Mike gets into the Commercial Trucking Business

Mike bought Damian's tractor in the spring of the year and when he has time he has been hauling grain and livestock.  He thinks that it will be better for winter time employment than feeding and calving cows.

Beginning of No Till Farming

We have switched to chemical tillage with a sprayer that Mike purchased.  Consequently no one summer fallowed this year and it was a totally different experience.  We are waiting for the results of seeding winter wheat into the no-till.

Trip in May to San Diego to see Granddaughter

Mike and Darlene fly to San Diego in May to visit their granddaughter Athena (and son Jason).  While there they spent a day touring the USS Midway aircraft carrier.  A robotic dinosaur exhibit had just opened at the Wildlife Park which was also an enjoyable day activity.  They attended Athena's ballet rehearsal for the final school program.

Wedding in September of Troy and Ashley

Troy and Ashley finally tied the knot on September 19th in a beautiful ceremony at the Colonial Theater in Idaho Falls.  The unique location was the setting for both the wedding and reception.

Trip Home from Wedding through Tetons

Mike and Darlene traveled home from the wedding through Jackson Hole and the Tetons with one of Darlene's college friends, Nancy Anderson and her husband Keith.  They were all up before dawn trying to photograph the sunrise on the Tetons, but it was a pretty cold blistery day.  They did manage to see many neat sites in the Tetons before continuing on to Old Faithful and a night in Cody, Wyoming before heading home.

Final Sale of Cow Herd

Mike finally sold the rest of the cow herd at the end of October.  Darlene rode with Mike in the truck to deliver them just north of Gillette, Wyoming.  They are now on a ranch that has been there since the late 1800's and it appears that they will have a good home.

Jason recently moved in with his girlfriend Tamara.  He's working at Qualcomm and caving whenever he can.  He is still making numerous new discoveries in the Grand Canyon.  He, Tamara and his daughter Athena came for Troy's wedding, and they will all be home for Christmas. 

Troy and Ashley Marsh got married on September 19 in Idaho Falls. Before that Ashley graduated from college, passed the nursing boards, and get a job in Home Health Care.  They bought a house in July in Pocatello where Troy stills works for the BLM as a wildland fire fighter.  A week after the wedding Troy left for a 2 week on/2 week off rotation of attending college in Las Vegas at UNLV.  He received a grant to complete a degree in Ecology.

 Molly worked at Aspen last winter and is working at Mt Hood this winter.  During the summer she returned to the white water raft guiding on the Colorado.  Not having a teachers salary to supplement her wages, she actually lived in her tent all summer (and said she would do it again).  On Mt Hood she is working in the vault auditing the cash and so far likes it better than scheduling private ski lessons in Aspen.

 Damian gave up his bobcat business with the recession and has been driving a cattle truck.  He's been as far south as Abilene Texas and east to Green Bay, Wisconsin.  His wife Amber is completing her final year of college and working part time in the Hospital's Extended Care where she is one of the activities directors.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year!