A few weeks ago we were singing a hymn in the middle of worship at Zion Lutheran Church. We were just finishing the second verse when all of sudden the organ went silent. The organist was pushing down on the keys, but there was no sound coming from the speakers. Our organist looked to me with a bewildered look that said, “What do I do now?” I gave him a look of shock that said, “What happened?”
Once we had shaken off the shock and surprise we simple moved to the next part of the service and later we continued our singing with the piano.
A few days later a technician arrived to repair the organ. He opened the organ’s innards and began to pull out circuit boards, and amplifiers. There were many parts that needed to be replaced including: amplifiers, fuses and even some chips on the circuit boards. He simple heated up his soldering iron and replaced the chips and amplifiers that had been fried. It was amazing to see the skill of the technician, seeking out the broken chips and replacing them. Once the circuit boards were re-installed with the new chips, the organ’s sound was once again restored.
I was thinking today about the organ and how it went silent. Sometimes I feel like that organ. The organ was made to make loud and amazing music, and yet, there it was silent, not fulfilling its purpose at all. There were some vital circuits that had been fried.
Sometimes I feel that my keys are being played, but there is no sound coming from my life. I wonder if my circuits have been fried by all the demands of life. Normal weeks are filled with stress and the demands of family, but these past few weeks have been even more burdensome. The stresses of the economy, the worrying about job security, the demands of preparing for Christmas, are simple overwhelming. Do you ever what to just say no to everyone and everything that needs your attention? Do you ever feel that you’re not fulfilling your purpose, like a organ that’s silent because its circuit boards have been fried?
Author Patsy Clairmont writes that one year, she decided to write "Noel," the French word for Christmas, in bright lights on the roof of her house. Unfortunately, she ran out of lights halfway through the project, so she ended up with just the word "NO" in flashing, multicolored lights on her roof. Some of us want to say "NO" to the Christmas season too. We are too rushed to enjoy it. We are too detached to experience it. We are too cynical to believe in it. We are too fried to live it.
Sometimes when our lives become so hectic, frenzied, difficult and messy we feel God has abandoned us to the forces of fate, evil or despair. It is during these messy times that God’s presence hovers near to
us. For Christians, “stable” moments aren’t those few days when calm briefly descends upon our
world. Our true “stable times” are when we look around and see that however unpredictable, unmanageable and unimaginable our mess, the message is there even more. At Christmas, the mess
is the message.
Jesus was born in a stable -- a small, cramped, congested, messy place. A new born baby was out -of-place, out-of-sync, amid the dusty animals, the mucky straw, and the spilled grain. But the mess is the message of Christmas. There is no stable, no place in our world or in our lives that is too poor, too remote, too outcast, too “other,” too messy, that God cannot be found and formed in us.
As Christmas approaches, we will all find ourselves at wit’s end, running out of time, out of patience, out of money, out of ideas. Don’t be fooled into thinking that God cannot draw close to your life, to your heart, just because your schedule seems “too busy” for Christmas. If your life is hovering near overload, you could be on the very cusp of experiencing genuine “stable time” in your life. Open up to it, exalt in it, and be willing to let God love and care for you. I pray you may experience a very Blessed Christmas.

Loving or Winning?

"Because a loveless world," said Jesus, "is a sightless world." John 14:23 (MsgB)

“Storyteller Bill Harley tells a simple story about a children's T-ball game he witnessed a few years ago. On one of the T-ball teams was a young girl named Tracy. Tracy ran with a limp. She couldn't hit the ball to save her life. But everyone cheered for her anyway. Finally, in her team's last game, Tracy did the unthinkable. She hit the ball. Tracy's coach began hollering for her to run the bases. She landed on first base, only to be told to keep on running. She rounded second base, and the fans stood to their feet and cheered. With one voice, they were all urging Tracy to head home. But as she neared third base, Tracy noticed an old dog that had loped onto the field. It was sitting near the baseline between third plate and home. Moments away from her first home run, Tracy made a momentous decision. She knelt in the dirt and hugged the dog. Tracy never made it to home plate. But the fans cheered for her anyway. Tracy had made her priorities clear. Love was more important than winning.” Billy D. Strayhorn, Luxuriate In God's Grace

I read this story and it kind of stuck in my mind over the last week or so. The story made me ask a question of myself, do I value love more than winning? It’s a good question. We say we love all kinds of things. We proclaim our love in all sorts of ways. Love is a good thing. It’s something we want to receive and to give to others. But we also value winning. We are competitive people. Sometimes we act as though the end justifies the means to the end. This means, it doesn’t matter how we win, but that we win. Where is the love in that kind of winning? I don’t know if I would have even seen the dog, if I was rounding the bases. My vision would have been reduced to home plate and getting there no matter what the cost.

We are busy people. September has brought not only a crispness to the air, but calendars over flowing with commitments. Sometimes as we move from one practice to the next, from one game to the next, we lose our prospective and our goal becomes to just get it done, to just cross home plate. What if we were to expand our vision and include love in our daily routine? What kind of dogs would we see along our base lines? Who or what are we missing in our rush to run the bases of our daily schedule? If you would see love sitting there, would you stop and give it a hug? Is love more important than winning in your life? We may all say yes, but what do your actions say?

To say we would choose love over winning is easy, but to stop as were running towards home plate, and not win because we chose love. Well, that is something else. It’s not something we see very often. And yet, as Christians, we gather each week on Sunday, the day of resurrection, to worship Jesus who chose to love this world rather than win it with power and strength. We are invited to slow down and open our eyes and see with new vision, a world, a community, a person who needs our love.

The amazing truth is that when we choose love, we win. Maybe not the way we thought we would win, but we win, because love changes us as winning never can. Love opens our hearts, our compassion, and our very lives as nothing else. Will you open your field of vision to see with eyes of love? Will you stop against all odds and share an act of love with someone, as you run through your daily schedule? If you do, you will find yourself following in the footsteps of Jesus who has gone before you, who walks with you now and promises to walk with you forever. This kind of love changes not just our priorities, it changes us.

September begins Zion's fall programing

Martin Luther said, "At home in my own house there is no warmth or vigor in me, but in the church, when the multitude is gathered together, a fire is kindled in my heart and it breaks its way through."

Many have taken time this summer to relax and refresh their lives and families. The long days and warmth allowed for more time to accomplish our check lists. Now that September has arrived the days are shorter and there is a chill in the air at night that means fall is coming. It also means that we are beginning the fall programing here at Zion. Sunday School, Bible Study, First Communion, Confirmation, three worship services/week are all signs that it's time to gather once again as the multitude-the church. Were looking forward to seeing everyone again and hearing about your summer adventure. We have been busy planning for the fall and are excited about the events that will be happening over the next few months.

Apple Harvest is arriving soon. You can sign-up for dry mixing, dicing, booth schedule on Zion's web site. We need you to accomplish this task each year. It's not about a few but the multitude. It's when we become the church-God's people working together that we accomplish the amazing things that are miracles in the eyes of the world.

Come Grow With Us in faith, in love, in hope. See you in worship!

Pr. Jim

Who Do We Blame?

This devotion is just as good as yesterdays.

Good morning. Welcome to Tuesday, June 17th.

“At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” Luke 13:1-5

It is so very human of us, when something horrible happens, to assess blame. Maybe that is the reason why the first question we always ask is “why?” We want to know who to blame.

Once we pick out someone or something to blame, then we can start pointing our finger. We love to do that! (Usually forgetting Stuart Smalley’s wisdom that when we point one finger at someone, four are pointing back to us.)

The natural disasters that have been happening in the world this spring make it very difficult for us to play the blame game. We can get angry because a despotic government confiscates aid supplies but we can’t blame them for a cyclone. We can react with confusion because of the densely crowded urbans areas of China but those conditions don’t cause earthquakes or floods. And we can argue all day about the balance between corn for fuel and corn for food but none of that creates tornadoes or floods.

Which leaves us no one to blame but God.

When we ultimately arrive there I always remember that incredible scene from Elie Wiesel’s book, “Night”, where the rabbis in the concentration camp put God on trial. After it becomes clear that the verdict will be “guilty”, the rabbis can do nothing but turn and walk away from one another toward their barracks. Pronouncing God “guilty” only makes the pain and the isolation worse. It doesn’t help.

If anything, these disasters teach us about our common humanity. A life in Iowa is worth as much as a life in China or the Sudan. A home in West Des Moines is worth as much as an apartment in Sansui – not because of the cost of the building materials but because of the value provided to the family that lives there. The natural world draws no human distinctions or boundaries or borders. We are ALL in this together.

So what do we do? What do those of us sitting on the sidelines do?

We help as we are able. Maybe we write a check to Lutheran World Relief (www.lwr.org) or the Red Cross (www.redcross.org) because we want to help. Maybe we add those affected and those trying to help to our daily prayers. Maybe we remain informed, as hard as it is to hear and read, because we understand that we are ALL in this together.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, we pray for those who are hurting today, those terrified children and grief-stricken adults, those international leaders struggling toward the best response to the tragedies which have struck across the world. Bless those seeking to make a positive impact and strengthen those working hard now to bring relief. In Jesus’ name. Amen.


________________
Pastor Kerry Nelson

Flood Waters & Earth Quakes

This devotional came to my in box today and it spoke to me. I share it with that Spirit.

Good morning. Welcome to Monday, June 16th.

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, &; and the flame shall not consume you.”
Isaiah 43:1-2

For the past several months the earth has been slipping out from under the lives of millions of people. A tremendous cyclone tears through Myanmar taking the lives of tens of thousands. Then an earthquake hits in China and tens of thousands again perish. Then the floods and tornadoes come to the Midwestern United States and still another flood in China forces a million people to flee.

To go where?

Where can we go to be absolutely safe? Such a place doesn’t exist.

I have never been through any natural disaster that comes anywhere close to what these people have experienced. Hurricane Katrina was devastating but Houston came away from the experience untouched. I was just north of Mount St. Helens when it erupted, the sound of the eruption woke us all up, but we didn’t even get any ash until two weeks later when it had circled the earth. I’ve never even been touched by a flood. So I hesitate to even know what to say other thank thinking out loud from my point of view.

Such disasters certainly put our lives into perspective. They tear down the illusory wall of control behind which we live our lives. They teach us about the utter fragility of life. They destroy any sense that we are in charge of much of anything.

Homes and businesses and schools and buildings topple like sandcastles at the close of the day. Flood waters scour the signs of civilization and replace it with the scars of nature gone wild.

And we are reminded of what really matters to us. Life matters to us! Things go away and it hurts for a moment. People go away and life is diminished forever.

The people of ancient Israel experienced such devastation. Sometimes at the hands of invading armies seeking profit and exploitation. Sometimes at the shocking eruption of volcanoes and the raging waters of flooding rivers. They had no tools to measure these events, no real signs that they were coming. They only had one answer – God must be punishing us.

So it is a remarkable sign of faith that the prophets turn the tables from destruction to encouragement with the reminder that God can’t be blown away by a crumbling mountain or swept away by the waters of a flood. Rather, God can be and is with them through it all.

Not an impersonal timepiece maker God but a personal God, one who has created us, who knows us, who has called us by name. To know such God is with us means the world when the world disappears under our feet.

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, we watch with horror and wonder as the reports come to us about the untold suffering that millions have been experiencing. You have heard the prayers, we pray that you come now out of hiding to bring comfort to those who are hurting, who are grieving, who are forced now to rebuild lives out of what now remains. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
______________
Pastor Kerry Nelson

Stewardship of the Earth

Bishop Margaret Payne sent out her latest thoughts and I post them here for all to see. She is thinking about stewardship.

Practice Usufruct

By Bishop Margaret G. Payne, New England Synod, ELCA

Reprinted from the May 2007 issue of “The Lutheran Link,” the quarterly magazine of the New England Synod.

The next time you are tempted to grumble that the word “stewardship” is awkward to use in casual conversation, just be glad that I am not exhorting you to a more usufructary way of life. Author Wendell Berry likes to use the word “usufruct” which means: the right of enjoying the use and advantage of another’s property, short of the destruction or waste of its substance.

We enjoy the benefits of life on earth, God’s “property” and gift to us. In Genesis, we are reminded that God gave the dominion of earth and its creatures to man and woman. But the greedy edge of our relationship to the earth has caused us to fail in the caring stewardship that God intended. Now the earth is in danger of destruction.

At the other end of the bible, a careful reading of the book of Revelation gives a different slant than the “Left Behind” distortion of the day of judgment: “The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints and all who fear your name, both great and small, and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) We are not “saved” when we leave the earth behind. Instead, we find the wholeness that God intends in the midst of our life on earth, which includes the care of people, civil order and the environment.

Have you been actively involved in caring for the earth rather than destroying it? Fifteen years ago, the ELCA passed a social statement: “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice.” In that statement, as well as in the resolution passed last year by our synod assembly, each congregation is urged to be a center for study and caring for creation. Is there a Care for Creation Committee in your church? Have you done an energy audit for the building? Have you written a covenant to reduce energy consumption and engage in advocacy for the sake of the stewardship of the earth?

Here’s a deal: you don’t have to remember the word “usufruct” but you do need to get a copy of the ELCA’s social statement and form a group in your congregation to study it and act on it. It is prophetic and totally relevant to the present situation. It includes these prayers:

We pray, therefore, for the humility and wisdom to stand with and for creation, and the fortitude to support advocates whose efforts are made at personal risk.

We pray, therefore, for the strength to change our personal and public lives, to the end that there may be enough.

We pray, therefore, for the creativity and dedication to live more gently with the earth.

(Note: The ELCA’s social statement, “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice,” is available at http://www.elca.org/socialstatements/environment/ .)

The Lord is My Shepherd

I BELIEVE I NEED A SHEPHERD

I believe I need a shepherd.
Because I am sometimes timid and other times overconfident,
because I often don’t know the best path yet pretend I do,
because I rush into dead ends or lead others into hazardous places,
because my brightest ideas are seamed with darkness,
because the things I crave may not be what is good for me,
I need a shepherd.

I believe in Jesus, the best possible shepherd;
his wisdom leads me to the optimum opportunities,
his word comforts me when I’m anxious or afraid,
his arm steadies me when I feel weary and heavy-laden,
his wounded body displays the cost of my rescue,
I believe in Jesus, the best possible shepherd.

I believe that I do not find him but he finds me,
that I under his care by virtue of sheer grace,
the love he gives me is to be shared with others,
that he treasures my name and prepares a place for me,
that his fold transfixes earth and heaven.
I trust Jesus, the good shepherd.

3rd WEEK IN EASTER

JESUS IS COMING BACK!


A member of my parish sent me this article and I share it with you.


Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?
The Gospel of John (20: 7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Is that important? You'd better believe it!
Is that significant? Absolutely!
Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and the Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating. The servant would not dare touch the table, until the master was finished.

When the Master had finished eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table.

For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet."

The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

He is Coming Back!!!!!!!!

ARTICLE FROM HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL 2008

THE SEASON OF EASTER

CHRIST HAS RISEN!

HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

In the season of Easter we are invited to live out our resurrected lives.

Eugene Peterson writing in "Living the Resurrection" says,
"We Christians are statione, along with the children, to affirm the primacy of life over death, to give witness to the connectedness and presiousness of all life, to engage in the practice of resurrection.
We do this by gathering in congregations and regular worship before our life-giving God and our death-defeating Crhist and our life-abounding Holy Spirit. We do it by reading, pondering, teaching, and preaching the Word of Life as it is revealed in our Scriptures. We do it by baptizing men, women, and children in teh name of the Trinity, nurturing them into a resurrection life. We do it by eating the life of Jesus in the bread and wine of Eucharist. We do it by visiting prisoners, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, healing the sick, working for justice, loving our enemies, raising our children, doing our everyday work to the glory of God.
---it's all pretty ordinary. It doesn't take a great deal of training or talent to do any of it."

It's true! Living the resurrection is simply living out our daily lives under the promise of resurrection. It changes everything. It takes our ordinary lives and makes them extraordinary, life-giving. May The Risen Christ befound in your everyday life.

October 15, 2007

The Fritter Booth has not only been closed, but packed up and put away until next year. I'm so thankful for so many who gave so much of their time these past weeks to make this event a reality.

Where there things that didn't go perfectly? YES there were. Are there areas that we can improve? YES. It's these bumps in the road that allow us to grow and learn.

When we look at the big picture--hundreds of people volunteered. We sold everything we prepared to sell. No one was seriously hurt during the preparation or booth hours. This years Apple Fritter event was a blessing beyond our imagination.

Now the fun begins with a celebration of our accomplishments and a vision of how we can impact this world with the gifts we have received. Let's pray for vision and clarity of God's will.

Power and Blessings!
Pastor Jim

Open Water Dive - Sunday June 17, 2007

2007-06-21 scuba open water dive

(click on the picture above to see the rest of the photos).

Father's Day - was spent at Jamestown RI, where we did our open water dive to complete our scuba diving class. It was a wonderful day, the weather was great, but the water was still cold. The visibility was only about 10 feet. Still, we saw star fish, lobster, crab and fish. It was an amazing experience to spend time in the ocean and see what is happening down under. I'm looking forward to seeing Florida and Africa from a different perspective than on land.

Earlier this week we took our written exams and Josh beat me by one one point. I guess I am getting older when the kids score better than you on a test. I spent most of the day studying and when I went to get josh to go to class, I expected him to be studying as well, but no he was fast asleep. I think that expalins everything.

Day 14 - Sunday June 10

[SD] Last Day 2007-06-11

(click on the album to see the pictures)

I drove over to the hard top road and waited for Phillip and his family. I decided to follow them into New Castle. I meet many of the congregation. It was good to see many people who had been and Vern's branding. It seemed like a majority of those there were here at worship.
Adult Sunday school had about 15 people, of which 12 were men, with Bibles in hand. Then worship began. They began with praise songs, a prayer, then the sermon, a bible study on how to pray. It ended with a prayer by a member. It was a very different order of worship than what I'm accustom to on Sunday mornings. But it was a good sermon and very biblical. We looked up at least 20 bible passages. But I must admit that I missed the liturgy, the prayers of the people, singing of hymns and communion . I must be showing my age.

I said my good byes to Phillip and his family and headed for the airport. On the way I stopped by Mount Rushmore. I took a picture with my phone and sent it to Barbara. She was surprised. It's been almost 30 years since I was here last. It has changed, but stayed the same.

I made it to the airport with just about an hour to spare. I returned the car and got my boarding pass. But when I went to go through security, it was closed. They wait for a plane to arrive before opening it up. I made it to the gate and sat down, and looked at a paper sitting on the chair next to me. There on the front page was an article about Dewey SD and drilling for Uranium. What a strange coincidence. There are only 7 people in Dewey, not many people know where it is.

Anyway-the flights went well and we arrived in Ct around 12:45 am on Monday. It was good to see my family again. The time change of 2 hours is harder coming home than going. Looking forward to my own bed.

Day 13 - Saturday June 9

[SD] Lake Powell 2007-06-10

(Click the album to see the pictures)

Slept into 6:30 this morning. We had breakfast and I did some journaling. Took a shower and got ready for a day at the lake on a boat. Andrew another of John's sons lives and works at a ski resort just north of Custer, SD. He brought down his big boat and some friends to have a day of water skiing. The water was cold, they put on wet suits. Andrew wore his cowboy hat water skiing, it was funny. I drove the boat once I saw how things were done.
Everyone who wanted to ski, had a chance then the friends needed to go and we just putted around the edge of the lake fishing and seeing the sights. On the far end were some big rocks about 40 and 60 feet up in the air, and kids were jumping off into the water. We watched for a while and then headed in. We loaded the boat and packed up. The sun and water zap your energy as much as work.

On the way home we drove around the Holme's ranch. It was a large area of timber, with some vista's that are just breath taking. I took some pictures. As we were heading for home, Phillip and his wife Kimberly stopped by. We visited and I made arrangements to go with them to church in New Castle, WY. The attend a mission congregation of the Evangelical Free church, they meet in a senior center. They use projection for singing. I wanted to see how it worked.

Day 12 - Friday June 8

Woke up this morning to a hard freeze, 28 degrees. We had breakfast at the camper. Then we packed up and moved the camper down to a pasture area, so that as john checks the cattle, he has a place to stay. We got it moved, leveled, powered up and ready.

Then we jumped on 4 wheelers to find the calf that was having problems. We found it and treated it. It just fell over, it was so bloated. Hopefully it will be ok. We ate lunch at the trailer. It was already 78 degrees by noon, didn't need a jacket.

The rest of the morning we drove the 4 wheelers around a pasture checking fence. We found so very old barbwire that has only a single wire. John gave me a piece. Then on the way home we stopped at the holding pasture where there was a flat bed trailer that need to be brought home. We emptied the water out of the tanks. Then we changed a tire. I went and picked up the electric fencer and battery. Then we loaded up the tanks and equipment. The truck hauled it up the steep bank and once on top we loaded the 4 wheeler. We made it home just fine.

Around 4 pm we headed for New Castle, Wyoming so I could look at a western store. I found a few gifts and then we went to Pamyda and got a new phone of john. I helped hook it up at home. Called home and prepared for my trip home.

Day 11 - Thursday June 7

Today I slept in until 7:30 am. I showered and had breakfast. Margie washed my clothes, as I have nothing left to ware. We plan to go to the allotment and fix fence, move water tanks and go to a Gideon's meeting. We plan to sleep at the camper tonight and then come back tomorrow. Saturday we are going to see Andrew up by Lead, SD.

Today the wind is blowing very strong. It will be different not to be on a horse today, as I have ridden almost every day so far. We were calculating that I must have ridden over 75 miles so far, and this would be a modest estimate. I have some wear spots, but not much soreness, as I remember having. I guess all that gym work-works.

John and I went to the allotment and moved a water tank. We put together some 1 1/4" pipe and then set the tank on a flatter piece of ground. Then we took the 4 wheelers and checked the cattle. We were looking for a certain calf that had scours. We didn't find it , but we did see 5-6 elk. The Elk just stood there and watched us get closer, so I could get some pictures. Every time I've been here I've seen elk. They are big animals.

Tonight we went to a Gideon's meeting. I ate with them and then went to look in some stores while they had their business meeting. I found a few items as gifts for family. Were at the camper now, for the night. It's cold out, they had freeze warnings out for the area. Glad were in a camper and not in a tent.

Day 10 - Wednesday June 6

[SD] Powder River Wednesday 2007-06-06

(click on the album to see the pictures)

Today I woke up before anyone and took a shower. I stank and couldn't stand myself anymore. I spent some time writing this journal. It's 6 am now and Spencer and Philip are the only ones up. They are outside checking animals. Today we finish working the dry cows we brought over yesterday. Then I think we might be done. I guess we'll wait and see.
We went over to Lester Lake after breakfast. We saddled up the horses. Then we worked the dry cows through the chute. They were pregnancy checked, vaccinated if pregnant, or culled if they were open. We were done around 10:30 am. Then we mounted the horses and moved the cows that were to be kept and combined them with the cows and caves.

We are to move the cattle to another pasture, this will be our last cattle drive. We moved them to the Big West pasture. It took until 2:30 in the after noon. We had to drive them not only into the pasture, but then another 5 miles to water. We went through a big gap and the wind was blowing over 40 miles/hour. A couple of the girls lost their caps. We then rode back to headquarters for lunch and headed home.

We stopped at Casper, Wyoming at a cowboy store, but it closed at 5:30 pm and we arrived at 6 pm. Imagine stores closing in CT at 5:30 on a week day. They wouldn't get much business, but this shows the difference between the West and East. Agriculture based towns can take time during the day to get things they need. Any way we just headed for home. We got to Philips house around 9pm. I had supper with him and then headed to John and Margie's around 10pm. We talked for another hour, so it was close to 12:30 pm before we headed to bed. It was 275 miles to Powder River from John and Margie's house. The last 25 miles into the ranch was dirt road.

The Powder River Cattle Drive will be one for the ages in my life. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do something quiet like it. But I know that I shall never forget it. It reminded me of the wilderness that the Bible talks about, desolate, but beautiful, tempting but dangerous. Wow-it's Big Country.

Day 9 - Tuesday June 5

[SD] Powder River Tuesday 2007-06-06

(Click on the album to see pictures)

Today, everyone over-slept. We were tired. Phillip and I woke up at 6 am. Everyone else slept until 6:30 and then we woke them as breakfast was ready. Today we are to brand, vaccinate, castrate and ear tag the caves. We headed over to Lester Lake ( this is where the horses are in a corral). When we arrived it took almost an hour to find the cattle (small pastures are still big out here). Once we found them, we drove them to the corral and separated the cows and caves. We roped, branded, vaccinated, castrated, and ear tagged the caves. I was a wrestler today. For awhile I held small caves by myself, as we were short on help. Philip castrated. Alana Vaccinated and ear tagged. Travis branded. Colt roped. Nate and Arthur held the big caves. Susan helped Alana. Then a couple others showed up and then I had help holding. Jodi helped me hold the caves. Spencer roped. Once we were done, we went to gather more caves in the Cotton wood pasture. Nate and I gathered about 200 headed of cattle. We then helped sort after driving them across the pasture. We then drove Paulton's cattle across the creek area back to Lester Lake. We branded the caves in that group. Then we worked some of the cows. While we were gathering, some of the crew worked the other cows. They dipped them, vaccinated and pregnancy checked the dry cows.
It wasn't a big day, we branded about 42 caves in all. We even branded three caves at the end of the day that had to be trailered in. On the way home we learned the ranch is about 10 miles by 25 miles. That's a lot of ground.
Tonight we ate supper outside on a picnic table. It must have been around 9:30-10 pm. We had pulled beef, hamburgers, salad, desserts. We sat around and listened to stories that Dan the manger of the ranch told of experiences by friends in Wyoming. It was a late night, but we were satisfied with our work and the good food made the day end magically.

Day 8 - Monday June 4

Were now at the Paulton's ranch in Power River. We got up at 4:45am and had breakfast of eggs and gravy and bi. He took lunches and then headed for the pastures. Some of them are 10,000 acres. We road all day up and down the gullies looking for cows and caves, pushing them to the South. We road at least 15 miles if not more. It was amazing country. Near the end of the day we pushed some of the found cows to a pasture. 4 wheelers were driving them, one of them got stuck and Phillip roped it and he and his horse pulled it up the hill.

We could just see the main heard being driven back to the coral about 5 miles off. Our horses were just too played out to catch them. We were trying to decide what to do when we could see a truck and trailer coming our way. We road the 5 miles easy and then trailered our horses back to the coral. The wrangler had brought the trailer with fresh horses to catch the main heard. They headed off and we loaded our horses drove the trailer. The main heard arrived at the coral where the horses were staying, about the same time we arrived in the truck. It took a long time to drive, the trailer was loaded with 10 horses. We moved some heifers before the main heard arrived. Then we unsaddled, feed and watered the horses. They were glad to be done for the day. We headed to the headquarters for supper. We ate around 9 pm. Then turned in. Tomorrow is a day of branding and sorting of cows and caves.

Day 7 - Sunday June 2

[SD] Powder River 2007-06-05

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We went to church this morning in Edgemont, SD. Today went to John and Margie's church, a Southern Baptist. I went to the education hour. Then went to church. The pastor asked if I would give the opening prayer for worship. I also sang in the choir. It was a beautiful day to worship God. John drove me around Edgemont. Then we went home and had a steak dinner and I packed for Powder River, Wyoming.

Some of the neighbor's lease a ranch north of Powder River, Wyoming. It is a ranch that has 95,000 acres, which means it's size is 10 miles by 25 miles. The smallest pasture is 10,000 acres. We are going to gather up around 100 head of cows and caves. It's a chance of a life time for me.

I left for Philip's around 2pm. We waited until around 3:30 when the Paulton's came with their trailer. We loaded up 4 horses and tack. I drove Philip in my car. We headed for Powder River, Wyoming. It's a ranch with 95,000 acres. It took about 4 hours to drive. We stopped in Lusk and picked up another guy. Then we stopped in Casper, Wyoming for supper.

The last hour was spent on dirt roads that we could only go about 20 miles/hour. It was 25 miles back off the main road.

We slept in a bunkhouse for the night.

Day 6 - Saturday June 2

[SD] Branding Cattle 2007-06-02

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Today we went to Vern Hovland's ranch and helped him with branding. He had 200 head of cattle, and the caves had not been branded, ear tagged, casterated or vaccinated. We trailered the horses up to a cannon and then road them up to his place. We pushed the cows as we went.

There were around 20 people who helped. We sorted the caves from the cows and then pushed them into a roping pen. The ropers would heel the caves, drag them to the open area, where a grounds crews would throw the calf, brand, vaccinate, ear tag and castrate the bulls.

I put ear tags in the heifers. It was a fun day. Everyone had a good time. We ate
Lunch then worked the cows. They needed fly dip and vaccinations. It was one of the last brandings of the season. It was kind of a ranching party. I had a great time.