Remembering that crazy hot week in July '09 at the county fairgrounds

It was over 100 degrees for five days straight, and I was the only farrier who showed up to shoe for the draft horse pull. I had a line of eight Belgians and Percherons, each needing a full set. My anvil felt like it was sitting on the sun, and the forge heat just made the air thicker. What made it stand out, though, was the old timer who ran the event, a guy named Frank. He brought me a steady stream of ice water in a metal bucket and set up a big fan, saying, 'A man who works in this heat deserves a little wind.' We got through every horse, and the teamwork with the handlers in that brutal weather just felt different, more solid. I still think about that week when I'm on a tough job. Anyone else have a story about a day where a small act of help turned a terrible job around?

4 comments

4 Comments

joseph_kim2mo ago

Yeah, that reminds me of a story I heard about a roofer getting a cold Gatorade from a homeowner on a scorching day.

riverw172mo ago

Always keep a cooler in your truck, @joseph_kim. You can't rely on homeowner kindness when you're dying of thirst up there.

sandra_bennett592mo ago

Cold Gatorade sounds like a lifesaver.

william_harris1mo ago

Honestly, I learned that lesson the hard way. Ngl, I once showed up to a job so confident I'd get a nice cold drink from the homeowner, and all they offered was a warm can of seltzer from a dusty cabinet. Tbh, my cooler now has enough Gatorade to get me through a small desert expedition. It's basically a mini fridge on wheels at this point, and I'm not even mad about it.