What a Dead Battery Leads To

It all started with a dead battery. Uncle Maurice was down to charge my battery on Monday evening. After he did some checking, he went home. Aunt Marian called to see if he was here and I said, "He went home about one half hour ago. Oh, and the horses look so pretty running on top of the hill." Uncle Maurice did get home only to announce that the horses had gotten out. So we went looking for them and could not find them anywhere.

I drove by the old Mehlhoff place and thought to myself that they may have gone to Kovorik's place. So when darkness halted our search party, we started calling the neighbors to put them on high alert. Aunt Marian called Kovoriks and Clara says, "I know where they are at." Yes, indeed, they went to visit the neighbors. Clara thought that they would be okay until morning. They were sort of in a fence and across the fence from their horses. By 8:00 AM the next morning, Clara, called and informed Aunt Marian that they were on the loose again. By noon, they had returned and Clara had them locked up.

Johnny and Clara's road to their house is under water. The only way in is to go south to the intersection and go west one mile, turn north and drive up the section line to the prairie trail and to their house. That is what we did on Tuesday when I got back from work around 5:00 PM.

We haltered up Ceci, the wonderhorse, Chip, Josh, Pete and Dandy. Chance was left to follow us home. We went down the prairie trail and north up the section line and would hopefully come to a gate that would let us in to the Mehlhoff place. As luck would have it there was a gate. Just in case, Aunt Marian grabbed the wire cutter and a pliers. All we knew is that we weren't going the long way around.

We all got through both gates and were closing them. We tied our steeds to fenceposts while we shut the gates. We get the gates closes and Ceci, the wonderhorse, crawls through the fence. Open the gates and go get her. Close gates and on our way again.

We walked uphill. We walked downhill. We walked in the field. Jacob had the smallest horse, but apparently she is faster than the other horses. She and Jacob were always in front of us. Aunt Marian was very impressed with Jacob. She thought that it was amazing that he only complained once about his feet hurting and that he didn't continue whining about his tired feet.

We walked 3-4 miles leading our steeds. Chance, the follower? He followed until we got to the green grass poking through the field by the Mehlhoff place. Then he ate. He decided that he should catch up after we had the other horses locked safely in the home pasture (a mile or two from where he was eating on the horizon). Then he came running lickety split. Had to stop and drink some water from the ditch. Needed help getting to the home pasture. Good thing we had more oats along.


Here are some pictures of the Runaway Renegades. VIEW CAREFULLY. HORSE SLOBBER ON LENS.


The beginning of the trek.


Taking a rock climbing break by Johnny and Clara's place at the beginning of our cross country trek. We were actually waiting for Chance to say Good Bye to his new friends. I think they were girls.


And we're off!


Path made by deer by the Mehlhoff Place


Taking a rest.


What do you do when you find a hole? You sit in it and take another rest.


Walking after the rest.


Waiting on Chance by the home pasture gate.


What Chance was doing.

Gracie and Sampson



Home again safe in the home pasture.


Uncle Maurice had Gabriel until he "found a lady who took in orphans." (Mom)

Woodlands and High Plains Pow Wow

Dancing Again











Gabriel & Miss Indian Nations, Alyssa Albers, Arikara

Last weekend, we travelled to Fargo, ND for the tri-college pow wow that was held at NDSU. We stayed at the Holiday Inn in a poolside room. Trust me, it is worth the extra money to have a pool side room when you have a 7 year old who loves to swim.

Water, Water Everywhere

Though we didn't have as much water as Fargo, Des Lacs, Burlington, Towner, Granville and other areas of the state, it did not do our road much good. Water has washed out chunks of road. We are still able to drive on it. Jacob says: "There are little cracks in the road. I hope it doesn't collapse." "That big hole looks like a well." All I have now are pics of the water. I will post "after water" pics as soon as I take some.

4 April 2009: Kids All State Wrestling Tournament

We got up at 5:00 AM and left for New Salem, ND for this tournament. Jacob took 4th in his weight class. This meet is considered the State Meet for the kids. He had a fun season.

Most Recent Pics of Snow

Pictures from the most recent blizzard on Monday night. We got about 18" of new snow. I haven't taken a pic of the gravel road that goes from my place to the highway. There is a washout that is causing us a little bit of stress. Not sure how long we can keep driving through the washout. All other exit roads from our house are not options---they are worse than our road. We're supposed to get hit again tomorrow night. Enough fun already.

What the highway looked like when I was driving to work Friday morning.

Same road, a little farther west of first picture.

What I saw when I drove up to Gabriel's sitter's house. There is a blazer under that drift.

Miscellaneous Pics

Clean and ready for bed.
Brotherly Love

Brother dressed me. Good thing we were snowed in. Shirt says, "Dirt makes me cuter."



My birthday present from Jacob.

Let me tell you.....

Let me tell you how busy, busy, busy past two weeks have been. On March 17, Jacob stayed home from school because he wasn't feeling well. We took his temp in the am and it was 102. I called to make him a dr. appt., thinking that he probably had an ear infection because that's all he complained about. The past few doctor visits have been pretty traumatic for him (last year about this time having an influenza swab and a strep swab on the same day, being transported via ambulance and having an IV inserted (w/several failed attempts) because of the possibility of menengitis and having a severe allergic reation to a wasp sting), so I didn't tell him we were going to the dr. so I could actually get him to Garrison. We had tears in the car as soon as I pulled into the parking lot. "I'm okay! I'm not sick! I don't need to go to the doctor!"

I get him into the doctor, the nurse checks him out, nurse leaves. Nurse is also the mother of one of his classmates. Nurse comes back and informs us that his symptoms are also the same as the ones accompanying the flu that is running rampant through Garrison, ND. So, she could do the swab to get it started or we could wait for the dr. to see him. Jacob has flashbacks to the last time and immediately starts crying and holding his nose and we haven't even said the words "nose swab". So we have a nose swab and he has Influenza A, which banned him from society for 5 days. I wasn't supposed to have a spring break (used it to make up snow days), but I got one anyway.

I went back to work on Monday. It was an easy day. I took the 5th and 6th graders to Anne Nicole Nelson (died in the Twin Towers on 9/11) Hall at Minot State University to see the Sidestreet Strutters, a jazz group from CA. It was part of the International Artists Series and they usually do an educational concert for students during the day. We went to the concert and then to Planet Pizza (like a Chuck E. Cheese or Space Aliens, but a far better deal) for lunch.

Tuesday. No school for me or Jacob due to a blizzard. Wednesday no school for me because the school called it off. No school for Jacob because the bus couldn't make it down the road.

Thursday: still no school for us because of blocked roads. County plow operator was overheard on the radio by the busdriver, who then called me, saying that they would open our road in the afternoon. Someone (who shall remain nameless) plows snow and knocks down the overhead powerline that is attached to her house. Jacob looks at the nameless person and asks, What in the hell are you doing?" McLean Electric comes to trip the transformer. Electrican comes to reconnect the line to the house. Actually, he wired the powerline into the boxes (one on the house---one on the pole) so that come spring (if it ever comes)the line can be buried. So until then I have a powerline fence from the pole to my house made out of sawhorses and a powerline. It is quite attractive.

I was feeling pretty stupid about the whole power line thing until the lady at the electric company told me that men do it all the time. Then my friend, Tammy and I were chatting on facebook and she informed me that her dad and brother have done the same thing several times.

So, I don't feel so bad about it anymore. I was just helping the electician out so he could bury the line "Come this spring". And for any worrywarts out there, he assures me that the powerline fence is perfectly safe. Will not harm the dogs, unless they chew on it. Will not harm Jacob or me.

Friday I manage to go to work. The road is passable but not totally open. There is a washout up north between our old place and Hwy 37. In the afternoon, I take Gabriel to the doctor for this terrible cough that he has and the periodic green boogers coming out of his eyes. He got some eyedrops and the good pink stuff (amoxycillian). I want to know how I'm supposed to put 2 eyedrops in each eye of a 3 month old infant, who by the way, weighed 16 lbs. 1 oz. yesterday.

Well, I must sign off for now. I have some pics that I will try to post later. I have to make a trip to Garrison. I forgot to return a dvd (that will be cheaper to buy now than to pay the late fees) and to get toilet paper yesterday when I went to town. The dvd was supposed to go back on Monday. I forgot it. Tuesday-Thursday stranded. Friday forgot it. Maybe they'll forgive the days that we were stranded.
On a final note, please keep all the people in Fargo-Moorhead in your prayers. Friends and family of friends live there and it is going to be pretty bad, I think. You can catch videos and news updates online. Just google Fargo/Moorhead Flood 2009.

More Saturday Fun

We have had some more very nice weather the past couple of days. No wind + a little sunshine in March in ND = a heatwave. The fourth grade teacher from my school brought some students out to go sledding and have s'mores. Sledding took place in the Mehlhoff pasture and the campfire was in Aunt Marian's yard.
Jacob made it back from the wrestling meet just in time to go sledding with the crew. It was almost 50 degrees out, according to Aunt Marian's thermometer. I put Gabriel in his snowsuit and the mei tai wrap that BethArlene made for me. We didn't go sledding, but we went out for the making of the s'mores.
Later some of the kids climbed the evergreens. One monkey made it all the way to the top.
Waving to the camera. It looks like he's trying to hide, but he was waving.
Posing with the nest that he found.
Helping Gramma Marian pitch some hay over the fence for the horses.

Velva Wrestling Tournament

Jacob joined Pee Wee Wrestling. He has had two meets, one in Minot and one in Velva. Ed and Karen took him to the meet in Minot on March 7 (I had to take my students to the McLean County Music Festival). He took 3rd. Yesterday (3/14/09), Jacob, Gabriel and I woke up early to travel to Velva for a meet. Here are some video clips of the action.
Round I Action---Won this round
Round II---Won this round
Round III---Only part of the round. He lost this round and ended up placing 2nd.

Student of the Month

On Wednesday, March 11, Jacob received the Student of the Month Award for science and art for the month of February.

Week End Activities

Last Friday, the boys & I went to the Monster Truck Show in Minot and then to Papa Wally and Gramma Sue's for the weekend. Saturday afternoon we took Jacob to the Bottineau Winter Park to go tubing. He had a great time. Gramma Sue, Gabriel and I spent our time in the lodge---it was much warmer in there. I did manage to drag myself out to capture Jacob having fun.


Tubing is serious, hard work.


Gabriel, after church, modeling his outfit from Auntie Joy.


Papa Wally and Gabriel


Caught a smile.


Apparently, posing for pictures is serious, hard work.

Bedtime Stories

When I was bringing Gabriel's bottle into the living room so we could go up to bed, I found Jacob reading to "Green Eggs and Ham" to him. He read to him until he started fussing. We then went upstairs and while I was feeding and rocking Gabriel, Jacob was reading "The Cat in the Hat" to us.

Here is a little clip of "Green Eggs and Ham".



It's amazing how fast our children grow up. It doesn't seem possible that Gabriel has already been with us a month, or that he is over a month old. It doesn't seem possible that Jacob should be reading us stories. Seven short years ago, I was reading to him when he was a baby. I searched high and low for "Wynken, Blynken and Nod". When I was a nanny in Baltimore, the girls I cared for had a board book of the poem. I have yet to find it in storybook form by itself; however, I did find it in a collection of poems that belonged to my Great-Grandma, Luralie Bidlack Merriam.

I still cannot believe that Jacob is now 7, in first grade, reading, doing math, etc. My baby is growing up.