BUTTERNUT squash and MORE Butternut squash

We cleaned out our garden a couple of days ago.   Frost hit our area - and hard enough that even though we had parts of it covered.....some of the coverings weren't good enough.  Too light weight I guess.  Anyway as you can see from the photo above, we have enough butternut squash to feed a small army!!!  Count them  ---  ---    ---  35 !!!!  We've had a nice amount of watermelon.....our picking has not always produced the perfectly ripe watermelon - but we have discovered that judging when a watermelon is ripe is a HARD call!  Our muskmelon quantity has also surpassed our expectations.  But there too ----- we thought we would wait a day or two on some ---- and come to find out that a varmit has come in from the bottom and cleaned it out.  :(   

Have you ever had dehydrated watermelon??  Well, I read on the internet that it was "just about like eating candy".  So I tried it.  Gar says I did more than enough - "it's not that good".   But I kind of enjoy it for a treat...and it is sweet enough to be "like candy".

For those of you (our Lakeview fans)....that told me I was doing so good on updating........You have put the "pressure on".....so I hope I can keep up with the demands    :)   :)   :)   Forgive me when I slip up    :)  :)  And that goes for more  than just the Lakeview fans........:)

Love each and everyone of you!!!
Gary and Barb

:) :) the Verduin sisters

Well --- there are some of you out there who will enjoy this photo.  It was taken by a good friend of ours - Sue Pfnister when Linda and Ethel came out to help with Prairie Light Youth Camp --- several years ago actually.    Barb, Linda and Ethel with a beautiful South Dakota sunset behind us.

My personal thought is that it's a very NICE photo......thought I would share it.

Barb

Fun day today - late celebration of my birthday

Gary and I rented kayaks to go down the "scenic Niobrara River"..... and it was beautiful.  The day couldn't have been more perfect.  Temperatures in the 80's and a clear blue sky.  The water was clear and running at a nice pace --- a little bit of rapids yet....."watch the rocks".   The sad thing was seeing 3 dead deer in the water.....and smelling several more.  The disease (blue tongue) drives them to the water but their tongue is so swollen that they can't drink --- SAD SAD!!!!!   But that didn't spoil our enjoyment.  We were the only ones on the river so it was absolutely peaceful and relaxing.

Release Time went really good on Thursday.  We have Heather Patton helping us a bit this year and she did such a nice job......just a real sweet gal!!  Heather is a Junior and lives just down the road from us.   We have 7 boys and girls in the 1st and 2nd grade group and 6 in the 3rd and 4th grade group.  I know that one more boy from the 4th grade took (another) slip home --- so we will see if that gets remembered this time.   One little boy  - after we told him that we only had 5 minutes left - said "what!! the hour is up already?!  This was fun!!!"       Gotta love that boy  :)  :)

My sister Linda and her husband Dave came out for a real short visit --- arrived Wednesday evening and left again Friday a.m.  They took an old pickup along back and a windmill tower.   But even though it was a short visit we had a grand time.......wild plum picking and horseback riding......and lots of yakking time.  We love having company.

OK  ---- gotta keep our "readers" happy ---- so that was the latest on this home front.   Love you all!!!

Keep praying for rain!!

Gary and Barb

Labor Day and beyond.........

Well -- time for an update on what we have been up to since Labor Day Weekend.  We went for a road trip to Denver, CO to visit Jon and Sue Pfnister......Sue comes out to help with Prairie Light Youth Camp each year - but we have been friends with Jon and Sue for many years - out in Michigan when we both lived there.  Good ole' backpacking buddies  :)  :)

We arrived in Denver on Friday afternoon - so after settling in we went for a drive to the Red Rock Amphitheater - what a beautiful spot for concerts.  Turns out our daughter Marti and her husband Tim were there last year at a concert while on their big road trip.

On Saturday we  went to a Buck Brannaman Clinic --- horse clinic.  We were just spectators - but it was a fun day watching others learn how to work with their horses.  And Buck is a well known horse trainer -- so it was extra fun watching an expert at work.

On Sunday afternoon we went and climbed up to St. Mary's Glacier.  The climb made your heart pound (anyway it did mine).....climbing in the altitude is hard work for us flat landers.   The glacier is (sadly) melting away - so it was mostly dirty ice.  But the view was grand!!

Then we drove up North America's highest auto road --- up Mt. Evans 14,264 ft.  The air up there was rather thin.....we were all yawning. 

The views were so much better than our camera records :(   This is Jon waving -- he went on and braved the 46 degree (wind chill 25 degrees) weather and made it all the way to the very top.  We didn't dress for those temperatures - so we didn't get the best view that Jon got.  Lots and Lots of switchbacks...  glad Jon was a good driver.  We got to see Mt. Goats and Mt. Sheep and some of those little critters -- Pica and Marmot.  

We are so blessed to have such good friends - to share the beauty of their countryside.  Thanks again Jon and Sue.

The next item for news is not so nice.  Gary was  talking with neighbors about how the deer population seems to be disappearing --- dying off.  So around noon he decided to go have a look behind Don S. home place.  He came upon a buck that was just standing there.  "Why doesn't he run away?" Gary got within 20 yards of the buck and then left him alone.  He was just standing there with his head down.  Then Gar went back around 6:00 and the buck was dead.  Blue tongue is what they call it.  There is a "midge" (bug) that gets into their nose and whatever happens from there - I don't know - except that it kills them ...gives them a high fever and their tongue swells and they can't drink.......   SAD!!!!  I guess it's happening around the nation.  We need a hard freeze!    But really  - I'm' not ready for that either.

The farmers are busy on the north circle by our place.....harvesting edible beans.  It's a VERY dusty job and we are glad that the wind is out of the south!!

I noticed that before the harvested beans go onto the semi trailer - they are put through some sort of a screen.  It's that silver bin in between the small wagon and the semi trailer.  As I went past - it was turning round and round.  We are told that harvesting these edible beans in the way that they do it......really takes a toll on the combines. ........all that dirt......

Now for our ministry work......

We will begin Release Time this week Thursday.  I went to school today and picked up the permission slips.  We have a real nice number in each group so it should be a real good year.  We are excited and La Costa is excited.......  I think the kids are excited too (they usually are).  

We had a very nice service at the Detention Center  yesterday evening.  Many of the inmates are being sent off of the reservation to Indian School in different states.  But as they go - others come in so we stay busy.  We do have a captive audience (as someone said).  But they continue to be respectful and the officers are always glad to see us.  So we feel blessed to be able to give God's Good News to these young people. 

Please keep all the young people in your prayers.  Yesterday we visited with one of the new boys and hearing his "life story" just made us so sad.  What some of these kids go through is unbelievable!!!  They don't all share like he did - but once it stated coming he just couldn't hold it in. 

WE NEED RAIN SO BAD -- just like everyone else.  Our trees are suffering along with the crops and grasslands.  Everyone is short on hay for their cattle.  Many are weaning the calves off early because they just aren't doing very well on mama.  

We have felt God's presence so much the past few weeks.  We know that you are praying for us and God hears.  We are awed by his care and protection and guidance and love.

Gary and Barb

Life goes on and on.....and so does the HEAT

 Tomatoes are coming in fast and furious all of a sudden so I made some (no meat) vegetable soup....Gary's favorite.  With no meat in the jars it doesn't take nearly as long to process -- so the meat will be added as needed.  I'm sure it will be enjoyed this coming winter!!!

 If you remember our "little peeps" --- 2 little tiny heads sticking out from under the wings of their "adoptive mother".....Well this big old brown boy is one of them and he has a sister.  I couldn't catch "mama" for a photo moment -- she was on the run.  But she is about half the size of her "children".  The white ones are our "layers" -- but they are not laying yet.  So we keep thinking "get busy girls!!!!"

 The drought continues to be bad here as well as across a lot of the nation....but this is one of our little bright spots in front of the trailer.  We continue to pray for rain.  Ranchers are hurting for hay for their cattle and dry land corn had to be chopped as silage.

 This is at the Corn Palace Festival.  My brother Bill is out here - having flown in with his small airplane ---- so he and Gary went to the Madison, SD Steam Engine Thrashing Bee on Saturday.  This stop in Mitchell was a side trip.  Don't you wish you were young again like these kids.  I sure do wonder how they get in these bubbles.  Gary and Bill both agreed that it was definitely "for the young"...and NOT just the "young at heart".

 This old truck was "a beauty". Lots and lots of old tractors...steam engines.....I decided it was a "man's place" so I stayed home and enjoyed "me time".  :)  :)..and I DID enjoy it!!

I'm not sure what's going on here --- and Gary just walked out the door........ today is a day he is helping out neighbors who are having plumbing problems.......  My guess on the above photo is that it's an old time baler.    Anyway it was a fun time away for Gary and Bill ---- a person needs those kinds of breaks once in a while and I"m glad that Bill was here to enjoy it with Gary.  Kim Markus was there too -- making his way around on a golf cart   :) .

I was given a "nudge" by a dear friend who said she knew our life was more exciting than that "old tent on the last update"......  We always think that no one is interested in our blog - so it's nice to hear comments and grumbles of "get a new update on there PLEASE".  So - I don't know if ours is such an "exciting" life -- but we sure are enjoying it.  God is good and we always feel so blessed. 

We will be starting Religion Release Time in a few weeks.  School attendance in Lakeview does seem to be down in numbers -- so I suppose that might mean that our numbers will be down also.   But we will continue to give out God's Good News.  We are having help this year.  LaCosta Jackson and Pastor Steve and Lynn will be doing the 2 older groups (5-6 and 7-8).  Their lesson material is "Do What's Right". We will have the little ones (1-2 and 3-4). Our lesson material is "Big Questions About Prayer".  Then after six weeks we will switch........  It feels good (having help)  - because now my brain (which is getting older and grayer)..will be able to concentrate better I think....not so spread out with different age groups and craft abilities. The permission slips were delivered -- so pray for the parents to allow their children to come....and then for those permission slips to actually make it back to school (that doesn't always happen in a timely fashion).

The Youth Group that we had hoped to get started just seemed to be at a standstill and never got started .......... So we said we would have to step away from that for now.   Perhaps in the future.

The JDC continues as usual.  Julie and Andrea (her niece) continue to be faithful and helpful. THANK YOU! We are always received so warmly -- by the kids and the staff.  We truly enjoy going there.

Thank you for the prayers and support.

Gary and Barb

R & R and Fire just 2 miles east of us....

 We decided that we needed a little R & R (rest and relaxation), so we headed out to Merritt Dam with our tent and grill and burgers and easy chairs.  It was a lovely setting and we fully enjoyed our stay.  After a big breakfast the next morning.....eggs and bacon and toast we headed south and then west ....making our way to Chadron, NE.

 This was a view south of Merritt that would make EVERY deer hunter drool all over himself!!!!! SEVEN mule deer - all bucks and some with huge racks!!  They allowed us to fly past --- stop -- back up and snap two pictures and never moved.  

 We found a motel in Chadron and then went to Fort Robinson.  A spot FULL of history.  Fort Robinson was a very busy fort in its day......10,000 horses, 6,000 mules.....5,000 K9 dogs....German prisoners of war and a lot of history with the Indians of the area.   Plus there was a museum of Mammoths that have been found in the area. Very interesting.

 We arrived home just before noon and at about 3:00 we received a phone call from a neighbor -- Rick Vander Wey....and as his call would break up...I could get out of it that there was a fire 2 miles east of us at the Gregory and LaCosta place....".can....Gary...."  and then it went dead.  So I ran out to the shop and told Gary and Dan T.  It just happened that Don Schelhaas had just showed Gary how to use his fire rig.  Don wasn't home but we got him on the phone and he said...."take it". 

 When we got there every other fire rig in the neighorhood was arriving ......3 fire departments were coming in --- but most headed south where the fire was moving thru the prairie grass.  We saw a GREAT need where fire was burning in the trees very close to Greg and LaCosta's home.  So we went in there.....Greg was almost exhausted from fighting with a shovel....so with the tank that you see in the picture above we were able to get the fire out in the trees ....it was MUCH too close to the house!!!  Gary is using the hose, Dan is driving and I was on foot - stomping the left over 'restarts'.

Here is a picture of the burned out area to the east of the place - and it also went about 1/4 mile to the south...burning approximately 20 acres.   It was such a good feeling as people continued to arrive to help.  A tractor with a disc, pickups with water tanks, someone with water for the firefighters.  It only lasted about 1 1/2 hours but it really made the adrenalin flow!!!  As you can see in the picture above we even had helicopter support.  It seems that after the HUGE fires we have had in the area  - that they are on stand by.......and were there almost immediately.

Good to be home again  = and able to help keep a tragedy from happening.
Gary and Barb

PLYC Day 5

The sky this morning was glorious!!!  A beautiful sunrise shining through the clouds. 

 HOWEVER.....the skies on the way home were treacherous.  Smoke from several fires were all around us.  East of Valentine - Sparks..... Wood Lake...... Kilgore (which I believe was put out quite soon),......Beads Dam area......Iron Mt..... Ghost Hawk Park /  Grass Mt.  Areas were evacuated and others were on hold.   This is a picture from our driveway - toward St. Francis/Rosebud.

This is our group shot - taken this morning.

Buses are lined up to take the kids to the swimming pool in Valentine.  It is always a big process......

As you can see the kids had a ball....this is one of our girls - Christen

 

Mark did a lot of acrobatics.  He graduated from high school this year but has been coming back year after year.    We are always glad to see him - and others his age.  There presence makes a statement about Prairie Light Youth Camp.

THANK YOU so much for all the prayers.    We now pray that God will grant safety for all the volunteers that will be traveling home tonight and tomorrow.

Gary, Barb, John, Margo, Sue, and Gabe