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Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, a couple of us gals were comparing our weeks, days; then the question of how we slept popped up. THAT’S an interesting subject; believe it or not, a few of us could relate to lack of sleep. Jill mentioned her past lack of sleep: “Is it really considered ‘misplacing’ if the misplaced object is yourself? Yup – that was me. The rest of my story: I went to use the bathroom, came out later … my husband asked me what I had been doing in there for almost four hours. Oops – I must have dozed...
A few years back, a young man came to the ranch to learn all he could about cowboying during calving season. Of course, I talked him into writing a guest column for me to chronicle his experience. The following story chronicles his impression of ranch life on our outfit. My name is Bryan Bade. I am from St. Louis, Missouri, and I am spending two months on the Metcalf Ranch learning as much as I can about ranching and cowboying. I have learned so much I could write a book, but Susan told me this can only be 1000 words long....
My father’s family is traced back to West Virginia, which was still Virginia when my great-great and great-grandfather lived there before moving west. There are Curry/Currey family reunions in West Virginia to this day. I was told by a cousin there that all people with our name in WV are related. ‘Currey’ and ‘Curry’ were used interchangeably, there at that time. I researched this part of the family the last few years using Ancestry.com and other sources. It is postulated that the family may have come from Northeast...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, being privileged to read a Senior girl’s speech on STAYING ACTIVE/FIT brought back some childhood memories. Miss ‘Rosie’ also reminded us: “Trying to stay active and fit, sounds so boring and really not enjoyable, but it is a really big deal.” As a farm/ranch kid, we never thought about anorexia or obesity? We didn’t have time for that and we’d certainly never heard of all the electronics that folks have at their fingertips now. Most of those items weren’t even invented, back th...
The horse market is pretty much through the roof right now, which is great if you are selling, but not if you are buying. I know that I sound like an old fogey, but I have bought many horses for $500.00 in my lifetime, and every one of them turned out to be a great horse. Now, I am facing the fact that to buy a high quality horse, I will have to pay triple that price and add another zero. I just can't quite wrap my head around that, and I sure can't wrap my pocket book around paying $15,000 to $20,000 for a push button...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, this was an interesting ‘find’; reading about someone who dreamed they were receiving a bouquet of flowers from God. A little girl, long ago, shared that she had received a beautiful bouquet of tiny little flowers in her dream. The only thing that she could think of was that she had helped a man who was having a hard time with some bad people. She told them it was not nice to treat the poor man that way and that they should stop doing it – right way. The man thanked the little...
Farming on cow/calf operations gets slipped in instead of sleep between calving, feeding, branding, fencing, and all the other spring work. It is often a high-speed, high-stress form of diversification that causes a lot of laundry problems. Anyway the inspiration for the following "Rancher's Guide to Farming" came when I wandered out to the shop. I could tell that something was wrong, because my husband and son and our neighbor were standing with their hands on their hips staring at a plow. Finally one of them said, "It must...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: March has ‘marched off’ - with a bit of snow, and now – woo-hoo! It’s SPRING! The Birds came back, flocks of them, it’s great to hear them sing. Cows graze on hills not far from here, it’s fun to watch calves’ play; they run and jump and stop for ‘lunch’, even if ‘day’ is gray. Small planes were heard, some flew quite low, just checking out the land?? Or just for fun, fly round and round, or check on cattle’s brand? One plane was small, ‘Twas red and white. Flying across blue sky; a pass or two, th...
This is the end of my project. I rounded off the twenty eight students up two more. There were others I went to school with in those eight years in Ekalaka. A boy with the last name Black who was the doctor’s son for example. But my memory of Mitzi and Blaine are still strong so I’ve included them, with all us others. Thank you Eric Lovec for allowing me to express myself to a town, and kids from long ago, who I still have a large place in my heart for. The Finale — Herding Cats — Two Added to Twenty Eight I’ve come to t...
Cattle producers have two options as I see it. One is to bury our heads in the sand and keep doing what we have been doing and expecting a better result “next year,” and the other is to educate ourselves and do something proactively with the information we gain even if that course of action is uphill and painful. My favorite semi-retired ag journalist, the amazing Leesa Zalesky, and her co-author Diane (Henderson) Gumaer have written a book that every cattle producer needs to read at least twice. Their book is entitled “A...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, as the days simply seem to zip on by, glancing out, we notice that it is almost Spring; the March winds are blowing less, cattle are resting after feeding, birds swoop here and there and we can see many Babies all around, almost anywhere one looks. We’ve seen: foals, calves, lambs, chicks, kids and kits and April is just around the corner. From “God’s Calendar” we read: “April is a gentle maiden with eyes sky blue, she’s ‘dressed’ in a green kirtle (dress) braided with flowers. She...
I wrote some of the following from a building at the University of Montana where I go to write sometimes. The sight of the studious young people are an inspiration. And I did attend one quarter here in 1974, although I graduated from MSU, so I am a cross between a bobcat and a grizzly. The following are five more students I went to school with in the old high school at Ekalaka. The Leaves — Not Of Grass, But Of Our Vine I sit on the campus of U of M, Students about me boosts a man of age, To do justice to all leaves on the s...
Several years back, I inadvertently stumbled upon a new method of calving--the homeopathic method. This like the discovery of all great things such as fire and disposable diapers came about quite by accident. Calving season was winding down, so many other pursuits such as farming were occupying the CEO of our ranching operation. CEO sounds like such an officious title for someone who wades around in knee deep muck in worn out coveralls all day. Nevertheless, one rainy afternoon as calving season was winding down and farming...
Many people try to be very careful prior to going on a big trip, so they don't fall and hurt themselves badly enough that they could not travel. Ranch people try to be extra careful prior to calving season, because that is probably the worst time of the year to be injured. Over the years, we have scheduled surgeries so that we would be healed up by calving season. Unfortunately calving season can also be the cause of injuries. Such was the case about three years ago right at the start of calving season when my son Bret burst...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, a friend of mine shared this special/interesting letter: author unknown. So here we go, also sharing this letter entitled; From A Friend: Dear Friend, How are you? I just had to send a note to tell you how much I care about you. I saw you yesterday as you were talking with your friends. I waited all day, hoping you would want to talk with me too. I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you – and I waited. You never came. It hurt me – but I still love you becau...
Some more thoughts about past classmates, from the CCHS class of 1974. Giggles, Integrity, Lovably Snide, Competitor and Respect Again a look at some from our small class, Yearbook thoughts, help me in my chosen chore, Photos forty eight years, back in the past, My recollections waver, distant shores. Sherri, the giggle still sounds, bell of brass, Annelea, our integrity core, Elston and onions, snide remark landmass, Mike, competitor, talents to high scores. Kim, quietly rode towards respect, torch to pass, I can’t deny a p...
Some more of my pseudo-sonnets for my class of 1974 in the old white high school building, for this week. I haven’t gotten bogged down yet within writer’s block gumbo. When you write what you know, or at least what you think you know, the words flow like augered wheat. Memory lane, seems mostly overgrown, Not as if jackpine thick, but still obscured, But I’m winding my way, kicking pine cones, My heart lifts inches, beats far from austere. Kelly one of a kind, some glad, they groaned, Keith, utilitarian — he procured, Lynette...
I love blogs that are honest and authentic, so I was elated when I stumbled upon a really entertaining blog written by Lindsey Habets of Conrad, Montana. Lindsey wrote a series of blogs from both of her toddlers' points of view that are humorous universal experiences of ranching mothers. Lindsey and her husband Jeff raise cattle and hay and their two beautiful children, four year old Hayden and two year old Hadley. The following is an abridged version of her blog entitled "Hello World, I'm a Terrible Two." Hello World, I’m a...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, occasionally one reads something that needs to be shared. Such is the case with an article by Dr. A. Purnell Bailer from his column, ‘Bread of Life,’ which he wrote February 10, 1970. Quoting from that writing: “In 1934 Reinhold Niebuhr used a pulpit prayer of which a friend asked for and kept a copy, ‘O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed, courage to change what should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other[1].’” “The prayer has been quoted...
Part II or Barnett’s Blue Bike Broke Badly Five more from seventy four, my thoughts, I’m trying to retrieve from my account, Some old coins covered thick in dust and fraught, My memory rabbit hole caved, no doubt. But enough cream rises it seems, for plots, Or words to form in either, springs the fount, John on monkey bars now unsafe for tots, I raced Jack in a sprint, Coach stopwatch count. Chip dribbles to the right and then set shot, Barnett’s blue bike breaks, though fairly stout, Saxophone reed in mouth and music dots,...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, a rancher friend recently shared an interesting article which had been printed in 1966, noting that the author was unknown. Since it’s about calving time around in these parts; we all know that ranchers are very busy right now as they work hard tending to their cattle –cattle need special care during calving time. Ranchers make sure there is adequate hay for feed and water to drink, so, this might just be a tad bit interesting to ranchers since this article was written way back then;...
by Susan Metcalf This year we spent most of the high school basketball season huddled around our television watching the games on the NFHS app because of Covid restrictions. Now that restrictions have been lifted, we find ourselves in the bleachers every Saturday for elementary intramural basketball, because we would never miss a game of kindergarten basketball. Where else can you watch your grandson celebrate an assist with a breakdance move that would have made Issei swoon? (No, I do not know who Issei is, but I do know...
The following is my first of five poems of twenty-eight I’ll write for all members of my Carter County High School class of 1974. I’m writing in alphabetical order. One must write when the faculties still exist. The poems are entirely from my memory, and I take all credit or criticism for which I might incur. I would include the “Class Prophecy” which I found online, but talk about snarky. Hence, I will not include it. ‘Pseudo-Sonnets’ For My Class of 1974 I will write, of class of seventy four, Alphabetical, twenty eigh...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, March is a glorious month, actually, it’s one of the most beautiful times of the year. This year it arrived as a lamb. Thank You, Lord. All we need do is look out our windows and see snow drifts melting away. Not only that, there is a smell of SPRING in the air. Several friends discovered their crocuses and hyacinths are just about ready to bloom! IN Montana? That is about to happen with daffodils and tulips also. Spring is arriving in all its glory of color and scents which rem...
My favorite holiday of the year is Dr. Seuss's birthday, which was March 2. Yes, Theodor Seuss Geisel would have been 117 years old this week. He and his 60 plus books have inspired young readers since 1937 when “To Think I Saw It All on Mulberry Street” was published. There have been attempts to cancel Dr. Seuss by calling him racist, sexist, and every other “ist” imaginable, but his wit and wisdom have survived for generations of children to enjoy, and I hope that we can keep his legacy of freedom of expression alive d...
