Between the Blades


Yellow bells.

Usually the first wildflower to bloom on the prairie.

But look again.

See the old grass?  Still standing.  Still nutritious enough to make good feed for cattle.

See the green grass?  Here it comes... another season of food for cattle and wildlife.

Imagine it all gone... burned to a crisp by wildland fires.

That's what's happening in Texas.

1.7 million acres of ground have gone up in smoke.  

Have you heard about it?  40 acres burning in California gets more coverage than what I've seen.  

It's a rural area.

No biggie.

Except for the farmers and ranchers that now have lost their grass.

I feel for them. 

How do you raise beef to feed and clothe a nation (not counting the multitude of by-products) when they have no grass to eat?

Our biggest fire was 15,000 acres here.  That was plenty.

So to you in Texas... 

I pray the wind stops, and the rains come, and soon you can have green growth again with perhaps a wildflower or two mixed in between the grass blades.

****
April 18, 2010   Agility
April 18, 2008   No entry.


Posted by Carol at 4/18/2011 10:11 PM
Categories: Ranchlife, Cattle
Tags: ranch Texas
 

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  • 4/19/2011 3:47 AM Sara wrote:
    All I can say is great blog today and thank you for the awareness.
    Reply to this
    1. 4/19/2011 8:55 PM Carol wrote:
      Sara, you're welcome.
      Reply to this
  • 4/19/2011 5:40 AM Randy wrote:
    you're right about the coverage of the wildfires here in Texas, and it has been going on for some time. Many homes have been lost as the fires go through whole towns. saw some photos yesterday, cowboys with cows and black ground. very ugly
    Reply to this
    1. 4/19/2011 8:57 PM Carol wrote:
      Randy, I've heard more about it lately... they're finally getting close to Dallas and Austin, I believe.
      Reply to this
  • 4/19/2011 6:24 AM LE wrote:
    have friends TX that have not seen moisture (of any kind) since Oct 2010.
    Thanks for thinkin of them.........
    Reply to this
    1. 4/19/2011 8:58 PM Carol wrote:
      LE... I can't imagine... 
      Reply to this
  • 4/19/2011 8:19 AM ginny wrote:
    So true. The ray of hope out there is how healthy the soil will be after the burn. If you just can hang on until it recovers. That is one thing we have stopped is they healthy burning the old timers and indians used to do.
    Reply to this
    1. 4/19/2011 9:00 PM Carol wrote:
      That thick grass I posted the other day?  Part of the big fire we had 15 years ago or so...
      Reply to this
  • 4/19/2011 9:26 AM Rhonda wrote:
    Beautiful flowers! Yes, the fire situation is disastrous. This whole Great Plains area needs a good, soaking rain so badly. We are praying.
    Reply to this
    1. 4/19/2011 5:14 PM Alice wrote:
      I wish we could give you some of our rain from here in Pennsylvania. We've had some minor flooding & it's supposed to continue raining all week with the exception of Thursday.
      Reply to this
      1. 4/19/2011 9:07 PM Carol wrote:
        Send it to Texas!
        Reply to this
    2. 4/19/2011 9:06 PM Carol wrote:
      With all the snow the mountains have received lately, we're wondering if we should be nervous about flooding with the spring runoff.  Too bad we can't spread it around...
      Reply to this
  • 4/19/2011 6:37 PM Linda W wrote:
    The fires in Texas are on the home page of the LA Times online. Not sure about the paper edition, since I don't read that one. Fires are devastating no matter where they are, even California.
    Reply to this
    1. 4/19/2011 9:09 PM Carol wrote:
      Didn't mean otherwise, it's just seems so often that California's fires make the news... others don't.  But it could be I can't see it for the big chip on my shoulder!  Thanks for the correction!
      Reply to this
      1. 4/19/2011 10:22 PM Linda W wrote:
        I carry a similar chip, only about California. Seems like we can be an easy target. I think that people who aren't from around here forget that we may not be quite as the media might depict us. Mostly we're just people raising families and living our lives in the midst of fire, earthquake, drought and floods, but also beautiful sunshine, beaches, mountains, desert and a lot of interesting museums, theaters and other places of interest.
        Reply to this
        1. 4/21/2011 9:26 PM Carol wrote:
          Linda... guess we all can have a chip!  Fair enough?
          Reply to this
  • 4/20/2011 8:59 AM Patr wrote:
    Thanks Carol. I live about 50 miles north east of the area and work with many who have lost homes and so much more.
    Reply to this
    1. 4/21/2011 9:27 PM Carol wrote:
      Send them our best wishes...
      Reply to this
  • 4/21/2011 12:29 PM Jo Mercer wrote:
    I'm not familiar with yellow bells. Do you have the scientific name?
    Reply to this
    1. 4/21/2011 5:32 PM Kris H wrote:
      Fritillaria pudica.
      Reply to this
      1. 4/21/2011 9:41 PM Carol wrote:
        Thanks, Kris, you're always faster than I am!  and doesn't fritillaria mean something like shy or shyness?  I don't have my book handy... but it relates to the bowed head of the flower if I remember correctly.
        Reply to this
  • 4/21/2011 2:31 PM Marilyn wrote:
    Carol - I got this post 32 times in my
    email today! Wonder how that happened?

    The yellow flowers are beautiful, like all the daffodils that are in full bloom here in WNY. We've have had too much rain for too many days. I wish we could spread it around better.
    Reply to this
    1. 4/21/2011 9:39 PM Carol wrote:
      Marilyn... I haven't the foggiest... I got like 20 of one comment in my email as well... weird.
      Reply to this
  • 4/21/2011 3:30 PM Karen wrote:
    Very good post! My heart goes out to everyone affected in Texas and I think NM is having some bad fires as well? Devastating times for critters who depend on grass and for the people who take care of them! Our problem here in ND is WAY TOO MUCH water! We are suffering from serious overland flooding that is for sure going to delay a lot of grazing, hay production, and agriculture. But, as with Texas, not much media coverage! I have heard more on the radio about tornadoes lately! While very horrific and damaging, most tornadoes have nowhere near the lingering effects that massive range fires and flooding do!
    Reply to this
  • 4/21/2011 5:30 PM Kris H wrote:
    Yellow bells are one of my favorites! Thanks for the picture.
    And #2 son is in west Texas, doing his part to corral one of those fires.
    Reply to this
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