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Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, even though we are a bit AFTER Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be nice to share a poem about love. A bit late, but still appropriate: author and date, unknown: “Love is a smile that warms the heart, a touch that says, “I care”. A glance across a crowded room that only two can share. “Love is walking hand in hand, whispered words and sighs. Seeing joy reflected in one another’s eyes. “Love is cherished memories, and sweet dreams coming true. Love is what you’re being wished today a...
I just cannot resist helpful hints (now known as hacks) or tips on how to remove every stain known to man or cure anything from warts to arthritis with a home remedy. Sometimes though, I have to question the effectiveness and efficiency of the remedies and helpful hints. I have actually had less than miraculous results with many of those tips. A tomato juice bath is supposed to be the cure-all for skunk spray. Do you know how much a tomato juice bath for a small boy costs? It was $92.00 cheaper and much less stressful just...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, February reminds us of Love! Valentine’s Day might be printed in red on some calendars, but there are dozens of names that may fill out the rest of the dates on many friends’ calendars. Chuckle along with me, Lord, as we look around, ‘seeing’ love being expressed almost anywhere. In Church, a young couple stood close together, having their arm around their spouse’s waist. That was special to see — but they were not the only ones doing that. Then, a little girl was hugging her D...
One of the few good things about winter on the ranch is that you can wear coveralls. They are called “coveralls’’ because they hide a multitude of sins like Christmas cookies, fudge, eggnog, and winter comfort foods. You can wear your sweatpants under your coveralls and believe that you are hiding those winter pounds until the day of reckoning comes. When you see a robin and you can smell spring in the air, you realize it is time to struggle into your jeans, because you would look just plain ridiculous running around in co...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: What do ‘we’ see when we look up? In January, SNOW? Moisture is needed, that’s for sure, ‘Twould help Spring grass to grow. As Winter ends, there’s sleet and haze, sometimes that too shows up. But it’s still cold most everywhere – we need warm cover-ups! Days lengthen and we view the stars; like the awesome Milky Way! And ‘sailing’ in the night time clouds, there’s Venus, miles away. Soon geese will pass, some fly up high; somewhere up North they go. It’s cool to watch them change ‘pilots’; their...
I heard on the radio the other day that children get their intelligence from their mothers. That might explain what has happened to my brain. Perhaps I drained part of it for the first child and the rest for the second. I can almost buy that theory--except for the fact that I have another theory that makes more sense to me: Susan's Full Brain Theory. I believe my brain is like a computer that has no memory left. My brain is full, and my folders cannot be compacted. In fact, my brain is so full that according to the bathroom...
submitted by Carter County Chamber of Commerce After discussions about seemingly perennial fire concerns and the core mission of the organization, the Carter County Chamber of Commerce voted at its December 2021 meeting to discontinue its practice of facilitating fireworks displays. The Chamber will continue to support and organize those activities which follow its mission to “develop, aid, encourage and promote projects for the entire county in order to expand business and industry for the entire area.” The Community Yar...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, what fun to dine with tiny tots: [not their real names], Ida, 18 months old and big brother, Evan, age 4, and their grandparents. Both tots are so cute and well mannered, fresh from heaven, curious, just learning their way around the World. Ida is learning to talk. One can only imagine what this bright eyed, puppy-tailed tot will be when she’s two! Ida was more interested in the folks around her than in eating, even when grandma tempted her with a tasty bite: “Open wide - here it co...
Out here in the western agricultural world, there has never really been a need for the women's movement. Women have pitched in to make farms and ranches work since before barbed wire, and they didn't have to burn undergarments to gain respect. Respect came with hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. In fact, as it turns out history has proven that sometimes the best man for the job was a woman such as the legend of Charley Parkhurst. The Western stagecoach companies were big business in the latter half of the 19th century. In...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, humor is everywhere. We can look at health, exercise and even Alzheimer’s, - which, we’re told, that even dogs can get! One way to slow Alzheimer’s, is to go for a walk – with your dog. Fresh air and exercise help the walker as well as the dog. No wonder neighbors are out there, walking their dogs. They probably read that, too, and want to keep their pets AND themselves healthy. Friends had some deer that ‘visited’ their place. Neighbor kids got together and chatted about the dee...
After watching four seasons of "Yellowstone", we have come to the realization that we have been ranching all wrong for our entire lives. . . or else maybe the show is not quite as authentic as co-writer Taylor Sheridan thinks it is. He is quoted as saying, "The challenge to this world is...it's not a terribly difficult plot. But if you didn't grow up with cowboys and in this world, and you don't know this world, it's a really hard world to write because you're going to fall back on the clichés of that world. People tune in...
We are excited to share some news and opportunity for parents of students in grades K-12 at Ekalaka Public Schools. Dental Appointments—ugh. It can be hard to take care of getting this done for your kiddos even though it’s just once or twice a year. Whether its work, the ranch, school stuff, or everything in between called ‘life’ that seems to get in the way. Well, we have a solution! And for this solution to work it needs you – parents. Carter County Public Health has partnered with Ekalaka Public Schools and Smiles Ac...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, we’re into a New Year, a clean month, a bright new day. Thank You, Lord. William A. Quayle, in his book “God’s Calendar,” has some fascinating musings about months. Some for January are: “The Calendar is God’s invention. The matter-of-fact Romans took hold of the almanac and called the months by the names which thereafter God’s months were to wear. God should have named the months – He is so much the Poet; or at least the Greeks, because Poetry and they were friends. Nonetheless, Janu...
As I get older, it becomes harder and harder to find a winter sport that I can participate in, because I don't dare risk my knees, hips, skull, etc. So when our friends, Keith and Holly Williams from Virginia, suggested a snowmobile outing, it sounded fun and harmless. We met them in Jackson, Wyoming and headed out for a three day ride through Yellowstone Park, and then one final day in the Grand Tetons along the Continental Divide. Even though it was 17 below at Flagg Ranch the first morning and 20 below the second morning i...
This morning we woke up to several inches of snow and below zero temperatures. As I drank my coffee, I perused the posts of my Facebook friends who live in Arizona. A couple of them invited me to come down to stay with them, but I doubt if they mean from Thanksgiving till Easter. As is customary on the first day of nasty weather every year, I announced that I was going to do some quick research on becoming an instant Snowbird. My husband who was struggling into his Carhartts at the time said, "Well, just do a better job...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, New Years can be like a fresh start! Our Mom delighted in opening up a new Diary/Journal which she faithfully kept until You called her home. We were also delighted in looking at the bright new calendars, checking photos and artwork; checking days to see which day of the week anniversaries and birthdays of family and friends fall on. All too soon the neatly arranged rows of squares are filled with various appointments, or as one gal said, ‘filled with the living of our days.’ The whol...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, a New Year has dawned; we’ve already flicked the calendar to the New Year, so now we come face to face with the fact that our days on earth are numbered. As we turn to this clean, fresh, new page on the calendar we’ve become aware that we have a new day, a new year, in our lives. It is up to us to fill in those pages. Please help us to choose wisely, Lord, let us forget about the past and begin to look forward to what You have in store for us. Your Word is full of promises for us, a...
Would you like to end your year or start the new one by getting your FLU or COVID vaccine including Booster? We have appointments available Tuesday, December 28th. Please call us at 406-775-6332 to reserved your spot. This holiday season is unlike any other, to cap off a year unlike any other. Throughout the season, and as we move into a new year, we wish you moments of peace, connections with family and friends, and wonderful glimpses of joy. From All of Us in Public Health, Merry Christmas Carter County! Trish, Kirstie,...
4 and 2021 have not been easy years for anyone, but especially not for Santa Claus. I wrote this poem to underscore that despite the state of our country and our world, we can still celebrate good and love and joy and remember that Jesus is the reason for the season! Merry Christmas, everyone! Santa’s Woe, Ho, Ho —by Susan Metcalf Christmas 2020 and 2021 have not been easy on the normally jolly Santa Claus. His world has been rocked by vaccination mandates and social distancing laws. Kids cannot come sit on Santa’s lap c...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: Lord, just sharing: author and date, unknown. “Our Inn was at the edge of town – we heard the noisy throng move down, and as they came, I saw Pa frown. We heard a tired ‘Hello!’ call; a woman on a donkey small, the man adjusted her wool shawl. ‘We’ve traveled many miles this day; do you have a room for us to stay? All Inns are full on this Tax Day.’ “My Papa looked so sad at him. ‘We have no room and day grows dim.’’ The man turned away with a look so grim. The woman – not a girl! – did sigh, it so...
Four years ago in January, I embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Being mayor of Ekalaka taught me a few things. Of course, the number one thing is that you cannot do a job like that without the amazing support of your clerk, employees and council. Let’s face it, they are the glue. They were hired to do a job. They are elected because people in the community have faith that they will act on their behalf and do what is best for the Town of Ekalaka. I trust them. I learned t...
The poem I want to share this week was written by Chuck Rein, who ranches with his wife Pam on one of the most beautiful outfits on the planet in the shadow of the Crazy Mountains west of Melville, Montana. Chuck wrote this poem several years ago about riding colts with his son Charlie. He shared it at the Crazy Mountain Stockgrowers/Sweet Grass County Wool Growers Banquet several years back. This poem just says it all about those of us who are fortunate enough to call ourselves fourth or fifth or even sixth generations on...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, mending day happens; there are socks, shirts, jeans, you name it and it probably needs mending. Besides clothing, there is upholstery, fences, relationships, and even broken hearts to mend. Mending clothing isn’t all that complicated but on mending day, aren’t we ever so thankful that You did not give us a ‘dozen’ children. We’re thankful and grateful for the three girls (or are there five girls now?) who sort of call us substitute parents even though they were nearly all grown up by...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, it’s been quite some years ago, but turning the calendar page was a reminder of that special time we traveled with a tour group to Sydney, Australia – it was winter up North where we started but they were coming into summer down South. Crossing the International Date Line is unique: skipping a day and going down and having two Thursdays coming back. Temperatures there were around 80`, flowers blooming and the beach teaming with folks in all sorts of attire (or ‘none at all’ since it...
Fall is that time of year when neighbors help neighbors with gathering, shipping, weaning, and preg testing. It is a concept right out of a Hallmark card... as long as it is a nice, balmy autumn day. However, when the weatherman plays a cruel joke and the thermometer dips below zero and everything is frozen solid on the morning of the gathering, it is either true friends or non creative friends who couldn't craft an excuse to show up to ride! I am not sure which category we fell under several years back when we found...
