Global warming

Drought is one of the worst weather events that effects both livestock operations and farm crop production. It had not rained but little for several months in our county. The ground began to crack the grass was dry and without color, it would crackle as we walked on it. The sky was void of rain producing clouds at a time when usually there was abundant rain. The hay meadow we had on normal years would yield two separate cuttings this year none. Some ranchers and farmers were selling their herds for lack of adequate water in ponds, creeks and rivers. The prospect of winter coming on without adequate supplies of hay in storage was another reason to unload a herd. One of my farmer friends mentioned his unirrigated grain field had been impacted so much he ate ten acres of corn in one meal. The underground water table had been falling due to the increase in irrigation procedures to insure an ample amount of water for peanut operations and other crops.

We like a lot of others were looking to neighboring states to purchase hay. Arkansas was a state that had a surplus of hay and was willing to sell at a good price. My brother and I hitched our forty foot goose neck hay hauler up to old blue, Blue is our beat-up, eighty-six, Dodge, Diesel, one ton, dually pickup and hit the road toward Arkansas. Old blue had a five speed tranny and a Cummins motor that ran like a top. The body had several dents but the radio had a good tone with plenty of sound. The dusty speakers were hanging by bailing wire to the gun rack behind us. Tuned to our favorite country station we crossed over into Arkansas.

When we pulled into a truck stop and bailed out. There was some pretty women in a new Z71 that laughted when they saw us. Our old cowboy hats were stained with a mixture of dirt and sweat. Our old boots had never seen clean or boot polish but our jeans were new. Besides a polish job would not last long wading in cow manure in the corral all the time. We returned the laugh as we gazed at the make believe, Dude, Drug Store Cowgirls.

We turned off I-40 and onto a gravel road that we were advised to follow. We were told this would take us to a place where we could purchase some hay. I was driving down this road till we came to a stop sign. The place we were bound for was just up the road four miles. I glanced out of my window and might near broke my neck stareing at an object on the road and actually believed I was hallucinating. I rubbed my eyes and took another gander. It was a three legged chicken. It was hopping around on the middle leg like it was on a pogo stick. The critter would draw up the outside legs but would occasionally let them down. I said to my bro;

"look at that blasted weird chicken right there by that stop sign across the road."

"Dang what in the world is that critter? Recon we can see if we can catch it. " He said.

"It would be better’n that chicken at Eureka Springs that could add numbers." I surmised. As I opened my door the chicken walked quickly down the road. My bro said,

"Let’s follow it, we are going that way too." I shifted into low and proceeded to catch up to the odd looking creature. I was not catching up to it so I shifted to second and began to gain on it and then it increased its speed letting down the other two legs. I shifted to high and for a bit, it was just outside my window. Before long I was doing eighty five the gravel and dust was flying. Then the chicken took off like a rocket and I couldn’t do nothing but follow. We were coming up on the fellow’s farm where we were to purchase some hay when we saw the chicken run in to his cattle guarded entrance. It was at this time I suddenly realized I better hit the trailer brakes if I have any hope of following that chicken in. The goose neck swung to the left sliding sideways in the gravel with dust flying up something terrific. I got the thing shut down in time to pass over the cattle guard with loud bumping sounds and pull to a stop in his farm yard.

The farmer watched us get out as we slapped the dust off of our wranglers. We shook hands with him and I said.

"Sir, was it only my imagination or did I see a chicken run into that open barn door yonder?" He said,

"Yep you sure did." My bro then spoke up,

"Did it by some chance have three legs?"

He slapped his hand on his leg and laughed saying,

"Yep It was just as you say a three legged chicken. I have three children and they fight over fried chicken legs. So I bought some of Tyson’s experimental chickens to raise. That way each one would get a chicken leg to eat without wasting so much of the other pieces of chicken when we had to ring two chicken's necks instead of one." My bro said,

"That sounds reasonable how do they taste?"

"We don’t know we have never been able to catch one." He replied

"Have you a twenty two rifle or a four ten shot gun? I am a pretty

good shot, I will bring one down." I said,

"It is no use, I tried that and it outran the bullet. How many of these round hay bales do you fellers want?"