by Dan
orginally published in the Goering Gazette, July 1989
It was a beautiful SUN-DAY. Everyone dressed in their ‘Sunday best’, and the church services were probably that of corporate praise in word and song as usual.
Everyone had arrived at church on cleared, hard solid road beds. The temperatures in the morning this late winter morning must have been about 20 degrees. The church services were of normal length, but the beautiful hot sunshiny windless day changed the temperature to balmy 50’s or so by the tiime people departed for home.
I presume the roadbed had been graded up with new dirt the previous fall and during the winter a community snow plow was used to shovel the snow into the ditches — each family supplying horse hitches to about 8 horse pull. Anyway, the temperature change and moisture content were perfect to generate an afternoon activity that truly tested the saint’s endurance. At first one driver got stuck in the mud — another would drive by and laugh and a few minutes later himself get stuck a few feet further on, etc. etc. Soon the road was blocked with stuck cars and panic started to set in. However, just having worshiped together called for maximum restraint on tempers and demonstration of Christian attitudes. Soon some living close by went home and brought horse hitches to pull the cars along with the wheels literally locked into skidding position. The ladies and young ones finally realized they would have to walk home. This, too, became a major problem. As one stepped forward each step increased foot and shoe size and doubling rates to where you could not walk. Furtunately there was still snow in the ditches, so we finally resorted to walking home in the ditches. I’m not certain if the ladies in our house had set slow cooking dishes on the stove with the expectation of arriving home just in time for a delicious dish. Anyway, if that was the coase, some must have been distressed about the prospects of burnt dishes.
Later, I recall, our car (The NASH) was towed to the pasture west of our house next to the creek which by now had gone out of its banks and we sat in the water as we pried the mud out from under the fenders and from between the spokes. I think we might have washed a car with creek water more than once.