Fall Farm Update

With the completion of the corn harvest last week and the sunflowers before that, they have put the combines away for another year. Now they are weaning the calves, and I can hear them crying for their moms as I write this. They are also moving hay.

Weaning calves
November 8

Our weather has been exceptionally warm this fall and was in the low 70's today. My geraniums have not frozen yet, and the garden did not freeze until about two weeks ago.

We did have a light snow shower on November 1st,
but the snow had melted by the afternoon.

Saturday afternoon, Sam went pheasant hunting with Brent and his kids. It was the third week that the season had been open, so some of the birds are getting pretty well educated. Sam says they saw lots of pheasants and managed to get nine in a couple of hours. In some areas there are so many pheasants that they do a lot of damage to the crops.

The deer season is also now open for bow hunters and for kids to shoot does (rifle season opens pretty soon). Two of our nephews (Brad and Todd) from Nebraska are here bow hunting and staying with us. They work at Cabellas corporate office and seem to have nearly all the hunting gear known to man. Brent's two oldest boys are also trying for deer with their bows. As for me, I'm just trying to avoid deer with the car. We always see lots of dead deer along the highway.

We are Glenn Beck fans and DVR his weekly show to watch in the evenings when Sam is home. When our hired man told us Beck was coming to Rapid City to begin his book tour, we went online and got tickets. We find him to be an interesting speaker who is sincere in wanting to teach his listeners about our nation's history and promote restoring the Constitution and appreciation for the Founding Father's.

Glenn Beck speaking in Rapid City
October 26

The Glenn Beck rally was held in the Civic Center. Our seats were on the main floor right behind the most expensive seats, so we actually found ourselves watching the big screens rather than Beck on stage. Prior to Glenn speaking, there were two other speakers. One of them gave an elaborate introduction for the "special guest." The audience enjoyed the moment when instead of Glenn Beck coming out at the end of this flowery introduction, the trademark chalkboard was rolled out.

Glenn Beck had a trusty chalkboard handy,
but only used it to highlight these points.

Of course, we bought Glenn Beck's newest book, "Broke: The Plan to Restore our Trust, Truth and Treasure;" and I stood in line to get it signed and shook his hand. Sam has been reading the book, and I have started it. A reviewer, who is not a big Glenn Beck fan, wrote on Amazon.com that it is worth reading for the historical and educational value in the first 2/3 of the book. The last part deals with what needs to be done. Here is an interesting quote from the book:

"If you were to take $100 bills--not $1 bills or $20 bills, but $100 bills--and stack them seven feet tall and fill in every single inch of an NFL football field from end zone to end zone, that would represent one trillion dollars. Now put thirteen of those fields side by side and you start to picture the size of the debt we've incurred."

I served on the election board on November 2nd, leaving home at 6:00 a.m. and returning about 7:45. We had a fairly good turnout for the election, so that makes the time seem to pass more quickly. In the afternoon, we had a lawyer and associate from Washington, DC spend some time with us in their rotation to each precinct. They do this because of our Native American population. We also have a Lakota interpreter available; but no one ever needs his services, as all voters are English speakers. Louie White Horse is a nice man and had brought his photo album from his visit to Washington along with other South Dakota World War II veterans. His son, Wyatt, had gone with him and took the pictures.

What We are Doing

Weston came over yesterday to show me the sparrow he found. It hopped around when Weston set it down, but it couldn't fly yet. He still has his snapping turtle. It is nice having grandchildren as neighbors. They enjoy life and investigating their world.

Weston with the sparrow he found.

It was rather cool when I was out checking on the flowers and garden this morning, but yesterday was hot. Grasshoppers have been the worst I remember, but after the aerial spraying it has been much better here at the house. I had an appointment in town one afternoon two weeks ago and had checked the plants before I left. When I got home about three hours later, the grasshoppers were hopping all over. I carried my potted plants from the porch into the garage and sprinkled Sevin on the garden plants until I ran out of the powder. When Sam got home that evening, he sprayed around with something they had in the shop. The rhubarb is in one corner of the garden, and it was so covered with grasshoppers that on one large leaf you could barely see any leaf showing.

Right now the plants in the garden are doing well, and I hope we can keep the grasshoppers under control. Where are the seagulls! :-) [Thinking about the Utah pioneers and how the seagulls saved their crops.]

Sam expects they will start with the wheat harvest next week. They are haying now. I have been helping with getting things ready for the publication of an historical book for Martin's centennial celebration in 2011. We have finished with the histories and pictures of the past and current businesses and most of the organizations, schools, and churches. The big job yet is completing the family histories and photos to be ready by August 1 for the lady putting everything on her software program for the publisher.

I have enjoyed reading the books I got for Mother's Day from Marla and Beth. There are three in the series by Nancy E. Turner about a pioneer woman and her family in the Arizona Territories. I finished the second one yesterday and started "The Star Garden" before going to bed. I recently finished Richard Paul Evans' "The Walk," which is the first of a forthcoming series.

Sam has been reading some books he got for Father's Day and just recently finished Glenn Beck's "The Overton Window" (which I also enjoyed reading) and Bob Bennett's "Leap of Faith" (which I haven't read yet). He is currently reading "The Silence of God" (which is a story about an LDS family at the turn of the century in Russia), and he has "Three Cups of Tea" waiting to be read next.

We are also followers of the Glenn Beck show on Fox T.V. as well as subscribers to his online "Insider Extreme" program, which includes "Beck's University" Wednesday evenings focusing on history about the Founding Fathers and others who have contributed to our nation's history.

We enjoy being with the members in our small branch in Rosebud. On Sunday I was the speaker in sacrament meeting and Sam conducted, and he was the teacher in Priesthood/Relief Society. I continue to teach the junior Primary and to do sing time for the combined Primary. There are two brand new babies in our branch. The mother of one is the grandmother of the other, so one baby is the uncle and one is the nephew. They should be good buddies as they grow up.

Well, that is some of what we have been doing lately. We are always interested in what you are doing.

Transform or Restore?

What kind of change do you want in our nation? "Transform" or "Restore"?

One cannot see what is happening around the world and in our own country without being concerned about the future of our grandchildren with the huge national debt they will be inheriting unless our leaders change the direction our country is headed. Today, news reports are showing videos of the protests in Greece which have resulted in violence as Greeks feel the results of the economic collapse in their country. Three deaths are being reported this morning. Bankruptcy is threatening other European countries as well. What will happen to our country as our own national debt keeps rising?

As of May 5, 2010, each United States citizen's share of our national debt is $41,950.17, according to a non-government website based on data from the U.S. Department of Treasury. Our national debt has continued to increase an average of $4.13 billion per day since September 27, 2007.

I recommend you check out the website, U.S. Debt Clock in real time, which shows our current national debt at $12.9 trillion and counting. (Click on the underlined phrase to go to this online source.)

Our government keeps getting bigger and bigger and more in debt. What needs to happen to turn this trend around? An obvious answer is be informed citizens and vote for responsible leaders.

As individual families, we should pay off credit card balances each month and not get debt ridden. It makes sense to have a minimum of a three-month supply of food and other essential survival items in case of an emergency whether it be the loss of employment, a health situation, a natural disaster, or a national collapse of our economy.

I don't mean to be a doom-and-gloom person, but we should not be misled by those who are altering our history because they care more about their own power and position than preserving our constitution and Christian morals.

In order to watch in the evening, we have begun to DVR the Glenn Beck T.V. program; and it is alarming to hear the original audio and video clips revealing the goals being pursued by many in power who want to "transform" our nation. Beck's goal is to "restore" our nation to what the Founding Fathers intended and to preserve our constitution. Whether you agree with Beck or not, one cannot dispute what many people in power intend when we hear their own words telling us. Each Friday, Beck has begun an educational show he refers to as "Founding Fathers Friday." This coming Friday, his program will be about George Washington. I recommend you watch it. Here is an interesting quote from our nation's first president:

"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness." (George Washington, Circular to the States, May 9, 1753)

I want to be an optimist; and I appreciate this quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley, the 15th president of our church who passed away January 27, 2008 ("Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley," p. 410):

"Of course there are times of sorrow. Of course there are hours of concern and anxiety. We all worry. But the Lord has told us to lift our hearts and rejoice. I see so many people . . . who seem never to see the sunshine, but who constantly walk with storms under cloudy skies. Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine."

I am grateful for my many blessings including the blessings we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America. Still, I think it is important to be aware of and informed about world and national events and be involved citizens doing what we can to preserve our freedoms and way of life. This is a legacy we desire to leave for our posterity.