Breezy Days

My husband, Steve, and I stepped out the door, noticed a bit of a breeze and picked up a few rocks to carry in our pockets. In fact, we have been stepping out the door and picking up rocks to carry for the last three weeks. We were not sure everyone would notice our gentle breeze so we jotted down a few of the events that we’ve seen on blustery days.

You Know It Might Be a Breezy Day in Montana if:

1. The used tractor tires that hold down the barn roof go flying.

2. A 1500-pound round bale clears three barbed-wire fences, only coming to rest at a post on the fourth fence.

3. Fence staples that hold all four-strands of wire pop from the posts.

4. A horse standing with his face to the wind has a shadow that looks like he is running.

5. You are traveling 70 mph on the county road and a tumbleweed passes you.

6. A rock cracks your windshield, even though you did not pass a car.

7. You stack a pyramid of round bales around your house so your roof stays on.

8. You wear ski goggles to feed your livestock to keep the hay out of your eyes.

9. The anemometer at the airport blows away.

10. Your hat blows off and you find it two coulees to the east.

11. You strap a bungee cord to your tractor seat and set a log chain on the floor mat to hold them down.

12. The barbed-wire cuts a fencepost in half.

13. Three cows and one wheel line sprinkler line up in a row. The cows spray like the sprinkler is on in January.

14. The barn roof shingles look like snowfall.

15. The wire gate in the west pasture is shaped like a C.

16. You find a grain bin tangled up about ¼-mile from the road and you don’t own a grain bin.

17. Your neighbors look out at their garage and find only the concrete foundation left.

18. You parked the concession trailer next to the shop, but find its siding sliding down the driveway.

19. Horse biscuits are piled on the leeward side of the barn.

20. You need to stake down your heavy wooden mangers so they don‘t blow over and smash lambs.

21. News reports that would bring FEMA running to southern and eastern states only provide interesting conversation at the local café.