I'm Sad

Mom, my cousin and his wife left this morning headed for Yellowstone Park. They will then make their way toward Bend, Oregon to visit friends. Then it is on to California to visit family and back to Arkansas.

Thursday Mom and I went to Billings to pick Buddy and Linda up at the airport and managed to get in a little shopping and eating. People around here think I speak Southern--they hadn't heard anything until Buddy and Linda got here. Buddy is Michael's age and is just a good old Southern boy!

On Friday Michael headed up the Boulder to start the process of installing a septic system and the rest of us decided to drive up and see where he was working with a stop at Natural Bridge. Lunch at the Grand in Big Timber followed by naps for everyone but Mom and me finished up our afternoon. While Buddy and Linda were napping (they blamed their tiredness on the altitude), I worked with the quilting machine again.

In the evening Buddy and I drove over to Lonn and LoraLee's and Lonn was gracious enough to take us over on the back side of the ranch to see if we could spot any elk. Oh my!!! There were over a hundred head and Lonn counted 17 bulls in the herd. The bulls were constantly bugling--it was a spectacular show!

Jazzy dog has been reduced to walking on a portion of the ranch attached to a leash. When I took her for a walk Friday morning, she chased a herd of deer again. I called and walked and couldn't find her--I heard a truck coming up our driveway--it was our neighbor, Carolyn and she had found Jazz way over on their place at their calving barn! Carolyn also told me that they had spotted 6 wolves near their house that morning. So, rather than be wolf bait, Jazz gets to walk on a leash until she learns what the word "no" means when it comes to chasing deer.

While Michael and I love our solitude, I miss my family and I have been so sad all day because Mom has gone. She will be 72 in November and her health has not been good the last few years. We will be going to Arkansas for Christmas this year so I will get to see everybody.