#33 Comedy. Dad's Humor. 52 Ancestors in a Year

#33 Comedy

Dry Humor—Humor at work

Growing up with a father who had a sense of humor, and a dry sense of humor,  which kept you guessing.  And sometimes you had to let it “sink in” before you understood the humor.   The humor was to lighten the mood and make the work easier.  

As kids, we (my sister & I), as well as a neighbor girl were his “hired hands”.  He would often say—maybe brag—I may not have the best crew, but I have the best looking!  But somehow we were expected to pull our weight and do the job.  There was no slack given because we were the “best looking”!  And we never got fired!

As we rode through rocky hills & sagebrush on horseback to get to the cows before daylight, his comment would ring through the early stages of light….”Did you hear the crack of dawn?”  Or the next time it might be…”did you hear the dawn crack?”  Sometimes we were half asleep as we ambled along, but he woke us up!

One of the trails to summer range, led past an old cabin.  He named it “Joe’s Beanery”!  We all knew where he was talking about when he said…when you get to Joe’s Beanery, stop and have lunch.  Or hold up the cows at Joe’s Beanery until the drag gets there….or we will wait out the rain storm or snow storm in Joe’s Beanery and have lunch.  Now Joe’s Beanery was nothing more than a shack with 4 walls (with holes), a tin roof and no windows.  But it often offered protection from a storm. And we all knew where it was and far we had let to trail that day!

Don Shaffner DVM

rancher

practical jokester

Dad was a veterinarian.  His skills in suturing were well known, especially after an incident at corral when working cattle.  Somehow a hired man received a gash in the head & was knocked out, either from a corral pole or chute handle.   Since it was over 60 miles to a medical facility & there wasn’t anyone who could be spared to take him; Dad said, “hold him down, I’ll stitch him up”.  The hired man regained consciousness with a gash in his head that had been sutured by the veterinarian!   And no medical bill!  

As a veterinarian, one of his jobs was pregnancy cows in the fall.  And Dad loved mentoring young people, so always encouraged the young men at the ranch to learn & feel a calf in the early stages of development.  He would take someone under his tutelage and give instructions.  While the said Individual was schooled as several cows were run through the chute, dad would entice the help in the corral to bring in a steer.  Dad loved a good practical joke and more than one person in Beaverhead County had the experience of trying to pregnancy test a steer!  

And when Dad asked, “What are you doing tomorrow?”, you hoped you had a things to do or places to go because if you answered, “Why?”, you learned fast that he had plans for you!  His ideas usually meant work at the ranch, or he hired you out for a job or working at the veterinary hospital.  

I am sure there are many others who benefited from his practical jokes!