True story
In 1981 I worked with a full blooded Blackfoot Indian . His name was Clarence Paul born1914 Blackfoot nation Montana.
I was complaining I was cold and he got a real somber look on his face and told me I wasn't cold just uncomfortable.
I know I got a dumb look on my face being all of 21 yrs old. He commenced to tell me this story.
He was winter help on a large cattle ranch near what today would be intersection of st rt 444 and 213 in Montana .it was 1930 december he was16 . He and another ranch hand spent the winter their to care for the cattle of 50 sections--square miles.
He left the cabin at daylight headed west 15 miles to the west hay stack to feed cattle. He said he made this trip every other day. It was inthe teens and beginning to snow.. He was on horse back. 5 hrs latter he had thrown the cattle their hay and was heading back to the cabin .temp started dropping fast and snowing and blowing really bad.
Within in an hour he was caught on the rolling plains in a blizzard. If things couldn't get worse his horse stepped in a badger hole and broke its front leg.
He figured he was proably 10 or 12 miles from the cabin .luckily he was in a Cooley --low place where bottom of 2 small hills meet.he turned his horse facing north and shot it! Layed down as close to the dead horse and covered up with a wool blanket he kept on the horse. Said he never slept all night cause he was afraid he wouldn't wake up. At daylight the wind let up and he started walking.his feet were froze in his cowboy boots and he could barely walk!
Around noon the other hand found him half alive still 8 miles from the cabin and heat.
I asked what does this have to do with me being cold? He said you're only cold when their are no more clothes and no way to get worm. He was f-----king cold!!!
To this day when I think I'm cold I think of this story I realize I'm not cold just uncomfortable.
Today would have been his 100th birthday. He lost 2 toes on each foot from this
Sorry so lo ng. Scruffy
In 1981 I worked with a full blooded Blackfoot Indian . His name was Clarence Paul born1914 Blackfoot nation Montana.
I was complaining I was cold and he got a real somber look on his face and told me I wasn't cold just uncomfortable.
I know I got a dumb look on my face being all of 21 yrs old. He commenced to tell me this story.
He was winter help on a large cattle ranch near what today would be intersection of st rt 444 and 213 in Montana .it was 1930 december he was16 . He and another ranch hand spent the winter their to care for the cattle of 50 sections--square miles.
He left the cabin at daylight headed west 15 miles to the west hay stack to feed cattle. He said he made this trip every other day. It was inthe teens and beginning to snow.. He was on horse back. 5 hrs latter he had thrown the cattle their hay and was heading back to the cabin .temp started dropping fast and snowing and blowing really bad.
Within in an hour he was caught on the rolling plains in a blizzard. If things couldn't get worse his horse stepped in a badger hole and broke its front leg.
He figured he was proably 10 or 12 miles from the cabin .luckily he was in a Cooley --low place where bottom of 2 small hills meet.he turned his horse facing north and shot it! Layed down as close to the dead horse and covered up with a wool blanket he kept on the horse. Said he never slept all night cause he was afraid he wouldn't wake up. At daylight the wind let up and he started walking.his feet were froze in his cowboy boots and he could barely walk!
Around noon the other hand found him half alive still 8 miles from the cabin and heat.
I asked what does this have to do with me being cold? He said you're only cold when their are no more clothes and no way to get worm. He was f-----king cold!!!
To this day when I think I'm cold I think of this story I realize I'm not cold just uncomfortable.
Today would have been his 100th birthday. He lost 2 toes on each foot from this
Sorry so lo ng. Scruffy
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