ImAGiNiFF Jeff ran over the neighbours cat - would he...

a. run over it again to make sure it was dead.
b. leave it.
c. move it to the road and make it look like someone else did it.
d. tell the neighbours what happened.
e. cry

I had my doubts at first, but I am discovering Montana is a pretty cool place. Jeff is a great host and we have been busy seeing the sights that Montana has to offer us. Our first day here was spent touring the Schutter family farm via four-wheelers (my favorite mode of transportation). We saw about 12 bald eagles and some cool mountain views, buffalo jumps, deer etc. Sunday was family dinner, and then in the afternoon we did some shooting of clay pigeons. That's right, me and a shot gun, and I even made some good shots. Monday we toured Bozeman. Jeff took us to some cool music stores, little shops, and second hand book stores! Yeah I found a book I have been looking for for a long time! 1913 original copy! We also went to a museum, it had dinosaurs. I felt like was there with two 8 year old boys. They were very giddy. Tuesday we went to Yellowstone and we saw at least 500 elk, 250 buffalo, and 30 pronghorns. Very cool. We saw the Mammoth Hot Springs which rank like ass, but they were super cool and we had a nice trek through the snow. Wednesday was spent on the slopes. We had snow all day and skied in at least a couple feet of powder - wonderful. I also saw big horned sheep and mountain goats (which Jeff and Mike missed much to their dismay - muhaha). Today we relaxed for a while cause we have been going pretty steady. Although I did do some shopping with the Schutter women which was fun. Today I also met Jeff's grandpa - who may be my new favorite person. Wow so cool. He has a bottle collection, just like me. But he has a built in wall case with lights to display them. I had a great time learning about all his milk bottles and parafinalia. He even sent me home with one of his bottles, so sweet. He also said "I can't remember where the crap it is," and "this shit really makes a mess." I laughed a lot, because those are perfect words to use in almost all situations. Love Jeff's grandpa.
Evenings have consisted of good beer, and some more good beer, mixed with special drink making, and games. Yeah for games. Imaginiff, Cranium, Disney Trivial Pursuit, Catchphrase, and Apples to Apples. Jeff's cousin Brad has joined in for the fun and games as well. Brad and I lost to Mike and Jeff in Cranium, but we wasted them in Catchphrase. Well thats it for now. Two more days of fun left.

SPPRIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG BREEEEEAAK!!!

I am updating my blog, I am being harrased by everyone to update so here it is. I hope you are not dissapointed.

The Montana Song!

Montana, Montana,
glory of the west,
of all the States
from coast to coast,
you are easily the best!
Montana Montana
where skies are always blue,
M-O-N-T-A-N-A
Montana I LOVE YOU!

Top 10 of our two traveling days in no particular order:

1. Driving 14 hours in a 1987 Cadillac De Ville (its a ship on the road).
2. Jeff stating that if he ever lived in South Dakota he would be to embarrased to say so and would lie, unless he lived in the Black Hills (which is probably the only way he would be living in SD), and then he would just say he was from the Black Hills (no South Dakota).
3. Laughing all night with Katie about the bucking chicken Burger King commercial.
4. Going to the Corn Palace - not.
5. Mount Rushmore.
6. Turbo - the Schutters cat - my new best friend.
7. Playing a giant slot machine.
8. Drinking Beer.
9. Not taking a crap for 25 cents.
10. ah Mountains.

"Mel is updating her blog, its about fricken time!" - Jeff in a mocking tone

Zuni, El Morro, and Caving (Jan 21 and 22)

Zuni is another type of Native American tribe. Where I am located in Gallup, the majority of people are Navajo, with a few Hopi and Zuni. Zuni is a Pueblo (village) tribe, located 35 miles south of here. They differ from the Navajo in that they live more in a community. Navajo reservations are huge, spread out, with random houses everywhere.

This is a house in Zuni, more on the outskirts of town. One thing I noticed is that many of the homes are not that old (not this one) but get really run down. They don't have the means to up keep the homes.

Zuni is really famous for their bread. They have these ovens outside almost every house. They are built out of mud (sand in these parts). As we drove around the village we saw almost all of them with smoke puffing out. They are really neat. I stopped and talked to a man who said they use the ovens for all sorts of cooking, and if some was not using their oven at the moment they would be later on in the day. Seems so primitive, but makes a lot of sense. You see a few people gathering around talking. I think ovens may be shared by extended families.

Zuni people dress up in costumes called Kachinas. They only put these one a special times, and they are very spiritual. They have ceremonies that are closed off to outsiders, although if you are around on one of those days you are allowed to watch and peek through the windows.

This is actually someone's home. It is not that typical of the area to have shacks like this, but it does paint a picture of the poverty in some of these communities. I have some students that come from homes with no running water or electricity. One of the teachers told me a story about a boy she had in her class. He always missed school once a week, and she could never figure out why. Finally she found out that the family did not have enough clothes to send the all the kids to school, so they had to take turns missing school one day each week to rotate the outfits. So sad.

After spending the better part of the morning in Zuni we headed out to El Morro. This is a National Monument that is basically huge sandstone that has petroglyphics and the like carved into if from 100's of years ago. The base of the rock had basically the only water for miles and miles, therefore a meeting ground for many travelers. We did a mini hike here and actually found out at the top of the rock these ruins where the Natives had lived. Kit Carson had come and was trying to collect the Natives and do a census or something, so he would capture the Natives... which as you can probably assume they did not enjoy, so they fled and hid up on cliffs where they could not be reached.

The rock around this area is just so amazing. Breath taking ever time you look at it. You don't realize just how big the rocks/cliffs are until you get close and start climbing.

This ridiculous picture just happens to be the Dordt girls, tiger style.

I have this new thing where I like to be more adventurous than normal, and conquer things, not actually thinking about what I am doing until later. I have had few brushes with death, one being in this next picture. Caitlin, one of my partners in my adventurism, and I - like to do things that can sometimes be seen by others as slightly stupid. So we decide to go off the trail once again (despite some of the warning we receive from posted signs and those with us) to get a picture out on these cliffy rocks. You see I was wearing my UGG boots on this particular trip because we were not expecting to hike so I am going to blame the brush with death on the boots (which I dearly love anyways). If you look to the left there is this little area that has some snow, well I was over there trying to get higher on the rock, but I yes of course slipped, but below is a plunge to my death, basically straight down over 200 feet - thank my lucky start Caitlin was watching and grabbed my arm. Yes she saved my life, and I piddled in my pants. Yes.

Sunday we skipped church - heathens - and went out to do some spulunking. Fun to say out loud and fun to do. We had helmets, flash lights, and a lot of fun. We went out to this forest and the people who took us just knew there were caves, so there we went, exploring through uncharted territory in deep dark holes in the ground. Yes pitch black, holes, in the ground. This area is all rocky, formed from lava. So the caves are basically volcanic rock. The pictures are slightly deceiving for the fact that the flash lights the picture up. You seriously could not see your hand an inch from your face it was so dark. So creepy and awesome.

We started with the whole group of us spulunking, but we lost a bunch as we proceeded to other caves. It is really claustrophobic, and harder than it looks. We did a lot of crawling through holes and crawling on the ground arm style. This picture is Cara and I perservering and crawling out of the last cave we went in, there was barely room for my body to fit out the hole. -- You gotta love our helmets and Cara's head lamp.

The next picture is actually the last hole that I made it through. I had an amazing day seeing God's creation in a whole new way. If you ever get the chance you need to definitely try it out some time. The one nice thing was that it was not too cold down there, it stays a constant temperature all year round.

Our weekends are truly amazing adventures exploring a new aspect of God's creation that I never could have imagined. You think you have seen it all, but New Mexico just opens your eyes to this whole different world. Red rock, lava, mountains, canyons, crevices, hog backs, cliffs etc.

Albuquerque Round I (Jan 13, 14, 15)

Our first weekend here was a trip to Albuquerque (2 hours east). Jason Shumate's parents reside there and I was invited to go anytime for a weekend away. So I took them up on that, bringing six girls with me. I had the time of my life. They are probably the nicest people I have ever met. So friendly and generous. They were so honoured to have us over. Friday night we hung out at their house and relaxed.

Saturday was some exploring. We found this district called Old Town. It has a plaza surround by shops, as well as a old Catholic church on one side. Shops all around the other sides. Amazing souvinere things - feather head dresses, jewlerey, postcards, Native art, Mexican stuff, and food. We had lunch at this amazing Mexican resturant that was inside an old home. Really cute. Also in this area is a ton of museums, the zoo, science center, art galleries, etc. Very neat area.

Later that night we were taken out to dinner at this yummy Italian resturant called Scarpa's. Went back to the Shumates and played cards.

Overall it was an amazing relaxing weekend. The Shumates have risen to the top of my list of amazing people.

View from the house (Sandia mountains).

The Fakers

I don't dream. I know someone will comment and say yes you do dream, you just don't remember. Well to me I don't dream, I don't ever remember shit. Well last night I had a dream, it was wierd. I am going to share it. So basically I was a member of The Fakers. Yes, don't laugh. I do not have any musical talent AT ALL - making this dream really believeable. Apparently I bought this orange electric guitar at a garage sale, and Jeff had trained me how to play this song, only this song, and for some reason they wanted me to join them playing this song. They were performing on this huge stage and I was up there on the right side by Jeff. But I didn't plug it in (I don't know if that is the right terminology), no sound, but everyone else is playing, and I am faking, well trying, but I didn't know it wasn't pluged in. Jeff got mad at me cause I sucked. The whole song sucked. I woke up confused and depressed. That was my dream. Oh and the guitar was fat and short. Like all stubby. It was strange.

The dream may have stemmed from being depressed about missing every show The Fakers play. Poop nuggets.