Fourteen Kids and a Pot of Rainbow Stew

Well, actually it was chicken fettuccine alfredo.... I'll explain.

The other day I wrote about getting my new puppies from Amy, who I've known since childhood.
Now, as Paul Harvey used to say, here's the rest of the story. 

Amy is Tasha's little sister.  Tasha and I were practically inseparable after school and on weekends in the dirty, little ranch town of Cascade, Montana. Our parents all worked really hard and we were all pretty dang good kids.  We had a lot of time on our own.  Tasha said my house was always more fun to play at, but her house was the one with all the great snacks!  We spent the dog days of summer running back and forth and having sleepovers.  Her parents took us night fishing on the Missouri River.  It's almost seems like a magical childhood as I look back.  It's ironic that dogs brought us back together because we each had a dog back then that we adored and they went everywhere we went. Good old Blondie, Pepper and Spike....

Fast forward about 20 years, give or take....



Prairie Momma Amy

Now we've all got long stories leading up to our current lives.  There are now husbands and kids.  Lots and lots of kids!  Tasha has been blessed with four boys and one princess.  Amy has five boys and one princess.  I have three boys.  Add 'em up!  When we got together the other day we had fourteen kids between us! All but two were rowdy boys! They oldest child in our group is eleven, the youngest is six months.  Tasha's house is a nice, spacious farm house but we sure filled it to the brim!  Tasha's boy Wesley was having a birthday so it made for one heckuva party!  There was a level of chaos I am in no way accustomed to.  Toy guns, swords, trucks, legos and a pretend restaurant all going on.  The big boys went hunting and sledding in the yard for most of the afternoon, but the little ones were right there underfoot.  Ya'll shoulda seen it!

But there was some pretty amazing things going on if you looked through the chaos.  With help from my mom, who was there to help referee, I saw that we have fourteen very happy children.  You would have thought there would be fussing, whining, bickering and the like between all those kids.  But amazingly there wasn't!  Other than an occasional "accident" or boo-boo nobody really complained.  Even Amy's infant barely cried.  That is either some kind of miracle or maybe there is something else at work.

Our kids are all being raised on pretty dang old fashioned values like faith, family and working together.  Amy and Tasha are both brave enough to home school their broods.  (I'm not tough enough I'm afraid.)  Our lives all involve teaching our kids to love the Lord and the bigger meaning of life.  We are all three, Prairie Momma's.

Prairie Momma Tasha

Confession:  When it's comes to being a "Prairie Momma", I feel those girls have got me beat.  I know I live way out here, an hour from the big town.  We don't have a stop light or a car wash or Wal-Mart.  There are six kids in my 1st Graders class.  Things are simple here, for sure.  But this "ain't nothin' ". 

Tasha has to drive 40 miles to a grocery store. Any kind of grocery store. After you turn off the main highway you don't see a thing but an occasional farmstead. Miles upon miles of wide open expanse. Her farm is a prairie classic. Wonderful, mature windbreaks define the yard. Perfect antique red barns and buildings sit below the house. An old farmhouse with tricky wiring. Really tricky wiring. But tons of charm and warmth.  They've got horses, dogs and goldfish for now, but give her time.  I think she's planning her garden for next spring....

Tasha's yard

Amy has it even better! She gets to drive and hour and a half to the grocery store. Her closest neighbors are about a mile away. She has a wonderful little farm with a menagerie of animals. Goats, horses, cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, donkeys, dogs and probably more. She's raising what her family eats and drinks and even makes goat milk soap. (Amy, if you are reading this, you are my hero.) 

Amy's Farm

Amy's princess. Could not resist stealing this pic!

So now you see.... I'm a Prairie Momma, no doubt. But these girls have got me beat! I aspire to learn from them as good friends do....


'Til, Next Time,
B

The Judge and Jury

Yesterday morning, my mom and I loaded up the boys and the Boston Terrier and went on an adventure.  Up to the "High Line" and across the state of Montana to a tiny place called Nashau.  Yes, I mean tiny.  Like, the same size as Geraldine.  Actually, we headed out to a farm 20 miles North of that itty bitty town.  I think that area is one of the most desolate, empty places in the Continental U.S.  But is beautiful, with is miles and miles of sky and grain fields.







We were meeting up with two other "Prairie Girls".  My childhood friends Tasha and Amy.  The sisters and I used to all live in another tiny town, Cascade, Montana. They both now live on farms with their families.  Amy now raises Livestock Guardian Dogs. She has a couple of amazing dogs that defend her farm and her family from all  kinds of predators, four legged and two legged. I had been considering adding a "big dog" to our family and happened to ask Amy about hers.  The raving review she gave had me convinced I need to look into finding one!  Well, guess what?  She had a litter all ready to go!  The rest, I'm afraid is history....

Meet the "Judge"

 

And the "Jury"

 

They are 8 week old, Turkish Kangal/ Maremma cross lovies. Bred to defend and protect, smart as whips, loyal to the end.  They will mature somewhere around 100 lbs.  I originally thought we'd get just one.  But look at those faces!  I decided another set of "twins" was in order.  I've been studying up.  Training these guys will be a bit different.  One must be very "alpha" and be aware of the acute sensitivity of these breeds. These photos we snapped during their first little leash training session and they did great! 





 

 



I will keep ya'll posted as we all learn more about "LGD's" and the pickle I just got us into!



 

'Til next time,

B

 

 



Curtain Climbers

Some people have "curtian climbers."  Not me.  I have "fence climbers." 

 



Some people's kids throw sand at the sand box in the park. Mine throw rocks and horse poop. Sorry, I don't have a picture of that.  I was too busy pointing out the difference between rocks and horse poop, and why one should not necessarily pick up and throw horse poop.

Some kids get to have all kinds of "play dates" and scheduled activities.  My poor kids have to play with big hairy friends that don't say much.

 

 

Once in a while they get to go to a mall and ride on those quarter operated kiddie rides.  But Usually a "ride" looks like this.... 

 With or without a big hairy friend to add to the fun.

 

 

There have been people who have questioned my decision to raise my kids here.  I was told they would grow up "sheltered" and "clueless to the ways of the world."  I feel it's too bad they don't see what I see.  The rich experiences and unique challenges of life out here on the prairie.  I hope to raise these kids to know what hard work looks like.  And what a day of rest looks like.  And to be able to see the bigger picture.  I thinks it's a real shame that more kids don't get to play with horse poop.

 

What do you think?

 

(I don't think I've ever said "poop" this many times in an essay!)

 

'Til next time,

B

SKUNK!

Reposted from my other blog:

A couple of weeks ago I started to notice some odd things over at the chicken house. We lock our girls up in their little house each night. But something was getting into the coop yard and leaving some poo behind that I thought came from a raccoon. But coons usually make a huge mess out of everything and there was only a few rocks moved around. My mom informed me it had to be a skunk, not a coon.

Putting the trap together with grandma.

So mom went out and bought us a live trap to trap the skunk and solve our problem. The first night we set the trap inside the coop yard, baited with cat food. Bingo! Then next morning we had us a little skunk in the trap. Hubby got the job of shooting the critter with the .22 rifle. It is legal to shoot "nuisance animals" in the town limits with a .22. After he shot it the smell was impressive! Even though it hadn't actually sprayed, it leaked out all over. The whole yard and a two block radius absolutely reeked! We waited a bit and then Hubby and my mom had to empty the trap into a plastic garbage bag and mom hauled it to the dump, outside of town. They came home with the scent and even though they took their clothes off out in the garage and took showers, it infected our whole house! I had every candle and Scentsy thing burning all day.



Skunk #1

We thought we solved our problem and felt pretty proud to have gotten it taken care of on the first attempt. But mom decided to leave the trap set that night, just in case. She didn't bother to put any fresh bait in it, not thinking it would really catch another skunk. Wrong! The next morning we had another skunk. Bait or no bait. So the whole process was repeated. Shoot skunk, stink up the entire North end of town, wait a bit, get rid of dead skunk. Mom decided not to leave the trap set that night!
Then we noticed the rocks moved again.... so mom decided to leave it set....again without bait. What do ya know? Another skunk! This time, not in the coop yard, just out on the lawn. We were told about covering the trap with a blanket and hauling out of town before shooting it. They don't spray if they are in the dark I guess. So Hubby covered it up, set it in the bucket of the backhoe and hauled it out of town to it's demise. It didn't really help though. Hubby still had to strip his clothes off out in the yard and take a shower. They decided to take a break from skunk trapping for a day.....


The Great Skunk Hunter isn't allowed to bring those clothes inside!

Last night, mom left her trap open again. Just sitting on the lawn, nothing in it. "Just because". We teased Hubby this morning that he had to go kill the skunk again. He said, "Nooooo! I just got dressed for the day!" We told him to just go check, they probably wasn't any more skunks to trap.....Wrong again! Skunk number four was waiting for him. He came back and geared up to kill another skunk. Once again this entire end of town stinks to high heaven! The neighbors have all caught on to our skunk trapping adventures and are all very please we are making the effort. The skunk problem has been an issue for quite a while I guess. We have many vacant old houses here in Geraldine. They make prime homes for skunks.

The ladies that work at the bar/cafe tell me that they watch all kinds of wildlife walk right down Main Street late in the evenings. Raccoons, fox, deer and of course skunks! Two weeks ago, the nice lady that lives next door to the little yellow house actually had one come in her house! The blasted thing went in through the doggie door! Her two Boston Terriers had at it and she came home to the stench of skunk and fur all over the place! It got away after making a disgusting mess and spraying everything. Another neighbor lady told my mom how glad she is the we are trapping the skunks. She said she is always trying to keep them out of her yard and has even tried using repellents.

While skunks must have some good qualities, I'm sure. Most folks agree, the fact that they are a main carrier of rabies means it's best to exterminate them from populated areas. I have a cousin who was chased and nearly attacked by a rabid skunk when she was a small child. Her mother's quick thinking saved her, thank goodness. ( If that cousin is reading this, you know who you are! *wink*)

So I guess we will keep leaving that trap open and keep shooting skunks. Hubby will have to keep stripping out in the yard, the town will keep on stinking to high heaven. But I am starting to wonder how many skunks we will get! Any guesses?

 

Update! The fifth skunk was the last skunk standing!  We have not had any other stinky visitors since this post.

New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!!

Every year on New Year's Eve, the town throws a big (by Geraldine standards) charity event.  People jump in and put on a dinner/ dance/ auction/ costume competition that benefits the Geraldine Swimming Pool.  Teachers, farmers, truck drivers, bankers, cowboys and mechanics pulled out all the stops and dressed up like pirates.  Donations were collected of items to auction.  There were guns, recliners, art works, veterinary supplies, toy tractors, Muck boots, a ton of hay and more.

Turkey dinner!

As always I'm proud of this town.  Honored to be part of a community that cares about keeping the kids happy and healthy.  Two weeks of swimming lessons cost twenty bucks.  Life guards are hired and the pool is heated.  From June until the end of August we have an oasis.  It couldn't happen with out the donations, volunteers and participation of the New Year's event.

People danced to DJ "Sarge", who is also on the radio in Great Falls. The hokey-pokey, chicken dance and YMCA all made their appearance. People bought drinks with a donation of whatever size and the cash box was left open and unattended on the bar all evening. 

My donation went to the purchase of a wonderful print by local artist Brian Morger.  Folks say he's gonna be famous one day.  The painting is of the Fort Benton courthouse, depicted when it was first built around a hundred years ago. It looks amazing in my dining room.

 

I know most of this post is "small town news" and maybe not of much interest to most.  But there is so much here that seems lost in so many places in our country.  I write about it out of hope I suppose.  Maybe I'll start a grass roots movement in people my age to rediscover the value of raising our kids in small, tightly nit communities!  I guess we'll see....

Thanksgiving Prayer

Originally posted 11/26/11.

 

The night before Thanksgiving the wind blew....and blew.... and blew like it's purest intention was to blow my mobile home right off it's blocks. I lay awake thinking of what I would do to keep my babies safe in the event of a freak, unseasonal tornado....it was blowing like that!

There was more wind and high gusts fore casted for Thanksgiving Day. I didn't have big plans, but my husband had come home and promised me all of the "horsey" time I needed on Thanksgiving. My heart sank as I listened to the wind that sounded like the trains were running in Geraldine again. I hardly get a chance to go out and ride these days... The babies and the business keep my mom and I so busy. We haven't yet found that extra baby helper to free up some free time for me....

During the early part of the morning the fore casted wind was present. It wasn't working as hard at it, but still blustery. The sky was gray and cold, threatening to drop some moisture. After the babies were fed, dressed and playing happily I gazed out the window and and breathed a prayer..." Lord, if the wind would only ease up....I need some time to myself before I go crazy...." I know that the other moms that are reading this have all said similar prayers. After a few minutes I decided to just be tough and go ride, wind or no wind. This was the only chance I was to have for a while.

I arrived at the barn, pulled my good ol' Rhett out of the pen and started grooming and saddling. Was it my imagination or was the wind dying down? No, it definitely was.... Rhett seemed about as fresh as he ever gets, so I walked him around a minute and shook my finger at him with a warning before climbing on and heading down the gravel road to the South.... I rode past the cemetery and another half-mile or so to an old, abandoned farmstead. The shelter belt of trees are all dead, gray and gnarled together. It's the kind of place that would be spooky at night, with it's weathered, crumbling buildings.

To the right of the old farm there's a track that heads off the road into a field that hasn't been farmed for a long time. Rhett seemed to choose that route and I didn't argue. At that moment things rushed into focus for me. The air around us was suddenly calm and warm. The sun was breaking through the clouds and warming our backs. The only sounds hitting our ears were the dry, short grass prairie being crushed beneath Rhett's hoof prints, a squeak of leather here and there and the sound of his breath as he carried me slowly toward the top of a long hill. Rhett's arthritic joints seemed to loosen and he happily picked up a lope for a while. Near the top of the rise we stopped to survey this beautiful expanse of land and sky. We found ourselves standing in an area that the coyotes have been using for a lookout. The proof was lying in little piles all over the hillside. I glanced around for a den, but it wasn't within sight.

From our coyote lookout, there was only one ranch in sight, other than the spooky old farmstead. It sits off to the West about 2 miles away near the foothills to the Highwoods. We could see a tractor slowly delivering it's load of a round bale to a handful of cows. Like a tiny ant with it's heavy load. I was completely in awe of the stillness and deafening quiet around us. It was so quiet I found myself actually holding my breath to silence it and take in the peace. Rhett's soft snuffling also ceased as he caught his wind. All I heard in those moments was the rumbling in Rhett's stomach....

We continued on to the top of the hill and down the other side. That open patch of prairie extends all the way back to the West side of town. We ended up at the "airport", aka landing strip used by some of the farmers. Then roamed down the street that defines the edge of town and back down to the little barn where Rhett and his filly spend their time.

The entire way home, I had an overwhelming gratitude in my heart, for my answered prayer and the chance to breathe.

     

Remembering My Manners

Originally posted 11/19/11.

Maybe you've been somewhere like this. A place where people are still very happy to see one another. Instead of hustling past each other on the street with our eyes down. Or feeling agitated that there is yet another herd of people in front of you at the stop light. Or trying to not get cranky in the longest line anyone has ever seen at Wal-Mart....

People here ward off loneliness every chance they get. Almost everyone shows up to nearly every school function the kids have as a way to have somewhat of a social life and stay in touch with each other. The town is gearing up for the annual "Country Christmas Social". There will be Indian Tacos, a no host bar and a band will play 'til midnight. They are also going to show the second round of the Wrangler NFR and have a live auction! This will be held at the old auditorium that was built soon after the town was founded and has been rejuvenated as part of Obama's reclamation project. (I just have to chuckle about that.)

One of the places people here are most happy to see each other is on the highway or the streets around town. I am deeply ashamed to say that I am having a very hard time remembering to wave. If someone drives past you in town, you are supposed to wave! If you are lucky enough to see another soul on the highway, you wave! The "highway waves" don't have to be exuberant. A finger lifted off of the steering wheel will do. But the "in town" waves are always a fully lifted to wiggling hand accompanied with a nod and a smile. I'm often embarrassed that I completely forget this part of my manners until the person has passed by me, their hand handing in the air. "Dang! Missed it again!" I feel even worse because I was raised with these country values and I outta know better! It's a code that says we are the locals! It says to each other, "Yes, we are part of this very unique, blessed and often under appreciated way of life!" It also says, " If I see ya broke down on the side of the road on my way back from town I will stop and help you!"

I've been a resident for nearly a month now and it's still sometimes hard for me to remember my manners. But, today I'm happy to report that I was first to wave at the old man in the early 70's model pickup truck that I passed on my way home from feeding the horses. He waved back and had that "who the heck are you" stare, but that's ok! I'll probably see him at the Christmas social and introduce myself....