Mandaree Pow Wow

Gabriel waiting for Big Brother to wake up.


Hanging out at the arena in his new wheels.


Giving Alyssa some water.

We left for the Mandaree Pow Wow on July 17 right after Auntie Kathy's funeral at 11:30 AM. We needed to be in Mandaree by 1:00 Pm for the first grand entry and contests. We got to the stop sign by the Roseglen corner and Jim Bob (my vehicular unit) died. Tic, tic, tic. Wouldn't start. A stranger came by and asked if I had jumper cables. Umm, no. The guy who was to sing at the grave turned the corner, stopped and the stranger asked if he had cables. He got out, dug in the back of his pick up and produced jumper cables. He left and said to keep the cables and get them back to him later because he was late. Called Aunt Marian, on my almost dead cell phone, to call the tow truck. Jumped Jim Bob. He started. Took cables off. He died. Put cables back on and let the battery charge for a while. Started Jim Bob and he ran for a while. Headed back to White Shield. Jim Bob died again after a couple of miles. Stranger jumps Jim Bob again. Go a few more miles. Jim Bob dies. Jumpstart him again---two more times. Visit with Stranger and it turns out that he is related to me. He gave me the cables to return to the singer and I head for the complex. Aunt Marian meets me there with her suburban. Transfer all of our stuff to the suburban. Jacob is hungry so we go into eat. Tow truck comes and hauls Jim Bob to Garrison. Call the repair shop tell them what JB's symptoms are and my diagnosis. Tell them while they have him in there, that they might as well fix the driver's side window (didn't go up and down). We made it to Mandaree for the evening grand entry and contests. Oh well. OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS: Jim Bob's alternator died and the motor that operates the window and lock was shot. $429.00 later and Jim Bob is as good as new.

The Return of Ceci the Wonder Horse

Ceci showing off her new hairdo while waiting to be harnessed.


Getting ready to go for a drive


Picture that Jacob took before we left to pick up Ceci

I must say that I am now impressed with Ceci the Wonder Horse and feel a little bad that I misjudged this little horse. She is a very good little pony. She steps right out and operates mostly by voice command. I can't wait for our cart and harness to arrive.

2009 Arikara Celebration

Jacob danced the whole weekend. We waited until the wee hours of the morning to find out who placed. Jacob sat in my lap, exhausted from the weekend's events. Gabriel was fast asleep. He ran across the arena with great enthusiasm when his name was announced. He placed 5th, got $25.00 and an 2009 Arikara Celebration t-shirt.

Campfire and Ride for the MDNCFL Peeps

On Monday, July 6, Aunt Marian hosted the folks from the East. She had rides, supper (provided by Betty, catered by Kyle's Katering)and a campfire. I provided makings for s'mores. The s'mores made with dark chocolate were AWESOME!


Diego and Josh


Henry


Pa Bisset and Gabriel. He requested these pictures be taken and shared on the blog, especially for Tina.


Cathy & Dandy, Diego & Josh, Paul & Pete and Barbara & Chip


Ma and Pa Bisset being patriotic.


Jacob took a video of the campfire.

Father's Day with the Fretlands

We went to Tioga on Sunday morning to spend the day with the Fretlands. Joy and Owen were back from Colorado to have Kiya baptized by Papa Wally in his family's church. It was a wonderful day. We had to leave early to get Jacob to camp. He is at the Triangle Y camp for the Mini Horsemanship Camp.


Papa Wally, Gramma Sue and the Grandkids

Jacob's Photography in the car

Ceci has gone to school

Thursday, June 18, 2009: It is official! Ceci the Wonderhorse has left the pasture. Jacob had a whole conversation with the geldings about her leaving. It ended with he understood that they were going to miss her and "she'll be back in about a month."


Going after Ceci


Pete, Ceci and Jacob


Headed to the barn


Waiting to be loaded


Checking out her ride


One of the fawns that we saw running in the ditch. There was another one, but he hid in the grass. I caught this photo just before this little guy hid.

Merrily We Roll Along with Sailor Jack

What a busy couple of days it has been. Yesterday, Jacob had his spring piano recital. He always amazes me (he's not yet disciplined in the art of practing his lessons). His teacher, Miss Renee, has way more patience than I do. One day I would just love to hear her rant and rave, have a bustloose or an outburst; but, I guess this is why I pay her to teach my son how to play piano (nevermind that his mother is a piano major).
Merrily We Roll Along
Sailor Jack, performed with the rest of the class.
Video taping Miss Renee's daughter's performance for Miss Renee.


After the recital, we went to a wedding and the reception. Today, I drove to the International Peace Gardens to take two of my students to music camp.

What we have been doing?

We have been busy, busy, busy at our house. This post is about a little bit of everything. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks. We have been to the Minot State University pow wow, had a pine car derby race, spring concerts and graduation. It is hard to believe that another school year has gone by. Now we are preparing for our summer.


Minot State University Pow Wow



Jacob's Spring Concert


Gabriel, how did you get into Gramma's chair?

I see you had some help.

Baby or Jolly Green Giant?

I took Gabriel for his 4 month shots and check up. I knew that he has grown, but I didn't realize how much. In Gabriel's world, apparently at four months you're supposed to grow 4 inches and gain 4 pounds. I hope he doesn't think that when he checks in for his 6 month that he has to have grown 6 inches and gained 6 pounds. If that's his pattern. YIKES!

Yesterday, he weighed in at 18.1 lbs. (4 lbs. gained in two months). His head circumfernce was 17---two month was 13. At two months he was 23 3/4 inches long and yesterday was 27 3/4 inches long. He will soon be too long for the most lovely carseat borrowed from Tina. So much for being in an infant carseat for almost a year, like his brother. He's working on a couple of teeth. He also has an ear infection. Otherwise he's just been growing and growing and growing.

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.