R-CALF USA Region V Director Stayton Weldon has authored a children’s book titled Whitey on the Ranch, a tale of both harrowing and heroic adventures on the ranch, from the point of view of a white 1997 ¾-ton heavy duty GMC truck who names his owner “Brilliant” at the start of the book, then “Somewhat Brilliant” and then “Average Intelligence” by the middle of the story, and then yet again renames his owner “Moron” before the conclusion of this delightful tale.
Whitey, who’s always dreamed of living on a ranch, is purchased brand new, and before he tackles the tough tasks of traveling across “ditches, ruts, ravines, mud, sand, brush, trees and other things,” he’s outfitted with 12-ply “macho tires,” “purses” aka toolboxes, and a two-inch round “belly button” so he’ll be able “to pull a contraption known as a ‘goose neck trailer.’”
On the ranch and off, Whitey’s escapades continue. His journey on Interstate 45 to Texas’ Gulf Coast is especially memorable, as is his exploit in trying to rejoin a calf with its mother, during which Whitey comes face-to-face with turtles, frogs and water bugs.
Perhaps his most important quest happened after Moron’s two grandsons – Hunter and Blake – accidentally made Whitey come out of gear and all three took a 15-foot, 45-degree drop to the bottom of a gully. Whitey’s bumper, hood and right fender were damaged, but “I could feel Hunter’s teeth hit my dash and get rearranged in his mouth (and) Blake’s lip hit my dash causing a bloody split lip. It was quite obvious that the boys had to be taken to the emergency room, and it was up to me to get them there!”
Weldon said he told some stories about the truck to some different people, who then encouraged him to write about it.
“I finally started writing down notes, and one day I just sat down and compiled the notes into a story for my grandchildren, and just for the fun of it, I let some highly educated people – an English teacher, a librarian, people of this type – read it, and they all told me to publish it,” he said. “The people around here know me, and not in their wildest imagination can they believe that I wrote a book, but it’s been very popular, so far.”
Weldon already has donated 10 percent of the sales to R-CALF USA and will continue to do so. Persons who wish to purchase the $12 book can call R-CALF USA headquarters, at 406/252-2516. The publisher is AuthorHouse. The book also is available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. Weldon has held numerous book-signings and several more are slated for summer.
“This is highly recommended reading for anyone of any age who can appreciate the trials and tribulations that go along with running a cattle operation,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard.
Source: R-CALF
Posted by Kaci Switzer
