Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
What a Failure!
I arrived home about an hour ago. My 2009 deer hunt was unsuccessful. Yesterday the only animal I laid my brown eyes upon was a gray squirrel, attempting to fly from an oak tree to a box elder tree without wings. Lucky for him, he made it! This morning, only 10 minutes after I sat down, a coyote came into range. He was only 50 yards away from me and stood there broadside for a good five minutes. I was extremely tempted to take him out because he came from the direction of our cattle yard, but instead let him run off with his padded feet. I watched him as he ran through the corn rows until I could see him no longer. I figured maybe he would kick out a deer for me to shoot instead, but the deer must have decided he was full and not a threat by himself.
Tonight the only living things I actually laid my eyes upon were birds and a fly. A lone seagull flew over me as I sat in the above "seat". About 4 o'clock I heard a mad squeaking noise coming from the log on the left. I figure I must have been using a mouse's house as my prop for my rotting seat. He ran up and down the hollow log making noises as he went until he finally accepted I wasn't going away. After that, the woods were pretty quiet. A woodpecker here, a flock of geese there, not a deer in sight. As I sat there among nature, I noticed a little vine growing up along the dead tree I use as my backrest. You can actually see it in the above picture. The woodpeckers really like the dead tree. There are holes from their feeding up and down the entire length of what is left of my backrest.
Many hunters prefer fancy stands which are enclosed with a heat source and other luxuries. I prefer to sit here, listen to what God made and relax as I wait for the venison. Am I upset that I did not tag a deer this year? Nope. I just enjoy the privilege of relaxing in the woods by myself for a few hours a year. Being successful is just an added bonus. One year, I will have a trophy hanging on the wall next to his cousin, my husband's 9 point trophy.
Tonight the only living things I actually laid my eyes upon were birds and a fly. A lone seagull flew over me as I sat in the above "seat". About 4 o'clock I heard a mad squeaking noise coming from the log on the left. I figure I must have been using a mouse's house as my prop for my rotting seat. He ran up and down the hollow log making noises as he went until he finally accepted I wasn't going away. After that, the woods were pretty quiet. A woodpecker here, a flock of geese there, not a deer in sight. As I sat there among nature, I noticed a little vine growing up along the dead tree I use as my backrest. You can actually see it in the above picture. The woodpeckers really like the dead tree. There are holes from their feeding up and down the entire length of what is left of my backrest. Many hunters prefer fancy stands which are enclosed with a heat source and other luxuries. I prefer to sit here, listen to what God made and relax as I wait for the venison. Am I upset that I did not tag a deer this year? Nope. I just enjoy the privilege of relaxing in the woods by myself for a few hours a year. Being successful is just an added bonus. One year, I will have a trophy hanging on the wall next to his cousin, my husband's 9 point trophy.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
This One's for You
When I was in 6th grade, I met the best friend a girl could ask for. We were two peas in a pod. See, I had moved away to Fargo from Jamestown towards the end of the 5th grade and when we moved back right in time for the start of 6th grade, I found I had outgrown many of the friends I had known since Kindergarten. All of a sudden we did not mesh well and I became the outsider. Many of the girls my age did not like my previous best friend and therefore did not like me either. Pretty much like a new person arriving at a new school, I had to start over fresh. So one day this girl who sat directly behind me needed to borrow a marker and that was how the friendship began.
Washington Elementary School
Where it all began.
Soon there were overnight invitations and of course the natural talking on the phone for hours at a time. That spring, right before school was to let out for the summer, my best friend had an awful accident! She was told to park the vehicle in the garage which was attached to their farmhouse. Of course only being 12 years old, but having grown up on a farm 30 miles from town she knew how to drive a manual transmission. She jumped in the vehicle, started it up and stepped lightly on the gas. She meant to hit the brake to stop, but instead slammed down the accelerator and went through the back wall of the garage with the vehicle! As if that wasn't bad enough, her mother was suntanning in her usual spot right behind the garage wall that was demolished. Luckily, she hit the brakes in time, as her mother's head was right next to the rear tire. Another couple inches and she would have been killed. She ended up with several broken bones, but fully recovered to be able to chase us out of the house when we got on her nerves for the next 7 years! That was a pretty tough time for my friend. She felt so extremely guilty and bad about what had happened, even though it was an honest 12 year old accident.
As the years went on, we had a tradition. I would stay at their house during wheat harvest for at least a week every year. No exceptions or the wrath of the teenagers would have been upon the parents. Every year we set up our obstacle course through out their farmyard and swung through the sprinkler on her infamous rope swing from an electrical wire spool. We had a picnic in a pretty spot somewhere on her father's 5000-6000 acre farm arrived via horseback. We would camp out in a tent most of the week as long as the North Dakota weather held and talk or listen to the tapes we just HAD to have for most of the night.
Each year she would come with me to Pelican Rapids for a weekend at my dad's. We would hang out in the barn or find something interesting to do during our visits. One trip to Pelican in particular is very memorable. I was driving my car down State Highway 34 when my brother said, "Look at that funny looking cow!" It was near the "Bakken County Line". That funny looking cow was none other than an awkward female moose scattering away from the Highway. That is one of the only times I have ever seen a moose in these parts. Once we almost nailed a deer up on 34, but my driving skills were tested and luckily I avoided collision.
When we graduated from high school and went off to college, we lived on the same floor in the same dorm. But, being the best of friends for all of those years, suddenly became less important and we began to drift apart. Slowly and sadly we went our separate ways. She transferred to a different school and I chose to find a job instead of go back to school another year. There was a period of silence between two friends for about 8 years. Then one day I received a wedding invitation in the mail. My youngest was only two weeks old and a major snowstorm was in the forecast, but we packed up the kids anyways and went west to see my old buddy.
We still try to get together once a year, although with three young girls each, it is tough sometimes. We are not peas in a pod anymore, but I still consider her one of the best friends a girl could ever have had.
Washington Elementary SchoolWhere it all began.
As the years went on, we had a tradition. I would stay at their house during wheat harvest for at least a week every year. No exceptions or the wrath of the teenagers would have been upon the parents. Every year we set up our obstacle course through out their farmyard and swung through the sprinkler on her infamous rope swing from an electrical wire spool. We had a picnic in a pretty spot somewhere on her father's 5000-6000 acre farm arrived via horseback. We would camp out in a tent most of the week as long as the North Dakota weather held and talk or listen to the tapes we just HAD to have for most of the night.
Each year she would come with me to Pelican Rapids for a weekend at my dad's. We would hang out in the barn or find something interesting to do during our visits. One trip to Pelican in particular is very memorable. I was driving my car down State Highway 34 when my brother said, "Look at that funny looking cow!" It was near the "Bakken County Line". That funny looking cow was none other than an awkward female moose scattering away from the Highway. That is one of the only times I have ever seen a moose in these parts. Once we almost nailed a deer up on 34, but my driving skills were tested and luckily I avoided collision.
When we graduated from high school and went off to college, we lived on the same floor in the same dorm. But, being the best of friends for all of those years, suddenly became less important and we began to drift apart. Slowly and sadly we went our separate ways. She transferred to a different school and I chose to find a job instead of go back to school another year. There was a period of silence between two friends for about 8 years. Then one day I received a wedding invitation in the mail. My youngest was only two weeks old and a major snowstorm was in the forecast, but we packed up the kids anyways and went west to see my old buddy.
We still try to get together once a year, although with three young girls each, it is tough sometimes. We are not peas in a pod anymore, but I still consider her one of the best friends a girl could ever have had.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Carving Ease
Oldest to youngest respectfully.Each year my job gets a little easier when it comes to carving pumpkins. This wind chilling evening, I cut open the tops of 3 little pumpkins so the kids could remove the "guts" and then let the girls have at it. They sorted the seeds from the orange stringy insides so they can have a roasted salty snack tomorrow evening.
My 3rd grader finished the gutsy part first and asked me to draw a tree, ghost and headstone so she could carve out her ideal jack-o-lantern. Shortly after, my 5 year old decided she wanted a face on her pumpkin, so again I took the marker and drew a face, complete with teeth, so she could cut out her own idea on her pumpkin. Meanwhile my oldest finished practicing her instrument and homework and began to gut her pumpkin. She is a pumpkin pro. A do it all by yourself type of gal.
So when it was all said and done and 3 girls were freshly bathed (had to get the itchy pumpkin off!) and ready for bed, we lit the candles inside their masterpieces for a ghouly view in the dark. Soon they won't need me anymore to create their jack-o-lantern masterpieces. Spending time with them now...priceless.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Officials say Moorhead schools headed into the red without levy | INFORUM | Fargo, ND
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Halfway
I am halfway through my first semester of higher education. (If you don't count my previous credit from a LONG time ago!) Yesterday I informed one of my instructors while working on an experiment during lab that she is trying to teach an old dog new tricks. I believe I was working with significant figures in the lab and how in the world you are supposed to remember how many sig-figs you are supposed to keep. She laughed and said, "Yes, I am!"
So far I am enjoying all of my classes. I have even registered for next spring's semester! I have decided I am going to do the non-traditional online classes from home to avoid the 20 mile drive on wintery roads. Unfortunately I won't be able to get by with that every semester, but thought it would be nice to do it for one. I am currently taking both online classes and classes at the college. I am looking forward to the fact that I can attend school in my pajamas in the dead of winter!
Going to school with 3 elementary school aged children can be challenging, but so far I am making it work. I try to do the brunt of my homework and online classes while they are in school. I usually end up with homework on weekends, but they have been pretty good, other than the occasional spat.
I had an online test which was due by midnight tonight that I decided to take yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately I had to wait until they got off the bus. I had labs all morning and wanted to do some last minute studying before I took the test. By the time I was comfortable with my two chapters the test was on, it was a fifteen minutes until bus arrival! So, rather than starting my test, I decided to study a bit more and then take the test after we got all of the "How was your day? and Show me what you did in school today!" out of the way. That being all said and done, I only had two interruptions during my timed 60 minute test. Something about a birthday party and I can't even recall the other extremely IMPORTANT information that couldn't wait until after I finished. I always tell them, if they happen to be home when I am taking a quiz or test online, that if it's an EMERGENCY...come and tell me. Apparently getting invited to Birthday parties is an emergency! :) By EMERGENCY, I mean somebody is choking or bleeding to death. Their interpretation is a little different. Kids...gotta love em!
So, I am halfway though the first semester of this MAJOR change of lifestyle which has come with mom going back to school. Dad has been extremely supportive of mom. I am pulling high grades in all 6 of my courses so far. Dean's list? I hope so, but time will tell! I guess my instructors can teach this old dog new tricks.
So far I am enjoying all of my classes. I have even registered for next spring's semester! I have decided I am going to do the non-traditional online classes from home to avoid the 20 mile drive on wintery roads. Unfortunately I won't be able to get by with that every semester, but thought it would be nice to do it for one. I am currently taking both online classes and classes at the college. I am looking forward to the fact that I can attend school in my pajamas in the dead of winter!
Going to school with 3 elementary school aged children can be challenging, but so far I am making it work. I try to do the brunt of my homework and online classes while they are in school. I usually end up with homework on weekends, but they have been pretty good, other than the occasional spat.
I had an online test which was due by midnight tonight that I decided to take yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately I had to wait until they got off the bus. I had labs all morning and wanted to do some last minute studying before I took the test. By the time I was comfortable with my two chapters the test was on, it was a fifteen minutes until bus arrival! So, rather than starting my test, I decided to study a bit more and then take the test after we got all of the "How was your day? and Show me what you did in school today!" out of the way. That being all said and done, I only had two interruptions during my timed 60 minute test. Something about a birthday party and I can't even recall the other extremely IMPORTANT information that couldn't wait until after I finished. I always tell them, if they happen to be home when I am taking a quiz or test online, that if it's an EMERGENCY...come and tell me. Apparently getting invited to Birthday parties is an emergency! :) By EMERGENCY, I mean somebody is choking or bleeding to death. Their interpretation is a little different. Kids...gotta love em!
So, I am halfway though the first semester of this MAJOR change of lifestyle which has come with mom going back to school. Dad has been extremely supportive of mom. I am pulling high grades in all 6 of my courses so far. Dean's list? I hope so, but time will tell! I guess my instructors can teach this old dog new tricks.
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