GOOD JOB SON
Caleb was able to claim his pronghorn buck today. These animals really are amazing. The second fastest land animal on earth... so at home on the open plains and they have a distinctive beauty. Robin and I are pleased that our kids have the opportunity to hunt on the ranch. They work so hard...we don't take vacations...this is one of the perks of "the job".
Senior Night...
It was senior night at RCCS last evening and Robin and I were honored to stand with our son, Danny. Danny we so appreciate your efforts. Thank you Coach Ron McLaughlin ... you will always be Danny's favorite coach. Thank you "Reinhold Kids" for always backing your brother. The Comets won the game over the Lyman County Raiders.
A Crisp Morning
A crisp morning... and with the temps as cool as they were... perhaps even "crispy" on the Lonetree Ranch. The fog has been quite prevalent this past week. As the sun filtered through... the colors started to come through. "It's a good day to be alive!"
"Queen Belle" on a beautiful, foggy and frosty morn.
Nice photo Robin of our good dog.
SENIOR NIGHT
It was senior night at RCCS last evening
and Robin and I were honored to stand with our son, Danny.
Danny we so appreciate your efforts.
Thank you Coach Ron McLaughlin ... you will always be Danny's favorite coach.
Thank you "Reinhold Kids" for always backing your brother.
The Comets won the game over the Lyman County Raiders.
IT TOOK FIVE YEARS FOR THIS...
Five years ago my life was impacted in a very big way. Starting the first Thursday of October 2013 and for weeks to come, my world felt like it was never going to be OK again. It had been a great Summer. The drought of the past couple of years had broken in April and we had good grass, water and lots of hay for the winter! A beautiful September with many warm days with several in the 80-90s. We hadn’t hardly even had a frost yet! You couldn’t have asked for a nicer Fall. So far.
We picked the garden, we planted the winter wheat, they called for snow. We brought the cows home. We fed the horses. It started to rain.
We decided not to go to the missions conference in ND that we always look forward to because they started to call for the first snow of the year. “It was the beginning of October, it shouldn’t be bad, but we had better stay home and keep an eye on things anyway.” It rained though the night. Fall rain is always a blessing... but the next morning after over an inch of rain had fallen... It turned to snow. We headed out to feed the livestock, glad we had decided to bring the cows closer to home.
Then the wind came up. By 2:00 we lost power for good. By night fall we couldn’t see a thing outside. We had to wait out this storm. “It couldn’t be THAT bad!”
Since there was absolutely nothing else we could do we felt good about everything and hoped that it would let up in the night. So we played ‘The Farming Game’ and RISK by candlelight and sat close to the fireplace. The next morning we woke to the wind still howling and snow still flying. “Ok. It’s got to let up soon! It’s the first of October! Right?!”
Through the morning we sat looking at the snow-plastered windows listening to the wind... thinking about the 85-degree day a few days before. Wow. SD can sure change fast.
Finally it let up enough by early afternoon that we were able to get outside.
The first thing we saw as we pushed our way through the snow and out the door was one of our herd bulls, Standing there staring at us. He had been a mile to the north where we left him in good shelter before the storm! The next thing we saw was the trees. Still full with leaves they were completely weighed down by heavy wet snow. Many were completely stripped of all branches. Wow. What a difference had occurred in the last 48 hours! As we trudged our way to the barn we felt exhausted. It was still blowing and it was cold, Wet snow. When we made it around the corner of the shop we saw a bunch of horses standing in the hay yard. 5 were stretched out flat in the snow. 2 were dead and 1 died as I got to him. These horses had been over north with the bulls!
We split up. Some went to clear off the tractor; some went to check the herd of saddle horses in the corral and the milk cow. Somehow they had gotten a gate open and made their way into an old shed during the storm! They looked beat, but fine. The tractor was running now and Dad started to clear snow so we could get hay to everything. One of the horses that was down looked like he might have a chance if we could get him warmed up! He was stretched out and shaking like crazy. Somehow we got him pulled to the barn and started to rub him down. As soon as Dad got the snow cleared I went to help him get down below where we had all the mares and colts, and a batch of young fillies. I pushed open the gate and all at once saw dead horses. I counted 7! I gave Dad the signal and he shook his head in disbelief! That’s crazy! Horses don’t just die that easy! As he worked to get hay I went for a walk through that lot. I’ll never forget that walk. I counted 36 dead horses and had no idea how many more were buried. “Oh God!” was all I could say. I couldn’t believe it. I got back to Dad and told him what I found. We both just stared in silence.
We fed what we could but had to wait for it to clear off some more before we could get out any farther. We got back inside and dried off and warmed up by the fire and told Mom and Grandpa what we had found. We didn’t know what to think.
What we didn’t know. Was that it only got worse.
By late afternoon it quit snowing and the wind went down and we were able to get the driveway cleared a little ways up. The livestock that were in the yard were soaked and completely wore out. They just stood there shaking. Most of them wouldn’t even eat.
The horse in the barn was slowly warming up. We kept rubbing him trying to get the blood flowing.
We finally got up the road far enough to see some of the big yearling steers that we planned to sell that Fall. Some were dead, others were buried in snow with just their head sticking out. We were able to get to 2 of them with the tractor and dug them out. We tried hard to get them going again, but they were completely exhausted. They died not long after that. There was nothing we could do. We found another one not far from them that we could not get to with the tractor so we dug around him with our hands and got a rope on him. Molly, Danny, Caleb, Levi and I were able to pull him out to a dry spot and rubbed him down as much as we could. We found some horses there too. Found where one had camped out under a tree through the storm and ate all the leaves and some of the branches. Stayed out until dark doing whatever we could.
Sunday Morning I got one of my main saddle horses and Molly caught hers and we saddled up. Dad had headed up the road and got stuck with the tractor.
We couldn’t get hardly anywhere unless on horseback or in the tractor. Even then it was a real challenge to get anywhere. Dad and the boys were digging out the tractor and we rode to the top of the hill in the driveway. We saw a bunch of black spots out by the main road that when we finally got to them, found out that they were the neighbors cows that had drifted across the road with the wind, wore out and died. More were stuck dead in the fence and there was one live cow and a couple calves walking aimlessly on the hilltops where the wind had blown off the snow. They were survivors.
We had no phones, internet or electricity and had no idea that this was the same story going on around us. We had no idea what was going on.
The days that followed were busy. They were draining. Mentally, physically and emotionally. We couldn’t get anywhere and had not much news from the outside world. As we unburied and talked to neighbors over the next couple days we found out we weren’t the only ones. The counts started coming in. 24 cows. 50 cows. 200 cows dead. 150 just in one pasture. We couldn’t get to the main bunch of saddle horses until a couple days later. Riding there was a battle. But Dad said that they would be ok, Trying to reassure us all. They were in the best pasture with the best shelter. We had to trust that they had come through ok.
When we finally topped the breaks. It wasn’t ok. There they were. 30 some horses, stretched out for over a mile. Dead. The horses that we saddled every single day in the summer. The horses you could put an 8 year old on that had never been on a horse and know that it would take care on them no matter what. The horses that I talked to every day and told all my problems too. The ones who just listened and didn’t care what I said. The horses that were my best friends.
We found 7 live ones.
7 out of 45.
I didn’t know what to do.
I had no words. And I cried. There on my horse in the middle of the brown and white S.D. prairie. I cried.
And I asked God why.
The months that followed were taken up by counting the live ones. The dead count came to 92 horses and 12 cows. Others were never found. Big holes were dug. And load after load was hauled to the “grave” the last horse in the main hole was “Sweetheart” the first horse that Molly and I saved up our money for and bought from Mom and Dad when we were 9 and 7. The one we saddled in the barn with our little pony saddle as a colt.
Power was restored a week and a half later. Phones sometime after that. Internet was down for over a month.
I never want to live those moments again. I had nightmares for months. What were we going to do next? How do you rebuild after that?! Well We learned to Trust.
It didn’t end there. Events in the next weeks were complicated more as we were dealing with 30 inch’s of snow melting and more rain on top of that... there was lots of flooding. And then when the call came with the loss of a friend in a pickup crash Our hearts were ripped apart again. That friend was the first person to come out the week after the storm to help rebuild. Brandon, 14 years old ate pizza with us in our house a few days before he was killed.
I didn’t know what we were going to do. But God came through. God came through in ways I could never have dreamed up. It was hard. My heart literally hurt. But we trusted. Neighbors came together. People we didn’t know came to help Western SD get put back together again.
Tonight as I lie in bed. It’s 12:19 on the morning of October 4, 2018 the forecast is calling for rain in the morning and probable snow after that. Outside right now it is midst of the first freeze of the year. And to be honest. I couldn’t help but feel anxious all day as we worked to haul hay out of the fields preparing for winter.
5 years ago to the day. And if I could tell you how many times this summer and fall I thought.. “man, it feels a lot like 2013! So many similarities to that year!” ... you’d probably think I was crazy.
I don’t know how much sleep I’ll get tonight... there’s a lot going on in my heart. But one thing I do know. God is in control. He makes broken things whole again, Heals the scars. And He wastes absolutely nothing. He makes good come from the worst storms. And He is good.
And if I learned anything from that storm in 2013 called Atlas . Although known to most of us just as “ the storm” ...
I learned to trust.
NEW FRIENDS FROM NORWAY... VISIT TO THE LONETREE
Not the buffalo roundup in Custer State Park, but rather the Hereford roundup on the Lonetree Ranch... Not a huge crowd, however the crowd came all the way from Norway. The weather was chilly, but the fellowship was genuinely warm. Our privilege to have these fine folks as our guests. And yes that is a brand new bus... maiden trip... and welcome to the Lonetree Ranch in Meade County, South Dakota.
Remembering "The Blizzard" by Sylvia Christen
Today marks the 5 year anniversary of Winter Storm Atlas. I'll always just refer to it as "the blizzard" and to some extent, the timeline of my life exists before and after the blizzard. Those weeks and months changed me, defined me, shaped me in a way thats hard to explain, and still hard to talk about.
My first thoughts of the blizzard go to the utter devastation, and hopelessness, and helplessness that so many of us felt in those many moments after the storm cleared. And then the overwhelming, constant work that came next.
Just days before the blizzard, Larry Reinhold shared a message at the Stockgrowers convention about trust. I had no idea how much that message would become my guidepost in the year to follow. To trust that it would all be ok in the end. To trust that yes, I could do the work that was before me, and to trust that there was a bigger purpose to be revealed.
Now, mostly, I want to remember the good. The neighbors who helped one another without asking and without telling. The volunteers who worked tirelessly, the donations of cash, and heifers, and Christmas baskets, and boots, and bibles, and so many more gifts, gestures and actions that will likely never be told but will live on in the hearts and smiles of families across our region.
The abrupt change in weather these last days, has been eerily reminiscent of the way that the beautiful fall of 2013 turned deadly. I know a lot of families have been feeling the anxiety and stress of remembering the blizzard. I feel it too. But, I trust.
One Autumn Day
We had extremely heavy fog this morning and it held us up from getting an early start on moving hay. So we took the opportunity to pick the remaining apples from our trees across the road. These are all dwarf trees... thus picking is quite easy. And they are so tasty. Yes the Reinholds are "Happy Campers"
I so appreciate this scene... Robin's mom, Ellen Paulton, brought strawberry plants from her garden today and Robin and her transplanted them into "Robin's Garden". It is so neat to see these two ladies enjoying fellowship around something that they so enjoy doing. Grandma Paulton is an extraordinary lady. I could never tell a "mother in law joke" ... but I have numerous "mother in law stories". We are so blessed.
With the possibility of serious snow storm coming... We moved a lot of hay today. We are so grateful to God for the feed supply this year
Backs to Wall...Never stopped a hollyhock from shedding it pure simple beauty. Kiersten took these photos yesterday... I guess you could say, "The last hollyhocks of summer"
QUICK TRIP TO CATCH SOME AUTUMN COLOR
Some glorious views on a beautiful Autumn day. So much to see in such a short distance from home. Each year we have taken a photo of the Reinhold kids at this spot. The first ones were of just Rachel and Molly. ... when they were quite little. Now it seems as if none of them are little. A worthy tradition continues. Robin and I are grateful for our family.
PHOTOS ARE TAKEN AT TERRY PEAK AND SPEARFISH CANYON.
Picking Apples
Picking apples from horseback. That is nearly a dream. Right Rachel and Ebony?
Rachel's Pumpkins
We have been referring to these as "Rachel's Pumpkins" as she took the lead on planting them this spring. Today the whole family got together to harvest pumpkins and gourds. Mark it on your calendar... there will homemade pumpkin pie from "The Patch" at the annual Rainbow Bible Ranch Pie Auction just before Thanksgivin
DIGGING SPUDS
Took a break from our morning chores and harvested our potatoes.... We were quite pleased. Around 350# dug and sorted. We even picked out a batch to use for the Steak Feed at our upcoming Men's Day event on September 29th. This was a pretty efficient system in digging spuds. We have three different gardens... The Pathfinder, "Robin's Garden" and this one is called "The Patch".
WORKING COWS & CALVES - GREAT CREW (FAMILY)... BLESSED
Gathering Cows - Preconditioning Time
"OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY..." AUGUST 28, 2018
2018 WEANLINGS ARE GROWING AND SHOWING "OFF"
WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING SOME OF THESE FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE NEAR FUTURE. CONTACT MOLLY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
MOVING COWS TO NEW PASTURE
THE QUESTION...
The question many of you are asking....
Why doesn't Julia have a black and white outfit as well?
The question many of you are asking....
Why doesn't Julia have a black and white outfit as well?
