This past Friday night when I went to bed I reminded myself I had to get up and go to two feed stores and a hardware store before they closed at noon. Around here all the feed stores and hardware stores close up at noon on Saturday. I didn’t set an alarm. My wife gets mad at me if I set an alarm on the weekends, so I just tried to get it ingrained in my self waking up alarm system when I went to bed. Sure enough, when the first hint of dawn’s morning light crept through the window I was wide awake.
I had a lot of projects I was working on this weekend while the kids were home and the wife was home. I’ve got some good horse quality hay cut down, a trailer to repair, post to set for a loafing shed, a lawn mower to repair and flat to get fixed. I might have something else, but it’s a lot to get done before noon on Saturday.
I thought I’d drive to the farthest feed store first, Smart Mart at Cameron. They have thirty gallon barrels of 24D cheaper than anywhere else. They also have a couple of boxes with cheap wire pliers. I always grab a couple of sets of those pliers when I stop in. It seems those cheap pliers have a way of disappearing out in the horse barn. We use them to cut baling wire with.
I needed some stuff from Ron’s Lumber in Howe, so I went there next. A few self tapping bolts, some carriage bolts, some paint and some twisted link chain. Most of it was to fix my horse trailer. I am going to make some more sliding gag bits and the twisted link chain is a must for the mouthpieces.
Next I went to Heavener feed for some bulk feed. They were out and so I had to call my wife and have her pick up a couple of sacks to get us through the weekend. She went to town for new shoes. I was glad, her old ones had big holes in them.
We cut hay Friday evening, it won’t be cured until Sunday. I’ve still got to move the rake over there and get the square baler ready to go. I may be over-greasing my square baler, but those little parts on the tying mechanism are danged expensive and I don’t want them to wear out before I get too old to bale hay.
For some reason as I was greasing the square baler I remembered the guy who invented vasoline ate two tablespoons every day. He said it was good for you. I couldn’t help but wonder if that vasoline would lube up my aching knees if I ate enough of it.
My daughter asked me to trim her mare’s feet before she went barrel racing. I charged her my usual price, a new hoof rasp from the feed store. The weather has cooled off quite a bit these past couple of weeks, but it’s still hot when you are shoeing a horse.
Once all of my Saturday rat killing chores were done we headed to Poteau for a barrel race. I found a shady spot and got comfortable in my good lawn chair. It wasn’t long and I got sleepy. I guess my Saturday chores wore me smooth out.
The smell of horses nearby and a nice breeze made it easy to take a nap. As I dozed in my lawn chair I dreamed about the pretty square bales we’d bale up Sunday after church. It was a good nap.
James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.
Get Local News!
