The Corner

I arrived back in town on a hot July afternoon some days ago,

A passed brother-in-law to remember - and a town with new construction - with obvious determination - grit and goals,

And Mother Nature seems to be giving another of her serious tests,

With scant rain and hoppers - conditions aren’t now the best.

Adversity has been faced before by farmers and ranchers - and those who depend upon them - of all the difficult rows - before - had to be hoed,

And though each family in the county face problems which may differ - thankfully support exist mostly among all - to help elevate - those moods from dipping too low,

Cooperation and support among neighbors - it’s what makes the wheels turn and the rope loops fly - as it’s in each other who we must invest,

And from those I visited with - on my trip at my once upon a time home - though it’s never without some snags - the neighborly ways exist in the county - north to south and east to west.

The grasshoppers being so thick - movements of popcorn popping up knee high - as one walks - as in a stream of flow,

One tends to become overwhelmed - as hoppers can take all the green - and leave only eggs and brown stalks behind - it dampens one’s dreams for this year - with no hay to mow,

But the insects seem to tend - to suddenly die off - I was told by a wise veteran of the hopper war of ‘88 - he said - most likely a die off will just again happen - that’s our best guess,

The uncertainty of life - is amplified doubly or more - on the farm or ranch - and this is not understood by enough Americans - we must all work better to communicate this and for the city folk - who themselves must realize this - and whose ignorance of it - they must honestly confess.

On Facebook - the posting of a half inch of rain falling in the night - is a time for some optimism - it mitigates the blows,

Of ninety-nine degrees with Sonoran like winds - which unfortunately - we all know,

Which may heat and then blow tomorrow - as they did last week - but a half inch is not worth too much - to beat much - of one’s chest,

So perhaps this moisture will raise the humidity - and more rain than this will soon fall - enough to make livestock trails - a muddy mess.

The possible transport of cattle to Nebraska to harvested corn field grazing for fall feed,

Is being discussed by at least one I know - it’s a big decision - addressing such a serious need,

Will this be the right approach to the grasshoppers and drought,

One can’t know - there’s a matter of chance involved - and there’s always a partial - of serious doubt.

The hardy are who are now on the land of this county and those who surround - this must be understood by all those who lead,

But taking these Montanan’s hardiness and their ‘sticking-to-it-regardless’ - for granted - is a mistake which shouldn’t occur - a factor in Helena or in Washington - they must always heed,

And though we must make adjustments in all walks of life - with Mountain West and upper Great Plains weather patterns - which will have its bouts,

We must not waste too much time in argument - but cooperate and compromise - that seems to me - in my own opinion - to be the better route.

As I left over Baker Hill - there rode in my heart - the deep concern,

For a county I love - in this summer - when wildfires burn,

But with my time here - I regained some confidence in America again - which had withered somewhat before - I guess I’ve learned,

About some things new - and others I had forgotten - perhaps lessons I before dismissed or spurned,

Lessons of how life in the southeast part of this wonderful state - adjusts as the seasons turn,

And how things change - but not all things change - how only so much change is ever good — but with the drought - hoppers and smoke,

It taxes the nerves of the county - and the rest of the state and America must help out - and hold back with unwarranted or unnecessary criticism or pokes,

For we all are connected - though this is sometimes hard to see - by every one of us - let’s end harmful divisions - and with cooperation we must strive - for to make a better county - state and Union - this is the ‘fire’ we must continually stoke.

With age most of us adopt our own meaning of life - and it may vary - for that’s an American way I grew up with - let’s all hope - pray or both for a long nice rain - a real - deep soaker.

Sincerely,

Erwin Curry

Missoula