CAPITOLETTER

January 19, 2025

We have had some snow at Capitol and on Tie Creek this week, but we also have had some hours of thawing. Things turned frigid on Saturday. Then on Sunday the temperature stayed below zero. Everyone is feeding more hay to fight the cold weather.

Dick and Erma Albert both had doctor's appointments in the Hills, on Tuesday. The roads were good, but it began to snow by the time they were to Belle Fourche. At Spearfish there were more snow flurries, so they hurried to get a few supplies and come on home. Their doctor had allowed them to get blood-work done in Buffalo on Wednesday, rather than stay longer in Spearfish. They both went to the Senior Center, for the Friday Senior Dinner. This week, there was chili and lots of other sides. Erma stayed to play cards. It was a cold day, and Erma didn't even win at cards. On Sunday, the both went to church at the Catholic Church in Buffalo. Then, they had lunch at Saloon Number Three with Father Brian.

Alvin and Marlee Cordell had a hunter friend from Watertown come for a visit, this week. He had come out to get a deer and an elk mount, that Eric Loken had prepared for him after hunting season. Alvin has been busy with feeding until about noon, each day. It takes lots of hay when the weather turns this cold. On Saturday, Marlee went to Buffalo to meet Ashley Pearson. They went on, together, to Bowman to watch basketball games. Rhys and Gavin Pearson were both playing for Belle Fourche at the games. It was thirty below zero, when Alvin looked, early on Sunday morning. Services at the Methodist Church in Camp Crook were canceled for the day, so they stayed home and watched some football on TV.

Bruce and Lynn Gustafson had not left home, this week. The church service at Little Missouri was canceled on Sunday, and it seems the weather is keeping everyone inside, at home.

Doug and Julia Davis bangs vaccinated on Wednesday, and Vet Myers came out from the Belle Vet Clinic. Then the vet went on over to George Davis's, while Doug ventured out to a dentist appointment in Belle Fourche.

Junior and Shirley Melum have been staying in out of the cold. Ernie and Rachel keep an eye on them regularly. The only feeding they have is to feed the outdoor cats, so they stay in and stay warm.

Dorothy Padden rode with Dawn to Ekalaka, on Thursday. It turned out to be the best day of the week. The roads were good, and the weather was beautiful, so it was a good day for Dorothy to get a haircut and pick up some groceries. Dawn and Bryce have been busy each day, with feeding. All of the sports events were away, this week, so Dawn didn't even get her camera out. The girls basketball team were invited to a tournament at the Corn Palace, where they won their game. The wrestlers were at Gettysburg, where Kanyn Padden placed second.

Karen Odell kept close to home this week. On Thursday, the weather was better and she got in to Wolffy's to get some groceries, and mail a letter. Hywel was glad to get out and explore that day, too.

On Saturday, Karen got to watch Carson Odell in four wrestling matches in Mitchell. It was his birthday, and those matches turned out to be a good birthday present. Carson will be in high school next year, and maybe Karen will get to see his sports competitions more often, then. Next, she got to watch Kyia Smith in volleyball matches in Minnesota. Kyia is younger and is on a club team. Karen got to watch on a local middle school club team website, and Kyia did very well. By Sunday, the temperature stayed below zero all day long. There was no church service at the Methodist Church in Camp Crook, so Karen went to church at the First Presbyterian Church in Marietta, Georgia on YouTube. It was even cold down there, and across the east and south, while Murphy Hinds was learning skiing in Washington. In Iowa, Amanda Odell stayed in out of the cold to put a puzzle together. It was a good day for reading, puzzles and music.

Learning the power of persuasion is easiest if you set it to music.