# What's your worst Christmas disaster?



## CWoolsey (Feb 8, 2016)

If you're anything like me you probably hate seeing Christmas decorations lining the shelves in July. I swear it gets earlier every year. But with that said, I could use your help.

As a lot of you have probably noticed, I am an editor at the Progressive Cattleman magazine. We feature some Christmas stories/thoughts in our December issue and for us, that's right around the corner.

Do you remember a Christmas where you had a cattle emergency? Some sort of farming/ranching disaster? Or, a special Christmas you remember in particular?

I would love to hear your stories! Ready, set, go!

Thanks,

Cassidy


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

This is the prelude; when it is freezing (yes North Carolina has cold snaps), I unhook automatic waterers and fill manually from frost proof hydrants. I do employ tank heaters.

I had made all preparations for my trip to Texas to see the Outlaws, I mean in-laws, they really are nice for the most part. Suitcase packed, herds in proper locations, feed put out and instructions for Dad. The morning of the flight I was filling the tanks as usual. As I went to shut the hydrant off, the brass piston shears. Cuss! I rushed to the below ground shutoff located 500 feet away.

Searched my phone for locations with the part available. Ended up having to rush to Lowe's to get an entire hydrant because heaven forbid having individual components on hand. Thought this should be easy enough. Nope.

I can't find my one of my pipe wrenches. I scramble back to the truck and fly over to my neighbor's and swiped one from his shed. I could not budge the handle off the pipe. Scrambled up to the house for Dad who was half awake and requested his help. He gets dressed and comes down as I'm working with cheater bars.

Finally get it loose and drop the new piston assembly in and get everything set. I check for leaks and sure enough it leaked at the pipe. Had to start all over again but got it fixed the second time. Now I only had 30 minutes left before it would be time to leave my house for airport. I live 15 minutes from Dad's place.

Said, "Thanks Dad, see you in a few," and sped home. Dropped my neighbor's wrench off first. Got home, shaved and showered as fast as I could. I was dressed and was carrying suitcases out just as Dad pulled in.

Regaled the experience on the way to the airport. Made the flight. Next time I'll make it a larger cushion because I burnt 2 and a half hours.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I was about 10-11 years old one Christmas when the cistern went dry. The cistern had not been cleaned for some years, so my Dad decided we should clean out the cistern and check if maybe it went dry because the plaster had cracked.

Now, this was the mid-western style of cistern, i.e., a hole in the ground that starts out about 3' in diameter and widens out starting about 4 feet down. The walls were plastered with about an inch of plaster. This particular cistern was about 25' deep and 20' across at the bottom--all dug by hand using a tripod and half of 55 gallon drum used to haul dirt out. It was dug about 1954 and is still in operation. It holds a LOT of water.

My Dad lowered me down on a rope with a shovel and two 5 gallon buckets. My job was to fill up the bucket with the muck (dust, bird poop, leaves, etc.) that had accumulated since the last cleaning. He'd haul up one bucket and dump it while I was filling up the other bucket.

Took us about 6 hours to get it clean.

Missed the traditional Christmas dinners at both grandparents and all the aunts, uncles and cousins that day.

Ralph


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Another Christmas story:

I think the worst Christmas ever was the year I got a bicycle for Christmas. It was a beautiful Schwinn 26" single speed with the big balloon tires.

I was maybe 8-9-10 years old and I was too short to reach the peddles, so I needed a concrete block to get on.

Now, in the St. Louis area, we have very few white Christmas'es and very little (relatively speaking) snow. And when we do get snow, it usually is melted within a couple of days.

But that Christmas, we got about 6" of snow a couple of days before Christmas. Then it warmed up and we got just enough freezing rain to put a 1" crust on top of the snow.

Just my luck!

So, here I am, trying to learn how to ride a bicycle, that's too big for me, in the snow, which has a crust of ice on it! ever try riding a bicycle in the snow? With ice on it?

I may not be the smartest critter on the land, but I sure got a lot of persistence. I did learn how to ride that bicycle. Fell over so many times that I bent the peddle arms so that they hit the chain guard.

Rode that bicycle through two sets of tires. Eventually added a basket to carry things when I rode out to Haug's Mercantile store. And of course, I added the mandatory popsicle stick in the spokes.

Didn't think anything of riding it five miles out to town in the summer (on gravel roads) to serve 8 AM mass in the summer.

Dare any kid to do that nowadays! Double dare any parent to let their kid do that too!

Ralph


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## 32-0-0 (May 30, 2017)

Can't take credit for this one and I know it's not Ag related but I can remember the Christmas of '84...I was 18 and my little brother was about 3 months from being born (he was an unexpected surprise). So during Christmas my mom was 6 months pregnant and showing every bit of it. Well, for some reason my Dad thought a great present for mom would be a full length mirror. Bad idea.

Mom opened the present and did not appreciate the thought one bit...dad got the silent treatment for about a week and that mirror sat where she unwrapped it for 2 years. We now laugh about it, but it was not amusing at the time.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

32-0-0 It is amazing how men and women look at things so different.

Worst Christmas ever: it must have been the one where I pretended to be asleep behind the couch when Santa came. Had about four inches clearance I could see too good. Really thought had done something smart and had to tell my youngest sister who might have been 5. I really learned how big a mistake that was the next year, Santa never stopped again. That would have been about 1960.

Two years ago this Christmas my oldest sister at age 74 laid in Nursing home where she would soon be either two or three years not sure now. Her health failing with little ability to communicate. She had suffered brain tumor when in 5th grade which was few years before I was born in 1952. Surgery would have been about 1949. She basically lost her sight then. Her hearing was great for years and now it had failed to where she depended on touch, even feeling my face to know it was me. I think it was Dec 30th she passed. I cried two types of tears one for my loss and the other for her new home with a new body as she now was with her Lord and Savior.

Our Dad has passed year before on Jan 3, 1970 unexpected while still standing of a heart attack. Remember the day well, to this day can tell what I did about hour by hour as a 16 year old boy. Pushed me into taking care of, till my older brother could help sell out few head of cows and pigs we raised to tops. Wish had been able to continue to raise hogs and cows but my dad was as many he had not prepared for his death and out living as he should have. I lost my Dad who taught me to love the land, the animals, gave the belief if another man could make it I could fix it (not always true) and 47 year later still using some of his hand tools. My Mama was a nurse who had to now work all she could. 47 years later as I type this tears still floodi eyes missing him and wondering was my Dad a Christian and will I ever see him again. I pray so.

My middle sister passed about a several month long battle with cancer on Dec 3, 2004. I know I will see my sisters one day.

The days right before and right after has been when I lost my Dad, two sisters, Mama and my father in law. Yes miss each one but takes nothing away from the wonder of Christmas, the excitement, the way people act, for you see it is about the Wonderful Birth of Jesus Christ who came to those he loved and cared about to provide us a way to be forgiven my sins and have his peace. And them comes Easter!!! He AROSE for you and me.


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