# Needing rain and prayers.



## murphyranch (Dec 9, 2015)

We lucky here at our ranch, but lots of neighbors have had a bad week. I caught myself getting pissed about having to spend 2 straight days fighting fire in my orange truck when I realized the burnt country and cows and KIDS could've just as easily been mine. We have had 3 trucks out all week leaving 1 at home for just in case. Good machines with electric and air actuators on nozzles so it's a one man rig. I have been around fire my whole life because in the tall grass country it's a valuable tool, but some of the things I have witnessed this week will never be forgotten. Tomorrow will be tough, gonna help the neighbors sort the sicks, sled the dreads, and put down a lot of animals. Keep these people who work not for fame or fortune, but satisfaction of feeding America in your thoughts.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Will do Murphy ranch. Have a safe day, Godspeed.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Yes also - have a safe one.


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## Ruger (Jan 22, 2011)

Be safe and praying for rain!


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

I have been through one wildfire and have seen the devastation fire does, be safe and hoping rain will come soon to your area.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I can't imagine what the cattle ranchers are going through with all the burned animals. Many not killed by fire are blinded and otherwise so severely burned that they need to be put down by the dozens or even hundreds. Plus, all the pasture land is charred.

I was so glad to see some of our Michigan neighbors loading round bales of hay onto the flatbeds and heading to help - some from our area, too. And, contrary to popular belief, it didn't take government. Just good Americans helping each other.


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## murphyranch (Dec 9, 2015)

When you come upon dead wildlife that are "frozen" in a running pose, but burnt, that tells you how fast it was moving. I figured a coyote or old mature deer would be able to know when to hit flight mode. That extra sense I guess was not enough. Went to help a college friends family look for any live animals and get a count on the deads, honestly felt like I was riding through some kind of nuclear aftermath. Ended up shooting 126 cows and yearlings total. I never want to see anything or experience this kind of a disaster again.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm sorry to hear of the carnage MR, are the fires out ?


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

If anyone chooses to contribute: http://www.kla.org/donationform.aspx

To see the horrible destruction on RFDTV: http://www.rfdtv.com/clip/13189739/mdr-wildfire-relief-20170321


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Done. It ain't much, but it'll help someone.


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## murphyranch (Dec 9, 2015)

youngdon said:


> I'm sorry to hear of the carnage MR, are the fires out ?


just got home from fighting fire since mid morning. We had a car load of punk arse, school skipping, sorry bunch of boys with Roman candles, go joy riding. At one time had 14 different fires burning, stretched out over 22 miles. Wind blew 15 to 25 mph out of the north east and switched around to south east right at 4 pm. Got home at 5 am Wednesday morning after something electrical caused a chain reaction of transformers to blow in the oil fields. Took on a load of water from a vacuum truck that filled up out of a creek crossing with no screener on his suction hose. It put about 2 inches or more of chat in my tank which completely destroyed 2 of my high $ pumps. That was on Monday. Pulled pumps off of our back up truck to replace them. I haven't been able to make my whole feed route and check cows for about 12 days. Job security I guess. Supposedly have a 50 to 70% chance for rain this weekend. I'm ready for a toad strangling, turd floater rain.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Holy crap.....I hope the little arse holes were caught and they are made to feel a bit of the pain they caused others to feel.

Our thoughts, prayers, and a little spare change are with you an your community. God Bless.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Pitched in, too.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

MurphyRanch has given us a sampling of what some people are calling the "Katrina" of Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

Here's a piece from our newspaper today. More help on the way from Mid-Michigan!

Posted: Thursday, March 23, 2017 11:40 am
Reaching out to help fellow farmers By ANAMARIA DICKERSON, Argus-Press Staff Writer

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY - Area residents are reaching out to help people in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas after wildfires earlier this month left thousands of acres charred and farmers in desperate need of aid.

"We've got a lot of people who want to help these ranchers and farmers and so it's extremely important to us to get these donations down there as quickly as possible," said farmer Andy Jahn of Croswell.
Jahn is one of numerous farmers organizing convoys to send equipment and supplies to the affected states.
As of March 6, hundreds of thousands of acres were left burned, many homes destroyed, cattle killed and a reported death toll of six people.

Eleven convoys of trucks from across Michigan have made the trip out west states to deliver needed supplies. On Sunday, another 30 to 40 trucks will leave from Morrice.

As part of the effort, the Perry FFA chapter will be collecting money at its toy show from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Perry High School to donate. Members of the public may see which itens are needed at micorn.org, and donate through Jahn's "Convoy to Wildfires" Facebook page or Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. or Sunday at Transfleet Truck Garage, 2111 W. Lansing Road.

Dan Ritter, of Bancroft, Jahn and other drivers/volunteers will meet at the Transfleet at 10 a.m. Sunday to load the semi-trucks and then leave for Kansas at 1 p.m.

Transfleet Truck garage owner Jann Knapp said he was more than happy and willing to lend his business as a meeting place.
"I was as surprised as Dan was about the response he got from social media &#8230; and it just seemed like a good place for everyone to meet," Knapp said. "(Dan) seems to be the leader of this particular movement (locally) and I hope all goes well for them. We'll do what we can to facilitate them."

The Michigan effort began when husband and wife Jake and Tisha Gorr, of Battle Creek, were among the first ones who sought to send help from Michigan to those in need.

After word from the Gorrs spread on social media, Dan Ritter and his wife Lori, decided they wanted to help.
"I heard about it from Andy, who heard about it from Jake (and Tisha) and so I asked him what I could do to help and from there it's escalated," Ritter said. "It really is a phenomenal thing."

Both Dan and Lori Ritter said they've been "blown away" by the support both locally and statewide. Farmers from at least 68 of the 83 counties in Michigan have donated supplies or volunteered to drive.

"I was at Tractor Supply Company the other day talking with the manager when this guy came up - a complete stranger - and asked if I was the person working on the convoy. I told him 'yes' and then he reached in his pocket and gave me cash," Lori Ritter said. "All I could think was, 'What do I even say to that?' I stood there with tears streaming down my face because it's just so overwhelming for a total stranger to help like that."

Several Facebook groups, including one managed by Jahn - "Andy Jahn Convoy to Wildfires" - are serving as a way for people to communicate and coordinate lists of needed supplies as well as list drop off locations across the state. Items needed include but are not limited to stock feed, corn (whole or cracked), mineral blocks, calf milk replacer, feed buckets and feed bottles.
Tuesday, the United States Department of Agriculture announced it would make $6 million in funding available to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners affected by the damage.

"I'm glad that somebody is helping those ranchers out because lot of them lost everything they had. A lot them don't have insurance, either," Jahn said.


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

Is there still a need for Hay? I have some Hay that i will not need this year. I also can put the word out here at home, I think there are other guys that have hay left too because our spring was so early this year!


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

785-273-5115 is the phone number for the Kansas Livestock Association (www.kla.org). Someone there should be able to direct you, Richard.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Haven't forgotten our neighbors in the central plains. More help on the way!

Picture is from today's newspaper.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Just another reason I'm proud to be an American.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Some honorable folks aren't done yet pitching in. Loss of fencing will run into multi-million $ losses for the ranchers and our local countrymen are doing what they can and are heading southwest for another shipment of relief.

Page one is the lower photo. Never been more proud to be an American!


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

One more update from today's Argus-Press of Owosso, Michigan.


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## murphyranch (Dec 9, 2015)

http://m.hpj.com/opinion/seeing-your-dad-cry-leaves-a-mark/article_851e45c3-029a-5e69-969e-a5c1362bc5e5.html Thanks to all who have helped


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## murphyranch (Dec 9, 2015)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/us/burying-their-cattle-ranchers-call-wildfires-our-hurricane-katrina.html?_r=0


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