A matter of timing

It's harvest time: the winter wheat is ready, hayfields ready to mow.  There's extra traffic on our quiet back roads: the movement of large harvesting equipment from here to there.  Lots of wide loads pass by us.  Not long outside of Fort Benton, my seat post became loose and we pulled off at a side road so I could tighten it up.  While we were safely off the road, we watched while two big wide loads approached from opposite directions; they passed each other directly in front of us.  I marveled at the timing: had we not been off the road already, we would have had to bail out and get out of the way! Coincidence? I don't think so; divine timing kept us safe.

It was another 60+ mile day.  Again I was tired.  Also hot and sweaty.  We rolled into town just 10 minutes before the store was closing.  As we pulled up, so did a car.  We were greeted with a friendly smile and given directions to the City Park where we could camp.  Then came the offer:  since the public pool isn't open on Wednesdays, you can come to my house and take a shower...Once there, the shower expanded to dinner, including blueberry cobbler, and laundry.  Joy, curiosity and friendliness bubbled over from these hardworking farmers, descendants of homesteaders who came about 100 years ago to claim 160 acres from the Homestead Act.  Many came, but the work was hard, not enough land to support a family, the rainfall declined, and many left.

Keith's family stuck it out, kept expanding, and today are managing some 20,000 acres.  I can't imagine the responsibility of caring for that much land!  My hat is off to you!  Thank you so much for making our brief stay such a joy. We didn't want to leave so soon but we were so tired...

Towns that boasted several thousand just a generation ago have dwindled to several hundred.  A century ago, any of the people moved to farm further west. In the past few decades, large machinery has replaced many laborers.  I wonder, where have they gone?

The next morning as we pedaled out of town, we received a friendly wave from a passing pickup.  It pulled over, parked, and there was Sheri's infectious smile.  Divine timing once again: I felt our conversation was unfinished when we left in our tiredness the night before...here was a second chance!