Airplanes are better than cattle

RITZVILLE – Former owner of Lund Flying Services, Maynard Lund, 87, said this time of year was about his busiest as an aerial sprayer.

He learned the business back in North Dakota, and came to the area to "help out" Wilf "Willie" Moore about 40 years ago.

"Right now would be starting to be my busy time, spraying for weeds over the winter wheat," Lund said. "Soon as the winter wheat was over, then we'd start on the spring wheat."

Lund chose not to follow in the footsteps of his father, Howard Lund; declining taking over the family cattle ranch about 25 miles east of Williston, North Dakota.

"I thought, well, airplanes are a lot better than cattle. In the wintertime, I can put my airplane in the hangar and don't have to worry about it," Lund said. "With cattle, you gotta work a little harder in the winter time to keep them."

Asked if he ever got a day off, Lund replied, "Not in the cattle ranching, no."

Lund said he worked some in Montana and Idaho before ending up here.

It's been a good move.

"I like Ritzville," Lund said. "And the winter is a lot better here than in North Dakota."