We often take for granted, the quality of water we enjoy in this part of the world. You don’t have to travel too far to be in no-water country, where it has to be hauled in, rather than pumped out of the ground.
These past weeks have been strange for the lack of wind this time of year. We are grateful not to have had big wind when it was twenty below, and going out on a below zero day is a lot more doable when it’s still, But the down side is hard water. Windmill tanks freeze, and chopping ice is an unpleasant chore. Even a small breeze can keep a watering area ice free, and cattle need water even more than feed. Unlike horses, they won’t eat snow.
Chopping isn’t the end of water chores either. You need to pitch it out of the tank so it doesn’t just refreeze. A chunk of ice as big as your head is heavy, and will keep slipping off the pitchfork, so you end up chasing it around a while. And you must toss it far from the tank, because cattle can’t climb over an ice pile to drink. If they fall, they may abort the calf that they are carrying, or end up crippled.
I’ve gotten impatient when chopping ice that wasn’t very thick, and tried to stomp it. Losing your balance and ending up with one foot in a tankful of very cold water isn’t worth the attempted quick fix, especially when you have two more hours of feeding to finish and your boot and sock are squishy.
I don’t understand why folks in our area buy bottled water when we have the best tasting water in the world. People who visit us often comment on how good our well water tastes. I’ve been in places where the tap water tastes like a swamp, and other areas where you can’t drink it because it contains so much alkali. When my daughter lived in northern Montana, layers of corrosive residue ruined faucets, and some of my relatives in that area hauled in water for the household by the truckload. In the southwest, many ranches have to do that for the livestock too.
I am afraid of heights, and won’t climb a windmill. I dislike even watching a family member do it. What goes on underground with the mechanism that gets water to the surface is a mystery to me, even though I’ve helped pull many windmills and replace the leathers. I just know when they don’t work, you’d better get on it and fix the issue pretty quick. That said, I’m thankful to live in windmill country, because when a dirt tank/stock dam goes dry in summer you are in big trouble. With windmills you can hook up a pump jack.
Another issue with summer water happens on a still day when you’ve been horseback for hours and need a drink. Not so bad if there are two of you—one can climb the tower and turn the blade enough to pump a few swallows that you can catch in a hat. Alternately, we often wired a tin can to the tower to catch a drink in such a case. But a lone rider is out of luck. I’ve been thirsty enough to drink out of the tank, but I made my horse wait till I finished.