By Larry Reinhold

The scenery has changed in the last few weeks. Winter has arrived. God blessed us with over three inches of rain in the last week or two. The ground was not froze up and this gumbo soil was cracked open quite substantially, allowing most of the precipitation to go right into the soil. We have had some snow, but nothing compared to what the northern Black Hills have received just 30 miles west of us. Some places received over 50 inches of snow.

We have enjoyed our autumn season. The past few years have been ideal for our game bird populations. Grouse, partridge and turkey are abundant. . We have been seeing a rooster pheasant regularly. We have not seen them routinely on the ranch for over twenty years. The pheasant is our state bird, and South Dakota is known for its pheasant hunting. Deer season starts this next weekend and we are looking forward to that. We would like to see it warm up just a little as many of the small dams have frozen over and we would like to see some waterfowl land, as well.

We sold our calves in Faith, SD the last week of October. They looked very nice. This is cattle country and there are thousands of calves and yearlings being moved to feedlots in other parts of the country.

We continue to enjoy working with a couple of fine gentlemen. I believe Wal-mart would refer to them as associates. We call them brothers as well. Lucas Stolhammer has been with us for over four years. This twenty year old has a great heart and is a very enthusiastic and energetic worker. He is good with his horses and gets better every day. Lucas is originally from Bemidji, Minnesota where a number of his family still reside. His dad is a pastor there. He also has a brother that is part of Christian camping program in Wisconsin.

The other gentleman we have known for many years. Mike Ewart is from Rapid City. He has been sharing of his time since May, and what a capable person he is. Mike was in the Air Force for years. Mike will be the first to tell you that he probably isn’t much of a horseman, but that hasn’t stopped him from helping with the livestock chores, whether it be branding or shipping. Mike’s ability to repair things, along with knowledge of electrical and mechanical workings has made him a real asset to the operation. Mike is excited about the building project and we are glad to have his assistance.

We stay as busy as ever. Perhaps too busy. We are praying that God grants us wisdom. Already, we are making plans for the 2001 camping season. Pray with us as we consider the needs of the young people that will be attending. I am always looking for ways to improve the Growth Guide and truly I would like to “upgrade” it somewhat. Some of that will cost more money, but I believe it would be an improvement. Let me know if you would like to help with that project.