Elk, Tillerys and More Elk

Hey Everyone!
Hope all of you are doing well.  This last weekend and the week preceding have been so busy.  Sometimes I'm so busy living the life that I don't record the life.  I need to do better with photos, but what photos I have to give, I give freely.

Last Monday, Dad and James went hunting up on the hill above us, Robinson's hill, Esther and Amori's wipe out hill - that hill.

Dad was just walking out the door for work when Bart showed up on a motorcycle or four wheeler. Bart had been out scoping and there were about 40 head of elk on the hill.  Dad grabbed James, who was off school that day.  They both grabbed their guns and headed out.  I think they need to fill you in on all the juicy details, but they did both shoot and Dad did get a cow elk.  He came back home about noon, left for work and Bart skinned out the elk.  Like I said, I need to improve with the photos.  But here is what is visible now.

Esther was disappointed there was no What's App post, so I told her I would get what I could.  Here it is.

Not a ghost - just the remaining uncut portion of the elk that's still hanging in the garage.

We were still involved in cutting up James' deer from the week or so before, so we had to finish that up before undertaking more. 

 After we had wrapped some steaks and a few roasts, we only had about 35 lbs. of deer meat left.  Which we were thinking of doing part hamburger, part jerky.  It takes 40 lbs of game meat to do one batch of jerky.  Dad added another 5 lbs. of elk meat to complete the batch.  That way we know the quality of the entire batch of jerky.  We finished up the deer by Thursday.

Friday evening the Tillerys arrived, minus Luke.  Chrystal, Cody and Ruby, went up to Grandma's to take a belated card from us for Grandpa's 83rd birthday and to say hi to Aaron and Brent and their families, who were leaving the next morning.  [As a side note, Dad and I had taken Grandma and Grandpa to an amazing concert the night before at the high school in part to celebrate Grandpa's birthday, but that's another story.]

The rest of us got a hot dog roast ready. I had spent most of the day preparing for and taking a math exam.  My brain was worn out.  But I did manage to get clean sheets on our bed for Chrystal and any of her children that might want to sleep there.  Dad spent quite a bit of time preparing liver and onions.  Elk liver.  Chrystal came back. We fed everyone, hot dogs, pork and beans, and brave souls tried liver and onions, even a couple of extra neighbor boys, cousins really, Daryl, Lane and Johnny.  

The next morning, Dad, James and Cody met up with Bart to hunt more elk. They left about 7:30. Cody has a Wyoming license since Luke gives Cody a dual-state thing. I thought they would only be gone 3 or 4 hours and did not send a lunch or anything.  I had potato/egg casserole muffins and pumpkin muffins ready for breakfast the night before, but I slept in some.  Chrystal fed everyone scrambled eggs and pumpkin muffins.  When I got up I warmed up some potato muffins and we sent the hunters on their way.

Chrystal and I enjoyed a walk up the hill and over to our property.

During the day, Chrystal hung a wall grouping for me above the piano that Linda Lee had started in the summer, but I never got finished.  This is the finished hanging.

The mirror that was above the piano is now on the opposite wall.  I love it!  The mirror position now better reflects light from the window which is good for my well-being, to have more light in my space.

I was trying to finish up some school assignments so Chrystal just worked mostly without me.  She cut up a quarter and a half of elk.  Some in bowls for hamburger and some roasts and steaks wrapped and in the freezer.

One of my assignments was to interview a child between the ages of  2 and 6. Ruby is conveniently 6 and I enjoyed interviewing her.  I finished up my school and then helped Chrystal with the remaining cutting.  (Which wasn't much.)  McKay had helped quite a bit too, but he and Zayne would take breaks playing football or jumping on the trampoline outside with all the extra boys that were here.  We had intervals of snow, sunshine, wind and cold, so sometimes they would come inside to warm up.  Movies watched were Lion King and Sorcerer's Apprentice.

After we fed everyone again, Navajo tacos, including a couple extra boys, Caleb and Levi, Chrystal and I cleaned up and left for Kyle and Melissa Heiner's Open House in Freedom.  The hunters still weren't home.

Kyle and Melissa look very happy.  They went to Cancun for their honeymoon.  Melissa served a mission in Argentina so her Spanish ability helped them in Mexico.  Kyle said that people would look at him as if he should be the one who knew Spanish and he would just point to Melissa.  :)  Kyle also asked about Esther, Jared and John, so we gave a bit of an update. Hal and Jann looked very happy too.  Melissa's mother was there, and she, and the already mentioned Heiners, made up the entire receiving line.  Grandma and Grandpa were there socializing when we came and so was Vera Lyn and all the kids except Kaylie and Cameron.  Kaylie's at BYU, liking being a college girl.  Cameron stayed home to be with his dad.  Dallin had to be sure to tell me that he wanted to get together with James.  He remembered playing bananagrams and eating about two loaves of homemade bread and jam the last time he visited us.  

When we got home from the Open House Dad, James and Cody were back.  Bart had gotten a cow about 11 a.m.  After cleaning it out they determined to use pole-like sticks to pack it out.  After hiking out for about three hours, they startled more elk.  Cody shot a cow.  I know for sure he would love to give all y'all the play by play, much better than I could.  He was so excited.  When Chrystal and I pulled in we could see Cody on the phone, talking to his dad.  The first one with whom he shared the great news.

It was about 4:00 p.m. when Cody shot.  By the time it was cleaned out and all it was too dark to do any more hiking.  So they just came home.  It was about 8:30.  The four of them had shared Bart's two sandwiches, that and some Gardettos that Chrystal sent comprised their total nourishment for the day.  Leftover Navajo tacos looked great to them.

Cody's tag and the hat he left behind

Loading Cody's elk

Didn't get a photo of the animal sooner - but I think Cody did.  They decided to take it to the local meat processing place, now called, "The Block" no longer run by Dana's.

Sunday was the Primary program.  Dad sat up on the stand with his class.  I especially loved the closing song - 

After church, Dad, Chrystal, James, Cody and McKay all went up to bring down the two elk.  It was a cold afternoon.  I prepared a birthday dinner for Dad.  Elk roast, mashed potatoes, salad, broccoli, rolls and oatmeal cake with homemade caramel walnut ice cream.  The elk was a little dry after sitting so long in the crock pot, but it has a good flavor.  A friend told me her favorite way to prepare elk is french dip sandwiches.  I think I will try that soon. Chrystal brought some goodies and gifts too.

Homemade salsa Chrystal made

To go with chips

Best tasting milk - Dad's favorite!

New shirt for birthday

By the time dinner was over, there was still some skinning to do, I think.  Cody and Dad went up to Bart's where the animals were.  In the meantime, Grandma, Grandpa and Vera Lyn and kids all came for cake and ice cream. (Esther - Kenyan asked about you)  Dad came back since he was a guest of honor for dessert.  After singing "Happy Birthday" to both Dad and Grandpa, I had to slip out for a stake meeting.  When I came home everything was completely quiet, the house empty, (Dad and James were still up skinning, I think) and Chrystal had left the kitchen spotlessly clean.

My sink hasn't looked this clean in months - thanks Chrystal!

It would have been better to take photos of Chrystal by the clean sink, or the gang of us eating the salsa, or all of us singing "Happy Birthday", as I said, I'll have to get better at recording it all.

Here's the video of my interview with Ruby.

Here's the closing song from the Primary Program - which we've decided is our theme for our trek. "Choose Him Again".

We love you all!  

Mom and Dad