Transitions by Mike Hormek - HTML preview

Chapter 2

The bunkhouse was nasty. It took a lot of work to get it habitable, but they managed.

Mr. Brookhouse kept his promise and gave them more than they deserved for furnishings and some essential items until they could get to a store. Bill worked part-time until harvest time, which needed labor resources from dawn to dusk. Pauline volunteered to help Mrs. Brookhouse cook for the farm help, a big job during the harvest.

The harvest went well, although the yield was low as predicted; however, the price also went up per bushel as expected, so the result was a wash. Both Bill and Pauline were concerned about the fu -

ture. After the harvest, labor needs would come to a standstill. “What will happen during the winter?”

Bill thought.

Bill pulled Chris aside and asked, "Will you have any work for me during the winter?” "I am evaluating my needs as we speak. I will let you know tomorrow," Chris answered.

Chris was a farmer with a large herd of cattle, rodeo horses, and bucking Brahma bulls that he supplied to the rodeos. There had been harsh winters, and livestock frequently had to be hand-fed. He decided to keep Bill on for the winter, as was predicted. He would need the extra help to feed the live -

stock.

Bill and Pauline bought several garden products from Chris and other local farmers, and the couple had canned several vegetables and fruit preserves in the fall. Chris had given them access to a large wood pile, so they built a storage shed behind the bunkhouse. They smoked some ham and turkey and survived the winter with minimum trips to the market.

It was a harsh winter. There were stretches of several days where the temperature dropped below -30 degrees and stayed there. Then, there were blizzards where snow drifts exceeded four feet, making fence lines invisible. On occasion, airplanes would drop mail and supplies by parachute. Cows would congregate at haystacks to feed, then freeze in place. Other cows would grapple with gaining access to hay, use the existing frozen cows as stepping stones, and then freeze in place. The cows piled upon each other, covered with snow, during the spring thaw would become visible. The meat was still good, and the farmers butchered the cows for food. Indians on the reservation received cows for food.

A rumor spread that some farmers were out of food and had to rely on lard and sugar sandwiches. Airplanes dropped food by parachute. Some days, opening a door that was banked with snow and frozen was almost impossible. They lost nearly a hundred head of cattle and some horses that year. Survival was of the fittest.

The spring was late. Bill and Pauline had settled into their new home without consequence.

They could save some money even though Bill's pay was slim because of the harsh winter. Chris had given them a butchered cow to put up for the future. They invested part of their savings in garden seeds so they could have some produce for the following winter. They even hoped to have enough surplus to take to a farmers market in town held on Tuesdays. They planted potatoes, sweet corn, cabbage, squash, cucumbers, carrots, and snap beans, enhancing their gardening skills with the help of Chris and his wife, whose garden was a killer each year.

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Pauline received a letter from the sisters saying that oil prices may be on the upswing again and that the company with the drilling lease might be interested in drilling.

The first summer on the prairie was wet. It seemed as though it would never stop raining. One day, when Bill and Pauline were in town for supplies, it was nearing hunting season, and many Eastern-ers were there. The rain was interfering with their hunt. Many farmers were in town for business as farm work slowed in times like this.

Some farmers were talking on the corner of Main Street. A hunter from out east walked up and asked, “Will it ever stop raining?”

“Alvays does,” a Norwegian farmer with an accent answered.

That was the attitude in northeastern Montana: laid-back. It differed from the Eastern hunters, who were naive regarding hunting. There was a case where a hunter shot an antelope, did not clean it, and left it on the back of his car all afternoon while he barhopped. It turned out to be a smelly situation and a significant fine.

Bill and Chris hunted antelope that fall, so Pauline put up the meat for the upcoming winter season. Their fall garden was very productive: they could sell several quarts and some at the weekly farmers market. They were able to save some money this year, and they were thinking about purchasing some laying hens to keep their eggs or selling them at the farmer's market. But they did not have a coop. Bill approached Chris.

“If I build a coup, will you sell me some laying hens and a rooster?” he asked.

“Better yet,” Chris replied, “I will give you the lumber and six hens, but I do not have a spare rooster.”

“Do any of the neighbors have one?”

“I will check and let you know.”

“Thanks.”

Chris found a neighbor with a spare rooster who was willing to sell it. Bill bought it and was ready to raise chickens and pick eggs. As harvest season was upon them again, it took about a week to build the coup in his spare time. This year had a much better yield than the last, and the conditions ensured that the wheat protein was good, bringing a fair and stabilized price.

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