April 16, 1948: Milk for Roger (Prairie Fire)

Bright, chilly in wind
had to have wraps
I hemmed new dish towels
fixed sleeves wider
in everyday dress
and in afternoon
Joe ran in to say fire.

Five gallons of gas
meant to bring drill home
caused sparks off manifold
to ignite tall old grass
wind being from southeast to
east fire went to northwest to
north in a hurry.

Will left eats
Thomas came on
Ford tractor, filled sprayer with
water at tank
he and Will went in our
car with fire-fighting tools and
a cream can of water.

Fire raged towards My Creek.
We took lunch of sandwiches
cookies, chicken, dumplings and
lemonade to fire which burned
seven stacks of hay on McKees
seven stacks on Eagle Horn land
leaving three stacks here

burned to Highway, all up My Creek
east part of Wright’s pasture
Paulson’s pasture east of McKee’s.
Will wasn’t hungry
Thomas and Joe and Bus
too busy with spray
to eat our lunch.

Ed’s car could not shift to
low and high, only second
so back to McKee’s
Bus brought us home
in his new V8
Ed and Leo came here in
Graydon’s new Jeep.

Rena and Roger, 16 months
slept on davenport
Ed in south room upstairs
Leo in northwest room
I in my bed.
Roger nurses a bottle at night
we kept milk in cup near for him.