CAPITOLETTER

The rains that were predicted for Capitol and Tie Creek, didn’t produce much moisture this week. There has been fog, early on some days, so the moisture may come in January.

Erma Albert went to physical therapy and to the chiropractor this week, so she is in great shape now. On Thursday, she and Dick went to Belle Fourche for some shopping, and Dick also got a haircut. They both went to the Senior Citizen dinner on Friday. On the way home, Erma stopped at the church to light a candle. They went back to the church on Sunday, for mass. Then, they had lunch at Saloon Number Three with Jim Erk.

Pete Anderson went to church, at the Methodist Church in Camp Crook, on Sunday. Lynn Gustafson and Linda Matthews made a trip to Bowman for hair appointments on Tuesday. Lynn and Jane Teigen went to Ladner for the Ladner Church Dinner and Bazaar on Sunday. There was a large crowd there for the dinner.

Ryan and Tawni Cordell’s family spent Sunday vaccinating cattle. Alvin and Marlee had hunters, who stayed until Wednesday. One had a bull elk tag, and his hunt was successful. Terry Cordell came out to help Alvin on Thursday. They are getting ready to build a shed at the Horton place. It seems that carpenters are in demand and very busy, especially in the Hills. On Saturday, Alvin and Marlee went to Belle Fourche for another 70th birthday party, for one of Alvin’s classmates from high school. Kynlee Cordell had another basketball game in Belle Fourche on Saturday, too. Alvin and Marlee went to Ladner, on Sunday, for the church bazaar and dinner.

Doug and Julia Davis had a special family supper at Jake’s, on Monday, with Jake’s family, Travis’s family, and Alfreda. Doug and Julia Davis had really enjoyed having Travis’s family visit. They flew back to Alabama on Wednesday. Sarah had picked up Travis’s car from the airport, so Doug went down to get the car, and on the way home picked up Keaton and Kellan to help him back at the ranch. The boys had to leave on Sunday, so they could attend their first communion at church. That afternoon, Doug and Julia made a trip to Ekalaka to pick up a post pounder from Kerr’s, and so that they both could get haircuts.

Clint and Abby Zolnoski stopped by at Ronda Cordell, Tuesday morning, before they drove up towards Baker for a farm auction. Ronda made a trip to Buffalo on Wednesday, and enjoyed lunch at Blossoms ‘n’ Brew. She took advantage of a couple of the warmer days, to replace the boards around the bottom of the chicken coupe. One evening when she had gone to get eggs, Smiley, the dog kept sniffing in a few openings big enough for a skunk or a coon to get in and hide underneath it. Unless they do some extensive digging, they won’t be getting under it now. After she finished that job, Ronda set a live catch trap, and caught one huge coon. Mr. Coon ruined the trap, so she won’t be using it again.

Diane Wear came from Ekalaka, after work on Thursday, and stayed overnight. Early on Friday, she went to Spearfish to meet her son, RJ Douglas and wife, for brunch. They had come from Florida for a wedding in the Black Hills. Diane stopped back by Ronda’s to get Aurea, her St Bernard, who’d spent the day at the ranch. Ronda watched her sister, Bev’s, funeral video on Saturday morning. It was held October 10th in Minneapolis. Technology does have its benefits when it works. Then, on Sunday, Ronda drove to the Ladner Church Bazaar and Auction. As always, there was delicious food, a large attendance and a super, beautiful day.

Junior and Shirley Melum were glad to have visitors on Sunday. Shirley had made peanut butter cookies, and was glad to share them with Ernie, Rachel and Tommy, who stopped by that evening, for a visit. Junior and Shirley had taken care of the dogs while Ernie, Rachel and Tommy had gone to Baker for church.

Bryce and Dawn Padden had antelope hunters visit and stay with them this week. On Tuesday, Bryce, Dawn, and Dorothy went to Ekalaka to see the volleyball games between Ekalaka and Buffalo. On Thursday, the three went to Buffalo to see junior high and high school volleyball against Macintosh. Bryce and Dawn moved cows, second-thing on Sunday. It was almost early enough to be first-thing, but not quite.

Karen and Hywel Odell made a couple of trips to Camp Crook, this week. Jack Ovitz stopped by to do some electrical work, and joined Karen for Welsh cakes and coffee. Later in the week, the Ryerson’s stopped by for a visit, and on Sunday, Tyler and Tate Wolfe came out from town to get Karen’s mower running. It had been a great week for the Odell’s, because Kellan earned Mitchell football player of the week from the Mitchell radio station, Kenna finished artwork on a beautiful dream catcher for her art class, and Carson was proclaimed runner of the week for his personal best cross-country run. Jeff and Amanda visited Mollie and JD Smith’s in Minnesota. Micki took a Montessori middle school group of kids on a camping excursion on an island in Puget Sound, and Karen got a deicer installed in a water tank before winter sets in.

Karen went to the Methodist Church services on Sunday. Sam Cordell gave the sermon about the rock, Ebeneezer. Lynette Wolfe was in charge of the children’s sermon, and Karen Odell played piano for the hymns. The Wolfe boys were ushers and bell ringers.

One day was a bit breezy, and there were a couple of freezes during the night, this week, but still the days have warmed up until it is just comfortable to work outside.

It takes more skill than words can tell, to play the second fiddle well.