Ukumamatheka, noma ngabe kucashile, kuyaqabukela kushiye ikhaya lakhona ngqo ngaphansi kwamadevu amhlophe qhwa ka-Ed Starkel, ngandlela thile ahlanze futhi alungiswe kahle. Uyindoda ethatha umsebenzi wakhe wokutshala amazambane nembewu futhi abe umphathi wezwe ngokungathi sína kakhulu, kepha ongasoze asolwa ngokuzithatha ngokweqile.
"Besihlale sisebenza kanzima kuleli pulazi," kusho uStarkel. "Kodwa kubalulekile ukuthatha isikhathi ukwehlisa ijubane futhi unuke ama-rose kancane."
Ngempela, kunezinsalela zezimbali ezingokomfanekiso ezizonukiswa epulazini likaStarkel eduze kwasePolson, eMont. Ngisho embozwe ngumusi oshunqayo oqhamuka emlilweni omkhulu wasebusika ngasekupheleni kwehlobo eGlacier National Park eseduze, enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeMontana iMission Valley ingenye yezindawo ezinhle kakhulu ongazicabanga ukubeka ipulazi. UStarkel uyindodana yokuzalwa kuleli, futhi iyingxenye yakhe njengoba naye eyingxenye yalo.
U-Ed Starkel ukhule engowesikhombisa ezinganeni eziyi-12 emndenini olimayo eRonan, eMont., Cishe ibanga lehora uhamba ngemoto usuka epulazini lakhe lamanje. Umndeni waqala ukukhulisa amazambane embewu ngo-1960, kanti u-Ed osemncane wakuthola ukulunywa. Lapho nje esethole iziqu zakhe zokuthweswa iziqu ngonyaka ka-1973, ubaba wakhe wamnikeza umsebenzi emuva ekhaya, walibamba lelo thuba. Ngenkathi bonke abafana abayisikhombisa bakwaStarkel babengene shi embonini yamazambane sebekhulile, kwakungu-Ed kuphela nomfowabo omncane uRoger —umakhelwane ka-Ed ezansi komgwaqo — abasebhizinisini.
"Ngakhulela ebhizinisini le-spud," kusho u-Ed. “Ngesikhathi ngisemncane, kwakuhlale kuyicebo lami ukuthi ngibuye ngizolima. Ngiyakuthanda ukufuya amazambane. ”
Lapho ubaba wabo ethatha umhlalaphansi ngo-1985, u-Ed noRoger bathatha umsebenzi wokulima. Lowo nyaka wokuqala esihlalweni somphathi kwaba, ukusho kalula, inselelo. Amakhasimende amaningi omndeni asenesikhathi eside — abalimi bezentengiselwano eColumbia Basin — nawo ayethatha umhlalaphansi emdlalweni wasepulazini, futhi amaningi awa endleleni ngesikhathi soguquko. Ngakho-ke abafowethu baseStarkel bashaya umgwaqo.
"Mina noRoger sihlanganise ipheshana futhi sathatha uhambo oluya eWashington," kusho u-Ed. “Sivele saqala ukungqongqoza eminyango, sikhombisa abalimi bezentengiso uhlelo lwethu. Kungakabiphi, sase sinamakhasimende ethu. ”
Kwakungekhona nje ukumaketha isivuno sabo sembewu okunikeze iStarkels inkinga. Umama Wendalo angaguquguquka ezweni laseFlathead, futhi waba nesifundo sokufundisa abalimi abasebasha.
“Ubaba wayehlale esitshela, 'Bafana, ninenkathi yokukhula yezinsuku eziyi-110 lapha phezulu,'” kukhumbula u-Ed emomotheka ngolaka kodwa oluqotho. "'Unesikhathi sokuthi utshale ama-spuds akho, akhuliswe futhi avunwe.' Isivuno sethu sokuqala saba yiqhwa emhlabathini. Sehle saze sehla saya ku-10 degrees ngo-Sep. 20. Kusenzima njalo ngonyaka, kodwa lokho kwaba ngesinye seziqhwa zokuqala engake ngazibona. ”
Abazalwane babekezelela lowo nyaka wokuqala onzima, futhi ekugcineni ibhizinisi lachuma. Ngo-1999, ngesinye isizukulwane esasivela, bahlukanisa lo msebenzi. Amapulazi womabili asabelana ngemishini yawo eminingi, okukhombise ukuthi ilusizo kubo bobabili. Namuhla, u-Ed nendodana yakhe uKyle balima cishe amahektare angama-200 we-Alturas, iRusset Burbank ne-Clearwater Russet imbewu yamazambane ekujikelezeni kweminyaka emihlanu ikakhulu ukolweni notshani.
AbakwaStarkels abakaze benze indawo epulazini yelungu lomndeni elingakulungele ukunikela ngendlela enenjongo. Lokho kwenzeka kuKyle, owachitha cishe iminyaka eyishumi esebenza njengomakhenikha kadizili kwaVolvo noKenworth ngaphambi kokubuyela epulazini entwasahlobo edlule.
“Lapho ngikhula,” kusho uKyle, “lapho ngicabanga ngokwengeziwe, ngifuna ukuqhubeka nefa lomndeni elihle kangaka, lapha kuleli pulazi.” "Amakhasimende ethu amaningi asenesikhathi eside ayintanga yami futhi athatha isinyathelo sokubuyela emuva," kusho u-Ed. “Manje sekuyizingane zabo ezisebenza noKyle. Isizukulwane esilandelayo siqhubeka nje. ”
U-Ed uncika esihlalweni sakhe kancane futhi ubuka ngefasitela lasekhishini ezweni ebelilihle kangako ezizukulwaneni ezine zeStarkels. Lokho kumamatheka kukhona, kwembula ukuziqhenya ngokusobala anakho maqondana nale ndawo, lo mndeni — kanye nenjabulo esobala, engenakulinganiswa ayithathayo kubo. Bese ebuyela kimi.
"Ngabe sekwanele ngo-ya?" Kubuza yena, ahlahle amehlo. “Sinezindaba eziningi kakhulu!”
Impendulo, kunjalo, ukuthi ngingathanda ukuhlala ngilalele ezinye zezinganekwane zeStarkels, futhi ngenza isikhashana. Cishe kukhona okwanele ukugcwalisa incwadi enosayizi omuhle. Kepha ukubezwa bonke, kuzofanela ubuze yena u-Ed Starkel.