside and went in to clean up.

Today was Brad Moreland's 11th birthday. We went to the JO for dinner to celebrate. Other guests included Uncle Joys', Uncle Garoulds', Grandma Grace, and later in the day Don, Dorothy, and Andy Rice came down. Mom, the girls, and Grandpa and Grandma Anderson went to church and then out to Uncle Stans'. Dad and I went later in the pickup.

After a real good dinner, we "chilluns" rammed around. We admired the saddle room, saw some new articles in Uncle Stan's museum, and then engaged in a free-for-all snowball fight. Also, a crude version of basketball was played. Then we took a rubber-tired fencing wagon and pushed it by "brute strength" to a couple small hills. We would all pile in, and get it rolling off the hill. We had a couple pretty snappy, but short, rides.

Dad went home early to check the cows. The rest of us left at about 5:30. I drove the car home—it's easier on my nerves than to have Mom do it.

Mom fixed supper before we went out to do chores. When we got around to it, Sybil accompanied Dad and me. I fed the bulls while they checked through the cows. One was calving, so I tried to get her in on foot. This didn't work too well, so I saddled Jig (I had left her in when we got the horses in this morning). The old cow came in easy enough on this second try. The calf was coming alright after all, so we let it come by itself.

Today was another nice day. It was windier than yesterday, but warmer. A lot of snow went off.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 25, Monday Journal

Today dawned cloudy, and it sprinkled a little before we left for school. However it turned out real nice—over 65 degrees, and this was the nicest day so far in 1968.

I crawled out of my soogans at the customary 6:00. We had breakfast, and then I went to help a little before school. I climbed on Jig and helped Dad get in the bulls from the horse pasture. Some cows that won't let their calves suck are also in the bunch. I put out the grain for the bulls and did some other stuff, almost getting late for school in the process.

We took off and got to band on time. We practiced on my favorite, "Hermit of Kildare." In Typing class, we sophomores compared notes on the scholastic contest trip. In Geography, we went back to using the textbook. Our assignment in Geometry was to write four different postulates five times apiece. Then we talked some more about Friday's highlights.

Mr. Krotz gave us free time during Biology. Some of the kids worked on a blood-type demonstration to be given at the Science Fair. John and I went to the office to "cook up a deal" with Mr. Card. A measles epidemic hit Merriman with a Greiser girl and two Buckles girls getting sick today. Mr. Card had to take them home, so John and I got to watch the office. Upon his arrival back at school the second time, we talked business. John and I purchased the old-time antique water wagon from Mr. Card for $20, with each of us going half on the partnership deal. Ken wound up paying one dollar for the bit and scale Mr. Card gave him on Friday. However, looking through an antique book, the scale seems to be worth $40 (not a bad profit for Ken).

For dinner, the cooks fixed potatoes, chicken gravy, biscuits, peas, and peaches. Over the noon hour, John and I "built air-castles" with dreams of what we can do with our new water wagon.

We read poetry during Literature class. The rest of the day until Phys Ed time was used for study hall.

John and Jim Welch had to run to the Cottonwood Lake east of Merriman, around it, and back, for track. I accompanied them to the lake, and then went back to school. I ran all the way over, but resorted to occasionally walking on the way back.

Sandra, Sybil, and I got groceries and the mail and headed for home. The store has a new sign up saying: "This business is for sale." Merriman is slowly but surely becoming a ghost town. Sybil walked from the overhead sign on home.

I changed clothes, had a sandwich, and went outside. I took the pickup to the west meadow and helped Lloyd pull off some hay. We then loaded on better than half a stack and fed the cows and calves and the dry cows for tomorrow. I took the pickup home, and Lloyd brought the tractor.

Dad painted the shelves in the saddle room, so when they dry, I can start putting a few antiques in there.

We came in to supper. Dad and I looked through some old saddlery catalogs [Uncle Stan had acquired these catalogs from Ralph Arnot's life-time collection. He shared and gave some of them to Dad and me]. John called up, so we chatted and I enjoyed a malt while listening to more plans for our new wagon.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 26, Tuesday Journal

I got up at 6:00 and went upstairs to a good breakfast. I rode Jig and brought in the cattle from the horse pasture. In feeding the bulls, I once again got a late start for school.

We took the pickup to school (Mom, Grandma Signe, Grandpa Rudolph, and Nancy Jean would need the car to go to Martin later in the day). As usual we listened to "Earl Nightingale" and "The Birthday Club" on Chadron radio KCSR A.M. on the trip to town.

During Chorus we didn't sing. Instead, Mr. Phipps gave us a list of musical symbols to learn. The period was spent going over these.

We typed Lesson 110 in Typing. There was only one eraser for the whole squad, so if a mistake was made, you had to wait in line for a generous length of time.

In Geography, we started a chapter about Africa. Mr. Card piled on a 20 problem assignment for Geometry.

Three people were injured in the rough and tumble Biology class. Bill Marrs got glass in his finger. Jan Smith and Vertrie McClane both received acid burns. As Krotz took bill to the doctor, we sophomores didn't have to have class. We studied and tried to "get small words from larger ones." [This was a fun game if you had time to kill.]

Homemade bread, "goulash," and peaches were for dinner. I did Geometry until 1:00. We read poetry during Literature. As I am not a poetry fan, I read a novel WAGONS WEST by Leslie White on the side.

Mr. McKay took a couple fellow classmates driving for Driver's Ed, so the remainder of us "rammed around" and acted busy. The rest of the day was study hall.

Card tried to pull a "fast one" on John and me. He called me into the office and said, "Would $35 be too much for the wagon?" I was kind of taken aback, as we had already agreed on $20. I stammered around and said I would consult John, though the upped price would more than likely scare us away. That makes me mad. Old Card has always been a strong believer in honesty; however I never considered an "Indian giver" type deal very desirable or an honest trade.

Sandra, Sybil, and I came home. The rest of the gang except Dad had all gone to Martin. I was given the good news that one of my cows had a new calf. We went up to see this dandy heifer calf.

Dad and I saddled Silver and Jig, and then loped up north to sort heavies. The heifers and cows are now all together in the pasture north of the lake. We sorted out about fifteen head and brought them home over the hill. We then got the heavies in from the south lot.

Lloyd ground two loads of grain, so I helped him unload the last one. We did chores and came in for supper.

Dad went to an REA meeting, so I am "in charge" of the heavies. I checked them at 9:00, Dad will check them about 11:00, and I am to get up at 2:00 a.m. to check them again.

Dad gave me a tomahawk today. He had acquired it years ago by Allen, SD.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

One thing is for certain Soap, you are finally putting TYPING class to good use all these years later.

I sure enjoy the diary.

 

[Soapweed]

One thing is for certain Soap, you are finally putting TYPING class to good use all these years later.

I sure enjoy the diary.

My life was pretty humdrum and not too exciting. It's still kind of that way. :cboy:

 

[tytower]

I too like this, good homely stuff. Made a couple of notes , maybe they'll help someone reading this too.

"Dad tied up a couple cows and left them while we fed the hay. The heavies and yearlings were short on hay, so we fed them. We finished this job just in time, as one of the tied-up cows was choking to death. She is alright now however."

I use a knot called a bowline . It does not slip and is easily learned and after heavy pulling still comes out easily.
Its ideal for around the kneck and will not tighten.


"One was calving, so I tried to get her in on foot. This didn't work too well, so I saddled Jig (I had left her in when we got the horses in this morning). The old cow came in easy enough on this second try. The calf was coming alright after all, so we let it come by itself."

I find that a bit of bread helps . Once they get used to it they will follow you anywhere for a bit more . Bit of mollasses on it to start helps too.

 

[tytower]

One thing is for certain Soap, you are finally putting TYPING class to good use all these years later.

I sure enjoy the diary.

My life was pretty humdrum and not too exciting. It's still kind of that way. :cboy:

Sure wish I could go back to that time in my life . Make the most of it , you only get one go at it I say .

I missed the fact that this was in 1968 until I read the post on the blizzard of 1966 . Bloody cold over there.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 27, Wednesday Journal

The 2:00 a.m. check last night proved to be uneventful. However, I couldn't go back to sleep until about 3:30 a.m. It was my privilege though, to be allowed to sleep a little late—almost too late. I got up at 7:30 and had to really rush around to get ready to go to school.

We took the car, and arrived slightly late for band practice. There we worked on a couple of songs from our overture books. We didn't have any other regular classes today, but cleaned up the school to get ready for the Science Fair tomorrow. The first thing on the agenda was for the six of us boys to go to the Catholic Church to get tables. These we carried up to the English room.

Next, about half of the high school students went down to the ex-lumber yard in our pickup and Marrs' pickup. We loaded quite a few planks to be set on stands for projects. Ken, John, and I laid out two softball diamonds on the football field. Then we went over to "Sam's Place" (the old Science lab) to get suitable boards for bases. The rest of the morning was spent arranging classrooms to Krotz's specifications.

For dinner we had a hamburger gravy on mashed potatoes, a bread and butter sandwich, green beans, and a lemon ring. Over the noon hour, Card motioned John and me into the boiler room. We discussed the "wagon deal" but could arrive at no suitable conclusion.

We "Three Musketeer" (Ken Moreland, John Fairhead, and I) composed a letter to be sent to the Dawes County Road Department concerning the wagon issue. Dad promptly vetoed the idea when I got home, so guess our time was wasted.

I put up some guide signs and then we hauled more lumber. We also set up the rooms in the elementary building before "calling it a day."

Ken and I went downtown. I purchased cookies for MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) and then we drifted down to the church. I only stayed a short time before Dad and Grandpa picked me up. They had been to Bill Gaskins', where Dad had bought an Angus bull to be used on yearling Hereford heifers this upcoming summer. The price was $300.

We checked the cows when we got home, and then went to the house. Dad took a short nap, and Grandpa and I read. Mom and Grandma Signe were at "Ladies Aid"—WSCS (Women's Society of Christian Service)—and my sisters were at youth group.

I saddled Jig and loped out to get the heavy cows in. Then Lloyd and I took the hay feeding outfit to the cows and calves in the pasture south of the meadow. We pulled off a little hay to the yearlings also, and got back to find that Dad had chores about done.

We came in to supper but had a short wait, as the womenfolk were not home yet. Dad took off to go to choir practice. I'd better hit the sack because tomorrow promises to be a big day.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 28, Thursday Journal

I got up at 6:00 and had breakfast with Mom, Dad, and Lloyd. Then I went out to get in the bulls. I forked my bay mare and loped out into the horse pasture. One lone bull was quite a ways further out than the rest, so I had to take a lot of time following him in.

We were supposed to be at school a trifle early, so we left about 7:20 in the car. Once there, I found my mark of authority—an "FSA POLICE BADGE" [guess it must have meant "Future Scientists of America]. (Wow!)

Virginia Poor Thunder and I were in charge of the projects in McKay's room. Setting them up was the hardest job, but I got out of some of this. I had to take a couple girls from the concession stand—Jeana Fairhead and Mary Robertson—downtown to buy supplies at the Red and White grocery store. I just got back with them, and then needed to take Shirley Micheel and Vonda Goodwin down to get some more stuff.

The rest of the morning was spent setting up projects and reading my book WAGONS WEST. Also, some of us boys had to carry over pop to the elementary building for the concession stand.

For dinner, we had some rather untasty sandwiches, pickles, potato chips, carrots, and "poor man's cookie" (with raisins, yuk!) I took my plate upstairs and patrolled while I ate. The out-of-town students had dinner in the Episcopal Hall. Mrs. Krotz and some of the other mothers put on this feed. [I don't think our teacher Kenneth Krotz was married when he taught in Merriman, so I am wondering if this was his mother who was serving food.]

In the afternoon, I made the rounds to look at the projects. In passing the concession stand, I was unable to resist a "suicide" pop mixture and a candy bar.

I watched the room for would-be project wreckers, fairly unnecessary as most people are pretty good in this neck of the woods. One school had to leave a little early, so I helped them take down their projects. One project was a boat that required a tub of water. In carrying it down the fire escape to empty it, the teacher lifted her end a little too high which resulted in my britches getting soaked.

I watched the awards presentation. Both Sandra and Sybil were in the top ten in their respective grades. Sybil had two projects—raccoons, and the making of brown rye bread. Sandra's project was about different kinds of ink.

I came home shortly after 4:00. Dad and Grandpa had gone to Kenneth Joseph's place south of Kilgore to look at a few Angus cows that were for sale.

Jig was out in the heavy lot, but I walked up to her and led her to the barn with my belt. She was feeling her oats and tried to buck on a couple occasions on my ride tonight. I got in the cows and the bulls. Then I had to get another cow in from the horse pasture.

Dad and I milked out a couple cows. I took care of the horses (eliminating any grain for Jig, and then fed the bulls.

Grandma Grace in Merriman had us, Grandma and Grandpa Anderson, and Uncle Stan's in for supper. Ken was pooped so didn't come in. Sandra and Debby had a volleyball game in Allen, and Sybil went along as "student manager." We had a good supper and got home about 10:00.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 29, Friday Journal

I awoke at 6:00, got dressed, and headed upstairs for breakfast. Last night should end my sleeping in the basement for quite a while, as our company is leaving today.

Jig got out through the little gate in the windbreak during the night, so I used Silver to get in the bulls and sore-teated cows. Dad helped put the cattle into the corral on foot. We sorted the bulls into the feed bunk lot, where Lloyd had already put out the grain.

I went to the house and changed into my school clothes. We bid our adieus to Grandma and Grandpa Anderson, who left about 9:15 to drive back to Minnesota.

In school, we didn't have classes all morning because of cleaning up after the Science Fair. Bill Marrs had an old pickup that we used to haul lumber back to the old lumber yard, which Weber Equipment now owns. We made two trips and were all loaded up for the third. Bill took off from the school and ran over some pipes, which knocked a tie-rod out. We transferred the lumber into the school-owned panel wagon, which we have always called "the crate." Two more trips were made, with quite a little "time-killing" going on. We sure as heck didn't want to get in on classes any sooner than absolutely necessary.

We had cleaned up the whole school by 10:30, so were compelled to go to Biology class. Mr. Krotz was good to us and let us use the period as study hall. Just before dinner, I went out to the bookmobile and checked out four books.

Cheese sandwiches, tomatoes, and apple crisp were on the menu at dinner time. I read THE ROUNDERS by Max Evans during the noon hour. This is not really the nicest book ever written, but is sure is funny.

In English, we talked Mrs. Jess into letting us have a class meeting. It turned out to be a regular brawl arguing about prom ideas. Mr. McKay took Ernie and Mary driving in Driver's Ed, so the rest of us had study hall the rest of the school day.

Sandra and Sybil went to another volleyball game at Allen, so I got groceries and the mail, and came home by myself.

At home, I changed clothes and had a Pepsi and a couple cookies. Dad and Lloyd had brought in some cows with little calves to muley-make [putting paste on their horns to prevent the horns from growing]. We ran through 65 head, including five of Lloyd's calves and one of mine. I now have two heifer calves, as one was born yesterday. The only let-up to this job came when Dad had me ride Penny up to check the cows. One heifer was calving, so I brought her in. She calved by herself, however.

Lloyd and I strung out a little hay in the horse pasture, for the cattle we had just worked. I turned the outfit around and headed for home. As it was pitch dark, I blundered into a gully and got the sled high-centered. We had to winch it out.

I fed the bulls. Also, in our regular chores now, quite a few cows must be milked out both morning and night. [Hereford cows with sore sunburned teats] I rode Hawk Eye with Lloyd's saddle, and helped Dad get in some cows. We then came in to supper.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 30, Saturday Journal

I climbed out of bed at 6:00. We had breakfast and then went outside to start the day's work.

Dad rode Silver, and I used Jig. We got in the bulls and "problem bunch"—who were in the old bull lot because the horse pasture was occupied by the cattle we worked yesterday. We sorted out the bulls and grained them.

While Dad milked out the cows, I helped Lloyd pull off hay to the heavies, cattle in the bull lot, and the cows with calves in the horse pasture. We then loaded up a stack butt in the first yard and proceeded to feed it to the young bulls and yearlings. The remainder of the load was given to the cows and newly muley-made calves, which Dad later moved to the middle pasture.

I got in a big-bagged cow from the heavy lot on Hawk Eye, and Lloyd got her calf with the pickup. We put them in the barn and then went in to dinner. As dinner wasn't quite ready, I read a while. After we had eaten, I had a short snooze.

Lloyd and I took the tractor and sled up north to feed. At the west meadow, we loaded on a little dab of hay and gave it to the cows and calves. The next trip we cleaned up some loose hay with the loader bucket, pushed it on the sled, and fed it to this same bunch also. We then loaded on a small butt to take to the cows that haven't calved, and left the stack yard gates open so the cattle in the meadow could come in and finish the rest.

We fed the cows between the west and north meadows. At the north meadow, we loaded on the top half of a stack and fed it off south of the middle windmill. We will turn the cows and small calves in on this tomorrow.

The day started out hot and windy. It got windier as the day wore on. By mid-afternoon, it had also become quite cool. I neglected to take my coat up north, so suffered the chilly consequences.

Sonny Jackson came out to look at bulls. With him were some of his kids and Marvin Farmer's little boy, Rex. He didn't buy any bulls but might come back later.

I helped Dad get in a cow that needed milking out. The girls and Dad had brought in some others also, so we had about 10 in the corral to milk out. The three of us all pitched in on this undesirable chore, with one "time-out" to hang the barn gate in a more convenient way. We finished this job, did chores, and came in at the early time of 6:30 for a change.

Lloyd didn't stay for supper, but went to Valentine and will not be back until tomorrow night. I read some more before supper. We watched "Lawrence Welk" on television.

Sybil braved the elements and went out with Dad to check the cows. As it is cold and windy, we put a few cows that might calve tonight into the barn. The cow checkers just came back with the report that they had to straighten out a calf trying to be born with one foot back.

 

[Soapweed]

1968, March 31, Sunday Journal

My alarm went off at 6:00. Dad got up at the same time, so we dressed and went out to do chores. I fed the young bulls and then put out grain for the yearlings. Dad checked the cows and got in the yearlings.

We came in to a rather leisurely Sunday breakfast. After breakfast, Dad called Snyd. They visited quite a while, so I read a chapter or two in my book.

After going back outside, I saddled our horses, Jig and Silver. We got in the bulls, leaving the sore-teated cows out to fend for themselves, for a change. I grained the bulls, and Dad rode up north to check on the cattle there.

I got out the tractor and hooked it up to the hay sled. I pushed on a little dab from the first yard, and gave it to the heavies. I then drove back and pulled on half a stack of good hay. Some of this was given to the old bulls. By this time Dad had returned, so he helped me feed some to the yearlings. He milked out a cow, and I put the load of hay back in the "Lane."

Today started out a little cool, but calm. It got pretty nice—shirt sleeve weather—even though it got down to 25 degrees last night.

By the time we had things kind of done up outside, it was too late to make it to church. Dad and I loafed around a little bit until Mom and the girls got home from church. Shrimp was the main dish for dinner. Then we cleaned up and got ready to go to town.

Dad, Sandra, Sybil, and I attended the first 4-H meeting of 1968, held at the Fire Hall. Mom and Nancy Jean spent the afternoon at Grandma Grace's. We elected officers at the 4-H meeting. Gerald Goodwin is the club leader; his daughter, Linda Goodwin was elected president; my dad's brother, Stan Moreland is assistant leader; John Fairhead is the vice-president; Ken Moreland is secretary-treasurer; and Sarah Fairhead was appointed news reporter.

We discussed our goals for the present year and set up a few future meetings. The next one will be held April 9, 7:00 p.m. in the Episcopal Hall. The regular Sunday meeting of April 21st will be held right here on the Green Valley, and McNares will host the May meeting. Other business was discussed also. As of today, there are 23 members of the Future Ranchers 4-H Club. After the meeting, we went up to Grandma's, visited a while, and came home.

Everyone took it easy when we arrived home except Dad. He had to work on income tax stuff. I read for a while out of a TRUE WEST magazine, and then sacked out until chore time.

I went down to the barn and saddled Jig. The past couple days, I have been using a bit in her mouth instead of my hackamore. She works a lot better with the bit, but she doesn't really enjoy me bridling her. I rode through the heavies, and then practiced the 4-H reining pattern a couple times. After giving her a pretty good work-out, I got in the bulls and grained them. Then I took her back to the barn, unsaddled, and took care of her and Silver. I made one last check through the heavies. One cow was calving, so I waited until the calf was born to make sure everything was alright.

We had a lunch-like supper and chocolate sundaes (thanks to Sybil for making the chocolate syrup).

I guess the Merriman school board came to the conclusion that they would be better off by closing down the high school. That means a bus ride to Gordon and back during next year's school term. One good thing, you are only required to take four subjects there, and one of them can be Ag.

The wind just came up, so I am supposed to put a new-born calf into the barn before I retire for the night.