Buffalo

Yes that is a dead buffalo. Killed by the mighty buffalo hunters. Our friends in Ashton Idaho killed a buffalo last year on one of Ted Turners ranches in Montana. So we went with them this year and they killed 3. The ranch is west of Bozeman Montana about 20 miles and located along the Madison River. You check in with the guys managing it, sign a waver, and head up the road. Then the hunters get in the managers pickups and they go about 120 feet away from the buffalos and get out and the 1st shooters goes which happened to be Ben, and usually it goes fast but the first shot did not kill the girl or the second but third worked proabably because he was only 10 feet away. Then she finally fell over like you see in the movies to the side. Then Matt was up, one shot and she killed over. Then Eli, and one shot and she died. Depending on the age of the animal determines the price. They kill females that are not open, or pregnant. If you want a male that is $2000 a trophy is $4000. Once all the animals are dead they bring up their vechiles and us nonshooters could approach. Then they hoist one up at a time and gut it. Then load onto the vechile and you are done. Then we drove through Ennis, up we went through West Yellowstone. Then we stopped in Island Park to use a lift to hoist the females and skin, and cut the legs and quarter the animals then off to the butcher. IT was an all day event. The boys did very well with the long, ashton and cameron. The pictures following document, but are in end to beginning to scroll down then go up. Eventually I will post accordingly.

Eli cut the tongue to bring home for a bbq

just kidding.

Next in line

Animal 1 complete and quartered

Working on more buffalo. They used a lift to raise and a ladder to reach the top.

With one sharpening knives, and four others cutting it took 1 hour to complete one animal.

Suzette sharpening knives,

In Island Park skinning and removing the legs and head

Loading up more buffalo

Eli and his baby

Ashton, Sara and her little girl katie

Ashton shooting the buffalo

The insides. You can see the stomachs, they have four.

Carefully placing the kill.

Loading the kill

Family photo. It was warm 70 degrees

Me holding the princess.

Matt and his girl

The mighty hunters, Ashton was scared, I think he thought she would get him.

Eli and his girl, she was spitting blood and it kept running out her mouth

Ben and Sara(his wife)

Ben and his girl.

Good Hunting boys

Buffalo down.

Ben preparing to kill the buffalo

Thats Hot

That is the hot attire Ashton loves to sport. Today the pull ups included shades and the beloved monkey, I love the person who invented a fun harness. He loves his monkey and I love the tail. Yes, I forgot to pack it when I went with Toni to Cabelas, and yeap he was asleep and then woke up and then ran off for about 45 minutes. I would see him and he would dart. A blonde flash with no shirt. By the time I found him again he had no shoes and walked up to me with two of the shoes from the wall rack to try on. Eventally I did find his shoes. Turkey butt. He knew he was in trouble. What do you do when chasing after the flash, I couldnot push the cart fast enough to catch him and then he would dart and I would leave Cameron and my bag with my i.d. behind. Which child do you choose?

Earthquake

EARTHQUAKE!!!!! Not the typical type your are probably think about, but the earth does quake with all of the construction they are doing outside. And my condo does shake. With them pounding the huge pillars for the bridge, and the 5 trackhoes. It is fun to watch when they attack the jackhammer to the trackhoe and demolish the bridge. And to watch them load up the broken concrete. However the nosie, and vibration does get old after a while. Sometimes Cameron will sleep through it when he is so tired from being woke up all day then he can crash and so does Ashton.

Gardiner Village witches

We went to Gardiner Village to go and look at the witches. They put up close to 30 or more witches all over the shopping center. I love the set up, they have old homes they have relocated to the area. Several eating places and a good fudge shop ok great since they give samples. They have a couple of bridges over water with ducks swimming in the water. This witch did the hula hoop. Some are mechanical such as the one who rides a bike in the air, one is fishing by tnt, one is on a broom sporting jet-boo lines. They have a pumpkin cabin with corn stalks for the roof. Ashton had fun feeding the ducks crackers and sampling everyone before he feed it to the ducks. this video clip is of him dancing with the witch.

Manti Temple

On our way back to SLC, UT I wanted to see the Manti Temple so we drove that way. What a beautiful temple. It is so impressive in person. It sits on top of a hill and amazing to walk around and see the craftmanship of the people who built using the hand tools they had to shape the rock and construct a temple in the 1800's.
Andy and Eli at the temple. The boys were asleep and we did not want to wake them, we were hoping to get back before the woke up. Luckily Cameron slept til we got home, Ashton woke up and was good in the car.
It reminds me of a castle. Very beautfiul and magestic.
Up close look, it does not show the cuts clearly on the stone.

Ashton Swimming with Eli

I love this shot of Ashton. Finally a smile even if it is very slight. We were in the Travellodge in Richfield Utah. He was lounging on the bed. Friday night was family swim night. Thursday I went with Ashton twice. After looking in Wal-mart and K-mart I found a flotation device. It kept him up and he learned he had to use his arms and legs to move. After swallowing a lot of water, from jumping in, he learned the hard way why you keep your mouth shut. He swallowed a lot of water and barfed, yes people were in the pool, so I turned so they would not see it and had him get a towel. On and off Cameron would scream and I would work with him, and Ashton would jump in or walk off the stairs not realizing he would sink. So it was a learning process. Luckily by his 3rd time of going to the pool he was beginning to figure out he needed to keep his mouth shut or suffer coughing when water goes down the wrong pipe.
Ashton was so happy in the pool he swam for 3 hours friday night. Britian elis cousin watched him for a while after I left to get cameron something to eat. Then Eli came to the room and I asked where is Ashton oh brit has him, Ashton was not done swimming. Finally a knock came at the door It was Brit and Ashton. He was finally done swimming.
What a water bug, Ashton is swimming. He learned to move his arms and kick his legs and breathe and he would be mobile. For once Ashton is smiling and looking at the camera and Eli looks like a deer in the head lights. Cannot had both people smiling it seems. Good times.

Richfield, Utah October 2008

We went with Eli to Richfield Thursday, October 16, 2008. He is building a Holiday Inn & Suites Motel in Richfield Utah. I had never been to Richfield and thought it would be fun to get away from the noisey contruction happening outside . So we packed up and left around 6 am. We picked up Britian, Elis cousin who is working with him. We stayed until saturday afternoon and drove back to Slc by the way of Manti then drove to Nephi and back to our place. Friday, I took the boys and we began exploring the area. I loved it down there. It is an agricultural place. So they had a lot of hay fields and wheat, corn and cows. Reminded me of back home. The town was small and people were nice and friendly. I decided to take Ashton to the fish hatchery. It was listed on the map and had brown recreational signs. So I drive out to the hatchery, and it is closded to public visitors. On the way out I noticed alot of people in orange vests, which I thought was odd that they we so close to town, I thought they were hunting deer, it was the opening day. Well I watched them more and they had pick axes and bags, and I would see orange bags around and signs saying "cables on road" , weird was my thought. Well then I saw a lot of cable all over. Finally I found the signs explaining what was happening "semisic crew" ok that explains what they are doing mapping out the semisic activity in the area.
Then we drove to Fish Lake it is 38 miles from Richfield. I snapped this picture of the road signs. When we lived in Washington the hwy signs has the side profile of George Washington, and Utah has a Beehive.
These are some beautiful mountains on the other side of the valley, I loved the coloring and when the sun sets and rises it is beautiful how the color changes.

Ashton, I and Cameron at Fish Lake
The water was so clea I had to capture it. A huge fish jumped when we were walking along the shore, it was over a foot and a half long. Several boaters were on the lake fishing. The lake is rather large, if I remember correct the motel borchure said 2500 acres. It has cabins and camping areas.
Ashton walking along the shore exploring,
For some reason Ashton decided to smell the rocks before he would throw them into the lake.
By the ranger station, it twin creeks The sign said back in 1839 from some ladies diary entry that the water was cold but she put her bonnet in and caught 5 dozen fish. The sign by the creeks says "no catching fish your hands, or stepping on them." The creeks having fish that swim up them during spawning.

These next pictures are of the motel Eli has been working on.

While on our way to the lake and hatchery cameron woke up screaming wanted to eat so we stopped at this sign and read the sign. Look at the burr it looks like a soccer ball pieced together.
Richfield mountains.
Ashton at the lake. He would not look at me to busy finding bugs. He looks like he is posing for a minute maid commercial.

More motel pictures, the motel unloading area.

Mr. Happy pants.