Sunday, March 04, 2012

Baxter Black: The mud bath

Just because some women have an occupation involving farming and livestock, it doesn’t mean they’re not concerned about their appearance, hair, skin and body care.

Kadie is one of them. She’s on a family ranch in Montana. Both she and her husband share the calving duties in the spring, but cold windy weather plays havoc with her beauty regimen.

Last Christmas, she clipped out an ad for a spa that included hot tubs, massage, pedicures, manicures and mud baths. She even posted a sample page from the ad on her bathroom mirror listing the services she might need.

At 4:30 a.m. one insomniac morning, she rose to check the heavy heifers. Her back ached and she couldn’t sleep.

Might as well work.

She pulled on her jeans, a wool shirt, rubber boots and a warm but ratty jacket. Before leaving the house, Kadie grabbed her flashlight and furry cap.

The weather had warmed up to 35 degrees two days earlier. Snowpack turned to mud...

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