By Michael W. McDermott, [blueox@paulbunyan.net]
It came to pass after many years and the Death of Alexander his grandson left Seattle to buy a farm. The path was a long one, foster homes, lack of work, and homelessness. Michael was up to the task as was his young bride Jeanine. They loaded up the buses and headed east, retracing the path of the early settlers to the Americas, finally ending up in Minnesota's Northwoods.
Life here was going to be challenging, not much room for new comers. Jeanine went about retraining to find a position, ending up as a nurse working for the federal government at an Indian health service Hospital. Over the years she would become a night manager and develop the website for IHS and other educational programs for the Red Lake Indian Nation. We raised up our two children and saw them enter college at Bemidji State University.
Michael worked as a Painter most of his life...35 years or so. But he had a vision to create and breed Highland cattle, having shown them in Seattle in 4-H as a youth. Our children also worked with the cattle and Arabian horses in 4-H programs. Over time the breeding program paid off. One of our bulls won the show at the Beltrami county fair, becoming the Supreme Champion of all beef breeds 1995. He then went on to become known as Babe, the heir apparent to the legend of the woods Babe the Blue Ox.
Continuity has been found, a connection with our historical past and a vision toward our many possible futures. We struggle with the AHCA (Amerian Highland Cattle Association), its leadership and politics. Ethics and power do not make good bedfellows. Sometimes one person must make a stand. This we have done with honor. prevailing over extreme odds. Our breeding programs have created three new commercial types of beef cattle all based on highland cattle genetics. Medical problems have come and gone, leaving him without his balance center of the right ear. At 47 years he returns to college to retrain, gaining strength with the knowledge of his family's history and pride in being a Highland Scot.
Today we wonder, who was the father of Alexander Macrae? We have made connections with our cousins from Scotland. They are on in their years and have only trace memories of letters being read in private by Flora, his mother. Alexander was a great man, always prideful and full of respect in the town of Des Moines. He cared for his family in hard times and good. Perhaps his only flaw was to remain so very quiet about his history, and not sharing the tales from his land of origin. Now we must wait and study, finding a history about Scotland never taught in the Americas. We too are proud, to be among those who trace our blood the Scotland Highlands. We are indeed the children of the Kintails. We love freedom and are willing to fight for our rights. We are like our cattle: strong and willing to work hard to survive and make our way in the world. So let the tale be told, lest we die the real death of obscurity and loss of memory. The creation of Babe is indeed a tall tale worth repeating....The legend Lives at Blue Ox Farms.
See also Eilean Donan Reborn, a peom by Michael W. McDermott