West to home

Starting from the Eastern side of Missouri, on the Eastern side of St. Louis, we began our final leg of our journey. We were talking about stopping from lunch, when I got a call from my best friend from BYU. We met after my mission. We are proof that strangers who are roommates can become lifelong friends. 

I plugged her address into my phone and we drove to her house for sandwiches, fruit, and cookies. It was so fun to see her again.  Her kids are accomplished and lovely. I think they were a bit surprised that I knew their names, but they warmed up to Boaz quickly and they scattered outside to play. A wonderful break from the car for him. 

A few pictures from our lunch visit. 

We look a bit different than when we were college students, but the years fell away and I was back laughing with my best friend. 

Boaz surrounded by girls and the baby boy. (He is loosing his baby status quickly though :) they were laughing at an episode of Studio C, a program on BYU TV. It is a favorite in both households. 

Too soon it was time to climb back in the car and continue on our way West. 

Leaving KAnsas City, we crossed the river and entered Kansas. I have discovered that East Kansas is very different than Western Kansas. Western Kansas is more what I thought Kansas was like. 

Our next stop was Goodland, Kansas - where Criag has been working since January. We met his friend and mentor, Trip. A few laughs, some water and we we were on our way again. But we got a quick tour of the city. Trip mentioned the Van Gough, and Craig took me too see it. 

A giant easel towers over the barn in the back ground. 

A better idea of the size of the reproduction. 

Goodland loves its sunflowers. I looked it up online, and copied a few pictures. 

Beautiful sunflowers near Goodland. 

This picture is in better focus. It does give a good idea of the scale also. 

From Goodland we headed to Denver and the dreaded all night drive. Once again the phone map ap was a star as it lead us around the different freeways that circled Denver and got us on the road towards Soda Springs, Idaho and then home. 

Craig and I traded off through the night. 

Craig did the last leg. I distantly heard giggles and when we arrived I saw this picture. 

This is me in the backseat, determined to sleep as much as I could. 

This is Boaz jumping for joy in our drive way. We were home. We said hi to Josh and gave him big hugs, I brushed my teeth (nasty road trip teeth is the worst), and we headed into the bedroom and passed out for a bit. 

So glad to be home, and so glad to have seen all our loved ones. 

States that I had never been in before: 

I had been just over the border in Missouri before, but this time I was seriously in the state and saw two major cities. 

Kansas - not as flat in the East - as I had previously thought. 

Very glad to be off the road and home in my own bed and my own bathroom. 

Going South to Indy

We were only seven or eight hours away from Thea. When we drove 27 hours to get to Wisconsin, then eight hours doesn't seem like that much. 

So we attended Church on Sunday, ate lunch, and got back in the car to drive to Indianapolis. 

I am a fan of my maps ap. I was the navigator, and I did pretty good. We got an idea of where Madison is and we headed into Illinois. I can tell you I am not a fan of Illinois, especially around the Chicago area. We had to pay almost $20.00 in tolls. Our experience as someone just traveling through the area was full of confusion and we think it was one of the most dangerous areas of our trip. With all the toll gates, we were confused as to which lane we should be in, we were dodging traffic, the vehicles were all traveling different speeds and switching lanes.

I was interested in visiting Chicago before, but that desire has been firmly squashed by the toll system.  

We made it past Chicago with out dying and we found a hotel to spend the night. Thea was so excited to spend the day with us. We were excited to spend the day with her. 

We followed the directions on my phone right to Thea's apartment. She looked great. We drove around on errands. 

A quick picture in her apartment. 

We went to the local burger joint for lunch. We love the Steak and Shake. Our server was Johnny, and we loved him. He was quick on his feet with the conversation and the service. 

We went to Goodwill for a pan. We went to Walmart for groceries and supplies. We went to Costco for canned chicken. 

A quick picture in the heat of the day. 

A lot of laughing, a bit of lecturing, and a lot of love. It was a fun day. We love her, and we miss her - lots. 

After a sweet day, we headed West for home. We made it to St Louis that night. We saw the St. Louis Arch, but I snapped a crappy picture. 

But there is the wonder of the internet. 

It is amazing. We crossed the river on an amazing bridge. 

I had fun looking for pictures. 

Again. 

It's a crazy bridge. I love it. 

Book Review

I have never reviewed a book on my blog before, but I absolutely love this book.

This book puts words to feelings I've had about our nation. Vague feelings, but as I read the book I felt those feeling crystallize into thoughts. 

This book also explains a possible, well researched reason, why Joseph Smith ran for president. Something that I was always confused about. 

The author has worked undercover taking out child sex trafficking in South America. Because of this work, he has felt a great admiration of Abraham Lincoln - the Great Emancipator. 

Reading his book, I have come to appreciate Abraham Lincoln as a great American President for specific reasons, not just because I was told he was. The author brings the President to life through his family and his friends. Ballard shines a light on Lincoln's deepest sorrows and uncovers his strength of will to fulfill his mission. He shines a light on Lincoln's devotion to God and willingness to listen to deity. 

Ballard quotes Lincoln, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."

My sister, Brenda, has had this quote posted on her bathroom wall for years. I have loved it since I read it there. When I read those words here in this book, it was like I was visiting an old friend for the first time in his house. I got to look around and see the environment those words came from. 

My testimony of the Restored Gospel, of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith - the prophet of the Restoration deepened as I read this book. I have more faith that God can work his purposes in crazy environments, even when the world is enveloped by bigotry and hatred. Even when it seems that the Devil has full rein and is laughing at the suffering of the innocent. I am reminded that God is in charge, and He will bring his purposes about. 

This book has brought a measure of peace to my soul and challenged me to join the fight and stand for truth. 

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is beautiful. There are so many trees, more than Oregon. We visited a few places off the farm. 

E first place we went was to a little dell - a stream had cut through the granite and had made a lovely area to visit. Not really a water fall, but the running water flowing over the rocks and flowing swift in the deep channels was beautiful. The rushing water echoed the sound of the ocean, thousands of miles away. At least the Pacific Ocean is that far. 

Some nice people pointed out a turtle, resting on a rock. We watched it for a long time. We glanced away for a bit and when we looked back it had moved and gave us proof of life. 

He looked to be as big as a WWII helmet. The biggest fresh water turtle I have seen. 

The trees framed the granite and grew in any little bit of soil they could find. The water was a caramel color that foamed and bubbled through the rocks. It reminded me of root beer. 

We walked around on the rocks and found little pools of water that was the home to hundreds of tadpoles. The sight of the little black dots with tails makes me happy. It is a good thing to find joy in the little things of life. At least that is what I tell myself. 

 A scenic bridge over the water polished granite the stream is in there, just not from this vantage point. 

We relaxed here for about half an hour and then decided to track down some ice cream before afternoon chores. 

This is a little maple glen with the sun sparkling through and on the leaves. I know we are in a different part of the country, but I was reminded of what I think the Sacred Grove would look like. The maple trees are everywhere. Real maple syrup is a big thing in this part of the country. The ferns add to the calm spirit in the woods. 

Another trip out from the farm: Rib Mountain. 

The highest point - I believe in the state of Wisconsin. Elevation 1940 feet. We, who live in Idaho, had a bit of a smug feeling as we stood at the highest point. But I love the granite. This is the only picture I have of Brenda on this trip. What is the deal with that?

 Boaz came to get a picture with me in the Queen's Chair. Too funny. Rib Mountain is a little mountain right by Wausau. There are some ski lifts and runs. We went up to the top and climbed the tower. Don't ask why I didn't get a picture of the tower. What was wrong with me. 

Thank goodness for the internet. Here is a picture of the tower I found on line. 

I decided not to think about how many steps I was climbing. I also didn't get close to the edge. The view from the top was full of trees and dairy farms cut out of the woods. 

I can see myself living in these woods, but only if I have I have a compass in my car and a maps app on my phone. Seriously, there are no high points to orient yourself except the little mountain that is only visible when you are right by it. 

Still, I was charmed by the people and the natural beauty of this state. 

And there is still so much more to see. The state is nestled between two of the Great Lakes. Imagine the possibilities. 

Farm life for a week

We brought our muck boots. I had gone to DI and found a pair of jeans and four men's T-shirts with a high neck. I had knee socks for all of us. We were as prepared as I knew how to be. (Later we went to town and Craig bought Boaz and I some leather gloves.)

The barn still was a revelation. Craig said Boaz gagged the first time he went in. I must have been chatting with Brenda. Craig knew what to do and got right to work. I learned about milking in the evening. They have two milking machines. I watched them assemble all the parts and helped carry the milk to the tank. I scrapped poop and observed. Craig and Brenda did most of the work. Boaz was an interested learner. 

The next morning, Craig got up early to milk. I hate getting up in the morning. And five o'clock is seriously early. I didn't have breakfast waiting the first day. Craig teased me a bit and we settled into a routine. I made breakfast and had it ready after milking and steer wrangling. Boaz got up and helped in the barn. Brenda and Craig milked and wrangled steers. The steer spend the night in the barn yard and then come into the barn for the day. The cows spend the night in the barn and the day out to pasture. This way the steers and the cows are separated. 

Nap time. I would use this time to play on my tablet, catch up a bit on the news, and read the blogs I follow. 

After nap time, I would help clean the barn. There is a cement trough right behind the stalls. In the trough is a chain with arms. Once the chain is turned on, the arms sweep the poop through the barn and up the shoot into the waiting manure spreader. So, I would scrap the poop into the trough, turn on the chain and Craig would scrap clean the arms as they went dumped the poop and went around back to the barn. It was a bit like a ski lift for cow dung. 

Craig would take the tractor and drive through the woods to the field to spread the poop. Boaz went with him and Craig introduced him to the joys of driving. The second day (I think) I went with them. Craig got it started and then he and Boaz switched places and Boaz drove down the lane. The dirt road still had mud holes. Craig guided Boaz through the hazards, mostly. We hit one and got stuck. The big, fat, right, rear wheel sank half way in the thick, sticky goo. I remembered Craig's stories of getting the tracker stuck in the mud in March so badly that he had to get help. A truck had to pull him out. 

My heart sank. Getting the tracker stuck is not helpful. 

Boaz and I climbed of the crazy, tilted tractor and moved to high ground to watch Craig try and get the thing out. Less than five minutes later, his face wearing a huge, victorious grin, the tractor was free. I am still amazed. I thought the thing might tip over it was so off balance. 

I told Boaz several times that when you are first learning something new, it is never your fault. He felt so badly and blamed himself for getting the tractor stuck. He is that kind of boy who is so serious and assumes responsibility for things. 

Boaz and I got back on the thing. Craig started it up, got down the road a bit and then had Boaz drive again. Boaz was very nervous. I was very nervous. Every mud puddle hid treacherous sink holes in my imagination, but we made it to the field. Craig told Boaz that when he got the tractor stuck, he had to get help. This time it was only a little stuck. Craig took over when it came time to spread the manure and Boaz drove us back home. I held my breath at the nasty spot that had grabbed the tractor and had not wanted to let it go, but Craig helped Boaz steer a clear path and we were home free. 

Boaz became the egg checker and steer wrangler. He was Craig's shadow and learned how to do farm chores. He feed Thor, the baby bull, helped water the pens of babies, heifers and steers, scrapped poop, assisted in milking and anything else that needed doing. 

I became the farm cook. I made breakfast and dinner and had it on the table waiting for them when milking chores were over. 

I put a bit of sugar and nutmeg in this one. Yummy. 

Fresh berries and real maple syrup. Fabulous breakfast. 

I begged rhubarb recipes from Brenda's mother-in-law and made rhubarb muffins. 

I didn't get any pictures of the finished product, but I made them four times. There was a lovely rhubarb plant right out the door. 

One morning the elders came to help wrestle steers. I made German pancakes, rhubarb muffins and Brenda's recipe for baked oatmeal. It was delicious. 

Baked Oatmeal

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

Mix together. 

3 cups oats

2 tea baking powder

1/2 tea salt (or less)

1 cup milk

Mix pour into greased 9x9 square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

Serve with plain yogurt (Greek) and berries. 

One morning I made hash browns and eggs. I'm not usually the breakfast cook, but I did okay. 

Dinners. 

I made Tom Ka soup. Brenda loved the soup, but hated the name. She calls it red curry soup. I found the recipe on Pinterst. 

I honestly don't remember the dinners. But I do remember ringing the dinner bell.. Craig told me that was important on a farm. He and Brenda loved it when I did. 

Apart from cooking, I helped clean the barn in the mornings, one day I helped Brenda find where the electric fence was disconnected. Basically I turned the fence one and off. I looked for eggs a few times. I rode with Craig on the tractor. I helped him hook things up to the tractor - a scarey job trying to put the pin in while Craig tried not to pop the clutch and judge the distance on a tractor that had no brakes. I helped milk a few times. I watered the babies. I raked the mowed grass and distributed it to the babies. I helped feed the cows. I cooed at the horses. I clucked at the chickens. I laughed at the pig. I walked more than I have ever in one week since college. 

I got a few pictures close to the end of our stay. 

The steers eating their breakfast. You can see the clean poop trough behind them. 

Poor Julia. She had to stay in because she is pregnant and needs to stop producing milk. That means no fresh grass. 

Thor. I tried to get a picture of him drinking from the hose. His tounge is long and black. But I was in the middle of watering the other babies and didn't have my camera out when he was in process. The water ran into a five gallon bucket. The other babies pens are just down the aisle in the second part of the barn. Directly across from him is the ramp for the manure spreader. 

Farm work is a dirty business. Craig is taking a bit of a break while he talks to Thea. 

The tractor. Imagine that huge wheel buried up to the axel in mud. I didn't get a picture of Boaz driving. Rats!

The three Guinea fowls. They eat the ticks. I found them charming. 

One of the chickens. They loved the kitchen scrapps. They were very interested every time I came with my bowl of whatever. 

The fat pig in his house. He didn't trust anybody. But he loved the milk he got at milking time. 

This is the Percheron stallion that came to visit the mares. I didn't get a picture of the mares. They are gorgeous. There shoulders are about as tall as my shoulder.  They are draft horses, but can be ridden. Craig says they were the horses the knights rode into war. They were also the mainstay farm horses. The farm uses them to pull sleighs in the winter. The farm has a lovely winter business where the horses pull sleighs around the woods, to and from Bon fires. 

He was a bit agitated. He had already visited the ladies and now he was solo. He kicked a hole in his water barrel out of frustration one day. Poor guy. 

Oh, I did get a picture of the mares. You really don't get a good feel for how big they are though. Next Spring will be fun with little babies running around. 

I didn't get a picture of the donkey or the dogs and barn cats. I didn't get a picture of Brenda's cats that she brought from Oregon. 

I spent the whole week without make-up and I guess that hindered the urge to take pictures. That and I was tired and dirty and the camera was in the house most of the time. It was a process to go in and out. Boots had to come off every time you went in. 

Epic Road Trip

We did a spur of the moment dash across the country. Josh went on his Eighth Grade California trip, more on yhat later, and Craig, Boaz, and I went to Wisconsin to help Brenda on the farm. Tim was at his annual two week AT training. (AT stands for annual training, so I am being redundant.)

We put Josh on the bus and we loaded up in the car and were off by 5:00am.

We drove through Yellowstone Park. We were hoping for animal sightings. We drove through the middle of the park and then headed down to the Fishing Bridge. We took our time and looked for the elusive moose. We have never seen a moose in the park. They have proved to be harder to se than bear, we saw four bear last summer. No luck on seening moosen in the woodsen, but we did see buffalo. 

I was trying to get a good picture through the windshield. That never works. 

Craig snapped this through his window. 

His winter coat is shaggy and in the process of being scratched off. The buffalo were more numerous by e road than the elk this trip. We did see a few elk across the meadow, but not close enough to take a picture. We also saw some cranes, maybe blue heron. We needed the binoculars to identify them, we thought they were deer at first. I love to see the tall birds. 

All too soon, we were out of the Park, and into new territory. 

Wyoming, just out of the Park is beautiful. In fact Wyoming in the Spring is beautiful. I was surprised, I was expecting desolation. But Spring can put a glossy, green coat on any bare landscape and turn it into a garden, even if just for a few weeks. We were lucky in our timing. 

Spring was still new in the high country, and I snapped a few pictures of ice and snow. 

We love to watch water. Craig is always looking for a likely fishing hole, and I love the play of the water over the rocks. 

Not a good time to go wading. 

We were following the map ap on our phones and were trying to decide on the name of the river/creek the road was following. I read the signs and they kept mentioning Eagle Creek; Eagle Creek Lodge this and Eagle Creek something else that. Craig refused to believe that it wasn't a river. Finally , we stopped to read a sign:

Now that I am home, I see that I didn't zoom in close enough to get the names of the rivers and streams. Oh well. 

It was the Shoshone River and Craig did the victory lap/happy dance for being right. He tries to tell himself that it is a common occurrence. I documented the occasion for him. 

With a 25 hour drive (at least) ahead of use, we were in a playful mood, and were willing to stop for brief breaks. 

Boaz started us on the alphabet game. He is proficient enough to play by the real rules. He gave me a run for my money, but I managed to sneak the Z in before he saw it. 

I was missing my Josh, so when I saw this, I texted him the picture. 

They were stopping at Bryce Canyon to see the erosion patterns. I thought this outcropping looked a bit like the Bryce Canyon formations. 

We also passed a memorial to the firefighters that died in the Blackwater Fire. That was a somber moment. My brother spent many summers fighting fires for the Forest Service. My nephew spent one summer doing the same thing. I am so glad that they never got stuck in dangerous situations that they could not escape. 

Here is a picture I found on the web. 

I am grateful for brave men and women who put themselves in danger to protect the rest of us. 

We passed a random snow bank. Our plan was to also swing by and visit Thea in Indianapolis. We hadn't told her yet, and so we had a game going. We sent random pictures to her to see if she could guess what we were doing. 

This picture was sent to Thea and Josh. The caption I sent with it was: Do you want to build a snowman? A little reference to the Disney movie Frozen. 

Boaz was a trooper and didn't complain about the seemingly endless hour in the backseat. He spent some of them dreaming. 

I do love taking pictures of my kids when they are sleeping. :) Isn't he sweet?

Our goal for the first day driving was to see Mt Rushmore. I had never seen it. It was just a bit out of the way, but not bad really. We got on the smart phone and saw that it was open until 11:00pm. That changed up our plans a bit. We decided to drive right there, instead of spending the night and seeing it in the morning. Yahoo!

Boaz happy to be out of the car and doing something that Josh had never done before. We are in the parking lot. I was trying to get a picture from the car, but the trees prevented a good snapshot. 

From the parking structure. So exciting. 

Zooming in on the faces. Still no idea what was on the other side od the gate. 

The flags of all fifty states. 

Boaz was born in Oregon. 

I grew up in Utah. Rocking the no make-up look. 

Craig and Boaz in front of the Idaho pillar. Each side of every pillar had a state. We didn't look for the Wisconsin pillar. Rats. 

The fog came rolling in just as we were finishing our picture taking. Craig got a better picture. Darn. He just left, I'll have to get the picture later. You can just make out the faces through the fog. 

The light show was an hour away, and with the fog, we decided not to stay. 

On our way out, we saw a display of Thomas Jefferson with a facsimile of his recipe for ice cream. It was too cold for ice cream and we decided on hot chocolate on the road.  Brenda later told us the ice cream at Mt Rushmore is excellent. So that will have to be for next time. 

We decided to drive through the night. We would get to Brenda faster and it would mean less driving on Sunday. 

New states that I had never been in before: South Dakota. I found it amazing that South Dakota has only two cities. That is it. Crazy. Rapid City on the West and Sioux Falls on the East. In between there is barely a rest stop. Plan accordingly. 

Minnesota. We just skimmed the southern border. Honestly, I slept through most of it. My turn to drive was through South Dakota. We headed north to Minneapolis for the river crossing and into Wisconsin. We took a brief side trip to see the temple. I am asking myself why I didn't take a picture.  What is wrong with me. The temple is cute. Small and tucked away in a residential area. Craig says it is like Madrid and Kona. I can't see that they have the same floor plan, but I trust him. He can keep pictures in his head. 

Wisconsin. The trees were a revelation to me. I had never seen so many trees. Not even in Oregon. We texted Brenda and told her where we were. She was getting ready to go to Church. She was being put in as the new Primary President, and had to stay for the whole meeting. We didn't make Church, but we made it to the farm safe and sound. I didn't get any pictures until just before we left. So I'll show them later. 

Honestly, the rest of Sunday is a gone from my memory. I was exhausted. 

This is a good place to stop. I'll pick up my expirience on the farm later. 

From Craig's camera. The faces are still fully visible before the fog rolls in. 

He did take much better pictures than I did. This is one the way up to the viewing arena. The parking garage is down the steps and to the right. 

An amazing site.