CAPITOLETTER

Indian Summer descended upon Tie Creek and Capitol, this week. There was a day or two of breezy weather, but the days were mostly mild and sunny.

Erma Albert had her last physical therapy appointment on Tuesday. She is now on her own. Keep up your exercises.

On Thursday, Dick and Erma went to Spearfish for shopping. They stopped at Subway, and brought home supper that lasted a couple of days. They had meatballs, with mashed potatoes and gravy at the Senior Citizen dinner, on Friday. It was Norm Westers’s birthday, so there was cake, too. Erma stayed to play cards in the afternoon. On Sunday, Dick and Erma went to church at the Catholic Church, and then went to lunch at Saloon Number Three, with the Erk and the Helms families.

Marlee Cordell made a trip to Belle Fourche on Monday, for her dentist appointment. The windshield of her car had been broken, so she stayed over ‘till Tuesday, so that she could get it repaired. Alvin spent time working on a new shed at Horton place from Monday through Wednesday, and Charlie Casteel helped him. Charlie is working for Ryan. Hunters came on Friday, for the season opening on Saturday. One got a cow elk, and his wife got her deer. Alvin went to Buffalo for more lumber on Thursday. On Saturday, Alvin and Marlee went in to Camp Crook to join in the 90th birthday party for Audrey Cordell. There was a big crowd, and they had lots of fun. The hunters invited them out to supper at the cabin, on Sunday evening.

Bruce and Lynn Gustafson were busy getting in their potatoes, before the cold weather sets in. On Saturday, they went to the Hills for some shopping, and on Sunday, they went to church at Little Missouri Lutheran. The church’s Ethnic Supper is scheduled for November 12.

Doug Davis took their Pyrenees pup to visit the vet in Belle Fourche, on Monday. Then Doug stopped to help his mother, before heading for home again. On Tuesday, he took butcher cows to Camp Crook. Julia went to Deadwood, on Friday and Saturday, for the South Dakota Women in Ag meetings. The presentations are always very interesting.

Junior and Shirley Melum had a busy week. Their hunter friends from western Montana, who are like family after coming for many years, brought their camper and visited. One boy had a deer tag and got his deer. Another boy had a turkey tag and got his turkey. They also got an antelope. Junior and Shirley’s daughter, Andrea, came on Friday from Manhattan, Montana. Andrea is a doctor, and still is a very busy person. She will leave for home on Monday.

Ernie, Tommy, and Rachel Melum had spent Thursday helping Karen Odell with her cattle. There were only a couple of exciting moments to report. Saturday was Shirley’s birthday, and Andrea had come to celebrate and do lots of cooking. By Sunday evening she had the refrigerator full, so that Shirley would have meals for many days ahead.

Dorothy Padden went with Bryce and Dawn Padden to the Volleyball games, on Monday. On Thursday, Dawn and Dorothy went to Buffalo for the football play-off game with Gregory. Dawn got to Karen Odell’s early on Friday, and drove her to the St Onge Livestock yards, to see Karen’s cows sell. Karen had done her crying the day before, when she watched the cows being loaded on the semi and trailers, so she didn’t embarrass Dawn with sentiment. It sure was wonderful to have her support, that day. It was interesting to hear about the Padden cattle round-up, too. Karen had already heard that Bryce was taking up bull riding again. It’s funny how news travels so fast, in the wide open spaces. Karen and Dawn always have descriptive stories to share. They decided they should write a Tie Creek book.

Karen Odell made a trip to Baker, on Tuesday, to get her driver’s license renewed. She stopped at the bank and the courthouse in Ekalaka, and got the oil changed in her vehicle at Fruits. The oil change was a pleasant experience, because Karen got a little nap in the recliner in Fruits, while the work was being done. She stopped at the Wagon Wheel to get a late lunch, and got to visit with a few people. Marion Kerr had been to the concert at Medora, with a group from Ekalaka, and she said the music was great.

On Thursday, Karen met Ernie, Rachel, and Tommy Melum at their corrals west of Capitol, where Bessie had helped them round up Karen’s cattle. It was sad to see the cattle loaded on Pete Tenold’s truck and head to town. Karen could only think of the many years that Charlie had worked with them and they were great looking cattle. Jeremy Richards was already there to inspect the cattle, and he was a big help to Karen. What a good place this is, with such wonderful and kind friends. Ernie headed out with the last load, so Karen didn’t even have to haul a load herself.

Karen’s calves sold on Friday, and Dawn Padden picked Karen up, and drove to St Onge for the sale. It was so good that Dawn was there to help her figure things out. After her calves sold, they stopped at the Stadium in Belle Fourche for lunch, before coming home. They had a great time telling stories on the way home, but met lots of trucks and trailers on the Norwegian Cut Off. Maybe it was sheep going to Newell. On Saturday, Karen went back to the sale again to see her cattle sold. The pricings were confusing, but it seemed that the market was good. At home, that afternoon, Karen got to watch grandson, Kellan Odell’s, last football game as a junior. It was a great game. Mitchell won, and Kellan had numerous tackles, made two interceptions, and one touchdown, for the Kernels, so his season ended on a high note.

On Sunday, Karen went to church on YouTube at the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, Georgia. She loves the whole service there, and a children’s choir was special, along with the adult choir, this week.

In the afternoon, Karen began putting together some bench gliders in memory of Charlie, for the Capitol Cemetery. They are all weather, and will be sort of heavy by the time she gets them together. Micki Odell, in Washington, and Amanda Odell, in Iowa, were decorating for Halloween. Kyia Smith, in Minnesota, had already decorated everything in sight, and was now decorating a tree stump. Mollie Smith was doing decorative art painting on a plate, and Cody Odell shared one of his art drawings, depicting Montana fighting California. Took Grandma a while to figure that one out.

The world can be changed much more by your example than by your opinion.