Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Putting Things in Perspective

May 2014 - Kinley & Grandpa take a trip to the barn.
Perspective is a great teacher. Yesterday, I showed photos of a grand old barn that fell after 105 years as a community landmark. On Facebook, I have seen photos of house roofs blown away and semi trailers tossed like Matchbook cars amid crumpled grain bins and hog barns. Some of our friends and church members still don't have electricity, while we only lost ours for a few hours.

So, I hesitate to talk about the damage to barns we rent. But, one of the goals for Kim's County Line is to have a record of our life here on the Stafford/Reno County line. So, I guess I'll do it anyway, knowing how blessed we are that the barns are still standing -- and that I can power up my computer to write this in the comfort of my home. 
We rent a barn and corrals just to the east of our home. Though we don't know the exact date, it was probably built around 1938. Since it's only a few hundred yards away from the house, we use those facilities for calving out heifers. It makes it easier to check on the heifers, who are giving birth for the first time. It's also where we installed our calving pen, a contraption that helps us if we have to assist a heifer during the birthing process.
Just like most of the barns in this part of the country, it's been standing a long time, and it isn't in the best shape anymore. But the storm blew the west door into the alleyway. The guys will have to figure out a fix or it will be a bit colder during the 2016 calving season next winter. 
The top of the barn is definitely bowing more after Thursday night's winds.
It's where we load out cows and calves from this location, so the guys will have some work to do before we start taking them to pasture in early May.
Another barn door blew off at the location we call "the round top." The barn at that location is even older, probably 75 to 100 years old.
It's also a place where our cattle can find shelter during the winter.
Our semi filled with hay was parked near the round top, and it lost a mirror when pelted with hail. But, again, we were fortunate. Just a mile across the section to the west, another old barn blew into pieces.
Part of it and its contents ended up in our wheat field.
But, as I said, perspective is a good barometer. We are grateful for minimal damage at the County Line.

6 comments:

  1. Perspective certainly makes a difference. When Hurricane Ike came through a few years ago we lost half of our roof, had lots of water damage inside, and no power for about 12 hours. The most important things, though, were unharmed - those of us who rode out the storm in the house. When it rained again the next morning, it rained inside the house and we certainly felt sorry for ourselves for a bit. It didn't take long for us to realize how fortunate we were when we began to see reports of the major damage, injuries, and lack of power for weeks. One of our friends who lives less than a mile from us had no damage at all, but did without power for over a week. Life has a way of helping us see things from the perspective of those around us if we will let our eyes be opened to see. I'm so thankful that your damage was minimal by comparison and that the community will rally around those who need help.

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    1. There are a number of people around Stafford who are still without electricity today (Tuesday) after the Thursday night storm. They have brought in extra repair crews, but there are so many downed power lines. I keep hearing of additional major damage, so I continue to count my blessings!

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  2. My goodness you guys did get the winds! I never heard anything on the news.
    Hope you all get everything put back together.
    Cheri

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    1. Thanks, Cheri. We are on a line for severe weather tomorrow evening. I hope all but the moisture passes us by!

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  3. Kim,

    Did you get a tornado or just sever weather?
    I hope your community can continue forward with repairs, rebuilding and power.

    Prayers for rain in Kansas. When you have enough send it north.

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    1. No, the National Weather Service says it was just straight line winds with a "bow effect." It cut a wide swath of damage through the central part of Kansas. We have a chance of rain today, but it doesn't look too promising. Thanks for the prayers!

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