Epiphany and Cattle Round Up

Hello there.  It's me, Marissa. . . you know, the one that occasionally posts things to this blog.  I have this bad habit of writing entries and never posting them.  I keep telling myself that when I get caught up-to-date on them, then I can post them all and just work on keeping things current.  Well, I had this epiphany.  Except for the year before I went on a mission, I have always played catch-up in my journal and, as this is basically a journal, why would it be any different?  Self, I thought, you don't want to disappoint your two followers.  It is time to make a change!  That's a lie.  It went more like this:  Self, if you spend all your time catching up on the past you might forget the moments that you are experiencing right now.  It was after that thought I concluded I needed to go about this blog stuff in a new way.  The new plan is to pick up where I am now in life and between posts of my awesome experiences (living at home, working on the farm & ranch - I know the excitement may be too much to read any single posting at once, but I cannot apologize for the incredibleness that surrounds me) I'll throw in some blasts from the past.

As far as the current happenings. . . today we worked to round up cattle from the pasture so we can move them out to the desert for the summer tomorrow.  When I say 'worked to round up' I mean FarmerBoy fed them in a fenced up area and then closed the gates. There were only 4 cows and, maybe, 20 calves that did not join the herd so FarmerBoy, FarmerDad, HiredHandR, and I jumped in the truck and headed to the east to encourage them.  Once we got them moving to the west, FarmerBoy and I walked behind them to keep them focused on our their goal.  FarmerDad and HiredHandR used the truck to cut off any independent thinking bovine in the group and send them back our way - although that really only happened right at the end.

When there was no longer a question that we were going to pen this group up too, one cow, that we were surprised stuck with the rest that long, decided that she and her baby were done being followers.  We tried to stop her but in the end I let her and her calf past me.  I don't like to get in the way of mothers on a mission (esp when there is a crazed look in their eyes).  The way I see it, if human mothers can get surges of adrenaline that enable them to throw cars off their children then I do not want to get in the way of 1000+ pound animal that has decided her newborn is endangered.  Hopefully, we will catch her when she comes to get water in the morning.

All in all, it went quite well and did not take us long (sans the time FarmerBoy put into feeding the herd and closing the gates).  Here's to hoping tomorrow goes even better!

Trip to Oregon

The resort is in the midst of slack season - the time(s) of the year between winter mountain sports and summer mountain sports. There are less people - guests and employees - at the resort. Things are slow. Fewer restaurants are open and the shops have reduced hours.

Slow. S l o w. S l o w.

It was driving me crazy so I thought it was a good excuse to visit my brother Coo's family in Oregon (and drive them crazy). The budget at the resort tightens up during slack so my manager was more than willing to give me time off to do it.

I don't get to see the Coo's often but always enjoy spending time with them. Here's the few pictures I took (because, let's be honest, most of you would rather see the nieces/nephews/grandchildren then read my normal posts).

Coo2's bubble wand didn't last long

NuCoo liked to spread out the bubbles then stomp on them

.

I also spent sometime in downtown Portland,

went to the Portland Temple,

and checked out Multnomah Falls.

Thanks Coo Family for letting me spend time with you all.

Delirious Texting

This morning I woke up to Squirrel sending me a picture on my phone. It was this photo and it made me happy.


I thought, “How did he know that last night I wanted Oscar to sit by me like he used to when I was really sick?” Then I thought, “Oh, no. I didn’t. I didn’t, did I?” Followed by, “I better check my texts.” Sure enough I’d sent him this little gem:

If it was Christmas I’d ask Santa for a catheter and for Oscar to be alive again. I wouldn’t even ask for Oscar to be smarter so he could be the one to use the catheter on me. (That’s just weird. Plus, that might mean he’d be a nurse, and whoever has heard of a dog graduating from nursing school? And don’t get me started on his hair and all the possibilities that opens for UTI’s.) No, I’d make him one of those service dog vests (or steal one; I’m thinking the best option would be from someone who is blind. It’s pretty obvious why they have dogs). Then I could take him everywhere. I’d tell him he was a good dog and he wouldn’t judge me for wanting a catheter right now.

I also sent a text to a friend telling him how creative I was right then which completely supported my theory that artistic geniuses are mentally unwell. I went on to say that while I may not become a master in art, literature, or music I definitely could have a successful career in greeting cards. Go me! Way to aim high.

A Surface 500 Times More Slippery than Any Cooking Oil

So back in January, a friend and I decided that we would hike B Mountain and sled down it before the season ended. April arrived and we still hadn't accomplished our goal. In most parts of the world this would create some problems but since we live in the middle of Snowland, USA this was not an issue (in fact, as I write this snow is gently falling outside - charming in December, annoying in April). We decided we needed to act quick (greatly inspired by the fact that said friend leaves tomorrow) so we gathered our stuff together, layered up and started on our quest. And what a quest it was!
We quickly learned that this would have been a much easier task if undertaken a month or two prior. At the base of the mountain where the temperatures were warmer the snow was like walking in sand, only we were not at a beach and we were walking uphill. Not to worry, we soon found ourselves traversing up icy slopes. Three steps spent moving forward followed by two steps sliding backward. It took a lot of determination to keep going. The rest of the journey to the top included steep inclines intermixed with avoiding the path of the snow CATS (one of the groomers was kind enough to stop and give us a head's up on their plan of action so we could stay out of each other's way). That said, we also got to see gorgeous vistas and, once the sun set, star-filled skies (oh, yeah we had to undertake this adventure after the slopes had closed for the day). We spent a couple of minutes at the top then had to head back. . . on our sleds. Let me amend that: our glorified sheets of plastic.
You know that scene in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation where Clark, the dad, greases up his snow saucer with the 'new non-caloric, silicon-based kitchen lubricant" that "creates a surface 500 times more slippery than any cooking oil" then goes flying down the sledding hill (click here for a reminder)? Remember those icy slopes I mentioned in the last paragraph? Well, instead of plowing into a donation bin I ended up plowing through my friend halfway down. I tried to warn him but the next thing either of us knew he was flying through the air and it was another 100 feet before I could stop. I wasn't even using the sled at that point either. It was just me, in my ski gear (helmet included - safety first!) trying to dig my feet and hands into the ground to slow myself down. It is hard to dig one's hands and feet very far into a thick layer of ice. Luckily, the battle wounds were kept to a minimum (and to me): a massive bruise and a hole in the seat of my ski pants. We quickly got on our way again and found ourselves at the bottom in about a tenth of the time it took us to make it to the top.

early on in the trek

about a third of the way up

scenery

And, of course, the battle wounds:

Nothing Says America Like Turning Tragedy into Profit. . .

I stumbled across this gem at the local thrift store today:

Wait. . . it gets better:

I'm guessing the original owners donated it after purchasing Pearl Harbor: The Board Game.

Have You Seen Him?

While it is sad the little guy has gone missing, I can't help but wonder what two languages he speaks.

10-year Anniversary Reunion Cruise

It's been 10 years since Squirrel and I went on our first cruise. Okay, so maybe Squirrel is graduating from college this April and mom and dad decided to take him on a cruise as a present. I reminded them that the reason they took Duh and I was because they couldn't make it to our graduation ceremonies. They ignored that fact but asked me if I wanted to go with them. Did they really need to ask? (Prob yes since it wasn't my present and, thus, I had to pay my way). There was:

Snorkeling

Kissing a Sting Ray for Good Luck

Zip-lining through a Honduran Jungle

Watching Squirrel ALMOST get Attacked by a Spider Monkey
(alas, there is no picture. . . which is what he was trying to get when the monkey went all nut-so on him. It was slightly terrifying but mostly hilarious - at least for me)

Hiking to the Top of a Mayan Tomb/Temple

Taking a Ferry Ride That Ended Up More like a Roller Coaster
(I'm proud to say I was one of the few that didn't throw-up on the choppy seas. In fact, I slept peacefully through most of the ordeal).

Riding a Camel

Driving through the Florida Keys

Going to Hemingway's House in Key West
(I tried to get a pic of one of the six-toed cats but my fam told me to quit harassing it before an employee noticed and kicked us out. It wasn't like I was really harassing it anyway. It just wouldn't pose in a way that I could get a good photo with my phone.)