Fireworks

From Jerica:

Laura and I were reminiscing on the good 'ol days in Juniper when we remembered the story of Brock and the firework.  I'm not sure what it was but I think it was one of those bloom flower ones. Anyway, we were standing at the end of the sidewalk where the two bushes were, lighting these fireworks when one burned a hole in Brad's shorts and went up my shirt and making its own exit. It was my favorite Scooby-Doo t-shirt too. My mom just found out about that story last night and the look on her face let us know she wasn't too thrilled about it happening, but just laughed it off anyway.

Thanks Jerica.  I remember lighting one of Kristen's night shirts on fire with one of those party poppers.  And, if I know Brock and the rest of the Juniper boys, there are plenty more "fireworks" stories to be shared. ;)

A Little Gas

Isn't it funny how when we do something embarrassing the first thing we do is check to see who saw rather than attend to our injuries?  Here is just such a story.  Thanks for sharing Jerica!

From Jerica:

Two winters ago Forrest, Brad, and I were out riding the snow machines in Rushton's field. This is the first time I had driven one so I was a little scared. After a while, we rode over to the end of the field closest to the garbage bins. There were three rows of drifts that had been plowed to help keep snow off the road. I was feeling brave so I decided to slowly go over two of the drifts. I turned around and waited for Brad to jump off it to go back onto the field. Then it was Forrest turn to jump then I would ride over (not jump). I went too close behind Forrest when he went and as I was going, the rooster tail of his jump caught me in the face which caused me to hit the gas a little ( by a little I mean a lot) and I ended up going over it at an angle instead of straight on. By doing that it had bucked me off. I was sure I was going to get run over but the left side of my body just, very hard, hit the side of the machine and I missed the tracks. I popped my head up and look over at the garbage bins and see Christine waiting for the school bus to pick up her kids. I bust up laughing because if I was in her position, I would be laughing hysterically. Forrest and Brad must have saw it happen cuz they came riding back over laughing their heads off.

Real Life Tonka Trucks

From Jerica:

Forrest, Doug, Brad, and I were riding our bikes down the road toward Rushton's farm. It was right after Forrest got his bike and it still had the training wheels on it. We were going around the corner by the tree just down the road from the dairy and when we got about half way between the corner and Rushton's farm a huge mine crawler thing came around Rushton's corner. It was taking up the whole road. Doug, Brad, and I all saw the thing coming but Forrest was nonchalantly riding his bike down the middle of the road. After much yelling, he saw it coming, hopped off his bike and ran him and his bike to the borrow pit. I never did know why he didn't just ride it to the side of the road. Not a very good story, but it's one I came up with.

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Thanks Jer!

Those things are massive!  I remember Dad telling me the only thing you go off the road for in a loaded hay truck is an airplane.  However, when we came across a semi hauling one of these giants, we managed to get our loaded truck off the road rather quickly!  I also remember Ross asking the crew in said truck if we could use their monster Tonka truck to haul the rest of our hay.  The fellows said they would be happy to haul our hay if we could load the truck... needless to say, we spent the rest of the summer hauling hay the usual way!  

Udder Chaos!

Straight from my journal... and everyone knows you can't lie in your journal.  Haha... wish I would have written more about my farm experiences and less about my romantic obsession of the week...

Added commentary is in parenthesis.

May 29, 2000-Memorial Day

Fed my cows at 6 am, then went to the flat and Dad and I moved 3 lines and set one line over the fence. We were waiting for Ross to come and pick up the line, but after waiting a few minutes, we got a little bored so we moved one of Alberto's lines (Ahh, yes, farm bored).  Boy!  That was fun!  NOT!  It was mud up to about my knee!  Ross finally got there and while we were picking up the line we got stuck, so Aaron had to walk about a mile to get another pick-up and a chain to pull us out.  In the mean time, the rest of us walked about 1/4 mile with hammers, pliers, and fence posts to build a gate.  Good times.  We made our gate and got the line all picked up, so I'm thinkin' "Yeah! I'm goin' home!"  So I sat on the tool box and took off my boots and socks.  (This is where things get interesting.)

Well... there had been a  cow get out through our gate.  So they (Dad and Ross) decided they should probably put it back in.  First they were chasing the cow on foot, running down the fence line yelling at the cow.  I thought it would go right in the gate (like every other cow we'd ever chased-sheesh... you think a girl would learn from experience).  Well, obviously the cow had another plan and she took off.  So, Ross got in the pick-up and continued the chase.

Well... Brad and I were sitting on top of the big tool box in the back.  Now, I don't know if Ross forgot that we were back there or if he really just didn't care (I tell myself the first and it helps me sleep better at night).  But off we went... swerving back and forth, slowing down and suddenly speeding up again, bouncing over sagebrush, uneven ground and what felt like small sink-holes.  There was more than one occasion when Brad and I wondered if we would make it home alive.  We were holding on for dear life.  Every time we turned we prayed that we would stay on the toolbox.  When we swerved left Brad had white knuckles and silver-dollar eyes.  One violent jerk of the steering wheel and we were suddenly turning right which meant Brad could relax a little and it was my turn in panic mode with the wide eyes and white knuckles.  Back and forth it went.  (These 5-10 minutes felt like hours... I think Brad will agree.)  Finally we hit a bump that knocked Brad off the toolbox and into the bed of the truck.  Normally, I would have helped him.  But, since my own life was in jeopardy, he was on his own.

Every time we slowed down a bit, poor Brad would try to make it back to the tool box, but just as he would get up we would speed up and he would jerk backwards or we would swerve and he would hit one of the sides of the pick-up.  Finally, he decided we were never going to slow down, so he decided to just go for it, naturally, just then, Ross slammed on the breaks and Brad once again hit the side of the pick-up.  But this time, he landed in a corner and decided that he would just stay there.

The corner looked pretty cozy... pretty safe.  Safer than the toolbox.  So, I let go and let myself fall into the back of the truck.  Unfortunately, I landed on a chainsaw and my bare foot hit a roll of barbed wire from previously mentioned fencing project.  So my little toe was all cut up.  But like I said, the corner represented safety, so when I got to one, I stayed there.

The crazy chase wasn't enough to scare the cow through the gate, but I guess she decided the fence would be OK.  So she went right through the middle of it.  (Cows!)  One more fence to fix before we could go home...

After the cow was safely on the inside, and fences mended, I asked Brad if he wanted back on the tool box.  He shook his head, a definate "NO!"  However, Aaron joined and made a third passenger, Brad decided the tool box would be okay if he was the middle passenger.  We decided we had just experienced something far better than a carnival ride (though neither one of us wanted a second ride... ever).