More on the fires

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cow pollinater

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I made it up to Kansas yesterday and made a big loop through the area that burned. I saw miles and miles and miles of ground that was burned down to sand. What few trees I saw were scorched up to about twenty five feet if they were still standing. I saw miles of what was fence where five strands of wire laying on top of each other were the only evidence that there was ever a fence. I saw power lines running along the side of the road with all new poles and the top ten to twenty feet of the old post laying there next to the new one. I saw one town where piles of ash and obliterated vehicles sat right next to saved homes.
I also saw a lot of fence crews. People of all ages and sexes out rolling up wire. They all waived and smiled. I saw a few hay trucks with out of state plates pulled over while the driver asked the fence crew where they wanted it. I saw stacks of hay and fencing material dropped of on the side of the road free for whoever needed it. I saw volunteers from in town hand stacking posts for whoever pulled up next to the post pile because the loaders were busy unloading trucks. I saw a guy that had lost his home and at least ninety percent of his cattle tell me that He was going to take parts of what I had to offer "over to the neighbor" because he thought his neighbor had it worse.
I will try to get some pictures up in the next few days but my wife is the picture nazi and is heavily involved with coordinating the relief effort so I'm not going to pester her to walk me through posting pictures for a while.
If you'd like to help out let me know or look up any of the relief groups on facebook and we'll help you find a way to help.
I'm So proud of what the ag community has done before the government has even aknowledged there was a disaster. It gives me great hope for our nation.
 
I can picture what you saw and the people you met. In the fall 2014 I took basically the supplies to build a mile of fence to a rancher in the Okanogan. He had lost over 300 pairs, 500 tons of hay, miles of fence, and pretty much all of his rangeland. A lot of the fence is in some pretty rugged ground. When I dropped off the supplies he told me that there were some other ranchers from that area stopping by that afternoon and they would divide the supplies up. He may have lost nearly everything but he was sharing what he had. Made me feel like I should do more to help. That is the reason I went back the next spring and the spring after that. And the reason I am back again the first of next month.
 
Dave":1rva0ehc said:
Made me feel like I should do more to help.
I do feel that way now. I thought I was doing plenty before I went and saw for myself. The hard part is getting them to take help. I want to stay in it until it's all healed and see those same smiles when they're not hiding all that pain.
 
our cattlemen's assn. along with neighboring counties is getting together supplies to send out there, not real sure what area it is going to yet, our extention agent is handling that part. We think we are going to have about 4 semi loads of fencing wire and posts.Those people are sure having a though go of it right now my heart goes out to them.
 
Thank you for sharing your experience here, I wish we lived closer so as to be able to help in person. I dropped something in the mail yesterday for your friends in Ashland. Otherwise, I'm kind of at a loss for words.
 
CP, I'm in touch w/ your Mrs. and we're trying to help from here. So far, have sent 3 boxes from Kittitas County to the kids doing the calf rescues in Meade County, KS. If anyone wants to do anything to help, there are lotsa places that need help and ways to direct them there.
 
We donated through the Working Ranch Cowboys Association (WRCA.org)
 
This burned over land will look very different by the middle of summer if there is a little rain. A fire is good for the land and will wipe out a lot of undesirable plants. Just wait and see. Hate to see folks lose their lively hood. We burned out in Feb. of 1996. Just the house. Fire started a battery charger for a 12 volt drill battery.
 
Dave":3t93k7cn said:
I can picture what you saw and the people you met. In the fall 2014 I took basically the supplies to build a mile of fence to a rancher in the Okanogan. He had lost over 300 pairs, 500 tons of hay, miles of fence, and pretty much all of his rangeland. A lot of the fence is in some pretty rugged ground. When I dropped off the supplies he told me that there were some other ranchers from that area stopping by that afternoon and they would divide the supplies up. He may have lost nearly everything but he was sharing what he had. Made me feel like I should do more to help. That is the reason I went back the next spring and the spring after that. And the reason I am back again the first of next month.

We both saw this in our area, Dave, and helped as we could. It's pretty hard to explain the impact if you haven't seen it.
 

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