January in Green River and Rock Springs

I think it's just about time for me to dust off the old camera and get busy again!  Not that we haven't been busy--I've just not been taking photos.  I should have, though, because it's been an eventful month since our return to the field on January 12th.

We had a few days in Laramie, and on Friday evening the 16th, the young folks in Laramie planned a skating party up at Vedauwoo.  It was DARK and BREEZY but a lot of fun.  Most of us skated in our boots because the ice was a little bumpy, but it worked.  Then after some skating, we sang hymns and other songs around the campfire while we roasted strawberry-flavored marshmallows and lil' smokies, drank cowboy coffee and hot chocolate and tried to melt the bottom of our shoes while standing in the embers!  Great fun.  Wish you could have been there.

On the 17th Jana and I left Laramie and came to Green River.  We've made the rounds of the friends here, thoroughly enjoying each and every one, and have had good contact visits as well.  We've had someone out to all our gospel meetings, except one, so far.  

This week we had the distinct pleasure of having some visitors!  Connie Combe and Robyn Hill came over from the Idaho field to our west and stayed a few nights.  Now they've returned and we made a day trip today to Salt Lake City for a little shopping.  Tomorrow we have more guests from Craig, CO coming for the weekend, along with a gymnastics tournament in Rock Springs, and a 2pm lunch with a couple ladies here in Green River.  Whew!  But we better enjoy it while we can as we leave for Laramie again soon after the 8th of February.  

So....there you have it, but sorry---without photos!  I'll try to do better next time.  Take care and thanks for checking in.

90+ Inches of Snow since December 1st!

Now THAT's a "real" flocked tree. Everyday we've been enjoying eye-candy like this as more and more new snow keeps falling.

Dorothy's deck is just a big lump in the yard. It's built about 2 feet off the ground but with this snow you couldn't tell.

Lacy and beautiful but a bit of a "pain in the back" to shovel all the time! Coeur d'Alene is piled with snow.

Happy 2009!

The holidays and New Years finds me in Ceour d'Alene, ID with my oldest sister Dorothy. We've seen over 90 inches of snow fall since December 1st and there's no end in sight. There's snow everywhere and there's no where else to pile it!

Stores are closed due to roofs collapsing under the weight and more is falling. I'll add a few more photos to try and give you an impression of what it's like here.

Special Meetings 2008

It was a privilege to be included on the eastern MT route this year. Though the weather turned cold and windy on us, and we had some snow falling horizontally--only one meeting had to be cancelled and there were a few out in each place, no matter how low the mercury dropped.

Our iciest roads were from Melstone to Roundup and our coldest spot was in Plentywood/Froid where it hovered around -15 during the day with a wind that, we heard, brought the wind chills down to about -45 or so. It certainly FELT that cold as just scraping the windows and getting the car started made my ears and nose feel frost-bitten. In Miles City our last week most nights the temps were in the -20 to -25 range. It was plenty cold for me and I was glad to get back to Billings and single digits above zero again.

Here are a few photos from along the route:


This was a first for me.....this guy and one just like it were my roommates for a night on these rounds. They were some kind of "hissing cockroaches." This guy measured about 2.5 inches long. UGH! I was very thankful that they did not hiss at me...AND that they were securely in their cage!

This adorable young man kept me company for a few days while I was in his parents' home. He told me many entertaining stories!

When it's cold and snowy those metal-sided suitcases make for great transportation! That's Eldon for you--he was great fun all along the route.

Here's the crew on the eastern MT route for 2008. We sure did enjoy our times together and with the friends in the various places.