Water Under the Dam

Since today is Cowboy's birthday he wanted to take a drive to Ft. Peck since they are letting water out of the spillway.  It was such a breathtaking site.  That water was running so fast!  They are letting out about 50,000 cubic feet per second.  Here are some pictures Bill took. 

Looking from the lake side.



This is one gate that we are seeing.  Cowboy held my hand and told me that I would hate myself if I didn't walk over to the fence and look over and see all the water.  He was right but you would think I was standing on a cliff and there was no fence and the sound of the rushing water would pull me in!



This is the water coming through.

These two pictures are out of order, but you know computers!  Ugh!  It won't let me make this one larger.  Cowboy said, "It needs to be larger."  I know, but how?  when it is too late to call my personal tech support for computers!  Ha!  Oh, I finally figured it out!!

Here are all 16 gates open at the same time.  Impressive.



Looking down the spillway from the top of the bridge.  It was all I could do to stand there and look.  Bill had to take the pictures.  The water was moving so fast that it was mesmerizing.  It felt like the water could pull me in at any second and it was so FAST.  It made me queasy in my stomach.  I don't think that I would have made a very good sailor. 

At the bottom.

A closeup of the bottom.  Do you suppose it is eroding some of the dirt down there?  There is a lot of force behind that water.  I am thinking of all those people down river.  What about their ranches, towns?  This has been the most unusual year for moisture.  First we had snow since October and then when we still had snow on the north side of the foothills, it started raining and really hasn't let up much.  Are we complaining.  Not loudly as it is filling dams and rivers and reservoirs that haven't had water for a really long time.  That rain is soaking into the ground like we haven't seen and it is over due.  Cowboy says we could be three weeks from a drought because as we know this is Montana! 





Cowboy had to lean over the bridge and take another good picture.  For a man that is afraid of the water, this does not bother him in the least.  He trusts that cement to hold him!  Imagine!

This our last picture.  It is gorgeous.  There wasn't any wind and the lake looked like a mirror.  One can have a special love for this lake, but she can turn on you just like that!  There is so much turbulent water that is unseen going to the spillway.  We heard there is a warning for boats not to go into that portion of the lake because they could be sucked to the gates because of the undercurrent.

This is something we have never seen before and probably won't see again in our lifetime.

The Love of Horses and More Horses

Kamryn and Liv came for a short visit the end of this week.  They went to the last day of VBS in Jordan and we able to go to Linford's to see the baby colts.  They are so cute!  We got the girls used to the mares that are the three-year olds and two-year olds.  They were so friendly and we gave them "cake" to eat out of our hands.  I didn't take pictures of that, but the girls just relaxed around them.  Then we walked over to see the saddle horses and two of the five LOVE peppermint candy, so we got slobbered on a little.  Liv didn't like that very well!

Just a pass by before they decided they could come back!

Oh, would not it be nice to have one of those around?  Cowboy tells me that it is hard to get them grown as they get in the wire and all kinds of serious trouble...

Pretty easy going baby and curious.  Cowboy says that this little one is saying, "When I grow up, I am going to be BIG horse!"

They keep coming for a little treat from the pickup Jack drove in there.

Getting a little closer...

Nuzzling Wendy...

This is one of my favorite pictures.  Kamy is relaxed and this little one just is so curious and wants to have a good sniff and be friends...  Kamy is busy stroking one of the mares.

As Jennifer says, "Dad really likes the colts too!"  He reins in his feelings with practicality and says, no colts.

Sunday was the last day at the ranch for the girls.  Sunday morning was for riding.  Since the stirrups had to be let down for Kamy, Liv got to ride first.  She was instructed to pet and talk to Doc so he could get used to her and her voice.

A few more times around the lot.

Now she is on her own and the instructions begin...  My palms are sweaty for her.  Grandgirls so want to please their grandfathers and to do it right the FIRST time when we all know it takes time in the saddle to get some of those lessons.  That is just the way it is...

Still working on the "steering"...

Kamy's turn to get acquainted with Doc since she grew up on "My Joe" and he has been her horse forever.

That small saddle is almost too small for her and the way she is shooting up, it will be sooner than later.  Doc was a good teacher, but Cowboy thinks he would flimflam these kids before long.  You know how those gentle horses can be.

There is nothing like being on a horse, smelling them, smelling leather, the feel of them under you.  I was always so horse crazy myself.  My maternal grandfather had lots of horses, so I must have inherited some of that love of horses.  I could not get to the ranch soon enough in the summers so I could ride.  Oh, I had lots of mishaps and buck offs and falloffs.  Luckily I didn't have any broken bones.  Now, the thought of mishaps and creaking bones...well, you know!  I was so thankful Cowboy PopPop took the time this morning to saddle the horse and take the time with the girls as he was due at a branding at Joe's.  These are the moments they will remember.  Those fleeting moments when telling Mommy and Daddy about riding the horse!

There isn't anything like it and I feel sorry for those that have never gotten to experience being around horses...

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!

Little Boys-Snails--Puppy Dog Tails

Angus came and stayed with us yesterday--just him, so we got to spoil him just how we wanted.  It was fun for us!  Cowboy and I had picked up a John Deere lunch box in our travels and thought the "only grandson" at that time, needed something special.  We were just waiting for him to come and visit!

He was so tickled with his very own lunch box.  He carried it around most of the day.

He told me he was hungry, so I suggested an orange.  Not thinking, I didn't realize that he wanted to "pack" something in his pail!

He took it to "coffee" at Sand Springs with Cowboy PopPop and ate all of his orange and was given a sucker while there.  PopPop wanted to show off his grandson, but the usual coffee crowd (2-3) was not there.  Oh, it didn't matter, they had fun and visited the Postmaster.
Before the day was done, the clasp on the lunch box broke, but Cowboy PopPop came to the rescue and got it fixed, aren't grandpas wonderful?

Naturally it was a rainy day and due to all the snow, the corrals were mucky, so there was no horseback riding this visit.  But he told Cowboy PopPop that he wanted to be a cowboy.  We watched a movie after lunch, Support Your Local Sheriff with James Garner. Cowboy and I laughed a lot and Angus did boy things such as: building blocks, shooting imaginary guns, and jumping around.  It didn't hinder our movie watching and he caught some of it in passing.  I ask you, why can't they make movies like that these days?  It was around 1968 that it was filmed.

He is rough and he is tough...and mean ta' boot!  Oh, and before the day was done, Angus got his very own neck "kerchiff," an old one mind you, but one of Cowboy PopPop's just the same.

Real cowboys eat ice cream too!

I was feeling guilty because all we had picked up for Maggie was a lip balm when we got the lunch pail for Angus.  So, I was given this pattern by a friend.  I thought I could "whip" out a little bag.  It turned out cute and just the right size for little girls and Cowboy PopPop put goodies in both the mini purse/bag and the lunch pail.  Grandpas are the best!

A postscript to the day was after Angus and Cowboy PopPop went to Great Grandma's for cookies, Angus told PopPop his leg hurt while he was at Great Grandma's.  Bill asked him why did it hurt and Angus replied that she just talked too much.  Somewhere along the way he must have heard, "they talked my leg off..."  What do you think?  Like they say, out of the mouths of babes...

We had a blessed day!

Deer! Oh Dear!!

What have I been telling you?  The deer are out of control around our ranch!

There is one eating cow "cake" that dropped out of the feeder!  I took this picture out our sliding glass door on the deck.

Who is watching whom??  Not a bit scared.  Look at the baby looking under the pickup bed.

After I took these pictures a buck came and was sniffing around.  I guess he didn't want to jump on the pickup.  It was too dark to take his picture and when I went out to "shoo" him away, he just looked at me for at least a minute.  I am telling you, these animals have no fear of humans!  And besides that they LOVE anything that I plant, be it flowers or vegetables!  Grrrrr!!