Cowgirl Sass & Savvy

Good neighbor Don

By Julie Carter

The old saying that “good fences make good neighbors” should have another list attached that outlines some of those neighboring attributes.

In ranch country, “neighbor” is a relative term that does not necessarily mean “next-door dweller.” Next door is likely many miles down a dirt road, but the concept is the same. “Bein’ neighborly” developed out of necessity for social and economic reasons.

Helping with farming, ranching or birthing babies, the neighbor’s role is important in the western culture. And it’s a two-way dirt road for rural dwellers. The opportunity for life-long friendships is cultivated through trust and simple “good people” attributes. The sure-fire chance of unlimited entertainment is also readily available.

Don was one of those neighbors that provided a lifetime of stories that, as you’ve heard me say before, you just can’t make this stuff up. Don lives in the far north part of Montana where, come fall, the hills are gold with ripened grain. According to Ernie, his friend and neighbor, Don is a walking testimonial to creative thinking leading to disastrous results.

Don’s most recent story was about the slab they poured last week for a new hopper-bottom bin. The small 12-foot by 12-foot slab needed a proper trowel to get a proper finish. This would be with a large engine-powered troweling machine, not a hand trowel.

After the trowelling was complete, Don and his carbon-copy full grown son decided the easiest way to clean the trowel was the “cowboy way” which was to set it off on the grass and let the trowel run, expecting the grass to wipe the blades clean of concrete.

With this good idea sparkling in their eyes, the son opened the throttle and away the trowel went, made about two revolutions and hooked a big clump of grass pulling the handle out of the lad’s hands.

Undaunted, the machine continued unmanned. Round and round it went, blades frozen still but the engine racing and the handles rotating around faster and faster.

After a few futile attempts to grab the fast-moving handles and getting beat up a bit for their trouble, they decided to let the machine run out gas but when son said to dad, “it might take a couple hours,” Don came up with another plan.

Being a quick thinker, good neighbor Don walked over to his pickup to get his rope. After a few well-aimed throws, his loop caught the handles, which were somewhat “horn-like.” Immediately upon the “connect” the rope pulled tight and pulled right out of Don’s hands as it wound down the handle of the spinning machine.

Some serious creative thinking was in order. It was a borrowed trowel, so he said, “I can’t shoot the damn thing,” but he did finally manage to get a hold of the spark plug wire with the cement rake and get it shut down.

The entire event was described as just another “mundane day for good neighbor Don.” A man you just can’t help but think the world of but know that he is pure creative hell on borrowed equipment.

Thank your neighbor today, but keep a close eye on him.

Julie can be reached for comment at jcarternm@gmail.com.  When a cowboy is too old to be a bad example he hands out good advice.