Decoration Day/Memorial Day

Today is the day set aside to honor our war dead.  It was started in May of 1866.  IN 1868, May 30 was chosen as the day to commemorate the deceased because no major battles were fought that day in the Civil War.  It then became a national holiday in 1967 as Memorial Day.  Then in 1971 there was a change to the last Monday of the month of May to make a three-day weekend.  I fear more and more people are forgetting about honoring those who fought and died so we could have freedom.  It is more the "beginning" of summer with camping, cookouts, weekend fishing (although this weekend would not be fun due to ALL the rain.  At least an inch here.)

Here are some pictures of our special service at the VFW hall in Jordan.  It was raining so much today the ceremony was kept inside, but it was still extremely touching.

Bill is the Commander and Joe is the Quarter Master.

Pastor K.J. Ellington giving the opening prayer.

Bill is reading Flanders Fields. The valedictorian and the salutatorian were unable to be present to read  Flanders Fields and the Gettysburg Address.

K.J. is reading the Gettysburg Address.
There was a short filmed interview of Philip Murnion as a navy veteran that was a recorded history.

There was a potluck served after the ceremony and Bill counted 31 people present.  We were glad that many came out on such a rainy day.

It has been an emotional day thinking of all those soldiers and even those that were able to come home.  Bill got a call from one of my cousins in Texas thanking him for serving our country.  What a blessing to be thanked.

Have you thanked a veteran this day or at least prayed for them?

Water and Then Some

It is too wet to do anything here at the ranch, so we took a drive yesterday to see Fort Peck Lake and the dam.  Cowboy said that he would like to go on a sunny day.  Then he looked at me and said there would be too much work if it was sunny.  He has that right!  The grass has water underneath it, so no mowing, I am not in the weed-pulling mode and besides ALL that, it rains and it is dreary and I can think of other things to do inside.  I have been reading lots of books and doing some sewing too.

The lake was a sight to behold and the drive over was beautiful.  It was so green.  Even the gumbo hills are getting green.  The last time I went to Glasgow was the last day of February and the lake was frozen.  Bill said he had never seen the lake this high.

This is the water coming into the spillway.

At the spillway still.

This is three feet from going over the top of the spillway.  We were told that "they" had let water out earlier, but then quit.  In Glasgow we were told they were going to let some more out.  We will have to wait and see.

This is the backside of one of the flood gates.  I was too chicken to lean on the fence and take the pictures.  We were up in the air and it makes me "shaky" so I let Bill take the pictures here.  He said that he would like to see them open the headgates and can't imagine the water pressure.

Looking down the spillway to the Missouri River.

Looking down the fill and the towers.  The water is right up against the rocks.  I don't think people thought that the water in Fort Peck would ever get high again.

These next three pictures are a panorama of sorts of the lake from right to left.

Notice Cowboy had a little sunshine.  That lake is very big and demands respect.  I love water, but I would have my life jacket on and a good boat and forget about getting on it with the wind blowing.  Maybe I am just a land lubber at heart! 
It was a beautiful day for a drive.  We drove around Ft. Peck (the town) and then went to Glasgow for lunch.  I even got to go to The Plaid Square (the fabric shop for those of you out of the loop).  We went on to Wolf Point and down to Circle to pick up parts for the swather.  Cowboy is thinking he is going to get to hay.  At this rate we might be swathing the yard.  We had sunshine and we got to see the damage of the high water of the Milk River at Glasgow.  The winter wheat looks good, but it doesn't look like much spring wheat has gotten planted.  The closer we got to Circle, the more it was raining.  The road is damaged between the flowing well and Jordan.  It is just sloughing off with all of the moisture.  It really rained on us between Jordan and the ranch. 

Cowboy is afraid to complain about the rain as we may be three weeks or so from having a drought.

But on a positive note, the green grass is wonderful!