IT IS SNOWING - October 24, 2012

Seems strange to be so excited to have snow.   But we need moisture so badly that any form is more than welcome.  The photo makes the flakes look really big --- not so....... small flakes - but it IS snow.  We (and I don't know if EVERYONE feels this way) are lov'n it.  It's snowing and blowing - nasty out ---in a small sort of way.  :)  :) 

My sister and husband, Linda and Dave, were out here to get an old car.  They heard the prediction of snow.....so Dave said "we are out of here".  I told Linda that if they left  - we won't get the snow - but if you stay -- we will.  She said she didn't think God worked that way.....and they took off.    I am glad they did what they felt they had to.  

Good time at JDC tonight.  Good lesson.  Kids listened very attentively and 2 guards also stayed. The look on their faces (guards) was one of intense interest. Singing was even good with the last group of boys.  We go home from such times feeling Very blessed.  We pray that God's Spirit will continue to work in these hearts.  We are only planting seeds....         God is at work!!

Hope and pray that we get a lot of snow.  We need so much to make a difference.  Sorry that some of our company will (possibly) have to travel in it.

Gary and Barb

Fire of October 17, 2012

 We haven't gotten to see all of the damage - but we did go for a ride and saw a little bit of how big the fire was.  Crookston was surrounded by fire at one point - except on the south.  And then it went on to the east about 2 miles along Hwy. 20.  Starting in the Spring Creek area.........to east of Crookston.....someone said "18 miles".  Some cattle were lost or singed, lots of bales, one home (or parts of it)......  But it was amazing that there really wasn't more loss.  Below I have a picture of the leaves (corn) that got caught in our trees along the driveway.  Will give you an idea of the wind that we had the day of the fire.

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As we drove along the fire line - it was almost hard to see what had burned.  The grass is so brown and dead.......and the wind put the sand to blowing - so now the burnt areas are brown with sand.  The road ditches have sand drifts.....like snow drifts.

We are so thankful for all the firefighters and ranchers that put everything else aside and worked so hard to save property and lives.  Gary and Don (and of course, many others) worked on just a 1/4 mile of the fire - but they were there for about 5 hours before they dared to leave.  They would think they had some of it out - -only to turn around and see it roaring at them again.  It was said that the cause were electric lines hitting each other in the wind and creating sparks. 

Please continue to pray for rain.  We could use a whole week of nice steady slow rain - or probably longer.  We don't ask for much.

Gary and Barb

Table has come home - and Sunday evening at JDC

Today we put our table in the trailer.   If you remember - we took it out of our cabin when we decided to put it up for sale.

  It was quite the task.  Gary and I got it out of the workshop ....and we put it on the truck..... it's much to far to carry to the house.  Anyway --- we got it out of the truck and that was as far as I could go.  I didn't have the strength to carry that thing up the deck - over top of the railings and then on it's side to get through the door.  So we called  for help.  Don S. - our neighbor - stopped in and gave a hand.  It was even hard for them two guys.  But it is in the house and we're lov'n it.
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A while back one of the boys at JDC asked if we knew the song "Jesus, Lover of my Soul".  Well, yes .....I found 2 versions in the Reformed song book that I have.  So which one was it.  We visited with the young man Sunday afternoon and I kind of hummed both of them to him.  Nope! Those weren't it.  And so he kind of hummed the one he knew.  OH!!!  I saw that on the internet.    So when we got home I looked again and found it on YouTube......just as I was listening to it our neighbor Kitty called to say they wanted to go along to JDC with us.  "Kitty! Do you know this song I'm listening to......"   "YES and I can play it on my guitar"
Fantastic!!!   You should have seen Austin beam when we starting singing it.  He sang along with the biggest smile you can imagine.  He had also mentioned "The old Rugged Cross".   He sang and sang.  It was wonderful.   He gave us thumbs up and we gave them right back at him!!!!    Those kind of nights are such a blessing.....and even a bonus when we could share it with others from our church in Lakeview.

God Bless!
Gary and Barb

Back to Michigan and with guests

On September 28 we headed out for Michigan.  We had a guest traveler...... Altha Vander Wey went along with us.  Her son Kervan and wife, Jane, live in Perry, Michigan along with their son Steve and his wife and their 5 children .....Altha's grandchildren.  We met the Michigan VanderWeys in Holland at a Burger King......however,  there was a small problem about which way is "left or east".  Kervan got twisted around and they ended up at a Burger King about 2 miles away.  But thanks to cell phones we located each other and all was well.

The trees in Michigan were in their full colorful glory.

So it was a beautiful trip no matter where you went.

I have been missing out on a cousins party every year.  The Post Family - my Aunt Alma's family --Alma was my dad's sister.  There are 4 daughters - Donna, Sandy, Kathy, and Vi......  No matter WHEN we get together there is MUCH laughter......so I missed that - not being able to attend because we were across the country in South Dakota.  Well, this year we hit it just right - the party was to be on Sunday, Sept 30.  Boy did we have a good time.....I got my laughter fix in ----- Gary just rolls his eyes.

We got in on some sporting events with grandkids and time playing games and eating together with family and old church friends.  Time goes WAY too fast!  We even had to have our picture taken for the church book ---- we are considered Missionaries ...... that session is a story in itself - but we won't go there.......We were just glad (VERY glad) to have it over and done with!!!    "Gary put your hands on your beautiful brides hips......Oh! Gary....you still know how to make her smile!!!!" ~~~~~~~~~  You get the picture!! 

Time to head back for South Dakota came on too fast.....but all good things come to an end and we contacted Kervan that we would be leaving from Kalamazoo where our daughter Marti and hubby Tim and little "almost two" Oliver live.  I think Altha had the time of her life and she was a pleasant traveler to have along, and for those of you who see her --- get ready for lots of stories about the people she got to visit with.   We were glad to be able to take her along.  It was a long trip but she did great ---- enjoying the scenery on the way --- I don't think she ever took a nap in the truck!!

OH YEAH ------ a photo of the snowblower we took along home ......

If you look closely you see someone looking UNDER the pickup..... that's Rick ----(I will get back to him later....)----Gary is on the other side - underneath.    As we got going down the road from Kalamazoo - we noticed a strange noise.....kind of sounded like a piece of barbed wire had gotten wedged in between the cab and the box..... You can imagine that if you try.    Well,  "that's a funny noise --- what in the world could that be?"  But on we went.  Gary did most of the driving - just because we had a trailer with 3,000 lbs. riding along behind us. However, about 3/4 of the way across Iowa, I once again got behind the wheel and Gary finally took his turn in the back seat.  It wasn't long at all that he figured it out....."I think we have a u-joint going out.  Let's try to stop in West Point, NE.....hope we can make it that far".  OH BOY!!  ----- God is Good - all of the time!!!  We made it to West Point and pulled in to this "small town repair shop" that we had visited once before. They didn't really have time for us - but "here's where you go" - a block and a half away - "they'll fix it for you".  So - under the truck --- unhook the drive shaft (took about 3 minutes) and away they (Rick and Gary) went with it over Gary's shoulder.  About 1 1/2 hours later and $29 later - we were on the road again.  Enjoy the following video:

Now --- Rick (our oldest son - home from Thailand and in between whatever is next) ------ He decided to come along for a visit to South Dakota.  So we had a truck full on the way home - but with plenty of room for luggage in the back - no problem.  Rick will probably catch the bus up in Murdo - to make his way back to Michigan later this week.

One more item ------ having sold our cabin in northern Michigan.....we had a table that Gary and I had made from pine wood - rustic furniture type.  We took that along with 4 chairs.......  It needs a little repair - but should be good as new in short order.  It was "too special" to let go with the cabin...... so we will have a little piece of Michigan with us.....the pine came from the trees on our 10 acres around the cabin.  Stop in some time and see it  :)

Well I think that's about it.  We came home to a VERY cold home.  I had the furnace totally turned off and it was 55 degrees inside.  Our garden - including the greenhouse - was hit by frost.  We do have potatoes to dig - but will wait a while yet before we do that.

This is our week for Release Time and to give the lesson at the Detention Center -- so I worked on my lesson while I had a turn in the back seat of the truck...and then on Thursday evening we will also do the Alcohol Recovery group.  So back to business.  The lesson is a familiar story --- the contest on Mt. Carmel with Elijah and the Prophets of Baal.  The "Big Question" is --- How do I know that God will hear my prayer and answer me.    So I also got busy today and made a snack for tomorrow night at the JDC.  It's good to be busy!!!! 

Gary and Barb
p.s.  Our banty hen is sitting on a bunch of eggs ---- kind of cold for babies - but whatever.

Buffalo Roundup and some sightseeing.......

Gary and I went to Rapid City for the Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup.  Two of our neighbors were cowboys in the event - so we had a special reason for going.  It was a beautiful day and the crowd was huge.  We got on the Wildlife Loop road .....and for over an hour we traveled at a snails pace.  Gar said he wouldn't say anything "very often" about the decision (he says I made) to leave later (from the motel in Hot Springs) - which meant that we arrived about the same time the hundreds of other people did.  OH WELL ---the scenery was nice!!!Anyway -- here are a few photos  and I hope a couple of videos of the event.

This was about the only "wreck" that happened.....I guess one of the cowboys (a newcomer) got in the wrong place and sent some of the buffalo to the North fence.  Don says he got a chewing out.

This shows you some of the crowd - and the herd and the cowboys......and then whatever you call those guys in the pickups.

Here are our two favorite cowboys.....Don Schelhaas and Jim Shelbourn.  We spotted  Jim in the roundup but not Don. He said he must have been close by ---

We also took a trip along the Needles Highway.  BEAUTIFUL!!!  The Aspen were turning color and the yellow made a beautiful contrast with the green pine trees.  We also saw lots of dead pine - due to the beetles.  :(

And then there are the tunnels.  I think you will enjoy this video  :)  :)  - kind of makes Gary look like a crazy driver!!!!  He actually did OK --- just the sound track makes you wonder......can you hear the car speeding up just as we enter the tunnel??!!

And now --- back to "work".  We have a full load this week.....JDC, Release Time and Alcohol Recovery Program.  That means that the following week.....we have "off" - except for the Alcohol Recovery group.  Julie will continue with the Detention Center --- we sure do appreciate her!!!!  Release Time will be with the older groups that LaCosta and Pastor Steve take care of.....And the A.R. will just have to be on their own ......  We hope to head out for Michigan on this Friday.  We have a bunch of company coming in October - so we want to come back to Michigan and visit our family and friends before all of that takes place.  Also = our son Rick is back from Thailand - so we will have to chance to all be together again.

We still need rain terribly bad!  Everything is suffering!  So keep that in your prayers.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Gary and Barb

Help the birds!!!!

No - I'm not trying to outdo myself on these updates......just got to watching the birds (mostly robins today) at our bird bath and I got to thinking ---- there really aren't any mud holes with water in them.  Most of the ponds have dried up.   So where DO birds get a drink.  Well a good number are coming to my little home made bird bath.  Most of them aren't taking a bath --- just getting a good drink of water.    So ---- if you are in the drought area........it might just help the little creatures (God's creatures) if you set out a shallow (!!!) pan of water for them to drink out of.  Make sure it's shallow - or you'll be drowning them  :(

Thanks!
Barb
p.s.  I had two blue jays at the bird bath this morning.   Haven't seen a blue jay for a LONG time -- years even!  I know they can be a nasty mean bird -- but I have a soft spot in my heart for them.   I always heard their call when we went to Beads Dam......good memories.

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