CAPITOLETTER

January 8, 2024

The storms are still holding off, at Capitol and on Tie Creek. There has been lots of fog and dustings of snow, but the fall has been mild. The cold weather is finally predicted.

Guests at Ronda Cordell’s on Christmas Eve included the Zolnoski’s families of Chad, Curt and Clint and Cristen and Jayda Westling. Chad’s family headed home that evening, to go to Denver on Christmas. Cristen and Jayda spent the night with Ronda. On Christmas morning, they went for breakfast at Clint and Denise’s, where Curt’s family and Gene and Kim Secrest had spent the night.

Ken and Becky Jesperson came on the 27th to install a new submersible pump in the well. Clint Zolnoski made a trip to Baker, to take a Can-Am, and also to pick up a returning machine from Riverside. Dr. Grosz came to Ronda’s, the next day to bangs vaccinate heifers. Curt, Caden and Carsen Zolnoski and Erik Berglund came from Rapid City to help with that job. The Rapid City crew stayed on throughout the week; helping with several other jobs while they were here.

It was nip and tuck for Ronda to get two cakes baked and decorated, especially when one birthday cake was to be for a surprise 50th birthday, and the person it was for, was in and around the house. The party was on New Years Eve at the Corner Bar in Camp Crook. It did end up a SURPRISE for Curt Zolnoski! Chad, Debby and Roudy came on Christmas Eve afternoon to get Razzle, who had spent the week with Ronda’s dogs. They attended the surprise party, and headed home on New Years Day. Krista Zolnoski and Theresa Burglund came from Rapid City, to joined their husbands for the party. Ronda ‘petered out’ on the party before ten o’clock, and she came home to lock chickens up, and was fast asleep before mid-night.

On Saturday, December 30th, Ronda went to Ekalaka for an 80th Birthday Party for Marion Kerr.

Curt, Krista, Caden and Carsen stopped in briefly on New Years Day, as they were heading home.

On Tuesday, Ronda took a picture of the sun coming up above the fog that covered from the Short Pines, nearly to her house. The sky was blue above the fog. On Wednesday, Ronda drove in to have Darla’s meal at Wolffy’s. She stopped by to drop off some late Christmas gifts at Janet Odell’s. The rime ice was heavy on the trees and grass. Ronda had seen fog in layers to the east for several days, but it never had gotten quite to the meadow at her place. The next day, the rime ice was even heavier, causing some ‘blink outs’ with the electrical power as it began to fall off. Ronda drove up to see Toney and Linda Hannah that day; taking in the postcard picture view of the heavy ice laden pines.

Ross Phelps has been doing some much-needed fix-it work this week at Ronda’s. She’s lived in that house since December 1982, so she feels she should expect some fixing to be needed.

Denise, Darby, Abby, and ‘Wienie’ were riding along with Clint on Sunday morning to help feed.

Dick and Erma Albert made a trip to the oral surgeon in Spearfish on Tuesday. Erma is happily looking forward to some oral surgery (well, maybe not happily). When they got there, they were told they would have to wait outside for an hour because the building would be closed during their lunch time, so they had to wait outside in the cold car. There was no Senior Citizen dinner this week, but on Sunday, they both went to church, and then had lunch at Saloon Number Three with the Erks and Father Brian.

Alvin and Marlee Cordell joined a few friends at the home of Terry and Laurie Goehring on the 28th. That Saturday, Marlee went to Belle Fourche to watch grandkids play basketball, and Alvin went to Ekalaka to join in Marion Kerr’s eightieth birthday party at the Events Center. On New Year’s Eve, they both joined in the surprise birthday party for Curt Zolnoski at the Corner Bar in Camp Crook. This week, Alvin has been replacing the corrals at the Horton place, after getting the new shed in place. Bobby Cordell came to help him on Wednesday and Saturday. On Sunday, Ryan Cordell shipped some calves.

Lynn Gustafson has spent some time in Alabama. Her mother had fallen and is recovering at Lynn’s brother’s house. With Lynn to help out, it is much easier for him to do the shopping and other chores. Bruce has been eating his own cooking, but since Lynn will be coming home in time for the cold weather, he may survive until then.

Travis, Amanda, Rory and Oliver Davis were home to visit at Doug and Julia Davis’s for Christmas Eve. On Christmas day, the family went to Alfreda’s for the day, in Belle Fourche. Travis’s family went to Lewistown, Montana to visit relatives there, and then flew home on the 3rd. Jake, Callie, Keaton and Kellan came out this weekend to help celebrate Doug’s birthday.

Junior and Shirley Melum have a new great-great grandson in Kansas City. Their grandson, Dewi and Patricia Molenda had son, Francis William Molenda. Dewi is the son of Bertha and Pete Molenda.

Bryce and Dawn Padden spent Monday, Tuesday and Sunday at BJ Padden, where they were helping him put up an new shop. George and Romela Heady came to visit at Padden’s on Thursday from Arizona. They may have to hurry home to be ahead of the predicted cold spell. They arrived early and helped Bryce do morning chores. Dorothy, Bryce and Dawn Padden, and George and Roma Heady went to Buffalo on Thursday, for the high school basketball games against Macintosh. Both the boys and the girls teams had games. On Friday, Bryce, George, Romela, and Dorothy went to Belle Fourche to meed Blake Olmsted at the Stadium, where they all had tips for dinner, and had a Christmas gift exchange. Dawn had stayed home to work on her sports photography. With some bad weather predicted to the south, the Heady’s decided to start back to Arizona on Saturday morning. They hoped to dodge storms on their way home.

Karen Odell made a business trip to Buffalo on Friday, and picked up some supplies. She did some work on a corral and did some painting. She finally got some research done for a future novel, and has arranged a schedule for her physical therapy. On New Year’s day, she talked to her brother Ron Evans in Ohio, and learned about her brother, Jim Evans, and nieces and nephews there. Her kids texted and sent pictures for the New Year. Micki Odell, Jesse, Rowan and Murphy accomplished their New Year’s Day dip in Puget Sound. They had just gone skiing a week before, and the two activities don’t seem to go together to make rational thought. Rowan was chosen for study in Nepal for a few weeks, and will earn high school credits for the trip, and Murphy got his blue belt in Karate. Karen got to see some of Murphy’s test on video. The two littlest team of boys did a really great job. Grandma thought their form was especially good, and they had very much earned their next belt award.

Ole went in to the hardware store and told Sven, “I need to buy some boards.” Sven asked, “How long do you want them?” Ole said, “Well, we are building a new house, and we will probably want them for about 50 years.”