Martin's Cove Site

Our work has consisted of painting, being shadowed in the visitor center, washing our clothes, moving the HAM antenna, trying to get on the internet, walking to Devils Gate. learning our parts for the various stations we are to occupy during the Trek season. The stories we are to tell are very interesting and after a while we can tell them without too many mistakes.
My birthday was uneventful and I received a book by way of Nancy written by Gerald Lund, "The Devine Promise of Hope". It is very riveting and explains Hope in a new way. I believe that everything we do is connected to Hope. The hope of a good outcome in everything we do on a daily basis.
We also had a trip to the Willie's Handcart site where we walked and drove the trails as the pioneers did. Sister Jolene Allphin came to give us a fireside which covered the history of the Martin and Willie handcart groups; their pain and anguish as they ran out of food. Their willingness to help one another even if they could barely walk. The winter was bitter cold and hit early on the high plains of Wyoming. By the time the rescuers came everyone was down to 4 oz of flour per day. Many died of cold and starvation and were buried in shallow graves along the Mormon, Oregon, California trail. Sister Allphin is the author of "Tell My Story, Too". A compilation of stories gleaned from journals written by the posterity of those pioneers. Some pioneers wrote their own journal as they traveled and as they suffered privations.
May 17Today was a great day, a P-Day. This last week Bernice painted her way through carriages--black and red. The two of us also painted or stained picnik benches, lots of them. I worked with Elder Rhoades on the irrigation system and exchanged toilet paper machines in about 50 bathrooms. I even had my own truck for a couple of days, and a radio to stay in touch with the office.
We are getting ready to receive trek units in the next two weeks and there is still some learning to do. I have set up the transmitter a few times and had contact with the Wyoming Cowboy Net and/but had to be relayed into the Montana Traffic Net.
The weather has been hot and very little wind except for today when it started to cloud up and the wind came up to a howling crescendo. When we were in Casper we found the irrigation dealer where I bought a flapper valve for the intake of the centrifugal irrigation pump. Then we went to the Salvation Army store and Bernice found a nice T-shirt. I could not find a power cord for the printer at the Sal Army, but then we went to Goodwill and found what we wanted. They seem to have much more merchandise and they get all they have into a smaller space.
May18What a great day at the Ranch. I got our wash done by 10 PM last evening, but stopped before everything was completely dry. I figure that it could finish drying by morning. This morning I started weeding our little patch of green grass and the gravel around the edges. It looks much better, but the neighbors feel that they must now do theirs. My little 90cent glass bowl is sitting under the frost hydrant filled with water for the little birdies. At times I notice that one Antelope comes to nibble on the drip and the starlings just get out of the way. I have yeet to see anyone drinking from my fancy drinkbowl. Maybe it will take a while before they feel comfortable using more than just a drip.
Our prayer meeting starts at 8:30 AM where we have an opening hymns, prayer, group singing for birthdays and anniversaries, a pioneer story, reading of a scripture (readers choice). Then the piano player, whoever that is, plays softly as we all pile out to find out what our assignments are for the day.
I found that I was to repair two freeze hydrants close to the visitor center. On both the center rod had dis-engaged from the control head. Since they have been in use for some time it took some muscles to take the thing apart and do the repair. After lunch the irrigation system was worked on. Section 8 and 9 loose water somewhere along the pipe trail, but nothing shows at the top of the grass. The land, rock, under the grass is full of fissures and so the water could go down anywhere without us seeing any evidence. We made a tool we can drive into the ground and where the water is leaking it should fill the little holes and give us an indication, at least that is what we hope. It feels good to use the talents I have been blessed with in our needed work here.
The Spirit is strong wherever we go and work or greet visitors. The German couple who I was asked to accompany during their stay here was a delight. I found that I could keep up a decent conversation, talk about the Gospel in a non-threatening way, and also share my Testimony with them. They were very pleased at the presentation and on top of that have someone speak German to them. They were not interested to meet with the missionaries in Germany, but that is alright. Maybe a seed has been planted in the Lord's good time. When I mentioned for them to be on the lookout for a possible snake across the walkway the lady had a story to tell. They were visiting a friend in in Utah and just talking as they walked. She did not see the snake lying on the trail and stepped on it. The snake was just as surpised as she was and climbed up her leg inside the pant leg. The snake did not bit, but it took some doing to get it out. The lady has not liked snakes since then.
The fireside was very informative tonight and we had a very good turnout. Brother Andrew Olsen spoke of the sacrifice, hope and charity the pioneers and rescuers exhibited. The faith and obedience shown by those valient people is marvelous. Were they used to a warm bed at night? A well stocked grocery store? Traveling in luxury as we are used to doing? Six to seven hundred people coming to America (Zion) in a 60 feet long boat, being on the ocean for three to four weeks, another boat (mississippi) or train cattle cars to Iowa City, and then walking, pulling, pushing a handcart for thirteen hundred miles to Salt Lake City in rain, snow, duststorms. Could we have done that? Would our faith be strong enough not to give up at the first sign of difficulties?
The Stockcamps of Kalispell fame were present and we visited a while with them. They are assigned to the Willie's Handcart site sixty miles up the road towards Landers.
Time to call it a night. Morning does arrive at its usual time. This evening we had a driving rain storm as a cold front passed by us on the way to the east. The MH does rock a bit even with stabilizers under the frame.
This coming Sunday we have branch Conference and the Casper Stake Presidency will be here. Our choir will be singing "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" Sally deFord, and Bernice will play her violin to accompany the choir in some areas.