Handy Hannah

My new apprentice, Hannah, arrived last Monday.

Hannah is excited to be here, an intuitive problem-solver and quick to learn.

She will be handy to have around.

She hit the ground running.

Tuesday, we planned to haul a few calves to the auction.

The calves were in my corral on the hill and my trailer was already backed up to the chute.

My plan for Hannah was to create an easy introduction to low-stress livestock handling as we loaded the calves, then offer a discussion of cattle industry economics on the ride to the sale.

We could be loaded up and trucking by 10:30, grab a quick lunch after dropping off the calves and be back in plenty of time to tour the ranch.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

The calves loaded, I shifted into four-wheel drive just to be safe as I pulled up a steep hill and curved back down to my driveway.

After all, a skiff of snow made the grass slick and I had jack-knifed the pickup on this hill before.

The four-wheel drive would not engage.

Maybe we could make it anyway.

As I turned up the hill, the truck spun out, but the trailer kept going straight.

The crunch of the rear window slowed both moving parts.

The trip to the auction would be air-conditioned.

If we could get the truck to the driveway.

Hannah drove the truck while I pulled it with the tractor, from the front and then the back.

Four hours later, we were on the road.

The ranch tour was postponed.

On Thursday, my brother came out to begin rebuilding the west end of the barn where wind had blown a portion of the wall to pieces.

I have all the supplies to install a sliding barn door so we will create a new and improved west end of the barn.

It all starts with the perfect placement of a solid post.

Hannah witnessed family dynamics in action as my brother and I argued about how best to plant a post.

The kindest summary is to say that the post has yet to be planted and family is still family even when we disagree.

On Friday, life began with the usual routine of feeding, right up until the last bale was placed in the last manger.

I glanced at my watch.

I had a meeting scheduled soon and I actually had a few spare minutes, unusual to say the least.

I idled the tractor through the corral gate before the cast iron hub crumbled.

My right front wheel leaned precariously on the downhill side of the hill.

If I could remove the hub, I could drop it off at my mechanic’s shop on my way to my meeting.

Possibly, just possibly, he could fix it before the weekend.

Hannah helped loosen, pull and prod the wheel and hub, loading pieces into my truck quickly so I had time to wipe most of the grease from my hands before heading to town.

Fortunately, I have a parts tractor parked at the mechanic’s shop.

We both know I will need them sooner or later.

While I discussed seemingly far less important matters, he pulled a hub from my parts tractor and had the kit of hub, bearings and parts ready for me when my meeting was over.

On Sunday, my dog tried to make friends with a skunk.

As we bathed him in baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and liquid soap, I thought about how handy it is to have Hannah here.

I am sure all of these calamities are her fault.

Somehow.

Now, I just have to figure out how.