tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60469433829328371452024-03-14T01:15:12.240-07:00Guns - Grub - and - Other GoodiesThe various things in my life. From guns, grub, and gardening, to cattle, chickens, teaching, writing and the random musings that are rambling in my mind.Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-77661119879878097182018-01-07T16:29:00.001-08:002018-01-07T16:29:48.273-08:00Women’s Health Corridor Article January 2018<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Women often put their health on the back burner to take care of
families, careers, and because it’s a hassle going to the doctor.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I want to take a bit of time, with the help
of Toby Miller, APRN-CNP, to encourage you to take time and take care of
yourself.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">We’re going to cover a variety
of topics that are related to women’s health so grab a cup of coffee and let’s
get started.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">First, I want to introduce you to Toby Miller, APRN-CNP, owner of
Integrity Women’s Center in Stillwater, OK.
APRN-CNP stands for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse-Community Nurse
Practitioner. Toby worked in labor and
delivery for fifteen years, when she decided to specialize her skills; she knew
she wanted to continue working with women.
Toby has over 23 years of experience working in women’s healthcare and
her scope of practice focuses on disease prevention and wellness, as well as
gynecological services, annual checkups and routine healthcare. She loves her job and the long-lasting
relationships that she is able to make with her patients while providing
empathetic care. I asked Toby why she
opened her own office and she said she wanted to provide a comfortable,
inviting environment for women to come and get health care. Her staff is entirely made up of women and
she treats women from adolescence to aging years. I can attest to the fact that when you walk
into her office you immediately feel welcomed.
The feel is not a doctor’s office at all and you do not get the feeling
of being ran through the mill like cattle.
You will not feel rushed like many doctors’ offices just trying to get
people in and out. Funny side story,
last time I was there Toby spent several minutes telling me about her new hair
style and will often ask about my family and tell me about hers. </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LNCseOfgMiE/WlK7T_vCxnI/AAAAAAAA4rk/5YR6zwf0FCwsVsM094hO9P6IgsU_SBxOQCLcBGAs/s1600/girls%2Bpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LNCseOfgMiE/WlK7T_vCxnI/AAAAAAAA4rk/5YR6zwf0FCwsVsM094hO9P6IgsU_SBxOQCLcBGAs/s320/girls%2Bpic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">My first comment for Toby was about breast cancer awareness being
all the rage and other issues getting overlooked. Since I know she is very conscious of breast
cancer awareness, I asked her for a short statement about it and then we moved
on to other issues. Her comment was that
“breast cancer screening is a very individualized issue. Many factors need to be taken into account
including, age, family history, age and number of family members diagnosed with
breast cancer, etc. This should be
discussed with a women’s healthcare provider.
Most women will need to start yearly mammogram screening at the age of
40.” A lot of insurance companies will
pay for that screening along with a baseline one-time screening between the age
of 35 and 40. Self-breast exams are very
important. So ladies, do not skip those
monthly self-exams. I know for a fact
that they can help you catch early issues.
For more information on how to conduct a self-breast examination you can
visit </span><a href="http://www.breastcancer.org/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.breastcancer.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">We also discussed the dreaded yearly pap smear that all females,
sexually active or twenty one years of age, should do. The pap smear checks for cervical cancer by
collecting cells from the cervix. Some
good news for you ladies, and I recommend asking your health care provider
about, is that if the pap smear is done and HPV, human papillomavirus, is also
tested for then you can go three to five years without having the dreaded pap,
but Toby does recommend that you still do a well woman check-up once a
year. That would probably include a
general health exam, pelvic exam, and breast exam. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Another female related issue is menopause. Menopause is a natural biological process
that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years and generally happens around
fifty years of age; however, many women will suffer from pre-menopausal
symptoms years prior to this.
Pre-menopausal and menopausal treatment is very individualized depending
on the symptoms affecting the woman.
Common symptoms are hot flashes, night sweats, emotional instabilities,
insomnia, low energy, and vaginal symptoms.
There are many hormonal and non-hormonal options for treatment of these
symptoms. Unfortunately, unless you have
a hysterectomy, there is no speedy way through this change in your life, and it
will probably last at least a year. It’s
best to be educated about what is going on in your body and be ready to take
steps to deal with the symptoms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">All those things we’ve already talked about seem scary and like
big deals. They are, but often over
looked is the number one killer of women.
<u>Heart attacks</u>. Toby stated
that “the most common heart attack symptom in women is some type of pain,
pressure, or discomfort in the chest but women are more likely than men to have
heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as neck, jaw, shoulder, or
abdominal discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, sweating,
dizziness, or unusual fatigue.”
Prevention is the best and most affective source of preventing a heart
attack. You should know your family
history for heart disease, do regular checks of your blood pressure, and get
yearly cholesterol and blood sugar checks.
Staying active, managing stress, eating a healthy diet, and if you’re a
smoker, stop smoking will go a long way in preventing heart attacks. Visit </span><a href="http://www.goredforwomen.org/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.goredforwomen.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> more information on heart attacks and
heart disease in women. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">In closing, ladies, make sure and take time to take care of your
body. You will have a harder time taking
care of your family if you are not feeling good and it’s easier to stay on top
of your health care than to wait until you have an issue that takes a lot of
care. There are some great physicians
along the Corridor and find a good one who will take time and listen to your
concerns and give you good treatment options.
Advances in technology are
amazing in helping prevent disease, take advantage of what is available to
you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Special thanks to Toby Miller, APRN-CNP for taking time to answer
my questions and for providing a comfortable place for women to get health
care. If you are a woman in the
Stillwater area looking for health care check out Integrity Women’s Center,
www.integritywomenscenter.com, tell her Missy sent you. https://www.facebook.com/integritywomenscenter/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-72867271104355299342017-12-17T16:35:00.000-08:002017-12-17T17:07:11.409-08:00The Real Story of Santa, Corridor Article December 2017<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Hey, Hey, Hey, he heard them say,
Santa’s phony – all the way!”</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">These are
the words from the mean older kids in the book, </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Santa Are You For Real</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">We
know that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ but how did Santa
Claus get his foot in the door to try to take the celebration over?</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JcSAZ-HYIPg/WjcNCsfhh0I/AAAAAAAA4Io/ee6VKno2GzQGOlYixUZG4NGQElX2PsYgwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20171121_133511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JcSAZ-HYIPg/WjcNCsfhh0I/AAAAAAAA4Io/ee6VKno2GzQGOlYixUZG4NGQElX2PsYgwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20171121_133511.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">I honestly do not remember when I
figured out Santa wasn’t a jolly ol’ fellow who came down the chimney to bring
me gifts on Christmas and that wasn’t the whole reason Christmas existed, but I
do remember when I learned who Santa, or Saint Nicholas really was. About 1998 I experienced my first Advent
Season with my soon to be husband’s family and one of the things they do every
December 6<sup>th</sup> is read the book, <i>Santa
Are You For Real</i>, to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. This illustrated kid’s book tells the “real”
story of Santa Claus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HVBh2rndrxI/WjcM7iyLcBI/AAAAAAAA4Ik/1O3eIJn9Vvg_tgEtxIST_lhr8Fk11IUPwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20171206_194359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HVBh2rndrxI/WjcM7iyLcBI/AAAAAAAA4Ik/1O3eIJn9Vvg_tgEtxIST_lhr8Fk11IUPwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20171206_194359.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"> <span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">What do we know for sure about
Saint Nicholas? He was born March 15,
270 in </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 200%;">Patara</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">, </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 200%;">Lycia</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="color: #222222;">in Asia Minor</span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> to
wealthy Christian parents. Nicholas
lived his life for God even from an early age.
His parents both died in an epidemic when he was young and Nicholas was
raised by his uncle, also named Nicholas, who was a bishop. Nicholas later became a bishop, and even
after the death of his parents and the suffering he faced, he never became
bitter but spread joy, love, and hope thought the country. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">One story has him begging wheat
from sailors passing through his area, for his country that was experiencing a
famine. The sailors were afraid that if
they gave it to him they would not have the required amount to give to the Emperor. Nicholas promised they would not suffer any
loss and was given enough wheat for two years, including enough for
sowing. When the sailors offloaded at
their final destination and the wheat was weighed for the emperor, the amount
had not changed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">The tradition of hanging stockings
is from a time when Nicholas heard about three daughters of a poor man who did
not have money for a dowry and would in all likelihood be forced to go into
prostitution. On three separate occasions,
under cover of darkness, because he did not want credit for the act, he tossed
enough gold coin in the window of the house to cover the dowries for the
daughters, once the gold landed in a stocking that was hanging to dry. Hence the hanging stockings for Christmas
morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt; line-height: 200%;">How did St. Nicholas end up as an American Icon? In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore, an Episcopal
minister, wrote a long Christmas poem for his three daughters entitled “An
Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas.” The
poem, which he was hesitant to publish due to the frivolous nature of its
subject, is largely responsible for the modern image of Santa Claus as a “right
jolly old elf” with a portly figure and the supernatural ability to ascend a
chimney with a mere nod of his head! Although some of Moore’s imagery was
probably borrowed from other sources, his poem helped popularize the
now-familiar image of a Santa Claus who flew from house to house on Christmas
Eve, in “a miniature sleigh” led by eight flying reindeer–leaving presents for
deserving children. “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas” created a new and
immediately popular American icon. In 1881, political cartoonist Thomas Nast
drew on Moore’s poem to create the first likeness that matches our modern image
of Santa Claus. His cartoon, which appeared in Harper’s Weekly, depicted Santa
as a rotund, cheerful man with a full, white beard, holding a sack laden with
toys for lucky children. It is Nast who gave Santa his bright red suit trimmed
with white fur, North Pole workshop, elves, and his wife, Mrs. Claus.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">Another name associated with St.
Nicholas is Kriss Kringle. The word
comes from Germany and is translated as Christ Child, meaning gift-giver. God sent the ultimate gift of life to us in
the form of his Son and that is the true reason we celebrate Christmas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">On a side note, I went to my
favorite source for gathering data, Facebook, and asked my friends this
question: </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 200%;">What
history do you know about St. Nicholas/Santa Claus? How old were you when you
found out he wasn't "real"? How did you tell your kids that he isn't
"real"?</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">First off I got several adults who
said, “What? Santa’s not real”, I also
got one comment that he, St. Nicholas, punched a heretic at a church council
meeting, then we got down to business and it was about fifty-fifty on parents
who let their kids believe in Santa and those who told them right off the bat
that he isn’t real. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">One mom states “we never did
Santa; we wanted our children to celebrate Jesus only. We told them that others played Santa and the
tales of St. Nick and encouraged them not to ruin it for others that played
it. All of our children are grown now
and have families of their own and have expressed appreciation that we were honest
with them and that it did not ruin Christmas knowing Santa wasn’t real.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">Another mother said they never
introduced Santa as a magical creature who brings gifts to children. They try to model their Christmas around
Jesus but they also ask their children not to ruin the magic of Santa for
others and for now to keep it to themselves that Santa isn’t real. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">Renee’ said her oldest figured it out around second grade and told
her younger brother, neither seemed bothered by it and she has shared with them
the bits and pieces of what she knows about the history and folklore of the
real Saint. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">There were also several that said
they tell their kids they still believe in Santa themselves and that Santa is
the “magic” of Christmas or that Santa is the spirit of giving. Then we have people like Judy who told her
kids when they were young that the minute they tell me Santa isn’t real they
start getting underwear for Christmas.
Her kids are all grown now and still believe for fear of having to open
underwear on Christmas morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">So, if you are looking for a way
to tell your children the real story of Santa I highly recommend the book
mentioned here several times, <i>Santa Are
You For Real</i>. It keeps the spirit of
Santa intact with gift giving and magic but honors the real reason for
Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">Now, get out along The Corridor
find a Santa to take your picture with, have fun giving gifts in secret and
sharing the spirit and magic of Christmas and in closing remember the words
from Todd in the book <i>Santa Are You For
Real </i>“I’ll act like St. Nick,” Todd said to his dad, “It’s Jesus he loved –
He makes us all glad!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hmd9aAOtuPc/WjcNLOSJGtI/AAAAAAAA4Iw/Nh6yCokntUUQ-4M14HvrPh5omCStHhuMgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20171121_133259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hmd9aAOtuPc/WjcNLOSJGtI/AAAAAAAA4Iw/Nh6yCokntUUQ-4M14HvrPh5omCStHhuMgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20171121_133259.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 200%;">Wishing the readers along The
Corridor a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Missy Husted~</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-1856490369772220692017-12-17T16:29:00.001-08:002017-12-17T17:03:06.494-08:00After the Kill, Corridor Article November 2017<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">The sun is
fixing to set and you hear a rustling in the trees. You keep watch and the buck
of a lifetime steps out and is fixing to cross your shooting lane at 50
yards. Your adrenaline kicks in and you
start shaking; that excitement is what makes the kill, no matter if it’s a doe
or buck, worth the hunt. You very slowly
move your rifle up onto your shoulder and find the monster in your scope and
put the cross hairs right in the middle of the kill zone, take your safety off,
and gently squeeze the trigger.
BOOM! Monster buck stumbles and
crashes into the tree out of sight.
Still shaking you work the action of your rifle and put it back on
safety and sit and wait as patiently as you can. You don’t want to get out of your tree too
early and take a chance of jumping it up in case it is taking a bit of time to
die. You wait about 15 minutes and
gather your things and climb out of the tree and head in the direction of the
last place you saw Mr. Big Buck. It
takes you just a minute to find the blood trail and see him laying just yards
from where you shot him. As slow as the
adrenaline will allow you, you walk up to him, making sure he is down for the
count, and then whoop for joy as you get close and see the true massiveness of
the animal. Grabbing your cell phone you
snap a selfie so you can start the bragging process of text messages and
Facebook posts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Now it’s
time to field dress and cape the massive buck and get him headed to the
taxidermist and get the meat into your freezer.
But how do you do that and keep your taxidermist happy and with enough
of a cape to make your mount look amazing?
I did a little research for you and talked to my friend Christine Seaton
of Turing Heads Taxidermy to get you some tips on exactly what and what not to
do. First off, Christine says there are
two major issues she sees when she gets a deer in the taxidermy shop. First is the cape did not get cooled down
quick enough and the hair is slipping and/or the hide is growing bacteria. Second, the hunter cuts the cape too short in
the armpits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">To start
caping you want to make a cut around the mid-section of the animal, four to six
inches back from the shoulder blades to ensure there is enough skin to cover
the shoulder mount. Then cut the back
from the middle toward the head, stopping two to three inches from the back of
the head where the spine and the skull meet.
Next make cuts around the front legs, remembering to leave plenty of
hide around the armpits, and remove the skin from the legs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Next you want
to get the cape cooled off as quickly as possible. If you are still in the field, lay it flat in
the shade to cool while you finish processing the animal. If you are where you can, get it in an ice
chest, refrigerator, or freezer as quick as possible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">A few
recaps and tips for caping:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Skin your kill as quick as possible but
remember to leave enough of the hide for the taxidermist to work with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Keep your cape clean as possible <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Cool it off quickly. Do not let it set in the sun. The ears on a deer are especially susceptible
to heat damage when left in direct sunlight.
Heat also promotes bacteria growth and can cause the hair to slip off
the cape. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->If you are putting your caped buck in an ice
chest do not let it get wet. This can
also cause hair slippage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->It is best to fold the hide inside out to keep
dirt and gravel off the hide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Make sure your knife is sharp before starting
the caping process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The initial caping is fairly simple, but leave
the detail work around the nose, eyes, and mouth to the professional. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->If you put the cape in the freezer make sure
it is wrapped good and is not allowed to dry out or freezer burn. Again this
will cause hair to slip and make it hard for the taxidermist to work with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Do not drag your buck or wrap a rope around
its neck. This will cause baldness on
your cape. If you have to drag him, tie
the rope around his antlers and put a jacket or something under his shoulders
to keep the hide from rubbing on the ground.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Never cut the throat to bleed out the deer, it
will ruin the cape and you will be very disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">Now that
the cape is taken care of you need to process the deer for the freezer so you
can feed your family all winter long. You want to be sure and get your caped and
gutted deer cooled off as quickly as possible so you have no spoilage or bacteria
growth. To age the deer cool it between
32 and 42 degrees for two to seven days depending on the age of the deer. The older the deer the longer you want to age
it to combat toughness in the meat. I personally
do not have a cooler to hang a deer in and don’t like the possibility of
getting blood in my frig so I quarter my deer and put them in ice chests to
age. Keep the water drained off and the
meat covered with ice. This technique
has served me well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">1 1)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The first part of the deer we butcher is the front shoulders. The
shoulder should be pulled away from the torso of the deer to expose the pass
through cut zone. Cutting with your knife’s blade parallel to the rib cage, you
will pass through the shoulder joint. If having a difficult time finding where
to cut, pull the front leg away from the torso and aim you knife strokes for
the hinge area.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">2 2)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Before removing the back straps, you can shave off any excess fat that
has built up in the area. After fat removal, we need to find the knobby part of
the hip bone. We will cut just under this bone and to the back bone on both
sides. After cutting this initial cross section of the back strap, we will now
run our knife down and along the back bone. This cut will run all the way
through the neck. We can now return to the initial cuts we made and start
peeling and freeing the back strap with our knife. Take your time and try not
to leave any of this valuable meat on the back bone. Once you have the back
strap down to the front shoulders, you can cut them off.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">3 3)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The neck of the deer can have quite a bit of meat that is very good for
grinding. Pull the meat from the back strap incision and skin the meat off the
neck bone. You will work this meat from the top of the neck to the deer’s wind
pipe.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 24pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">4)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->If you desire, you can now carve out any meat left on the front
half of the deer. This can be anything from meat along the rib cage (brisket)
to rib cage meat itself. Any of this boned out meat will be excellent for
ground meat use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 24pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">5)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Once done with the front half of the deer, we can now saw the
backbone leaving us with the hind quarters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">6 6)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Starting from the knee of the hindquarter, work your knife parallel with
the leg bone until you reach the hip. Now turn your knife 90 degrees and finish
the cut</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">7 7)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">We leave the hind quarters attached to the pelvic bone during this final
butchering stage. Starting on the rear of the leg and just below (upward on the
animals leg) the Achilles tendon, cut in and to the bone. Now work this cut
around the knee and continue to cut so all the meat will be freed from the leg
bones and the pelvic bone. This will leave you with a large hunk of roast meat
which will be made up of around 3 muscle groups: rump roast, bottom round, and
the eye of round. You can pretty much separate these muscle groups by hand with
minimal knife work.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 24pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">8)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Now is the time to salvage meat left behind which we can use for
stew meat or ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 24pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">9)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->You can wrap in plastic wrap and butcher paper for storage, use
freezer zipper bags, or vacuum seal the meat.
Make sure and remember to label the packages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 24pt 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;">In closing, get out along The
Corridor, hunt hard for those trophy bucks, properly care for them, then you
will have memories to hang on your wall for a lifetime and food in your stomach
for a season. Speaking of food in your
stomach, if you have more venison than you know what to do with look up Hunters
Against Hunger, you can find a list of processors at <a href="http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/">www.wildlifedepartment.com</a>. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">This program
operates primarily through the state’s deer processors, gives nutritious, fresh
meat to those who are hungry in our state. Many tons of venison are donated
annually to food banks statewide, providing many thousands of nutritious meals. Happy Hunting.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://shootingtime.com/hunting/butchering-deer/">https://shootingtime.com/hunting/butchering-deer/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.gohunt.com/read/how-to-cape-a-deer">https://www.gohunt.com/read/how-to-cape-a-deer</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="background-color: #990000; color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.huntinfool.com/blog/how-to-cape-a-deer-2/">https://www.huntinfool.com/blog/how-to-cape-a-deer-2/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-70463452055343641102017-12-17T16:21:00.001-08:002017-12-17T16:21:50.316-08:00Destinations: Prague, OK (October 2017 Corridor Article)<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Entrepreneurs Alex and DeeAnn Capron
took a bit of time out of their busy schedule to sit down with me and tell me
about their newest venture, a restaurant that is bringing a joy to the stomachs
of people far and wide.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For years the
Capron’s have owned and operated ACE Paving and Construction, a company that
does commercial concrete and fencing.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In
2015 they expanded into the restaurant business that has been an adventure for
the whole family.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When I asked what
parts the family play in this business Alex was quick to praise his family and
their hard work.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">First, he told me about
how great his wife DeeAnn is.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She is the
full time accountant for their businesses, a homeschool teacher to their school
age children, an incredible wife, and that is all before she walks in the
restaurant, where, like many restaurant owners, she does whatever needs
done.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">You might find her making the
homemade desserts the restaurant servers, hostessing, bussing tables, or
refilling drinks.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">They have three
daughters who work for them as waitresses or fill ins where needed and one
daughter, eight year old Izzy, who rules the roost.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She is always a favorite among the diners and
will bring a smile to your face when she walks in with her little apron and big
smile.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">You may be wondering what the concept is
behind the name Destinations. Alex says
his vision is for their restaurant to not only be a place to get great local
food on a daily basis but to take you to a destination. He states “in the future we will have special
nights where we will take you on a journey around the world to enjoy the
cuisine of other cultures and countries; for example banger and mash from the
Great Britain area or traditional spaghetti and meatballs from Italy.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Before you walk in the door of
Destinations you are greeted with a fun atmosphere, the outdoor seating, a
small carousal, and corn hole game make you want to sit and enjoy the goings-on
of Main Street Prague. But don’t stop
there, go inside and check out the décor.
I was a little taken back at the busyness of the décor, but while I
walked around and looked I fell in love.
First you will find a train mounted along the windows that really works,
you’ll see small airplanes hanging from the ceiling along with a canoe, dog
sled, and bicycle. On the walls you will
see a buffalo head, old signs and maps among many other things. The busyness really works! The eclectic décor takes you on a Destination
and conjures up all kinds of fun fantasies and adventures while you wait on
your food. Now that you enjoyed the
inside décor, you can go back and sit on that fun patio and watch the traffic
along Main Street and enjoy the great fall afternoon in Oklahoma.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Let’s get to the real and most
important reason for this article, the food!
The Capron’s try to do as many things from scratch as possible; if you
are from the Prague area you will recognize some of the items from the old
Fillin’ Station that was owned by Alex’s brother several years ago. A few of the crowd favorites are the hand
breaded chicken fried steak, a delicious cube steak breaded in a seasoned flour
and deep fried to golden brown and deliciousness, the hand cut chunk chicken marinated and
cooked to perfection served with homemade ranch, honey, or gravy, and of course
the all-time favorite hand pattied burger.
Yes, I said hand pattied burger!
After these burgers are hand pattied they are cooked on a flat grill,
which gives them that classic *greasy* burger taste. Alex said he knows it’s a good burger when
it’s dripping down your forearm and that’s the way he serves his burgers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I asked DeeAnn what I needed to have
for lunch and after talking through several things on the menu; she finally
decided the taco salad with smoked pork is what I should try. Good choice!
They take a huge flour tortilla and fry it into the shape of a giant
taco and load it up with lettuce, tomato, cheese black beans, corn, onions, and
of course delicious smoked pork, and top it with salsa, sour cream, and
cilantro. I also had to try the Smokie
Okies for an appetizer. YUMMY! First, Alex pointed out that their baked
potatoes are smoked, which I think adds another dimension of flavor and texture
to the potato. So, the Smokie Okies are
a sliced baked potato fried a bit with tons of cheese, real bacon bits, and
chives, served with homemade ranch. I
probably could have eaten the whole plate full but since I knew I had a taco
salad on the way I refrained and only ate half.
You can also find your favorite 6-point beer on draft or in a bottle,
the beers are currently rotated while they are looking for that perfect
combination to keep on hand. Wine is
another option that is finding its way on the menu; enjoy a nice glass with one
of their great flame grilled steaks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Aside from the regular menu items they
also offer a daily special. Some
specials change depending on the day, some are always served the same day of
the week. Among several favorites is
Wednesday and Saturday’s smoked ribs, Thursday’s Rubens and Friday’s
Catfish. Daily homemade desserts are also
available. Alex poked DeeAnn in the ribs
and said “for a non-baker she comes up with some pretty good stuff”. I hear her butterfinger pie is to die for,
but by the time I had finished my appetizer and taco salad there was no room
for dessert. Next time I’m in the area I
will for sure have to stop and see what she’s came up with to tantalize my
sweet tooth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Capron’s also offer catering and
host special events and offer lunches delivered to the Prague schools. They will cater just about whatever you want
but their specialties are smoked brisket, pork loin, and grilled chicken along
with all the great sides. They recently
hosted the Corvette Club and had sixty diners and a whole parking lot full of
beautiful corvettes. Alex said it was
amazing and he would love to have more cruise-ins like this in the future. For more information on catering and special
events or to have Destinations host a cruise-in call the restaurant at
405-567-2525.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">You will find Destinations just half a
block west of the stoplight in Prague and the summer hours are Monday thru
Saturday 11am to 9pm and winter hours will be Monday thru Thursday 11am to 8pm
and Friday and Saturday 11am to 9pm, closed every Sunday. Be sure to keep your eyes open along The
Corridor; you never know where the Capron’s aspirations for expanding their
Destination will lead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">***Since the publication of this article in The Corridor, Destinations has announced that they have bought a restaurant in Chandler, OK on Rt 66 and will be opening another location soon! </span></div>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-87059609170556197762017-09-09T09:19:00.003-07:002017-09-09T09:19:55.133-07:00Farming Life - Through the Windshield of a Tractor: The Hayfield September 2017 Corridor Article<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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People often ask me “what do you do,” in reference to what I do for a living. I usually</div>
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laugh and tell them I’m retired, when in all actuality I wear many different hats. I even get paid</div>
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to wear some of those hats! In 2014 I “retired” from working a 9 to 5 job. Well, okay, I owned a</div>
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restaurant so it was more like 6am to 9pm but you get the point, and since then I have been</div>
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able to do things that I enjoy. One of those things is farming, and although I don’t technically</div>
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get paid to farm, I am thankful that Mr. Husted has a “real” job that pays the bills and I can</div>
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continue to be “retired.”</div>
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Now, about three years ago my buddy Gary, who we lease land for cattle from, asked</div>
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me to move some hay bales off a field for him. I think this was a test on how well I adapted to</div>
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life in a tractor. I guess I passed his test, because the next year I was promoted to “hay raker”</div>
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and this year he’s trusted me with a big fancy hay cutter! I’ve learned some valuable lessons</div>
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and skills behind the windshield of a tractor and I have loved *almost* every bit of it. . .but it</div>
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does help when I get to use nice equipment and cabbed tractors with good air conditioners!</div>
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The point of this article is to give you a glimpse into my world in the hay field, to honor a</div>
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couple farmers I know, and talk about a few things I’ve learned through the windshield of the</div>
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tractor in the hay fields the last few years. Some of those things you may relate with, some are</div>
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serious, some you may laugh at, and some you may roll your eyes at and wonder what I was</div>
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thinking and how in the world I survive.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hay bales scattered after we finish raking and baling</td></tr>
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Maybe I should first start by explaining the haying process for those who aren’t familiar</div>
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with that part of farming. This is how Gary and I do it, and some may have different techniques,</div>
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that’s alright, they can be wrong if they want to! Right off the bat, you need a field with good</div>
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grass that has been sprayed for weeds or the weeds are minimal. Then you need optimal</div>
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weather. Rain on hay once it is cut and laying on the ground can causes mold and you have</div>
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the possibility of losing nutritional value, and if you bale it while wet you take a chance of the</div>
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hay overheating and catching on fire. Yes, odd as it sounds, wet hay is more susceptible to</div>
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spontaneous combustion. After a field is picked and you have a good window of weather you</div>
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will start by mowing the field using disc mowers, in our case. Mine folds up to the side of my</div>
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tractor when not in use and Gary’s is pulled right behind his tractor and when in use it is moved</div>
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over to the side. After mowing, depending on the type of grass, we wait a day or two or three</div>
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and then I go in with a rake attached to the tractor and start making rows to be baled, then Gary</div>
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follows with the baler and bales it, and then someone comes along sometime and hauls it from</div>
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the field.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mowing a hay meadow</td></tr>
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We’ll dive right in and start with a bit of a laughing matter to some. To avoid dehydration</div>
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I try to drink water, a lot of water, which is great and everyone should do this, unless you are a</div>
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female, spending hours in a bouncy tractor, in the middle of nowhere, and your sidekick in this</div>
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hay business is a male. What do you do? First you strategize. Yes that sounds funny but you</div>
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do what you gotta do in intense situations. So, you get to the field after driving the tractor a few</div>
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miles down a bumpy dirt road and immediately start looking around for good places to stop and</div>
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take care of business. A few things have to be taken into consideration. Are there houses</div>
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around? Is the road close? How far away is the other tractor? Probably most importantly,</div>
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does that look like poison ivy on that tree you’re about to squat behind? If you are raking and</div>
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the baler is behind you, you can get a lap on him and angle your tractor so that the giant wheel</div>
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and the hay bale give you a bit of privacy. The first time out to the hay field, you probably didn’t</div>
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think of all those little details before drinking a lot of water. . .but you will think about them from</div>
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now on!</div>
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One of my favorite things is to see God’s beautiful creation. A couple weeks ago we</div>
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went to a prairie meadow that was hidden deep in the trees in the middle of a section of land. It</div>
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was beautiful, almost breath taking, a pretty field surrounded by dense woods with smatters of</div>
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wild flowers, clumps of hardwood trees, and a few giant cedar. Yes most farmers hate cedars</div>
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but I think they are pretty. It was a place that you could sit and be surrounded by God’s beauty</div>
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and be at peace. I did spot a tree stand on the edge of the woods and I’m a little jealous of the</div>
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hunter that gets to sit and view the beautiful place while hunting. I love that these hidden gems</div>
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exist and that sometimes God brings me to one of these places so I can be in awe of His</div>
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creation and worship Him.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNk1XSjwWwc/WbQKfR8TVBI/AAAAAAAA0yk/VITDHK0aTxkhL8ZK1fRSGe0GUtK2gLLTwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20170808_113112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NNk1XSjwWwc/WbQKfR8TVBI/AAAAAAAA0yk/VITDHK0aTxkhL8ZK1fRSGe0GUtK2gLLTwCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20170808_113112.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the prettiest fields I got to rake and mow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To get to this pretty field you had to go up on the side of the steep terrace so the mower wouldn't hit the trees</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jTBM4AvMer8/WbQLA4eeCdI/AAAAAAAA0y0/tgGy2S_HXq8KT022pt2MOoHSP79Dxkj4wCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20170808_130011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jTBM4AvMer8/WbQLA4eeCdI/AAAAAAAA0y0/tgGy2S_HXq8KT022pt2MOoHSP79Dxkj4wCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20170808_130011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully the rakes can roll through the light tree branches but you do have to watch for the heavy stuff!</td></tr>
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The down side of finding one of these beautiful places is sometimes they are hard to get</div>
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to and that brings me to my next topic. Terrible-ditch ridden-creek crossing-steep- narrow paths</div>
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to the fields. Wow, when you are driving a tractor with a mower attached that sticks up above</div>
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the cab of the tractor or pulling a rake that is long and a bit wide you really have to be cautious</div>
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about your surroundings! I broke the tail light off the top corner of the tractor cab going from the</div>
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road into a field the other day and I felt terrible, especially since it isn’t my equipment. I really</div>
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hate to tear up something that isn’t mine. I was on the edge of the road going about a tenth of a</div>
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mile an hour and went to up a small ditch and my mower, that is folded up the side of my tractor,</div>
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bounced funny and busted the tail light out. You also have to watch all sides of you and make</div>
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sure that your mower isn’t too tall to go under big tree limbs. The rake isn’t as bad because it is</div>
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on the back and pulls straight like a trailer but you do have to watch corners and mail boxes.</div>
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Then think about steep hills/ditches, again with a mower hanging on the side it is a bit scary.</div>
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You have a lot of unbalanced weight sticking out that you have to pay attention to. Then while</div>
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you’re in the field mowing or raking you have to watch fences and obstructions in the field. I</div>
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actually prefer to work in a field with a little bit of an obstacle course, it keeps things interesting</div>
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and keeps me awake, but I have gotten my rake tines in a fence or tree a couple times.</div>
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Thankfully it was all easily fixable. . .and I know I’m not the first to make those mistakes.</div>
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Something else you don’t think about is that mowing a field disturbs a lot of wildlife. </div>
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There is the baby fawn or cotton tail rabbit that is buried in the tall grass, the field mice that feast</div>
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in the fields, and the heebeegeebee giving snakes that eat the mice and other things. </div>
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Somehow the coyotes and hawks know that you are churning up some dinner for them when</div>
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they hear the mower on the tractor and come running. I try to remember to carry a rifle in the</div>
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cab with me to take out those rotten coyotes but a few weeks ago I forgot to grab my rifle. I</div>
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really didn’t give it a lot of thought until a young coyote came out of the woods. It taunted me for</div>
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what seemed like hours chasing mice and such. It would catch something and trot off to the</div>
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woods to dine in privacy then come back for something else. I shot it with my finger a couple</div>
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times and yelled at it in the cab of my tractor but neither of those things did any good. Of course</div>
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the next day when we went back to the field to rake and bale and I *had* my rifle the coyote</div>
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never came back. For the record, coyotes build dens in the fields and make them rough to drive</div>
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across and if you have a big watermelon patch, like I do, they come in the field and carry your</div>
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watermelon off right as they are ripe and ready for picking. That’s one of the many reasons</div>
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farmers don’t like coyotes….</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Shc7c1We7AM/WbQLiM6tKkI/AAAAAAAA0zI/VkOVz640-CAu58Hz-QKPCZGKgJDHLe5ugCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20170808_130429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Shc7c1We7AM/WbQLiM6tKkI/AAAAAAAA0zI/VkOVz640-CAu58Hz-QKPCZGKgJDHLe5ugCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_20170808_130429.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I keep my rifle behind the seat to dispatch unwanted critters!<br /></td></tr>
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As any farmer can tell you, farming (or haying, in my case) involves hours of driving</div>
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circles, which makes comfort pretty important. “My” tractor is, of course, not as nice as Gary’s</div>
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and not even mine! He owns them both, so I use the smaller one and he uses the “Cadillac.”</div>
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I’ve only used the Cadillac once to move hay, and he was sure to mention that I shouldn’t get</div>
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used to it, because I wouldn’t be using it very often! Mine has a radio but it doesn’t work so I</div>
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often serenade myself. I’m pretty sure y’all would get a kick out of me talking and singing to</div>
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myself if there was a hidden camera. I also download books or sermons on my phone to listen</div>
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to or I sit in the peace and quiet (except for the comforting noise of the tractor engine), pray or</div>
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praise or listen for the still small voice of God. The seat of a tractor is a great place to reflect on</div>
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life and the beauty around me, to plan and dream about the future, and to learn to enjoy being</div>
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by myself.</div>
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I am super thankful for the experience I’ve gotten the last few years behind the</div>
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windshield of a tractor and have become more aware of how even the small farmers feed the</div>
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world. So, in closing, something staggering to think about: according to Clemson University, in</div>
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1940 a farmer could feed 19 people, and in 2011 that increased to 155. Technology and</div>
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advances in equipment have helped increase those numbers in a good way. By 2050 the food</div>
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production will need to increase seventy percent to feed 9.1 billion people. With less and less</div>
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farms, farmers, and farmland there has to be other ways to increase production from the</div>
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available land. That is where technology comes in. Just something to think about………</div>
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*Because of space limitations these did not get included in the article but I want to make sure they are recognized anyway!</div>
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Honoring Farmers: I am so thankful for all farmers big and small. You can't begin to imagine how much these families sacrifice to provide food for the world. So take time and thank a farmer!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LVILkNitOHg/WbQLoIpfb1I/AAAAAAAA0zU/A5aCCPUDcjQwwOT654ZxBGdATKYI2-mVACEwYBhgL/s1600/Snyder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="960" height="215" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LVILkNitOHg/WbQLoIpfb1I/AAAAAAAA0zU/A5aCCPUDcjQwwOT654ZxBGdATKYI2-mVACEwYBhgL/s320/Snyder.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Snyder Farms in Prague, Oklahoma has been a
Strong Family Tradition since 1891. Seven generations deep with four
generations currently helping on the family farm together. The Jesse Snyder
family raise Angus Cattle, Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Hay, Sweet Corn, Pumpkins and
various Garden Produce.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can follow their farming journey at
https://www.facebook.com/snyderfarmsok<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRC8WV1LFD0/WbQMGPnXcRI/AAAAAAAA0zs/FkgMJvgCgzg6qI0uoX-awbBjtIHgmNB9ACEwYBhgL/s1600/Stefansen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRC8WV1LFD0/WbQMGPnXcRI/AAAAAAAA0zs/FkgMJvgCgzg6qI0uoX-awbBjtIHgmNB9ACEwYBhgL/s320/Stefansen.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tyler and Karen Stefansen are relatively new
to farming. Tyler was raised on a
homestead where he learned about gardens and deer plots. He has a degree from OSU in
Wildlife/Fisheries Ecology and Rangeland Management and worked in college for
the Oklahoma Wildlife Department as a field biologist and Soil Conservation
Service. They currently raise soybeans
and wheat. I asked Tyler how he’s
learned what he knows and been successful without having the experience of
working for a row crop farmer. He says
“by immersing myself in the trade; book knowledge from OSU, hours and hours of
research, visiting with local farmers, and most importantly tons of prayer.” He
and Karen are raising two children and hope to ingrain in them their love of
the land.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ty_7i-SV0Es/WbQL4PpbmZI/AAAAAAAA0zg/Tp34pu5yHgs6930N92I_-ctz2iEPKw3kQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Terrell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ty_7i-SV0Es/WbQL4PpbmZI/AAAAAAAA0zg/Tp34pu5yHgs6930N92I_-ctz2iEPKw3kQCEwYBhgL/s320/Terrell.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sherman Terrell is a 3<sup>rd</sup> generation farmer. With the help and support of his wife Mary Jo
he started farming full time in the late 1950’s, and has continued since.
Over the years they have produced peanuts, alfalfa, wheat, and has grown
produce such as watermelons, cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins.
At one time, Sherman and Mary Jo grew and supplied produce crops to around
fifteen local grocery stores. They have also raise beef cattle.
They have two sons that are involved in the farm operation, and a daughter
whose husband was involved for many years.</span></div>
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Just some fun pictures I've taken the last year from the seat of a tractor. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jeoVFXm2kn0/WbQJbz2y_xI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/38OTGCEt_TYdgOQ9qYO8UnLTtKCw4L4bQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170907_131525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jeoVFXm2kn0/WbQJbz2y_xI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/38OTGCEt_TYdgOQ9qYO8UnLTtKCw4L4bQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170907_131525.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to cross this little creek to get into the hay field. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QvbG926XTMg/WbQJbyOgPRI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/JBG49gzoZaUad04vbsYfJFdGajJnrJsDwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170907_132843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QvbG926XTMg/WbQJbyOgPRI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/JBG49gzoZaUad04vbsYfJFdGajJnrJsDwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170907_132843.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gopher mounds can make a very dusty mowing experience. Thankful for a cabbed tractor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nyXiCpWL2c0/WbQJb10h_PI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/OdTdThieQ4gbhoo1T55m4ryzE2ZazRjbQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170907_115126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nyXiCpWL2c0/WbQJb10h_PI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/OdTdThieQ4gbhoo1T55m4ryzE2ZazRjbQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170907_115126.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I often get bugs that ride along. This ones name is Fred and he rode with me about 2 hours!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvaHKEAVMNY/WbQJb90xf2I/AAAAAAAA0yQ/R5Rkaww_HzUjpfjkbpo9vScIJzRMQ7VLgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170907_104250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvaHKEAVMNY/WbQJb90xf2I/AAAAAAAA0yQ/R5Rkaww_HzUjpfjkbpo9vScIJzRMQ7VLgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170907_104250.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes we have to refuel!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYc6lipiwUA/WbQJb--DM7I/AAAAAAAA0yQ/KOhFw2_LUiswjKtZfH0PgrzVt1g0DyGwwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170907_104257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYc6lipiwUA/WbQJb--DM7I/AAAAAAAA0yQ/KOhFw2_LUiswjKtZfH0PgrzVt1g0DyGwwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170907_104257.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, we have to refuel a lot. My tractor uses more fuel mowing than raking because it's having to work harder. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZGX8q_x4Hc/WbQJb2DQ4oI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/S02TuuVY4hcE-7rD9Qknb4wpRRjMk6tsQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170906_144302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZGX8q_x4Hc/WbQJb2DQ4oI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/S02TuuVY4hcE-7rD9Qknb4wpRRjMk6tsQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170906_144302.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes you can sit on a hill and find hidden treasures. This house looks amazing, I may have to see if I can see it from the road sometime.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yz9YYBh7nkE/WbQJb7STzyI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/NwGjTewFjosyVuSVhUDovwrvTwFH5-IaQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170905_142207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yz9YYBh7nkE/WbQJb7STzyI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/NwGjTewFjosyVuSVhUDovwrvTwFH5-IaQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170905_142207.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I over heated, YIKES! The radiator got covered with crud and the tractor was having to work extra hard in thick grass....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8gsbpk0AfE/WbQJb8jtgEI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/rXWGElVh3SEn_vVaIZFbGlXUOyE5rORugCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170901_164451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8gsbpk0AfE/WbQJb8jtgEI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/rXWGElVh3SEn_vVaIZFbGlXUOyE5rORugCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170901_164451.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes things get clogged up and you have to get down and dirty to get it going again.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rvetILGDuwQ/WbQJb79xlaI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/UA46bN6bwt4k0uaiwXce7sg6IKQ2bitVACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170823_144314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rvetILGDuwQ/WbQJb79xlaI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/UA46bN6bwt4k0uaiwXce7sg6IKQ2bitVACKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170823_144314.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kind of like this mess with my mower. Finally got enough pulled out that I could put it in 4 wheel drive and back over the mess. Wet grass is sometimes tough to mow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-4aQempICw/WbQJb5alidI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/QcimD1ucK3A1GdY6DHbLW2MHB86loTkyQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170831_132125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-4aQempICw/WbQJb5alidI/AAAAAAAA0yQ/QcimD1ucK3A1GdY6DHbLW2MHB86loTkyQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170831_132125.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workers gotta eat and sometimes there isn't shade so you have to make due with a bucket for seating and the tractor for shade. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jIbnfLavoDA/WbQJb1AAA-I/AAAAAAAA0yQ/hturMDKwaRIM_8jbZ1hmx290WCze77umwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170828_112638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jIbnfLavoDA/WbQJb1AAA-I/AAAAAAAA0yQ/hturMDKwaRIM_8jbZ1hmx290WCze77umwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170828_112638.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This field was full of terraces. It looks like it'd be an easy job but it isn't you have to cut and rake between the terraces instead of going back and forth over them. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XrnzZjLBTZE/WbQJb8T2W6I/AAAAAAAA0yQ/sSV4Xjqf9u4CD6zIq6J9Vb3duQT87QusQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170824_090341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XrnzZjLBTZE/WbQJb8T2W6I/AAAAAAAA0yQ/sSV4Xjqf9u4CD6zIq6J9Vb3duQT87QusQCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20170824_090341.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes farmers have to "road" tractors. Please Please Please be patient with them. They are doing the best they can and will get out of the way when they can. Keep a decent distance, pass them when it's safe, and pray for their safety.</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-86102466637542837852017-07-27T13:30:00.000-07:002017-07-27T13:30:15.878-07:00A Tribute to Military<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the July 2017 Corridor Article I asked people to pay tribute to their military hero.... This is what I got. I love that we can celebrate freedom and appreciate all who chose to serve. <br />
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Taylor Williams says “my favorite veteran is my father in
law, Brian Williams. He has been serving in the Air Force for 35 years now. He
has served in Iraq twice, Turkey five times, Qatar, and Afghanistan. He has
received countless metals but is so humble I'm sure I don't even know all of
them. Chief Williams has a special place in my heart and I'm so thankful he is
home safe. He has put his life on the line for many years and he is so proud to
have been able to serve his country. He is a proud American and our family
would be lost without him!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDobW3ITJhQ/WXpK38BB4cI/AAAAAAAAzQI/CtHxwtDjPQs1dpHWaWQkO_SNpJALzfU8QCEwYBhgL/s1600/Williams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="539" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDobW3ITJhQ/WXpK38BB4cI/AAAAAAAAzQI/CtHxwtDjPQs1dpHWaWQkO_SNpJALzfU8QCEwYBhgL/s320/Williams.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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Bo Kociuba wanted to share few details about her father,
Janusz Bratek, who was just a 10yr old boy when the war started in Poland
Oct.1, 1939. “He is my hero and there are no adequate words to express my
gratitude and recognize his sacrifice.” Her father was a child who lost
his mother at the age of ten and his father at the age of thirteen. He
was a survivor of Majdanek concentration camp and a member of the Polish
Underground Army. Janusz fought in the bloody and heroic Warsaw Uprising,
the major World War II 63 day battle, where Polish resistance, most of them
young teenagers, fought to liberate Warsaw from German occupation For his
actions he was awarded a Cross of Valor. He was a survivor of German Stalags of
Lamsdorf, Muhlberg and Oschatz where prisoners, because of starvation, were
forced to hunt for cats and rats. He was one of a youngest POWs in WWII. He served
under Gen. Anders in Italy with a rank of Petty Officer. In 1945 ended up in
Manchester, England then came back to Poland in 1947. *While we recognize
that Janusz Bratek was not a United States Soldier, we still want to recognize
the heroic role he played in the freedom of people like his daughter Bo
Kociuba, who is now a US citizen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pilar Dykes wanted to recognize her husband Zack Dykes.
Zack was active Army from 2010 to 2014 in Ft. Lewis, Tacoma, WA, and
served in Afghanistan 2012 as a gunner on a Striker armored truck. He is
currently serving in the Army Reserves. Like many other service men and
women, Zack has received awards and medals but he is very humble about it and
does not share those stories with many folks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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C’Anne Smally wants to recognize her husband, Jason Smalley.
He served 6 years active duty in the United States Marine Corps. His job
was communication, navigation and electronics countermeasure systems. He left
the Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant. He deployed to the South Pacific, Kuwait,
Iraq and Afghanistan. Jason was an expert marksman. Jason received two Navy
Achievement Marine Corps Medals (NAM), a Presidential Unit Citation and two
Marine Good Conduct Medals along with other medals and ribbons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stacy Burns, wife SSG Tyler W. Burns Army National Guard, B Co 1-179 Deployed 2007-2008 & 2011-2012 says “after our second date, I told Tyler I would not date him because I would not fall in love with him because I would not marry him and I would not be an Army Wife. God had other plans. Before the year was over we were married. Three months later I watched him load a bus that would take eventually take him to Afghanistan. That was a scary year for us both. Thankfully God watched over him and brought him back safely. We now have two beautiful boys who look and act just like their Daddy. I am so proud of my soldier! He is a strong man and someone our boys can look up to every day.” </div>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-85025842347329663992017-06-06T10:05:00.000-07:002017-06-14T20:36:03.934-07:00A Father's Day Tribute, The Corridor June 2017<span style="font-size: x-large;">Father’s Day</span><br />
As I sit here and think about the topic of this article, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, or someone special, it is making me take a deeper look into the men who have impacted my life. <br />
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First, how do you put into words what father means? It is going to be a different answer for everyone you ask. For me, for my earthly father, it is dad or daddy. Thankfully my dad has always been a part of my life. If you look back at my article writing history you will see the many times that my dad is included in them. Dad did not make every ball game or school event while I was growing up. He often worked swing shift and was not able to make it, and sometimes he would rather go hunting than to a ball game, but that was okay with me. Sometimes I would have rather have gone hunting, too! So many of my childhood stories start with “my dad took me”. <br />
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Dad started taking me hunting with him when I was pretty young. I remember him tying me to a tree with some sort of pink string. That was way back before safety harnesses were popular, but I was pretty small and he was doing his job of protecting me. That was also before I was old enough to have a bow or gun and hunt myself, so I sat with him while he hunted. He took me fishing and golfing and taught me how to play dominoes. He still likes to take me hunting and fishing and I think it means more to me now than it did when I was younger. Getting to spend a few hours with my dad is something I will always cherish. He taught me what it means to work hard and to give a helping hand to others. He still is often doing for others instead of for himself or his wife. <br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9eMdg9Nir4/WTbcS6dAHBI/AAAAAAAAwvk/z-2vfZpF_lEfWSqOejJvoA6QRGkdFOKXACEw/s1600/FB_IMG_1495140278416.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9eMdg9Nir4/WTbcS6dAHBI/AAAAAAAAwvk/z-2vfZpF_lEfWSqOejJvoA6QRGkdFOKXACEw/s320/FB_IMG_1495140278416.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">My dad, Wendell Davenport, and Me. Shooting at the Annual Christmas Eve Skeet Shoot</span><br />
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“Daddy”, however, is a name I reserve those times that I need something. You’d think that at 29 years old and holding I wouldn’t need to use that term. . .but occasionally I still do and thankfully my daddy has always been there for me. He made several phone calls for me not to long ago looking for trees. Over the winter he drove the 45 miles to my house to help me haul hay. He has picked me up on the side of the road when a vehicle has broken down. Those are my “daddy” moments. <br />
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If you ask me if I have a perfect dad I will always answer no, absolutely not but he is just what I needed and that makes him perfect for me and I will always love and appreciate him.<br />
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When I got married, part of the deal was a new “Dad”. I have an amazing father-in-law. I think if you ask his kids if he is perfect they would say yes, as perfect as an earthly father can be. They will tell you he is the wisest, most Godly man they know. He is a man I am comfortable asking for help and doing things with. For more than eighteen years he has treated me as a daughter and I greatly appreciate that. <br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZD5Z5LVP88/WTbcS5PKE-I/AAAAAAAAwvo/vXifm98kC9cSLL3bAo3kHwJXvwG3TganACLcB/s1600/Ben.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cZD5Z5LVP88/WTbcS5PKE-I/AAAAAAAAwvo/vXifm98kC9cSLL3bAo3kHwJXvwG3TganACLcB/s320/Ben.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is my Father-In-Law, Ben Husted. He is great! In this pic we had just finished working several hours pruning fruit trees! (Sorry Ben, this is not the best photo of us but it's the only one I could find. We'll have to make sure and take one on family vacation)</span><br />
I have had two very different grandpas. One still living, who used to take me hunting and fishing, and camping. I have let life get too busy and don’t spend as much time with him as I should. The other passed away when I was in my early 20s who I have fond memories of taking me to junk auctions and to the café for breakfast at the ungodly hour of 6am. Both would let me put barrettes in their hair and make them look silly. <br />
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I have a host of uncles, male cousins, and male friends who have been a great influence on my life. Watching these men has showed me what I wanted in a husband, showed me how I needed to treat a husband, and how as a wife, I should expect to be treated. <br />
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The big question of Father’s Day is what do you get that special man in your life? Dad is expected to tell you what he wants, and there is an expectation that it will have a monetary value to it and it will be easy for you to click online order it and have it mailed to him without you ever having to personally interact with your dad. Skip that this year or if you feel obligated to buy something add to it! <br />
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I asked a friend Tyler, who has a six month old daughter and a 3 year old son what he wanted for Father’s Day, and he did not hesitate in his answer: time. He wants more time with his kids and he wants to create more memories with them. I think you will find that many dads do not want “stuff” for father’s day but will simply want time and memories. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E2f9NXuAmmk/WTbZixjraOI/AAAAAAAAwuw/akpB9cAvicwRQ2XGSP693uYBBxWN7EUfQCLcB/s1600/Tyler2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E2f9NXuAmmk/WTbZixjraOI/AAAAAAAAwuw/akpB9cAvicwRQ2XGSP693uYBBxWN7EUfQCLcB/s320/Tyler2.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tyler and his son Adam and Daughter Sarah</span><br />
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Dads now days are not necessarily the sole provider in the family but a lot of times they are still the majority bread winner. When a dad spends forty plus hours a week working, sometimes swing shifts, sometimes out of town for days or weeks at a time he misses a lot, and when he is home he is tired. So, my suggestion for your Father’s Day gift this year is to plan something where you get to spend time with your dad. It doesn’t matter if you are a young child or a (roughly) 29 year old child like me. Cook his favorite meal and maybe play yard games or dominoes. The Corridor is also full of places to take dad and spend some time. Look at one of the many golf courses, lakes, bbq restaurants, parks, museums. What you do on Father’s Day is less important than who you do it with. Most dads want just a few hours of your time and it will be worth it to both of you. <br />
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For those of you with family too far away, make the phone call and tell your dad how special he is. I think you will ask just about anyone who has lost a father to death or otherwise and they will tell you all they want is time back with their dad so don’t put off those special times. Create lasting memories for you, your children, and your grandchildren. It will be worth it. In years to come you can sit and reflect on the time that you put barrettes in your grandpa or dad’s hair or painted his toe nails while you were playing beauty salon. It’s the memories that count.<br />
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*The next four pictures and tributes were all that made the magazine<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xJINlRXbFV8/WTbWS43LqiI/AAAAAAAAwuE/D0xUPI6sNUcullkYwDeoFADBlmMUPnd5wCEw/s1600/Randy%2Band%2BJennafer.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xJINlRXbFV8/WTbWS43LqiI/AAAAAAAAwuE/D0xUPI6sNUcullkYwDeoFADBlmMUPnd5wCEw/s320/Randy%2Band%2BJennafer.jpg" /></a><br />
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Dad Randy Seaton and daughter Jennafer Seaton: He's an absolutely amazing man who has bent over backwards for my mom and us kids. He works his tail off to make sure we have what we need and want and he is always there when we need him. I can't tell you how many times I've gone through things I didn't think I would make it through that he was right there with me every step of the way helping me in any way he could and crying right there with me.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rjuRsfEra3I/WTbWSumxXJI/AAAAAAAAwuI/Zh6u6WYuWMU-6gviGd7GRpW8XbgZBCLQQCEw/s1600/Kamber%2Band%2BRandy.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rjuRsfEra3I/WTbWSumxXJI/AAAAAAAAwuI/Zh6u6WYuWMU-6gviGd7GRpW8XbgZBCLQQCEw/s320/Kamber%2Band%2BRandy.jpg" /></a><br />
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Dad Randy Brown and daughter Kamber Brown: My daddy, who has helpmed me get to the place I am today, has always supported our family even when it came to quiting his job and starting his own business to give us a better life. He is someone who would willingly give his shirt off his back if need be. I'm so proud to call him my dad and not just becauseof what he has done for me but also for our country as a USA Marine Veteran who spent time in the Gulf protecting our country.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0SAeKxm58Y/WTbWSqcLpEI/AAAAAAAAwuA/-VmCcO4IhkMZBERtX81wx9oo08wyxkl4gCEw/s1600/Brandi%2Band%2BJack.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0SAeKxm58Y/WTbWSqcLpEI/AAAAAAAAwuA/-VmCcO4IhkMZBERtX81wx9oo08wyxkl4gCEw/s320/Brandi%2Band%2BJack.jpg" /></a><br />
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Grandpa Jack Fick Sr and granddaughter Brandi Williams: My grandpa was the most honest, hardworking man I knew. He also loved to joke around! He would give someone his last $10 bill if they needed it. He was special to me. This picture, from my wedding, was one of his last outings before he passed away. Jack's daughter Marsha Laxton and Teresa Allen also commented this about their father. He taught us how to be a hard worker. I, Marsha, started out driving at 5 years old driving in a hay field. I loved my daddy so much I always wanted to be with him in the hay fields. He taught me how to work hard for what I wanted, but most of all he taught me how to love people. I still hear today stories about my dad. How good and hard worker he was. There was many young men that would try to out work my daddy but they didn't stand a chance. He enjoyed watching me play basketball as I grow up I can still hear his voice in the stands cheering me on. He was a great man that the town of Agra loved very much. I miss him still today. Love you daddy. Teresa says Jack was a special man, all his kids felt like we were his favorite! Never seen anyone be a better example of being a cheerful giver! Miss him everyday!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-03CUEQk2kqc/WTbWTu9NHJI/AAAAAAAAwuM/W7Lj3hy139UmGL50L7JU0b-N89vHLoKBQCEw/s1600/Taylor%2Band%2BAllen.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-03CUEQk2kqc/WTbWTu9NHJI/AAAAAAAAwuM/W7Lj3hy139UmGL50L7JU0b-N89vHLoKBQCEw/s320/Taylor%2Band%2BAllen.jpg" /></a><br />
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Dad Allen Jeffries and daughter Taylor Williams: I have the most loving, supportive, and fun dad out there! He has always had my back and made sure I chased my dreams growing up! I already thought the world of him and once my little girl was born, I saw a whole new side. He is such a great papa and I love seeing them both play, interact, and talk over FaceTime. He is such a hard worker and I'm so lucky to have him as my dad!<br />
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*The next pics and tributes I got after the deadline or there was not enough space, so they did not make the magazine but I wanted to share them here....<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gUc5oSFjAo/WTbX3g-4ubI/AAAAAAAAwuY/HeGsu3tsLEozxPDDyxahCRSXyVjSQ3UjQCLcB/s1600/KamberandLarry.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gUc5oSFjAo/WTbX3g-4ubI/AAAAAAAAwuY/HeGsu3tsLEozxPDDyxahCRSXyVjSQ3UjQCLcB/s320/KamberandLarry.jpg" /></a><br />
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Kamber and Papa Larry Seaton: Then there is my Papa, someone who placed the love of music into my heart. He bought me my first guitar and sat in the floor with me teaching me cords all night, I remember dancing in the living room of their home or us just singing in the truck with him. My Papa was at every ball game or event he could make it too. What can I say I was extremely blessed with two amazing men, to watch and help me grow.<br />
From Kelly Joe about Dad Larry Seaton: A lil girls first love is her daddy. It's who protects her and holds her and rocks her when she is sick. (My mom told me I never wanted her just my daddy). He chases away the monsters from beneath her bed. Most of all he loves her Mama. He is the Disney Prince come to life. He's the leg she hides behind when little and the hand she holds as she grows up and the last mans she will hold before she becomes a wife. He is her superman and hero. He is the man that sets the standard on how she as a woman, wife, mother and even a lover should be treated, respected, honored, spoiled and loved. He is what she searches for in every eye of a man that she meets. Those qualities, that heart, that love of his fellow man and God combined. and that soul. All that is good in the one man she has entrusted with her life. No matter 5 or 50 you will always be Daddy's lil girl. <br />
My greatest example...storm<br />
Season. Daddy was always on call and my birthday always meant storms. He had been gone numerous days restoring power. It was my 5th birthday and he took time to call and tell me happy birthday. I still remember sitting in the kitchen in pajamas on an old yellow rotary phone twirling the cord telling him I wanted a Holly Hobby Stove from Otasco in Prague and a pony. Later that night during the middle of my party he drove up in a CVEC service truck. In the front seat was a fully assembled stove(that I still have) and tied to the bumper was my very first horse, Tony. Yes this kind of man is rare. These standards are what I want for myself, my daughters and my niece.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qJaMsiwj_k/WTbY1WbKRsI/AAAAAAAAwuo/L_ElVEvz8ZwrfLXStplK8JiR33GAcqoRwCLcB/s1600/Carrie.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qJaMsiwj_k/WTbY1WbKRsI/AAAAAAAAwuo/L_ElVEvz8ZwrfLXStplK8JiR33GAcqoRwCLcB/s320/Carrie.jpg" /></a><br />
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From Carrie Delk: This man is tough, he is stern, he is gruff, strong and he has a heart of gold. I think that is what a dad should be. He has taught me about the kind of person I want to be. He has led by example in teaching me lessons of both, what to do and what not to do. He always has and continues to break his back everyday in order to provide for his family, always putting us before himself. My brother and I are very lucky to call him Dad!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nCPM5URFLGU/WTbY1epdd_I/AAAAAAAAwuk/WP5Pf6BB_8o3mjFRkQMht93UoSrtWH7eACEw/s1600/BilliWright.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nCPM5URFLGU/WTbY1epdd_I/AAAAAAAAwuk/WP5Pf6BB_8o3mjFRkQMht93UoSrtWH7eACEw/s320/BilliWright.jpg" /></a><br />
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From Billi Wright: So this is a picture of my Dad, my Father in law and my Husband. My Daddy is the best gift God ever gave me. He stepped into our lives and took on 4 children that weren't his as his own. He worked 100 hours a week most of the year to support us. Growing up I had never met a man that worked the way he did. He taught us what love really meant not to mention how to work for what you want out of life. I'm so thankful for that. By the grace of God I married a man that is just like him. He has been a great Daddy to me and the best Papa to my children. I owe him everything. My father in law was a mess. He was also a hard working man. I'm so thankful for the man he raised that became my husband.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xUDXqiNHj30/WTbY1Hh-DmI/AAAAAAAAwug/M6-lVd3ndfw2YY1pYeUlBiKg4SdtxlEXwCEw/s1600/BobbyKandice.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xUDXqiNHj30/WTbY1Hh-DmI/AAAAAAAAwug/M6-lVd3ndfw2YY1pYeUlBiKg4SdtxlEXwCEw/s320/BobbyKandice.jpg" /></a><br />
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Bobby and Kandice Taylor: My dad was my biggest encourager, supporter, listener, sounding board, rock, and first love. He was "my person." He made me feel like the most important person in the world. Although I only got 27 years with him, I probably felt more love than some people feel in a lifetime. I still feel as if he's looking out for me and I can't wait to see him again. His wings were ready, but my heart was not. Happy Father's Day, Dad!Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-40531108828177680832017-04-26T15:19:00.000-07:002017-04-26T15:19:21.022-07:00Bowfishing (May 2017 Corridor Article)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Bowfishing is an old sport that, because of the World Wide Web,
social media, YouTube, and hunting shows, is gaining popularity.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">It is a sport that can be inexpensive, it is
loads of fun, it gets you outdoors, and anyone, men or women, young or old can
participate.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I say inexpensive but, like
many outdoor sports, you can spend as much money as you want to. . .and many
want to spend a lot!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Kind of like a
rifle hunter that only needs a two hundred dollar rifle to harvest a deer but
“needs” a high end rifle, hunting blind, camo attire, 4-wheeler, private
hunting land and so on.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">A bowfisher
could easily get by with a hundred and fifty dollar setup but will often spend
thousands after they get a taste of the fun: new bow set up, new boat, trolling
motor, generator, batteries, lights, pickup to pull the boat, you get the
picture.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt Willis, Dwayne Carter, Lance Carter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I asked a couple bowfishermen why they liked bowfishing and they
both stated it was exciting. It is a
hunt where you do not have to sit quietly waiting on the game. You get to be loud, you get to cheer your
friends on that make a good shot on a fish and give a good harassing when
someone misses. You get to shoot over
and over and are not finished with the hunt after the first kill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I remember bowfishing at Lake Texhoma with my dad when I was
younger, a lot younger, but it’s been several years since I’ve enjoyed the
sport. After seeing an interest by many
on social media I thought I’d see what the big deal was and why it is again
gaining popularity. When dad and I
bowfished we just used our fishing boat and dad took the sight off my hunting
bow, attached a reel in its place, attached a bowfishing arrow to it, and we
started shooting. Today, setups can get
pretty elaborate. Some build special
boats with a raised platform, which help you see deeper into the water with
less reflection. Some buy special bows
and retrieval systems. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I visited with Dwayne Carter of Dwayne Carter Hunting and Oklahoma
record holder for the shortnose gar (nine pounds eleven and a half ounces and
forty three and a quarter inches long, he was quick to mention) about
bowfishing. First we talked about
equipment. What do you have to have what
can you get by without and this is what Dwayne said. “All you absolutely have to have to get
started is a bow with some type of retrieval system; my first was a Folgers
coffee can with twine wrapped around it, and an arrow with a barbed point. A fiberglass arrow is the most popular and
very reasonably priced, running around $10 an arrow. You can pick up a heavy duty carbon arrow but
it will set you back more than two times the cost of a fiberglass arrow. It doesn’t matter if you have a recurve or a
compound bow, there are benefits to both.
When it comes to retrieval systems there are a few ways you can go. Of course you can go the extremely cheap way
and use a coffee can or you can spend around seventy dollars and get a spincast
reel or a retriever reel in the one hundred dollar range. A barbed point, which penetrates through the
fish and uses the barbs to hold the fish on your arrow for retrieval, will run
you about eight dollars. There are a ton
of accessories you can add but my advice on this is find a friend who is into
bowfishing and look at their set up or go to a good archery shop and the staff bowfishing
expert to get you set up.” </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZ0SWbhoPtw/WQEYQerj_sI/AAAAAAAAu1U/6TCnr-z5RQkw4Uv8vju14ji_JtgEmnscwCEw/s1600/Dwayne%2BCarter%2BCarp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZ0SWbhoPtw/WQEYQerj_sI/AAAAAAAAu1U/6TCnr-z5RQkw4Uv8vju14ji_JtgEmnscwCEw/s200/Dwayne%2BCarter%2BCarp.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dwayne Carter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dwayne Carter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I spoke with Brian, the staff bowfishing expert at Davenport’s Archery
about equipment and technique. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I asked
him what his best advice was.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">He replied
simply: “aim low”.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Because of the
refraction of the water the fish are usually deeper than they appear.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">That one looked a foot deep and was really
three feet deep.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Add night shooting and
it gets even harder.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">If you think you’re
aimed low enough then aim even lower. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">As
one bowfisherman, Britches Ryerson, interjected during our conversation, the
point of bowfishing is to have fun and do not get frustrated with misses.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Davenport's Archery Staff Bowfishing Expert Brian Seaton with an alligator gar</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">So, now that you have your setup, what do you bowfish for? “Trash fish” also known as nongame fish is
what you are looking for: gar, carp, or paddlefish. To shoot these nongame fish you do need an
Oklahoma fishing license and a paddlefish license, which you can get for free
when you buy a fishing license. Paddlefish
and alligator gar are the only two nongame fish that have special
requirements. You can only harvest one
paddlefish a day with a limit of two per year and you cannot shoot paddlefish
on Monday or Fridays. Hey, I’m just telling
you the rules, I’m not telling you they make sense! Alligator gar are restricted to one a day but
no yearly limit or limit on days you can harvest. You are required to check these fish in with
the Oklahoma Wildlife Department using the E-check system or calling a phone
number available in the Oklahoma Fishing Regulations. Other species of carp and gar have no limits
and no restrictions. Just make sure you
properly dispose of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Where do you find these nongame fish for shooting in
Oklahoma? Just about any decent size
creek, pond, river, or lake will have plenty of fish for shooting. The best place to look is in grassy water and
during the heat of the day look in water with trees for shade. Speaking of time of day, you can shoot fish
day or night. At night bowfishers will
outfit their boats with lights. You can
use LED or halogen but you have to look at electric supply. LED draw less amps and can be ran off good
batteries for a few hours, halogen generally require a small generator. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">If spending money on a boat setup isn’t what you want to do you
can do what many do and wade the banks of the waterways or shoot off the
banks. You will still get plenty of
action and save a *boatload* of money.
To do this you only need your bow, retrieval system, and arrow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Why do people shoot nongame fish?
Well, many of these nongame fish are not native to Oklahoma waters and
most people say they are not good for eating.
Like any such wild game, if they are not controlled through legal
harvest they will become more invasive.
The gar species will eat game fish, destroying the population of good
fish in a waterway quickly and the carp move into the areas where game fish spawn
and destroy their beds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Dwayne also told me about the
Oklahoma Bowfishing Association. They
host several tournaments throughout the year to get people out and hooked on
bowfishing. Dwayne and his team took 3<sup>rd</sup>
place a while back in the Big Five Red River Tournament. These tournaments all have different
setups. Some go by most weighted in
fish, some by size of individual fish, some by specific breed of fish. I asked Dwayne what his best advice was for
bowfishing, whether it’s a newbie or someone who’s bowfished a lot and he told
me “be safe, have fun, and keep shooting.
The more you shoot the more fish you’ll reel in. You might not hit every one you shoot at but
that’s okay, you’re there for a good time.”
So ladies and gentlemen, get out and enjoy a fun sport where there are
no heavy expectations, just heavy fish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vg86LfkF2ic/WQEYPmEQ53I/AAAAAAAAu1o/n10XHRfcQjcM29iRgi5vi8_i4XkeURnKwCEw/s1600/Bow%2BFishing%2BBig%2BFive%2BTournament%2Bplacing%2B3rd%2Bplace%2Bwith%2B114lbs%2BL%2Bto%2BR%2BBrian%2BSeaton%252C%2BRandy%2BMayfield%252C%2BDwayne%2BCarter%252C%2BDustin%2BStatton%252C%2Band%2BDerek%2BMayfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vg86LfkF2ic/WQEYPmEQ53I/AAAAAAAAu1o/n10XHRfcQjcM29iRgi5vi8_i4XkeURnKwCEw/s320/Bow%2BFishing%2BBig%2BFive%2BTournament%2Bplacing%2B3rd%2Bplace%2Bwith%2B114lbs%2BL%2Bto%2BR%2BBrian%2BSeaton%252C%2BRandy%2BMayfield%252C%2BDwayne%2BCarter%252C%2BDustin%2BStatton%252C%2Band%2BDerek%2BMayfield.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Seaton, Randy Mayfield, Dwayne Carter, Dustin Statton, and Derek Mayfield</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSChgJ1k1B8/WQEYOwnkBrI/AAAAAAAAu1o/y8aVU6CxDfYkY26SHfFw6PjkH-xxXxGogCEw/s1600/AnnDee%2BLee%2Bwith%2Ba%2BCarp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSChgJ1k1B8/WQEYOwnkBrI/AAAAAAAAu1o/y8aVU6CxDfYkY26SHfFw6PjkH-xxXxGogCEw/s200/AnnDee%2BLee%2Bwith%2Ba%2BCarp.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">AnnDee Lee</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H2ems-3U9ys/WQEYQglpnPI/AAAAAAAAu1o/lm3bvyRx4As3A7iQJ3BwdBnBSWIIYS2kACEw/s1600/Colby%2BSeaton%2Bwith%2Ba%2BCarp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H2ems-3U9ys/WQEYQglpnPI/AAAAAAAAu1o/lm3bvyRx4As3A7iQJ3BwdBnBSWIIYS2kACEw/s200/Colby%2BSeaton%2Bwith%2Ba%2BCarp.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Colby Seaton</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnYwcW4VDrA/WQEYP3t2ExI/AAAAAAAAu1o/ODnwxE-LdRgGX_2JFDqIiwAbUdxFCtczwCEw/s1600/Christine%2BCarter%2Bwith%2Ba%2BStingray%2Bshot%2Bin%2Bthe%2BGulf%2Bof%2BMexico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnYwcW4VDrA/WQEYP3t2ExI/AAAAAAAAu1o/ODnwxE-LdRgGX_2JFDqIiwAbUdxFCtczwCEw/s200/Christine%2BCarter%2Bwith%2Ba%2BStingray%2Bshot%2Bin%2Bthe%2BGulf%2Bof%2BMexico.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Christine Carter - Stingray kill while bowfishing the Gulf of Mexico<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Related Links<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/dwaynecarterhunting"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.facebook.com/dwaynecarterhunting</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/davenportarchery"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.facebook.com/davenportarchery</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/OKBOWFISHINGASSOCIATION/?ref=br_rs"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.facebook.com/groups/OKBOWFISHINGASSOCIATION/?ref=br_rs</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-81935859516078594262016-12-29T13:32:00.001-08:002016-12-29T13:33:50.442-08:00A Little Farm Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Being a #farmingwife, for the most part, is a joy! We've had a couple babies this week and that is always fun! The first was born on Christmas day and the second on the night of the 27th.... </div>
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I try to always take a pic of momma and baby when they are first born so that I have another record, then we try to get them ear tagged within a few days so that we can identify them quickly if need be. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7K-grhZ39UA/WGVzD4r72dI/AAAAAAAApco/hFKqSifPi_wROk-x2jKAHE9N2JL-YkHVQCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161225_122327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7K-grhZ39UA/WGVzD4r72dI/AAAAAAAApco/hFKqSifPi_wROk-x2jKAHE9N2JL-YkHVQCKgB/s320/IMG_20161225_122327.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is the little girl who was born on Christmas Day..... <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxuPx5TCDGA/WGVzD3lnk8I/AAAAAAAApco/GV_kTkZr3Z8PcKmN5h7f5WaZ5tC28870QCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161228_072839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxuPx5TCDGA/WGVzD3lnk8I/AAAAAAAApco/GV_kTkZr3Z8PcKmN5h7f5WaZ5tC28870QCKgB/s320/IMG_20161228_072839.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Unfortunately, my photography skills are not always the best, this was the second little girl born.... Not that you can tell. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x2Ax-8hoKFk/WGVzD2cPT4I/AAAAAAAApco/aHFf-ez3DQ8R6viJqu3qgmd4Dy34MhlbQCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161228_091312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x2Ax-8hoKFk/WGVzD2cPT4I/AAAAAAAApco/aHFf-ez3DQ8R6viJqu3qgmd4Dy34MhlbQCKgB/s320/IMG_20161228_091312.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Here she later in the day....<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a19a57CuvbU/WGVzDwQSh3I/AAAAAAAApco/G893XSnOiy4DScmEnsPOloLS4275eI0wQCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161229_093917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a19a57CuvbU/WGVzDwQSh3I/AAAAAAAApco/G893XSnOiy4DScmEnsPOloLS4275eI0wQCKgB/s320/IMG_20161229_093917.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This was this morning before we got them up and about to tag them, Such a lovely picture of momma and baby.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIfKmui8Yoc/WGVzDxpo6hI/AAAAAAAApco/1TLZYRFWHJcoJrAxCgnrR6re4CWrb6THACKgB/s1600/IMG_20161229_131106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIfKmui8Yoc/WGVzDxpo6hI/AAAAAAAApco/1TLZYRFWHJcoJrAxCgnrR6re4CWrb6THACKgB/s320/IMG_20161229_131106.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
This little girl was pretty easy to catch and tag, she is, thankfully, pretty calm!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ageuo_ReuUw/WGVzD-JO_GI/AAAAAAAApco/MrlRPFNZF0MPxETE3IfMqmyYSBbrz6N2gCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161229_132444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ageuo_ReuUw/WGVzD-JO_GI/AAAAAAAApco/MrlRPFNZF0MPxETE3IfMqmyYSBbrz6N2gCKgB/s320/IMG_20161229_132444.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The wind is blowing in the Great State of Oklahoma and the cedar trees are pollinating! Those things cause trouble for my handsome husband and his nose!<br />
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It's 52 degrees and sunny but the north wind has a bite to it! We're walking the pasture looking for the other little calf....<br />
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After walking a long ways momma, who had been eating cubes, noticed that we were in the vicinity of her calf and came running. She stopped and mooed and turned circles and looked one way then the other and mooed some more. We stood and watched her to see if she would lead us to her baby, but she wasn't giving in. I finally spotted the little girl buried in the grass not far away from me but opposite of where momma was looking! Momma was trying to throw us off course!<br />
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Can you see her?</div>
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We had just about given up! The grass sure conceals them and she's a pretty tiny girl!</div>
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Mr. H sneaked up and grabbed her right before she took off and I got her ear tagged and we were done!<br />
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Pretty calm baby too, she didn't head for the hills when Mr. H let go of her!<br />
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She didn't care for the tag, kept shaking her head trying to get rid of it! On a side note, the sky is cool in the next couple pictures!<br />
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Finally she went to momma for comfort!Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-81702352718425096402016-12-28T14:11:00.000-08:002016-12-28T14:11:46.801-08:00Exercising Your Right To Carry, A Ladies Viewpoint for Ladies Jan. 2017 Corridor Article<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise, I advise the
gun. While this gives moderate exercise
to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that
nature are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant
companion of your walks.” </span><span style="color: #263238; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Thomas Jefferson, 1785, in
a letter to his nephew concerning what Jefferson considered the best form of
exercise</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I have several passions; one of the most important is
firearms. I love shooting, I love buying
guns, I love talking about them, and I love exercising my right to carry. I started carrying a pistol in my purse when
I was roughly nineteen years old. I was
opening and closing my family’s business and taking large sums of cash to the
bank by myself. My Grandpa Gene insisted
I start carrying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">My first carry firearm was a Colt 1911; big, bulky, but oh so sweet
to shoot. I carried my Colt in a
Coronado Leather purse that was made specifically for carrying a firearm. I kept my purse hidden in a desk drawer in my
office so no one could get to it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Around 2008, while working in my families sporting goods store, I
noticed more and more ladies coming in wanting to purchase firearms for
self-protection. I also noticed that,
while I was not an expert, some of these ladies had absolutely no idea what
they were doing! That was a little scary to me, so I decided I
would see what I could do to improve that for some. My husband and I are now NRA and CLEET
certified instructor and have had the pleasure of instructing tons of ladies in
the art of firearm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I also noticed, starting around the same time, that more and more
companies were making firearms and firearm related products targeted at
women. Women competition shooters
started to get more and more attention, and shooting classes, taught by and for
women, became the norm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Now, back to how and what I carry.
As you recall, I mentioned I started carrying in a purse. If you know me, I know what you are
thinking: “Wow, Missy, you are a huge
advocate of on body carry but you really started carrying in a purse?” Short story, there was a customer, who was on
some kind of drugs, who was pretty adamant about taking me to lunch in my shiny
red convertible. Thankfully nothing bad
happened, my uncle was standing there and had my back, but that incident made
me realize that I had to get my firearm on my body and carry it everywhere
every day, it was doing me no good tucked away in a drawer where I couldn’t
immediately get to it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">When you decide you want to start carrying a firearm on your body
it takes some work figuring it out, and it is possible you will have to change
the way you dress to accommodate said firearm.
You will possibly have to buy a different firearm, and many holsters,
until you find what “fits” you. For me
there wasn’t a lot of changing. I wore
jeans and t-shirts most of the time and I do not tuck in my shirts. My first on body carry was a revolver carried
in a pocket holster in my pocket. That
worked well for the most part but was not always the best. Ladies jeans are not known for having very
large pockets. I later found an inside
the waist leather holster that I carried right over my appendix and for the
most part that is still my go to carry location every day carry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I often get asked what my every day carry, or EDC, is, and how I
carry it. My normal answer is, “depends.” It depends because I have at least 4 pistols
that I can choose from to carry. A small
S&W Bodyguard in a .38 special revolver, a small Ruger LCP .380, a S&W
M&P9C, which is a compact 9 mm, and a full size S&W M&P 9mm. The decision on what I carry on a particular
day is, what am I doing, what am I wearing, and where am I going? If I’m working outside on the farm, odds are
I will carry my full size 9mm in an outside the waist holster, that makes it
easier to get to if I were to need it. I
don’t always want someone to know that I’m carrying, so when that is the case I
will carry my Ruger LCP in an inside the waist holster. It is super compact and very easy to
conceal. I mostly carry my M&P9C
during the winter when I’m wearing more layers.
It disappears easily and I don’t have to worry about it showing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">On the note of what holster do I use, well, again, “it
depends”. My favorite for my smaller
guns is a soft leather inside the waist holster. It is not bulky, it has a heavy clip for
attaching to waist bands, and conceals nicely.
If I am not worried about the outline of my firearm showing I have a
great CrossBreed holster that I use for my M&P9C and for open carry I have
a dependable Fobus paddle holster which isn’t pretty, but is functional. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Now since this is the Health and Wellness Issue of The Corridor
let’s talk about exercising and carrying.
You can exercise your right to carry while you are exercising. I normally carry my Ruger LCP in a Bulldog
Belly Band when I walk or jog or if I’m at the gym. Just for kicks I decided to see if I could
carry a larger gun while running a 5K. I
positioned my M&P9C just behind my right hip in my belly band, about the
four o’clock position, put on my skin tight workout pants, doned a t-shirt, and
ran. It was comfortable, it did not
slip, and I felt safe running around the park with no buddy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Are you working out at the gym or doing something other than
walking/jogging/running? Again, the
belly band works great because it can be moved around your waist. You can position it so that your firearm is
on your hip at the three o’clock position and do situps, move it to the one
o’clock position and you can do what needs done on your side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A couple pet peeves of ladies and firearm. First, DO NOT let your husband, boyfriend,
dad, uncle, brother, or anyone else pick out your firearm for you. You can let them pay for it but not pick it
out. Your hands are different, your fingers
sometimes shorter, and what feels good to them may not feel good to you. Most ladies love shopping, so go shopping for
your own firearm. Find a store that will
let you handle the firearm and if possible rent a few different ones and shoot
them. Second, try-try-try to find a firearm
that you will carry on your body and not leave at home, in your car, or in a
purse. The reason I do not like purse
carry is there is too many things that can happen to your purse. Have you ever accidently left your purse in a
booth at a restaurant? Have you ever
left it sitting in the shopping cart while you turned your back to look at a
product on the shelf? Has anyone ever
tried stealing your purse off your shoulder?
Those are just a few reasons not to carry your firearm in your
purse. If purse carry is the absolutely
only way you can find to carry your firearm, well, that is better than leaving
it at home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Here are a few pointers on carrying in your purse. 1) Find a purse that has a pocket just for
your pistol. There are many companies
making “conceal carry purses” that have special pockets, or find a purse you
like that just has a pocket you can slip your firearm in. 2) Always put your firearm in a holster in
your purse. Things like lipstick and ink
pens can get in the trigger guard and be wedged around and pull the
trigger. 3) If your firearm is in your
purse do not let go of it. Do not put it
in the shopping cart, do not set it in the booth next to you, do not set it on
the floor while you try on that cute pair of shoes. It is best if you can find a purse that can
be carried across your body because is easier to keep up with and harder for
someone to walk past and rip off your arm.
Also, do not ever leave your purse accessible to young ones, there are
too many scenarios that could and have gone very badly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">In closing, go find that great gun shop along the Corridor,
purchase a firearm and holster you like, find a gun class and get up to speed
on your firearm and start exercising your right to carry. You are responsible for your personal
protection and the protection of your family, don’t depend on anyone else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">If you want more questions or are interested in classes, you can
connect with me on facebook at </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/SassyShooters"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.Facebook.com/SassyShooters</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pV1HpigaTOU/WGQ3abbHLcI/AAAAAAAApZc/JxMJ0DmgRt0a-0Qm-cib0oMGwKFWCeFGgCLcB/s1600/Outsidewaistholster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pV1HpigaTOU/WGQ3abbHLcI/AAAAAAAApZc/JxMJ0DmgRt0a-0Qm-cib0oMGwKFWCeFGgCLcB/s320/Outsidewaistholster.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
*Mr. H. got me this awesome outside the waist holster for Christmas. I'm in love! I've never found a holster that I can comfortably carry outside the waist but this one is awesome and so pretty! Check out <a href="https://www.gungoddess.com/">Gungoddess</a> for great goodies for the ladies and a few things for the guys......<br />
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-70527926549986565042016-12-04T16:38:00.000-08:002016-12-04T16:38:25.794-08:00 St. Wenceslaus Church, Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px;">*December 2016 Corridor Article </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-762IG3W5aGE/WES1h0aZDII/AAAAAAAAnwA/GJ5g_Or9cZQ2X0jOhC9zbss2xITCzTCagCEw/s1600/CatholicChurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-762IG3W5aGE/WES1h0aZDII/AAAAAAAAnwA/GJ5g_Or9cZQ2X0jOhC9zbss2xITCzTCagCEw/s400/CatholicChurch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Overwhelmed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">That is how I felt as Cecilia Hecker was giving me a private tour
of the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Prague, home of the National Shrine of
the Infant Jesus. The St. Wenceslaus
Church of Prague dates back to 1899 but The Shrine of the Infant Jesus of
Prague only dates back to 1947. At that
time, the church had again outgrown its current location and was in need of a
new building, but funds were limited and things were in a holding pattern. It’s said that Father George V. Johnson,
while walking up and down the aisle of the Church praying The Divine Office,
caught sight of the Infant Jesus of Prague statue and promised the Infant Jesus
that he would make a new church a Shrine to the Infant Jesus of Prague if the
Infant would help him get a new church built.
Donations started rolling in from locals and folks across the United
States and the church was dedicated in February of 1949. After completion of the church the Father
then traveled to Rome to gain permission to make the Church into a Shrine of
the Infant Jesus of Prague. “The More
You Honor Me, The More I Will Bless You”, has become the centerpiece of
world-wide devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wp276OyeqD0/WES1jCng3wI/AAAAAAAAnwI/AA-K6Pg6ado2Hkk4cg4dWbro0b4cmelRgCEw/s1600/Infant%2BJesus%2Bof%2BPrague%2BDressed%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BChristmas%2BSeason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wp276OyeqD0/WES1jCng3wI/AAAAAAAAnwI/AA-K6Pg6ado2Hkk4cg4dWbro0b4cmelRgCEw/s320/Infant%2BJesus%2Bof%2BPrague%2BDressed%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BChristmas%2BSeason.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">When you walk into the church the first thing you will see on the
south wall is a beautiful stain glass piece of the St. Wenceslaus, the only
surviving piece after a tornado went through and destroyed the church in
1919. </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vjNg1CRfavQ/WES1kfor2WI/AAAAAAAAnwU/ECB_6yFRw6U4bIZjQo90scbSgqo91fnXgCEw/s1600/The%2Bonly%2Bpiece%2Bof%2Bstained%2Bglass%2Bsaved%2Bafter%2Bthe%2Btornado%2Bof%2B1919.%2B%2BNow%2Bhangs%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bentry%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bchurch..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vjNg1CRfavQ/WES1kfor2WI/AAAAAAAAnwU/ECB_6yFRw6U4bIZjQo90scbSgqo91fnXgCEw/s320/The%2Bonly%2Bpiece%2Bof%2Bstained%2Bglass%2Bsaved%2Bafter%2Bthe%2Btornado%2Bof%2B1919.%2B%2BNow%2Bhangs%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bentry%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bchurch..jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The windows throughout the church
are stained glass and depict the history of the devotion of the Infant Jesus. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QhjJBhdba0/WES1kL6g-lI/AAAAAAAAnwQ/8hB24qalOvUCb_Ed59HuvwK09ttgSdLjACEw/s1600/One%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bstained%2Bglass%2Bdepicting%2Bthe%2Bstory%2Bof%2Bthe%2BInfant%2BJesus%2Bof%2BPrague.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QhjJBhdba0/WES1kL6g-lI/AAAAAAAAnwQ/8hB24qalOvUCb_Ed59HuvwK09ttgSdLjACEw/s320/One%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bstained%2Bglass%2Bdepicting%2Bthe%2Bstory%2Bof%2Bthe%2BInfant%2BJesus%2Bof%2BPrague.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Behind the pulpit you will see the statue of the Infant Jesus of
Prague. The statue is dressed in colors
according to the Church liturgical calendar.
You can view the different gowns for the infant just off the
sanctuary. There are several gowns, each
made and donated to the Shrine by people from all over the world. Some are very elaborate with beads painstakingly
sewn on by hand, while others are elegantly simple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Another thing the Church is proud of is the three relics located
at the front of the sanctuary. The
relics of the Holy Cross, the Holy Manger, and St. Wenceslaus and St. John the
Great are preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">When visiting the outside of the Shrine you can walk through a
stations garden that holds statues depicting the life of Christ. At the end of the walk you can sit and
meditate over the beautiful granite fountain depicting the empty tomb that was
created and sculpted in Rome and is an exclusive at the National Shrine of the
Infant Jesus of Prague. Also, outside is
a small garden and fountain along a covered walkway dedicated to Saint
Francis. On the south side of the church
is a peaceful Mother’s Garden dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. A covered table with benches provides a
great place to sit and meditate or just escape from the outside world, while
listening to the sounds of the rain fountain. </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dwR49UFK54g/WES1jfpt_gI/AAAAAAAAnwM/BFADvyp5SCc0l75MazZypMYC_vKm51eNgCEw/s1600/Fountain%2Bfrom%2BRome%252C%2Bmade%2Bespecially%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BPrague%2Bchurch%2Bdepecting%2Bthe%2Bempty%2Btomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dwR49UFK54g/WES1jfpt_gI/AAAAAAAAnwM/BFADvyp5SCc0l75MazZypMYC_vKm51eNgCEw/s320/Fountain%2Bfrom%2BRome%252C%2Bmade%2Bespecially%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BPrague%2Bchurch%2Bdepecting%2Bthe%2Bempty%2Btomb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">For those of you with youngsters in the family, there is a great
place to let the kiddos run off a bit of energy before getting back into the
car for your next destination along The Corridor. The playground is designed to allow the
children a learning experience. The
setup follows the format of the Infant Jesus Chaplet. There are twelve round pads circling the
playground equipment representing the twelve beads on the Chaplet. Each pad represents one of the stages of
Christ’s Infancy and Childhood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The Church is currently in the season of Advent. Advent starts four Sundays before Christmas
Eve and is the preparation of the coming of Christ, the first coming, or birth
of Christ, and also the anticipation of the second coming of Christ. The church uses a wreath with three purple
and one pink candles to represent each week of Advent. A life size nativity is located in front of
the church with an empty manger. The
baby Jesus will be added on Christmas Eve to begin the Christmas season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The season of Christmas starts on Christmas Eve and runs through
Epiphany, the feast of the arrival of the wise men, which is January 6. A friend of mine, Jerry Suva, recalls one St.
Wenceslaus priest, Fr. Joachim Spexarth, now at St. Gregory’s Abbey/University,
who really took this to heart. Suva
says, “There would be a few lights and an empty crèche, (nativity), out front
during December, but that was *all*.
Then come Christmas Eve, the church would be decked out like Griswold’s. He really wanted to emphasize the waiting and
the celebrating of Jesus’ arrival. This
same priest, had a knack for emphasizing the humanity of Jesus, that he was
real, had relationships with Mary, Joseph, cousins, townsfolk. Fr. Joachim explained the reason for having
a shrine that commemorates Jesus in His infant form is exactly the same reason
why the shepherds and the Magi traveled to see the baby Jesus. He was real, so real that he was otherwise an
infant child just like the rest of us.
Even as an infant He was God and our savior. He was made flesh and dwelt among us. That’s what visiting the Shrine should remind
us.” Suva, who often served as an Altar
Boy at the church, also stated that because the midnight mass Christmas Eve
service was always packed, they would arrive thirty minutes early, during that
time the choir sings carols before. He
said “it was really, *really* Christmas then.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Along with the many other Christmas
traditions of the Church, they have Christmas Bell Trees. Bells can be purchased in honor of loved
ones, alive or deceased, and the bells and names are hung on a tree. The names are remembered at the Shrine during
Mass and Novena prayers during the month of December. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVj-4bVrLHU/WES1f908ezI/AAAAAAAAnv4/RsooFkhVS_AB49trC8wermMwkrrqVcnFgCEw/s1600/BellTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVj-4bVrLHU/WES1f908ezI/AAAAAAAAnv4/RsooFkhVS_AB49trC8wermMwkrrqVcnFgCEw/s320/BellTree.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GZlI3jLhhVo/WES1fxmkGzI/AAAAAAAAnv8/b9p0oPteZ28wmnpYce76bREubxQNwPARgCEw/s1600/BellTree2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GZlI3jLhhVo/WES1fxmkGzI/AAAAAAAAnv8/b9p0oPteZ28wmnpYce76bREubxQNwPARgCEw/s320/BellTree2.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The church also holds a yearly
holiday bazar featuring local artists and crafters. This year it is December 10
from 8am to 12pm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> To learn the history of the St.
Wenceslaus Church, Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague and of the Miraculous
Infant Jesus of Prague, which dates back more than four hundred years, go visit
the church, it will be worth your time.
Hours for the Shrine office and gift shop are Monday thru Friday 9 am to
5 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 3pm. If you
visit during these hours the staff will be happy to take you on a tour. If not visiting during these hours, brochures
are available to take you on a self-guided tour. </span></div>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-24784687039976655482016-12-03T17:03:00.001-08:002016-12-03T17:09:36.970-08:00Cowboying; A Day in the Life of Me, the Cowgirl....Am I a cowboy(girl)? First you have to ask what is a cowboy(girl). <br />
Websters definition:<br />
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1) One who tends cattle or horses; especially: a usually mounted cattle-ranch hand</div>
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2) A rodeo performer</div>
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3) One having qualities (as recklessness, aggressiveness, or independence) popularly associated with cowboys as a: a reckless driver b: a business or buisnessperson operating in an uncontrolled or unregulated manner</div>
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Second, I check myself. Hum, yes, I tend cattle, not mounted unless you count a tractor/pickup as a mount, but I tend them none the less.</div>
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So, I decided today that I am a cowboy(girl). Why you ask..... Here's why</div>
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First off, this morning we had to take this pretty girl to the vet. Several weeks ago I noticed she had a knot on her nose, like she was trying to grow a unicorn horn, which would have been awesome and I would have been rich if she would have grown that horn. Well, life happens and time flies and she was still eating and drinking good so I put off making the call to taker her to visit Doc. <br />
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Doc shaved her nose and found a tiny hole. He stuck a pair of tweezers in said hole and it goes pretty deep. His diagnosis was .22 bullet wound to the head. 😔 He flushed it out with something and called her good to go, nothing he could do for her. So, took her back to the lease and dumped her out. And yes, we have an idea about the .22 shot but I will not be delving into that.....<br />
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Now, I had dumped 75 pounds of feed out for these girls and boys about 2 hours earlier, but they thought since I was there they needed more. Silly bovine.....<br />
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My pretty baby girl born to #89 (who is missing her tag) SURPRISE!!!!!!!! I had looked at my book a couple weeks earlier and didn't expect anyone to calve until after the first of the year, alas, I was wrong. This momma calved Jan 29, 2016 and again November 29, 2016. Normally it is right at a year between calving but this momma bred back quick after calving! We are sure blessed!<br />
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Another pretty little girl, her momma is #21. She was a surprise because I didn't think I had anyone due to calve until after the first of the year. I was wrong, I went back and looked at my book and her momma calved one year ago within 2 days of when she calved this time.... Perfect!<br />
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Oreo is the biggest snoop looking for treats! </div>
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After visiting Doc, dumping #76 back out, visiting the bovine (I take care of the bovine during the week and Mr. H doesn't get to look at how great they are very often so we just stood and watched them a while), and checking hay, we headed home. It was pushing noon and we had not taken time for breakfast and were getting hungry! </div>
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Got home and noticed that my Spotsy Love was missing, he had been with the girls when we left this morning but wasn't now. I got concerned and decided to go look for him. </div>
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Well, I headed to the pond first, I had some nagging suspicion he would be there, and this is what I saw :( Spotsy burried deep in the mud. Lord help us.... Called Mr. H and asked him to bring me a rope and my rubber boots.....<br />
A little history; I had stupidly let him get drug down a little with worms (I'm guessing) so earlier in the week I had vaccinated and wormed him and brought him to the home from the lease so I could watch him closer and feed him extra.... He was looking better but still not 100% so he was already pretty low on energy and this deal zapped him even more. 😟<br />
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Waiting. Last time I had a calf stuck in the pond I lost a rubber boot and got stuck myself. Mr. H had to pull me out with a rope after the calf was free, crazy stuff around here..... <br />
Mr. H brought what I needed along with the tractor and we put the halter rope on the dude and pulled him out, woo, I did not sink or lose any boots this time. Unfortunately, he was cold and stiff and a bit dehydrated and would not get up. 😟 We managed, with the help of the tractor, to get him pulled up off the mud and into the grass. I called my great friend and mentor Trish and told her the deal and asked her advice and then got to work getting him up and going.... Her advice was cover him with blankets to get him started warming up, IV him with really warm lactating ringers, give him a shot of B12, and get him on his feet as quickly as possible. Then, get him into a dry, warm area.<br />
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Got him covered head to tail, warming up. Trish said to cover his head so his breath would help warm him. Makes since, he's blowing warm air out, why not take advantage of it. <br />
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Before starting the ringers we had to push him over so his right side was exposed, that's where it has to go in at..... Got him pushed over and started.....<br />
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I had heated the IV of ringers in some really hot water so that the liquid in the bag was warm and would work on warming his insides up a little quicker....<br />
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Using our heads. What fun is it to stand and hold an IV bag until it's drained? NONE! So, hooked it to the front end loader.....<br />
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Warming baby boy up.<br />
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Yes, he's my baby, my Spotsy Love. <br />
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I'm pretty sure he was not amused with the blanket. Anyway, we got him hydrated and B12 shot and he still wouldn't get up or even try. Mr. H decided to go get a pallet to roll him on and haul him to the house with the tractor..... <br />
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I got a little dirty and no, I'm not scared of a little mud.....<br />
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Thankful for rubber boots!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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Pep Talk..... 👏Come on dude, get up, you don't want to ride the pallet to the house!!!!!<br />
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WOO HOO!!!! Praise the Lord! We used a tow strap and ran under him and lifted him with the front end loader, fixing to slide the pallet under him. He decided he'd put his legs down and walk! He walked all the way to the house on his own! I guess the threat of a ride on the tractor did the trick! So So thankful he walked on his own, that makes me feel much better about his recovery!<br />
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I <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">got </span>him in the shed, covered him back up with his blanket, gave him some feed and water and a nice pile of hay and left him to shower and find some grub. It is now 2:30 pm and we are cold and starving! </div>
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<ol class="definition-list" style="background-color: white; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; letter-spacing: 0.04em; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kudos to my amazing husband for helping and being the muscle I needed!</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><ol class="definition-list" style="background-color: white; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; letter-spacing: 0.04em; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄</ol>
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<ol class="definition-list" style="background-color: white; color: #3b3e41; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; letter-spacing: 0.04em; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><ol class="definition-list" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; letter-spacing: 0.04em; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is now 6:30 pm and I just checked Spotsy and he is standing in the hay, dried off, no longer shivering, and chewing his cud. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><ol class="definition-list" style="letter-spacing: 0.04em; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><ol class="definition-list" style="letter-spacing: 0.04em; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄</ol>
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</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And that my friends is A Day in the Life of Me, the Cowgirl and Farming Wife.</span></ol>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-90398871929746883422016-10-17T18:26:00.001-07:002016-10-17T18:26:56.691-07:00Making Memories: A Colorado Hunting Trip with My Dad<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">At the end of August of 1997, a 17 year old girl and her dad loaded up a little red Ford Ranger with hunting equipment and camping gear. Pulling a trailer with a motorcycle and a 4-wheeler, they set off nine hundred miles to the Colorado Mountains. Specifically, Narraguinnep Mountain and Glade Mountain, north of Dolores, Colorado, in Lone Mesa State Park. That is the mountain range my family has traveled to for nearly 20 years to hunt big game. My grandpa, dad, and uncles have killed bear, mule deer, and elk off this mountain and made lasting memories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"> This particular trip is my graduation gift from my parents: a 10 day hunt for elk and mule deer. Now it’s my turn to make some memories with my dad!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"> The Camp Site: We did not have the luxury of a travel trailer for this. Instead we had a nice big tent with cots and a small heater and (thankfully) tons of heavy quilts made by my mom. Thanks mom insisting we take heavy bedding! My family had used this same tent in the past for camping at various lakes, but it had sat in the shop for a few years. One thing my dad and I still joke about is what *great shape* it was in, sarcastically of course. Unfortunately, a rat or mouse had found it and decided to do a little chewing, leaving a few pretty good sized holes in the top. Being handy, we used duct tape and sealed the holes the best we could, but it wasn’t uncommon to wake up with a few snowflakes on our bedding. Dad threaten to throw the tent out on the side of the road on the way home but we decided it would be a cruel thing if someone stopped to pick it up, thinking they were getting something nice. We ate mostly canned foods, granola bars, and cereals. At the time neither dad nor I were great cooks, so we kept it on the simple side. We mostly washed up with a rag and bucket of water but I remember once getting to use a camp shower, which was nothing more than a black bag filled with water which was then laid on a pickup hood to warm up. We also went to town one day, a 30 mile, 1.5 hour trek, and found a place that you could pay to shower. I think it was $10 per person and worth every penny, especially since it had a real bathroom, and I hadn’t had that luxury for over 5 days! Enough about that, let’s go hunting!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our Campsite</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I don't really remember doing much homework while I was there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"> The Hunting: We were bow hunting. That means you have to get a lot closer to the animal than with a rifle, which can be a challenge. The first couple days we did quite a bit of scouting from the ATVs and hiking the beautiful mountains. One afternoon we happened upon a fire tower that was occupied and they invited us to come up and take a look. There was a three hundred sixty degree view and you could see for miles and miles. It was truly breath taking, and using their spotting scope we could see elk grazing on the next mountain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"> The first large animals I remember seeing was a herd of mule deer. Doing most of my hunting in central Oklahoma, I had only witnessed whitetail deer in the wild. Mule deer are definitely different! These guys were on the run and I could not believe how big they were, not just the antlers but the bodies. I would have guessed them to be at least twice as big as a whitetail, body wise, darker in color, and the antlers seemed taller and fuller. I had to whisper to my dad to make sure they were deer and not small elk. Dad still laughs at my reaction to seeing them! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">Most of my hunting was on the ground, but I do remember dad putting me up in a tree stand once. It was a giant aspen tree on the edge of a pond. Dad had seen elk and mule deer from this stand and wanted to give me a chance at one. I did see some cow elk from this stand, but they were across the pond and never close enough to get a shot at. My ground hunting spots changed often. Dad would set me up in a spot he thought was good and he’d go find another spot to hunt, and if it turned out to be a good looking spot or he saw something worth shooting, he’d put me there the next day. Yep, I have a pretty good dad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">We also did some stalking. Dad would put me in a spot and he would walk a big circle trying to run something over me. I have one very vivid memory of such occurrence, that is, to this day, Dad’s absolute favorite hunting story from our trip to tell. First we rode our ATVs up to a gate and parked. I grabbed my bow off the rack and went to the gate, about 20 yards away. Back in the day there was no such thing as a whisker biscuit or drop away arrow rest. I had a stick on rest that the arrow sat on, super simple and about as good as it got for hunting way back then. For some reason dad looked at my bow and noticed that my rest had fallen off, big problem! It’s really hard to hunt with no arrow rest. So, we started looking between the gate and the 4-wheeler to see if hopefully it was there and I hadn’t lost it on the road. Amazingly we found it right next to the 4-wheeler, and I was back in the game. So, we crossed the gate and dad found a place for me to sit under some brush. He took off in a circle to see if he could stir up some game. Well, let’s just say he did! I don’t remember how long I had sat under that bush but I finally heard something running through the trees. I sat real still with my arrow nocked on my string in a position I could, hopefully, get a quick shot off if something was close. Close is an understatement. I remember there being 3 giant cow elk, if there was more I can’t remember because I was traumatized from my near death experience. These girls literally jumped over my head! I was ducking while they were going over. There was no way to even get a shot off because I would have had to lie on my back and shoot straight up! I didn’t even need that arrow rest I had lost and found earlier, I could have just held my arrow up and stuck one in the belly as it was flying over my head! At first, I think dad was worried that I had gotten a hoof to the head but after he saw I was okay he couldn’t quit laughing at the ordeal. If you remember above I said he would sit me down and walk in a circle to try and “run something over me”, well, those big cow elk were definitely “running over me”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">The trip home we drove half way and spent the night in a hotel. I remember turning on the TV and seeing the funeral procession for Princess Dianna, who died on August 31, 1997. We were headed home on September 6, 1997, the day of her funeral, and we had no idea at all that anything had happened. I know that is an odd thing to remember and tell about but it is amazing how the trip seemed so quick but we had been away from any news for so many days. It was great to be able to get out in nature and not have a worry in the world. The first night on the trip home, I got to eat my first tasty hot meal in 10 days, I got to shower in a real bathroom, and I got to sleep in a real bed! So many things we take for granted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">While neither my dad nor I got to shoot anything, one of the other guys in our group killed a nice bull elk. Unfortunately I did not get to see the whole animal because he killed it high in the mountains and quartered it and packed it down. I did get to see the antlers and pose with them for a picture. I am to this day amazed at how big they are. It was an amazingly created animal that was put on earth for our enjoyment, whether for hunting and eating or just watching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DaedS1vMdc/WAV43up1saI/AAAAAAAAnOg/gS6JMi-t5S4OBQm2M2YNsfXPmJgteq99ACEw/s1600/ElkKilledHunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DaedS1vMdc/WAV43up1saI/AAAAAAAAnOg/gS6JMi-t5S4OBQm2M2YNsfXPmJgteq99ACEw/s320/ElkKilledHunt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;"> Although neither one got to put a kill shot on a majestic animal, I am thankful I got to spend several days with my dad creating memories that will last forever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px;">That was more than worth the trip. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQiRzjJZ9qA/WAV43_pEFrI/AAAAAAAAnOc/Fkj1O_urr4MMmW8fTD7yYw9ubq0vkzKRACLcB/s1600/GroupPhotoElkHunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQiRzjJZ9qA/WAV43_pEFrI/AAAAAAAAnOc/Fkj1O_urr4MMmW8fTD7yYw9ubq0vkzKRACLcB/s320/GroupPhotoElkHunt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-58570890465858612022016-10-06T09:14:00.000-07:002016-10-06T09:14:25.509-07:00Save Room For Dessert Oct. Corridor Article<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I have a sweet tooth.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If dessert could be considered a meal, it
would be my favorite.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I also love making
sweets, some completely from scratch and some with a little help from a box,
but all yummy, none the less.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you
come to my house for a gathering odds are the dessert bar will be more full
than the *real* food bar.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1WW0HubpXFk/V_Z3SHXD4gI/AAAAAAAAnMA/3ZZXgMW0KREsKLdxbxn_h9WABb09qZxugCEw/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1WW0HubpXFk/V_Z3SHXD4gI/AAAAAAAAnMA/3ZZXgMW0KREsKLdxbxn_h9WABb09qZxugCEw/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> When I was in the restaurant
business a few favorites were my chocolate caramel cheesecake brownies, coconut
cream pie, and turtle cheesecake. I
would try to make at least one, if not three, pans of brownies a week and ten
to twenty pies of various flavor.
Cheesecake is a little more time consuming and didn’t get made quite as
often. I have great respect for the dining
establishments along The Corridor that make desserts from scratch to sell to
their customers. My very favorite, hands
down is C’Anne’s Bread Pudding from Territory Cellars in Stroud: sweet and cinnamon with a buttery sauce and a
big dollop of homemade whipped cream. Perfect
textures and great with a steamy cup of coffee.
The Prague Bakery has amazingly soft chewy sugar cookies. I’ve had really good lemon pie from The
Downtown Café in Prague, and I had a great piece of chocolate cake from The
Hungry Toad in Chandler. Small locally
owned restaurants will almost always have amazing desserts that are made in the
kitchen by people who are passionate about their food!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-odWCYILJh1o/V_Z3LFmhbFI/AAAAAAAAnLw/5Mld8tmVOF8gBv8kdaP90M-UcO9eSWH2gCEw/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-odWCYILJh1o/V_Z3LFmhbFI/AAAAAAAAnLw/5Mld8tmVOF8gBv8kdaP90M-UcO9eSWH2gCEw/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">C'Anne's Bread Pudding from Territory Cellars in Stroud</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> I’ve had a few requests for recipes
from some great readers so I’m going to keep this short and sweet, pun intended,
and share those recipes. Enjoy the
beautiful Oklahoma fall weather and get out along The Corridor and find those
small hole-in-the-wall restaurants and save room for dessert!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Brownies<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Brownie Mix (I like Duncan
Hines)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Oil <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Water<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">8 oz Cream Cheese,
softened<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">½ cup caramel ice cream
topping<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1 cup chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Preheat oven 350<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Mix brownie mix per
package directions, do not over mix eggs.
Pour into greased 9x13 pan and set aside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Cream together cream
cheese and caramel, drop dollops of mixture into pan of brownies and use a
knife and swirl around. Sprinkle
chocolate chips on top and bake about 25 minutes or until brownies are done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">*Use peanut butter instead
of caramel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">*Use heath or toffee candy
pieces instead of chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">*Add pecan pieces for the
“turtle” flair<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Basic
Cheesecake<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Heat
oven 300 degrees, prepare a pan lined with parchment paper, prepare a hot water
bath pan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Cheesecake<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Crust<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1-2
cups crumbs gram crackers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">¼
cup sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1
stick butter, melted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Mix
crumbs and sugar then add the butter and press into the bottom of a lined 9”
pan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Filling<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">3
packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">¾
to 1 ½ cup sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1
teaspoon vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">3
tablespoons all purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">3
tablespoons sour cream<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Pinch
salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">3
eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Heat
oven 300 degrees, prepare a pan lined with parchment paper, and prepare a hot
water bath pan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Cream
together cream cheese and sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Add
vanilla, flour, sour cream, and salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Add
eggs one at a time and only mix until mostly combined<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Mix
eggs the rest of the way in by hand, do not over mix the eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Pour
cheesecake mixture over crust <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Place
the pan with the cheesecake into a pan with hot water about ½ way up the pan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bake
about 1 hour or until set. Turn off oven
and let set 30 more minutes. Remove from
oven and hotwater bath and let set until cool.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For
the turtle cheesecake pictured, drizzle caramel and chocolate ice cream topping
on the cold cheesecake and sprinkle with pecans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWocYs2V7tc/V_Z3dTTLBXI/AAAAAAAAnME/u29JtLLp7SEijV_55WXHo0ebPDTGIvlQACEw/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWocYs2V7tc/V_Z3dTTLBXI/AAAAAAAAnME/u29JtLLp7SEijV_55WXHo0ebPDTGIvlQACEw/s320/3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Apple Pie<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
2 pounds (4-6) McIntosh or other sweet apple, peeled,
cored, and sliced ¼ thick <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 ½ pounds (3-4) granny smith apples, peeled, cored and
sliced ¼ inch thick<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
3 tablespoons all purpose flour<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 teaspoon lemon zest<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
¼ teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
¼ to 2 teaspoons cinnamon<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 egg white<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
2 pie crust uncooked<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place a cookie sheet with
edges on the bottom rack<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Roll out one pie crust and place in your baking dish, it’s
best to use a 9” or deep dish pan. Roll
the other crust and set aside.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Toss the apples with the ¾ cup sugar, flour, lemon juice,
zest, salt, and spices and let set about 3-5 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Pour apples and any accumulated
juice into your pie pan. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Top with 2<sup>nd</sup> rolled crust and roll edges under
and crimp and cut a vent in the top of the pie<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Place the pie on the heated cookie sheet and drop the
temperature to 425, bake 25 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Rotate the cookie sheet and reduce the oven temperature
to 375 and bake 30-35 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and the crust is
deep golden brown.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G_qBsPcrnRg/V_Z3LPnG_FI/AAAAAAAAnL0/mtp91vm2VLcropEP8ZvzaCfnbAtTRN_KwCLcB/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G_qBsPcrnRg/V_Z3LPnG_FI/AAAAAAAAnL0/mtp91vm2VLcropEP8ZvzaCfnbAtTRN_KwCLcB/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Cream Pie Filling<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1 ¼ cup sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">¼ cup cornstarch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">½ teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">2 ¼ cup milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">4 eggs, separated<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1 tablespoon butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In heavy bottom sauce pan
mix sugar, cornstarch and milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Cook over medium to high
heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Temper egg yolks into the
hot filling and continue to cook until it is a thick consistency, like set
pudding<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Turn heat off and add
butter, vanilla, and other flavoring of choice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Pour into cooked pie crust
and top with meringue and bake until golden brown or cool and top with whipped
cream<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">For Coconut Cream <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Add 1 teaspoon vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1 ½ teaspoon coconut
flavoring<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1 cup coconut flakes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">For Chocolate Cream <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Add 2 teaspoons vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1 cup chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">For Banana Cream<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Add 2 teaspoons vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">1-2 bananas, diced</span></div>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-3883232533623179872016-08-30T10:07:00.000-07:002016-08-30T10:07:01.258-07:00“Prepping”<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">September 2016 Corridor Article</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Be Prepared” – Boy Scout motto</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Are you prepared? Prepared
for job loss, car breakdowns, or power outages?
Since this is Oklahoma we also need to be prepared for tornadoes, ice
storms, earthquakes, wildfires, and floods (often in the same week). “Am I prepared” is a question that, for a
long time, I was scared to even ask myself!
For many, “preppers” brings about the thought of people living in
bunkers preparing for the end of the world.
After some reading, a lot of research, visiting with others, and having
discussions with my husband, we realized that, like many things, “prepping” was
a wise thing to do. . .just maybe not to the extent some Reality TeeVee
preppers go. We simply wanted to give us
the best reasonable chance to take care of ourselves in as many unpleasant
situations as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The first consideration is water.
Our well messed up some time back and we were without water for several
hours. We could not do anything; bathroom
breaks were not recommended, a cool drink of well water was out of the
question, forget about doing laundry. Thankfully
I did have a case of water for drinking but the other things were not doable,
which got me to thinking. What would we
do in a real crisis if we were without water for several days or months? First, I decided to buy a case of bottled
water at least every other time I go grocery shopping. Bottled water is inexpensive. I usually pay around $3 for a case of 24, and
it lasts a really long time. Since I drink quite a bit of bottled water it is
easy to rotate it, which is important for food and water preps. We have also started storing a few barrels of
rain water for non-potable water for things like flushing toilets or, in a
pinch, washing laundry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">If you find yourself in a situation where the only water available
is dirty it is recommended that you bring the water to a rolling boil and hold
that boil for one minute to purify it and kill as much gross stuff as
possible. Another inexpensive and space
saving solution for water is a water filter.
You can buy small filters for around twenty dollars and they will purify
thousands of gallons of water. Obviously
the more you spend the better quality and more gallons per filter you can get,
but something is better than nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Second, you need to eat.
Currently an average American consumes close to two thousand pounds of
food per year! That’s crazy to think
about, but you can survive on about half that amount of food. Rice and beans may not be the tastiest, but
during a crisis we will be thankful for any morsel of food we can get! If you do the work yourself, you can store
one thousand pounds of food for less than $400.
That food won’t, however, be cookies and potato chips! You can get a 25 or 50 pound bags of rice,
beans, flour, and sugar at most grocery stores.
Many people use Mylar bags and O<sup>2 </sup>absorbers bought online and
seal the full bags using a clothes iron.
Roughly 5 pounds of food (depending on the food) will fit in each bag
with a couple O<sup>2</sup> absorbers.
It takes a week or so for the O<sup>2 </sup>absorbers to do their job
but once they do the bags are sucked down like a vacuum seal. Any critters that did manage to make it into
the bags before sealing will expire from lack of oxygen rather than ruin the
entire bag! Beware using O<sup>2 </sup>absorbers
in the sugar or salt because it will turn them into bricks! We save 2-liter bottles and small water
bottles for the sugar and use small zip top bags for the salt. We use 5 gallon buckets to store our food in
and on the outside we list the contents of the.
I try to change things up for a little variety. An example of what might have in a bucket is:
5 pounds each of all-purpose flour, white rice, and brown beans, a 2-liter
bottle of sugar, 1 pound of salt in a zip top bag, a couple bottles of cheap
seasonings, like chili powder, paprika, pepper, and a box of matches. If there is room I will throw various other
things inside such as baking soda, a small box of .22 ammo, cheap well vacuum
sealed coffee, drink mixes, vanilla, popcorn, or oats. You want to use things that have a very <i>very</i> long shelf life and are in good
packaging. There are tons of web sites
dedicated just to food storage, it is fun to do research and see what the shelf
life really is for food products. I
believe white rice has a 30 year shelf life!
There are also a lot of products on the market now that provide a week
or month worth of food for one person in a freeze dried set up in a 5 gallon
bucket. That’s all well and good but
they are expensive and I’m cheap so it’s easier for me to do the work myself
and save a few bucks! The first step in
getting “prepared” is the hardest but start small. Next time you go grocery shopping throw a 1
pound bag of beans and rice in your basket, it’ll only set you back a few bucks
but it will get you on the right path of taking care of yourself and your
family in the unfortunate event of a crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Medical supplies and a way to protect yourself and your family are
other things you need to think about and prepare for but for some can be a bit
on the harder side. First of all, if you
are only preparing for a small crisis, like a job loss or an ice storm, these
will not be as big of an issue. It is
always a good idea to keep at least a 30-day supply of any prescription
medicines on hand. If you tell your doctor
what you are doing, they will likely write you a prescription so that you can
do this. Do not let your prescriptions
go empty. Refill them as often as
possible. If you are preparing for the
“grid down” crisis, these are defiantly some things you need to think
about. Will there be medical help
available? If we are in a “grid down”
crisis it is very possible you will be totally on your own. It is a good idea to do some research, and
know some rudimentary first aid. Also,
during your research stage, figure out what you’ll need for medical supplies
and get them! The same goes for
protection of yourself and your family: decide what kind of crisis you want to
prepare for and research and start your purchases. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The last thing I want to mention, especially in light of the
resent disaster in Louisiana that has stranded several motorists on the
highways with nowhere to go, is a “Get Home Bag”. A get
home bag can be as simple or as elaborate as you want to make it. Who should have a “get home bag”? Everyone!
I have a friend who is sending a son off to college and she was very
concerned about getting him a bag for his vehicle so that he had the best
ability available to make it home in case of a disaster. Also, plan bags based on who is normally in
your vehicle, so if your kids are with you make sure to keep them in mind when
packing a bag. You can buy a special
back pack for a long walk or use an old pack from your kids closet. The main thing is what you put in it. When I packed my “get home bag” for my car I
figured the furthest away from home I would ever be, unless it was a planned
trip, is about 60 miles. If I have to
walk home I could do it in 3 or 4 days.
So, my bag holds enough water and food to get me 3 days. A few
examples of the food I have are pouch tuna, raisins, and granola bars, and I
try to rotate those things out to keep them fresh. MREs are great but on the expensive side for
me. Yes, I’ll be hungry when I get home
but at least I’ll have a little nutrition, and I can always hope for a generous
neighbor or unexpected forage along the way.
On the comfort/clothing side my bag holds a change of clothes, a pair of
walking shoes, extra socks, a pair of heavy duty work gloves, and rain
gear. The socks and walking shoes are
probably the most important, because at any given time I could be wearing dress
shoes or flip flops, and if I had to walk any distance I would be in pain! I also have fire starting equipment, a
recycled bottle with some cotton balls, matches, and lighter. There are many other things in my bag but you
will have to evaluate your needs based on your own situation. I try to go through my bag a couple times a
year and reevaluate what I have inside and take out or add things I’ve thought
of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">There are many books and online resources to use these days on the
subject of prepping, but my advice is take the first step: just do it. Start small and build from there. You can make it a fun family activity. Talk to your spouse and kids about what
you’re doing and why, and make sure you can take care of your own in a crisis, no
matter the size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The following is not in my article for The Corridor but an added bonus ;-) And if the article goes over good I may try to do a bit more writing on the subject here on my blog. I had to keep the article short and generic but could have filled the whole magazine with ideas and suggestions and thoughts..... Please feel free to share, comment good or bad or with suggestions. I am still learning about the whole "prepping" scene but it is something I'm enjoying. I just wish I had a whole bunch more money to spend getting prepared. My thought on the whole thing is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
*** a few fiction books I've read that might give you some good ideas, make you think, and get you on the ball to "prepping" and also a couple forums that have some good stuff on them.....</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 32px;"><a href="http://299days.com/">299days</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://www.onesecondafter.com/">One Second After</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://franklinhorton.com/">Franklin Horton</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://angeryamerican.net/content.php">Angery American</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="http://www.survivalistboards.com/">Survivalist Boards</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-81130885554405922692016-08-06T17:34:00.001-07:002016-08-06T17:34:33.119-07:00Technology Centers and Why I Love Them<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qza7j8YABoY/V6aB9nvgfSI/AAAAAAAAmkQ/Z0R3NovkLPYNjr_p_M_np9tjELGL7SNewCLcB/s1600/Magazine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qza7j8YABoY/V6aB9nvgfSI/AAAAAAAAmkQ/Z0R3NovkLPYNjr_p_M_np9tjELGL7SNewCLcB/s320/Magazine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*Oklahoma's
network of 29 technology centers on 59 campuses serves high school and adult
learners with specialized career training in more than 90 instructional areas.
High school students living in a technology center district attend tuition
free, while adults are charged nominal tuition. Technology center students also
are able to earn highly affordable and transferable college credit from area
colleges in many career majors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With the
impact today's technology has upon the professional world, many students find
themselves better prepared for college and careers after completing CareerTech
instruction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*<a href="https://www.okcareertech.org/technology-centers">https://www.okcareertech.org/technology-centers</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I did not like school. I
did not excel at school. I did not feel
challenged. I simply did not care,
which, upon reflection, could have been why I didn’t feel challenged or excel. That all changed when I had the opportunity
my junior and senior year to attend vo-tech, now referred to as “Career Tech”. Vo-Tech was a godsend for me. I got to spend half of my day actually
learning something that would benefit me later on in life and it made it a
little easier to get up in the morning and go to “school”. I was an average student in high school but
was near the top of the class at vo-tech, which didn’t make sense to some, but was
perfectly logical to me. I was learning
a skill that would carry me over into adulthood, and (though I didn’t realize
at the time) would have a big impact on my career. I knew I would not go to college. I know that my parents would have loved if I
would have, but were very supportive in my desire to attend tech instead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Paden High School, where I attended
13 years of school, was in the Gordon Cooper Technology Center district in
Shawnee, so that was where I attended 2 years of tech training. I really wanted to take a business course,
with accounting being my top choice. Unfortunately
it was a pretty popular course and I got put into the marketing and management
course instead, which turned out to be just where I needed to be for future
endeavors. The first year was focused on
marketing. We learned how to market a
product, a business, and ourselves. We
did hands on projects. One such group
project was marketing a loaf of bread. We
toured everything from the farm where wheat was grown, to the mill where flour
was made and sold, to the kitchen where the bread was made. Things that were interesting, held my
attention, and made sense where they fell in line with things in the real
world. Unlike algebra, these classes
were filled with things that I could easily see helping me to make a living
after high school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">My second year focused on management, from time to employees to a
whole business. We covered it all. The project I remember from my senior year,
maybe because I was class president and got to do more than most students, was
a bowl-a-thon benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. First off, that was dear to my heart because
the year before my grandma had passed away from MD so I knew how it could
affect a family. Second, as I said,
Madam President got to do a whole lot more work. I remember making phone calls to solicit
sponsors for the event, scheduling the bowling alley, presenting the event to
each of the other classes at tech, scheduling the participants times and lanes
to bowl in, and managing the funds raised.
How much more hands on can a class get?
It was great experience for the future and it wasn’t boring history
class that would not help me gain much of anything in my future. Sorry history teachers, no offense to you. I do actually wish now that I would have paid
a little more attention in history class just for the sake of it being fun but
I did not see the use when I was younger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Fast forward to a month or two after
high school graduation when I started working in a bank as a teller,
interacting with customers, managing my cash drawer, and as a teller, being a
face for the bank. My vo-tech training set
me up to succeed with all those tasks. Sometime
later I went to work in my family’s business, Davenport’s Archery. I started out only doing book keeping and soon
I was doing (almost) everything!
Bookkeeping, sales, marketing, managing schedules, the works. Again, my vo-tech training helped with those
tasks. Then, a few years ago now, I
started my own business. Like the family
business, I handled everything including hiring employees and making time
schedules. Yup, you guessed it. . .my
vo-tech training helped with those tasks.
As any business owner can tell you, you never really get a handle on all
those tasks, but at least with the vo-tech training I knew which questions to
ask rather than flying blind! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> While nearly half of Oklahoma high school
students are enrolled in a local technology center like I was, they are not
just for high school students. I remember
one student in my class who was well over 50 and wanting to learn a new skill
so she could do something besides work in the fast food industry. Since 93 percent of full time tech students have
positive placement, either employed, college, or military, she was *really*
improving her chances to succeed. Had
she wanted to go on to college, some of the courses will transfer to college credit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> While
full time courses at tech schools get the spotlight, there are also personal
interest courses and continuing education or certification courses. The personal interest courses are normally
taught by folks in the community who are not professional teacher but love what
they do. Several years ago I started
taking some cooking classes, from cake decorating to Mexican food. I used the techniques and recipes when
running my café. I now am <i>teaching</i> several of those cooking
classes at Meridian Tech in Stillwater.
I started a couple years ago with 3 or 4 classes a semester and now I am
up to 15 or so classes a semester. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Food is something I am passionate about and I love teaching others
what I know. I have absolutely no
professional training but I think I am able to relate and be down to earth with
my students. One of my favorite classes teaches
people to make pies from scratch. Each
student makes 3 pie crusts from scratch.
One crust is filled with a cream filling and the other two are used for
a fruit pie. The students take both of
their pies home with them. . .at least the part of their pies they don’t eat on
the way home! I fully expected this
class to be full of younger ladies who wanted to learn to make pie. I was wrong!
I have had everything from 18 year old girls to 70+ year old
grandpas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Another popular class is Sushi for Beginners. I do not profess to be a sushi master, but I
can teach you the technique so that you can go home and play with your
food. I had one class where there was a
group of friends in their early 20s. At
the end of each class there is a survey to fill out, one question being “How
will this training will help you?” One
of the young men responded to that question with this answer: “Maybe find me a
girlfriend.” I loved it! These young men were taking cooking classes so
they can impress the girls. I guess they
were trying to learn how to cook up some bait!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The personal interest classes are great for an evening out with
friends. Most are in the $25 to $30
dollar price range and last for 3 hours.
There aren’t many things you can go and have a good time and learn a new
skill for that price! I scanned a few of
the area tech centers brochures and they all offer all types of classes. Photography, computer skills, wood working,
cooking. . .you name it and a tech in your area probably can teach you how to
do it! Some classes are even targeted
for families. You get a great opportunity
to spend a few hours with your kids and they learn a skill and have fun while
doing it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> So, whether you are a high school
student that isn’t sure you want to go to college but want to learn a skill
that can place you into a job as soon as you graduate, or you are interested in
learning or improving a new skill, look at your local tech center! </span><span style="color: #263238; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">College isn’t for
everyone and tech can put you, or your high school graduate, into a job that can
make as much or more money than a 4 year college degree. . .and it’s free for
high school students! </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">We’ve got three great campuses along The Corridor to choose from, so
check them out. Central Tech in
Drumright (</span><a href="http://www.centraltech.edu/">www.centraltech.edu</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">)</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">, Meridian Tech in Stillwater (</span><a href="http://www.meridiantech.edu/">www.meridiantech.edu</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">)</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">, and Gordon Cooper Tech in Shawnee (www.gctech.edu).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-40055853931396569542016-07-04T06:10:00.001-07:002016-07-04T06:10:24.803-07:00Patriotism with Guns (July 2016 Corridor Article)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9PCvhR9zmM/V3pfmDdxYWI/AAAAAAAAmEY/TRrmT5LHdD8RJHRZleBSTzeKmaCDRPlQgCLcB/s1600/4048901351351260715-account_id%253D1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N9PCvhR9zmM/V3pfmDdxYWI/AAAAAAAAmEY/TRrmT5LHdD8RJHRZleBSTzeKmaCDRPlQgCLcB/s320/4048901351351260715-account_id%253D1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security
of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be
infringed.”</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Second Amendment to the
United States Constitution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Several years ago my husband began a tradition of giving me a new
firearm each Independence Day. Fitting,
really, since one of the things that sets America apart from the rest of the
world is our freedom to keep and bear arms.
Other nations may allow their citizens to possess arms, but none grant
those citizens the freedom to buy, sell, and carry firearms like we Americans
have. What better expression of freedom
on Independence Day can there be, then, than shooting a brand new gun? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">It would be easy for this article to stray into political
rhetoric. Tensions run high on both
sides of the gun issue. Since the
tagline from my café was “Guns and Grub” you can guess which side of the issue
I fall on, but I want to keep this article reasonably balanced. At least I’ll try!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">At the start of the Revolutionary War, Americans were armed with
firearms from Europe, primarily smoothbore muskets. Before war’s end, our sharpshooters were
armed with American built longrifles. . .and the world has been chasing
American firearm innovation ever since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">With the invention of the percussion cap, rifles were less tedious
to load, more impervious to water, and much more reliable. The percussion cap also, of course, paved the
way for repeating firearms, most notably the Colt’s revolving handgun. Suddenly Americans could carry a single
firearm that was capable of firing multiple shots rapidly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">It’s around this time that firearms manufactures began assembly
line manufacturing, which was yet another revolution in the (very young)
firearms industry. Formerly, firearms
were all custom built. They might look
similar, but if a piece broke on your particular firearm, a new piece had to be
built *specifically* for your gun. With
the implementation of assembly line manufacturing, you could be reasonably
certain that two guns of the same type would have interchangeable parts. That fact is quite comforting when you are
days from civilization, as many were in those years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Those early percussion revolvers
were, of course, painfully slow to reload.
If you notice, you very seldom see John Wayne or Clint Eastwood reload
their revolvers. . .it simply takes too much screen time! The perfection of the self-contained
cartridge solved that issue. With this
cartridge, the ignition system, powder, and projectile are all contained in a
brass (normally) case. Reloading was now
something that could be done in seconds rather than minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Assembly line manufacturing, interchangeable
parts, and the self-contained cartridge.
With those three elements in place, the availability of firearms in
America shot through the roof. Prices
started dropping, reliability went up, and the self-contained cartridge made it
trivial to carry spare ammunition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> By now, it is the mid 1800s and the
“Wild Wild West” is in full swing. In
reality it wasn’t terribly wild. Still,
it wasn’t an area in which a person wanted to be caught without a firearm. Open carry was expected. The upper classes viewed themselves as too
refined for open carry. . .and they invariably carried their firearms concealed
under a jacket or vest. It wasn’t so
much a fear of crime that drove people to carry firearms, but the realization
that they were responsible for their own safety, wherever that danger came
from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">As the 20<sup>th</sup> century rolled around, repeating firearms
took center stage. The Colt 1911 (my
favorite handgun of all time) began replacing revolvers. Semi-automatic rifles began replacing lever
actions. Firearms were now capable of
shooting more accurately than most people could shoot them. In just over 100 years, America had gone from
expensive, custom built firearms of dubious reliability and appalling accuracy
to inexpensive, high quality, reliable firearms built to a standard
specification and capable of incredible accuracy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Since then, innovations in firearms haven’t
been in the actual firearms themselves, but in the application of those
firearms. The steadily rising popularity
of shooting competition has forced the evolution of shooting technique. Grip, stance, draw, and trigger pull are
continually being refined in order to shoot the firearm quicker, more
accurately, more comfortably, and more consistently. Gone are the days, thankfully, of shooting a
.44 magnum Dirty Harry style with one hand on the gun and one hand supporting
the wrist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Changes in firearm accessories have
likewise come at a rapid pace. Optics
now allow accurate shooting at 1,000 yards or near-instantaneous target
acquisition at 10 yards. Firearms can be
fit to a specific user simply by replacing a few easily-changeable pieces. There are holsters available to fit every
body type and every situation under the sun.
Suppressors, which are perfectly legal in Oklahoma, reduce the BANG! to
much more comfortable levels. Firearms
like the AR-15 are called the “Barbie Doll for men” because there are so many
configuration options. Never before has
a shooter had the ability to configure and customize a firearm to his or her
specific build, need, and purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> I grew up with firearms. I was given my first rifle at a very young
age, and guns have always been a part of my life. My husband, on the other hand, did *not* grow
up around firearms. Because of that, he
has a much different view firearms than I do. . .a different view that I
appreciate more each year. For me,
historically, firearms have been for hunting: a way for me to spend quality
time with my Dad each year. For my
husband, firearms are a real piece of freedom he can hold in his hand, and his
appreciation of firearms has nothing at all to do with hunting. This view is readily apparent in the way he
teaches the Oklahoma Concealed Carry class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Here in the Great State of Oklahoma,
it is almost trivial to get a permit to carry a concealed (or open)
firearm. Take a class, shoot 50 rounds of
ammo at a target, get some fingerprints taken, get a pair of passport photos,
and fill out a short form. In less than
90 days, your permit will show up in the mailbox and you can join the hundreds
of thousands of Oklahomans who can carry a firearm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The makeup of our classes has
changed markedly over the years. When we
started teaching, classes were easily 90% men.
The last few years that percentage has shrunk to 60%, and it’s not at
all unusual for us to have more women in a class than men. I’ve been doing women-only classes for a few
years, and those are always quite rewarding for me, personally. Often women will come to those classes who
know *nothing* about firearms, and in many cases are actually *scared* of
firearms. It is wonderful for me to be able
to work with them to overcome that fear. . .and see the huge grin on their faces
before they are done shooting and to
hear them talking about going shooting with friends and family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> With every mass shooting,
politicians are quick to blame the gun. As
I mentioned earlier, my appreciation of firearms was for their use in
hunting. I am, however, realizing that
the view my husband has is closer to the view the founders of this country had. Yes, firearms are handy tools for hunting,
but the real purpose of the 2<sup>nd</sup> Amendment is to protect us from
those who would subjugate us, even if that comes from our own government. That’s, frankly, uncomfortable to think
about. Yet the founders has just fought
a war against such a government and new intimately the dangers inherent in a
disarmed populace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">So, go out and celebrate Independence Day. Enjoy a burger off the grill. Take a dip in the pool. Fire off a few rounds (safely) and enjoy the
sound of freedom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Oh, and buy your wife a firearm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">*** This was a co-effort between Mr. Husted and Myself, I'm sure some of you will be able to tell, because some of the words are pretty big ;-) Yes, I'm making fun of myself :D</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-7234452530902511112016-04-29T19:29:00.000-07:002016-04-29T19:29:56.485-07:00Farmers Wife - Working CowsTake 2<br />
I typed all this out and then lost it :( So Try try again. <br />
<br />
This week was a week full of bovine and bovine mishaps..... Starting Monday morning and ending Friday! And we still have a trip to the vet to make tomorrow morning for some preg checks, vaccinations, and lutalizing (that's giving dope to some young heifers to make sure if they are bred the flush the baby, these particular heifers are too young and small to be bred)<br />
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These two girls started my Monday off with a ton of work! They were on the wrong side of the fence with a big black neighbor bull. What in the world are you heifers thinking! They are way too young and small to be bred but they are old enough to be cycling.... So, after finding them on the wrong side of the fence Mr. H and I decided to do some bovine shuffling. . . . </div>
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I went to the other lease to check everyone there and noticed that Cosmo the First has grown a TON this spring! He's pushing 4 years old and is massive!<br />
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He's almost as big as my car! (PS Notice my pretty little chauffeur)<br />
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So, after checking everyone I went home to get things ready for the bovine shuffle. Hooking the trailer up to the pickup is always easier when someone is helping guide you but I'm getting pretty good at doing it by myself.....<br />
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Just a little brute force and uglieness and I got it right where it needed to be!<br />
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Awww, Pistol Annie. She thinks anytime a door opens to a vehicle she needs to get in and go. It doesn't matter if it's a door to one of our vehicles or someone else's. She likes to go!<br />
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Here they are on the right side of the fence! A feed bucket does wonders! Now that they are where they're suppose to be I took off walking towards the pens, got all the bovine in that pasture to follow me and got them pinned up so we could move them. 7 total, 5 heifers and 2 steers.... The 5 heifers get the long trip to the house, the 2 steers got dumped in the pasture with our older cows, their calves, and Cosmo the First.<br />
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Now, I had to move all the bovine that was at the house to the north lease.... That's why I was hooking up the trailer. I got them pinned up and got the trailer backed to the chute and tried running them in the trailer, except they didn't want to go. :( We do not have the best set up at home for loading. So after a bit I decided to leave that job for Mr. H when he got home. I went a head and went out to the home place lease and got everyone situated there and pulled into the north lease to wait on Mr. H. It was a beautiful spring day and my view was amazing! I'm pretty sure the Lord made this view just for me to enjoy after a trying day! Thanks Lord!</div>
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Here he is with a load of heifers, a cow, a calf, and Cosmo the Second.<br />
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Let us out of here! We want solid ground!!!!! </div>
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A lot happened between the pic of unloading cows and the pic above..... But it included a bit of raised voices, bovine beatings, and frustration. We got the heifers loaded in the front of the trailer with no trouble, then the steers loaded in the back half, easy peasy. Got to the other lease about 5ish miles away and unloaded the steers, got all 25 head of bovine at that place in the lots and separated out the 5 we needed to take home and finally after much stress got them loaded. Jerseys are stubborn! Once we got 2 of the cows loaded one of the older Jerseys decided she didn't want anyone else in the trailer so she stood at the door head butting the others that needed loaded. BAH! Finally got it done and got them home and unloaded in the pasture at the house. The pic above is my old Jersey with her heifer who is a jersey/angus cross and her adopted jersey bull calf..... They need weened and momma needs preg checked. I can't believe it's already been 6 months since she calved, time flies!<br />
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Little cow poo never hurt anyone. Made them stink a little but cow poo is the smell of money, right?<br />
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The only casualty for the day. :( My work jeans. I'm running out of work jeans. I'm going to have to buy new good jeans so I can make some of my good jeans into work jeans..... Farming is tough on a wardrobe!<br />
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While we were loading cows at the other lease the guy who owns it was cleaning crappie! He tossed me a bag when we were leaving. I'm grateful because I had nothing thawed for supper! It's pretty awesome when you can cook a meal that is all home grown or harvested. The only thing that was "bought" was the corn meal on the fish, the seasoning, and the oil to cook it in. :D that makes me happy!<br />
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While dining on fish the lease guy called and asked if we made it home okay, he found a chunk of trailer floor in his driveway. Sure enough a piece had rotted out and left a couple holes. Thankfully I'm married to a handy man who got it fixed up so we can use it tomorrow for the trip to the vet...... And so ended Monday......<br />
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Yep, that's an open gate that goes into a hay field with no fences that is right next to where my cows were pastured.....Wednesday 9ish am..... The lease guy calls, your cows are out at the north lease. UGH! So, I put my shoes on, gather fence fixing material in case I need it, a bucket of feed, and head that way. Yep, those are my cows, and they are 3/4 of a mile from where they were suppose to be. Thanks to Pumper Joe for making the call and waiting with them so they didn't run off any further. They were on a fairly busy paved road so it could have been bad.....<br />
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Pumper Joe asked how I was going to get them back in..... A feed bucket of course. I jumped in the car, the bovine were gathered around me because I have them spoiled, I hung my hand out the window with the feed bucket it in and shook it a bit to get their attention and then started driving. They followed just like I hoped! </div>
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I got them in the pasture at the home place lease because it was closer than the north lease, and I didn't know what kind of fence work I was going to have to do..... They finished the bucket of cubes and started on the yummy green grass... I checked them yesterday and they were still where they were suppose to be, Praise the Lord!<br />
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This is the closed and wired shut gate. Cows are on a different lease but if I put anything else here they won't be able to get through that gate again unless they grow opposable thumbs.<br />
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Fast forward to Friday at home.... Got out of bed, got dressed, walked outside before my cup of coffee was ready, and had 2 calves out. #67 and #70. The gate looked like it was opened a little bit so I assumed they got out there. Got them ran back in and shut the gate, went in got my coffee and a bowl of cereal and sat on the front porch and had breakfast. I was finishing up my coffee and noticed that #66 was out of the pasture and after walking towards her saw #67 out again. :( What in the world? Well, I found a fence wire that was broke, that is probably how they got out the first time but I just didn't notice it, remember I hadn't had coffee at that time, I was a little more alert the 2nd time I had to run calves back in the pasture.....<br />
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<span id="goog_1280592471"></span>So, I got the fence fixing stuff and used my newly acquired fence fixing skill. It's not pretty but it's back together and I'm pretty proud of myself for getting it done!<br />
<br />
And thus ends the week of working with cows. Tomorrows trip to the vet should be a breeze, at least I'm praying it is. I always enjoy getting to visit with Mr. and Mrs. Doc, there's a lot I can learn from just a short visit with them. Doc has been doing this longer than I have been alive and it's always a learning experience for me! We are really blessed to have a good vet!</div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-30767290936995425172016-04-11T18:09:00.000-07:002016-04-11T18:09:53.713-07:00A Fishing Story<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The year was about 1990. I was about 10 years old,
depending on the day of the trip. My
birthday is in June, and around that time we would normally spend a week or two
at Texoma Lake. This particular year it
was our family in a travel trailer, my aunt and uncle in a tent, and close
friends in yet another tent. One
trailer, two tents, and three boats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Every time we went out
on the water we would load up with limits of striper,* <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Now about our boat. We had an old green fiberglass boat that had
a platform built on the front with a bar stool bolted to the platform. We used this boat for striper fishing by day
and bow fishing or fishing under the railroad bridge by night. The old boat had seen better days. I remember going across Lake Texoma one
morning after catching a mess of striper with my dad and water started coming
in the boat. . .because a split had appeared split straight up the middle of
the boat about a foot long. Dad had to
keep the boat on plane so that water wouldn’t come in, while ignoring some of
the no wake bouys. We did, however, make
it to shore without sinking! Dad got the
old boat loaded up on the boat trailer and pulled into our camp site so it
could dry out and we made a run to the local store for supplies to fix the
crack. I’m pretty sure we ended up with
a fiberglass repair kit and duct tape (yes, we used both), and yes we finished
out the week fishing out of the old green boat!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Now, like I said, there
were 3 boats in camp, but there were enough people that we really needed all 3
so we weren’t in each other’s way during the heat of the moment catching
massive striper. We couldn’t just leave
old green behind. Me, being a daddy’s
girl didn’t mind the duct taped boat. I
mean, my daddy fixed it and says it’ll be fine so I know it’ll be fine,
right? I’m pretty sure I recall my
sister opting to stay in camp with my mom or riding with someone else. Scaredy cat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">On to the fishing
story. My place on the boat was that bar
stool I mentioned earlier. I claimed it
and was pretty much tied to it for the duration of our trip. For striper fishing, I used a long handled rods
with Zebco 888 reels on it and blue and silver pencil poppers to catch those
big striper on top water, I would lodge the rod against my belly button and get
to fishing. Now, I was a pretty small
girl so I had a pretty good fight with some of the bigger fish, my dad is fun
to watch when he tells this story, because he gets pretty animated. I’ll try to do it justice with words, and you
can use your imaginations, a small 10 year old girl with big glasses and bright
red hair, on the platform of a worn out green boat striper fishing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I would stand up and
cast my pencil popper in the middle of the shad school we would see and then
I’d lean against the barstool and start reeling, when I’d get one on the line,
and it was about every other cast if not every cast*, I would pull as hard as I
could and reel, while reeling the fish, if it was any size at all would pull me
forward off the bar stool. I’d have to
pull back again and reel some more. It
was kind of like a feisty game of tug of war, but I won every time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">One afternoon the
weather was turning off bad. You know,
Oklahoma in May and early June. There
were </span><span style="line-height: 32px;">tornadoes</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> being spotted and rain, lightening, and thunder all around
us. This is when the fish were biting
the best. The men in the group had gone
out earlier to fish and scarcely made it back before things started going sideways,
literally. While we all huddled in our
travel trailer, the storm raged around us.
The guys started telling fish stories.
This, they said, was the absolute best striper fishing they had ever
experienced, the storm had brought the really big striper to the top and they
were having a blast catching them. Oddly
enough, one of them actually had enough sense to get them back to shore before
the tornadoes and high winds hit. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">And in the words of
Jimmy Buffet…. “It’s a semi-true story believe it or not I made up a few things
and there’s some I forgot. But the life
and the tellin’ are both real to me and they all run together and turn out to
be a semi-true story.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Many moons later and my
dad still tries to take me on a fishing trip every year for my birthday and
those are memories I will always cherish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: 1.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">*Possible “fishing
story”.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A lot of fish to hold for such a little girl! Yep, that's me flaming red hair and all!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is me and my dad on that fishing trip so long ago. (The green boat is just to the right of the picture)</span></div>
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Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-92232431219317320102016-04-10T15:11:00.001-07:002016-04-10T15:11:30.281-07:00It's the Little Things in MarriageWarning: Might be offensive to some, might be mushy, might be PG13 in places.<br />
<br />
Next Saturday, April 16, we will be married 17 years! (As John says, I was 12 when we got married ;-)) SEVENTEEN YEARS!!!! <br />
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That's a long time but it's also such a short time, I'm looking forward to 50+ years ahead of us! Anyway, this blog is going to be about the simple things that make a marriage.....Maybe it will help someone see that your spouse doesn't have to do big things all the time to keep your love going strong... I think those little things can fill you up and make all the difference in the world.<br />
First off, I can't imagine my life without John. He's my best friend. He's my lover. He's my sounding board for crazy ideas. He keeps me grounded and on a level path. He provides everything I need. <br />
So, this morning I needed help putting a necklace on that has a short chain and John happened down the hall to watch me get dressed and stepped up and helped me with the clasp. His hands grazed the back of my neck and gave me chills. It also made me realize that I would have been fighting with the clasp for who knows how long if I wouldn't have had his help. That made me realize there are a million "little things" that he does every day to show me his love without saying it. Yes, I love to hear him tell me he loves me but the acts and touches and whispered words are also as endearing and needed just as much.... <br />
Here's my list, albeit, no where near complete, it would take pages and pages, and like I said, some mushy, some PG13 but maybe they'll make you think about your spouse and your relationship.......<br />
<br />
His arm around me at church<br />
Holding hands driving down the road<br />
A soft kiss on my closed eyes<br />
His giant manly hands caressing any part of me<br />
Him scratching my head and/or back<br />
His smile<br />
Helping me undress after church every week<br />
Laying naked in bed talking about random things<br />
Sitting on the porch talking about random things<br />
Sitting together reading a book in the quiet of the day knowing we're together<br />
Walking across the yard hand in hand<br />
Doing chores together<br />
His support of my totally random ideas and projects<br />
How proud he is of me when thos random ideas/projects are complete and/or working<br />
Sitting by the pond during his lunch hour enjoying each others company along with lunch<br />
Being woken up with a light hand and soft kiss and whisper in my ear<br />
Random messages asking how things are going<br />
Sitting in the same room sending kinky messages to each via IM just because we can<br />
The smile on his face every time he sees me after a time away from each other<br />
The excitement I see on his face when I tell him I'm going to be in town to have lunch with him<br />
Small random gifts<br />
A note left on the mirror<br />
The smell of his cologne on his pillow that I snuggle after he gets out of bed<br />
Cards left on the counter with sweet notes and cash for shopping for specific things I've mentioned<br />
Folded and put away laundry<br />
Loading the dishwasher<br />
Laying in the grass looking up at the sky<br />
Flowers, picked in yard, on the side of the road, or from the florist<br />
An out of the blue compliment about my make up<br />
An admiration about specific parts of my body, not always my chest or backside ;-)<br />
Showers together<br />
His lies to people around about how I'm a better shot than he is<br />
Foot massages<br />
Bringing me coffee in bed<br />
A whisper in my ear of I love you when there is no reason to whisper<br />
Kisses on my neck<br />
Making out like a teenager, I'm not going to lie, they usually end way further than a teenager should go but they're a fun start<br />
<br />
Okay, I think I better stop. Like I said there are so many little things that make our marriage great and I'll not bore you with anymore, if you happened to even make it past the first couple....<br />
<br />
So, here's to 17+ more years of a great marriage and all the little things that make us smile about each other. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The love of my life, my best friend, my companion, my lover</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Awww one of my favorite views</span></div>
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<br />Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-30800318697565821412016-03-21T06:31:00.000-07:002016-03-21T06:31:58.055-07:00Grow Great Grub Class 1 of 5Friday, March 18, 2016 I took my first ever gardening class at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Providence-Farms-927643017281168/?fref=ts">Providence Farms</a> in Edmond, OK. At 9am it was a balmy ~45 with a sharp north wind. This first class was mostly about prepping your garden spot, soil types, soil ph, organic matter, and things that are ready to plant right now.<br />
Now, I already have my garden spot worked up, and have used the same spot for going on 10 years, it is about ~5000 square foot, which seems really big, but after going to class I'm feeling like I need to till more space up! <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">And I already have potatoes coming up!</span></div>
<br />
A few things that I want to remember:<br />
1) Turnips and legumes are great for helping work up a new spot, they are good cover and smoother out the weeds and grass. Another way to work up a new spot is covering with black plastic during the winter time. <br />
2)Organic matter is any thing that is living or was living, If you have a sandy area you can add organic matter and it will help hold moisture. If you have clay, organic matter helps break up the clay and make it more manageable. Lome soil is the ideal type of soil for growing most things. Legumes and turnips are good to chop up for "organic matter". <br />
3)Green beans are a great source of nitrogen to the soil and are great to plant with corn or things that need a high amount of nitrogen to grow. Blood meal is also good for nitrogen.<br />
4)Planting potatoes... Cut your seed potatoes with good eyes on each piece and coat them in sulpher. Dig an 8" trench and put the potatoes in eye side up and cover with about 2" of dirt. It is also a good idea to add sulpher, potatoes love acidic soil, to the dirt where the potatoes are going to be growing, they love it. When the potatoes start popping up through the first 2" of dirt add another 2", when they come through that add another 2" until you have the trench full of dirt. That will produce the most amount of potatoes. Potatoes also grow good in a box, do 4 post for sides and a piece of board on all 4 sides, about 4" deep. Put a little dirt in the bottom and then the potatoes, then about 2" of dirt, do this adding sides as tall as you want until ready to harvest.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is the box that Chris at Providence Farms built for his potatoes</span></div>
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<br />
5)Weeds aren't always bad, the deep roots help draw trace minerals up to the top of the soil for the vegetables, but remember don't let them go to seed. <br />
6)Potassium increases ph and makes juicier and sweeter fruit/vegies.<br />
7)Potash decreases ph and makes the ground more acidic.<br />
8)Raise ph by adding hydrated lime or peletized lime.<br />
9)Carrots like warm soil for germinating and cool soil for growing and don't need buried very much if at all. To help with germination put a board on the seeds for warmth and remove after a couple days and they should be germinated. <br />
10)leaks and onions grow good together. Onions need room under the soil, leaks on top....<br />
<br />
Some of the things were over my head but there were a lot of little tidbits that I'm sure I picked up but can't remember right now what they are.<br />
<br />
Oh and yesterday I started my first ever batch of eggs in the incubator! 36 of them! So, hopefully April 3rd we'll have some chicks!<br />
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<br />Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-28299075908350650492016-02-09T18:45:00.000-08:002016-02-09T19:09:47.774-08:00Grey Snow Eagle House<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Standing in anticipation with roughly 175 other people,
waiting for the noon release of two rehabilitated eagles at Grey Snow Eagle
House (GSEH) in Perkins, in the middle of what is about the be a tribal ceremony
for the release of said eagles, I’m a little nervous. I have no idea what to expect. A few minutes before noon, a tribal member begins
the ceremony by explaining the symbolism of the eagle. The Iowa Tribe believes that the eagle is the
only living thing that has seen the face of God and that the eagle carries the
prayers of the people to the Father. After
this short explanation, he prays a moving prayer and then pours out an offering
of tobacco. I later find out that this
is done as a fragrant offering to God, a natural incense that the Creator gave
to us that we can give back to Him.</span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I stand in awe, trying
to keep tears from rolling down my face, when they open the first cage and the
eagle takes one hop and soars gracefully and peacefully into the sky. This eagle, which was injured and spent a bit
of time at GSEH, has been treated and is now being released back into the
wild. All is quiet for several minutes
while we watch in wonder as this beautiful creature flies like it had never
been injured. After the first eagle can
no longer be seen, the second eagle for the day is released – this marks the
twentieth eagle GSEH has rehabilitated The second eagle hangs around a little longer
and doesn’t fly as far before he lands in a nearby tree for the spectators to
watch and photograph. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> A few days later
I got to go visit with Victor Roubidoux, the mastermind behind the Grey Snow
Eagle House. It cost me two homemade
coconut cream pies, but it was well worth it!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Several years ago Victor,
a member of the Iowa Tribe, had the vision for an eagle rehab center. He took his vision to the tribal leaders, never
expecting to be the one heading up the project.
It’s a fitting calling for Victor, since he is Vietnam Vet and a member
of the famed Screaming Eagles of the 101<sup>st</sup> Airborne.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Way back then,” he
said, “I never imagined God would have me taking care of eagles.” He counts it
as an honor to be able to do so, and after just a few minutes spent with
Victor, you can tell he is extremely passionate about his work and love of the
birds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> GSEH is currently
home to 56 raptors. The project started
in 2004 with a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and now 96% of
their funding is from the Iowa Tribe while the other 4% is from donations and
fundraisers. They have 12 different
structures on site that house the birds, ranging from a 150 foot flight cage to
quarantine cages and a full-blown ICU. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> When an eagle is
in need of care, staff do a full physical on the bird: blood work, x-rays and
fecal sample. This information is then
sent to veterinarian Dr. Paul Welch of Forest Trails Animal Hospital in Tulsa,
and he evaluates the bird’s needs. If a
bird needs medical attention, Dr. Welch does not charge for his services, only
for medications if the bird needs it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> When possible,
the birds are released back to the area from which they were rescued. Often, however, the Oklahoma Wildlife
Department contacts GSEH with a bird that needs medical attention and staff do
not know where exactly the bird was found. In those cases, the bird is released
at the facility in Perkins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The birds are
given the upmost respect during their stay at GSEH and the ones that are not
able to be released back into the wild are treated like kings and queens. Staff member Abraham Lincoln gave me tour of
the cages, and I found very clean facilities with water holes, perches, and toys. For those birds that can’t fly onto a perch,
they have handicap ramps. Abraham told
me cages are cleaned daily, the feathers are picked up and stored for tribal
members, and the cages are power washed and disinfected 2-3 times each month. The birds are fed a diet of fish, rabbits,
quail, and rats. During the summer, camp
kids go fishing for perch to put in the small ponds in the cages for an additional
treat for the birds. When an eagle dies,
it is buried with feathers intact and with a ceremonial funeral. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I asked Abraham, who
started volunteering at GSEH when he was 12 years old, what he enjoyed most
about working at GSEH. “It is being able to go out and pick up an injured
eagle, bring it back to the facility for care and, after rehabbing it and watching
it fly again in the flight cage, getting to release it back into the wild. It is something that few can say they get to
do during their lifetime.” He says he
can’t imagine ever working anywhere else, and his goal is to make a career out
of working with eagles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Victor said they
are hoping to be able to build a visitor center in the future. Since they opened to the public they have
had over twelve thousand visitors from across the world. They are open for tours on Saturday and
Sunday by appointment only, but they are only able to host 25-30 people per day
because of space constraints. They also
offer school tours during the week, again by appointment only. You can find Grey Snow Eagle House at </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/greysnoweaglehouse"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">www.facebook.com/greysnoweaglehouse</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">, </span><a href="http://www.eagles.iowanation.org/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">www.eagles.iowanation.org</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">, or call
405-334-7471. You can follow their Facebook
page for updates on releases and events that take place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Take the time to head
south of Perkins on The Corridor to the Grey Snow Eagle House. It will be worth
your time!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NpfSU7dSGeA/VrqbxwIr84I/AAAAAAAAk5k/DztwP_4cuMg/s1600/%25238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NpfSU7dSGeA/VrqbxwIr84I/AAAAAAAAk5k/DztwP_4cuMg/s320/%25238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Entrance to GSEH</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tx_1kINUIp0/VrqbNZsZlBI/AAAAAAAAk5M/uNH7Dtl6zhY/s1600/%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tx_1kINUIp0/VrqbNZsZlBI/AAAAAAAAk5M/uNH7Dtl6zhY/s320/%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Victor Roubidoux releases one of the 2 eagles on January 30, 2016 at the Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins, OK. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Bringing the total of eagles released back into the wild to 20</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fkTCwISdsE/VrqbK0hmP8I/AAAAAAAAk5A/ya1ZpMCeSx8/s1600/%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fkTCwISdsE/VrqbK0hmP8I/AAAAAAAAk5A/ya1ZpMCeSx8/s320/%25232.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Victor Roubidoux and Abraham Lincoln</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">releases one of the 2 eagles on January 30, 2016 at the Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins, OK. Bringing the total of eagles released back into the wild to 20</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SybrcODIXu0/VrqbRcsD1CI/AAAAAAAAk5U/6i5e_sxRTeA/s1600/%25235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SybrcODIXu0/VrqbRcsD1CI/AAAAAAAAk5U/6i5e_sxRTeA/s320/%25235.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">One of the 2 eagles on January 30, 2016 at the Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins, OK. Bringing the total of eagles released back into the wild to 20</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t7-VDwI9bAs/VrqbVPQuoVI/AAAAAAAAk5c/Fc7bjySyJ2E/s1600/%25239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t7-VDwI9bAs/VrqbVPQuoVI/AAAAAAAAk5c/Fc7bjySyJ2E/s320/%25239.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">One of the 2 eagles on January 30, 2016 at the Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins, OK. Bringing the total of eagles released back into the wild to 20</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DCakwErYOLM/VrqbLZNpiBI/AAAAAAAAk5E/C8_Z1bsFakM/s1600/%252310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DCakwErYOLM/VrqbLZNpiBI/AAAAAAAAk5E/C8_Z1bsFakM/s320/%252310.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of
the 2 eagles on January 30, 2016 at the Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins,
OK. Bringing the total of eagles
released back into the wild to 20</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G26bItAvdOo/VrqbwjVRQEI/AAAAAAAAk5g/kXePSQdcZ9I/s1600/%25237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G26bItAvdOo/VrqbwjVRQEI/AAAAAAAAk5g/kXePSQdcZ9I/s320/%25237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Scrapper is a mature bald eagle that came from Wisconsin in 2011. He was hit by a car and sustained neck injuries. As a result of his injuries, he holds his wings up and away from his body. Scrapper is a happy bird that likes to talk and fly around the main flight cage.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ckXUZgga3lg/VrqbNSsDDaI/AAAAAAAAk5I/jSUcSNB2Ju0/s1600/%25234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ckXUZgga3lg/VrqbNSsDDaI/AAAAAAAAk5I/jSUcSNB2Ju0/s320/%25234.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">At their forever home, these 2 eagles have permanent damage and cannot be released back into the wild for fear of a quick death.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-015OMt9RWc8/VrqbRl6bbNI/AAAAAAAAk5Y/U1z_PvCTb5A/s1600/%25236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-015OMt9RWc8/VrqbRl6bbNI/AAAAAAAAk5Y/U1z_PvCTb5A/s320/%25236.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Inside of one of the cages that house some of the eagles that cannot be released back into the wild</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sbIPtDmbmX4/VrqbO2F4sxI/AAAAAAAAk5Q/VWXNDDgoIvY/s1600/%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sbIPtDmbmX4/VrqbO2F4sxI/AAAAAAAAk5Q/VWXNDDgoIvY/s320/%25233.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.4px;">Staff at GSEH work do a physical on an eagle</span></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-15775378690148076392015-12-28T15:31:00.001-08:002015-12-28T17:05:19.499-08:00Healthy Eating<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Like many of you, we treat “dieting” and “exercise” like they are curse words in our house.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">But, like
many of you, we recognize that we need to do what we can to be healthier.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">So how do we avoid those nasty words and
still get it done?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">We strive for a
“lifestyle” change, something that will stick with us and not be just a failed
attempt at “diet and exercise”.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">In the
next few paragraphs I’ll share with you some of the tips we’ve learned and
things that have worked and have failed miserably.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">We have found that it is worth trying a
little harder to live a healthy life rather than have to deal with health
issues related to weight gain and inactivity. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Let’s start with
the easiest and cheapest: accountability.
Find a friend or family member that you can bounce questions off of,
share your achievements with, and who will be uplifting when you are feeling
discouraged. I promise you,
discouragement will rear its ugly head.
If you have several friends and/or family members who want to journey
with you down the healthy living path then start a group on one of the social
media sites. You can share recipes, workouts,
joys and struggles you face on this journey.
Yes, it is a journey. It is not
something that just happens overnight. Some
mornings you will wake up excited about the journey and some mornings you will
wake up and be ready to give up. That’s
where your accountability partner or group becomes important. Utilize them and don’t hold back. There is a good chance they are feeling the
same way and you can work though it together and come out stronger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Now on to
something that isn’t as easy, but which can be cheap (or even free) and make a
huge impact on your “lifestyle” change journey.
Fitness. Exercise. Workouts.
Words that make people cringe when they hear them. Instead of fitness, exercise, or workouts,
think of it as “activity”. Start small
and slow and (as improbable as it sounds) you will feel your body start to
crave more and more activity. In
February of 2015 I started by walking more.
Not far and not fast, but I had a friend I would walk with and we had a
great time visiting and solving the world’s problems during our walks. It was fun, it was not exercise. I was able to enjoy the walk without my brain
telling me I was about to die. Fast
forward to June 2015, and I ran my first 5K with my sister who is younger,
leaner and more trim than I am and can run a 5k without practicing. I never imagined I could run a 5K (or even
walk that far) but I did. While my time
was not the greatest, I finished <u>and</u> I beat my sister by two tenths of a
second! Sibling rivalry is a huge
motivator. Running a 5k was not my goal
on the journey I started in February, it was just a side benefit of what I was
doing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> I also researched and learned about crossfit. I will let you do your own on that, but I
will say it can be fun and a nice change to walking, jogging. You will hurt in places you didn’t know
existed, but it will be a good hurt and you will look back after a week of
doing squats and think, “man my posterior is starting to look good!” Look to the World Wide Web for daily workouts
and videos on how to do the or check with your local gym for classes. Many websites post daily workouts that can be
done with items you have laying around the house. A 5lb bag of sugar weighs just as much as a
5lb dumbbell. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOWrYo2n-N8/VoHEmWUHvDI/AAAAAAAAkho/1NU2TmPqTco/s1600/RunForHope5K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOWrYo2n-N8/VoHEmWUHvDI/AAAAAAAAkho/1NU2TmPqTco/s320/RunForHope5K.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Run For Hope 5K June 2015, Katie Parsons, Missy Husted, Kim Lakins</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0RW9ze7gUSw/VoHEpPHwDTI/AAAAAAAAkh0/sTRMd-JWDsc/s1600/RunForHope5KFamily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0RW9ze7gUSw/VoHEpPHwDTI/AAAAAAAAkh0/sTRMd-JWDsc/s320/RunForHope5KFamily.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Run for Hope 5K, June 2015, Teressa Davenport, Caleb Lakins, Kim Lakins, Missy Husted, Katie Parsons</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> We can’t talk
about health and fitness without talking about something we all enjoy: food. I love food. I love making food, eating food,
and sharing food so that makes this part of the “lifestyle” change the hardest
for me! I started out thinking I had to
eat bland food that was expensive and no fun to cook. I was wrong.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> One of the most
difficult things for a lot of people to give up is red meat, but there is an
alternative that is starting to become popular and is a very good substitute: bison. According to the National Bison Association,
“nutritionally you are getting more protein and nutrients with fewer calories
and less fat. Buffalo is a dense meat
that tends to satisfy you more while eating less.” Bison is also easier on your digestive system
than beef. While it is a slightly more
expensive than good quality beef, the health benefits outweigh the cost in the
end. I found that bison is very
satisfying and easy to cook with. It is
a little drier than beef, but if you cook it at a lower temperature it turns
out great. You can replace all your
ground beef recipes with ground bison and satisfy that red meat craving you are
having. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> One of my favorite ways
to use bison and satisfy a craving is bison sliders with a sweet potato
“bun”. Wash a sweet potato and slice it nice
size pieces. Coat it with a touch of
olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and bake at 400 degrees until the potato
slices are tender. While the potatoes
are cooking, make bison patties the same size as your potato slices, season to
taste, and cook over low heat until done.
Assemble like you would a “normal” burger with mustard, lettuce, tomato,
and grilled onions. The resulting
“burgers” are very satisfying and the sweet potato “bun” adds great vitamins
and nutrition to your meal. Bison can be found along The Corridor at
Ralphs Packing in Perkins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 200%;">Bison Sliders on "Sweet Potato Bun"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> One of my failed attempts
at replacing beef was with turkey. Now,
I know a lot of people love ground turkey and use it in place of beef for
everything, but I think there is a few things to consider when doing that. First, do not buy the cheapest ground turkey
you can find. Yes it is cheaper than
beef but that does not mean the quality is better. Second, do not think you are eating something
that is going to taste like beef when you replace it with turkey. You *will* be disappointed. Take advantage of spices. Cajun seasoning helps make almost anything
more palatable!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> We have eaten a lot of
chicken breast along our journey. Chicken
is reasonably inexpensive, high in protein, and full of nutrients and
vitamins. That does not mean you can
deep fry it and call it “healthy”. A few
ways to prepare it include grilling, baking, and stir fry. When grilling, you can find a marinade recipe
that is low in sodium to jazz it up a bit.
Stir fry can be a good, filling option and give you the benefit of a
good dose of vegetables. In a large
skillet, with a good dose of olive oil, put in a medium size diced red onion. Cook it until it is tender, and then add a
nice amount of diced bell pepper, zucchini, squash, or whatever other
vegetables you like and cook till tender.
Add thinly sliced chicken breast along with a clove of minced garlic and
cook until done. Use about ¼ cup low
sodium soy sauce, the juice of a lemon, and season to taste with salt and
pepper. Serve this as is or over brown
rice. Give yourself extra bonus points
if the vegetables are fresh out of your own garden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Remember, one of the
most important keys in a healthy lifestyle food change is moderation. Our bodies are amazing machines, and can use
a vast range of foods as nutrition, but even “diet food”, when not eaten in
moderation, can cause weight gain. A
friend of mine has lost over 60 pounds in the last two years, and all she did
was switch from a full size plate to a salad plate. She eats the same things she always has, just
not as much of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Fads and diets come and
go, but a healthy diet combined with exercise is a guaranteed way to lose
weight and feel better. Find an
accountability partner (preferably not your spouse, but that’s another
article!), make an effort to be more active, cut back on eating fat, and simply
don’t eat as much. It won’t happen
overnight, and you don’t need to change *everything* at once. Start small and work up. The best time to change your diet and
activity level is five years ago. The
second best time to start is today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chicken Marinade<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup water<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup apple cider vinegar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 ½ tbsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">¾ tsp garlic powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">¾ tsp pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">4 tsp Worcestershire sauce<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">2 tbsp butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Heat to dissolve all
ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Marinate chicken for no
more than 4 hours and then grill chicken</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*The Corridor January 2016</span></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-49046924729623185482015-11-20T10:55:00.003-08:002015-11-20T10:56:58.063-08:00Exploring Advent<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“I get to open the box
tonight!” sang Joy Lin. “Nuh-uh… It’s my
turn. You opened it last night,” Bekah
retorted. Knowing he had a better idea,
John played it cool. “Fine, but I get to
light the candles.” This is Advent
season in the Husted home, and yes, even with the kids married and moved away
this is still how dinner starts when we’re all together. Advent is a serious season for our family,
but it is also a season of joy and celebration.
It is a tradition that the Husteds have carried for 35 years as a way of
keeping the Christ Child the center of the Christmas season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">What is Advent?</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">It is the first season of the Christian
church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays,
ending on Christmas Eve.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Many churches
and families celebrate using an Advent Wreath, a wreath with four perimeter
candles and one center candle, which represents Christ, with a variation of
what each candle in the wreath represents.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Our family celebrates Prophecy and Planning the first week, Bethlehem
and Preparation the second week, Shepherds and Sharing the third week, and
Angles and Joy the final week.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Each
Sunday a candle is lit in addition to the previous Sunday’s candles, and on
Christmas Eve they are all lit along with the Christ candle.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The Advent box we speak
of is similar to an Advent calendar with a door representing each day of the
Advent season. Each day of the Advent
season a small door in the box is opened and behind that door is
something. Sometimes it just a piece of
paper with a devotion, sometimes there is a Christmas tree ornament, or even
crazy things like a battleship. But
each item in the box comes with a story, devotion, or activity that reminds us
the true meaning of Christmas. Dr. Ben
Husted states in his book <i>Christmas out
of the Advent Box</i>, “The power of the Advent box comes from the way it
centers our lives on Jesus for that all-important season leading up to
Christmas. After filling our calendar
with the events, activities, stories, books, Scriptures, and movies, our family
has a daily exposure to some relevant truth or application from
Scripture.” </span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">When Ben, my
father-in-law, was writing the Advent book, he asked each of us to write a
short essay about what Advent and the traditions meant to us. The first week, Prophecy and Planning, while
a bit daunting, has become one of my favorites.
It is amazing to be able to look in the Old Testament of the Bible and
then fast forward to the New Testament and see things that God said will
happen, happen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A devotion for the week one:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">What are your plans?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Read Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (NIV) and read
Matthew 1:22-23: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through
the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and
they will call him ‘Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’” (NIV)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Christmas season is
one of the busiest and most rushed of the year. It helps tremendously to
take time during the first week to sit down with your family, with a calendar,
and plan events and a menu for the next few weeks. A menu on paper, which
you can then use for grocery shopping, really cuts back on the stress of the
holidays.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">During the second week
of Advent we celebrate Bethlehem and Preparation week, and we typically make
gingerbread houses. Why? Because Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Although we do not get as elaborate as some,
we still have a fun time. Using graham
crackers as our walls and roofs and melted almond bark or decorators icing to
hold things together, we take off from there.
With bowls of gumdrops, M&Ms, tic-tacs, mini marshmallows,
lifesavers, coconut flakes, and a variety of other fun candies and eatable
items we each create a unique house. . .or barn or shed. . .or “I’m not sure
what this is.” I remember one year my
mother-in-law built a beautiful cottage while my father-in-law built a barn any
dairyman would be proud to own. It can
be a fun contest to see who even has walls still standing at the end of the
day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A devotion for week two<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Read Micah 5:2 </span></i><span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“But
you, Bethlehem</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Ephrathah,</span></i></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">though you
are small among the clans</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">of
Judah, out of you will come for me</span></i></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">one who
will be ruler</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">over
Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">It took God
a lot of preparation to get things into place for Jesus birth in
Bethlehem. Take time this week to
prepare for the weeks ahead. Are you
going to make cookies? Make sure you
have all the ingredients on hand. Are
you going to put up Christmas lights?
Buy extra bulbs. </span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Where is
Christ in all of this? Are you preparing
your hearts to receive Jesus anew? This
is very much what Advent is about. Yes,
Jesus came, and He is coming again. But
right now, Jesus lives in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Prepare to welcome Him once again.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Shepherds and Sharing
are the focus of week three. One of our
big eating traditions during this week is to share a meal outside “like the
shepherds.” This has led to some
memorable meals, since when that’s in the box we eat outside come rain or
shine. Bekah still doesn’t let us forget a celebratory dinner that happened
outside one year: Eating steaks outside in the middle of December is a unique
experience. Despite the shepherds’ lack
of conveniences, Luke 2:8 “</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">And there
were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks
at night” they also got to spread the word about the birth of the Christ. Luke
2:17-18</span><b><sup><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></sup></b><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“When they had seen him, they spread the word
concerning what had been told them about this child,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said to them.” How awesome is
that?</span></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A Devotion
for week three</span></i></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Make several loaves of Buttermilk Cinnamon Bread and deliver them
to neighbors. Include a note with each
loaf sharing the good news like the shepherds did.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The forth week, the
Angle and Joy week, varies in length, depending on which day of the week
Christmas falls. That being said, angles
play a HUGE part in the Christmas season, from telling Mary, a virgin, that she
would conceive the Christ child, to announcing the birth to the shepherds. What joy both of those events are! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A devotion for week four<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Read Matthew 2:10, Luke
1:41, 46-67, 58; 2:10<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The point: Jesus intends for us to have fun and enjoy life,
especially at Christmas. We find
references to joy and rejoicing in the Christmas story…. Tonight we are going
to do something just for fun: play some
board games. First Scrabble, but our
words can be capitalized words, as long as they have to do with Christmas. Anytime we use a word having to do with
Christmas, the points earned for that word are doubled. (Adapt other games of your choice.)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> The last candle
we light on Christmas Eve is the Christ candle, along with that, every year for
as long as any one remembers is a little block wood wrapped in Christmas
paper. We read Matthew 2:11and talk
about how the wise men gave gifts to Jesus to express their love for Him –
God’s greatest Gift! After a great meal
of stew and cornbread,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> we open gifts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">This closes out our
Advent season for this year. We have
gained sweet, fun memories to carry us into next year. With this tradition, a family bond and a
deeper love for Christ, has been created that will last a lifetime<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Buttermilk Cinnamon Bread<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">(Makes eight 8”x3.75”x2.5” loaf pans)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">12 cups all purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">6 teaspoons baking soda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">3 teaspoons salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">1 ½ cups canola oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">6 ½ cups sugar, divided (put 4 ½ cups in dough and save 2 cups for
middle and topping)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">6 cups buttermilk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">6 eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">2 ½ tablespoons cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">4 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts or pecans, for garnish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">In a small bowl mix 2 cups sugar and cinnamon, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking
soda, and salt. In a smaller bowl
combine oil and 4 ½ cups sugar. Add
buttermilk and eggs; ix well. Stir into
dry ingredients just until moistened.
Spray pans with cooking spray.
Put 1 cup batter in each pan. Top
with 1/8 cup cinnamon/sugar mixture. Put
1 more cup of batter on top of that and sprinkle with another 1/8 cup
cinnamon/sugar mixture and sprinkle with nuts.
Bake 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Cool; then wrap with clear wrap and decorate as desired. Loaves may be frozen for giving later. </span></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6046943382932837145.post-59638250234752120532015-10-07T13:11:00.000-07:002015-10-07T13:11:25.259-07:00Growing up with an Outdoor Family<div class="Standard">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">*** This is what I was going to submit for the November issue of The Corridor but decided there is too much about me and not enough about food. So, instead of dumping it </span><span style="line-height: 32px;">completely</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"> I thought I'd put it here and see if anyone would enjoy it.*** **** Please note that it has not been to my "editor" so I'm sure it is atrocious, over look that and enjoy the random rambling stories of my childhood***</span></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Outdoor Family</b></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> Granddaughter of
Eugene and Susie Davenport, founders of Davenport’s Archery, the oldest hunting
store in Oklahoma, you would expect that I grew up in the outdoors, and you’d
be right. I spent summer vacations at
the lake with family and friends and fall breaks and Thanksgiving holidays were
spent hunting close to home or in deer camp with my dad. My high school graduation gift from my mom
and dad was an elk hunting trip to Colorado mountains. My 16<sup>th</sup> birthday I received my
lifetime hunting license and for graduation my very first hunting pistol was
given to me by my grandparents. I
remember a couple birthdays and Christmas’ where I would get a new hunting
rifle, hunting dog, or hunting clothes.
I was not the typical “girl”, I was most defiantly a daddy’s girl. Even now I call my daddy when I need help
hanging a tree stand or want to go fishing.
</span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Food just tastes better
when you’re enjoying it in the outdoors.
My family would mostly cook on a two burner Coleman stove out on a
picnic table although sometimes we’d have a small bon fire to roast hotdogs and
marshmallows and occasionally we’d light up the stove in the travel trailer and
do a little cooking, but that was saved for when the weather was cooler and
early morning coffee. Every morning
started with my dad heating water in a baby blue kettle that whistled when it
was hot enough for his instant coffee to dissolve. Dad does not function well until he gets that
first cup down, and it went in the boat with him or to the tree stand in an old
beat up silver thermos. He is the reason I have grown to love coffee,
although I do remember when I was too young to drink coffee, he would pack hot
chocolate for me to drink to warm up after a cold few hours in a tree stand or
if we remember to pack it, I would get my own little thermos to take to my
hunting blind with me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">My mom is a pretty good
cook and could make just about anything taste good. One of my favorite camping meals she would
serve was breakfast, crispy bacon, fried eggs, biscuits and jelly….Dad and I
would get up before the sun and go out fishing for a few hours and when we
would come back mom would almost always have breakfast started or done for us. You could smell the bacon frying before you
could see camp. We loved “whomp’m
biscuits” or canned biscuits, and it has to be the cheap ones. She would use a heavy cast iron skillet, a
requirement for all camp cooking, and smash them out flat like pancakes and fry
them until they were brown on both sides and serve them with butter and syrup
or grape jelly. She would also drop them
into a deep pan of cooking oil and fry them like a donut and again served with
butter and syrup or grape jelly. She
defiantly spoiled our family with good, fattening cooking! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">It was a treat when
several of the families would get together and share a meal at the lake. Not too long ago I went to Lake Texoma for a
night with my dad and grandparents and my grandma’s brothers and their wives,
things are a bit different now days.
When I was younger we had worn out travel trailers or slept in tents,
but now that everyone is older and a little more financially stable, things
have been stepped up. My grandparents
have a small but nice motor home while everyone else had fancy goose neck
travel trailers with really nice kitchen areas.
We were all camped next to each other and had spent the afternoon out
fishing for striper, I, of course, caught the biggest one, and harassed my
uncles about getting beat by a girl but it was all in fun. After we cleaned them and handed them off to
one of my aunts, the ladies of camp got busy cooking while the gentlemen took a
nap. When it all came together we had a
feast! Fried striper, hushpuppies, fried
potatoes, and Aunt Trish’s famous baked
beans, were just a few of the things offered up for the group of 9 hungry
outdoor adventurers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Yes, I mentioned
cleaning the fish. Something my dad
taught me when I was very young along with deer. If you’re going to kill it you’re going to
clean it. He cleaned my first deer for
me, when I was 10, to show me how and every deer after that I’ve had to do
myself, with his assistance of course. I
was not raised in a wealthy family and for the most part did not have the
advantage of taking our game to a processor.
It was always all hands on deck cutting and bagging our kill for the
freezer and venison was what we consumed the most of to save money on
groceries. Mom would take the back strap
or tender loin and bread it and fry it and serve it with mashed potatoes and
gravy or the ground venison would be turned into the chili or stew. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Britches Ryerson grew up
helping his dad process deer for folks around The Corridor area and has tons of
experience making the delightful treat we all know as summer sausage. Summer sausage is a type of sausage that can
usually be kept without refrigeration and in these parts it is usually made
with 100% ground venison and cured via smoking with a healthy dose of
seasonings. Ryerson said last winter
he made three thousand pounds of summer sausage out of venison for friends and
family. He is well now, especially in
the Prague area, for his summer sausage recipe and like most specialty foods,
he keeps a pretty tight lid on the recipe.
He has also been know to barter goods or labor for his summer
sausage! Deer jerky is another favorite
among hunters and their friends and family.
Thinly sliced venison seasoned or marinated and then dehydrated makes a
great treat that many kill for. When I
worked at Davenport’s Archery we had a customer from Sasakawa, Buddy Womack,
who made the best jerky you can imagine.
He would bring us each a zip lock bag and you better hide it because if
not it would disappear fast!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">My birthday is in June
and when I was younger my birthday as almost always spent at the lake or the
pond behind our house with tons of family.
We did not have money for elaborate celebrations or cakes but mom would
always pickup my favorite Pepperidge farm coconut cake and serve it. Occasionally my sister will get one for my
birthday now that I’m older, and when we sit down to eat it many birthday
memories rush to the surface. I would
not trade those family trips for the biggest birthday bash in history. The time spent riding bikes around the camp
grounds, hunting for that deer your family member shot and enjoying love and
laughter around the picnic table will forever be cherished.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Standard" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
Missy~http://www.blogger.com/profile/10665845169018209414noreply@blogger.com0