Feeding with Michael

I went over to Michael's to feed this morning, before we went up to feed elk. He starts at six thirty, so we had to hussell a little this morning. I've been wanting to see his three horse hitch. It's simple, and he has a great team, and it all works smoothly. It was fun spending a few hours with him this morning. He is good with his horses, and his cows bloom. Bob met me at the highway and we went to "our" feedground. We had a picnic lunch which we ate afterwards. It was a very warm and sunny day, and the kind of spring day to enjoy. We found 4 nice horns this today.

Scott Went Over the TOP!!!

Proud Parents!!!

Hey..it's one of the most exciting things I've ever seen. I hoved into Jackson, after we fed elk this morning. Betty had called me on the cell phone and instructed me to stop at the trailer for an Artic Cat coat and a pit pass. As I was getting those things, I heard on their speaker that Scott was at the gate. I literally ran up to the entrance..through it, and up by the pit where Betty, Brent and Dick were. Scott started his climb less than a minute later. He was awesome. I think his time was 143.19, which took fifth place in his class. What a high. He was extatic, and so were we! I hung around for his next climb on the mod. He didn't make it to the top on that sled. The track had deteriorated a bunch. Wow he did well, though!

And this morning, I saw a six point bull lose a horn! Wow!

Jackson Hole Hill Climb

Bob went to Michael’s to help him feed, then they and Palmer went to our feedground. Charm came by after me and we went to Jackson for the hill climb. We had such a neat visit on the way up. Talked to Betty a little at the stands, then Charm and I went to the gate where we spent the rest of the day. Scott made two awesome runs..the first taking a second in his class and the other not placing. In spite of that, it was the most awesome ride in the semi pro improved stock class. I went to Lisa’s office and ordered a pair of sun glasses. I was talking to Lisa when I heard this voice saying “I was raised with her!” Well, she was right! No one there realized what a small world it is. Jane Lozier Mickelson came in and we had such a fun visit.

Happy Birthday Nanc!

Sorry I'm so late in the day getting this on here.

It's spring in the Rockys again...water running...slushie snow, and mud.

Death of a Sewing Machine

Perhaps the loss of a sewing machine doesn’t sound like much. But think about this. I’ve had this machine, if you will, longer than any of my children, although Jane comes in there close, any husband, and even longer than I had either of my parents. Certainly longer than any horse.

Several months before Jane was born, a traveling salesman came by selling Bernina sewing machines. I knew I not only wanted one, I needed one. My sister-in-law had a Bernina, and I knew they were probably the best on the market. Prior to my marriage, I thought Singers were the choice. To this day, there’s nothing much wrong with them either.

However, back to my old workhorse, the Bernina. I learned to sew on it. I’d taken a sewing class at Wasatch in which I made an apron. Whee..now that was difficult. When this salesman came along we were stone broke. My husband turned in a .30 .30 on it, and I believe we made $11.00 payments for a year. It’s paid for itself so many times over, I could not estimate the times. I’ve made at least a thousand western shirts, and mended probably that many pairs of levis. The canvas dams were tough, but it did that. I probably made twenty down coats for all of the family. And the leather jackets..they were beautiful. My dad is buried in one I made from buckskin from mule deer he killed. He loved that jacket..my mother was not enamored with it. I was amazed when she chose to bury him in it. My girls grew up in homemade clothes. They probably thought that was all there were.

These days I don’t do a lot of sewing. But when I do, I depend on that old Bernina. Two days ago, I sewed up a western shirt for Bob. The next day I did another. As I was attaching the last cuff, it quit. Dead. There was no nursing it along for just one more cuff to finish it up. It quit. I was so upset not that I didn’t get the shirt done, but that my faithful old machine had given up the ghost.

Today as we were riding back from the feedground, I likened it to a death in the family. I really almost felt like that. Now, perhaps, it really isn’t dead. I called the Huckleberry Patch, and they know of a repairman in Idaho. They occasionally send machines over there for repair. I will do that. I can’t worry about how long it will be gone. It is doing me absolutely no good as it is now. Until I get it back, it’s not only dead, it’s gone.

Spring would be nice!

Saturday. It was -16 here. Charles called and it was -20 at his place. I’m looking forward to spring, for sure. Nanc called and we had a neat visit. We left an hour late to feed. It wasn’t bad up there. I went to the store. Ran into Dino. He came out and spent the afternoon and had dinner with us. After dinner we went in to the library and watched the movie Grizzly Man. It wasn't a fun show to watch, but it was interesting. When you've been around as many grizzlys as we have, you know how absolutely dumb dumb dumb he was. Of course we don't see as many as he did, but we're around them all summer.

Sunday. It was only about zero this morning. It was cloudy and even windy...and seemed colder than yesterday. Got some clothes washed and housecleaning done after we got home from feeding. We are meeting Brian and family for dinner at the Mexican place tonight. What fun!

Happy 100th Helen!

March 10th. Friday. It was -4 at my machine this morning. Jeeze the feedground is rough riding on that blankety blank wagon... After lunch we went to the Sublette Center to help Helen Ruland celebrate her 100th birthday. My she’s amazing. She stood at the door and greeted all of her guests. How many people that age have you seen do that. It was a joy seeing Rita and family, and Larry and his family. Of course Hank and his family were there too...yes, Hank it was fun seeing you too.

I swear we're NOT 65! Yes, Reet, you are one day younger than I am!


March 9th. Thursday. It was a white out...it was beautiful...it blew and was cold...it snowed..it was all of the above at the feedground today. We drove to Jackson for an appointment for Bob. We saw an elk where the mountain sheep should be, and a sheep up close to Jackson where you often see elk. We saw many elk on the South Park feedground, possibly twice what we have. We saw about a dozen head of sheep right on the road.

Cattlemen's Banquet etc

Saturday. We fed 94 bales today. Took the wheel off the wagon and brought it down. After lunch I went to the store and got groceries. Dino came out and we did more pictures for him. He’s got a gal from Canada he’s emailing. She sounds interesting. She wants a picture of him without his hat and dark glasses, plus a “butt shot”. She puts it that she wants one of him in his jeans! That’s o.k....we’re up for the occasion, huh Dino? He went to the Cattlemen’s banquet and dance with us. We had such a good time. Bob won the posts from Pickaroon Timber. Boy will that be nice. We had Jim and Charm, Dino, Buch Grandy, Jamie and Rita, and Jerry Jensen at our table. We danced and visited until the last dog was hung. Benny and Pat Pearson got lifetime member awards. Nomi Pape won the quilt.

Sunday. Brian, Krishna, and her mom Karen met us at my machine. His died on the way up there, so we doubled up more...Brian riding on the sled and Krishna riding with Bob. After we fed, and did many Kodak moments, we came back out. Couldn’t pull Brian’s machine so we left it. We’ll try it with a piece of plywood under the track that is locked up. We stopped at the Stockman’s and treated them to lunch. We visited for several hours. Scotty came out and picked up the “cousins”. Del was pleased about that. Actually, those dogs are no problem at all. She misses them when they leave. Scott grows every time I see him.

March first!

I can’t believe it’s already March. March came in like a lamb, if you consider the first day. It was 21 at my snowmachine, and it started hard. We met Jim McLellen at the locked cattleguard. He beat us there. We were done feeding about ten thirty thanx to his help. We stopped at the Game and Fish to leave Bob’s feed report. We went to Verla Sommer’s funeral out at the Boulder Community Center at two o’clock. It was quite a crowd. Then there was a dinner at the Stockman’s. Michael, Brian and Dino ate with us and we had an interesting visit. We visited until the last dog was hung, as my mother would say. It was a good time. Many thanx to Jim for helping us feed.

A note on the funeral...when an old timer dies, it brings together many of the others, and you see so many who are the backbone of our county. Such was the case today. It was beautifully done, with an in depth obituary. Unlike my dad's funeral, you certainly knew who you were there to honor. Her dog was there too.

Darting Day at Scab Creek

It was 18 above this morning. This was the second of two days of darting our elk. You may remember the one last time where one third of our elk died. I should say one third of those darted...three of nine. Hopefully today will go much better. We were to meet Jerod and his crew at my snowmachine at eight o’clock this morning. We got there about fifteen minutes early, and when they hadn’t showed by eight, we left. We had the sled half loaded when six snowmachines and twelve people showed up. Our elk got excited and did a lot of running around. When we drove in this morning, most of them didn't even get up or quit chewing their cuds.

Floyd Rodifer came over to the stack and helped us load. It was another day of things gone amiss, however it was nothing like two weeks ago. They had darts to do ten elk. Jerod missed with one that he knew of..they found another in the snow, but only had seven elk down that we found. What happened to the other darted elk? I guess if she dies, we’ll know when the scavengers show up. They also darted a bull instead of a cow in one case. They bled him and wrote down his ear tag # and gave him the shot to wake him up. A couple of the elk came close to bloating, but they made it. I mentioned that there were only seven of the nine darted being worked on. Turned out they found a dart that missed a second one, but we never found the other elk, or perhaps just a dart.

I got lots of pictures, and we were done about eleven o’clock. After lunch I started my tax preparation. Had just started, when Dino showed up. He needed a hair cut. I did both he and Bob. Dino stayed for dinner. It’s always a pleasure to have Dino. A neat guy.