December Spokane Valley Snow Update

The snow just continues here in the south Spokane valley. I took these photos when the sun finally showed itself on Friday, December 26th.

Cole and I went for a little hike up Tower mountain and skied down. Not the best skiing
conditions, but we never hit any rocks!































Kim took this picture of her "Carhartt" men. She insisted I post it.
















Paige and Brooke ready to go face the elements.

Winter has come to the Skelton homestead. I measured twenty-two inches after the first twenty-four hours of the storm. Since then we have received another six inches. It's not even Christmas yet! Anyway, hope you enjoy these pictures of our record-breaking snowfall here in the south Spokane valley.

I snapped a pic of a very worried looking whitetail doe slogging thru the backyard. Paige and Brooke sledding down the driveway

Brooke standing in twenty-two inches of snow

Had a little trouble with the snow blower. But the gang knows Dad can fix anything with a little baling wire. After some help from the neighbor and a little "Tim the toolman" modification, we were throwing snow twenty feet. Nice hat, eh?

The birdhouse has plenty of insulation now. Might need to shovel off the trampoline.

We were able to locate Paige's car when we spotted this mirror!

One of the best investments I ever made!

Merry Christmas!

Elda May's Birthday (aka Brooke)

Today is Brooke's 14th birthday, so I'm copying Hillary and making a post about Brooke.

Roundup at Ray & Pooty's

Well, Paige is too busy to update the blog tonight so the duty falls to Dad. Hopefully readership won't fall off dramatically due to the change in authors!

The news of the week is the continuation of our October tradition of traveling to Oroville to help with the fall roundup at Ray & Pooty's (My youngest brother and his wife). This tradition started back a few years ago when Hillary and I went up for the weekend to do some cowboyin'. That year Hillary and I got to reenact one of the scenes from Lonesome Dove, when we rode across a hillside in a driving hailstorm.

This year Paige, Brooke and I had a good time playing cowboy and touring some of the pioneer ranches in the area. We got to spend some time with Ray & Pooty, Charlee, Gramma Dagnon, Ray's dad (Don) and Ray's volunteer cowboy, Dale.

Ray & Pooty, you are the best! We appreciate your hospitality. Thanks for letting us be cowboys for the weekend. We can't wait until next year!

Paige mounted on Pooty's mare, "Sophie".

Brooke rode both the tallest (Tom, pictured above) and the shortest horse (Peanut, seen below) in the same day.
Pooty made sure the girls were looked after.

Dale, our favorite unpaid cowboy, owns "Peanut". Here Dale adjusts Peanuts cinch.

Charlee stayed home with Gramma. Maybe next year you can chase cows!



The cattle we gathered are headed to the corral.

Brooke Skelton, future NRA president.

Me and Ray

The view from Ray & Pooty's deck. That's Don's ranch on the opposite side of the Simalakameen river.Brooke wanted to ride "Smokey". I explained that he had bucked off a good cowboy (Don) several times in the last year.That's Ray & Pooty's new house, with the Canadian border just out of the picture to the right.

Ray wants to make sure Paige is having a good time. She did!

We hiked up on the mountain above Ray & Pooty's on a very nice October night.

Gramma and Charlee

Paige takes in the view of Nighthawk and the valley

I even came home with a winter project. That's my 35 year-old saddle that is in need of some work. I'll be riding broncs with it next year!

Paige's Crimson Crew Retreat

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Crimson Crew Retreat up at Chewelah Peaks Learning Center for 3 days. It was my second year going, my first as a leader, and my second year as a coordinator. It was, sadly enough, probably the most fun thing I did all summer. The other coordinators and I got to teach the other leaders the activities and lessons they need to know for their incoming freshmen. Last year I didn't have a camera, so this year I went a little picture crazy.

Trust Falls

The Whole Family Together

Cole, Hillary & Cameron came to Spokane for our cousin Jordans wedding reception. They got here on the 26th and left on the 1st. Even though I was kicked out of my room for Cole, I still was happy that they came...I guess.

Me, Cole, Hillary & Brooke at Jordan's reception.

All of the Thompson cousins minus Justin and Garrett;
Plus Cameron & Amy

Brooke & I got Mario Kart for our

Wii and everyone enjoyed it.

Hillary beat Cameron!

We decided to have breakfast for dinner the last night that they were all here. Lots and lots of bacon!

Our Felled Tree

During a wind storm last week, part of one of our trees in the front of the house fell and smashed the neighbors fence. My dad and Eric Leavitt sawed it up yesterday.