Sunday Joke!

Shirley & Marcy 
A mother was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school.
He didn't want his mother to walk with him.  She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe.
So she had an idea of how to handle it.  She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. She said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.  The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew.  She did this for the whole week.

As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs,
Timmy 's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally she said to Timmy, 'Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?' 

Timmy nonchalantly replied, 'Yeah, I know who she is.'
The little girl said, 'Well, who is she?'

'That's just Shirley Goodnest ,' Timmy replied, 'and her daughter Marcy .'

'Shirley Goodnest ? Who is she and why is she following us?
'Well,' Timmy explained, 'every night my Mum makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much.  And in the Psalm, it says, ' Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!'

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.?

May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always!

Sunday Joke!

Eleven people were hanging on a rope
under a helicopter - ten men and one woman.

The rope was not strong enough to carry them all,
so they decided that one had to leave,
because otherwise they were all going to fall.

They weren't able to name that person,
until the woman gave a very touching speech.

She said that she would voluntarily let go of the rope,
because, as a woman, she was used to giving up everything
 for her husband and kids, or for men in general,
and was used to always making sacrifices with little in return.

As soon as she finished her speech,
all the men started clapping their hands.

Off to our summer job, Custer, SD summer, 2012.

We had a great visit with Jo.  Monday, we left for Custer, SD on 183 miles to go.  The first event was baby sand hill cranes.  Dave stops, just a mile from Jo's to get a picture.

Can you find the baby?
As he was snapping the photo he looked down and saw a sn........e!

Outside of Newcastle, WY we started noticing a very large burn area.  It went for mile after mile.  

Here's the scoop!




JASPER FIRE SUMMARY
The Jasper Fire started at about 2:30 p.m. on August 24, 2000. The weather was very hot and dry, vegetation moisture was at record low levels, and atmospheric conditions were very unstable. These conditions caused extreme fire behavior, and the fire spread rapidly. Almost immediately after ignition the fire spread into the tops of the trees, and blowing embers began causing spot fires ahead of the main fire.
On the first day, the fire doubled in size every hour. It spread at an average rate of over 7 acres (about 7 football fields) per minute, consuming 3,655 acres by the end of the day. Fueled by unstable weather conditions, the fire continued to grow during both the day and night of the 25th. On the third day, strong winds and extreme conditions caused the fire to grow by 48,555 acres, or 76 square miles, in the space of only a few hours. Fire behavior moderated on subsequent days; however, fuel moisture remained extremely low, and the fire grew by another 23,000 acres before containment on September 8. The fire’s final size was 83,508 acres, the largest fire in the recorded history of the Black Hills. 

Mother's Day in Wheatland, WY.

Jo says it has been quite a while since all her kids have been in one spot together.  Yesterday was fun!

Here is three generations!

All of us from yesterday.  Hey, we head to Custer, SD in a bit.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hi Mom, miss you!

Please help!

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable... We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from sin and Set us free. Amen!' With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we once again can be called 'One nation under God!' Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your e-mail list, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world. (It's worth a try!) 'One Nation Under God!'

Thinking of Sharon!

The Cab Ride I arrived at the address and honked the horn. after waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.. 'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.' 'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?' 'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.. 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice. I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like me to take?' I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, sayingnothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. 'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said 'You have to make a living,' she answered. 'There are other passengers,' I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said 'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one. PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Sunday bad news!

Sad day! Our friend Sharon collapsed on Friday. She is fighting for her life. Pray for her! It's not good! We love you Sharon!

“You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all she's left. Your heart can be empty because you can't see her, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember her only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back. Or you can do what she'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”