Haying in the Snow

Spence sent me these pictures from his phone last week (or two) when it snowed.  He and Trey went up on top to throw out hay since all of the grass the cows had been munching on was now covered in snow.  We got a lot more snow up on the ranch than in town or at our house (yay!).  I thought these pictures were really cool.  As they drove around with the hay, cows were streaming in for miles and following the “chuck wagon”.

This is the view out of the front windshield.  There should be a road in front of them that they are driving on. 

Spence said that the cows had been lined up single file behind a feeder trying to get out of the wind and snow, but as soon as they saw the truck, they all bee-lined for them.

A little bit farther up on the ranch.  A new set of hungry cows.

 

I went up with Spence the next day to feed at the White Corrals, and we got stuck (but could still back up and get out) several times.  The drive that normally takes 7 minutes took about 45. 

Catching up with Lou Lou and Hayes

It took these pictures back in December (I think that’s when it was?) on a COLD morning up at the White Corrals.  Lauren had spent the night (a Friday night ritual) and in the morning she and Hayes were off with Spence to vaccinate calves.  By the time I got up there, they were freezing and trying to start a fire to keep warm.  Spence took a little break and helped them get one going.  It took a while because the wood was wet and by the time it really got going, I had to put Lauren and Chase in the truck to keep warm.  Hayes did a few “Jack Be Nimble's” and we got the heck out of there.  The poor guys (Spence, Trey, JC, and Doc Pew) had hours more of work to do, but they’re tougher than us.  I did go get them hot chocolate and donuts from Circle K. :)

Lauren waiting for some heat.

Hayes sits while he waits.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire?????

We smelled just rosy when we got home.

Hayes and I decided to see if we could take a picture of his breath while we were waiting…it didn’t work. (Lauren and Chase are in the truck by this point)

A running start.

Almost looks like a Heisman pose.  I’m trying to get a shot in which he’s right over the fire, but my camera stinks.

And he’s over.

Not bad.

There we go.  Air Jordan right over the fire.  Now, let’s go home!

Disclaimer:  I am in no way endorsing young children jumping over lit campfires.  Do not try this at home! :)

Happy Tenth Hayes!

I could post this picture as one of those “what’s wrong with this picture” in a Highlights magazine.  It may get you wondering why the candles are in a piece of bread??  Well….Hayes requested Grandma Burma’s (Trish’s mom) brownie pudding.  It came out of the oven piping hot and I stuck 10 candles in.  They quickly began to melt in the hot pudding under the cake.  I pulled them out as quick as I could, but ended up digging out 10 little rounds of melted wax in chocolate cake.  It didn’t make for a very pretty cake, but it still tasted good.  After we’d filled ourselves with cake and ice cream, Hayes announced that he’d never gotten to blow his candles out.  So I grabbed the nearest food item that would hold candles (a piece of bread) and the tradition of candle blowing survived to see another birthday!

He got them all in one blow! :)

Here’s to you kiddo!

(note the melted bottoms of the candles from their dip in the brownie pudding)

Goodbye and Good Luck Papa and Grandma Platt

Spence’s parents left for Leeds, England this month to serve an 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  They will be running the college institute there.  Almost all of their children (Harvey lives a couple of hours away in New Mexico) live right here in our little hometown of St. Johns, AZ, so their presence is quickly missed.  The running of the family ranch has been left to the 3 boys (men:) and they are feeling the financial pressure to provide for all of the employees that Jay has felt all of these years.  If they didn’t love it so much, they’d find something else to do; but the ranch life is such a good life…I can attest to the joys it has brought to my own little family.  We truly appreciate the example of these two great parents and hope that it will inspire the Platt grandkids to plan for missions of their own. (With Hayes turning 10 yesterday, that’s only 9 years away..aghh!)

Hayes loves his grandparents. He always reminds me that they “practically” raised him when he was 18months-2 1/2 years old. (While I was teaching school in Payson)

Chase hides in Papa’s jacket.

Jay and Trish with their first born, Spence. Glad to finally get a picture of them together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I pulled this map off the Leeds, England Mission website, but can’t blow it up enough to see it very good…you get the idea though.  Leeds is in the southern part of the mission in West Yorkshire.