Life on the Ranch

Life on the Ranch
In 45 heart-warming devotions, Drusilla Dye illustrates God's lessons in everyday ranch adventures, inspiring readers with her series Life on the Ranch: Life Lessons I Learned on the Ranch. To purchase a book, please send $12.95 plus $2.50 for postage to Drusilla Dye, 81 Finger Buttes Trail, Alzada, MT 59311 The book may be purchased for your Kindle at Amazon.com

Thursday, December 30, 2010

2010 Comes to an End

As I sit at our computer, looking out the window at a beautiful white day--a day of snow on the ground, snow coming down and blowing snow--- I thought I would write my last Life on the Ranch for 2010.


I had a dentist appointment scheduled for today, but after looking at the weather forecast I decided to move it to Tuesday. Thankfully, there was an opening and my teeth are now perfectly cleaned for another six months.

Although there isn't much snow coming down at the moment, the wind is causing drifts across our driveway. It definitely is a perfect day to take a nap and enjoy the peace and quiet of ranch life. I went down stairs to harass Chip, only to find him asleep with Jake sleeping on the floor beside him. I think that I will follow their example.

Want to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I am looking forward to what 2011 holds for us.

Monday, December 27, 2010

December 27, 2010

I was writing "Life on the Ranch" last night when the whole house went dark. We found our battery operated lamps and went on with life. Poor Jake did not like the darkness. He was always with us and it was the first time in a very long time that he slept in our bedroom. We looked out the windows and could see the beautiful stars and a glow to the south. Chip said that the glow was from Gillette! I was so thankful to see lights from somewhere lighting up the sky and making my life a little brighter. Nice to have it come from the new hometown of my niece and her husband.


It has been almost a week since I came home for Christmas vacation. A lot has happened in that time.

We spent Wednesday and Thursday running to Ekalaka and Belle Fourche. Chip's birthday/Christmas present for the next five years is a 3/4 ton, two door, four-wheel drive, standard transmission, Silverado with 36,000 miles on it. Since it was the last year that the stick shift was made and when we inquired about a 3/4 ton, it had just been traded in, we saw God's perfect timing once again. I did tell Chip that it will probably be the last stick shift we will be able to buy, so in about ten years we should think about retirement. We did need a "new" 3/4 ton so we can get the livestock to town. New Blue, which is 11 years old now is getting very old with over 300,000 miles on it.

I convinced Chip that my Christmas present was the Tempur Pedic bed we bought back in May. It is a wonderful mattress to sleep on for a person with back problems.

We spent Christmas Day with my brother's family. So much fun to visit, eat and laugh. We had a great time. They always allow us to bring Jake. Jake loves playing with Scout and Jabez. Chip did mention that there is a little tension between Jake and Jabez. So when Jake yipped and barked angrily at Jabez, Chip put Jake in "time out!" I laughed and said, "You what!" "I made Jake come sit beside me for awhile."

We spent Sunday in Belle Fourche going to church and then making a quick stop at Pamida for after Christmas sales. Plan was to be home by 1:30---until Chip met some friends that had moved up north. They talked for over an hour. I finally came along and opened a can of popcorn--thought we should make it into a party.

We have had some beautiful frosty days--so frosty that the power lines were stretched to their limit and we were without power for several hours last night. They came on a couple of times---just enough to let me know that the S.E. Electric line men were trying to do their jobs.

Time to wish you all a Happy New Year!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

This has been a very exciting week. Actually, I can't believe everything happened in only one week's time.

Monday started out as a very snowy day. The Colstrip teachers were late due to about a foot of snow. The rest of us held down the fort until they could arrive.

Tuesday, I mailed out about 30 books to fill my preorders. The post office lady was getting a little skeptical so on Wednesday, I brought a book along to show her that I really was mailing books and that I was legit.

Thursday was a bad day, I was tired and quite emotional. I did make it through the day and came home to the ranch to find out that The Black was dead! (The Black is a longhorn steer that we have had for about 8 years.) Although, we have never really trusted him and always kept a watchful eye on him, it was like losing a piece of the ranch to know that he would no longer roam the fields.

I didn't sleep well Thursday night. (I need to stay off of pop.) So with lack of sleep, I was again emotional on Friday. We stopped at Hersruds where I sold one book, (we have paid for that book many times over the last 11 years.) then we headed to Black Hills Optical where Chip got his glasses and I had mine straightened. (That lasted until we got back home and the screendoor blew back and hit them.)

I haven't been able to place my books at Lynn's Dakota Mart yet as the manager was at a funeral all afternoon. There is a boxful of books setting at A and A Stieg's in Ekalaka, MT.

I just got back from trying to read the electric meter over at Carl's ranch. When I saw that the tracks stopped about 100 feet into the driveway, I decided it would take a braver soul than me to try it at 4:00 P.M. An educated guess might work just as well this time.

Next week will be spent processing The Black. He is one big piece of meat! Saturday, I will be at the flea market in Belle Fourche, primarily selling my book, Pat Anderson's book, Tears in the Bug Juice, and also a bunch of brand new Christmas stuff. For those of you who are into Matchbox cars, I will be selling them for a church in Florida.

So with that I will start wishing you a wonderful Christmas.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

They Have Arrived

The books have finally arrived.  They came to the front office of the school where I picked them up and put them on a cart.  I then took them to my classroom until school was finished and I then picked them up and wheeled them to my car.  From the car, I put them in the house.  Each box weighs 37 pounds.  After so many of them, I was starting to get tired.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Skunk

I am sitting at our computer at the ranch. The sun is beginning to shine, but the temperature is below zero and the winds are somewhere between 20 and 30 mph. Chip brought the sheep in last night. As I looked out the window this morning, I saw one ewe on the other side of the gate. She was an old one that didn't travel as fast as the others. I felt sorry for her and went outside to let her in. In less than five minutes, my face was freezing cold. Hopefully, the temps will be better for Thanksgiving day.

Last weekend when I wrote Life on the Ranch, I knew that there was one more exciting thing to write about. As I think of it now, I cannot imagine how I could forget about it. We have a taxidermist from MN that comes out to the ranch for little get aways. After my nephew had shot a pile of skunks, I thought that it would be neat to tan one. Larry said that he will shoot them, but he won't tan them. This year for my birthday, I received a package from MN and in it was---------a skunk hide. I think that they only cost $20 to buy, so it is easier to buy the hide than tan it. Mr. skunk will be hanging in the "bunkhouse" along with all the other hides.

We will spend a quiet day at home today with the hopes of spending Thanksgiving with my brother's family.

Although my books are setting in Billings waiting for delivery, I did receive a book by UPS yesterday. The cover looks much better than the preflight and I am totally impressed and thankful. There is one mistake in the book, which Bookmasters did point out to me before they would finish the publication of the book. After reviewing the error and reviewing the cost to fix the error, I opted to let it go and consider it my "hail damage." (Whenever I get a new vehicle, I watch the weather to try to stay out of the hail. Once a vehicle gets hit with hail, I don't worry about it anymore.) Soooo, I know there is one mistake in the book--a minor mistake--, so if someone finds another one, "the hail damage has already been done." (Since I didn't mention the page number, no one will know which one is that mistake.) :)

Once again, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and I pray that you get to spend it with family. I am so thankful for the family the Lord gave to me. I had parents who loved me and prayed for me. I have a terrific husband who is kind and patient. I have wonderful siblings who married great spouses and gave me some fantastic nieces and nephews. They in turn have done the same and have given me some spectacular Great nieces and nephews.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Happy Birthday

This has been a very long week for me. On November 16th, I celebrated what I thought was my 57th birthday only to find out that it was my 56th one. I know, I know! I should have been happy to realize that I wasn’t as old as I thought, but it does mean that I have one more year to work before I can retire. I was hoping to get through my birthday without any snow in my life. Hmmm! That is the day that we had rain and snow all day and the weather forecast wasn’t good for most of the week.
The good news that I received on my birthday or an exciting Birthday Present was a phone call from the publishing company that my book is finished and was scheduled to leave their dock last Thursday. I have not heard if that actually happened. I could have the books within the next nine days. At this point the following businesses have agreed to sell the book in their store. A & A Stieg, Ekalaka, MT, Lynn’s DakotaMart, Belle Fourche, S.D. and The Corner Store in Broadus, MT. Or anyone wishing to purchase Life on the Ranch: Life Lessons I Learned on the Ranch may send me a note addressed to Drusilla Dye, 81 Finger Buttes Trail, Alzada, MT 59311. The cost of the book is $12.95 plus $2.50 for shipping.

We were going to butcher a steer this week, but when the forecast was for low temperatures, we decided that would not be a good idea. Once the meat froze, it wouldn’t age and it would take days to thaw it out in the house so that we could cut it up. The steer lives on for a while longer.

Today has been a very windy day on the ranch, which makes it feel a lot like winter. I am not adjusting real well. One day, I was wearing a light coat and the sun was shining and the next day was very cold and I had to dig out my heavy coat. For a person who used to say that fall was her favorite season, she has really changed her mind. Too many cloudy days make me depressed.

Chip and I went to Ekalaka today for the annual Christmas Bazaar. We saw a lot of neat things and lots of friends. I even won a walking stick. Is that part of becoming older?

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Getting Older

This past week made me think that I was getting older. Even though I dyed my hair a dark color (It is finally beginning to look almost normal.), the fact that I was covering the gray was quite evident. I had a couple of gray moments!


Tuesday morning I was getting ready for work, when I realized that my house key was missing. If that was missing, then my school keys were gone as well. I thought that I had left them at school until I realized that I wouldn't have been able to get into the house without them. After checking several times around the house, and praying for help, I realized that I had left them in the door all night. So much for locking the doors! Then on Friday, I couldn't find my car keys. I checked coat pockets, looked on the dresser and everywhere. I was starting to panic as I wanted to go to the ranch after school. I peeked in the car and didn't see them. I finally pulled out all the keys in my purse. I carry an extra set of keys for each vehicle after the time in Rapid City when I flushed a set down the toilet. The key wouldn't open the driver's side, but it would open the passenger side. I found my set of keys between the seat and the door. I usually clip them onto my belt loop. I guess I didn't quite have it clipped right.

So after having a week of feeling older, this week it will actually happen. The good news is that it puts me one year closer to retirement. Can't believe I said that word!

The ranch got hit with a big blizzard this past week. We received somewhere between 9 inches and a foot. After nine inches, a few more doesn't make much difference.

I drove home in the dark Friday night and decided that I didn't like doing that. One car was passing a semi and was in my lane. I didn't realize what lane he was in until he was up close to me. Then I had two deer decide they wanted to run out in front of me. I decided that I would probably have to change my day of going home. Unless there is a full moon and no snow, I may wait until Saturday morning to come home. Sure makes for a short weekend.

Followers