This site uses cookies for analytics and to improve your experience. By clicking Accept, you consent to our use of cookies. Learn more in our privacy policy.

Posts

Posted on

The Day Big Boy Steamed Through

A few weeks ago, while watching the news, I learned something exciting was to happen in our town. On July 16th, one of the only working Union Pacific Big Boy engines would be steaming through our little town. Without knowing the exact time, I wrote an entry into my daily journal so we wouldn’t forget.

Yesterday, the early morning news reminded us again that the Big Boy was sitting at the biggest little city to the west and would soon roll east.

In our little town, we have a few parks. There’s Out-of-Town Park that is out of town. Then, there is the In-Town-Park, which is in town. Another stretch of empty land used to be the home of the Burning Man Artichoke. A thing of beauty made of flattened bottle caps.

This sculpture was a favorite of mine until the entire thing was removed. They didn’t ask our permission, but removed it quietly in the night, citing safety issues. Okay, there was a ladder to the second story and in today’s world, that could be a deadly feature. At any rate, it’s gone.

That piece of empty land is sandwiched between Main Street and the railroad track, so I’ll name that land Beside-the-Tracks Park. When HHH realized I would pester him until we were standing there waiting for the train to pass, he agreed that we’d go. Being a long time local, he knew exactly the place we’d park.

Well, one thing led to another and with some distractions, suddenly it was 10:03 and I hadn’t checked the Big Boy Locomotive tracker. The train was now speeding towards our town. We hoped we’d have time to make it to the tracks. On an earlier outing, HHH reported two cars next to the track, so neither of us were thinking many people would be there.

At this point, we had another 20 minutes to wait. We weren’t paying attention to the parking lot behind us as it quickly filled up. Hundreds of locals were all waiting to wave as the Union Pacific Big Boy Locomotive steamed by on its way to the next stop.

This engine is the biggest steam engine IN THE WORLD and it rolled right through the center of town. Right past senior citizens and babies alike. A historical day that saw all of us sweating through the desert heat to witness.

We could hear it before we could see it. And then, it was rolling through.

Just like that, the excitement was over. Please note the size of the engine compared to the small SUV to the side!!!!! It was truly worth the wait to see this coal driven engine steaming along our track. Something I’ll never forget.

The train is returning home to Cheyenne, Wyoming after its Westward Bound Tour.

Whatever you do today, watch the news. Perhaps there is something wonderful steaming through your town. Somethings only happen once in a lifetime. HHH and I are so lucky we experienced this!

More tomorrow.

Posted on

Don’t Mess With the Widow

There are some days life requires you to put on your big-girl pants and stand up for yourself. Sometimes, there isn’t another person that can take the wheel. That someday came last Friday. But, I’ll start from the beginning.

After months and months of dealing with a professional, my relationship with this person finally ended last week. Last fall, I needed a service and this person came highly recommended. The service needed was easily provided by this professional and we agreed on a price, although the final bill ended up being higher.

With details carefully discussed, I trusted this person would be true to his word. I wasn’t requesting brain surgery or anything quite so serious. Just a service that he’d provide for an agreed price. With a hand shake we were off.

After 9 months and four visits to retrieve, repair, retrieve, repair, and retrieve the project, it was finally corrected and finished. A professional project shouldn’t have taken this long. It wasn’t an oil painting or a lengthy novel. Two months later, when I needed the item, I realized, ANOTHER glaring error.

To get the project corrected and finished, I called upon inner strength, courage, intelligence, patience, and organizational skills. I had to negotiate for corrected results in a professional way. I researched government agencies that would help me if I didn’t find cooperation. Then, I went to work.

Snail-mail letters are highly effective when dealing with problems in life. If you have a keyboard and printer, take the time to write down facts about your problem in an organized way, avoiding feelings. One thing to remember about effective negotiations is that things go well when you leave out emotions like anger. Just the facts, Ma’am.

I was careful to remind the gentleman that taking advantage of a widow (which I most certainly was at the time) is a terrible thing to do. No one should EVER take advantage of a widow and expect to get away with it. The bible talks about that.

After receiving the letter, the professional corrected the project for the last time. After examining his work very carefully, I agreed to accept the finished project. It was then I quietly asked about the refund that I certainly deserved after nine months of nonsense.

??????

I was offered a dinner and a show.

As a woman, always remember to consider all options before speaking. Know your bottom line. I did consider this offer for about 15 seconds before I replied, “That’s not going to work for me.”

In the next breath he offered me a complete refund that was gratefully and graciously accepted. With a hand shake, our story came to a close.

As a senior citizen, (perhaps widowed), remember that you have a voice. It’s not okay for younger, more professional or educated people to take advantage. Your time, energy, and frustration are all worth something. Right is right. No one will advocate for you better than YOU, but it’s up to you to speak your mind.

The professional and I shook hands on the deal and all’s well that ends well. My refund came in the mail yesterday, paid in full. Thank goodness there are still people that are honorable when things go wrong. No hard feelings. Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes your the bug. I wasn’t going to be the bug this time. Don’t ever accept victim status. Not healthy.

Whatever you do today, take care of loose ends. If you are in the middle of righting a wrong, take a deep breath and continue. The truth will prevail. Patience as you carry on.

More tomorrow.

Posted on

Saturday’s Grief

Somethings are best left unsaid while waiting for answers to explain the unthinkable. But, there are those that have a right to speak when their family has been the target of an attack. These are powerful words to consider written by a woman who came very close to becoming a widow on Saturday after at the hands of evil.

July 14, 2024

“I am thinking of you, now, my fellow Americans.

We have always been a unique union. America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascend and bring us back together as one.

While I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change. I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement who risked their lives to protect my husband.

To the families of the innocent victims who are now suffering from this heinous act, I humbly offer my sincerest sympathy. Your need to summon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me.

A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald’s passion – his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. The core facets of my husband’s life – his human side – were buried below the political machine. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best and worst of times.

Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment – until death- is at serious risk. Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings.

We are all humans, and fundamentally, instinctively, we want to help one another. American politics are only one vehicle that can uplift our communities. Love, compassion, kindness, and empathy are necessities.

And, let us remember that when the time comes to look beyond the left and right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with the passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in the earthly realm.

Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now.

This morning, ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends. We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships again.

I am thinking of you, my fellow Americans.

The winds of change have arrived. For those of you who cry in support, I thank you. I commend those of you who have reached out beyond the political divide – thank you for remembering that every single politician is a man or a woman with a loving family.

Melania Trump

Take a little time today to think about her words. She’s not a politician. Just a wife that went through something horrible on Saturday. We could all learn something from her letter.

More tomorrow.

Posted on

Then And Now

Harvesting food and flowers from Winterpast, I can’t help but remember how the gardens have changed since I came here in April of 2020. Moving into a new home, I had no idea if I could even keep anything alive, yet alone help it to thrive. Alone and terrified of the responsibility, the need for greenery and my own space outweighed my fear.

During the first two years, I ran into some huge problems. The air conditioning unit died, causing an unexpected expense of huge proportions. There was no choice when living in the desert.

Then, there was the problem with the lift station for the sewer system. What a shocker it was when it stopped working. Even more eye opening when I was told a new unit would cost another $5,000. If not for the kindness of a neighbor, I would’ve never known the broken equipment was owned and maintained by my city.

At that point, I began to question the wisdom of owning a home as a widow. So many different things to understand, diagnose and fix. Many, many things I’d learned about while farming and doing renovations. For that information, I’ll be eternally grateful.

And then, there were continual problems with the very complicated irrigation system that’s grown Winterpast into the beautiful oasis she is. From split lines to the need for burrowing deep into the ground to find bigger leaks, a desert garden requires high intense maintenance.

The other day, I was looking through some pictures and was a bit shocked. They tell the tale of how things have changed around here. HHH and I are so blessed to enjoy this paradise that is our Winterpast.

Then.
Now.
Then.
Now.

With faith, hope, patience, and hard work, dreams do come true.

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, look closely at the path your life has taken throughout the past five summers. Although some changes might’ve been tough, try to focus on the beauty you’ve enjoyed along the way. Life is a blessing. Now, go enjoy your weekend.

Posted on

Latest on the Bees

Summer around here is extremely hot this year. At 5:00 this morning the temp was already 77 outside with an expected high of 108 today. The older I get, the more intolerant of extreme temperatures I become. 105 degrees is just about the hottest day I want to suffer through, even though I will forever love the desert and all she has to offer.

ilovethedesertilovethedesertilovethedesert

The plants in our garden are giving us mixed messages. Some love the hot summer and others have decided their growing season is over. We were so lucky to have enjoyed the lovely blooms as long as we have.

The Black-Eyed Susan’s grown from seeds don’t care a lick about the desert highs. They are putting on a beautiful show and the bees are thankful. These gorgeous flowers will bloom all summer and then go to sleep until next year. Next year they’ll come back from rhizomes they are creating now. A great choice for both us and the bees.

As for the bees, the news is better than it was last week. They are indeed storing honey away for the winter while producing more bees. Our queen continues doing her job in spite of the hot temperatures. The internal temperature of a hive must remain between 93 – 97 degrees in all seasons. They maintain this in a variety of ways, which is pretty amazing on its own. We may see some bearding in the afternoon when they come out near the entrance and fan their wings to create a draft inside.

The Bee Lady paid us a visit yesterday taking away some of our abundant apricot crop. She went home to can 28 quarts. Now, THAT is a lot of work on a hot summer day. Our tree is a magnificent producer, but with these extreme temps, much of the fruit has been lost to rot or ants. To find a friend that wants to take fruit is amazing. Apricot season will be finished by the weekend.

Next week, the plums will begin to ripen and we have a bumper crop of them, too. It seems the fruit hasn’t stopped since we picked the first cherry. Once the plums are done, we just might be picking our first “Hearts of Gold” cantaloupe. These sell out at the local festival for $10 each. Watermelon and pumpkins won’t be far after that.

The bees are now inhabiting two large brood chambers, one set on top of the other. That is their nursery, living space, and food storage. Our hive now has a smaller honey super on top, which will hold the honey we may or may not harvest in August. At least, for now, things are proceeding as they should.

Friday, The Bee Lady and her friend will treat our hive with vaporized Oxalic Acid (extremely dangerous for humans). This will knock down the Verona Mites, which are a plague to bee keepers everywhere.

As we talked today, she was marveling that bee-keepers of the 80’s would check their hives by driving by them. They wouldn’t think to stop and actually break the hive apart to check on the health of the bees. Well, now that she mentions it, that’s how I remember it so long ago when I had 40 hives. All of this intense bee wrangling is new to me, and so very necessary for a healthy hive. It was a lot easier back then.

We did find it necessary to put a queen barrier between the second large super and the smaller top super. It will allow the workers to move freely throughout the hive, while keeping the queen in her brood chamber down below to continue her constant egg laying.

That’s all the news from Winterpast for today. Retirement and honeymooning remain wonderful. Taking a break from genealogy, I’m still trying to absorb the facts I learned yesterday. Life is never dull around here! That’s for sure!!!!

More tomorrow.

Posted on

News on a Hot Summer Day

When there is nothing to do, try something new. Auntie TJ always told me boredom is a sign of a weak and lazy mind. I think Joni Mitchell sang about that, too. Not wanting to fall into that category, I was busy working on my ancestry yesterday.

Computerized genealogy is the best! I found some paper documents my mother had prepared in the 1900’s. Erasures. Arrows. Unknowns. Very limited in her access to records, she didn’t get further than the 1800’s before becoming frustrated. I’m impressed that she got as far as she did.

Yesterday, I had worked on my maternal side for some time and decided to turn my attention to my paternal ancestors.

Oy. Vey.

Never look to far into family history unless you’re ready to handle what you might find. Again, Oy. Vey.

One day, when I was a young girl, my father told me a story about the day his sister and her husband came from Los Angeles to visit in a Stuts Bearcat. This visit was quite shocking to a family that took their family cow with them to fish at the San Joaquin River. Quite a journey from Los Angeles to the Central Valley, as well.

A true status symbol, the young boy who would later grow up to be my dad couldn’t get over the beauty of the side lights. Probably the most exciting thing to happen to a sleepy little farming town in a very long, long time.

I wondered until yesterday how it was that one brother would be living a farmer’s life while raising eight children while his sister and her husband would be driving around California in a luxury car. I found my answer and it’s a shocker.

It turns out that this uncle was one of the most famous “bookies” on the west coast of America. His lovely wife raised and showed bulldogs as a hobby. They employed a Japanese housekeeper and lived the high life. Zeke and Helen Caress. Now, even as a writer with a great imagination, I couldn’t make up that name. Really? Of course, ZEKE would be a bookie.

Not just any bookie. They were part owners in Agua Caliente in Mexico. Huge racetrack and resort. There is a book written about the place I place to read soon. The bad guys I’d only heard about were doing business on a regular basis with my uncle. Go figure.

They were so wealthy that at one point, they were kidnapped for ransom along with their chauffeur. After a shootout with the police the kidnappers were found and arrested. My relatives went on their merry way, enjoying all the best Los Angeles had to offer, ending up buried in Vesperland at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Now that I think of it, another Uncle was nicknamed “Slick”.

Oy. Vey. Oy. Vey. Oy. Vey.

Well. With all that information, I had to move on. I decided that HHH’s family might be more down to earth with a bunch of Nebraskan writers. And so, I worked there a little while.

I hadn’t gone very far when I made another shocking discovery. HHH has relatives that were also Germans from Russia. In fact, we both have the “Rudolph” family name in our lineage. You can’t even imagine what a shock that was to both of us!!!!! I guess HHH will need to read “The Last Green Valley”, as well.

Whatever you do today, you might want to take a little time to review your own roots. As Auntie TJ also reminds me often, “A Family is a Family is a Family.” We all have interesting stories just waiting to be discovered. I wonder what I’ll find next! Stay tuned.

More tomorrow.

Posted on

Good Timber

Good Timber by Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

I hope that someday, when I’ve gone far away, someone compares me to Good Timber with deep roots and strong branches. You can fall for anything if you don’t stand for something. Standing for beliefs and values takes extra effort and courage at times. Doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest thing.

As I look through the decades at my ancestors, it’s obvious I came from an entire forest of strong timber. Life wasn’t handed to any of our fore fathers on a silver platter. They chose their own course in life and went for it, even when going for it was the toughest choice they could make.

Christoph and Anna Geringer — 50th Anniversary

When Christoph and a pregnant Anna (my great-grandparents) were deciding on a move to America, it would have made a lot more sense to stay put. The unknowns were deep and dark. Childbirth. Traveling through unknown and dangerous territory by foot. Depending on their faith and following their own Northern Star, they went for it. The courage and bravery of all the German’s from Russia that made the trek is awe inspiring.

Once here, they impressed upon their children the importance of education. Assimilation in the American culture was vital for success. Learning English, they became the Americans that helped build our country. They cherished the freedom that they had only read about while living under oppression in despair. In doing so, they found their own Last Green Valley.

Life in 1902 makes the troubles I faced in 2020 laughable. Too Cold? Turn up the heat. Too Hot? Turn down the AC. Hungry? Call “Door Dash” for a pizza. Just widowed? Order extra Kleenex from Amazon. The life of our forefathers made adults of children at an early age. What would they think of the state of things in 2024????????

Whatever you do today, think about being “Good Timber” in times of storms and strife. An easy life is promised to no one. In fact, if the truth be told, easy lives are a myth. With hard work and effort, some people are just good at making it look that way. So, buck up and carry on with one foot in front of the other. Life is beautiful and we are so blessed.

Posted on

Those Before Us

Last week, as afternoon temperatures soared well above the century mark, I found myself a a little bored. Having almost finished reading “The Last Green Valley”, I found myself haunted by questions about the journey my own ancestors had taken. With a new appreciation for the perils of traveling so far with a baby on the hip, I decided to go to Ancestry.com and begin.

With only my name as a beginning point, ancestors began to appear. In the beginning, they were familiar. Of course, it’s not unusual to be lucky enough to know grandparents. Mine built the very house in which I played as a child and later, grew into a woman raising her own children. My great-grandparents were a little more mysterious, most of them having died before I could memorize their face or voice.

Like images coming out of a fog, a sea of strangers appeared that possessed traits passed down through the ages to me. Reading the names of towns in which they were born, one fact remains. I am of German/Danish heritage, an undeniable fact.

To start your own journey, you simply go to Ancestry.com and choose the plan that works for you. Then you begin by searching your own name.

After a few nights of excitement from the computer, HHH became intrigued. The hook was set when I mentioned he could start his own research off my name now that we are legally hitched. And that we did.

So far, I’m just as enchanted with his stories as those of my own people. You see, he came from a family of writers who created and supported a major newspaper in the countryside of Nebraska. They were the movers and shakers of Nebraska and the East Coast. Some ran for political office, while others farmed.

One ancestor fought for the Union in the Civil War, even being a prisoner of war for a time. So far, only one of HHH’s great-great-great grandfather came from Germany. Surprising, as he is of Scottish heritage, a blue-eyed red head.

While studying different names and families, pictures and stories appeared that were downloaded by other. Details appeared that might shock some and confirm the suspicions of others. Don’t begin this journey unless you can roll with the answers you find which might be different than the ones you were sure you already knew.

One of HHH’s widowed grandmother’s homesteaded land in Nebraska while raising her young son. I would have loved to have been in her class as she taught school, or helped her in the fields after her school day was over.

While discussing these things with Auntie TJ and The Goddess of the Central Coast, the intrigue grew. How blessed I am to have Auntie TJ as a link to those names of long ago. She lived among German-speaking immigrants as the youngest of four daughters born to August and Lizzie.

She mentioned that the attending physician to her birth in a small country home was Dr. Pomeroy. After our conversation, I saw Doc Pomeroy’s name on many birth and death records. He was the country doctor who witnessed it all.

Whatever you do today, consider taking a little trip into the past to discover something new about your ancestors. Stories of those already gone is a lovely gift to share with family. Above all, stay cool while brutal heat of summer blazes on (5:54 am — 78 degrees).

More tomorrow.

Posted on

You’ve Got To BEE Kidding!

When you are dealing with 50,000 tiny animals, it’s bound to happen. Someone is going to break a wing or spike a temp. During the last month, something is going on with our hard working hive and it’s not good. They are not flourishing in abundance. They are barely holding their own here on July 4th. But, let me go back to the beginning.

We are being schooled in Bee-Keeping 101 by our beautiful friend, The Bee Lady. Having watched over bees for a very long time, she knows when to celebrate, worry, or run. We listen intently when she visits every other week to help us work our hive.

The most important lesson she has shared is that bees can kill us. A few weeks back, while enjoying a day of working bees, she was stung 8 times in the head. Suffering a huge reaction, she went into anaphylactic shock and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Rule #1. Keep phone handy. Rule #2. Keep Epi-Pen closer. Those are two rules we won’t soon forget. Luckily, with the proper medications and emergency room care, she’s fine. Since then, she’s been stung a couple more times with no reaction. Just a very weird situation that could have turned deadly.

In case you are wondering, we have two Epi-Pens. Always be ready for the unexpected.

Since our bees arrived in early spring, our teacher has been assuring us that everything has been proceeding in the right direction. Our queen has been laying eggs on schedule while awaiting the bloom of the Russian Olive. We fed the right amount of simple syrup and pollen patties. The honey flow should’ve started around June 1, but, alas, it never happened. The bees are now making enough honey for their survival. They should be making enough to overwinter.

Although every flower seedling was selectedfor the bees, they haven’t been as interested as in years past. The flowers that they should have been thankful for remain visited. The flowers that they shouldn’t be interested, such as Fox Glove, have been their favorite. (More on that one in a bit.)

Zinnia

We’ve been awaiting the sign of wayward wax on the top of their second large super to tell us it’s time for the honey flow. It hasn’t happened. In fact, the honey and pollen storage have stalled a bit, along with our queens production.

If it were just us, The Bee Lady would let us know where we went wrong. According to her (and the latest talk around town), it’s every hive in the area. No honey or pollen. Just hives that would die if winter were around the corner. Ours included. They may not be able to overwinter at this rate and we may lose this bunch to start again next year.

So many people have asked us when the honey will be ready. This year, it’s almost a certainty that there will be NO extra honey. We’ll be lucky if the bees can put together enough for themselves over a hard winter. And so it goes. Farming is exactly like this situation. Some years you have bumper crops. Other years, you can lose you investment in the blink of an eye. And so, we wait.

We did need to do some housecleaning for the little ones. It seems they decided to lay their comb in creative ways, not following the pattern on the ten frames in their home. Not sure why, it seems the hive construction might have been off on the proper dimensions that bees require. Even 1/2″ off can make the difference between behaved and unruly bees.

The Bee Lady and HHH took time yesterday to fix the mess. In doing so, they brought me 6 1/2 pints of raw honey to drain and place in labeled jars. Our honey name was chosen by HHH and certified by me. Winterpast Honey. Simple as that. So far, we have 14 4 0z jars of honey and 6 8 oz. jars. That’s quite a bit from just four wayward frames.

The talk around our area is that experts are on the way. They will be looking at every aspect of the hive decline in our area. Thank goodness they are coming to the rescue, for without pollinators, we’re all in trouble.

Through their struggles, the bees remain sweet and calm. They are carrying on while flying in and out of the hive to forage for food. Time is running short and winter will arrive sooner than it seems. Please pray for our queen and the survival of her littles. We’re depending on it.

Whatever you do this weekend, you might want to learn a little more about bees. They are one of God’s most precious little creatures. There is still so much to learn from them. Patience is a lesson HHH and I are working on through this experience!

More on Monday.

Posted on

An Old Fashioned 4th!

How is it possible that TODAY we are celebrating Independence Day???? Just yesterday, HHH was cooking me a Valentine’s Steak and Lobster Dinner at the coast. Today, we’re off to enjoy a wonderful time celebrating in our home town on the high desert plains of Northwestern Nevada. The fire department has been ready since Monday when they started flying their huge flag off the town’s ladder truck. People are ready to celebrate.

Our town has the longest parade route in the area. At about two miles, it will fill up with everyone from miles around. AS a town of 25,000, we are expecting another 10,000 to join us. People grab their spots early, as HHH and I have already done. Last night, we secured our spot with HHH’s pickup and found the parade route already crowded with RV’s and cars to be left overnight, (which you can do in a small town). With an umbrella for shade, we’ll take folding chairs and enjoy the parade in style. It begins promptly at 10 so we’ll need to be sitting roadside by 9 am to get the very best spot to watch the Mayor stroll by.

With our pickup in just the right spot, we’ll head over to the Masonic Pancake Breakfast to get eggs, bacon, and flap jacks. Everyone needs to start their morning with a full stomach. T After that, we’ll take the car and head down Main Street where the parade will begin with police sirens from the local Sheriff and Nevada Highway Patrol.

The parade dignitaries will be followed by the high school marching band and all the other usual parade participants. I rode in this parade one time. It didn’t go well. That was one of the first times I realized that there are people who enjoy throwing water balloons at those in the parade. Decided, then and there, it was the last time I would willingly ride in a parade anywhere. Now, I realize that in our town, even the fire department with their hoses get involved. Remember, we do live in the wild, wild west.

Any parade wouldn’t be real with the Shriner’s and their little cars. These burly men work tirelessly to raise money for Shrine hospitals around the country. My own granddaughter got her little broken arm fixed at one years ago. Children across the world are helped by the generosity of others.

After a brief time out, there will be an “All-Call” for the Greased pig contest. Don’t worry about the pigs. Last year, they avoided grease (really soap) due to the hot weather. Each pig runs around a fenced area for a maximum of 60 seconds before it is caught. Last years pigs were of the Mangalica breed from Hungary. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was watching mutton busting or greased pig catching. They are just as adorable as this photo.

We’ll be fine. Really. — (Mangalica Pigs)

All this fun will occur at Out of Town Park, as opposed to other festivities that will occur at In Town Park. I love our little high desert town so much!

Of course, there will be fantastic food. I’m going to be ready for Dayton High School Booster’s Pulled Pork Sandwich with home cut curly fries. All this enjoyed while visiting with family and friends. The perfect small town affair.

It will all end up with HHH and I snuggled up together in the back of his Chevy Truck, as we watch the skies overhead light up. We have our favorite spot to watch the show….. The locals always know the best spots.

If we have any energy left, we’ll be off to dance under the stars and return home after midnight.

Whatever you do today, celebrate the Independence of our great nation. Sure, she has been through some tough times in the last few years. Hasn’t the world? She is still the grandest country in the world. The one in which people dream of starting a new life and then do it. Thank goodness my ancestors made it across the Atlantic to Ellis Island to begin their dreams in 1902. I can never thank them enough in my lifetime.

Happy 4th of July!!!! More tomorrow.