Conversation with Rod

I had just squeezed the handle on the pump and set the latch when I glanced behind me to see this tall thin older man looking over my trailer. I said 'Hi' and he remarked what an unusual trailer. I agreed and he continued with this slow drawl that I first took him for being slow. He smiled and remarked about the big tires on the trailer and I said yes that most RVs had cheap tires that get damaged easily. He nodded his head as he looked around the back and I said

"The back opens up to make a kitchen." 

"You don't say." He said slowly letting each word occupy a couple of seconds. 

"And there is a queen size bed inside." I added. 

"Well I’ll be, that IS something." Again very slow drawn out sentences. 

I said. "It is very comfortable!" 

He was gassing up his older pickup. A farmer or rancher by the diesel tank and pump in the bed. I asked what he was up to today. 

"Oh I just got to get some new tires put on for some farm equipment." As he gestured at the two wheels in the back. 

We stumbled on. Neither of us seemed to be in a hurry.

I said. "Yes I just got new tires for the trailer and my truck recently as well. They sure are not cheap." 

He said. "No, No, they are not and other things like batteries or oil filters."

"I can’t believe the price of batteries. And paying over $100 for an oil change!" I related.

His face lit up and he said. "It used to be oil filters were $8 now they are $25" He shook his head slowly. 

I asked if he was a farmer and he nodded. 

"What do you farm?"

"Well it is over 6000 feet here so there aren’t many choices, that leaves wheat and barley." 

"Though it has been getting drier and drier these last few years. That makes wheat and barley difficult".

"What do you do about that?" I asked.

"We could try canola for oil, that requires less water but it is a big change and the weed situation changes. So I‘m not sure yet." He replied. 

I mentioned my dad’s farm in Illinois and told him we grew corn and soybeans but have about 70 acres of organic wheat. The farm has been in the family a long time. Though my dad is in a nursing home and he uses a farm manager who drives around in a new pickup we help pay for. 

He said he farms with his two sisters. "If something went haywire I suppose my sisters would want to get a farm manager too." 

He went on to say. "Organic is good, you get better prices. "

"But you don’t get as good yields." I replied.

"But you get rid of those chemicals and they aren’t too good for the farmers." 

I agreed. 

He asked where I was from and I said North Idaho. He smiles and he knows the area. "My farm is about 11 miles from town." 

I mentioned I had just stayed at Gray’s lake. 

"You know that body of water you saw on your right as you came down? Blackfoot reservoir?" He asked.  

Yes I nodded. 

"My farm’s on the other side of the lake." 

I nodded. 

"This area is so beautiful. It's like someone splashed pots of different color paints all over this time of year. " I said.

"That’s true, what a wonderful way to say that." 

I decided to cut this conversation short. He was a busy man. 

I introduced myself and we shook hands and said his name was Rod. 

"It was really nice to talk to you Rod and I hope you have a wonderful day." 

"Thank you Doug and hope your day goes well too. "

We parted company and would probably never see each other again. A singular warm simple conversation with a stranger. Rod seemed to be a man of immense kindness and gentleness. He was also the kind of person I had not encountered in a very long time. He was like a character out of Plainsong by Ken Haruf and I mean his in a kind and authentic way.

These random encounters can be heartening. To reassure oneself that there are some good people out there.