PROMPT WORD: IMPROVISE
Yankee ingenuity
Improvisational design or problem-solving, dealing with low availability of replacement parts and materials.
American farmers have a long, well deserved, reputation for ‘thinking outside of the box’ in order to independently, and innovatively, solve their own problems as they would arise.
Liddy was only sixteen when she decided to keep and breed rabbits, mostly to prove to her Dad, that she’d, one day, be a responsible heir to the family farm so, just before Thanksgiving, when Liddy woke up to a sudden dramatically unseasonable temperature change-dropping quickly and sharply-she freaked out realizing that her rabbits had yet to have fully winterized hutches!
Up to this point, the rabbits had clean bedding, frequent watering, and food, but their hutch windows were just screen and the forecast was for 5 below zero F, so she raced outside in 8 above F temperatures determined to cover those windows and protect her rabbits who had yet to acclimate to frigid winter weather.
Her hands grew instantly numb as she fumbled with plexiglass and screws and the monumental mistake of being unprepared for New England weather changes created strings of tears that froze instantly to her cheeks.
Feeling defeated and ashamed, she considered calling her Dad for a rescue when she got an idea how to improvise a barrier to the Arctic winds and after gathering a stack of newspapers, and a bucket of warm water, she covered all those windows with soaked paper layers that froze tightly in place in mere seconds.
Her Dad had been waiting for a panicked call, and when he didn’t get one, he rushed to find Liddy already inside and the most clever application of good ole Yankee ingenuity he’d seen in a long time, so he hugged her pronouncing, “You’re one fine farmer, young lady, and I’m one proud Dad!”.
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Those newspapers were a good idea. I don’t think I would have thought of freezing them in place like she did.
I did that with my rabbits once. I was quite proud of myself for thinking of it. Thanks Frank.
How ingenious!
😊 Thanks.
very cool*
surely the cornerstone of ingenuity is to be comfortable thinking our side of the box
fun Six!
*well, sure, I’ll accept credit for clever pun, even though…lol
😁 Much appreciated!
A chilling observation. lol
Brilliant!
Thanks. 😁
Good for her for not giving in to despair and finding her way to a solution. Good lesson for us all 🙂
😊 Thanks. Just a little story.
Or, as we say here: ‘n boer maak ‘n plan (a farmer makes a plan) 🙂
Farmers are resourceful people everywhere. 😊
Quite so!
Brilliantly done
Thank you, sir. 😀
I quite agree with Frank. Ingenious idea!
Thank you! 😊
An ingenious solution. And the rabbits had something to read too on the other side 😁 It was really good thinking as newpaper and card is an excellent insulator.
Thanks for reading and commenting! 😊
👍👍
No doubt she has a bright future! Nice one Susan.
Thank you, Keith.
Such a great story!
Thank you! Much appreciated. 😀