..... Trips .....

Got Dustin off on his trip today.  He is excited to be going.  We had to be in Boise shortly after 8 in the morning and so left early.  But it was fine.  We were a bit late, but not too bad.  As the airport parking is under construction it was a bit tricky to park.  But he got off and as far as I know is on his way to Mongolia. 
As we were in Boise so early in the day, we went on a field trip. We were as my friend put it "car-schooling". Partly doing reconnaissance for a field trip in the spring with a bunch of boys for Gold Rush Class.  We had a beautiful, amazing drive!  The fall colors were stunning. For about 20 miles following a river through a canyon with incredible views the whole way.  Gold. Red. Orange. Yellow. Some green thrown in. All beautiful. Some reflected on the river and all in amazing contrast to the browns and greens of the canyon.  An incredible study in the colors of fall.  I wanted to rent a convertible and go on a slow drive.  Though I do like my truck.  :)
We wandered through the streets of a town that was once the biggest city in the Northwest.  Now much smaller.  A bunch of historical buildings.  If those walls could talk I am sure the stories would be interesting.  From an old school building that is now the city hall, to a building that was for "Pestilence ward" - or quarantine for the seriously contagious.  An interesting museum built by the man who is called the "father of Boise".  A beautiful new library building.  A pioneer cemetery dating back to the wild days of the town.  1860's.  Over 3000 people buried in this cemetery.  Only about 300 in identifiable graves.  Some with history.  Many unknown.  Many with a story to tell.  Victims of murder, disease, and accidents.  Small children.  Young women. Old and young men.  From all over the world.  Rich. Poor.  Dearly loved. Unknown.  Makes you think.  Where would I fit in that list.  Not being morbid, just thinking.  All those people, the good, the bad, ugly, beautiful, young and old.  You can't escape death.  We should have the hope of the eternal life that comes after.  LIFE is Stronger than Death. 
On our way home we stopped and visited with some friends.  Then home.  We truly are so blessed.  We have wonderful friends.  Lives that connect with ours.  We live in a beautiful country and a beautiful home.  We have families that we can count on and care for.  Truly we are blessed.

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time, like dew on the tip of a leaf. -Tagore

Processing . . . . .

Last Sunday I got another one of those phone calls. . . The kind you wonder about . . . The kind you don't want to get . . .  At church that morning a friend had mentioned driving by a bad accident on the way there that morning.  As we know a lot of people who drive that road . . . you wonder.  That afternoon I found out.  Good friends.  People I had know since I was a young teenager.  Both parents Gone. . . Driving to church . . . Instantly arriving in heaven . . . Hitting the back of a farm truck hard enough to break the axel on the truck and send it careening into a field. . . Tragic Loss. . . So Fast . . . No preparation - except they had been preparing all their lives.  Parents who were involved.  Loved their kids . . . Excited for some new grandkids in the spring. . . Helped the community . . . Involved . . . Ministers - in heart. . . Caring and loving. . . Funeral was yesterday.  Packed out facility.  Dustin estimated 550 or 600 people.  If there would have been a sharing and impact moments from their lives into each person in attendance - we would still be there!  Good service.  The kids all had the shell shocked look.  Of I have to get through this, but I am still processing.  Not even realizing how much this day will impact them for the next weeks, months and years.  Life changing.  John was so much like my Dad in many ways.  Never had met a stranger.  A minister in heart, but not occupation.  Someone who cared about people.  Would become involved in their lives because he truly cared for them.  Wanted to help them.  Cared about Who you were as a person and how you were doing as a person.  Would travel to see people  . . . Would give you a big daddy hug . . .  So yesterdays funeral was hard . . . Partly because of another big heavenly deposit made from my life . . . and partly due to the ones already made. . . flashbacks . . . A song . . . A word . . . A picture . . . Hitting way too close to the missing in my own life.  I find that the process of grief changes - but never truly goes away.  Things still happen that send you spinning.  Life happens and you wonder if your anchor will hold.  I guess that is when you are being held and carried.

http://www.argusobserver.com/obituaries/john-and-angela-hendricks/article_997ed8c4-31ca-11e3-8aef-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=story

Craigslist finds

I love Craigslist.  As I was building my house I found lots of high end items at low end prices on Craigslist.  My contractors teased me about my finds.  But they appreciated them too.  And as an involved home building homeowner it kept my per square foot price much lower than it could have been.  So I love to find good deals on Craigslist. 
As I have extra calves with no momma - except me - I went looking on - you guessed it - Craigslist - to find a momma cow for my calves.  I needed a milk breed cow one with enough milk production to feed 2-3 calves.  Most beef breeds will not do this so well.  But I really did not want a huge Holstein cow as to me they always look skinny and they are huge!  And sometimes not too good of disposition.  I found Jerseys and Brown Swiss but none ready to take a calf right now - or too far away.  Then one 1/2 Holstein and 1/2 Hereford.  A cross of the beef cow and milk breed cows.  Only 3 years old.  Came with 2 calves that are already 5 months old.  Only just across the border in Idaho.  I went and got her.  So far she is working great.  I don't have to mix bottles up for my extra calf.  He figured out where the meals come from and is quite persistent in getting his food.  She is not really thrilled to have him, but as long as she has some grain to eat she placidly stands there and lets him drink his fill.  He is thrilled to have a momma!  So I now have a milk cow.  Gotta love Craigslist.

Cows . . . Calves . . . and Travel preparations

About a month ago my husband told me that he would like to go back to Mongolia this fall.  Fine with me, but I was not going.  I loved our time in Mongolia. I love many people there, but did not have the emotional energy to plan a long trip on short notice.  So he is going.  As long as there is no irrigation water to move and I don't have to feed cows yet, I can deal with the cows.  They are calving right now though and will continue while he is gone.  So I get to play cow nurse.  Lately I have been playing Mom to some calves and hopefully that stint will be up tomorrow when I go pick up a nurse cow.  The theory is that she will take the two calves that I am bottle feeding and will raise them like a mom cow is supposed to.  As she is 1/2 Holstein she should have plenty of milk for the two calves.  Dustin is going to be gone through much of the calving time and so I have been working on his list of what I need done before he goes on his trip.  He is excited to be going.  I know he will have fun.  I will too.  As he and my son have been hunting over the last few weeks a day here and there, I have gotten all sorts of my projects done.  That has felt nice.  I have a list I am planning to do while he is gone too.  In addition to playing cow nurse. 

Friends

I have realized how blessed I am with the friends I have.  I have friends from college who together we have been through thick and thin times.  Laughed ... cried ... told stories ...  attended church with ....  Homeschooled ... gone to funerals .... vacationed .... business partners together.  So many things and so much history.  I have friends that we made in Mongolia.  People who we now contact on Skype and visit.  Dustin is going back to Mongolia to visit this fall.  I am sure he will have a splendid time.  Friends there that we built houses with ... Visited the Gobi ... lived next to in a Ger (yurt) ... Stumbled through language school with ... Struggled with the cold together ... Shared life together with.  I have friends who I have only met since returning to the states.  Friends that have watched as my life has shattered the last few years.  Friends who have given hugs.... shared coffee.... Vegetables from their gardens when I didn't even get one planted.... Watched my son .... Helped me stain trim boards .... caulk siding ... Build a deck ... Paint .... Trim .... live .... So many things shared.  I have gotten to watch and be with them through life happening in their lives as well.  New jobs... birthday parties ... Christmas .... Rodeos .... Quitting a job.... Helping others... Broken down cars... Sickness and death in their families... kids learning to drive ... Fishing trips... Life! 
I am so blessed and so amazed at the variety of people that are in my life.  Old friends who are close.  New friends with shared new experiences.  Each one bringing a new richness to my life.  Wanting to add back to others the rich blessing that my friends bring to me.  Each person a precious part of my life.  Wanting that richness to continue.  Whether I see and talk to them daily, or not,  I know that my life has been enriched by their love and sharing and by the memories shared.

Calves ... now a Leppy

We have fall calving cows  So we have begun calving in this last week.  I love baby calves.  I think that they are one of the cutest of the baby creatures.  With their big ears... gangly legs...soft noses ... curious eyes under long eyelashes ... they are cute.  When they grow up into cows they quite loose the cute factor ... but the first month or so they are pretty cute.  Generally our cows take care of themselves when they calve.  We show up to make sure the baby gets a shot and an ear tag.  To me this is a splendid system.  The mom cleans them all up, feeds them, cares for them, guards them.  The other day though my husband brought me a calf in the back of the UTV.  It does not seem to have a mom.  We think that there were twins and only one got claimed by the mom.  No cow is searching for her lost calf.  So now I have a Leppy Calf.  A calf with no mom to care for it.  I get to be the mom and feed it every so many hours.  Making sure it gets what it needs.  It was cold and hungry.  We made it a shelter in the pig pen out of hay bales.  He was pretty weak and I really wasn't too sure if he would make it, but he is getting stronger.  And now I think he will.  I gave him some medicine and good warm milk with electrolytes mixed in.  That perked him up and he is doing well.  As I was headed out in the dark to feed him I remembered running down the driveway to the barn to feed my bummer lambs as a kid.  A warm bottle of milk inside my shirt to keep it and me warm in the cold.  These were lambs in the same boat - with no mom to care for them.  It seems to be cold and dark all the time when you have to feed bummers or leppies.  Though now as I am the Mom, I realize that my mom must have fed our lambs during the day while we were at school.  Thanks Mom!  I laughed at myself though thinking that this is one of those things that I did not realize to put in my job description of living in the countryside and having livestock.  I guess I better add it.