Days like these have Bruce thinking how much easier life would be without the cattle. It's very, very cold and he discovered a frozen cattle fountain and the pipe frozen to the fountain. To top it off, he discovered water in the bottom of the pit, which should not have been. My first clue something was wrong was when Bruce called to see if I had a sump pump and hose he could use, yes I did. Even though I had drained the hose, it still broke into a 6 ft. piece but it made it easier that way.
Soon I got a phone call, "Can you come help me, I've called Grassy and dress warm." He had squeezed himself under the fountain and was dipping muck out of the bottom of the pit, when he tried to take the pipe apart, it broke, adding insult to injury. While waiting for Grassy, I took ice cream buckets of muck from Bruce and dumped into a 5 gallon bucket and then dumped it onto the floor. Soon Grassy came and took over and there was nothing for me to do but go back home to the warm house. My gloves were filthy with muck but not much else. Bruce's coveralls, on the other hand, were covered and went right in the washing machine.
He did not sleep well that night, worrying about what to do with the fountain and was up before dawn. He ended up calling Marcus Lumber, Grassy came back and helped him remove the concrete fountain from the base so that guy didn't have squeeze himself into the small hole that Bruce did the day before. It's a good thing because he was a big guy and had a hard time putting a new pipe in. Bruce said he was kind of grumbling but at least he didn't have to dip black, stinky muck out of the pit. They capped off the pipe, Bruce and Grassy put the fountain back in place to wait for nicer weather to hook it up. He also found out the water bowl had a small leak, that is why there was water in the pit and why it shorted out the electric heater keeping it from freezing.
Today Bruce is shopping for a new fountain, his grandfather bought all these fountains from Shorty Treptow in Cleghorn years and years ago. I agreed with him.
Tonight is going to be very subzero and the question is whether the wind comes up and produces ground blizzards and we have to cancel church in the morning. It's the Sunday school Christmas program so I hope not, I look forward to it every year. We put together the goody bags at session the other night and tomorrow night is caroling. I made a crock pot of chili and will make a pan of cinnamon rolls tomorrow, whether we have it or not, we will eat good.
Just so we don't forget what it can be like, Becky sent me a picture of her granddaughter, Ryann and I with Mollie and Murphy in the back yard.
Oh, those were the days.
MAN!! name from the past (Shorty!!) Unbelieveable that those fountains have lasted all these decades. well worth the purchase, HA!! Ugh, the duties farmers and animal owners have to do, no matter if it's freezing or not - water must be available. Poor Brucie, I got cold just thinking of him!! what a friend Grassy is!! Always at the ready it seems to come and help out. I stayed put last evening, had planned to go out for a meal before a show with a friend but I called my friend and told her no way!! Wind chill warnings, I stay put. LOVED the pix of you in the warmer weather!! It made me smile! Stay warm, I'm hoping all of you (animals included) will be!! Much love honey - CG and Tom
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