Dawn some fire updates and stories

9 years ago

Dawn I'm starting a new thread rather than look for the old one. I listen to a Perryton, TX radio station on the way to work most mornings and they have had lots of info and also interviews on the fire and those involved. This morning they were talking about the delivery points that will be closing down. Most still had lots of hay and feed some were low on fencing supplies. The extension agent this morning told about several instances like you have mentioned before. He was encouraging anyone that needed hay to come and get it. He told stories of several old ranchers who had their places burn and lost livestock who sent in checks and when contacted said there was those who had it worse than them and they felt they needed to help. Others refused hay, ect said to keep it for those who needed it. There was ranchers who didn't lose anything but who knew those who did who helped distribute the supplies. In one instance they loaded up hay, feed and supplies and went to an elderly ranchers place. He tried to talk them out of leaving anything. Guess he finally did allow them after a long talk. And then as they were leaving he stood at the window of one of them and broke down into tears. Guess it was the first time in his life he had ever accepted any help. As one person on the radio stated if the mainstream media would come to the areas in KS, OK and TX that were affected they would see real compassion and caring for one another. Most every delivery point is now saying if those who need it doesn't come and get the hay and feed they will have to dispose of it. They strongly encouraged the ones who have turned it down to reconsider. Like you stated it is hard for the old ranchers to accept any help. They are the first to help others. And guess I can't say much. I won't accept help either unless it is the last resort. It is the way I was raised on the ranch and guess I won't change until they cover me up. There have been many travel from considerable distances that have come and spent a lot of time fixing fences, ect. All of the areas have had good rains and the areas I travel are green but the grass is still short. Hopefully we will get more warm days and get some growth on it.

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Comments (2)

Okiedawn OK Zone 7
9 years ago
Jay, Thanks so much for sharing these stories about the recovery effort there. I know exactly the type of folks of whom you are speaking because we have folks like that here, and I grew up with folks like that. Sometimes being independent and self-sufficient can go a little too far, so I do hope that the folks who have refused to accept help will just go ahead and let someone help them a bit now and then. I feel bad about that gentleman breaking down in tears. I suspect he feels that accepting help means he somehow failed, and I wish he could relax a little and look at it differently---perhaps that the help he accepted this time is repayment for all the times he has helped other people--because you can bet he has been on the giving end of things plenty of times in his life.

I agree that the mainstream media is totally clueless about the good, strong people in the heartland of this country and about how everyone works together to help each other---not just on the day or two after a disaster occurs, but for months and years as the recovery goes on. If these fires had happened near a big metro area like LA or NYC, the media would have been covering the hay, feed and fencing convoys for months and months. I will never ever forget how ranchers and farmers and supply companies and just good average folks sent supplies this year to the folks here in OK, KS, TX and CO, even though the national media missed most of that part of the story. There are good, make that great, people all over this nation, and seeing those hay convoys traveling the highways, often with American flags attached, put tears in my eyes every time I saw them and made me reflect on how proud I am to be an American.

My fervent wish is that the land, the people and the animals make a full recovery, but I know that the struggle will be real and prolonged. Life out here on the southern plains never has been easy---you know that! But, it is a good life, and it is the life many ranchers and farmers would choose over and over again in a heartbeat, despite all the hard work and the way the weather seems to find a way to make life so much harder than it ought to be.
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
9 years ago
I am glad to hear there is some grass growing. As tragic as the fires are, fire is how the prairie renews itself. Hopefully the grass will be more "lush" and they'll get good grazing and hay from it this year.
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