It was Scott's birthday yesterday and it was a wonderful day. Hunter was so excited to be able to share the whole day with his dad while the other two and I stayed home at the cabin and did some birthday preparations.
Poppa Joe flew in yesterday and Hunter and Scott headed north to Salt Lake City to pick him up. While they were gone, Katie, Ben and I baked a cake which Katie decorated (and Ben helped eat the frosting), cleaned the cabin and made several birthday decorations which included a giant 'Happy Birthday Dad' sign and numerous paper doll people that we strung along the mantle. The shadows of their paper legs were just dancing on the ceiling tonight while the fire roared. I think the paper dolls are here to stay.
All the kids painted their very best picture for Scott and I framed them. Katie painted an outdoor scene with a fox, several birds eating bird seed, a lovely sky and a bright shining sun. Ben painted three giant red flowers, a blue streaked sun and clouds. And Hunter painted the BEST buffalo you could imagine! Horns and all! Katie traced Hunter's hands and feet, cut them out and glued them together making a butterfly, another gift for dad. And Katie spent the better part of the day (and I felt like I did too) latch hooking a rug. It has two bunnies in a flower garden and she had the best intentions of finishing before he arrived back at the cabin with Poppa Joe. But we still have a lot of work to do on it.
Poppa Joe arrived safely and we enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner together and "trick" candles on the cake afterwards. Such great memories.
We lost 4 calves since the last time we blogged. So we talked about what life on a farm is like and what can happen. The kids stood by while Scott and the other Farmer Scott hauled the two dead calves over and loaded them into the truck. That needed to be done right away to defer any coyotes or cats coming around.
There was no real reason and we are perplexed as to the "why". However, today was good and all babies are well. Katie DID get her wish to give a calf a bottle. There was one that was not nursing from her mom so well so we had to supplement a little. Actually, that little calf sounds a lot like Katie did. Hunter helped too. It was new for both of them, but they each did great.
We snowmobiled up past the ranch. Scott and Poppa Joe went up to check a pond which gave the kids and I a chance to do some exploring. Katie spotted some coyote tracks and crawled along side of them for what seemed like a 1/4 mile. She called me over and we all began to follow. Along side those tracks appeared some rabbit tracks. And we soon approached the area where the rabbit tracks were no more. It was weird though because there was not a bone left, no blood, nothing but fur. Katie was saddened and said, "Poor bunny." and my response was "Everything needs to eat." She walked off down the road as though she was contemplating this.
I looked one last time down at the fur scattered around and there, in an imprint in the snow, was the rabbit tail! I reached down to grab it and stood up to find Katie standing beside me asking what I found. When I told her, that "circle of life" sadness was gone and she looked up at me with excitement in her eyes and asked if she could have the tail for her treasure box. It made me smile to think of her treasure box in ten years, completely forgotten about, shoved over her bed in the dark abyss of who knows what. And there within that treasure box will be these memories of her times here. That rabbit tail will help her recall this day and I wonder what she will say about it when she's much older. And I hope that those things that she (and her brothers) recall as their real treasures will be the experiences they have here. Right now, it looks like a rabbit tail, but in twenty years, it will look like a deep love and appreciation for what surrounds them, the excitement there along with wonder and to always believe in the 'magic' of the world.
We continued onward on the snow mobiles and there, right along the side of the road, were more coyote tracks, sometimes more than one! Then there would appear more rabbit tracks and then the tracks would disappear and a little ways on down the road just the coyote tracks would reappear. Katie was like a tracker! She was riding on the back of the snowmobile with Poppa Joe and she just kept pointing out tracks with the walking stick she acquired.
Scott and Hunter went back over to call coyotes while the rest of us stayed back at the cabin to cozy in by the fire. Poppa Joe fell fast asleep on the couch while Ben, Katie and I snuggled and read stories. Katie and I needle felted a little red pony for our puppet play we are planning for our show.
After Scott got back with Hunter, my dad and I went snow shoeing. We saw a ton of tracks...a bull elk, coyote, something that looked like a bobcat cat and some mystery tracks that I named "the one legged coyote." My dad said to me that he would not want to be in such a beautiful place with anyone but me and that made my heart sing.
I put Hunter to bed tonight and he drew pictures while I read to him. The picture he drew was of his dad, three coyotes, the sky, a happy sunshine......and a rifle. So, the day had an impact!
Scott and my dad are hanging out by the fire, talking, drinking scotch. Scott just ate a little something chocolatey and said, "Scotch and chocolate ~ there is nothing better." Just telling stories & laughing.
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