Grand Canyon, Branding, Cemetery Inscriptions, Rattle snakes, and goat baths.

Hi to All .

The pictures above are as follows: One and two are of what I called the Blue Ridge of the Grand Canyon. The pictures do not do justice to the beautiful colors and the depth. It was about 5 miles or so from the bottom three that were taken at the "big branding" that we went to on Sat. Jul 23.

They start them out pretty young as you can see, but the adults have the patience of Job with anyone who is learning. One young man who was about 10 or so was in there the whole time, roping and doing whatever was needed.

The whole process was well organized. They had 4 on horses, and 12 on foot. Whenever the ropes would get crossed because a newly roped one would go crazy, the ones on foot would slip under the rope or jump over it. Things went amazlingly well and no one got hurt. I did tell the young Elders if anything gets crazy drop your rope immediately, which they were smart enough to do.

They had the cows and calves penned up and started the castration, branding, innoculations, dehorning, etc at 2. It truly was well orchestrated and went well. We broke for lunch and had an amazing feast which we helped prepare.

Did you notice how they heated the branding irons, if not go back and look.

I guess I should go back two weeks, so the post matches the label of Cemetery Inscriptions, Rattle Snakes, and Goat baths.

For quite a while I have wanted to copy the names on the placques at the cemetery. We started that on 16 Jul. We have since copied about 400 names and entered many into the computer. Elder and Sister Wilson drive us over and we all set off into different areas. There is no plan to the cemetery layout, people are just buried where their family wants them to be buried and occasionally they discover someone is buried there, so they move. It seems to work for them.

In any case I am happily copying names when I notice movement to my right. I look up and a six foot rattle snake is moving away, so I move in the opposite direction and go to another area, when I feel sufficient time has passed I go back and discover her mate is coiled around the cinder blocks that surround another grave. He was bigger, but I didn't feel I could ask them to line up together so I could take their pictures. They did not seem to mind my intrusion and I was happy to move quietly away. Obviously someone was watching out for me.

Goat baths are another novel way to bathe on the reservation. We had driven to Shonto and were helping put in another garden. It was hot and I was very tired after 6 plus hours, so I shaded up by the truck. This innocent little goat noticed that I was a new salt source, since I had been sweating, so he politley decided to lick the salt off my arms. How could I turn down such a kindness, right? She stayed only on the shaded side, so I only got half a bath. :o}

After we got home from the branding party we stopped to check a garden. The day before the lady's son was there and we asked if we could hill up her potatoes. He was a bit hostile and said, "No, you can't do anything, she isn't here and you can't do anything in her garden!" In any case we explained who we were and why we were there and that we would happily come back when she was there.

He started to tell us about his frustrations with his personal life and we just listened quietly. Before we left he had a 180 degree change in attitude and was actually laughing a bit.

When we did stop after the branding the next day the mom was there, her husband, the son we saw the day before and his two kids.

When Elder Olson started hilling I explained what he was doing and why. Before I had gone very far, the son went to the house and told both his kids to come out and LISTEN to what the missionaries were saying because, they know what they are talking about and that they should listen to us and do what we said. A testimony of the spirit softening hearts.

She said she wanted to expand next year and he wants to help. She asked how many gardens we were watching and I said 54. She asked if we would only come once and I said we go and help whoever needs help, whenever they need it. Some people do almost everything themselves, others need a lot of help. Anyone can call when they need help. It's sort of the "High Maintenance" and "Low Maintenance" participants approach that sorts them out, if that makes sense. :o}

After we did our first solo demo and carefully explained about leaving the winter squash on the vines, one of the "High Maintenance" went right over and picked our biggest winter squash, then giggled about it. Sometimes our patience is tried.

The days are often long, but we are blessed with the ability to handle whatever comes up. We spoke in both wards last week. I spoke at a funeral Thurs, gardens Friday, and Relief Society lesson this Sunday. Thurs, evening we did the garden demo. I said one hour which we held to, BUT we had some come at 7:15, one being a 96 yr old grandma who captured my heart, so we redid the demo and it was 9:30 before they left. I ended up sitting on the front seat of their pickup with grandma, while the son and his girl friend visited and got blessing. She was 96 on the 4th of July and she was tired, trust me.

I thought grandma only spoke Navajo until she started visiting in perfect English. I wish I could remember what she said first, but my brain isn't what it use to be. I think it was something like I would like a watermelon when they're ready. :o} A woman after my own heart.
If you find mistakes please try to be kind. I am looking for an editor. I am willing to pay twice what I am earning out here. ;o}

We love you all and appreciate your prayers in our behalf.

Elder and Sister Olson

Dear Family and Friends,

This week's pictures are Sister Yazzie checking up on Elder Olson and what he is doing in her garden. He was fixing a leak, but she didn't know that, so she was right out there checking. She is probably in her late 80's or early 90's. She isn't sure that we know what we are doing, but she makes sure that her plants get water.

Her kids haul water and put it in the tank just behind her, then she turns on the hose. She hit it with her cane and said, "Adin" which means nothing or it is lacking. She was quite concerned, but Elder O showed her that the soil was still moist. ;o}

Picture 2 is Darrell Maloney's garden. There is not one weed in there that we could see. That garden is his "baby" and he is a very proud father. The house in the background is Wayne Smith's which is just across the highway.

Wayne's garden is a critter buffet. The critter's like to come in and munch their way through. The chipmunks look the most innocent, but they are the worst, next to the lizards and bugs. He has assured us that none of them like the onions, so he may have a lot of those.

Darrell across the road has several big dogs who patrol the garden very nicely. Wayne is out helping everyone else while the critters are helping themselves to each green thing they smell or see. We have given him, dare I say it (poison) to help discourage those darling chipmunks, ;o{

He may l"ive trap" them and take them several miles away, BUT even the chipmunks are not beyond hitching, or maybe it's their numerous cousins, they all look the same right? It's those little chipmunk eyes that get you every time.

Today I girded up my loins and played prelude in Relief Society. It was far from perfect, but no one threw rocks. ;o} They could even tell what I was trying to play. Practicing an hour every day helps, but the timing is still a struggle. Keep praying, I know it is helping. The "wild terror" is now at 9.9 instead of 10 ;o}

Went to a birthday party at Wild Cat Peak. It was held at Gloria Babbitt's house for her daughter Mary who turned 64. Young like me. We watched them cook the sheep ribs and make and fry the "Fry bread" I love Gloria and want to scan all the pictures on her wall and do her family history. I try very hard to suppress the urge to slip them under my blouse, so far so good.

Getting late and will close for now. Pray that the chipmunks will start a veggie diet and leave the gardens alone.

Love,

Elder and Sister Olson

Navajo Delicacy

Navajo Delicacy

Celebrating Canada Day 1 Jul 2011

4th of July Navajo Style

Dear Family and Friends,
Well I realized today that I hadn't posted for a while. We have been super busy putting in gardens for people who decided they wanted one. Most planted over a month ago, but fortunately the weather allows for those who plant late.
We got here about 3:15 P.M. Friday June 24. We put in a garden that evening and finished the next morning. I think we have put in 4 or 5 more since then. One was for Kee and Betty Graham, their daugther, Lillie John, appeared in the article in the March Ensign. Her brother, Phillip worked right along side of Elder Olson. I finally told Elder Olson he would have to quit or Phillip would die trying to keep up with him. We told him that his sister had volunteered him to help put in gardens, but he politely declined. ;O}. The people laugh so easily and have such a great sense of humor about things.
As of today we have 52 gardens we are supervising. Each is uniquely different. About 98 % have things up and growing. One garden looked like a burnt piece of toast. The owner has been incarcerated and may end up spending more time as a guest of the local law enforcement accomodations. Elder Olson and the young Elders are going to try and get her corn in tomorrow, but we don't know if the kids will be responsible and water it. It was a heart breaker to walk around the corner of the trailer and see all the corn burnt to a crisp for lack of water.
On a more positive note, it has been exciting to see how things are growing and veggies are showing in many gardens. We are eating fresh peas, crookneck squash, onions, radishes, and lettuce from our own garden. Are you jealous??? The tomatoes are almost ripe. Elder Meldrum has actually eaten a few. He planted about a month before the demo garden was planted, but he also lost things when the below freezing temperatures hit.
We attended a missionary farewell dinner last weekend. His name is Deric Goldtooth and he will serve in South Dakota. They served a typical Navajo delicacy. Large intestine (well cleaned) wrapped in small intestine. They cook it on an open flame along with other parts of the sheep they butcher. I still have not had the opportunity to try it. They are pretty sure you won't like it, so they don't want to share it and have you pretend that you like it to be polite. Elder Chapple tried it and politely said he liked it, but he said it tasted like mutton (I wonder why ;o]) and was very, very, very chewy.
Elder Buynak and Elder Chapple are a lot alike. They are like John Olson. I will let you figure that comparison out, since John doesn't read the Blog.
This week is birthday week. I think we have 4 right in a row. We are celebrating mine by going to lunch. The young Elders asked if all the young Elders coming for District meeting could come with us. They take great joy in not having to cook. The people are really good to feed them. We know if they just show up and hang around that no one has asked them to dinner, so we just have them stay and share whatever if are eating. They are quite the characters, but very polite and always willing to do whatever you ask.
They celebrated the 4th on the 3rd. The fireworks were spectacular and we didn't even have to go anywhere. We just sat in the parking lot and enjoyed.
We did go over to Brother and Sister Nez, who have become great friends. She cooked over a huge fire and made a great dinner on the 4th. They are coming over sometime soon to do dutch oven cooking with Elder Olson.
I was finally able to spend some time doing family history. Someone had copied a lot of the inscriptions on the tombstones at the cemetery, so I typed them up and alphabetized them. It was only a small handful of what needs to be done. The mortition said they don't keep the records which didn't make any sense, but who am I to question what they do with their records.
Wish I could check his files, but I don't think that would be in keeping with mission guidelines if I were to sneak in and copy all his files.
Well I tried to put up some pics of the gardens, but can't seem to open anything to browse, so no pics this time.
Love you all and hope you will add comments.
Elder and Sister Olson