Soapweed
Well-known member
My journal entry for Saturday, February 10, 1968
I awoke and greeted the new day at 6:00. We had breakfast, and then I saddled Hawk Eye to ride out on the meadow to get in the calves.
Dad drove out in the horse pasture and caked the cows, and then went down to the east end of the meadow to cake the two-year-old heifers. Lloyd put out grain for the calves, and finished just as I brought them in.
Lloyd and I started feeding hay while Dad went to town to get the hook end of the winching cable put on. We fed some rough hay already on the sled to about 30 cows in the heavy lot. We shoved on a little jag of good hay with the tractor scoop and fed the three bull bunches and the heifer calves. Lloyd and I headed for the east end of the meadow to feed the heifers, but Dad just got back from town and he intercepted us to go to the north meadow to get cow hay. We attempted to load up in the yard on the southeast corner of the meadow, but a sprocket on the winch wore off so we all piled into the pickup and went home.
Dad went back to Merriman to get another sprocket, so Lloyd and I ground up a load of bull grain. When Dad got home, he and I went up to where the tractor was and tried to put the pieces all back together. A half-moon key refused to fit properly, so we came back to the shop to grind it down.
Dinner was ready so we came in to eat. I started out this morning with my big brown hat and gloves, but a little later I traded for a Scotch cap and mittens. By noon, I was so chilled that long-handled underwear was also added. It is not really so cold temperature-wise, but being cloudy with a brisk breeze makes it seem cold.
We had turkey, mashed potatoes, cooked frozen peas, and salad for dinner. As we were behind with the necessary feeding, Dad cut the noon hour down to twenty minutes. Lloyd ground another load of grain, and Dad and I went back to fix the winch. One more trip back home was needed before the job was done.
We finished loading the stack, and I took it home. The three of us fed it along the road in the west pasture. I drove the tractor and sled down to the east end of the meadow, where Dad and I pitched off a little stack butt to the heifers. We took turns driving the pickup and tractor [with no cab] on up to the north meadow. There we winched on a full stack from the east yard. Dad took it home, and we fed it to the cows also. I rode Hawk Eye and moved all the cows out of the horse pasture into the west pasture, and then brought the loose horses home. The tongue on the hay sled broke, so we used a chain in its place. We got done after dark and did chores. Lloyd stayed for supper this Saturday night, as it had gotten so late.
I awoke and greeted the new day at 6:00. We had breakfast, and then I saddled Hawk Eye to ride out on the meadow to get in the calves.
Dad drove out in the horse pasture and caked the cows, and then went down to the east end of the meadow to cake the two-year-old heifers. Lloyd put out grain for the calves, and finished just as I brought them in.
Lloyd and I started feeding hay while Dad went to town to get the hook end of the winching cable put on. We fed some rough hay already on the sled to about 30 cows in the heavy lot. We shoved on a little jag of good hay with the tractor scoop and fed the three bull bunches and the heifer calves. Lloyd and I headed for the east end of the meadow to feed the heifers, but Dad just got back from town and he intercepted us to go to the north meadow to get cow hay. We attempted to load up in the yard on the southeast corner of the meadow, but a sprocket on the winch wore off so we all piled into the pickup and went home.
Dad went back to Merriman to get another sprocket, so Lloyd and I ground up a load of bull grain. When Dad got home, he and I went up to where the tractor was and tried to put the pieces all back together. A half-moon key refused to fit properly, so we came back to the shop to grind it down.
Dinner was ready so we came in to eat. I started out this morning with my big brown hat and gloves, but a little later I traded for a Scotch cap and mittens. By noon, I was so chilled that long-handled underwear was also added. It is not really so cold temperature-wise, but being cloudy with a brisk breeze makes it seem cold.
We had turkey, mashed potatoes, cooked frozen peas, and salad for dinner. As we were behind with the necessary feeding, Dad cut the noon hour down to twenty minutes. Lloyd ground another load of grain, and Dad and I went back to fix the winch. One more trip back home was needed before the job was done.
We finished loading the stack, and I took it home. The three of us fed it along the road in the west pasture. I drove the tractor and sled down to the east end of the meadow, where Dad and I pitched off a little stack butt to the heifers. We took turns driving the pickup and tractor [with no cab] on up to the north meadow. There we winched on a full stack from the east yard. Dad took it home, and we fed it to the cows also. I rode Hawk Eye and moved all the cows out of the horse pasture into the west pasture, and then brought the loose horses home. The tongue on the hay sled broke, so we used a chain in its place. We got done after dark and did chores. Lloyd stayed for supper this Saturday night, as it had gotten so late.
I learned a lot from dear old Dad--some of how to do things, and some of how not to do things. Spike Van Cleve had it figured out with his own parent, when he said: "There were always three ways to do any given task--the easy way, the hard way, and Dad's way, which made the hard way look plumb easy." I concur, as I am sure my own sons do also.