The Importance of Appreciation

Friday last, we held Customer Appreciation Day and Golf Scramble. It was our first such event and we had so many unknowns: how much food, what kind of discounts, where to get the prizes, and who will come? Do people really have time to relax headed into summer?

Many of those questions were answered in spades. Prizes flooded in from our myriad of vendors who then also offered discounts for the retail side. Cooks put together a huge feast of meats, seasoned beans, salads, and brownies. And people? Twenty golfers and thirty eaters.

Smiles and laughter abounded, even in 50 mph wind with threatening rain clouds glaring from the Rocky Mountain front. By the end of the afternoon, winds had calmed and the sun was peeking through. The golfers lingered. Some talking with sales reps, the rest with each other. It was a good day to relax and tell stories before the busy summer season kicked in.

Stressed economic times often produce stressed people. Often,our social graces are the first thing to exit our toolbox and tensions build all around. Spending time appreciating the people who make my job, our jobs, possible was important because in the end, we're all in this together...making food and fiber for the world.

War Stories from the Watering Hole

Rainy days make for a full house at the round table. Favorite stories today, revolve around a particular watering hole in a nearby town.

One of our favorite story tellers relates the following:

"I spent a lot of time at Katy’s Wildlife Sanctuary when I was younger.The bartender,Katy, a crusty Calamity Jane sort,(a gunfight had occurred in her honor), had to reload the ice box with 5 gallon buckets throughout the day. The ice box was open for easy access of loading ice and refreshing drinks.

One day, as Katy went out back to grab the ice bucket, her cat walked down the bar, walked gingerly over to the ice box and promptly urinated.
From then on, I asked for bottled or canned beverages only."

He also witnessed her fine social graces by continuing...

"Katy was famous for making a point with as few words as possible. One day she was playing pool at a bar here in Choteau. She wasn't very tall so when she planted her hind end on the table to make a shot, both feet came off the floor. Intent on obeying the rules, her opponent yelled across the bar, 'Katy, you gotta have one foot on the ground!' With one swift movement of her hand, she unbuckled her prosthetic limb and threw it on the floor. 'Happy?!'"

Her wooden leg served her well in startling innocent travelers to her establishment. To keep the bar warm, she had a wood stove. One day, a blizzard had made it rather hard to bring in more wood. A patron, sympathizing with the misery of the day, looked at Katy, what are ya gonna do without wood?" Katy, never missing a beat, kicked her leg up on the table and slammed a hatched into it. "We're not out yet!"