Those of you who know me best know the main reason I spend time in Montana. A little over a year ago my older daughter married a Montana rancher- and there’s a larger story behind that which will have to wait for another time.
Ranching is, well, it’s a way of life, it’s a religion, it’s a passion, it’s a labor of love and devotion and sacrifice, and it’s also dangerous.
Yesterday our beloved and adored son in law was in an accident. He and our daughter had been on horseback, working cows, for twelve hours. They put up the horses and she headed back to the house in the truck, he headed up to a pasture a mile beyond their house to check on some fences. He took the four-wheeler because the horses were tired, he needed to carry tools and the ‘mule’ is too slow.
He wasn’t doing anything unusual, as in he wasn’t driving in a reckless manner. As he headed up the rutted dirt road, a cow and calf darted in front of him. (Normally cows and calves move away from the four-wheeler so you can pretty much ignore them.) Our son in law tried to brake and he swerved, hit a rut, and the four-wheeler flipped. As he says, he went ass over teakettle.
His guardian angel was watching out for him because he landed in a shallow drainage ditch beside the road with the four-wheeler on top of him. If he hadn’t landed in the drainage ditch he would very likely be dead. He managed to crawl out from under the four-wheeler and reach his cell phone so he could call our daughter. She’s not exactly cool in an emergency… she sort of goes into shock, but she hauled ass down the road. She says he looked pretty bad.
This is a ranch. Eight thousand acres in the middle of nowhere - forty miles from the nearest tiny town. Our daughter didn’t want to move him so she called a friend- twenty miles away- an EMT. He drove like a bat out of hell to get there. He determined our son in law probably did not have a broken neck or a broken back. Between the two of them, they stabilized him and lifted him into the rescue vehicle. My daughter followed them into town to the small hospital where they evaluated him and sent him by ambulance to the closest large hospital.
Thanks to his guardian angel, he suffered nothing worse than a badly broken shoulder, humerus and scapula. He has torn ligaments and muscles pulled away from the bone. A specialist has been called in to perform surgery on Friday, to stabilize his shoulder and repair the torn ligaments and muscles.
My son in law will be fine, he’s pissed off as hell, but he’ll be fine. This is the busiest time of year on the ranch. There are babies to care for, fences to mend before the cattle are moved up into the mountain pastures- which entails a four day cattle drive on horseback- bulls to move after the cows, hay to plant and harvest, in the meantime all the livestock needs feeding. At least they’ve already finished branding, vaccines and castration.
I know everyone, all their neighbors, will pull together and help out- ‘Oscar’, our youngest daughter, (even Jake) and I will head up there whenever they need us, if it’s only to cook and clean and feed and support the riders. I’ll even rake hay… I don’t care. Whatever they need we’ll do.
Life is messy, folks. This could have been so much worse.
From my personal wedding album. The ceremony and reception were held on their ranch, and that’s their truck, not a prop. Yeah, we hauled in a full bar.:
Healing thoughts are with your SIL and also for the rest of you and the family. Hugs
Oh my. Best wishes to you daughter and son-in-law. And thanks to guardian angels and EMTs. Oh my. These things are accidents.
A few years ago a friend of mine on a snowmobile reflexively tried to stop her snowmobile the way you slow a bicycle - by sticking her foot out. That is not a good idea. Open fracture, forty years ago they would have just taken her leg off. I helped take care of her and saw the xrays - they almost made me puke.
It was totally bad. But, she is one of these glass-half-full girls and says she used the down time to reflect and redirect. It was hard: months of rehab, several additional surgeries - she used the time and the situation to learn about herself and her friends. She used it to set new goals. When she got married a few years later she had been able to have all her pins removed and her leg looks pretty normal.
Praying for him and your whole family! Thank goodness his guardian angel was looking out for him.
Oh wow. But pissed off is good. Beats the alternative. Your kids are lucky they have you to come lend a hand. Prayers and good thoughts for you all.
Oh, yeah. Life is messy. Blessings and best wishes to your entire family and son-in-law. That’s what family is alllll about. Pulling together. So glad he wasn’t injured WORSE!
Thanks Anny, Jaye, Penny, Steph and Amber. In a holding pattern right now. Love you ladies!
Your son-in-law had an entire band of guardian angels taking care of him that day. Ranching and farming both have huge risks-and a huge number of accidents and injuries-so let him feel pissed…as long as he also feels grateful.
Whew!
Oh Marylin - my sister and I were talking about this today, having grown up in Iowa farm country. Always accidents - usually with the harvester or combine. Arms caught in equipment constantly. Farming and ranching are incredibly rewarding, satisfying, dangerous occupations. Right now we’re all pretty on edge, trying to figure out how much we can help. I can rake hay, but drive the harvester? No. I can work cows on horseback but fix fences? I tend to get caught in barbed wire. Damn! Move the bulls? Kinda scary. Feeding? I can feed from a bale but feeding with those big rolls? I can’t do that! Yikes!
On my mother’s side there were three Missouri family farms; in my husband’s family there were four Colorado family farms. Oh, the stories about near misses and mangled hands and feet, the calls for help from neighbors when a husband or son was bleeding after an accident or a child had fallen in a dry well!
But all of my uncles, without exception, would say that while nothing is more dangerous than working with the land, it is also true that nothing makes you wiser and stronger than learning your lessons and counting your blessings while working with the land.
You might be surprised how your daughter and son-in-law figure this out and make it work. If you go to help, please do the cooking, cleaning and bottle feeding of needy animals instead of tackling jobs with dangerous machines or beyond your comfort zone or experience level. We need you to be okay, too!
I’m glad that the accident wasn’t worse. You and your family take care! You’re doing what a real family does! All my best Julia.
Oh Ray, me too. In my world a real family puts family first. Call me crazy but the welfare of my children comes before anything. Shhhhhh- my husband doesn’t know…
Yes, Marylin, it’s amazing. There is no feeling like working the land. Nothing compares. And yes, it is tough work. Yeah, I’ll stay away from heavy machinery! I suspect a hammer is the heaviest piece of equipment I’ll be using.
Thank goodness for his guardian angel. Somehow they’ll get through this and they’ll be stronger for it. They are lucky to have family and friends to help. The pictures are wonderful, especially the one with the truck.
Oh dear! I am so sorry to hear about your son-in-law’s accident. He, his family, and you will be in my prayers and thoughts.
The good thing is ranchers are made of tough stuff. I am sure he will heal good as new. It is great that you can help out as needed.
The pictures of the just married couple are beautiful. Wistful.
If there is anything I can do to help, do not hesitate at all to ask.
Thank you, Roberta. All of you ladies are wonderful.
I know, Stephanie - don’t you love the truck? It was a wonderful wedding - the girl who never wanted to get married fell in love and asked him! Yes, he’ll be fine. I keep telling her it will be okay.
Jules, you know me an accidents, shit happens tell SIL I’m thinking of him, if he needs it he can have one of my GA’s I reckon I always have a couple of spare and if you head over there, do as Marylin says keep away from the big stuff, and the bulls
Xxxxxx
Yes, lovely Tom, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that shit happens and you can’t run away from it or ignore it, you deal with it and you get better for it. Some people choose to get worse. My daughter and SIL will be okay.
My best thoughts to you and yours, Julia. You be careful out there.
Thanks, Tim. I’ll be careful out among them English!
Oh, Julia, I am so sorry. You just never know do ya. So glad he’s going to be alright. Hugs,
He’ll be all right, Sandra, but the recovery will be long and tedious.