Believe It! Or Don't!

[Rudy Toody]

Soon after I moved to my step-father's farm, I was given the task of sealing a leaky soffit at the peak of the barn. So, with tool-belt and sealant in hand, I climbed to the peak of the shake roof. As I bent down to drop the tool-belt, I stepped on a patch of moss and began to accelerate down the steep roof.

I recall yelling something like, "Golly, I wish I had not done that."

I learned later that I had landed dead-center on the only place around the entire perimeter of the barn that might offer a chance of survival.

As I was digging my way out of the 15-foot mound of manure that was waiting to be processed for fertilizer, my step-father ran over and said, "What happened?"

"I fell off the barn! I thought I would die!"

He stared at me for moment, shook his head, then said, "Well... You sure smell dead!"

 

[petrusbroder]

LoL.
But not so much LoL, if you have seen this happen - as have I. Not 15 feet, but 2½ meters deep. Reminds me of an experience while I was on a farm holiday with - at that time small - kids:

A farmer fell from the roof of the animal house. He had the good sense of putting his hands over mouth and nose and thus not getting any of the manure into his lungs. My first action was to dig out his face and to slip an air+oxygene mask over his face. Manure contains a lot of methane, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide which all are quite toxic and which replace oxygen in the lungs. Death is quick (within minutes) if no help comes at once.
The smell, is quite harmless ...
The shower did eventually remove the stench and the farmer had to stay at the local hospital overnight.
That was the one (of two) time I used that equipment, which I always have in my car since 1981. BTW: I am not talking about the showel, that has been used much more often!

Edit: check out the death rate of farmers - it is surprisingly high - or parhaps not that suprisingly ...

 

[Rudy Toody]

This happend to me, exactly as stated. Except for the punch line. I made that up.

Fortunately, most of the manure went into my mouth, thus keeping my nasal passages open.

I went back up and finished the chore, but I hooked myself to a line that had a grappling hook on the other end. Didn't need it this time.

 

[petrusbroder]

Well, then there was some difference ...
Two questions remain:
1. Was it horse manure or cow manure? (horse manure is more solid)
2. More liquid or more solid, i.e. prepsred for spreading on the field?
It all makes a lot of difference!

 

[Rudy Toody]

Cow Manure waiting to be blended before spreading.

 

[petrusbroder]

The key word: waiting ... LoL!