Sept. 27 - Oct. 4

Worked 48 hours last week. Found out Elaine & Suzy share a birthday on September 28. Jack & Suzy's wedding anniversary was September 29, and Jack's birthday was September 30. Wednesday we sorted cattle and Dad sold 11 calves, getting a check for a little over $6,000.00. Bob took a vacation day on Friday and went out to the Grasslands to put up his deer stand. He was out there again bright & early Saturday morning for the first day of (archery only) Deer Season. Friday night/Saturday morning Sarah came home around 2:00 a.m. By 10:00 a.m. we were saddled up and ready to ride on the Bartush Ranch, on the Red River. The ride was indescribable, though I must try! First off, the weather came together perfectly; the rain on Friday was just enough to take away the dust and make the trails nice and sandy/loamy; and the temperature was just right. The scenery was breathtaking. The ride was 5 hours of pretty much all uphill and downhill, including riding to just below the famous (in our area, at least) "Open Book Rock" (a.k.a. "Open Book Mountain"), and then climbing up the bluff belonging to the equally famous old "Boy Scout Trail". We ate lunch at the top, then rode back down the bluff on a different trail, and here is where the fun REALLY began. Sarah says it was about a 55 degree slope that we climbed (we went down then up then down again on this trail), but I say it was about an 80 to 85 degree climb!!! It was definitely the kind of hill you'd have to climb with your hands on the ground. My horse, Ranger, scrambled & lunged his way to the top, with me hanging onto fistfulls of mane with both hands. Sarah's mount, Lucky, just flat ran out of gas, and could not make the climb, until she dismounted and sent him up ahead of her alone. In all fairness, he is not ridden very often and is not as conditioned as Ranger is. And those hills were killers!! As Gates B. said, "Six Flags has NOTHING on THIS ride!" What a Rush the whole day was! (An Adrenalin Rush, that is). Our horses were pretty pooped after the ride. There were well over 100 riders and most said it was the best ride they'd ever been on. Saturday evening we celebrated Paul's & Trisha's birthdays at Grandma Hess's. Sunday morning we went to the 8:00 a.m. Mass (Bob, Sarah & I), then Sarah & I went to The Farm for brunch. Bob fiddled with Sarah's car at The Farm after visiting with his mom first, but we decided to take it to the shop on Monday (today) to have new brakes installed. At 2:00 p.m. we stood for 1 hour along Highway 82 in Lindsay as witnesses against the murdering of innocent, unborn babies; a part of the annual National LIFE CHAIN. Along with Sarah and I, was Kat, Amy, Sherie, Seth & Gene, and about 80 others; a good turn-out. After that Sarah hitched a ride home with Kat, while I went to a Diocesan Pro-Life meeting. By the time I got home, it was time for Sarah to Hit The Road, so I gave her a big hug and sent her on her way...in the little Dodge diesel pickup, which she had never, ever driven before! It is a 5-speed stick-shift without power steering. But it's nicer inside than my pickup, and the camper on the back is lockable, so that's all good. Sarah discovered on her journey back that diesel fuel costs more than gasoline--I think it is over $2.00 a gallon at this time. Well, today was a 10-hour work-day for me, while Bob took a vacation day. He took Sarah's car in to Herbie's and it is already back home, with new brakes all around (guess I can drive it to work now??! Sarah?? HA! J.K.!). He's going hunting again in the morning, and I will be slaving away at Weber...g'night till next week!