Leanin' Trees

We've ridden with a lot of different hands this summer. But I swear. Some of the folks I rode with this week had to have been the models for some of those characters you see on Leanin' Tree cards. And I'm not talking about the Indian spirit ones, or "cutesy" ones. I'm talking about the cards that make you laugh, but you don't dare give  to anyone.

Salty old cowboys (and girls) with an even saltier sense of humor. The ones with a whiskey bottle in one hand, a boogery horse in the other, and a cowboy knack for...creative thinking. Stories for another day.

I thought I'd have this week off since Ray's gone with the horsetrailer. But these guys don't know I'm fairweather yet, and just came and picked me and Maresy up. I wore my big coat, my felt hat, and an extra pair of socks--but I still froze! Saturday was a long, hard day in tough country. It was 8 PM by the time I got my horse put up and got to the house. The good news was that it didn't snow or blow, so at least it was pretty decent during the day. Except it seemed like I spent most the day in deep canyons that felt like meat lockers.

Ray's up at cowcamp for the big fall gather and sort. Depending on the weather, there will likely be 30 or 40 people and their dogs in camp. Most of them bring campers, but Ray planned on sleeping in the nose of the trailer like he's been doing all along. Brrr. It's probably getting down pretty close to 0 degrees at night, and maybe in the 40's during the day. This time we bought him a couple of pillar candles for a makeshift heater. He cut out the front of a couple of coffee cans, and made deflectors on the top, and the plan was to let them burn all night...we'll see. There are a couple of nice little bunkhouses up there, so at least he's got back-up.

Later this week we're going to Jackson Hole for 3 days for a meeting--all expenses paid, plus a couple of perks. Not a bad way to wrap up the summer!

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Summer Wrap

It's been a great year for us. Riding this summer has been pure fun without the old hassle. We've got our home and property shaping up, have added a few necessary items like a wheel-line and a k-line irrigation systems, got a lawn, trees, and flowers started, and moved tons of rocks. In fact I used a lot of them to build a waterfall, little stream, and pond over the septic tank. The septic system in the front yard was just a big, ugly, black plastic covered square with 2 concrete lids in the middle, and a bunch of rocks to keep the plastic in place.

We have a 4-wheeler and a welder now. We had the 1st cutting of hay put up, but left the 2nd to let the horses graze this winter. We wanted to see what we actually had before putting anything into it. We had some roping steers, and a couple of weeks ago I actually won a team-roping heeling on Flash.

We said good-by to our "baby", and sent her half-way around the world to work with teenage orphan girls and some missionaries. Hopefully Kristy's house sells soon so she can join her. Not that I'm in a big hurry to lose both my girls, but I think Anna needs her. Clayton and Kristine and family just got moved so now they're a couple of hours away. We had a blast with the grandkids this summer, and already miss them. We've become big fans of Skype.

Just as we're getting settled into a semi-retirement, opportunities have started coming at us from several different directions. We've had our ears open, but really weren't looking very hard. We don't know yet what we'll be doing, but it's looking like all the years before were just preparation for something even bigger. We have an amazing God, and we've learned that if we just get out of the way and let Him work, we end up so much better off than what we could ever hope to accomplish on our own.

 Eph. 3:20-21 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory..."