Merry Christmas 2012

Wishing all of our friends and family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  May we all partake of as many blessings in 2013 as we have in 2012!

 

 

- Bill, Connie & Casey

 

Hawaiian Preview

Last month Bill and I were able to achieve a MAJOR financial goal that we have been working toward.  To celebrate this achievement, we decided to go to Hawaii.  Warm, sun, beach - an awesome way to spend the first 10 days of November - especially since it was cold and it snowed here at home while we were gone.  I've been told by a few people they hated me during this time frame.  I probably would have hated me also!

 

Like normal, I took lots and lots of photographs, and am still sorting through finding the "best of's", but here is a sneak preview.  We spent the majority of our time on the island of Oahu, with a short side trip over to the "Big Island" - Hawaii.

 

Our hosts, Ryan and Shauna sitting with Bill on Bellows Beach, Bellows Air Force Station.  (Ryan is full-time Army so we were able to take advantage of not being in the middle of lots of people our whole trip.)

 

The Mr. getting ready to body board.  T-H-A-T was fun!

 

I couldn't be out done by Bill! 

 

Getting ready for a wonderful Luau dinner at Germaine's Luau.

 

Peaceful morning

The dog and I were able to spend Thanksgiving with Bill in North Dakota; I decided to come home yesterday as a storm was on the way.  Seems our storms never amount to a whole lot, just make for icky roads.  This morning the fog has been rolling in and out across the hills creating yet another beautiful peaceful morning. 

I love my life!

Fire!

We are very fortunate to live in a very small community, and not only a small community but we are also are able to live outside of town. 

One draw back: 

Volunteer Fire Department which takes a little longer to respond. 

One awesome fact: 

We have a fabulous volunteer force.

 

One of the ranches down on the country road caught fire last Saturday morning.  Thank you Whitewood Fire Dept for responding and squelching this fire before it had a chance to break over the ridge which would have put several home in danger.  Thanks also goes out to the other agencies - Spearfish Fire Dept (I think), Forest Service, and any other agency that responded and assisted.  I am also thankful there was virtually no wind - that was truly a blessing.

 

With out doubt, I WILL be at the Festival of Trees once again this year in support of our local Whitewood Fire Dept.  (Maybe I can buy another Harley rental!)

A Busy November

Seems like every year the fall gets busier and busier and this year has been no exception.  The first of the month we had the opportunity to go to Hawaii, a bucket list trip of mine, and had a really great time!  We spent most of our time on Oahu, but did get a side trip over to the big island in also to visit Volcanoes National Park.  (Pictures coming soon to a blog near you of this adventure!)  Our week enjoying 'island life' was packed full of sight-seeing, which didn't make for a real relaxing trip, but a really fun trip!

 

Bill has been working lots, I've been quite busy with volunteer work this year and now, it's time for Thanksgiving!  In no time at all, it will be Christmas and I'm just not sure I'm ready for the year to over already.  Alas, there is simply nothing I can do about it though, but just go with the flow.  The deer and the turkey's aren't coming in much anymore as it is so dry they are pretty much staying where there is water.  I did get a couple shots of a couple bucks that have snuck through.

 

Looking at the height of this guy's brow tines, he has potential to grow up into a really nice deer.....if he just keeps his dead down low.

 

This guy is far smarter than the smaller one.  He really was pretty camera shy and this was the best shot I could get of him.  There maybe a better shot on the trail cam, I just haven't gotten it down loaded yet.

 

I don't know what kind of sparrows these are, but they show up every year as winter is beginning.  They keep Casey busy giving her lots of little birds to chase!

 

I was able to get my hunting mentee out hunting for a deer again this past weekend also.  Watching her put the things together into practical use that I have been teaching her has been really cool!  Our first hunt, she had a stock on a doe that would have even made Jim Shockey proud!  Unfortunately, it didn't quite turn to give her the shot she was comfortable with; but that's OK.  I much prefer her being a sportsman saying I'm not sure about that shot than taking a shot and not getting a solid, clean shot.  We didn't see anything the next day, but it didn't stop us from having a good time!

 

Who can't take the time to swing on a tire swing when you find one in the woods?!?!?!  Yes, life is good!

 

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I must take a moment to be thankful for the many blessings life has given us.  I am fortunate enough to be married to my best friend, and the Mr. works very hard to provide it for us.  We have a home we love, a dog that has just totally wormed her way into our hearts and our 'family' would simply not be complete without her anymore.  Bill's kids are all doing well, live to far away, but that's just part of life anymore.  I appreciate that they have accepted me as part of the family.  We have enjoyed many adventures together this year, and next year will not be short of more.  In short, Life. Is. Good. and Life. Continues. to be Great.

Priceless View

The sun set's in the west, but so does the moon.  I took this image yesterday morning (10.30.12) looking westward off the front deck.  My view is fabulous.  My life is wondermous.

 

 

Happy day to everyone!

 

A Beautiful Morning

No successful hunt pictures to post yet this month (although everyday just being out is a successful day), but this morning has been a beautiful crisp fall morning that I enjoyed a cup of coffee while sitting on the deck.  I know there aren't going to be many more morning I can enjoy on the deck so I simply took advantage.

As usual, Mother Nature painted a beautiful sky today.

 

The first light cascading across the prairie.

 

What's a post without Casey. 

This morning she found what was left of the old deer treat block.  She's happiest with something IN her mouth.

 

Tourists: Bad Lands Day Trip

When Bill very first got home on his last days off, before the grouse opener, before the Harley ride or anything else, we took a Sunday and played tourist.  We drove down to Wall and walked around a bit - it really is just a tourist trap!  Then we meandered through the Bad Lands (both of ours first time) on the way to check out a pheasant hunting spot.  Pheasant hunting will probably be pretty good over there, and after living here 3 years, we decided it was time for us to see the infamous Bad Lands. 

 

The Lands are pretty in their own right, but truthfully, I don't understand why the suicide rate and/or murder rate wasn't higher back in the day.  I just can't imagine spending months and months on a wagon train, to arrive in the bleak Bad Lands, with basically no water, no rich top soil and certainly no Eastern forest.  I do imagine after a nice rain that the colors of the dirt would really come out against a mirage of green - if the grass ever starts to look green in the spring.

 

To many pictures to post, so here is just a sampling.

 

 

 

 

 

To see the rest of the pictures, follow the link:

 https://picasaweb.google.com/105766033855540861970/BadLandsDriveSept92012?authkey=Gv1sRgCNiA16jmr_63-gE&feat=email

Ride....Baby....Ride!

Last December at our local Whitewood Volunteer Fire Department's fund raiser, I bought a Harley rental off the silent auction line.  Well, turns out, they won't rent you the bike if you don't have your motorcycle endorsement.  I let mine go years ago when I very first moved to Wyoming, as I just didn't think I really needed it anymore.  (Hind sight is ALWAYS 20/20!)  Getting a bike to use to take the test proved rather challenging as no one will rent you a bike if you don't have your license and buying one just didn't seam like a good financial decision.  So, my folks were kind enough to bring one of their bikes over for me to use to take the test and get my license back. 

 

Bill and I took a full day, and I had my very first ever Harley ride!  It was awesome!  We road from Rapid City, out past Mount Rushmore, over to Needles Highway, and up and over Iron Mtn. Road, back to Rapid.  Two of what is supposed to be the most challenging rides in the Black Hills!  We were able to get 2012 Heritage Softtails, and all I have to say is I was surprised at how easy handling these bikes were!  (Never having ridden a bike this big, nor a Harley, I was a little nervous about undertaking this ride on rented bikes.  It was all for nothin'!)  I am glad that we waited until fall to make the ride and didn't take it during the busy season.  Plus we were able to see the fall colors - even though on an unfamiliar ride, you don't get to look as much as if you were in a regular car/truck.  We were able to ride at our own pace and weren't pushed by anyone.  The few times other people did get behind us, we just simply pulled off and let them go around us.

Taking our first break at the look out behind Rushmore to see Washington.  The bikes really were comfortable to ride!

 

2nd stop:  Just inside Custer State Park at Sylvan Lake.

 

Pretty lake.

I road the white one, and Bill road the blue one.  The only difference between the bikes was that mine had the anti locking break system.  Man, Harley's have come a long way!

 

Nice ride Mr.!

 

Riding through the top tunnel on Needles Hwy.  I didn't take my big camera with us on this ride, sorry for the blurriness. 

 

Taking a break at the top of Iron Mountain Road.  After lots of twisty turns (that were lots of fun!) we were both ready to walk around for just a minute.

 

The rides.  If I don't get one, I will simply die a 1000 times over!  Ha!

 

Is that the Mr. or what?

 

Yeah, I look good.  I N-E-E-D one!!!!!!!!!

 

I have been blessed to smell the forest while hiking, riding horseback, skiing, mountain biking and now while taking my very first Harley ride.   I now have another level of appreciation for the finer things (God's creations) in life.

 

Life. is. G-O-O-D.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grouse Season opener

September posts are not going to be exactly in order as I've not had time to get through all the pictures I've taken.  I guess it's called 'Life'.

 

The grouse season opener was last weekend (and Bill was home!) so we loaded up the camper and headed a little ways east to a sleepy little town that had a sleepy little "campground" right on Lake Wagonner.  We weren't known as the first get out and get gone folks (but we were far from the last!) so we didn't get a lot of "hunting" in, but Casey did get to work some birds, we had a nice walk, with a whole lot of relaxercising.  We even.....wait for it..........watched a movie in our new camper!  Who says campin' has to be rough any more?!!??  (I never thought I would say such a thing!)

Camp is all set up, and ready to have a great weekend.  (Cell phone pic - sorry for the quality.)  Casey's thoughts on the two best parts of the weekend:  a) she didn't have to be on a leash in the campground, and b) she got to chase birds!

 

Had a good hunt, now it's time to relax.

Casey worked pretty good, and Bill got one grouse.  Unfortunatly, neither one of us had a camera to get a picture of her retrieving it.  Bad, bad, bad parents!

 

She needs to relax to you know!  (Again, cell phone pic.)

 

Sun rise over Lake Wagonner our last morning there.  Very pretty sight.

 

 

We had a great weekend.  We'll back to hunt that area again for pheasants.  It's hard to hunt with just two people, but this year is very important to get Casey some good work so we no doubt will be back!  Thank you Mr. Landowner for putting your land into public use.

 

 

 

Hunting Perch

Last evening we had a visitor in the edge of the trees.  I hope he found something that he thinks was tastey and I think was icky.  (Starts with an "s" and ends with an "e".)

 

 

 

 

 

Sights from the last day of August

This young thing bedded down and hung out for the afternoon.  I think it thought life was pretty good today!

 

Today is "blue moon", and it sure was pretty tonight!  These pictures just don't do the sight of the moon justice.  I am very much still on the learning curve trying to figure out how to take that "must have "shot of the moon.  I will only figure it out by continuing to try.  I hope you are able to get some appreciation of how pretty it was. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitors

Since Bill put the feed block out, I've been seeing nicer bucks hanging around than I ever have.  Guess you give them a reason to come visit and they will.  Mama and the twins are regulars still - with the twins now eating "big kid" food.  I'm glad we put the block out, I've been enjoying watching them.

Mama and the twins came in with a couple other does.  Everybody looks pretty comfy!

 

Winter coats are really starting to become apparent on the bucks.

 

The fawns are just cute.  What else can I say?

 

 

 

This is the nicest buck I've seen so far.  An official 5x5.  If he is left along come hunting season, he has all the potential to grow up into a really scoring deer.

Bucket List Item: Crossed. Off.

Bucket list's in life are cool things, and if you're like me, mine is continuously changing.  BUT, yesterday I got to cross an item off my bucket list that has been on it since, well, like, the 3RD GRADE!  I went to the fair with my new hunting mentee (we can do more stuff than just shoot!) and before we made it to the mid-way, there was an elephant!  And you could do elephant rides!!!  I was SOOOOOOOO excited!  We had to go back to the car so I could get my phone to have a camera.  It was all I had with me, so not the best pictures, but hey, I got to ride an elephant!

Thanks kiddo for playing along!

 

Bucket List:  Ride Elephant

 

 

So cool to be able to cross this off my list!  I can say this.......it ain't riding a horse!  The gate is just a tad different!  LOL  Yeah, I was beaming all day long after that!

 

Breakfast visitor

Here lately it's kind of been "The Snow Chateau Zoo" around here - but then, we like it that way!  LOL  The turkey chicks are getting bigger all the time, but still a little spooky to try to get any pictures of them.  Bill put out a feed block two days ago and word spread pretty fast amongst the animal kingdom.  This guy came in for a breakfast snack; but didn't really want his picture taken.  I was only able to get a couple clicks off before he left, but I did get one descent one.

I think if he gets left alone, he will grow up to be a pretty nice deer. 

 

New Hunting Mentee

I guess all kids grow up.  Even the ones that are "big" kids when you meet them.  This past spring, my Little and hunting mentee turned 16 and aged out of the South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures program; no longer is she eligible for a youth tag, but is in the pool like all the other adults.  Happy Day - Sad Day. 

The next chapter though, is she enjoyed the program so much, she brought me my new Mentee!  How cool is that?????  Last week we attended the Hunt Safe classes, but because of work commitments weren't able to test out just yet.  That's OK.  It just brings the need to spend a day together reviewing the book and doing a little target practicing as she has only shot one time - ever - and that didn't turn out so good.

Her first score card.  Nice job kiddo!

With a little more practice, those shots are going to tighten up and you are going to be South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures next crack shot!