There isn't much one can say about today.

I knew chores were going to be at 5am because we had to round up, sort, and load up fall calves this morning by 8am. At 4:30am I got a phone call from Merle giving me some bad news. There was a really tragic accident last night. Merle's nephew Connor, (Dave's son) got caught in his baler last night and was killed. He was only 19 years old and had a whole future set up for himself. There was one of his hired guys with him that knew something was wrong but by the time he got across the field it was way to late. There isn't alot I can type that would make anything better- details dont' really improve the situation much, that's for sure.

So, with that in mind. I got out of bed and drug myself through chores. We loaded up horses and met Delbert out in the fall calvers and had to go some some nasty canyons to round htem up, but was got em and got them sorted and loaded. Merle used a guy out of Merriman who has a semi that loads from the ground...that was pretty neat. After that, Merle and I went straight to the tractors and headed out to Connor's hay that was cut. He was doing custom haying last summer and this summer, so Merle, Delbert, Mike, and some other neigbors got together and finished the field for the family. We had four balers and two rakes....meaning that the rakes were moving right along if you know what I mean. As soon as we turned in the field, Merle had a flat tire on his baler- adn everyone seemed to keep on having prblems throughout the morning but we got it done. We rolled out about 330 bales in just a couple hours...that's not bad. Laura (Mike's wife) brought us some lunch as we finished the field. After eating, a couple people went and grabbed Connor's tractors and got them to Mike's place. We used the rake all morning, but noticed that a hydraulic arm was bent real bad- so it went to town. The tricky part about all of it was figuring out how to run the equipment. But, after some phone calls and dinking around we go both tractors going and the baler closed and sent them on their way. There was a part of me that just wanted to beat that baler in with a basball bat. Not that that would help anything-but it would be good anger release...

We all split ways after getting his equipment out fo there and said we would meet again tomorrow morning in another field that Connor had cut for his great uncle. Merle and I went back to the hayfield we took the tractors from and carried on. We hayed all afternoon. Adrienne brough us some pizza and water at supper time and then we kept on going until we finished our field. Then, we greased up, and headed home with the tractors and left our pickup their so we will have a ride when we come back from Connor's field to Merle's in the afternoon. We just filled grain for chores tomorrow, and then headed in.

It was a rough day and there isnt' much words can say about it- we all kept busy and helped out in ways that we knew how- but there is only so much you can do to fill a hole so huge. I know that news travels fast and tons of people knew already last night- so obvioulsy he had lots of friends. He was a great kid that died way too young. The last time I saw him we were at Mike's branding and I specifically remember asking him if he would come rescue me and my horse from this obnoxious calf with his rope. It was pretty enteretaining...and a good memeory- and a memory it will remain. But, it seems that no matter what you do- time marches on.

Real cowboys never run, they just ride away.

There is a time for everything, And a season for every activity under Heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, ...A time to weep and a time to laugh, A time to mourn and a time to dance, ... A time to love and a time to hate, A time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8.