CAPITOLETTER

January 5, 2025

Capitol and Tie Creek have a new year, and things instantly changed. We’ve already gotten some moisture this year with about a foot of snow. Things instantly cooled down to about zero, and winter has really begun.

Alvin and Marlee Cordell went to the Christmas Eve Candle lighting service, at the Methodist Church in Camp Crook. Then on Christmas, all of their family was home for the day. Wade and Ashley Pearson and their family, and Jay Cordell came on Christmas Eve. Ryan and Tawni and their family came over on Christmas Day, and Marlee had a big Christmas dinner for them. Grandson, Cade Pearson, stayed out at the ranch for a week and helped with chores. Ashley came out again on Friday, and spent the night. Then, Ashley and Cade went home on Saturday. Last Sunday, Alvin and Marlee went over to visit at Terry and Laurie Goehring’s, for a soup supper. On New Year’s eve, Cade and Marlee saw the ball drop in Times Square on TV, to begin the new year.

Bruce and Lynn Gustafson went to the candle-lighting service at Little Missouri Church, on Christmas Eve. Then, later they had guests for Christmas Eve. Their guests were Matt and Janet DeBow, Dean, Mary and Rock Tarter, Linda Matthews, and Rod and Yvonne Yoder. Last Sunday, they went to church at the Lutheran Church in Ludlow, for the group parish service. They had gotten about six inches of snow.

Ronda Cordell had made a trip to Rapid City on December 15th, to stay over with Cristen and Jayda Westling, and go to an appointment the next day. Diane Wear and Joey Douglas had come to stay at the ranch and tend chores. Linda Hannah accompanied Ronda to the Little Missouri Church services and Christmas program earlier that day. Cristen and Jayda had gone to northern Colorado and brought back a two-month-old, full sister for Cudley. Sixteen-year-old Sophie hadn't been impressed with Cudley's play antics, so it proved to be a wonderful decision to have a playmate. Ronda took a pot of chili to the Camp Crook Community Cookoff. It proved to have been well worth it. Marlee Cordell was the overall winner. It was a wonderful evening for both youngsters and adults, with food, caroling, and other activities. On December 21st, Ronda’s Missouri family arrived. And on Sunday, Jake Reynolds came from the Lang Ranch to get Oren and Arlie Basler. Jake and Arlie helped Ronda decorate some cookies. Jamie and Konnor Basler helped finish the cookie decorating on Monday. Ronda’s whole clan came for supper and gift opening, on Christmas Eve. It included the families of Chad, Curt, Clint, Luke and Cristen. They all gathered again at Clint and Denise Zolnoski's for breakfast on Christmas morning. Then, Oren and Arlie were taken to meet their mom for Christmas at the Reynolds's Ranch. At Zolnoski's, the Secrest families and Hannah's joined the others for a late afternoon dinner on Christmas. This week, Ronda made a trip to Ekalaka to get sinus meds. The Basler's made a couple trips for parts in Belle Fourche and Miles City.

The Belle Fourche Vet Clinic came to bangs vaccinate the heifer calves after Christmas, and there was lots of help around. On Saturday, Luke, Jamie, Konnor and their three dogs headed for Missouri, and again, the quiet solitude takes a bit of getting used to.

Doug and Julia Davis spent Christmas at Alfreda Davis’s with all her family. Jake’s family was there, and Travis’s family came in the afternoon after visiting Amanda’s family in Montana. Everyone came out to the ranch for a few days visiting, but the flu visited the kids, too, while they were there. Travis’s family finally had to move back their flight home.

Rachel Melum brought Christmas supper to Junior and Shirley Melum’s. Ernie and Tommy and Karen Odell joined them in the wonderful supper. Afterward, Karen played piano and Rachel played violin for a Christmas eve concert. Junior and Shirley’s daughter, Andrea, came from Kansas City for a New Year’s visit. Rachel cooked again for a New Year’s Day dinner for the whole family. Saturday brought colder weather and snow. Shirley has been busy quilting this week, and now has some quilts ready for the quilter.

BJ Padden enlisted his mom and dad to help him work on their new house. The prediction of bad, cold weather made them hurry to get the huge area insulated. Dawn was busy insulating, and Bryce was busy outside getting pipes covered for the geo-thermal system before zero weather. On Christmas Eve, all of Bryce’s family gathered at Dorothy’s and Helen Stevens joined them, too. On Christmas Day, Bryce and Dawn went to her sister, Michelle Tooke’s, for a special T-shirt Christmas. It was a great fun time together. Wrestling started again on Monday, and they went to Buffalo for a huge boys’ tournament. The girls had their tournament after the New Year, and Brandon and Ashley went to Spearfish to coach the girls’ team. Brenton had earned a close second place, and this time, Kanyn also got second in her tournament, too.

Karen Odell enjoyed Christmas at home and talked and texted to all the kids and grandkids in the far reaches of the earth. It was a great day, and Santa had made it to her house, too. In the afternoon, Karen went down to Shirley and Junior Melum’s for a Christmas supper. Rachel made everything and brought it over to Shirley’s. The table was beautiful with Christmas tablecloth, napkins and decorations. The meal was beautiful, too, and tasted so good. After the supper, Karen played Christmas music on the piano, and Rachel played the songs on her violin. It seemed like a perfect Christmas evening, and we had a wonderful time. Karen made a trip to Buffalo on Tuesday, because the weather forecast predicted cold and snow, so she wanted to stock up in case of a blizzard. Karen didn’t stay up to see the New Year come in, but she watched the parade on New Year’s Day, and saw The Ohio State football game. She got to see the ‘best band in the land’, but you would think the announcers, (who had nothing to say that added even an iota to our own observations), would shut up and let us see and hear those two wonderful bands. She enjoyed the one minute they showed of each band, and the game was almost as good, too. She talked to a high school classmate, Bill Foulkes, in Ohio, and to her brother, Ron Evans. It is good to hear their voices and learn a little news from family back home. On Saturday, Karen began preparing the Capitol News books for 2023 and 2024. Her books begin with the year 2011, and are available on Amazon as paperback or ebook. Go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble and type in Karen Evans Odell. The snowstorm began on Saturday, so church services on Sunday were canceled. Karen went to the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, Georgia for church on YouTube. Chancey Odell called and soon came over to plow Karen’s road for her. It was good to have a visitor for a short time, and Hywel was especially happy to see someone new. His dog house outside was full of cats, and he hadn’t enjoyed their visit nearly as much as a visiting human. Murphy Hinds was taking skiing lessons and his family went skiing, too. Mollie Smith and Kyia were refinishing a lamp and authoring a story. Micki Odell, Jesse, Rowan and Murphy Hinds did their annual Polar Plunge into Puget Sound (Crazy), Cody and Kellan Odell went ice fishing, and Jeff and Amanda Odell were visiting family.

You know a person is content with himself, if he is able to observe the world without a phone in his hand.

Happy New Year to everyone.