Halloween Traditions

On Halloween, we were invited to Beth and Todd's for their traditional pumpkin bread rolls from Macy's served with Beth's homemade soup and their homemade apple cider or milk for the beverage.  It was fun to see the grandchildren enjoying the traditional celebration by dressing up in fun costumes.  Then when we returned to our home to be available to greet Trick-or-Treaters, we liked opening the door to see Ethan and Whitney there wearing the impressive pumpkins we had watched them decorate earlier that evening.

Ethan and Whitney

Rebecca

Megan with Gabe, who made his outfit

Alex and Amanda at home in Texas shared their photo

Their trick-or-treaters were lucky to get Amanda's homemade "Spudnut" donuts.  

This is a treat passed on from Beth who had carried on this tradition from me, which I had started in Arizona and continued for the many years after while living in South Dakota.  I even did it while living the four years in Ann Arbor.  The neighborhood kids learned our home was a good place to come when they smelled those donuts. Sam traditonally was the greeter at the door and passed out the donuts while I deepfried the donuts and added the glaze frosting.  While living at the farm, we got very few coming to the house, so we actually took sacks to Martin for our children to give at the homes where their friends were when they went trick-or-treating.

This year, we gave out candy bars purchased at Costco.

Visit to the Farm - October 17-23, 2024 - Part 3

Sam and I took a quick trip into Martin to visit with our friends, Joyce and Kirk Wilson, who were working at the Martin Drug and Mercantile.  They have included a nice "museum" in their store of items from the Fred & Louella Cozad's attorney's office. 

Joyce Wilson and I have been good friends for a very long time.

The former high school building where our family all went to school is now completely gone.

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Sam asked if I wanted to ride on the back of the four-wheeler to go to Bad Hair Dam with him, so I climbed on behind him.  I was doing okay until we came to a gate where he got off to open it.  I thought we had gotten to the place where the trail goes downhill to the dam, so I thought I would prefer walking.  I got off and Sam drove off on the four-wheeler.  I kept walking and walking, and about a mile later, he came back after taking these next photos at the dam.

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Taken on my walk and looking back at the home place.

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Tuesday, October 22nd, we left the farm about 8:00 a.m. and drove home by way of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where we stopped for a nice visit with Bill and Karen and enjoyed lunch of Mexican food Bill and Sam went to bring back to their home to eat.

With Bill & Karen (holding the dog they got from Tauna).

Our next stop that evening was at Scott & Kristine's in Denver where we stayed overnight.  The next morning we left for Spanish Fork.

Scott & Kristine's in Denver

Colorado

Stopped for gas in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Next stop:  Home in Spanish Fork!

Visit to the Farm - October 17-23, 2024 - Part 2

It's always a special time being with family when we visit at the farm.

On this visit we were pleased our grandson Sam stopped by with his girlfriend on their return to eastern South Dakota on Sunday, October 20th.  They had been to the funeral of a former school friend of Sam's.

Photo with the two Sams and their "girlfriends" (Sunday, Oct. 20)

Grampa Sam and Grandson Sam 

We appreciated Rachel coming to the farm after work on Monday, October 21st, to see us.  She stayed overnight at the farm and then got up early the next morning to return to Rosebud where she works.   She is expecting a baby girl, and they live on his family's farm near Winner, SD.

We appreciated Rachel coming to see us. (Monday, Oct. 21)

Attended church in Rosebud Sunday morning.  Church started at 11:00 a.m. EST.  The senior missionary couple from Utah began serving there only a few weeks prior to our coming.  A stake high councilman and a member of the stake presidency were the speakers at sacrament meeting, and the senior missionary was called to be a counselor in the branch presidency to Jonathon Allen who is serving as the branch president.

I took this photo on our way to church on Sunday after we had turned off Highway 18 headed toward Rosebud.  Some autumn colors were still evident but not as colorful as they would have been a few days earlier, and the red leaves were gone.

Jared had come to the farm and helped with various jobs during the several days he was there before returning home on Sunday.

Here is another view of Jared taken after he drove up in the tractor.

Flowers still colorful in Tauna's garden.

Tauna's garden in the background.

I have always loved this fireplace, and Tauna has it decorated for the harvest season.

Tauna also planted pretty flowers at the other house where currently Steve Strain, one of the hired men stays.  Colin, another hired man, lives in the house further to the right in the photo.

Looking the other way toward the shop, etc.

Sam standing by this row crop planter.

Here is a view from another angle.

Sam standing by the trailer that has chemicals and water for the sprayer.  It has an impressive computer. 

Now Sam is at the back end of this very long trailer.

One of the hired men drove up.

Sam standing by the huge tire on the tractor.

A better look at the air seeder behind the tractor.

Here is the air seeder pulled by the tractor in front of the shop.

A closer look at the complex wiring.  (Sam)

Another view of the air seeder with an interesting sky in the background.

Brent drove up and stopped to talk with Jared.

Farm buildings where inside work is done. 

I remember when these trees were planted.

The next blog entry will continue with more photos from our trip.

Visit to the Farm - October 17-23, 2024 - Part 1

It was a good time for us to go for a visit to the farm when the Payson Temple was closed for two weeks for deep cleaning in October, which included two Tuesdays, October 15th and October 22nd, since Tuesdays are our days to serve.  We drove on October 17th as far as Casper where we stayed overnight and then got to the farm the next day on a Friday.

Brent and Tauna

It's always special being with family and visiting at the farm.

Sam likes seeing the current operations and changes at the farm, and I will be sharing some of the photos I took starting with this blog entry showing the corn harvest.  Yields were not stellar due to hail and dry weather.

Additional blog postings will include other activities and, of course, the special people we loved sharing time with on this trip.  

Sam enjoyed being with Brent during the corn harvest. 

  

Brent and Sam

The next blog entry will be of the special people we loved being with at the farm and sharing more photos taken at the farm.