A month of happenings.......MIRACLE!!!!

I can see that it's past time to give an update.  Many things have happened in the month of July so I will try to write it all down.

I (Barb) had talked to my doctor during an annual visit (this past June) and we decided that I should have a colonoscopy.  Oh Joy!  Five years ago I had been told that I had LOTS of diverticulosis --- the outies that collect "things" in my colon.  And I had one almost perforate....we all have 3 layers in our colon wall and the perforation had gone thru two layers.  The plan to let my colon rest for 3 days worked and I was sent home.   I kind of let it be forgotten but did watch my diet....no seeds, no popcorn, no nuts and so on. 

But then when I broke my hip --- the doc in North Platte wanted to know all my history.  So this item came up and he was quite adamant that I needed to have that taken care of.   "We have lots of good people that can help you with that."  Well, I was in no hurry to go under the knife for that short of surgery.   But when I went in for the annual I brought it up.  Doc. Claire set up an appt. in Rapid City for the colonoscopy.   However, once again I stepped in and said ....."no - not ready  for that sort of surgery".   I even received a certified letter (costing $6.70) for Doc. Claire telling me what a high risk I was and it was much better to repair in a non-emergency situation than in an emergency.    SSsssoooo I set up the appointment in Rapid City. 

Gary and I began praying that God would heal my colon and they would find NOTHING during the colonoscopy.   The last time Gary prayed --- just a few days before our trip to Rapid.... I felt a movement in my lower abdomen and I KNEW it was a healing. 

They found nothing------NOTHING!!!!  I was told to go on a high fiber diet --- a total change from 5 years ago!!!!    God IS still a God of MIRACLES!!!!

This past Tuesday I had the screws removed from just above my knee.   These were part of the broken hip fix.  The screws were too long and causing me discomfort --- not really pain --- but I could feel my flesh "ripple" over these screws and when I would let someone feel it --- they would gasp and say "eewwweee".     When I got to the Doc for the check up and x-rays before he removed the screws I told him I had to chew him out.   That was OK with him.   So I said when Gary builds cabinets and has a screw that is too long he fixes it right away with a shorter one.   Couldn't he have done that!?!?  And then he went on to explain that "no" he couldn't and this was why.  Although I understood (somewhat) what he said (Gary did fully) -- I can't explain it to you......    Anyway,  I no longer have that "ripple"....it is GONE!!!  And  I am not in need of any pain meds so that is grand!  It's definitely like God went before all of this too!!

Today at 5:30 we got a phone call from my cousin Lee and then the police stopped in.   Marcus Luxom was being looked for and he was last seen -- by Lee -- at the end of our driveway.  So we are on alert.  The police were searching the trees by our place.   I don't really fear that he is out to harm us in any way --- but he is known to be on drugs so who knows what could happen.  Hope they find him!!!

Gary and Barb

Third Annual Peters Family Campout at Tri-Ponds 2018

Let's see --- how to start.......  Well, of course it all started out with us leaving home and heading down the road.   Right away there was a photo moment.   They were putting the honey bee hives out.....

We spent two nights on the road and arrived in time for Austin's Open House - which was held Saturday.  And then on Sunday we all headed for the campground --- Tri-Ponds.  It was a rainy day --- but oh well.....

Love that frog umbrella!!

 But you can still have a special time with people you don't get to see very often.  Keller and Sidney have always had a special cousin thing!!!

And then the weather cleared and we had nice days to go fishing and golfing and swimming and eating.....  Just some good ole' family fun!!

 These two ---- I don't know what their thing was but Halle had a nose problem and Grandpa had an eyebrow problem.   Gotta Love Em Lots!

I really don't know the name of this game but lots of campers had it.  And it is a fun family game.....

You can guess who the winners were.....    But of this game only.   There were lots of other games.  One of them ----- I was way in the lead -- against Gpa......... and then --- SPLAT SPLAT..... he won.

 Oliver wanted to go swimming in the pond so grandpa went with him.   But the pool was probably the winner this year.  We really didn't spend that much time in the water.  Lots of other things to do.

Like a good ole' game of Mexican train.    Also take note of the cute tablecloth.....made with Love by Holly.  

And camping is not camping without hobo pies.   Pizza hobos being the main course....but there were several other varieties.

You can't really see the tablecloth ------ but I made it out of dog, cat, puppy and chicken feed bags.  It is durable and you just wipe it off ---- easy!!! ........also made with love   (for myself though....guess I better get busy making some for others).

 S'mores......always gotta have s'mores!!!

No pictures of the golf outing.   Tri-Ponds has a very very nice miniature golf course.  A little pricey---but then everything can't be free.  And they have a lots of beautiful plants to maintain.

The older kids, Trenton, Austin, Sidney and Mike (yeah, he's still a kid at heart) had to work during the day but they came out every night.      Marti and Tim had other commitments and Oliver still had school so we didn't get to see as much of them as we would have liked. But you take what you can get and we all had a lot of fun.  

On Thursday we had to leave --- so we then parked our camper by Holly and Dennis and then went out for meals with lots of friends.   Ken and Sally, Bruce and Glenda,.......Jack and Pam.......Dale and Barb.....Dan and Deb Van Malsen.....Hazel and Paul.....think that's everyone.     It's always so good to touch base with good friends again and also to see many many more at church.  

I think we will have another one of these next year.   Maybe a change in week --- hoping to get past school days!!!  

We arrived home in South Dakota with 2 grandkids along.....Clayton and Sawyer.    It's been great fun and they are also good workers -- so getting a few things done.

Love to all.

Gary and Barb

First Campout of the year ---- Cow Creek

We sure had a fun time at Cow Creek.   This is a State Rec. area north of Pierre on the Oahe Dam.  We were there last year also but that time it was real windy.  This time it was a calm peaceful couple of days.

We left on Sunday after we had visited with one of the girls at the Detention Center.   It's only 2 hours up to Pierre so we were there around 4:30.  One other camper in the whole campground so we had our pick of sites.  We should have gone to the north part but the wind can be so bad coming off the water  so we stay behind the tree line.   But it was calm the whole time we were there.

We went fishing right off shore.  Toby enjoyed being by the water even if he couldn't go jumping in after sticks.  His leg really isn't healing like we had hoped and the vet said to hold off on the exercises.   We are seeing improvement and haven't cut down a whole lot on his walks but we didn't let him do nearly as much as Toby would have liked to.

He looks kind of dejected here.   But he was watching the bobber!!   Good dog!!

Gary went out early in the morning on Tuesday (we slept in on Monday)......I stayed in bed and enjoyed some more sleep!!!    Then after thinking he would have been back  -- I went looking but couldn't find any sign of him........ I did finally find him.  He had a pail with 3 catfish in it.  Said they really hit hard right away but when I got there (no pole -- just waiting on breakfast) they had quit.   When I walked back to get the fillet knife and a pan, the one other camper and her husband asked if I had some fish.   I told her Gary had some catfish and she got real excited.   I asked if she knew how to clean them (she was Oriental)...and she did.   She came along and filleted  the first one for Gary and then he did the rest.   She obviously knew what she was doing.

We also caught 3 bass, and 2 northern pike ---- oh and then that stupid carp! So it was a fun time. 

 We did some bird watching .....sure wish I knew what these big birds are.   They  were maybe a little bigger than a robin.

 Gorgeous sunset.....I should have been out on that point the night before because the colors were awesome and I missed it.

 My big bass......

 We could barely see these geese with the naked eye ---- they were across the water from us.   My camera is a nice one -- and I caught these shots.  They sure were noisy!!!  They must have been close to 1/2 mile away.

I searched and searched for that bobber -- in my camera view finder........ I finally found it.   Isn't that a cool shot!!!   Applause.....Applause       😊

There was a down side to our campout.......TICKS!!  Gary must have picked 20 of the buggers off!!  He'd have one crawling on his hand......then in his neck.....then his hand.   I had one --- but goodness.   We were on our way home and Gar says  "here!! under my finger .......you got it?!?!  You have to be fast --- cause they're faster!!  But I did get it and then YUCK --- you have to use your fingernails and break them in half in order to kill them.

We left Skip home alone.   No - he wasn't alone --- Lee was here to take care of him.   He was pretty happy to see us.   But then he's a puppy so he's just happy and dingy all the time anyway.

Well, it's been a big day and the camper is back in the barn .....and I am going to bed.

Love to one and all.
Gary and Barb

SKIP --- Bad dog!!! AND the Detention Center

We took Skip to the vet on Wednesday to be neutered.   The instructions for Skip were as follows:  no running, jumping, or playing.  Keep him dry and warm and quiet.        YEAH RIGHT!    Today is wet and misty and Skip never felt better.  Just now I could hear him strangling a chicken AGAIN.  The other day I heard him  -- anyway I was pretty sure I heard him messing with the chicken.    Oh -- I have to tell you first that we had let our chickens out the other day and this one Rhode Island Red - one of our best layers-- didn't come back to the coop that night.   She has been out ever since --- roaming the trees and happy as a lark!  I finally KNEW that he was messing with the chicken when I watched him come to the house carrying the chicken by it's head!!   I ran outside, Skip let go and the chicken ran away.

Well --- as I said - just now I heard the squawking (muffled squawking) again.   Right outside the trailer.   I ran out just to see the chicken get away from Skip and run under the deck.  She was pretty wet and ruffled looking but very much alive.   She came a little too close to me and I grabbed her legs. 

She is now back in the coop with the other chickens.   I watched to see if they would think she was a stranger and attack her.....but no --- she went right in to eating and they just followed suit.  So I guess all is well and hopefully we have our good layer back.   Kind of wonder if there are a batch of eggs out there that she might have been sitting on.   Oh well!

Skip lucked out pretty good ---- had he killed the chicken he would have been beaten with the dead thing.   Toby could tell him all about that!!!  Toby leaves the chickens alone!!!

On another note......  I have graduated from therapy and no longer go.  I still do the exercises at home plus our Tia Bo in the morning.    I am walking pretty good now (not so much of the penguin walk anymore).

Guess that's about it for now....... Release Time has finished, but we still go to the Detention Center.  We had 3 girls and about 6 boys after that.  A couple of the girls need our prayers!!!   One wrote on her prayer request that she was considering ending her life.   We let the Officers know ---- they already knew and someone had come in to talk with her.   They do have a group come in (anyway they have had) that addresses just that issue.

The boys enjoyed singing, but we need to discuss that with them a little bit.  One was singing the words ahead of me and getting everyone mixed up.  I think it was for show/attention. 

FRIENDLINESS!!!! ----- just gotta tell you.

Monday we were in North Platte for my check up with my surgeon.  As we stood at the counter waiting to get an appointment there was a man at the next gal --- getting his appointment.  I (we) paid no attention to him ---- none of our business what his appointment was.......   And I had to pay attention to my date this coming July.

When we got outside -- this man came over to us and apologized for not saying HI to us.........he had recognized us and felt bad that he hadn't acknowledged us.     He put out his hand and introduced himself --- "Daniel Cox".   Well, we know some Cox in Valentine area and so I asked if he was related to Bobbi Cox.    No, different family.      This man was from Mullen Nebraska.    We have NEVER been to Mullen and unless I look at a Nebr. map I only know that it is southwest of us.    And now after looking at the map ------ I see that it is an hour south of Valentine and then 1/2 hour west.

All we could figure out was that he recognized us from visits to Valentine.   I told him we weren't ranchers --- just ma and pa........   Then I told him I was related to Dwight Logterman and he knew Dwight. 

ANYWAY ---- It really hit us......so friendly --- apologizing to us for not saying HI !!!    People in this area are just so friendly and always have time for each other.   It seems like the rest of the world is just on overload and rushing around........   We all need to slow down and say HI more often to those we recognize.

And as for my checkup ----- the doc. is very pleased with everything.   New bone growth again.  I told him I did have an issue by my knee.   So he kind of pinched the area and I straightened my leg for him.   OH YEAH!   He really made it "ripple".    Yes it's those screws that are too long.   I have no pain when it does that ripple ---- it just feels nasty.     So we are going to see what 3 months brings and if it's really bugging me --- the screws will come out.    It's an outpatient thing....."takes longer to get you sleepy and on the bed than it does to take the screws out........ and you can walk on it right away".     I was good with that.

Beautiful day today --- yesterday it drizzled the whole day and was cold and windy.  What a turn around.   I am going to get out right now and take a walk!!  This afternoon I have a little gal - Lilly - coming over so we can have some fun together.

Love to All,
Barb

THE ROADS after the blizzard of April 13 --- Friday the 13th !!!!

OH BOY!!! The roads are a mess.   Well, the Lakeview / Crookston road is fine....but some of the other ones...... nasty!!!!   We did get out for my therapy session this morning but it was an "adventure".    We have our driveway -- full of ruts and getting muddy!! and then we have that mile east to the intersection of the Lakeview road.   We got like within a 1/4 of a mile and there was a car stuck right in the middle of the road and NO way around it.   The banks along that mile are up to 8 feet (at least) high.

 The stuck car was a bit further --- down the hill.......

This is going to the west of our driveway.   It took them a long time to get through that big drift.  There were two machines working together. 

We did get them to go down our driveway (NO that picture is not of our driveway)------ we could already get out because our neighbor Don had plowed us out with his tractor.   But Gary talked with the plow driver and told him (after he had asked if there was any place to turn around)...to just go on down to the barn and he could turn around there.   Maybe --- next winter --- we will have better luck with getting them to do our drive ---but I'm not holding my breath!!!!

It's just amazing what an amount of snow we received --- from 14 to 20 inches.  And then all that wind.   We have more snow predicted for this weekend but I think it's only a couple of inches. 

But back to this morning.     We had to back up the hill --- quite the feat in itself ........!!! and then go around the 4 miles -- past the school.  That road was a mess also and now Dan T. said it was worse than ours.     So anyway --- we  got to town ...took the pup (Skip) to the vet and me to therapy.....and then out for a late breakfast.    Good ole' Bunkhouse has the best breakfast............     Then we came back toward home and checked if the car was out.     Yes, it was sitting at the end of the road.   The trip in was bad --- so much snow left from the plow job and then more snow during the night had blown in.........and now it was thawing.   If this video works it will give you a taste of the bumpy road.....   and that was yesterday.....today was MUCH MUCH worse.   The road on this video looks pretty decent.......deceiving.....it's not that way today!!!  

This afternoon I was sitting in my easy chair --- figuring on going to JDC ---- supper would be early.....and Dan Tinant stopped in.  He asked "are you going to JDC'   Yes.....     He had just come that way and he said that if we stayed on top of the snow/ice that was left from all the coming and going -- we'd be OK --- but if we dropped off--into the rut --- we were gonna be stuck.    "But feel free to call me if you need to be pulled out".  Typical Dan!!!    He wouldn't even bad mouth us...."stupid people!!! after I told them......."  

We decided it wasn't worth it.   We had previously thought that with only one kid - Sage - we'd have his full attention --- No distractions...  Oh Well --- another time.  

So I guess with the extra time this evening I should do my exercises again.  I'm still working on getting rid of the "penguin walk".....  it is getting better but not completely gone yet. I have an appointment with the surgeon on Monday...... I have a few questions about things.   It's hard to explain but it's like the muscles on the inside of my leg by my knee have to go over marbles......ripple ripple ripple.....it's a real weird feeling.   It doesn't really hurt -- but he had said the two screws there were really too long and might have to come out. He'd like them to stay for a year .....but......  So I am wondering if they are the cause of the weird ripple.

Toby still limps  but he does use his leg and leaves prints in the mud when he gets to go for a walk.    He has accepted his crate as his new home and during the blizzard he stayed tucked inside.  Gary wrapped a tarp around it so the snow couldn't blow in too badly.

Well that's about it.  We are thankful for the moisture -- it will make for a lovely spring when the grasses in the pastures are green.....and the wild flowers come out.  We know Spring is out there --- just wish it would hurry up and get here!!!

Love to all

Gary and Barb

New pictures -- gives a better idea

Here are a couple of better pictures.....Gary and Skip  -- give you an idea of the size of the drifts. This is at noon on Saturday.

Hard enough to walk on top of the drifts.  And as I look out the window....the wind is still blowing across this drift -- making it even bigger.  Back to working on my quilt.....no reason to go out into the cold!!!

Barb and Gary