Undergoing a Major Research Project

It has been a beautiful past few days, Spring is here at last! The snow is almost gone and the birds are squabbling over tidbits of food. Before the weather changed I spent all last weekend and part of the week researching the wonders of Brian's music room. I felt I was under the gun to get it done. The Lion's club was sponsoring the Keep Alliance Beautiful Shredder Day and I wanted to take all the old tax, business and unnecessary papers in while the shredder was here in Alliance. The time WAS a labor of love. Going through all Brian's mementos and collections brought many tears and laughs. It certainly was a mercurial experience! There was disbelief at times in what I found and what he had saved. I had no idea all those memories where stored in that room. I weeded out what I thought was unnecessary, it was one of the hardest tasks I have ever done. Should I keep it or not, was the question of many a mental dispute. I have survived and no doubt my kids will have to go through what is left after I am gone again. 

Thursday Rico and I traveled to Gordon to attend Taylen's track meet. He was entered in the discus and shot put events. He did very well, placing third in shot put. It was nice to spend a little time with Jessamyn and her family. They are always so busy working and ranching. 

Today I am planning on tilling my garden. It will be the first time I have done it myself. Tuesday I plan on hauling my 4 wheeler to Chadron to get serviced. Yesterday I had to shovel a pile of dirt that the loader accidentally dumped on my lawn while shoveling snow off my driveway. All these new experiences have caused some trepidation. After completion, however, there is a sense of serenity that comes with accomplishment.  

Maybe Spring?

Maybe, just maybe it will be a nice spring day. It has been quite a week with weather and national disturbances all around! A collection of coincidences that have bombarded the senses and gripped the nation.

 Forecasters  were predicting snow and severe weather in our region off and on through Thursday. The worst of the storm finally coming Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning. Receiving another 6 inches of wet, wet snow to help quench the thirsty ground. I was ready, with buckets and containers filled with water and the wood stacked in case the electricity went out again. Others have had torrential rains, tornados, and destruction from the same storm that has passed through the midwest.  My friends in Lisle, IL have had flooding up to their front yard. Fortunately, they live on a hill.

Mary looking out at what is a park under water.

Bruce and Mary's home

Thank goodness no power outages happened on my home front! However a larger. more sinister disturbance took place in Boston on Monday. Total disbelief that someone could kill and maim the innocence at a marathon.  Even as we were adjusting to the possibility of terroristic events a horrible explosion took place at a fertilizer plant in Texas, killing many in it wake. Yes, a week of many disturbing disturbances...

Belated April Fools Joke!

Birds try to keep warm

 Has it been a belated April fools joke? Joke or not we had our first real big blizzard of the year. Having about 10-12 inches of snow with 40 mile an hour winds just about cinched it! Just got my internet back up after the storm. 

 Have been praying for moisture for the farmers and ranchers and us lowly hobby gardeners. It is wonderful to get moisture, but with it comes some hardships and severe suffering. Someone's family is missing a mother who left her car to walk home and got disoriented and died in a field of hypothermia. Baby calves are suffering from the weather, Jessamyn has assured me that it took almost all day today  to get to their calves and make sure the cattle where fed and accounted for. Lucky for them they didn't find any calves dead.

Karmic is a word I don't use lightly, but the forecast of this storm was sending me into of world of anxious anticipation. My friend Dan came Monday afternoon right before the storm broke and got stranded. Unfortunately for him he could not return home. To my benefit he help me get the wood stove started with dead bird removal and all since the electricity went out from the very first thing. We didn't get electricity until the next day around 4:00 pm. Today we shoveled and got my vehicle out but couldn't get Dan's front wheeled van out of the drive. Even tried with my all wheeled drive Enclave and my gracious neighbor Floyd's 4-wheeled truck. Then to our surprise later in the day my friend Rocky came to the rescue and pulled Dan out with a big front wheeled loader. Thank you for looking out for us oh, God!

Bunny effects!

Lol! I am late, late in posting this week's blog. I blame it on the Easter Bunny. He came with a rush and left just as quickly. Thirteen of us had the Easter Bunny Annual Banquet and stuffed ourselves senseless. Candy was plentiful, with eggs nestled in the outside brush and trees. Yesterday I was dazed, trying to pick up the pieces of the Easter orgy of the day before.  As I cleaned up, I snacked on left over deviled eggs and mused how lucky I was that everyone hopped on over for the celebration of Christ's sacrifice for us.

Taylen holding Breqkon

Zeyda getting ready for the Easter Egg hunt.

Aunt Jessamyn helping Zeyda hunt eggs.