Halloween Preview ~ Part II



The Senator



"The Club" is having their annual Halloween Party/Costume Contest tonight. I am staying home.  People in bars with masks scare me.  I like the peace and quiet of my little cottage.  So I drove this crew to "The Club" just a little while ago. 

The Senator is in the middle.  Not telling you the others until tomorrow!

I just got a text from Ma Carlson.  She and Pa Carlson are at the Club tonight.  She said she had no idea who the Senator was until he took off his mask.  Ha!  Good!  The disguise worked!

Now she's texting, trying to get me to reveal the other two. 

She said, "Who's the blond?" 

I said, "Hmmmmm. . . "  

I just love to keep her guessing.

I will leave you for now, with a pix of the texting cowboy priest.

"Hi C.A., wish u wer here"

from the range, peace

kathleen

the handy girl

~Update~

Here is the reveal from last night.

Oh, look, it's the Ambassador, the Rodeo Queen, and the Senator



Halloween ~ A Preview

Booo-haaaaaa-haaa-ha!

You guessed it!  Yep, that is Patrick on the left. I bet you saw that little twinkle in his blue eyes, didn't you?

It's year two for being a werewolf, after seven years being a cowboy.  I love how he likes to keep it the same. Keeps it easy for me.

At school, the kids parade around the Great Hall in their costumes.  Here are some more faces for you to enjoy. . .

O.K. so you just got a glimpse of what is to come.  Halloween is tomorrow and this town does it up right.  We are preparing for our 3rd Annual Halloween gathering.  I cook up stuff, the Senator tends to the bonfire, and Patrick hits the streets with his buddies. 

More to come. . .

You're just gonna love it. . .

 

from the range, peace,

kathleen

the handy girl

It's Finally Here ~ The BBR ~ The Badlands Buffalo Roundup

The Buffalo ~ those little unassuming brown spots in the distance

They are out there.

Buffalo.

Badlands Buffalo.

800 of them. 

The Senator had been hired to find them. The big, brown beasts were hiding in every nook and cranny on the range that encompasses the Badlands National Park.

Did you know that almost three million people visit the Park each year? Many come to see the buffalo, if they can find them. 

You see, the buffalo don't really hang out along the "Loop Road," which is the main road most tourists travel when they visit the Badlands.  On the Loop Road, one can expect to travel on a winding road, and see lots of striped spires and craggy crevices, but not buffalo.  Oh, an occasional deer, antelope, or Bighorn sheep might be spotted, but not buffalo.

No, No, No, the buff like the wide open spaces of the western edge of the Badlands - The Range. And this is where the story begins. . .

The Senator spent three days, on horseback, helping a handful of ranchers gather the scattered buffalo.  A bunch of National Park workers, with walkie-talkies and BWP's (big, white pick-ups) helped also.
An early morning meeting established the days doings.  Then the riders headed off toward the horizon to gather up the beasts. Some days the guys traveled 25 or 30 miles.

And they're off!

There they are.  Can you see them?  On the upper, left side of the pix. 
Now go gett-em boys.  

They would gather some, move them, gather more,  and move them.  At strategic points, on top of the ridges, waited the BWP's.  The pick-ups would then move behind the buffalo and "push" them in the direction of the corrals.  The Senator said this was easier said than done, and he was glad he was horseback.  He wasn't particularly fond of the BWP's.  (Sorry guys and gals.)

The BWP's

 On to the corrals.  They are big. They are about ten feet high.  They are solid.  Let's put it this way, if you were alone and got caught in one, (why this would happen is beyond be, but I'm just sayin. . .) you would never be able to escape the confines of it.  I would liken the experience to something out of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." You know, the kids drop down into "no-where-ville," never to be seen again?  Ahhhhhh!

Seriously.  The walls are ten feet high.  No escaping.  None.

The Catwalk - the safe place to be

John Deere pushes the big wall.

Once the big buggers are in the corrals, they are checked for disease.  I guess they also do some sort of genetic testing, too. Then the buffalo are released, back to roam the range.

The Senator experienced three days of the roundup. I simply heard stories, each evening, around the campfire. Well, not exactly the campfire, more like around the kitchen table with soup bubbling on the stove. The Senator has all the details. I just got the big picture. Speaking of pictures, here are some more of them.



P.S. all of the pictures on today's post were taken by the Senator.
(I'm just sayin'. . . )

If I can get him off the range long enough, I'll have him add a post about his experiences on the BBR.  For now, you got a glimpse of a bi-annual tradition out here on the EDGE, no, I guess, IN the Badlands. 

from the range, peace,

kathleen

the handy girl

  

Coming Soon. . . The BBR

Stay tuned.  You won't want to miss this one.



Buffalo.  Badlands Buffalo.
More to come. . .

from the range, peace,
kathleen
the handy girl

Look What We Found!

Look!  There are two of them!

And, well, we didn't really find them.  They were just kind of on loan.  Yea, like a library book - Take it, use it for a while, then return it.  Nice, huh?
 Their mother lets us check out, er, ah, well have them, when she has to go off and do her coaching job.  Win or lose, regardless of how her team does, for us it is a "win-win" situation.  You see, Patrick gets to have that brother and sister he has always wanted, and the Senator gets to change poopy diapers. Perfect!

They are little cherubs.  They love track-toes, ap-poes, and cows.  Oh, and they love that new show on the "Green Planet" channel called "The Last American Cowboys."  They love it because we can sit and eat ap-poes, while they watch for track-toes and cows. 

Then we all fall alsleep in the living room until Mom comes to pick them up. 
  

Her hair.  It is soft and smooth, just like a newborn baby. 
I want to touch it everyday.

You know, I think 'ol Hillary Clinton was right on this one, sometimes it does "take a village to raise a child."  And we're happy to help.

from the range, peace,
kathleen
the handy girl 

Fall on the Range




range leaves

 This is fall on the range.  There is still a lot of green, a whole lotta brown, and little smatterings of yellow.  I like it.  It's not Owen Lake colors, but it will do.


Here are some pix for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy the colors of the range.





Click on the picture to enlarge it.  Then jump right into the picture and experience it all!



Gobble, Gobble.  This is PERFECT turkey hunting territory.

Can you see them hiding under the trees?  Look very carefully.

Usually there are about a dozen turkeys out sunning themselves in the tall grass.





leaves and needles and twigs

golden leaves and green pines

yellow on the forest floor

There was frost on the pumpkin this mornin'.  I had to scrape the windows on "The Duke." I guess it's time to get the skis down and start waxin' 'em up.

from the range, peace,

kathleen

the handy girl

A Church Festival, A Silent Auction, and Halftime Snacks

The Fruits of THEIR Labor

Today, a crisp and clear fall day, was the Our Lady of Victory Church's annual festival/turkey dinner.  Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and dessert were served to the community. The church basement had a steady stream of folks taking in the turkey and the silent auction. 


Being the "Silent Auction Queen,"  I couldn't resist a couple of the items.  Two bikes were donated  by Ruby and Lennie.  Ruby had informed me earlier in the week, "Those bikes have only been ridden about ten minutes."  So, I was hot on the trail to get those bikes.  After the Senator took a look at them, he said, "Go for it."  BINGO!  That was all I needed. 


With five minutes left in the auction, and I put in my final bid.  Five, four, three, two, one. . . SOLD!  I got the bikes, along with two jars of Barbara's Russian pickles.  I knew I had those pickles locked in, so the level of excitement for those wasn't that high.


ready to hit the trail

 Mass followed the festival, which was also the start-time of the Vikes vs. the Cowboys game.  Oh dear, such a dilemma.  Thank goodness for that recording button. 


At the end of Mass, Father Bryan says, "Go in peace to serve the Lord."  Patrick looks at me and quietly says, "Mom, I hope it's OK, but I prayed that the Vikings would win today."  I think Brett would have needed that prayer, so I told him it was OK, just this ONE time.


So we headed home and fast-forwarded through the game and caught up to "real time."  Though our stomachs were pretty full of turkey, I just had to make snacks.  Little Smokies and Barbara's Russian pickles finally got to the living room in the 4th quarter.  Eat, Yell, Eat, Oh, Eat, Nooooooo, Eat, Ahhh, Eat, Yessss!  Game over.  Vikes win. Whew!  The power of prayer, huh?

Brett, Tony, would you like a Little Smokie?


How 'bout one of Barbara's pickles?

Oh, I guess, Brett, you'll just take the win.  We will too.  Patrick already has his Brett Favre jersey set out to wear tomorrow.

Right now, Patrick and the Senator are out in the back forty tossing the ball around, using the last five minutes of daylight.  They're reliving some of the great plays from the game.    

from the range, peace,
kathleen
the handy girl

PASS, PUNT, and PISS



"The Sports Complex"


"Pass, Punt, and Piss" - Seriously, that is what the dear Mr. Announcer said at the football game, under the Friday Night Lights. . . "At half-time, we'll be awarding trophies to the winners of the PASS, PUNT, and PISS competition."  Oh dear, he was just mortified.  Can you stand it?


It was Homecoming, and after the noontime parade down Main Street, the Pass, Punt and Kick competition was held at our amazing "Sports Complex."  It really is amazing.  (Dad, I know you'd "just love it!")

The Senator and Patrick headed out to the field for a little practice, before it all got started.  It wasn't long before a whole group of boys and girls were gathered around practicing with them. 

I learned my lesson at last year's track meet, where I was a bit overly excited, so I sat with my friend, the postmaster bartending candy-maker, and watched QUIETLY from the bleachers. 

The competition began, and I remained quiet.  (Really. I did.  Ask the postmaster bartending candy-maker.  Even she was amazed!) Patrick had some pretty tough competition.  You know the type:

•  the smartest kid in class and EVERYTHING is easy for him
• the local street kid who is a natural athlete
• the nice, big Native American kid who is one head taller than the rest of the group
• the coach's kid
• the high school football star's son
• the kid who won last year and thinks he'll just automatically win again
• the Catholic kid who goes to Mass every Sunday
• the kid who is running around like a chicken with his head cut off and doesn't even know he is at the "Sports Complex"

When the competition was over, everyone headed downtown to the "Auditorium," which is really the basketball venue/court. The local businesses put on a free pancake feed.  The results of the PPK were announced at the feed.

WELL, lo and behold, our son, who I will remind you was a mere four pounds at birth, got second place!  The local street kid/natural athlete got first, and the really nice, tall, Native kid got third.  Both boys are Patrick's good friends, so we were so glad for all of them. 

1st, 2nd, and 3rd

That evening, at the game, during halftime, the boys got to go down on the field to get their ribbons and trophies.  The announcer was still a bit wrangled about his goof, so they asked me to announce the winners. 

 It was so fun to say, "Second place, The Pooksta (wait, no, I mean Patrick Brown)."  It just gave me the tingles.

Patrick got to wear Sam Pretty Bear's jersey to the game.  We love Sam Pretty Bear!

I know the Senator was really proud, too.  He made Patrick stay up until midnight the night before to practice place kicking and punting. . . in the rain, I might add! Oh, where is Gino Cappelletti when we need him?

So another year of Pass, Punt, and Piss, ah, I mean Kick, has passed.  We will hope for another winning effort next year.  (Uncle Bobby, please send your PPK jacket.) 

from the range, peace,
Kathleen
The Handy Girl

This Is "The Duke"



The Duke, ready to cross the White River

 I confess - I LOVE THE DUKE!  The Duke is my new ride.  I got him late this summer. 

• He is fun. 
• His is NOT fast. 
• His top comes off. 
• He rattles and rolls. 
• He is black and green.
• His lights don't always work.
• He has a mind of his own. 
• He is a Suzuki.
• AND I love him. 

The Senator and the son started saying, "Are we going to take the Sa-zoooook?" 

This past weekend, while staying at The Pines, small girl, Rosie, rode in the "Sa-zoooook." 

She would hear the Senator say to me, "Are you going to take the Sa-zoooook?" 

Early on Monday, she headed outside, preparing to head to town with me.  I was still in the cabin when she came back in and said, "Are we gonna take "The Duke?"

"The Duke?"  I looked at Ma Carlson with a look of wonder. 

It then hit both of us. . . of course.  . . The Duke IS the Sa-zooook!

My dear 1987 Suzuki will forever be named "The Duke."

You will definitely hear more about him.

But in the meantime, here are some shots taken of "The Duke"  on a recent trip to the River Rock Ranch, along the White River.  We crossed the river and did some serious four-wheelin'.

Oh, why not?  Here are a couple of pictures of the son, too.  He's cleaning up in the White River at the River Rock Ranch.

The sun was just setting.  Look at how it is shining on the Badlands in the distance. . . Oh, look at the cute boy, too.

 The Duke. . . more to come. . .

From the range, peace,

Kathleen

The Handy Girl

"THE PINES"

This is The Pines.  It was sunny and clear the day I took this picture.  We spent the long weekend at The Pines.  It was not always sunny and clear. 

Ma  and Pa Carlson live at the Pines with their small girls, Rosie and Miss America.  Pa is a rancher and chases cows and rides horses.  Ma cooks and takes care of the little ones.  They all live in a cabin, nestled in the woods, thus the name, The Pines.  They love living at The Pines, however they are not particularly fond of the darkness at night, bats and mice.  In that order, I might add.  

We spent the weekend at The Pines because the boys had some "gathering" to do, and we had Monday off, due to it being "Native American Day."  For those of you living "East River," that would be Columbus Day. . . go figure, huh?

We gathered at The Pines on Friday evening, then headed to bed early, as the boys and little Rosie had to rise at five a.m. to get to work.  The morning started out drizzly and a bit nippy, but the crew headed down the road.  About eight a.m., a call came to Ma.  Little Rosie was wet and cold and wanted no part of the gathering.  So Ma, Miss America, and I headed down the trail in old "duke."  We found Rosie wet and a little worse-for-the-wear, and loaded her into the warm vehicle.  Ma had to ride the horse to the neighbor's house, but that is a whole different story in itself!

Pa, the Senator, and Patrick, along with a bunch of other ranchers and their "hands," continued on the trail, in the chilly, constant rain. 




"Gathering"

 



Heading toward the White River



Crossing the White River





"The Boys"
 (That's my little boy, third from the left.  The Senator is in the yellow slicker.  That's Pa Carlson third from the right. )



Almost the End of the Trail



"My Carol" served the boys her homemade chili and apple crisp when they were finished with their work.  Then the boys made their way back down to The Pines. 

The road was wet and wild.  You see, this land gets just plain "gummy" when it rains.  Gummy is not good.  It is slick.  It is slimey.  It is like glue.  It is not fun. It is not fair. 



Gum. Mud. Boots.



Because of the "gum," we ended up at staying at The Pines until Monday afternoon.  We were stranded.  It was like a good ol' fashioned snowstorm, without the snow.  We were saved by a dozen eggs, a pound of butter, three zucchini the size of small pigs, a freezer full of cow, a couple of bags of chips and one big, round hunk of fresh mozzarella cheese.  Ma Carlson and I got pretty creative with the goods on hand.




Ma Carlson and I headed up the Badlands with the girls late Sunday afternoon. This is a view of the cabin, nestled in the pines.  It's down there somewhere, trust me.

 

By late afternoon on Sunday, the sun started to peak out.  Pa Carlson had to go do some ranch work.  The Senator and Patrick decided to stay back to site-in Patrick's new 22 Henry rifle.  I want to be sure to emphasize it is a "Henry" rifle.   To  some of you out there, that means something.  To me it means nothing.  I just know Patrick loves it.  That means something to me.  Ma Carlson and I headed up the Badlands with the little girls and sat a spell. 

We were able to head down the road by mid-morning on Monday.  Ma and the small girls needed a ride into town, so I took them in "the duke."  The Senator and Patrick loaded the horses in the trailer and headed out first.  They were going to stop along the way to maybe take in some "shootin." 

I arrived home before they did, and when they got home quite a while later, they told me they shot a small bird, but missed a turkey.

I asked, "What kind of small bird?"

They both replied, "A small bird.  We don't know what kind." 

Hmmmmm. . . Sounds like we'll be heading to the library for a "Birds of the Badlands" book this week. 

All I know is Patrick got to shoot "Henry." 

 AND I'm still trying to figure out how he missed the BIG turkey and got the small bird?

On to the Vikings vs. the Jets.  This is serious stuff at our house.

From the range, peace,

Kathleen

The Handy Girl