Five Recent Photos

Well, it’s been months and months since I’ve written any blog posts.

I started a new job in August as the Secretary at our local elementary school. My commute is easy, but lengthy, and my job is busier than my previous job, which means overall, I have much less free time! Also, I spend pretty much my whole day at work staring at a computer screen, and I don’t really want to add more screen time when I get home. So, motivating myself to blog has been tough! But, as always, I’ve come back around because I do miss the outlet of writing.

I thought I’d start with a simple post. My idea was to post the last five photos I took on my phone, and write a bit about them. Here goes!

Above is a photo from a run I went on with Abby and Harvey. I’m not training for anything specific these days, but still getting out for short runs of 3-4 miles. The dogs always love to go!

The angle of this photo is kind of weird, but this was our Thanksgiving feast!

We hosted my parents for Thanksgiving, who were visiting from Iowa. They were here for about a week, and it while it was a pretty low-key visit, it was nice to catch up and spend time together. I don’t see my family very often, since I live in Montana and they live in Iowa.

Jeff and I cooked the Thanksgiving meal. We were pretty traditional for the most part, but we spatchcocked and grilled our turkey with southwest seasoning and wood chips. It took some time, but it was DELICIOUS! We used THIS RECIPE for Smokey Spatchcocked Turkey from Cooking Light. Actually, the November Issue of CL was more or less our Thanksgiving Bible/Menu. We also served mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted brussels sprouts with cranberries and walnuts, homemade stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce, and crusty bread. I was really excited about cooking the meal. Everything was from scratch, except for the bread. I probably should be embarrassed to admit that I have never actually made mashed potatoes, gravy, or stuffing before, so that was all new to me and I was really happy with how they turned out!

We also had (unpictured) pumpkin pie, which I also made from scratch. So satisfying to bake a pie from scratch! I use THIS CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE recipe from Bon Appetit, and a standby crust recipe that I use a lot. Seriously, if you’ve never made a pie, start with pumpkin because it is truly very easy. You can purchase a ready-made crust if you’re not confident in your abilities to make one from scratch, or if you don’t have time.

We went for a run on Thanksgiving morning, too! It was me, all three dogs, and Jeff. You can see in this and the earlier photo that I got to sport my blaze orange vest… During hunting season, I wear one every time I run. There are enough extra people around that it just feels safer to wear one even if I’m not hunting.

Ok, so I didn’t take this photo… I downloaded it from a friend’s facebook post. I’ve been thinking a

lot lately about the diversity of the town I grew up in, Ames, IA. You wouldn’t think of central Iowa

as being a very diverse place, but as a university town, there were people from all over the world

living in Ames. The university family housing was within my elementary school district, too, so I had

many classmates of a wide variety of ethnicities and religions in my classes. I feel tremendously

lucky for the perspective on world cultures and people that having such diversity in my school gave

me.

When I was in Elementary School, our school district decided that the break from school that

happened in the winter between the Christian holiday of Christmas and New Years would no longer

be called “Christmas Break,” but would be renamed “Winter Break.” I distinctly remember one of my

friends, who was Jewish, saying that she felt happier and more included at school just because of a

simple name change.

When I saw this post on my friend’s FB feed, I remembered that time in Elementary school when a

simple name change made a lot of people feel more welcome at school. I couldn’t agree more with

the bottom line, referring to the thought that, while I believe in and celebrate Christmas, I recognize

that there are a great many people in the world who celebrate other holidays in the winter, or none at

all, and I respect them, too, and wish them warm greetings regardless of their religion.

Finally, this photo is from the day the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies in football. Many of you know that

my Montana family are big Bobcat fans. The Cats were definitely the underdogs in this game, so it

was a big surprise to all of us that they won. A few of my family members decided to drive the flag

around town in celebration. All in good fun!

If I’m being honest, this is my least favorite game of the entire football season. I just don’t like how

people can become so antagonistic, on both sides. To me, even as a football fan and a Bobcat fan, the 

best part is just spending time with family. Nevertheless, I’m glad that the Bobcats, who have had 

dismal season, will have something positive to take into the off season and hang their hats on.

How have the rest of you been? Hopefully you’re all in good health and happiness!

Guest Post by Harvey: Running with Mom

It's been a while since Harvey has done a guest post on the blog, and after our run yesterday, he thought it was time he share his point of view again. Harvey is getting to be a middle-aged dog-- he'll be six in August. He's getting a little more particular about things as he ages, but he still loves to run. I hope you enjoy this post from Harvey!

Hi Everyone! It's Harvey, here! Harvey T. Dog. Mom says the "T" stands for "the," which is kind of boring. Why didn't they give me an actual middle name? I'm a person, after all! I suppose it's OK though because I also have some cool nicknames. My people sometimes call me Harvinator, and Red Rocket, and Harv McGarv, and lots of times they just call me Buddy. I like all my names and I love my people. They can call me whatever I want, I just want to be with them.

One thing I love about my people is that they take me on a lot of runs and walks out on the farm where we live. Yesterday, my mom took me on a run and I had so much fun, I wanted to share it with you and tell you all about it, from my perspective! I love to run. 

I knew we were going for a run before Mom even said the word run. I knew it because she had her special shoes on that means we're going for a run. When Mom or Dad put their shoes on, I know it's almost time to go and I like to try to help them get ready faster by doing my happy dance and jumping on them and putting my head right where their hands are. I just get SO EXCITED to run!

Mom takes forevvvvver to get ready to run. She likes to stretch and do other silly exercises before she runs. Not me. I'm ready to go all the time. I am always ready to run. When Mom was finally ready, she said "Let's go!" and I ran out ahead. I like to be first. I have to be first. 

Mom says I should tell you that I don't wear a leash or collar when we run. I almost never wear my leash or collar except when we go to town. Honestly, I don't really like going to town that much. I like my farm where I can run free. I would never, ever leave my people and we barely ever see any other cars when we run, so Mom says she's not worried about me out in the country. That's good because I hate wearing a leash. This Vizsla cannot be contained! 

Lately, I've been becoming more choosy about when I like to run with my Mom. If it's too dark, or if it's too hot, or if it's the same old boring route she almost always runs, I don't like to go as much. Also if it's too windy. Unless I'm really, really excited and it's been a long time since I've had a run, I'm getting a bit more picky. This time was one of those times. I was excited at first, but then Mom was headed down the same old boring path. Ugh. Why doesn't she just run out in the fields and grass like me? Who needs roads?!  I decided to tell her how displeased I was with her route selection by stopping in the middle of the road and sitting down. Mom seemed nonplussed. She acted like she really wanted to run. Uh... Mom? This road is the same as it's ALWAYS been! Chill out! 

I was just about ready to just turn around and go home when Mom said that maybe I could "Get the bird!" Oh boy! Oh boy! I LOVE to get the bird! Getting the bird is one of my most favorite things in the whole world! Mom pointed a little ways up the road, and I began to sniff... and she was RIGHT! There WAS a bird there! I could smell him with my nose and I knew it was the bird that Mom and Dad call a Hun (Hungarian Partridge). I showed her where they were by giving  my special point, and then she told me to "Get 'em!" and I pounced and not just one bird, but a whole big bunch of birds flew up and I got to chase them and it was so, so fun! Guys, I got the birds! I was so happy! I was so proud of myself. Mom seemed happy too, especially because after that I was excited about running again, even on this boring old road. Mom kept going and I stayed right with her because clearly she knows where the birds are at and maybe she could find me another bird. 

Then Mom did something that surprised me. Instead of going straight down the road like she always does almost every single time we run this way, she did something that I wasn't expecting and she TURNED and started running along in the grass! Mom said it was because the farmers who own this field mowed the grass next to the field so it was short enough for her to run there. Me, I don't care how tall the grass is, I just run. I was so excited that Mom turned here that I sprinted way ahead!

The short grass in the middle is where my Mom ran. I ran all around. On the right side is a field of winter wheat. It's almost ripe and it kind of rattles when I run through it. I have to run/jump when the wheat is high because it's taller than I am! Mom says I look like a mule deer when I do that. We didn't see any deer on this run, though, but sometimes we do. 

 Just a little bit after my mom stopped to puparazzi my picture (again!) she asked me if I knew where the bird was. So, I began to use my nose again and sniff around, and there they were right there in the wheat! Guys, I got the bird AGAIN! Two times in one run I got to point a bird and then flush him and then chase him! Mom likes it when I chase the birds because she says it gets me really tired out. She's probably right, but it's just so, so, so much fun. I am pretty much the best hunter that I know.

I don't know why Mom took this picture of the alfalfa. I guess she thought it was pretty. I don't know why she wasn't taking a picture of me. I'm the star of the show, after all. I'm not even in this picture!

Moving on to my favorite part of the run. Guys, I don't know if you know this, but we dogs really love to roll in things that smell good to us. My nose told me that something dead was laying in the alfalfa field next to the road where my mom was running, so I took off and found it and I rolled and rolled and rolled all over the dead thing! I was so happy to roll on it! I was overjoyed! Guys, it smelled so good to me! My Mom said it smelled horrible and she could smell it from the road, but, oh man, guys, I thought it smelled amazing! Plus, if I roll all around in something that smells great like that, then it covers up my normal dog smell and I can hunt better without my prey knowing that I'm coming! After rolling on the dead thing, I could be even better than the best hunter!

 I ran off ahead again, but Mom had stopped to wait for Abby, my dog friend, who also was rolling on the dead thing. I decided to head back and make sure Mom was OK. She didn't pet me when I got there, though, and she called me "Stinky," which isn't one of my usual nicknames.

 Mom took us on a little further, right up to this creek. She told me to go down and get some water. She said she hoped it would make my dead thing smell go away. Whatever, Mom. I was thirsty and hot, so the water looked good. I decided all on my own that I wanted to wade into the water. I don't like to swim because I like my paws to be on solid ground, but I had a good drink and I got all wet and I felt so good! Mom says this is one of her favorite views on the farm.

 After I got out of the water, I was all wet and it felt so good! I think Mom was disappointed though because now I smelled like dead thing AND yucky creek water. That's just her opinion though. Obviously, I smelled great! And, I'm so handsome. I'm pretty much the best that I know.

 Finally, Mom said "Let's go home to our house," and I knew the way, so I decided to lead. There were a lot of hills, so I stayed on the road because it's the easiest path. I wanted to make sure Mom could see me. She seemed like she was really struggling. I'm faster than she is, but I looked back to check and make sure she was OK and to see if she was still coming. Even though my Mom is slower than me, she's getting faster.

 Finally, we made it home and Mom gave me some pets behind my hears, even though she was still calling me Stinky. She said it didn't matter because she was going to shower anyway and then she said that I was going to have a bath. I hate baths. The best part of having a bath is when it is over. Usually I get a treat after I have a bath. I guess that's one downside of living on the farm- I have a lot of baths.

 Guys, I just want you to know that I love to run and get the birds and go places on the farm with my people. Even though I wasn't too sure about this run at first, I made the right decision to stick it out. I got to get the bird twice, and I got to roll in a dead thing, and I got to cool off in the creek. This was pretty much an epic run for me! I'm so glad my people take me running and hunting and that we live in the country so I don't have to wear my leash and I can go wherever I want!

Also, I wanted to show you this picture my Mom took of me in my little pickup. Mom and Dad call it the Ranger, but it's actually my little pickup. If my little pickup is going somewhere, I'm going too. And I'm sitting in the front, because I'm a person, and I'm important. I love my little pickup.

After our run and after my bath (ugh!) I was so happy to just lay down on the porch in the sunshine. Mom says a tired Vizsla is a happy Vizsla-- she's probably right. :) Catch you later, everyone! Harvey T. Dog, signing out!

I hope you enjoyed Harvey's guest post about running on the farm! If you'd like to read the other post he did, you can find it by CLICKING HERE! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Thankful Thursday~ Exploring the Pastures

Nothing like a change of scenery, right? Land is permanent even though people may wander. 

All photos in this post were taken a few nights ago on a run through the pasture.

One thing I had been looking forward to about moving onto the family farm was exploring the pastures. Yes, we had pastures at our previous residence and I did spend some time hiking out there, but now, I have the chance to hike, run, ski, and play on our own Bangs land whenever the urge strikes.

It's not like I'd never been out there before. I'd done a few hikes with Jeff and other family members, and Jeff and I also began exploring by mountain bike last summer on some pretty fun trail rides. We've also done a bit of Nordic skiing out in the pasture this winter. It's just so great to have basically open prairie wilderness right outside your back door. People who live in towns and cities aren't so lucky as we!

Can you spot the "wildlife" in this photo?

This week for our weekly #RunLoveChallenge activity, we were to discover a new place to run. Even with some of the other exploring of the pasture I had done, I'd never actually ran out there. When I saw the challenge, I knew I had my mission! I couldn't wait to get out there and run the land. Even with patches of snow and ice, I used my YakTrax and was able to keep great traction on what ended up being a brisk hike/jog at sunset. It was right around freezing, sunny, and NO WIND-- I had to seize the opportunity to get out there!

Abby is a grinner!

All in all, it was a great run. Cow trails make excellent paths for hiking, running, and biking. Certainly not a fast-paced effort, but I relished in frequent stops to admire the scenery and interact with the dogs. One thing is for sure- I finished the run feeling inspired and excited to run the trails more and continue exploring the land. With a lifetime on the farm ahead of me, I'm sure I'll get to the point of knowing the cow trail system just as well as I know the local roads, if not better. And, thanks to Strava, I'll be able to figure out exact distances of different trails and sections.

Dogs love to explore, too!

But when I really stop and think about this land, these views, this access that I have, I feel pretty lucky. And thankful. I'm thankful that I am here and that I'm able to get out there and enjoy it. I'm thankful for the topography that creates a fun playground in the middle of an otherwise table-flat prairie landscape. I'm thankful that all of Jeff's family who've come before us have taken care of the land as well as they have, have kept it within the family, even added to it over the years, and now allowed me and Jeff to be here. It's pretty humbling when I really think about it like that.

Looking west.

I'm thankful even for the people who were on this land before it was "settled," as they've left their mark on this place as well. There are what appears to be an entire village of tepee rings on one bluff overlooking Sage Creek. What must it have been like to live here in those days? How different life is now, even though the views are the same. The creek is still here. The grasses still offer food and cover for an abundance of wildlife. And the topography has and hopefully always will support play and exploration of all kinds. It's easy to look out over the pastures and see what life could have been like in an earlier time, and to feel a responsibility for maintaining it into the future. With responsibility comes thankfulness.

As I stand on a bluff and gaze into the distance, pausing on a run or mid-afternoon ski, I'll look over the land and say a silent thankful intention to the greater power, or to sun and stars, and feel peacefulness.

Weekly Review January 17-23

Taking a look at the week that was, in fitness, farm, and life. If you missed last week's review, you can check it out HERE.

Sunset over the Sweetgrass Hills Friday evening while skiing.

Fitness
Jeff and I started the week on skis as we trekked over the mountains for double duty skiing on Sunday and Monday. Sunday was Nordic at the Izaak Walton in Essex, MT, where we also stayed the night in their historic hotel.

Izaak Walton Inn, Essex, MT

Sunday we hit up Whitefish for downhill skiing in thick fog. It wasn't the most fun day of skiing ever because it was a bit difficult to see, but we made it our mission to get better at moguls and I think we both definitely saw some improvement. Plus, my legs felt super strong the rest of the week after that day of skiing!

Progress continued on the #RunLoveChallenge I'm participating in through Oiselle with my teammate, Wendie. I nailed my long run on Thursday after school running "the loop" in town twice for a total of 4.7 miles. It felt pretty good to run outside and even though the roads were snow-covered, they weren't bad to run on.

Run-selfie while running "the loop" in Rudyard on Thursday.

The biggest challenge of the week was actually the "Speed Date" workout we were supposed to do. I spent most of the week stressing about the workout because, let's be honest, speedwork is pretty much neglected in the scheme of my workouts. I wrote out the times and speeds I wanted to try and planned to do it Saturday morning. By the time Saturday rolled around, Wendie had already completed the workout and I was actually sort of looking forward to the challenge and seeing what I could do. And you know what? It was hard, for sure, but it felt great! Huge confidence boost to reach speeds I've never touched before, and it ended up being my longest run of 2016 so far at 5.6 miles! It was so motivating to know that Wendie had done it and that she was cheering me on in spirit, too. Thanks Wendie!

Yes, I wrote myself a pep talk alongside the workout. I'm cool like that.

Here's how the week looked:
Sunday- 8.6 miles/120 minutes of Nordic skiing at Essex.
Monday- Downhill skiing at Whitefish.
Tuesday- 3 easy (slow) miles on the treadmill, 20 min stretching. My legs were beat after the skiing.
Wednesday- 30 min. hip strengthening exercises
Thursday- 4.7 mile run after school.

Snowy roads, but traction was good.

Friday- 2.2 miles (40 min) Nordic ski through Harry's field on our farm. **snow melting fast. May have been my last day on skis at home this year.

This is what Harvey does after going for a ski- nap time. 

Saturday- Speed Date challenge/5.6 miles running, 30 min (1.6 miles) walk with the dogs, 20 min stretching.

My #RunLoveChallenge calendar is really filling up! Half-way there!

And the YTD Stats:
2016 Year to Date, through 1/23/16
Walking: 140 min/6.7 miles
Yoga: 135 min *no yoga this week. sad face.
CC-Ski: 380 min / 10.8 miles (since I started tracking mileage on 1/17)
Alpine Ski: 2 days
Running: 30.55 miles

If you remember, my knee and hip had been a little sore last week. I rededicated myself to stretching in the evenings and it really seemed to help. No issues with it whatsoever this week, even after Jeff and I skied pretty hard at Whitefish on Monday. Stretch, stretch, stretch, people!

Farm
This week on the farm the biggest new piece of action was that Jeff sold some winter wheat to one of the local elevators and then began taking semi loads to town. It can be quite a bit of work at times to haul grain, especially when cleaning out the bottom of a grain bin. Messy, dusty, labor and time intensive. The weather was warmer this week, so Harvey spent quite a bit of time outside "helping" Jeff with this task, although he didn't appreciate being left behind when Jeff would leave in the semi headed for the elevator. Harvey is a smart dog and knows that if he sits down in the road right ahead of the vehicle in which he would like to ride, at the very least, the driver will stop and pet him...

"Guys, I'll ride now, thankyouverymuch." - Harvey
Photo by Jeff.

Harvey also likes to "help" feed the cows...

Harvey likes to lick their noses, and they let him.

And this bull was taking a peek on the action, too:


Life
This week I attended the Rudyard Commercial Club meeting (sort of like the local chamber of commerce) because they were planning to talk about a grant the community is likely to receive to either renovate our current Senior Center or build a completely new building. It was a really interesting meeting, which you can read more about in my previous blog post. I'm going to be on the committee working on the grant project and I'm really excited about it.

Also, in my sports world, my Iowa State Cyclones defeated #1 ranked Oklahoma on Monday night in Ames (college basketball). It was glorious. Here's a great game re-cap from The DesMoines Register: Iowa State Takes Down #1 Oklahoma. Tomorrow night, they'll take on the Kansas Jayhawks. I may hate the Jayhawks more than I love the Cyclones, so you can be sure I will be watching the game. Don't bother me between 7 and 9 tomorrow night because I won't answer. ;)

That's the week that was, everyone! What were the highlights of your week? 

After completing my Speed Date workout. Feeling good!

Thankful Thursday ~ National Dog Day

August 26 (yesterday) was National Dog Day, so today I thought I'd write my Thankful Thursday post about the dogs in my life!

Living on a farm in the wide open spaces of North-Central Montana, Jeff and I really do live in a dog's paradise! There are three dogs in our lives that we see regularly: Abby, Iggy, and of course, Harvey.

Harvey on a pasture walk. Happy National Dog Day, everyone!

Abby is a pretty Golden Retriever, and is Tom and Carol's family dog. She's starting to get on in age and is around ten years old. Abby is very loyal and loves love more than any dog I have ever met. She just insists on being petted! She always has a smile on her face. Don't be fooled by her kind-hearted demeanor toward people, though. She's probably the most ferocious "guard dog" we have when raccoons or other farm-yard pesky animals are in the yard! She has been known to attack small mammals, even porcupines, with great gusto! Abby also loves to tote around small, soft objects, especially work gloves, and often brings them up to the deck with her when she's laying in the sun. Abby can often be seen snuggling with the cats- Quincy and Peanut. She's a gentle and loving sweetheart of a dog!

Abby!

Iggy is an old dog that came to us late last spring. He's a mixed-breed of some sort, but we're fairly sure he has some Saint Bernard in him.  Iggy still likes to go on walks with me and Harvey but he just goes at his own pace. He definitely has a strong nose as he's always right on the trail of birds and creatures, just like Harvey. Iggy is always the first to scent a coyote in the area and sound the alarm. Let me tell you, his bark will get your attention! Iggy doesn't need much, but he does like to be around people. If you're out working in the yard, he'll slowly amble over and lay down near where you are and keep an eye on you. He really loves his pets and especially loves hugs. If you scratch him behind the ears, he'll lean against your legs, which you have to kind of be prepared for so he doesn't make you lose your balance! He's a big old guy, but he's just a lover!

It can be a little tough to get pictures of Iggy because
whenever you get down on his level, he comes up and tries to lick your face. :)

Iggy likes to go for walks, but usually lopes along at his own pace. 

And then there's Harvey! Harvey is the youngest in the pack at five years old, a purebred Vizsla, but definitely has the most energy! Harvey really needs his daily walks and runs or he is just unsettled. Good thing we have lots of space for him to get his sprints in when we're out walking! I know I get more exercise by having Harvey than if I didn't have a dog. There are definitely days when I don't feel like going for an extended walk, but I know Harvey will need it, so of course we go anyway. Harvey is an excellent hunter and has a very good nose for birds. He also has greatly increased the number of mice, gophers, and rabbits he's killed this year, which sounds sort of gross, but on a farm, it's nice to get rid of pest animals like those. Yes, Harvey is a skilled and accomplished hunter, but he is also so very endearing. He loves to snuggle with you anywhere he can and is very sensitive. He really picks up on the emotions of his people and seems to know what you need, whether it's snuggles or space. Harvey always makes me feel better if I'm down or not feeling well!

Harvey on-scent for birds in the crop stubble.

Harvey stalking a cottontail rabbit.

Each of our dogs has different personalities and strengths, and we love them all! Dogs just love. It's what they're best at! I'm so thankful for our dogs and the joy they bring to us every day!

Do you have dogs? Did you celebrate National Dog Day? If so, how? If you didn't, it's probably not too late. Your dog won't know the difference anyway!  I love this list of 20 Ways to Celebrate National Dog Day, from www.NationalDogDay.com:
20 Ways to Celebrate  If you really can't think of any ways to celebrate, check that list out for some inspiration!

We celebrated by giving our dogs lots of love and scratches behind the ears, indulging a few incidents of rabbit-stalking, and going for walks! I'm so thankful for the dogs in my life!