STORMS OF LIFE

As Boyd and I were driving to the valley from the ranch one day last week to take three cow calf pairs up to summer pasture. We had unloaded them at the cattle guard close to the Hell Creek corral, and then headed back to the valley. We noticed black clouds to the west that looked like quite a storm. Boyd had received a “severe storm warning” for our area on his phone, so we weren’t surprised at the clouds. 

            We made it home but within an hour the storm hit, and it was a doozy! There was thunder and lightening, high winds, and pouring rain. The hail that was predicted did not materialize at our place though.  This storm didn’t last more than twenty minutes, I guess all of those elements had to get their job done in a hurry!  The storm then moved on to the east and Boyd and I agreed that it was a good thing we got down from the ranch when we did.

            Shortly after the storm died down, I went outside to check on something. I stopped and looked around. Everything looked greener than it did before the storm, the birds were singing louder, and the air had that wonderful clean fresh smell that follows a rain storm. There was a feeling of peace in the air. It was a wonderful feeling that affected all of my senses, sight, sound, smell, and touch.

            This made me think of some of the challenges and trials we have gone through. How we can see them coming and aren’t always in a position to stop them. How it is good if we make it to shelter before they hit, but if we don’t we seem to make it through with the elements pounding down on us.  Also, what a feeling there is after we have lived through and survived one of these storms/ challenges or whatever they are called. It’s as if a new perspective is revealed to us.  It seems our sight is made clearer, we can see more of what we need to do, where we need to change, and even sometimes how to change. There is a freshness in the air after going through these, a lifting of a burden from off of our shoulders. 

            I realize that often the challenges and storms of life last a lot longer than this storm did, but I think the aftermath can be compared.  Yes, there are a lot of comparison with nature and with ourselves.

MEMORIES FROM AN OLD SCRAP BOOK

     We found one of Boyd's scrapbooks from when he was in grade school and high school. Interesting what he kept. his interest in athletics began when he was just a child and accompanied his dad, Phil Schwieder, when his dad refereed basketball games. Boyd told how he made friends with Joe Louk, the janitor of the Iona School. Boyd agreed to do some of the sweeping and cleaning and Mr. Louk would leave a window in the the gym just a crack so Boyd could slip in on the weekends and play basketball. I'm sure he wouldn't go alone but would take a friend of two with him to do that.  Maybe even enough to have a game of basketball! that agreement with Mr. Louk was a good one for Boyd and probably benefited Mr. Louk.
    Then he had some newspaper clippings in that scrap book. these were articles cut out of the Post Register of an LDS Church basketball tournament held in Iona. a team came in from Canada to this tournament, and the winner of the tournament went on to the All Church Tournament in Provo, Utah. I think the Canadian team one, but not sure.  That was in about 1954 or 1955.  Interesting that two of the Canadian boys, brothers, playing on their team went on to Utah State at the same time we did and they played  on a basketball team with Boyd there. Small World!
    Another thing we found of interest was the Valentine cards that Boyd had in his scrap book. Back then we would buy a box of Valentine cards and give one to each student in our class. the teacher would print off the names of all of the students in the class and give a copy to every one. it was important that no student be forgotten. Interesting and good times.
    I look at what is done now in the grade schools and I don't know that much celebrating occurs for Valentine's Day. Did we just need something fun to do, something to take away the boredom of a regular school day?
     When i was in the 5th grade, my teacher was Mrs. Gladys Southwick. every year she would make a special box to put the valentines in. that year I was in her class I was chosen to have the Valentine's Day box. She had built it to look like a castle, with a slot cut out of the top to slip the valentines in. how  excited I was to get that special box!
    When the valentine box in each class room was opened, someone would pass out the cards. It was fun to look at the cards and see who they were from.  And there was always cookies and punch to go with this special day. Probably room mothers provided the refreshments.
     Oh, we had a good time remembering our younger years as we we looked through Boyd's scrap book. Our daughter, Janna, was with us when we did this and she enjoyed the memories that book brought out of us.