September 30, 2013

[Soapweed]

My little buddy

And his cute little cousin

My dad giving a tribute at the funeral of his cousin, JF Ranch's dad

At the graveside service

Ten handsome pallbearers, all grandsons and husbands of granddaughters

My second cousin from Colorado. When Sparky was born two and a half months premature in a Denver hospital in 1982,
I stayed with this man and his nice wife who lived nearby. At the time we all about thirty years of age. I was impressed
that he started each day with 60 pushups, and it didn't take him very long to do them.

A couple of my dad's Canadian cousins. The lady is 96 years young, and full of vim and vigor. JF Ranch is on the right.

Kosmo Kid and his grandmother

 

[leanin' H]

Sure sorry to hear of JF ranch losing his father. Please pass along our condolences.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

I had a train ride with your Canadian cousin and his wife today.

Sure sorry to hear of Joy's passing. We really enjoyed the short visit we had when your Dad and Joy stopped in for pie and coffee when passing through.

My condolences to JF and his sister. Enjoyed meeting her and and Sybil when they were chaperoning the two old cowboys.

 

[Faster horses]

Our thoughts are with you, JF Ranch. It helps to know our loved ones are in a better place. May God comfort you.

 

[Shortgrass]

Sorry to lose Joy, but know he is better of than the lot of us. I interviewed, and was offered a job with Joy, one time, but instead took the job at McMurtreys.

 

[JF Ranch]

Thanks for the kind words of sympathy. My dad was in such awful pain the last few weeks of his life, due to his bad hip and other ailments, that death was a blessing for him. His family had a couple of weeks to see him and talk with him before his passing which was another blessing for all of us. I have summed it up this way, at 88 he lived a full life with no regrets. I believe that and know that he is pain free now.

On a slightly different note, years ago I remember hearing Rush Limbaugh or some other such notable discussing how so many people are preoccupied with their health. They eat all the right foods, exercise and do all the right things to live forever. His philosophy was a bit different. He wanted all of his body parts to be used up on the day he died. I think my dad accomplished this goal pretty well. His body was just about shot.

Again thank you for the nice remarks.

At this very moment, we are getting a heavy shower of rain and sleet, with snow and high winds in the forecast for later today and tonight. I'm not quite ready for winter weather!

 

[mrj]

Condolences on your loss. Sounds like a great life, ended as well as possible. We sure don't want them to suffer endlessly, but for me, I sure would like to keep those 'special ones' for a longer time. Getting old! Missing quite a number of very special friends and family members we have lost in past couple of years. Expect to see them in a few years, tho!

Praying we all will have a good, fast outcome from this storm. So far, my educated guess is we are over 2 inches of great rain here 8 miles north of exit 170 on I-90. We had stalled out at about 8.5" in mid September. Can't believe how good the grass and hay grew with so little rain. Cattle and pastures looking good yet, but sure needed some moisture. This may even be running a little water into dams which caught nothing the past two years.

West end of state seems to be getting hit pretty hard with snow. Lots of trees will likely be broken from that, as they will here, if it materializes.

It is supposed to be a pretty day Sunday, and up to 60% by Monday. If it all materializes that way, it will sure prime conditions well for weaning soon to be done. Maybe not so great for those few of us who don't have our hay hauled in yet.

Hope everyone comes out well in all this. With politics to fret over, we sure don't need nasty, damaging storms!

mrj

 

[Soapweed]

I had a train ride with your Canadian cousin and his wife today.

Sure sorry to hear of Joy's passing. We really enjoyed the short visit we had when your Dad and Joy stopped in for pie and coffee when passing through.

My condolences to JF and his sister. Enjoyed meeting her and and Sybil when they were chaperoning the two old cowboys.

So where did you go on the train ride? Sounds like fun. I should set the record straight. When we went to Saskatchewan this past summer, we went to the fiftieth anniversary of Dick Oakes and his wife. Dick is my dad's cousin, and on the trip to Joy Fairhead's funeral, Dick's wife didn't come. That is his sister, Grace Justus, who came along. She is 96 years old and going strong. When we went to Canada in 2006, it was to celebrate her 90th birthday and her sister's 80th birthday. Both of those lively ladies danced every dance that evening, and did so very grandly because of many years of practice. The younger sister, Dorothy Bloom, has since passed away. Dick was the youngest in the family. He is very active on the tourism committee for his area. He has done much to make available local history that might otherwise have been lost.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

I had a train ride with your Canadian cousin and his wife today.

Sure sorry to hear of Joy's passing. We really enjoyed the short visit we had when your Dad and Joy stopped in for pie and coffee when passing through.

My condolences to JF and his sister. Enjoyed meeting her and and Sybil when they were chaperoning the two old cowboys.

So where did you go on the train ride? Sounds like fun. I should set the record straight. When we went to Saskatchewan this past summer, we went to the fiftieth anniversary of Dick Oakes and his wife. Dick is my dad's cousin, and on the trip to Joy Fairhead's funeral, Dick's wife didn't come. That is his sister, Grace Justus, who came along. She is 96 years old and going strong. When we went to Canada in 2006, it was to celebrate her 90th birthday and her sister's 80th birthday. Both of those lively ladies danced every dance that evening, and did so very grandly because of many years of practice. The younger sister, Dorothy Bloom, has since passed away. Dick was the youngest in the family. He is very active on the tourism committee for his area. He has done much to make available local history that might otherwise have been lost.

The train runs from the town of Ogema west to the town of Horizon. At Horizon they tour a old wood elevator which have nearly become extinct and some trips they have a supper or pitchfork fondue at the church. I think only one family live in Horizon anymore. The train also runs east to the town of Pangman to the farmers market on some Saturdays,
This trip was sponsored by Sask Tourism hence your cousin was on the train and I was there representing Tam's gallery since she was away.