Killing cats and dogs

 I was planning to write an update on here but this has been on my heart so I'm going to get this done first. 

In the past I know I've mentioned to people that we get stray dogs and cats on the ranch a few times a year. Idiots will abandon their animals thinking that "the country" is a nice place for their uncontrollable or unwanted cat or dog. 

These abandoned pets will sometimes come onto the ranch. If the cats get along with our barn cats and can fit in then they get to stay. If they fight with our cats then our cats come first. 

The dogs don't usually make it to the house before something gets to them. Mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, and even eagles like to eat dogs and it is very unpleasant to see the aftermath. 

When we ran cattle we had to shoot too many dogs who thought that chasing cattle was fun. The cattle would get injured and sometimes have to be put down and that cost us money because that was beef that didn't get sold. So our cattle came first. 

When we started running bison was when we noticed that it seemed the Golden Retrievers were the worst for trying to chase these animals. Bison are not cattle! If they run away from you it's usually because they're picking up speed to turn around and attack. Silly stupid dogs would get run down and sometimes horribly pounded before we'd find them and put them down. 

We are not going to run up vet bills on someone else's animals and taking them to a humane shelter isn't going to work either because that involves trapping the animal and taking a day to drive to the shelter and drop it off and then drive back. 

So what made me write all of this? 

I'm out this morning feeding the hogs and this teeny-tiny dog is shivering like crazy and comes up to me practically begging to be held. I picked it up and took it inside and fed it and got it warm. We will probably keep it. It's a teacup Chihuahua and not hardly a ranch dog and clearly someone's pet.

Last night was maybe 25F and this poor thing was out at least overnight and maybe a few nights. We're a good ten miles from the highway over some mountains and that's what this little dog had to cross to get here. 

Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for the other dogs that we see here but this one is so small and defenseless that it just seems so damned wrong that someone would let it go in the wilderness either on purpose or by negligence. 

Just had to get this out. 

I'll write an actual update sometime soon. 

Merry Christmas to you all if I don't get to say that before Christmas! 

Welcome to Bethany May!

 Early this past Saturday (April 23, 2022) a lovely little red haired angel came into the world and her name is Bethany May! She's got ten fingers, ten toes, and a little tuft of bright red hair! 

Right now she's also the center of attention in this family! 

I started labor on Friday early in the morning and it wasn't my easiest labor. Bethany was born at 2:12 AM on Saturday and she welcomed in so many ways! 

I'm doing pretty good and so is my baby! 

Thank you Jesus! 💖

January 26, 2022

Hello! 

It's January 26th and I am overdue for an update. 

The big news is I've been pregnant since August. After the miscarriage last year I was really reluctant to post anything because I didn't want to go through the whole thing where everyone is sorry for you or they avoid you because they don't know what to say. 

But things are going good and the baby is due at the end of April. 

This last year Steve had us thinking about moving to Texas and I am happy that it didn't happen. I love Wyoming and while Texas is really nice and the people are awesome it isn't my home. 

I love old music and one of the songs I came to know over the last few years was written by John Denver and his words mean something to me when he writes about Colorado:

He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again

That's how I feel about Wyoming. It felt like coming home when I first saw our little valley and then saw our wonderful home. This is where our family really started. I never get tired of the blue skies, the silence, the open spaces, the friendly waves from people you've never met before, and the freedom. I can't even begin to write about how amazing it can be to go through your day and not worry about what someone else doesn't want you to do. There are very few things you can do in Wyoming that anyone thinks you need to get permission to do. 

I became a new person in Wyoming and part of it was that Wyoming let me leave behind the Megan who grew up in California. This is my home and I hope to live out my years here. 

Christie's children are doing well. Her oldest child is now fourteen and Eric is becoming a man. He has his mother and father's confidence and when he sets his mind to something he accomplishes his goal no matter how hard it is. I've never seen him give up on anything and he never practices until he gets something right he practices until he doesn't get it wrong. I miss Christie but she definitely lives on in her son. 

It's sometimes strange to be the parent of young people who are starting to show signs of being men and women. It doesn't seem so long ago that I was in their place. It is also both heartwarming and scary to have my daughters helping me in the kitchen because I look at them and these days I am starting to see my grandchildren coming along in not so many years. 

I figure I could be a grandmother well before I turn forty. 

I guess what is on my mind as I write this is what I think of as the Second Part of My Life. I'm not really the young wife and mother anymore. I mean I know thirty-one is not 'old' but I am definitely an adult and it has been an adjustment to think about being an adult. 

This last year saw our church/congregation cut ties with our old denomination. That was partly because the old denomination went crazy liberal and they don't really believe in God anymore. They're more about politics than anything else. 

A lot of the families we've known from around here have moved away mostly to Texas. Since Biden came along the oil industry mostly died and so did the jobs and that was the biggest reason people left. On the upside of all of this the families that remain around here have become closer. Church services have gone back to how they used to be with a family hosting the service every Sunday. It's much more intimate than the very organized way it had been with our last Pastor. 

There's another post I've been writing on for a while and I hope to have it done sometime soon. Writing isn't always in my heart lately and I'm not so interested in spending so much time away from my family. 

I will do my best to write another update before too long. At least I should get the other post up sometime soon! 

Happy 2022 everyone! 

October 25, 2021

 Hi to everyone! 

We're starting to see the snow sticking around the peaks and this next Sunday we're supposed to get a real snowstorm! After a very warm Summer and a nice Fall I'm ready for the cold! It's nice to get out the winter blankets out of mothballs and air them out. I know it's weird but I like the smell of mothballs because it means winter to me. 

The crops were okay this year. We didn't get many cherries but there were enough apples that I got all the pies I needed to put up for the year. I thought about buying some frozen cherries for the pies but it's like cheating to me to do that. The blackberries from along the creek didn't last very long but we did make some nice ice cream with them. 

This last year my big cooking experiment was Bolognese sauce and I have it down now. The thing is to be patient and let it sauté on a low to medium heat to reduce it. You have to stay with it and stir frequently so it doesn't scorch. 

My next experiment will be Carbonara sauce. My first effort was too dry and I didn't use enough Parmesan cheese. The next effort will use more cream and more cheese and I'm hoping for a better result. 

It's also interesting that with shipping being a problem and prices going up that I have more orders for eggs! I was expecting people to order less from me and not more so this is a nice surprise! My flock is right now around five hundred birds with most of them being Wyandottes of mixed breeding. The Wyandottes do pretty good in the cold and they lay well. My best layers are still my leghorns and Rhode Island Reds but those girls don't like the snow so much and they tend to stop laying when the skies get dark. 

We sold off our bison earlier this year and for a few weeks we had some goats and sheep on the ranch just to get the grass down. I miss seeing the bison but at the same time it's nice to be able to go out on the ranch and not worry about getting charged by one of them. They can get scary at times. I have no idea if we'll run cattle or bison again. 

The kids are doing well. All through this thing with the Chinese flu we've been fine. Aside from the usual colds, allergies, and runny noses everyone has been fine. 

Steve is home for the season and not looking to go back to work until the spring. I am so happy to have him home and it's weird to sometimes have the anxiety of wanting to get things ready for him to leave and then realize that he's not leaving! It's really great and I'm looking forward to the day he retires and stops working away from home. 

How are all of you doing? For those who email me I am sorry but I don't check the email very much anymore. Life is too busy it seems. But it's busy in a good way! 

Hugs, 

Megan

It's Fall!!!

 After a very hot and smoky summer I am so happy to welcome the Fall! It's my favorite season as we bring in the harvest and then prepare for the cold of winter. And it's supposed to be a cold winter some people are saying.

Hope you like the new picture! Sometimes this place is so pretty it hurts! 💖

There's not a lot of news to share right now and that's a good thing. No bad news either. 

Just wanted to say Hi and say we're still here! 

Megan

Answers to some questions on July 26, 2021

I had these questions from the other day:

AnonymousJuly 23, 2021 at 11:22 AM

Hi, Megan. Thanks for the update. Glad to hear you are doing well. And good luck with conceiving a new human life. So happy for you. Will this be your 10th baby?

I am curious what line of work Steve is in that he can afford airplanes and to support such a big family. It must generate a lot of income!

This will be my tenth baby and the ninth of my children in the house, God willing. Steve does construction work and it takes him out of state a lot. The airplane is really needed for him getting around and to transport parts sometimes. It can make him a lot of money but sometimes surprises will cut into the profits a lot so we always take care to be good stewards of our blessings. 

Jack wrote to me in email and had some questions:

Do you always sleep in the same bed as Steve or do you retire to you own bed and how do the other wives sleep?  

We each have our own rooms we can go to and be alone. Steve sometimes joins us in our room but we usually sleep with him when he wants company. 

Are you considered the Senior wife as the official Mrs W or does that not exist in your home? 

It's not a formal thing but it is a thing. Being the first wife or legal wife has some status to it and people look to you for wisdom and to make up your mind about things when Steve isn't around. It's not something I always want. 

How do you handle or how does Steve handle conflicts in the home? 

You just deal with things as best you can when they come up. The first thing is putting the family and the kids first. 

Is hubby considering another wife? 

No. Steve has made it very clear that he is not looking for another wife. I'm really happy with this decision. 

I know you all must really miss Christie. How are her children doing? Are they feeling lost in the mix? 

Christie's kids are doing good. It hasn't been easy for them or for us and we all miss her a lot. I really wish she were still the first wife around here. I miss her being in charge of things. 

Does Steve tell you his deepest secrets or does he not get vulnerable with his wives?

Steve does tell me things and I know he has different conversations with Macy, Cyd, and Amy. 

Are you ready for teenagers?

 😋 No! I think of myself as a mess when I was a teenager and while we've raised really good kids they're getting older and starting to be more curious about the world and sooner or later they'll have to start thinking about their plans in that world. I'm hoping they do better than I did at their age! 

How do you talk to your children regarding sex or do you even talk about it yet? Do your other children know about sex and or do you keep it technical as in "breeding" like the cattle and animals? 

We're just honest with them. As they get old enough to ask about it we answer their questions. 

Does anybody there do any sort of cannabis?

No. There is alcohol allowed in the house but that's it. 

I'm okay!!!

 I saw the comment on my previous post: 

Megan - are you alright? We haven't heard from your in over two months, that's not like you!

And wanted to say I'm doing just fine, really! 😊

Just haven't posted on here in a while is all. Sorry!!!

A few things that have gone on around here is Pastor Sandy left our church and I'm kind of happy about it. He came from outside and he had ideas that were not very Christian. I also really didn't like his choices for music. Contemporary Christian Music to me is massively boring, some of it is heretical, and it's like all a big monotone with no ups or downs. It can be like chanting but in the Eastern sense of chanting and not like Gregorian chants which I love. 

I like that one man on You Tube calls it 7-11 Music: Seven words repeated eleven times. 

It is very true! I know they're old but I love hymns because they're mostly based on Scripture and they're an easy way to learn and memorize Scripture. Since Pastor Sandy left we've brought back the hymns and no one has asked for the CCM to be brought back. 

Steve was looking at moving us to Texas for a while. We looked at an old school as a possibility because it had so many rooms and Steve could make the gym into a big shop for his trucks and equipment. Then we looked at a closed Christian resort as a place for the family and finally some legal issues made us let the idea go. I'm kind of happy to be staying where we are. To me this is home and I love it. 💗

When I first joined the family Steve had a King Air twin engine plane for getting around to jobs that were out of state. He'd bought it at a low price and fixed it up and made it airworthy. Then a few years back he sold it and made good money on it. At that time his work was all pretty close by. Then he started getting a lot of work in Texas and Christie found another plane and got a really good price on it so she and Steve bought it. It got worked on and updated a lot and now it's really nice. So last year I got my pilot's license and then got my multi-engine rating. The checkride was honestly a lot of fun as the examiner kept asking me a ton of questions and I still love questions! 

I got to do a landing on one engine and then the checkride was over and I passed! What's crazy is I could drive a 737 if I wanted to! I don't think I will but it's nice to know I could. My longest flights have been to Texas and back with one flight to an airport north of Lodi, California. I enjoy flying and it's kind of a surprise to me that I can do this. One thing I manage pretty easily is talking on the radio because you're not supposed to be emotional when you're on the radio. That's easy for me! 😛

We are trying for another baby. It hasn't happened yet but I'm hopeful. 

The bison were all sold off because we were looking to move to Texas. I miss them but at the same time it's nice to be able to hiking on the property and not have to worry about them getting upset at you. Bison can be really sweet and then they can also be really dangerous! The problem is you never really know what mood they're in. 

We let go of the land we were leasing for the herd and we're down to just the property we own. We're probably going to adopt some wild burros to keep the weeds down and prevent fires. The burros do a pretty good job protecting themselves from predators so you can just let them go on the property and just check on them when you can.

I've currently got about 750 chickens and they're doing pretty good. Some of them are still pets and they get to live out their lives just because they're nice and they keep the bugs away from the house. We added two jungle fowl last year that we adopted from someone in Cody and they've been excellent bug hunters! Their eggs are like 2/3 the size of the regular birds but the eggs are just as tasty! 

My twin girls turned eleven this year and they're starting to notice boys. It's a whole new stage of parenting and motherhood for me and I pray that I don't screw it up! 

The past year my cooking focused on pasta sauces and I've managed to make a very good and very consistent Bolognese sauce. It's on the thicker side and it's not watery at all. I've also played with the basic recipe and made it into a pretty nice chili con carne! 

I love how so many things in cuisine are fundamental to all sorts of cuisines. Like how chili and pasta sauce are so similar. Or like how every culture seems to have a kind of flatbread. Like Mexico has tortillas, India has naan, Greece has pita bread, Americans have pancakes, the French have crepes, and so on. Or like how everyone has some kind of ravioli! Empanadas, ravioli, wontons, and etc. are all very similar. 

I know this will upset some people but I've used tortillas as pasta in things like casseroles because the tortillas hold up better. So I'll put the fettucine cutter on my pasta machine and then run the flour tortillas through for easy fettucine that won't get limp in a casserole! 

The drought here basically ruined our cherry harvest this year. We got maybe 5% useful cherries out of what we'd normally get. We usually run the orchards on rain water but since the cherries failed we've been irrigating the apples. I really depend on the cherries and apples for pies and for a little extra money so the apple crop this year will have to make up for the cherries. 

We should have the monsoon hitting pretty soon and I'm praying for some wonderful thunderstorms and downpours! 

I'll also mention that there's an online community of poly Christians I've spent more time with over the last year. I think I joined in like 2017? In any case I will admit to being very intimidated by their massive knowledge and wisdom with the Bible and pretty much stayed away from saying much. Around the end of last year I started getting more active and was so happy to get to know these very wonderful people! They sometimes have meetups and I am deeply wanting to go to one of them and bring a couple of the kids so they can meet other poly kids. 

I've also recently learned about Torah Keepers. They're Christians who keep many of the laws of the Torah like not eating pork, not eating shellfish, and keeping the Sabbath as a holy day. I'll be learning more about Torah Keeping as I can. 

That's about all I have time for right now so I'll end here and wish you all a wonderful summer!  

If anyone wants to ask any questions feel free to do so! 

😎