FRUITloops

Yes, Yes, I know I'm behind. No offense to you but I would rather get sleep when neccesarry than spend and hour writing in this thing. Yes, it's nice to read later and apparently the ridiculous happenings of my life are funny most times- but often times it sucks to write when you're tired. The last two nights I was just really tired and didn't think I could keep my eyes open long enough to do this- haha! So back to Saturday.

I got up early and tried to make it down to do chores a tid bit early, but by the time I got there Merle had already started. I had to stop at the house and deliver the famous beach cake and price sheet to Adrienne. Then, today was the day to round up steer in the timber reserve pasture. I helped finished chores with Ross and then grabbed a horse. Merle happened to be catching them while I was finishing chores and asked me which one I wanted...I said whatever he coudl catch! (I wasn't all that awake and didn't care at that particular moment.) Well, he caught Tanner, and in the end I'm quite glad of that:)

We had some extra help lined up to round up a lot of steers in a big pasture. Makayla (a girl about my age) came and rode Nelly, and Delbert came with his horse. We met Mike and Laura and there kids at the pasture. Once, we all got saddle up and ready to go we loaded up the ponies and took off for the pasture. On the way down Hisle road we had to stop and back up to kill a rattle snake. Sometimes I get such a kick out of what a person will stop doing to kill a rattlesnake. I'm not saying it's not worth it, just saying that sometimes it's hillarious.

So anyway, we made our way to the pasture and Dustin and Brady came in right behind us with their trailer. Mike and Laura rode over in the little Ranger thing they have. It's like a fourwheeler on steroids with a bed. So, he puts cake (a type of tasty cattle feed- kinda like candy) in the bed and then strings it out in front of them and it will basically lead the herd around. After we all met up we split off in our own directions. Merle went home and came back with a four wheeler as the rest of us got started. I started down on teh creek. I think I actaully rode the same spot last year so it was pretty familiar territory.

It seemed that all the steers (or most of them anyway) we down on the north end (Where we started). That's always kinda annoying because then you have to push them all the way to the south the whole ride through. I came in contact iwth several different groups that I pushe dup the draw ahead of me. Then, I met up with Mike on the Ranger a few times and devised a plan for steers we were chsing. At one point I sent a bunch with Ross and then found them an hour os so later...they had gotten away from him but have no fear...they did the same thing to me. As I looked over the hill at one point when I came up out of the creek I could see proably 100 head with Mike and Delbert. The next time I looked...they were gone. Delbert and I met down at teh creek and he told me that they went all the way back to the north fenceline...so off we went. We found them all way back where we started and took them up another draw. As we went we just kept on picking up more steers. It worked out pretty good minus teh jungle we had to climb through. We got off several times just to get through the trees and brush. With all the storms this past year and the growth the trees have gotten ridiculous.

We managed to get them there without too much trouble, just a lot of zigging and zaggin through the trees. At one point, something caught my eye behind me and it was steers running into the draw behind us. They were of course headed the wrong way and Delbert was up ahead so I jus tleft the 150 or so I was following and ran all Tanner was good for backwards to catch up with theses steers that showed up. Shortly after I turned them towards the others, Merle showed up on the four wheeler. He was able to get them down there but couldn't climb the steep hills to get up to the top and around with the 4 wheeler. But, we got em. Then, once we got up on top with them, I sat and babysat the group of about 200 or so while the rest of teh clan brought their steers our way.

We all eneded up meeting up pretty well and were able to head on home. The cattle drive home was not very difficult at all considering it was yearlings. We just mozied right along with no major issues. Merle went ahead with the four wheeler and cleared out cattle in our way and I just hung out at the back. I was talking to Brady for a while about his arm. He broke it at rodeo bible camp riding a bull last week or maybe it was two weeks ago... either way- its in a full arm cast now and here he is riding. He told me the trick was to take three advil before you go out! lol, gotta love it. The kid must be pretty tough cuz I'm sure it hurts.

We got em all home and put out on the creek just in time for dinner. Adrienne and I had a good laugh because when we got close to home and headed through one of those gates in the yard Merle told us they could get them from there- we could go work on dinner if we wanted. Adrienne had some funny comment about men and their food- sad but true. So, we unsaddled our horses, took the trees worth of sticks and pine needeles out from under our saddles and saddle pads out and headed in. Theresa (or mother Theresa as Adrienne calls her) was there babysitting Miss Rylee Jo and they were qutie content and helped us with the dinner.

We all ate some dang good crock pot steak and then everyone split off and went their own way. merle gave the boys and their horses a ride back to their trailer that was still up in the pasture and Mike and Laura headed home. Delbert took off for his place too, so that left me standing around trying to motivate myself to figure out what to do next. Well, Merle told me to go home and see my company and take a nap. That, I can do! So, I dinked around with a few things and then headed for the house. I knew that Mary was interested in Wounded Knee and I was interested in going back as well. So, I came home to see if she wanted to go. As I came in, she was sitting at the table cleaning her gun. lol...gotta love that.

I showered quick and she put the gun back together and off we went to Wounded Knee. We stopped in town first and decided to rent a movie. I have only been to the movie rental place in town once- it's really sketchy and it's in the laundrymat. So, there we are, looking through these movies that have no rhyme or reason to the way they are set on the shelves. I kinda wanted to see Thunderheart, but when I asked the lady she was like..."if it's on the shelf we have it, if not, we don't. I think that's one that has been stolen a few times so I'm pretty sure we don't have it." O good grief, so we just grabbed a movie, The Kite Runner, becasue I knew it was a good book and then took off. I think it cost me an entire dollar and thrity three cents...o big spender. We got back in the car and headed for the Wounded Knee site. Mary got some cool pictures along the way and we didn't have any trouble finding it. When we got there I kinda made some comment about the fact that there will probably be people from teh housing close by just hanging around. Sure enough, there were a bunch of younger people there sitting on the step. First, this girl tried to sell us jewelry, we politely declined. We took a look around and checked out some of the older sites that had stories behind them. It's not only a sad place in general, but the fact that the grass is overgrown and there isn't much upkeep at all to the cemetary in general is pretty sad as well. But, I guess that's jsut how it is. As we were wandering around this same girl from eariler starts following us around. This time, she catches us and asks for a donation for school clothes. I told her I didn't carry cash (not a lie) and Mary didn't have any either (also true). She kinda put on her sad face and I was kinda waiting for her to tel us who to make a check out to when Mary goes..."Well, our tax dollars." ...and turns around. Now, I don't know how everone feels about this, but in this case it was sooo perfect. It was obvious that money would never make it towards any school clothes yet I'm still paying taxes so this girl can buy her cigaretts and sit around at a cemetary begging for money. Frustrating. Anyhow, after taking a look and finding out that the visitor center is closed to fix a hole in the roof (I thought it was the same story as the last time I was there a year ago but whatever) we headed out. We stopped really illegally a few times to take some pictures on the way home that should sturn out pertty good. Once we got back to town we headed straight for the fairgrounds for some free food! I had some excellent beef and pork and baked beans for free just like the rest of the town. Mary and I were giggling because I'm already the odd one out and here I am bringing in people that no one knows. lol- I bet they were wondering what the heck was going on. But, it was really a lot of fun to sit and listen to the local talent, and be entertained by people and thier kids.

After teh food I kinda was thinking about going to thr rodeo but I didn't know if Merle and AD were there and I wasn't sure that I wanted to miss what was about to happen at home. Ok, so the firemen feed watermelon at the end of the food line and there are always left overs. Thsi year there were twelve and I saw Chriss selling them to people and we both had this genius plan. How much fun would it be to shoot at the watermelon!!!! So, we don't have two bucks- so I stole one for half price and gave him a buck after some bartering and off we went with a watermelon that was doomed from teh start!

The ride home was ridiculous because we were all excited about shooting the watermelon the whole time. I opted to skip the rodeo for the night because we had other plans and I wasn't sure I would ahve anyone to sit with or a ride. So, home we went. We grabbed our guns and headed out back. I videoed the whole occasion so if I can ever figure out how to do that on the blog I will cuz it's hillarious.

Mary practiced shooting so much when she was here that she only had 8 rounds left after like 250 she started with! haha...watch out world. So we set the watermelon on end with the tomato on top. She shot them at close range and o my gosh it was funny. The first shot put a hole in the melon and made it basically bleed. Then, she tried shooting the dead tomato setting on top and nailed it. Then, she shot the melon again and it exploded into pieces! It might sound lame but it was sooo hillarious. She said it was something she always wanted to do but never really had a place to do it- now she does! lol I got out the .22 later and shot at some pieces of the watermelon at long range and had a good time with that too. But, all good and funny things must come to an end so we wrapped up the fruit shooting and headed in. Probably the best alternative to teh rodeo ever= haha.

When we got in we popped in our movie, the Kite Runner. It was really good, and I highly suggest it. You will have to read a lot though, beware of that. After the movie I was sooo tired that I jsut went to bed. I found out later that Merle and Adrienne were at teh rodeo but i didn't feel that bad for not going because we got to shoot watermelon in teh back yard! We highly considered buying two but decied one was enough to keep us entertained, and it sure was!

Anyway, it was a super day and was pretty hillarious along the way.