Cleanup Continues

The cleanup of the corrals along Higley Road continues. At the moment, the Mill is coming down. The Water Expert snapped a picture with his phone:


This is sort of a bittersweet time; the mill and the quonset are in such disrepair that it's a relief to have them going down to improve the aesthetics around the tanks. But the dismantling fairly screams once again that an era is coming to a close, and it's an era that holds many fond memories for The Mister and the rest of the family.

One memory that isn't fond, but is definitely a badge of courage, involves the "fat tank." The purpose of the mill was to mix the feed for the cattle in the feedlot out front. It was a mixture of various grains and vitamins that ended up much like a cow's version of granola (The Mister says that the reason he doesn't like the taste of beer today is because it smells like the barley he mixed for the cows to eat; though he's the only farmer I've ever heard say that). One of the ingredients was rendered fat (think of it as serving the same purpose as butter on your toast) that was kept liquid in the fat tank until needed. The fat tank was actually a railroad car upended, with steam pipes around it to keep the fat warm and liquid.

Apparently, the fat tank pipes became clogged up, and they were unable to get the fat out efficiently. So The Mister, being young and full of juice, volunteered to go down into the tank and clean out the clogs. I cannot imagine how terrible that smelled, or felt, or how scary it might be, but it was so distasteful that he never volunteered again.

Fast forward several years; the fat tank is clogged again. The First Cousin's son, who currently runs our farming operation, descends into the tank. Only this time, the ladder leading down is old and corroded and several of the rungs break as he's descending. He agrees with The Mister that it was an awful experience. So these two brave men are the only ones to ever clean out the fat tank and emerge alive.

Their record of prowess remains secure; no more mill, and no more fat tank.