Northern lights and end of harvest

I got a frantic call from Addie last week saying "Hurry you have to get outside and look hurry move get out the door!" I wondered what in the world was wrong or going on, hoping she wasn't hurt as she was still out in the field building perimeter fence for the cows that would be coming. She said you can see the lights. Good thing Anna was here to know how to capture the view. The phone is the secret. We got these pictures, and after seeing them on the phone we were able to see the lights with the naked eye. Not the color but a white film in the same place that spread higher and higher in the sky. 

Anna went up to show Grandma Saunders and got this cool picture of Bruce. She said our lights were much brighter and more defined than in Wyoming.

The next day I was back in the tractor. Enduring to the end is a hard deal. Hour after hour sitting cramped up even though the cabs are spacious just sitting or random quick moving to deal with a problem versus the sit-stand continuity of my days at home was hard. I had to drive the grain cart for the last week. That was very scary. Directions helped a lot. I got so frustrated just being told "Do it, you can." No, actually I have no idea what I'm doing and need some guidance. With that, I was able to load trucks for 3 days. It got easier day by day. Never easy but I was able to do what had to be done. 

We had some stuck moments. It's amazing to me that 6 weeks later the pivot tracks are still muddy. I was also interested to see they are very big sometimes. This one resembled a dirt ditch. There is always room to improve on the farm. 

This is the last load. The bright flash was too much after enjoying the dark of night. I even managed to load trucks in the dark!

My sincere appreciation and admiration for the men in my life who go for months harvesting. that is true toil. The next day I could hardly move my left arm. The arm I don't hardly use but it was so painful. I'm sure all the weeks of stress and sitting had a lot to do with it. Mark informed me that elbows and knees are related so work the knee to work the stiffness out of the elbow. I did as instructed and it worked. The next day I was so much better. In time to make lots of pies. 

We are thankful for another successful year of growing our family. Of working together, of getting a decent crop, of safety and health, of managing the lands we work. We are blessed daily in so many ways. I'm fighting to keep that in my head as prices were lower for sale and higher for purchase of inputs. Water is very needed for next year and so many things I saw that we could address as I drove over almost every acre. So we work to learn how to improve our practices, to understand our situation, and do better next year. We are good at learning and not afraid to try. Life is good and we are blessed. 
 

Pies and harvest fest

The Annual Harvest Fest was last weekend. We have always made a lot of pies for this event, honestly, this is where my daughters learn to make pies. So we started peeling apples bright and early. We have been looking forward to the apple season. 

These girls were working on lemon meringue pie. This was a stretch but a good experience to learn to read a recipe, measure ingredients and make something you're not quite sure of. 

Millie made cupcakes for the cake walk. 

Lia helped me with pie crust. She was pretty good at rolling out and mixing. She loves to play with playdough perhaps that is transferring. I did the final rolling and placing in the pie plates but she helped me pat the crust in. 

Ready to fill the oven. 

I got burned with hot berry filling it bubbled up as I was removing it from the heat to pour into shells. That stung for a while. 

We were done by 1 o'clock 14 pies ready to share. A neighbor brought cookies and returned an empty vase I gave her a pie. I gave another pie to the head ladies who managed the entire dinner production. And we enjoyed one at home. I do love homemade pie. I was asked to make the cream pies at the preparation day. The ladies asked if the pies looked good I said no they look disgusting but I am a pie snob and only like pie that starts with whole fresh ingredients not powder whipped into life. I ended up helping whip and whip powder to make all those pies. I really enjoyed working with Afton, Millie, and a friend named Mason. We wrapped all the potatoes and then whipped up the powder pies. They were fast and attentive kids. Millie has a lot of cooking experience and would have managed on her own. They asked parents to manage. I went between doing dishes and watching the mixers. 

Another highlight of the evening was the final bingo games! The crowd loves these. I can't quite explain the palpable competition in the room. But these are serious participants. Some even had the special bingo dot pen to mark the squares. 

The best part is what you won't know but each family group gathered together to playing a game of chance enjoying time together with no internet, no screens, no outside stuff just play. This is a lost action these days. It was interesting the dinner started quiet and slow but around 6 the crowd got louder and more loquacious. I was in the kitchen washing dishes all evening so I only heard the changes but it made me happy. People were content with the good food, they were enjoying seeing friends and neighbors that maybe hadn't been seen for a while due to the long hours required during harvest and fall. It struck me that this dinner is so much more than just food and fundraising, but also reconnecting the community at large for a few hours each year. I have really enjoyed getting to know parents as we work together, it's good to put adult faces and personalities with kids I hear about in passing through the years. 

The kids had a good time some won great prizes some of us just never had our numbers called. It was great to be with my kids, to be with our friends, to be totally sugared and full of contentment. We are blessed to have access to this community. Life is good. 
 

Lia birthday mark award

We had to postpone this lady's birthday by one day so we could finish the corn harvest. We ended up traveling around with my mom. One of our stops was a local vegetable farm, and a side attraction was a pumpkin display. 

The highlight was a large slide. The kids had so much fun climbing and sliding. We also took a hay ride to look at the various crops they grow. 

At home I started winter crops. This is beets, peas, and lettuce. It was looking so nice before the chickens found those tasty young shoots. I have a love hate relationship with the chickens. I'm really ready to pen them up but that means being more serious about feeding them. 

A surprise for last week was Mark being named Viking of the week for the virtue of kindness. A friend sent me a text that her husband watched Mark go up and thank the Burns team for coming to play them after the very exciting and close game they played. He was super impressed with Mark being grateful. He, Addie, and Reed have also been working to befriend a freshman who has tourettes. He's having a hard time feeling accepted and they are working to just be nice. 

It's very important to me that my kids are kind and good sports. I'm thankful they have become this on and off the fields of competition. There is so much animosity and meanness in the world. We need more people that care, that notice others, and are friendly. I'm thankful Mark is strong enough to not care what people think of him but rather is his own person and cares about others. Life is good and we are blessed. 
 

Burns football game

I've yet to see this part of the game where they announce the players and they run out and bounce off each other before the game starts. 

This game was brutal and intense. The line played hard as always. There were mistakes made but in the end the refusal to quit in the Vikings won the game. 

Mark played looser than usual he was tired from all the late nights of harvest. We are all so thankful to have our harvest complete. 

I'm impressed he still had stamina for 3 hours of this. 

For my kid who never ran as a child I'm still impressed with his ability to move on the field. 

This game had a lot of drama. The lights went out twice the air was thick with dust. The wind really hung up the ball for parts of the game and yet they played on. Lights worked again and the crowd watched the well-matched fight on the field. At home Millie texted the lights were out and they were using flashlights to sit and read. The lights were out until after 9:30 with the light delay in town the game went until about that time. 

The sideline got fired up for the last quarter they shouted themselves hoarse encouraging their teammates on the field. The crowd behind was anxious and quiet. Sometimes shouting their disgust and disagreement with the calls of the officials. The boys on the sideline really helped pick up the energy of the game. 

At the end 3 repeat attempts for the last play with 0 seconds on the clock the game was tied. Burns had first attempt to score from the 25 yard line. They failed due to the strong Viking defense. Then it was Vales turn. Finally, everyone made their blocks and held their men and number 4 Kase Shaffeld shot around the right side of the line and had a clear shot at the goal. 

That strong kid was so beat at the end of the game. Literally being pummeled and pounded every play of the game. He leads the state in rushing yards and I think track season can't get here soon enough where no one jumps of him, or folds him up, or tries to bend him unnaturally to stop scoring. 

At the end another player was injured, Reed was hoarse and the crowd was relieved and slightly awed by the fight they had witnessed. 

Vale won and moved into the #1 in the state position. Number 50 Wyatt had an outstanding defensive game. He was on fire tackling and stopping the other teams offensive attempts. It's always fun to hear the guys stories of what happened on the field. These are once in a lifetime memories and experiences. This game was a close mimic of the game they lost last year. Experience counts. Conditioning is the key factor in winning tough games. Couple that with the raw grit of many on the team and you have games like these that are close but eventually won. It's a joy to be a part of such a committed group.  

General conference

We still had a whole lot of harvesting going on, but I was able to stay home and do laundry. My washing machine is not made for a large, dirty, active family and continues to wear out about every 9 months. This time the repairman fixed part of the problem but when I used it after the repairs the main problem was still there. The bearing which turns the tub is worn out. The machine makes a horrible growling noise but still worked. I called the repairman and said there's still a problem. He came and agreed to order the parts. He came a few weeks later. He got part way into the job and stripped a bolt . He quickly left. I called and said "When are you coming back?"

 He had no idea. I cannot be without a washer indefinitely so I started looking for a replacement while I waited. I found one in Meridian and decided I could also hit the temple then get the set with Harold's help. We did both and with the assistance of a handcart he loaded a washer and drier in 10 minutes no assistance. I was so impressed! And I love the new washer it's bigger and quiet. 

This was a good start to our conference weekend. Being harvest time the day went downhill from there but was bounced back up on the day conference started. 

I found this picture of John from Zone conference last week. 

The girls basted a quilt for Sue and Millie and Livy worked on a puzzle.

Addie took notes and rested. 

These guys visited and played with baby Monroe

After conference, we picked the last pretty Zinnias for some Sunday bouquet sharing. 

I helped quilt downstairs. I love the soothing experience of seeing something completed. 

Top and underside view. This is why hand quilting is superior. The fun designs. 

One complete square out of many. Stitch by stitch. This is such a labor of love and thoughtfulness. But it is also a great way to busy the hands and quiet the mind. An invitation to visit as you work to conquer the blocks. 

Andrea sewing on her piece of scrap material. The younger girls have a needle with a knot by the eye to keep their string threaded and a thick knot at the end to allow them to sew and sew. They enjoy practice stitching. 

There is something calming and enlivening. This is a lost art that just works with feminine desires to create and calm our busy minds. We are thankful for the time and space to pull needles full of thread through cloth. I'm thankful for the carefully crafted and prepared talks from general conference. I enjoy the time to study them in the next six months and years. I'm revisiting talks from the 80's right now on different topics of interest and concern. The amount of work, prayer, and meditation to prepare such testimonies is amazing. I'm thankful for these many men and women who have dedicated their lives to living the gospel of Jesus Christ and learning to apply those doctrines to everyday life. 

We are blessed.