July 5, 2014

This week were were assigned GATE DUTY!  Yep, we got

to hang around the gate waiting to let in or let out the various groups

that were coming.  Our week started early, Monday one 

group came.  Then on Tuesday two more groups arrived, all 

leaving on Thursday, July 3rd.  They came early because

of the 4th of July.  On Monday the group was

over 460 people, WOW, they looked like a city!

Look at how tall the grass is.  All the rain we have gotten

has really let things grow tall.  It was hotter this week and 

things are starting to really dry out.  I feel bad about that,

the green was so beautiful.

Monday after we were finished on the gate Jeff and I took a 

ranger and went chopping thistle and we were headed to

bone hollow to check the bone trail markers.  We came upon 

this truck.  He is a intern working on the ranch for the summer.

He decided to drive his truck over a bridge that is designed 

to hold the weight of handcarts and ATV's, well, as

you can see, not a good idea.  His wheel was totally off

the bridge and he was stuck flat on it.  He was glad

to see us.  We helped him unload his 4-wheeler, (the one

he should have been driving instead) and he left to get

help to remove the truck.  

We went back to the Depot and reported the mess, the other 

missionaries figured they could get the truck off and were

hoping to not damage the bridge anymore.  So off we went.  

They took a big railroad tie and used that to wedge under the

wheel and a jack to lift the truck up off the bridge, then they

pulled the truck off.  He had left the keys in the truck so we

drove the truck back to the depot, called the ranch and 

they had to come claim the truck.  

The sad thing is not 30 minutes earlier two couples of 

missionaries were at the bridge putting on the side boards

so hand carts wouldn't slip off the side, I guess we didn't

figure trucks would try the bridge.  We now have two 

signs up that say "ONLY HANDCARTS AND ATV'S"

We have several really old trucks we use and we thought

we should hold the ranch truck for ransom and make them

trade us their newer truck for one of ours.  Good idea right?

We went one evening to check out a pond that is on the

property.  Elder Shields had taken his grandson there a 

couple of weeks ago and they caught some big fish.  We

are expecting the Greene's to visit and thought we'd

try it out.  Jeff's fishing line was old and broke

really easy so he didn't catch any, but we know they are

there.  We watched a muskrat swimming and diving in the

 pond that was fun.

Our job this week was to water and mow the lawn.  So

we got to use the riding mower, it took us awhile to get

it running.  Jeff took his turn.

Then quickly decided it was to bumpy for him so I got to

mow most of it.  It was a great way to mow a lot of grass.

We put out flags for the 4th of July,  Danette would be

so proud of me, decorating for the holiday's!

This would be Jeff playing with the umbrella.  Not soon after

this picture he broke the umbrella playing and spinning it.

Gate duty on a hot day.  Enjoying the good life!