Sympathy

Been there, done that, and as much as I don't like wishing bad luck on someone else, I'm sure glad it ain't where I'm at. <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/03/03/build/state/30-badwinter.inc">Up to their eyeballs: Ranchers struggle through a brutal winter</a>. The winter of 1996-1997 was like talked about in this article around here. The funny thing was that you went 100 miles east* of here to Billings and they had an unusually mild winter that year. Weather is pretty amazing once in a while.<br />n<!–more–><br />nThe reason I really remember that winter was the death losses I had. I had around 7% of my cows just lay down and die for no apparent reason. I would catch them going down hill, bring them home and they still would not eat and would die. To this day I claim the cattle were just tired of living and choose to die. It was the only thing I could figure. I sure hope they have a better calving season than I did that same year too. We had a massive spring storm in march which dumped a bunch more snow and was cold again and I lost an additional 25% of my calves during it. I had neighbors that faired even worse than I did.<br />n<br />nI have all the sympathy in the world for these ranchers even if I wouldn't have experienced it before, but having been through one of these winters myself I have extra sympathy for them. The only thing I have to say is that I hope they have the same bright side to it I did, the ground wasn't froze under all that snow so when it melted it all went into the ground. Made for a real good summer for what cattle were left.<br />n<br />n<b>Quiet and sincere sympathy is often the most welcome and efficient consolation to the afflicted. Said a wise man to one in deep sorrow, "I did not come to comfort you; God only can do that; but I did come to say how deeply and tenderly I feel for you in your affliction". Tryon Edwards </b><br />n<br />n*UPDATE: I have been corrected. I should have said 100 miles west of here to Billings. We all make mistakes.