Opa's place -Where an old rooster visits with friends

[Opa]

I'm going to be taking the batteries for the tractors today or tomorrow so he won't be able to start them and Hope has him scheduled for further evaluation later this week.

 

[Highlander]

It's so hard to watch your parent, the person who used to be invincible to you, grow old and frail. While my mother is still very independent at 71, her senior moments seem to be coming thick and fast lately. I can't put my finger on when the roles were reversed and she ended up being the one that needs watching over and looking after to an extent but it happened. I know I'm lucky that I still have her and she is fairly close by, so although I give her a hard time about her occasional foolishness I am thankful that she is still here for me to shout at!

 

[Opa]

Hope is back to the hospital this morning and then she must deal with social services to insure that she is doing everything right to legally declare him incompetent. The first step in placing him in a nursing home. Sad, but it must be done. It is amazing how quickly he went downhill. What a sad way to finish ones time on earth.

Last fall my son Joe was telling me about one of his neighbors, a 98 year old widower, who was found dead in a pasture. Apparently he died while taking feed out to the cattle in one of his several pastures. Many of the neighbors were talking about how tragic it was while Joe was of the mind that it was an awesome exit from this world. To be 98 years old and still fully capable of raising cattle and handling the work that entails is nothing short of amazing. He and I both agree that dying at that age while engaged in something you enjoy doing would be the ideal finale.

 

[Opa]

As I was raising my sons I tried to instill in the a work ethic, a sense of self worth, a desire to learn, and most importantly, honesty and integrity.

Both Scott and Joe live in southwest Missouri the entire area is experiencing severe drought conditions. For Scott, who lives in town, that isn't quite the issue that it is for Joe who lives on 50 acres about miles south of Scott.

When his first cutting of hay was several hundred bales less than last year he started having concerns about the lack of rain fall. He has 3 stock ponds and their water levels were droppng rapidly. When a second cutting of hay failed to develop he decided that it would be wise to sell off most of his cattle.

As the drought continued his well started to fail. It would take several hours to draw enough water to fill his watering troughs for his remaining livestock. They initiated water rationing for themselves. Showers were limited to mere minutes. He split the gray water from the sewage so it could be used to try and keep his garden alive.

He is in desperate need of a larger, deeper well. The drilling of a new well could easily approach $15,000. Money he could ill afford to spend.

When the government announced an assistance program he signed up thinking, that since it was stated that there were limited funds and it would be based upon need, he stood little chance of getting any assistance.

Each applicant is evaluated so when the specialist arrived to look at his situation she first wanted to see his stock ponds. As they toured the property he first took her to his best pond. When he told her it was his best and if he didn't rotate his livestock to different pastures he thought he could get by till the fall and winter rains. She was surprised stating that most folks show her only the worst and try to hide best.

As she toured the property she was very impressed with the water rationing measures he had in place. As they talked about the program Joe stated that he was sure there were many others whose need far exceeded his, and he understood that he would be far down the list for help.

She told Joe how impressed she was with his honesty, integrity, and his attempts to ameliorate the situation. She told him many folks were very rude when answering her questions and very demanding. Unfortunately she rarely has a day that someone isn't made or that she hasn't been swore at and thanked Joe for a pleasant experience.

A few day later her supervisor called stating he had just a few more questions he needed answered so he could expedite Joe's application and then thanked him for treating his employee with respect.

When talking with Joe today he told me about what had occurred and then thanked me for teaching him a value system. I can't help but feel more than a little proud.

 

[Opa]

By some strange quirk of fate I learned what I feel is the secret to being a father of adult children. Just be there to listen. No advice, just listen. When my sons were still children I tried to be first and foremost a father. I tried lead by example, nevering having a rule for them that didn't apply to me as well, tried to be as fair and even as possible; but the bottom line was that I was in charge. Once they became adults they were in charge of their destiny.

The year my middle son was discharged from the Army he came home in May. The school he wanted to attend wasn't starting until January of the following year. During that interim he worked with me on several construction jobs I had and well as accompanying Hope, Scott, and I on a 6 week backpacking trip in Montana and Wyoming.

A few months after he had gone to school in North Carolina we were talking and he expressed his thoughts on how the sense of absence seemed much greater than it had during his two years in the military. I told him I thought the difference came from the fact that when he left the first time we were father and son who were friends. The second time we were friends who were father and son.

Parents have to lead, guide, or make their children into responsible adults, then they have to know when to step back.

 

[vanalpaca]

Ewesheep, I don't think any of my grandparents ever ate horses...I can quite honestly say that. More likely mutton, though...and plenty of chicken. Our roots are in the land and among farmers and carpenters and french trappers and wagon train leaders just the short haul though from the virginias into Ohio and Illinois, not the long haul across the plains.

My roots came out of Britain and from Germany from the haughty clan Kincaid of the scots through Ireland and England into the East Coast on both sides of my family, melded with the Lees that were all wild violin playing french trappers down into Illinois from Canada. Joined with the Matlocks and the german Thomases. The Thomas family came over from Sachsen Germany to New York to Wisconsin and Grandma made it all the way to Washington state as a young woman and grandpa lee made it out there from Illinois. On Dad's side it was back to Germans that made a deal with Catherine the Great of Russia to farm the land between the Black Sea and Russia and maintain their language and religion. 50 years later Peter the Terrible decreed that they had to convert to russian and the russian church or leave the area and the youth migrated to America coming all the way to Scotland, North Dakota. Dad made it out with the railroad job to Washington State and met mom.....Quite a little history...

I do get a bit off topic now and then. Sort of a mixed up state of mind lately. Probably why the upstairs bathtub is full of 3 week old Ameraucana chicks....they are just shy of stretching out into the 'bigger' size of chickies....

Care all. Bonnie

 

[SillyChicken]

I prefer to have the older stuff..... it was well built and made to last!

 

[Opa]

Granny is doing extremely well compared to others with the same fungal infection. While it has sapped her strength it has touched her spirit. In fact she is wanting to go steelhead fishing with me this fall. In order to make that happen I have been checking Craig's List as well as other sites trying to find a boat that will allow me to take her. I finally found one in southern Missouri and today I transferred money in to the checking account of my youngest son. He was going to go pick the boat up tomorrow but the seller called me and asked to postpone it until next weekend. He couldn't find the title and had to apply for a new one.

The boat is a 16' Excel jon boat with side console steering and a 50hp jet outboard. When I get it back to Michigan I will remove the rear casting platform, add rod holders and an electric anchor system. I can't hardly wait to see her reaction to playing a fresh run steelie.

 

[Opa]

It's pretty cool to be able to say with certainty where your birds came from. It's also pretty interesting the similarity in Channing Grisham's name and my last name - Grissom.

 

[Opa]

It's been a while since I've posted on this thread and since sleeping is much of an option with all the fireworks going off in the neighborhood, I figured it was a good time to ramble.

We just returned from a two week excursion taking Granny to visit relatives in Missouri and Arkansas. Since her health is pretty good and we never now what tomorrow might bring I decided we needed to head south. One the first day we drove to St Louis and spent two nights with the daughter of one of Granny's brothers. While with her we went to Grant's farm and then to Merrimac Cavern.

Grant's farm was once owned by Ulysses S. Grant and for many years was the private retreat of the Anheuser Busch family. Since my cousin lives quite close it was a great morning excursion. Then after lunch we decided to drive the 70 miles southwest to Merrimac Caverns.

While the cave is supposedly handicap accessible if if hadn't been for the kindness of strangers we would probably still be there. We had taken a wheel chair for Granny and in several spots the incline was so steep that it was all Hope and I could do to keep the chair from running away from us. While that was a little scary in was nothing compared to the difficulty of pushing the chair back up.

At several places the incline was so steep that even with the assistance of a couple of young guy in the late thirties or early forties we all were puffing when we finally reached a level spot. When ever we would reach an incline the would give me trouble someone would always step in to help.

It definitely was an outing that verified that there still are a lot of kind people in this world who will help a stranger without having to be asked.

On the third morning of our trip we headed further south to Arkansas to visit with two of my father's brothers and their wives. While the two days and nights we were there was a wonderful visit, it was also a little sad. The one aunt who has hundreds of flowers of countless varieties, is no longer able to main them in the immaculate beds as she once had.

One of my uncles, who recently turned 85, is no longer able to hunt. Forty plus years ago he came to Michigan to deer hunt with my father and I and gave him a very good knife as a memento of the hunt. One morning on this visit as, he and I sat on the porch drinking coffee, he gave the knife back. Since he has no children he didn't want it to disappear when he passes. While it was a very touching moment, it made me very aware of how old all of us are.

From Arkansas it was off to southwest Missouri to spend time with my oldest and my youngest sons. As my three boys were growing up I expected that this two would stay close and that the middle son would move to parts unknown, yet just the reverse happened.

While visiting my sons and their families, we went to a FFA show where my granddaughter Morgan was showing her Hereford bull. After all the animals had been shown, judged, and ribbons awarded they held a no claim auction. The animals are led into the area and an auctioneer "sells" them. Many businesses, politicians, families and friends bid. The only difference is that while the top bidder pays the child for their animal they only get a picture of it and any ribbon that the animal had won. The purpose is to encourage kids to become involved with farming and help offset the costs of raising their animals.

Since Granny was getting rather tired we didn't stay for the "sale". However, when my son Joe returned home he told me all about how it was.

Morgan had also show a pair of hogs and once was brought into the sale area. Her hog brought her $360 dollars. As the auction progressed it became apparent that the better known a family was, the higher price the animal would bring.

When one little girl stood in the area with her pig the auctioneer was almost begging for someone to bid. When Joe became aware that nothing was happening he got his wife to go to the other side and bid against him until the amount reached the $150 he had in his pocket.

When the little girl nervously came to him after the sale to thank him and give him the ribbon she had won. He knelt down so she wouldn't feel intimidated by his size and told her how he thought she had the best hog is the show. As she handed over the cherished ribbon he asked her to keep it for him so that every time she looked at it she would be reminded of what a wonderful job she had done raising that hog.

As he stood the girl's teary eyed mother came and thanked him as well. He told me that it was all he could do to not become emotional as well.

The incident reminded me that I have not only raised a great son, but more importantly, a very kind and caring person.