CAPITOLETTER

November 27, 2023

Last week, Cody, Kellan and Carson Odell visited at Karen’s, so there was no time for her to write the news. She is hoping to catch up on what was missed, this week.

Dick and Erma Albert had a quiet week. They didn’t even get to the Hills for shopping. On Friday, they went to the Senior Citizen dinner, and Bobbie served delicious Salisbury steak. Father Brian had brought a friend to the dinner, too. They celebrated Eileen Westers’s birthday, and had wonderful chocolate cake. On Sunday, Dick and Erma went to the Catholic Church. At noon they joined in the pot luck lunch, and then there was Bible Study in the afternoon

Doug and Julia Davis had Thanksgiving dinner with Glen and Patty Tetrault, and family. Doug and Julia went to Buffalo to watch the especially exciting night of dodge ball at the benefit competition. No one knew quite what to expect at this first competition, but it turned out to be a fun night and everyone, even the audience, survived the peril of life-threatening throws. Wolffy’s Garage team came out on top as the winning team. Julia had caught the cold or flu that has been going around, and needed a day or two to recover. Doug Davis and Morgan Buck went to Latham’s on Saturday and Sunday, to help with shipping calves. Tammy White came down to visit Julia on Sunday, and helped her with some work.

Shirley Melum has been busy on a new project. She is making large patchwork Santa boots. The boots are large lined wool patchwork boots to be hung on mail boxes or large decorations and filled with gifts for Christmas. Her daughter, who owns a gift shop near Kansas City, sells many of Shirley’s designs. Junior and Shirley will soon be great-grandparents, when grandson, Dewey and his wife, have a new baby.

Dorothy Padden is holding off the cough and aching flu that has been going around. Maybe her years of immunity are helping her. The kids and Brandon had gotten it, but everyone was on the mend. On the Monday, before Thanksgiving, they had sold heifers at Belle Fourche Livestock, and Bryce, Dawn and Dorothy went down to watch the sale. Dawn had watched a Little Moreau Conference Junior High tournament on Facebook, that took place in Lemmon.\

On Monday, they sold dry cows. Bryce and Dawn made a trip to Miles City, on Tuesday, to search for a new Suburban, and trade in their old one. They found the one they wanted, but the increase in computer technology is becoming ridiculous. It would be nice to be able to just turn on the radio and crank down the windows when you want, without having to notify congress first. Bryce got his new power washer in Belle Fourche, and the new machine has cleaned every vehicle on the place, so that they can be easily identified. Bryce, Dawn and Dorothy went to Buffalo for their Junior High Wrestling Quad. There were more than four schools, but the teams were sparce enough so that most categories were filled by someone. On Thursday, the Junior High girls’ basketball teams played against Dupris, and Bryce, Dawn and Dorothy went back to town to see those games.

Ernie, Rachel and Tommy Melum had Thanksgiving dinner with church members at their church in Baker. Rachel and Tommy went to Baker, this Friday, for the craft day and gift exchange at their church. They made centerpieces as their craft, and everyone’s was original. They stayed overnight, so that Tommy could join the Youth Group on Saturday for a game night. Tommy spent the morning visiting a friend, and Rachel visited her sister at Waterland’s. The whole family went to church in Baker, on Sunday.

Karen Odell had a busy week, last week. Ernie and Tommy Melum came early in the week to put up some poles for Karen, and string electric wire to an outbuilding. Ernie then began removing old fence and a building that had fallen down. It was a relief to get the new water line to the corral, and actually know where that water leak was coming from. Cody, Kellan and Carson Odell came on Wednesday.

They all had hunting licenses, and Kellan got his deer the very first afternoon after they had arrived. Carson and Cody waited a couple of days to get theirs. It was Carson’s first year of hunting. Ernie and Tommy came back on Wednesday, and Cody, Kellan and Carson helped do lots of chores for Karen. They were busy doing chores that she had not gotten done on her own, and it is a relief to have so many things ready for winter. Cody and the boys got a supply of firewood in case Karen needs it. They all helped to get lots of outside work done and to prepare deer meat. Kylie had sent so much food, that Karen only had pies, turkey and Thanksgiving dinner to prepare.

On Saturday evening they invited Ernie, Rachel and Tommy to supper at Over The Edge. It was a delicious meal, and they even got to join in the birthday party for Hattie Cramer, who was home for Thanksgiving. Karen, Cody, Kellan and Carson went to the Methodist Church on Sunday. Karen played for the hymns and the Methodist Bishop was visiting pastor for the service and communion. This week, Ernie and Tommy came back to Karen’s on a couple of days to finish up with the heavy equipment and hauling. On Tuesday, Karen made a trip to Belle Fourche to get new shocks on her vehicle. She also got a battery for another vehicle and some groceries. The prices were extremely high. She got to visit with Lynette Donahey, before heading home. Next, Karen did some insulating work on the well, and even got a little mowing done. This Sunday, she went to church on YouTube in Marietta, Georgia, and then, she went over to visit with neighbor dogs, Murphy and Jenna.

You may think some people suffer from insanity, but it looks to me like they are enjoying every minute of it.