I need to summarize my springtime, then I'll get into what I've done this summer so far.
April was spent mostly in Pella other than a weekend in southeast Iowa at a colt-starting and horsemanship clinic put on my Jesse Munk. I also got a good few days in riding with Jesse at home this spring. With a good workspace in the basement of the house I'm in, I've gotten three whips finished and a handle for one made previously this spring. I also made a rawhide bosal for myself, which turned into one of the longest braiding projects I've had. Googling bosal or rawhide hackamore may be helpful. I can't pretend to know much, but I'm learning.
Sarah and I had the only wedding we got invited to in early May in Cedar Rapids, in sharp contrast to the half dozen we were not only attending but IN last year. This one was for a college roommate of hers. I had not met her or any of their other roommates, but it turned into a great time.
We made a trip to Omaha Memorial Day weekend to scratch another city off our list. I knew next to nothing about Omaha, but we had a great time exploring the downtown (Old Market), and eating and drinking our fill of fantastic food and beer. A friend had recommended a used bookstore there, and we wandered in awe of the piles and piles of books. There was no hope of finding anything in particular if you looked, but just browsing yielded interesting finds, many likely out of print. A junk shop also called to us, and we got lost in its assortment of just...old...stuff. It was not like a pawn shop: it somehow skipped some of that tackiness and despair. It's hard to explain just how varied their wares were, but if there was a Wal-Mart of used junk, this was the place. I also had the pleasure of watching an adult man explain to someone around eighteen what a letter opener was. Another surprise was the Lauritzen Gardens. The greenhouse portion was walked through in about twenty minutes, but the outdoor gardens were enormous, and felt more like Oregon than Nebraska. My favorite part was a model train track with everything made seemingly from sticks. That was no small engineering feat.
Luke Mushitz, now a mower engineer, and I drove to Grove, Oklahoma for a week of mower testing. It was a wrench-heavy week due to some necessary updates when we arrived, and a string of breakdowns we had once we got to cutting, but it turned into a successful trip. It was also hot and sunny, but luckily not too humid.
Speaking of which, I have been wilting in the humidity since mid-May. I don't believe it's gotten over 95 here yet like it has other summers, but the humidity seems to get to me more and more. It's not quite Australia-hot and humid here, but close. Fall can come any time.
A much-overdue trip home was made in mid-July. This one was a bit different that others have been: Sarah's dad's family makes a trip to Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana every three years. Sarah's grandfather grew up in Powell, and they still keep up with relatives in Wyoming and southeast Montana. Bozeman was picked as this round's destination, partially because one cousin, Drew, will be going to MSU this fall. The group gathered in Sioux Falls on the 10th, then the six cars (18 or so people) caravaned to Belle Fourche, Billings after a stop in Birney, then to Winston to meet my family. They had a tour of the ranch, a Montana dinner, and some music by Jim and I and whoever else cared to sing. I admit I was a little worried how it would go, but all went well and both sides seemed to enjoy themselves.
The rest of their week was spent seeing Bozeman, the Bridgers, and MSU. Sarah and I spent two more days at the ranch visiting, giving my blessing to balers, and feeling the dry air. I'd even done some proper planning to make time for a session at the Windbag with those old, ever-reliable musical friends.
We pointed the cars back east on Saturday morning to return to jobs and responsibilities. This was the fourth there-and-back I've driven from Pella to Winston, and it went as smoothly as any others. The most notable part was a stop in Worthing to pick up a rawhide splitting tool from an old cowboy and wheeler-dealer in such tools. Tyler Schiferl knew him somehow, and he has tools that are hard to find or no longer made. I could have looked through his tools and gear all day, but sadly had to keep on the road. Luckily the week back after vacation was a quiet one, especially for in-season.
