april...showers?

Ok, ok...so if April showers bring May flowers, then what does THIS mean?

Oh yes, these pictures were taken this morning. April 28th, 8:24am...

The Branding

Every year, cowboys all over the West look forward to the Spring, where they get to brand the new calves. They drive the cattle in on horseback to a corralled area, separate the cows from the calves, then rope, wrestle, brand, and vaccinate the calves. The smell of burnt calf hair brings the experience all together into one delightful aroma. Or, so the cowboy might say.

For the new guy, the aroma is somewhat less pleasing; it smells a little more like cow crap on his hands and nasty burning hair and flesh smell penetrating everything down to his skivvies. The wind enhanced my experience as "new guy" yesterday, by blowing such an aroma right into my face all day.

My first branding! I didn't know what to expect, who would be there, and how much I might stand out among all the cowboys in their complete get-up. I had heard it was a bunch of fun, lots of food, lots of laughter, just a great celebration of what the Lord had provided for the ranch. Who wouldn't want to go?

Shelly with her camera, and me in carharts, a t-shirt, and a broncos ball cap, arrived shortly after the festivities began. With hundreds of cows bawling gosh awful sounds, and calves screaming bloody murder, we entered the scene by the corrals. Two lines of cowboys, real cowboys, stood at opposite ends of the open corrals, the calves all herded in the circle of corral panels. Two ropers on horseback were attempting, time and again, to rope a calf by the two hind legs and drag them out of the cluster of newborns. As a roper was successful, he drug the calf through the mess of other calves. A cowboy in one line would grab and pull on the rope, while a cowboy from the other line would grab the tail on the calf. Together, they would pull in opposite directions, flipping the calf on its side. Then, in one fluid motion, the two cowboys would get down and pull the calves legs back, keeping it from moving anywhere while another group of cowboys would come with huge needles and shoot up the calves. Then, the brander with the hot iron would come and burn the ranches mark on the side of the calf. As I watched a few calves have this encounter, I figured it might take a little technique, but the cowboys made it look pretty easy. I watched a couple of times, then nervously felt obligated to join the line.

The first couple of calves, I sort of got a hang of it, or so I thought. Calf #3 was a big one, 150 pounds or so, only roped by one leg, fighting for it's life to stay with the other calves. Luckily, I had Clint, the retired professional bull rider, as my partner. I knew I was in trouble as the calf turned sideways and the rope got wrapped around the two of us, the horse still pulling. "Pull the tail! Just pull the tail!" Clint yelled, as I tried to man handle the calf from going anywhere (yeah right). Somehow, we got the calf down, but it all happened so fast, I'm not sure how it happened. Phew! Okay, so I didn't do too well, but the calf was down and no one was hurt. Calf #4 continued with Clint yelling, "pull the tail!" I was pulling the tail until I felt bones cracking and separating, but the bloody calf was still up. a few calves later, it suddenly donned on me that I wasn't just supposed to pull the tail straight back, but away from the calf, thus twisting it to its side as the other guy pulled the rope the opposite way. It helps to use the mind every now and then, to assess the situation and realize the effects of one's cause. The next twenty calves were alright. New guy did his job, no one got hurt, and the cowboys got to thinkin' that maybe it was okay to get new guy as a "pardner." But, apparently new guy didn't fully understand the entire process. Once again, a big calf, roped by one leg, flailing all over the place, hooves flying. I made my move, aiming for the tail and doing my best to pull on it. "Pull the rope!" "Just pull on the rope!" I let go of the tail, grabbing for the rope. The big calf, running wherever it seemed the safest getaway on 3 legs, twisted us up in the rope. It might have well been a bull, the way it was bucking and fighting, throwing its hooves at everyone around it. 4 cowboys got it down eventually, with me still standing there, holding the rope like I was told. A deep breath, no help needed from new guy (obviously), I walked back to the line. Now, this "line" might feel like the line at an amusement park for the cowboy, like a line to get on the next roller coaster ride or something. For me, it wasn't much like that. It was more like "The Green Mile," or something maybe a little less dreadful, but only a little. I stood there, dumbfounded as to why that went so wrong, then came the period of "instruction." "When de calf comes out wit de rope on de right side, if yer on de right side, ya gotta grab de rope. De other guy grabs de tail. So ya cen flip em. It's not about muscle, it's about tekneek." "Yeah, I think I'm a little short on...tekneek." Helpful information? Yup. Could I have used it earlier? Yup. But then it wouldn't be as fun to watch new guy klutz around like a calf trying to walk for the first time. Plus, with new guy around, it makes the other real cowboys feel good about themselves and their abilities. That's why you don't ever tell new guy the best or proper way to do something until after he really messes up, because then it becomes less fun for everyone. One of those important lessons I'm apparently learning.

Anyway, The branding wasn't all that bad. They were right about the good food. Maybe, just maybe, when that aroma of burnt flesh and hair comes again from the hot brand in the springtime, it will smell good to me...but then again, I'm not sure I'll really ever be a real cowboy. I'm still learning how to be a carpenter. That's hard enough.

Shelly had a lot of fun taking pictures and watching new guy entertain everyone. She's already excited to watch new guy again next year...


Side Note: Cowboys are men to be respected and appreciated for what they do.

easter in montana...

When we moved out here in January, we left everything we had ever known, and everything we were confortable with. The greatest challenge for us has been the distance from our family. We have liked the church we've been going to from the very beginning, but it wasn't until yesterday, Easter, that we truly felt like we belonged. There is one family in particular who adopted us from day one. There are several smaller families in this one large family (kind of like the Friesemas in WPCC) and we were invited to spend Easter with all 30 of them. What a blast! Amazing food, wonderful company, great activities, warm weather. Here's how our day went:

It is tradition at our new church that the men make a big breakfast at the church on Easter morning, so Nathan and I went to church at 8:00 and I sat in the sanctuary and read as the men prepared breakfast. The food was really good, and the fellowship was unbeatable (except maybe by the fellowship of the afternoon!) The Easter service was wonderful, and Nathan and I even sang in the small ensemble that did special music! After church, another tradition is that a "family picture" is taken of those who attended church that day, and then we headed to the Nelson Ranch to join the whole Nelson clan for their Easter festivities! Everyone brought a little food, so in the end it turned out to be a feast! After the meal we took a break and had an Easter egg hunt! This is not just for the kids...there were several hundred eggs hidden...enough for 9 for each person there!

I don't think I've hunted for Easter eggs in a really long time...so it was pretty fun! Then, I wish I had taken pictures, but we had an egg toss. With this crowd, it was pretty intense, and hilarious! (Nathan caught one over his head and it broke!)

Then we went inside for dessert and most people headed home. We stayed along with about 10 others, put on our "muck boots", walked though deep mud and cowpies to the pond, and went fishing! It was so beautiful there!

We have decided that Easter 2009 has been our best day in Montana!!

If it's this beautiful now, I can't wait until the snow is gone and everything is GREEN!!!

Getting Past Tax Season...

In the past several months, Shelly and I have shared in hearing so many stories from older couples; how they began with so little, persevered through the hard times, and were able to make a good life for themselves. Though we have no clue as to what may come in the times ahead, Shelly and I are finally at a place where we are embracing, with gratitude, a season of having very little, persevering through some hard times, and hoping that some day, we too will be sitting around a dinner table on a Sunday afternoon, looking back on our story with the same twinkle in our eyes, the same half-cocked smile, that we have seen so often.
A couple of weeks ago, we found out on a Sunday night exactly what we owed in taxes for 2008. Being self-employed all last year, and Shelly not being taxed on any of her tips, we were confronted with a figure due to the government which was far greater than what we had to our names. We made a decision to trust the Lord, recognizing Him as our provider, believing He had not led us to Montana to simply fall on our faces. Monday morning, we had to pay what was due for the month in utilities, bills, and groceries...more than we had expected. Yet, once again, we chose to trust that no matter what, the Lord would take care of us. With a blizzard raging outside, I was called off of work for the first snow day of the year ("snow day" is not a term commonly understood by Montanans)...less money in the paycheck. We trusted the Lord. An hour later, Shelly received a completely unexpected phone call from Wells Fargo, asking her if she wanted a job! The paychecks became just enough to cover the taxes.

We can explain pivotal moments in our lives away as simply coincidences, or just plain"luck." I just can't do it. There are too many coincidences, too many times when things shouldn't work out, but do. I cannot deny the intimate, loving acts of God in my life. Sure, we suffer. Sure, things can be harsh, even vile in this world. Even though I just don't understand why bad things happen, I know that the Lord works all things for good for those who love Him. "Good" has a different definition to Him, but it is in those mountaintop experiences in our lives where we have some time to stand in awe of how there wouldn't be mountaintops without the valleys, the falling rain, the depths of disparity. We could easily move on to the next valleys, the next source of worry and anxiety. But I hope I don't. I hope I get it through my thick skull that if what I believe is really real, then God will take care of all of us no matter what...for He is slow to anger, quick to mercy, and ABOUNDING in Love. May we all find a little more joy as Spring comes, knowing that all of it, all of life, is meant for learning about who God is, and longing to know Him more as we see His love for us beyond the fallenness of this world.