We do not realize how fortunate we are to have all these firefighters who are willing to risk their lives and drop everything to protect us and our property and the majority of these firefighters are volunteer.
We are blessed to live in an area where neighbors care about each other. There might be differences in politics and religion, and skin color for some, but all that is put aside when there is a big problem. I thank God he allowed me to be raised in an area that many city folks would describe as the middle of nowhere. You can’t beat ranchers, farmers and cowboys for having a heart of gold.
I had calls from three hours away asking me if I needed help. To those farmers, ranchers and city folk that got burned out or suffered big losses my heart goes out to you. Some of my neighbors, had to relive this disaster after experiencing a similar event only a few years ago.
It’s a terrible sight to see livestock that got burned to death or others bad enough you have to shoot them. Then you have a mess with many calves trying to find their mother and to try to pair them is almost impossible as several calves trying to nurse the same cow, What a mess.
There are some things that we should learn out of this. If you have burned any trees, limbs, or trash and even though it seems that there no chance that it is still smoldering you should always take every precaution. With the possibility of high winds we often have in our area all it takes is one little spark.
I was talking to another cattle buyer about the high prices we are seeing on cattle. Every week we got from $5 to $20 per hundredweight higher. He thought many feedlots from the small ones to the larger are willing to keep their pens full or somewhat full even though if they bring what feeders or fat cattle are bringing today they will lose money. We cattlemen have short memories.
The preacher said that they were very poor growing up and sometimes his mother sent them to school with a jam sandwich. His grandson said, “Well at least you have bread and jam.” He said, “No it was two pieces of bread jammed together.”
He also said he has heard some say, “Well I was just born on the wrong side street.” He told them, “Well then, cross the street and get on the other side.”
Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the view of High Plains Journal. Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman who grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
