This is the last daily saga. I didn't mention all the phone calls to experienced bison handlers or all the phone calls and personal visits to landowners. So far, 1 cow is still missing, last seen Thursday about sunset by yours truly. The other 3 are staying put. We had a normal church day today & painted the cutest fall trees in Wee Worship. They are for decorations for the church thanksgiving dinner. Taliah attended a birthday party. We attended a fundraiser for our neighbor's daughter whose body is racked with cancer. I begin my annual 40 days of Thanksgiving today. Each day I will be praying for Orphan Care around the world. With the kids I'll get out Thanksgiving decorations, read Thanksgiving stories, sing our favorite Thanksgiving & praise songs, bake stuff, make stuff, and fill out a calendar with Thankful things each day. Maybe we'll make our Thanksgiving tree again for the table. We try to do just one little activity per day, even if it's just reading a book.
I'm thankful for my neighbor, (whose oldest daughter is dying--in her 20s with a 5 year old boy) who reminded me that some day I'll be thankful for the permanent paint splotches on the new deck boards because my kids won't be around to do things like that anymore.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday October 17
J takes 2 hours off work to find missing cow. No dice. Kids & I go to farmers market to buy . . . bison meat! 122 pounds of it! We take coffee to J and a friend, fill up with gas & come home. Lunch, naps, and out to Camp to decorate for next weekend's Pure Joy Retreat. Home at 6 p.m. supper, bed, prepare for Sunday.
Friday October 16
Borrowed platte maps. Studied, planned, took off for one last day of hunting.
School. No lunch. J calls & found the "herd." Tried again for corrals but missed again. No lunch. Can we all come out & help with the "drive"? Tried to line up help to move them up the road 6 miles. Found 2 ranchers moving calves on the road. They agreed to help. I was to go ahead & block traffic, but the critters took off up the road before we were ready. Me & my minivan full of kids went behind praying. A truck pops over the hill; the buffs hop fences and take off in the prairie. I race ahead to block traffic. The bull stops hopping fences. The cows cross the road and take off in another prairie. The kids & I drive & wait & Taliah sings, "Till the answer comes, you gotta keep prayin.'" 2 1/2 hours later, the bull comes up the road with 2 4-wheelers. The cows are still out there somewhere. Kids & I go home to eat and start supper. 1/2 hour later, the cows are also back "home." J comes home and asks us to go build fence. We build until 6:30 p.m. and go home. He takes the kids in to Runza. I get changed for a dinner with girlfriends. I get home at 11 p.m. 1 cow is still missing.
School. No lunch. J calls & found the "herd." Tried again for corrals but missed again. No lunch. Can we all come out & help with the "drive"? Tried to line up help to move them up the road 6 miles. Found 2 ranchers moving calves on the road. They agreed to help. I was to go ahead & block traffic, but the critters took off up the road before we were ready. Me & my minivan full of kids went behind praying. A truck pops over the hill; the buffs hop fences and take off in the prairie. I race ahead to block traffic. The bull stops hopping fences. The cows cross the road and take off in another prairie. The kids & I drive & wait & Taliah sings, "Till the answer comes, you gotta keep prayin.'" 2 1/2 hours later, the bull comes up the road with 2 4-wheelers. The cows are still out there somewhere. Kids & I go home to eat and start supper. 1/2 hour later, the cows are also back "home." J comes home and asks us to go build fence. We build until 6:30 p.m. and go home. He takes the kids in to Runza. I get changed for a dinner with girlfriends. I get home at 11 p.m. 1 cow is still missing.
Thursday October 15
Got all dressed up for school pictures & began to walk out door when phone rang. Photographer sick. J took a vacation day. Drove out to retrieve 4-wheeler. Fixed 4-wheelers all afternoon. School. Sunny! Wrote missions article.
Wednesday October 14
School. Buff-hunting. borrowed 4-wheeler breaks down. Walk a few miles. Science day at the Children's Museum. AWANA. One visitor came along.
Monday October 12
School. Borrow 4-wheeler. Found 1 bison cow. Procure haybale. Tend to ranch wells. Land-owner says another land-owner said he saw 3 bison. Another prayer night.
Sunday October 11
Sunday school, Wee Worship, more buff hunting, not finding. 4-wheeler breakdown. Reminiscing about college days & listening to old Greg Long music. Watch a movie.
Saturday October 10
Winter wonderland. 12-15 inches of powdery snow. Binoculars. No buffs. Avalon/Selah concert 82 miles away. 2 teen babysitters until midnight.
Friday October 9
School. Cold & foggy. Putting the garden to bed; bringing in all salvageable vegetables. Buff hunting all day. 5:30 p.m. found. Attempted to corral. 6:30 p.m. great north wind and snow. 7p.m. Darkness. Ghost buffalo gone again.
Thursday, October 8
Winter weather again. Search for buffs all morning. No dice. Afternoon of errands in town. Coop order. Put kids to bed early; make chai tea; an evening of prayer about disappointments and direction. Killing freeze in the garden.
Wednesday, October 7
School. Sunny. Cook meal for family with new baby. Check the buffs. They're gone. AWANA club. Look with 4-wheeler until dark. No buffs.
Tuesday, October 6
Fire Dept. 24 hours. Clinic visit for chronic ear ache. School. Phone call to realtor. Our most favorite property got sold less than a week after we looked at it.
Monday, October 5
Very cold & rainy. School. Women's Resource Center 11am - 4pm. Stoking the fire place. Dark very early.
Sunday, October 4
Fire Dept. Very cold, very rainy. Church day. Email from business opportunity. They changed their minds.
Saturday, October 3rd
A chilly but normal fall day. Baking. Cleaning. Ranch working. Check the bison.
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