VIETNAM VETERANS HONORED WITH 50th ANNIVERSARY PIN

I attended Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke's (Montana's only one)  ceremony honoring Vietnam Veterans with a 50th Anniversary Pin up in Missoula this morning.  It was a very nice ceremony and the featured speaker was my powder skiing buddy General Dale Stovall who I flew with in Vietnam.  I got to see some folks I have not seen for a few years. Congressman Zinke also gave a little talk on what is happening back in Washington with Veteran's issues.  Some of it was not good but that is Washington for you. 

I think my mustache might be a little out of limits!  The General  looks good though!

General Stovall and Representative Zinke talking before the ceremony.  Zinke was a Navy Seal and commanded Seal Team Six at one time.  He is very articulate and smart man.  Raised up in Whitefish, MT.

The crowd at the Vietnam Memorial in Rose Memorial Park in Missoula.

And a few other pictures from around here.

Look close and you will see a turkey eating left over oats under Jack.  It amazes me how they just ignore each other.

Carl and Deb's daughter Elaina with her Olympic Ribbons she won: a gold, a silver, and a bronze.  Way to go Elaina!!

Everything is starting to bloom including these pentstemons we got from Pam down in Utah last year.

Some elk watching Connie and I go by on our walk the other morning.  In the spring they are not very scared of us.

This is a year of the Bitterroots I guess.  They are thicker than usual and are starting to bloom.

We found these while riding to the east of us yesterday.  I will post more pictures of these flowers when ours start to bloom on our horse path.

UPDATE 20 MAY 2016

Got a number of pictures that I have not posted so thought I would get that done.  It is raining today and can't do much outside so am catching up on parade things and some book work.

The valley is green and the horses are getting fat.

Some low snow!

The geese are enjoying all the green grass.

Lots of water coming down Willow Creek so irrigating is good.

The arrow-leaf balsam root flowers are really going this year.

My waste water created a pond which a pair of mallards thought was just great.

And we had a big family of marmots this year down in the meadow.  These are two brave young ones who stuck around after I walked upon the whole family on this rock.  I think there was five little ones and two adults when I first saw them.

OVER AT THE RANCH

Connie and I ran over to the Martinell Ranch over in Dell to help them with their AI  (artificial insemination) of their yearling heifers this last weekend.  We have helped with this annual working of the heifers for quite a few years.  It is always good to see all the Martinell family and catch up on what has been happening with them.  It has always been a great ranch and is getting better.  The younger generation has helped keep up with the changing agriculture world that is for sure.  And this family holds a very special place in Connie's and my life.  And what a great family it is.  We have been involved with them since 1992.  Have spent many hours in a saddle riding on their ranch. Some days longer than others!

The "old" chute that leads to a hydraulic squeeze chute to hold the heifers while they are being inseminated.

Heath and Kiley's son Kalen has a little puppy that Zeph was pretty interested in.  From left to right: Kalen, Zeph, new puppy, Spencer, Kiley, and Connie.

The hydraulic chute that sure makes working cattle easier.

The alley way with some more heifers headed up to the corrals.  The bred heifers on the right.

And a little coffee and some sweet sugary treats to keep the energy level up about half way through..

In the green coat up by the chute is Taryn who is going to lead her 4H heifer out of the chute.

These three young guys were my helpers in the back.  From L to R:  Rowen, Kalen, and Spencer.  Spender is orginally from Hati and was adopted by a couple in Lima and he really likes to help work cows. 

A heifer is watching Zeph outside the corral.

Another picture of my helpers.

And this young man is Keegan the younger brother of Rowen.  They are the children of Ryan and Kristen. 

And this is Kristen who is the Vet of the family and one of the inseminators.

The "bred" heifers.

Taryn with her 4H heifer.

Allen pushing the heifers back to the feedlot.

And they still have a few sheep on the ranch. 

Next to the kitchen table, this is probably where most of the decisions on running the ranch is made.  This is horse barn where the horses are saddled, shod, brushed, trimmed,etc, etc.  Ryan, Heath, and Allen discussing everything from a ditcher to how many new calves tagged that morning.

Lots of cowboy equipment hanging on the walls.

Bridles and halters.

And lots of saddles and ropes.

MAGGOT FEST OR RUGBY IN MISSOULA

Rugby - a game played with a football that I don't understand much about.  Did play it in Squadron Officers School many years ago down in Alabama, but can't remember much about it.  There is a rugby tournament in Missoula every spring and it is called the "Maggot Fest"  There is an Army team and a lot of others from all over the world.  This year there were some New Zealanders and a team from Alaska in addition to a lot of other teams.  Our American Legion Post cooks up some food for the referees and the Army team at the end of the tournament and feeds them.   It is a good fund raiser for our post as the players and refs always contribute money.  We have been doing this for a number of years and it still amazes me all the beer that is consumed by the players.

When I got to the field to take pictures, this was what was going on.  Some kind of huddle it looks like.

Then the ball comes out and the team that gets the ball starts running with it.

But what is this guy holding onto in the middle??

When running down the field you can only pass backwards.  This guy just got a pass and is taking it towards the goal line (I think that is what it is called.)

Just as he gets there he gets tackled.

After a successful pass backwards this guy really takes off.

But is tackled right at or before the goal line.  But he stretches it out enough to get it across.

A rough sport with no padding or helmets.

Connie, Ike, and Brenda getting ready to serve the folks.

Our Post Commander Scott (foreground) is good at getting money out of the participants.

And some teams arrive in the team buses.