Back to School

Hola Elder Nielsen,

Another week came and left.  They seem to be flying by too fast.  This past week was a very busy week for me at work, as it is the last week before school starts and all the students want their money.  So I worked until 7 pm every night.

On Thursday around 5:05 pm we heard all these sirens outside our office and they were stopping in front of the east state center.  So we walked over there and there was a wreck.  A car had hit a guy on a motorcycle and the guy was trapped underneath the car.  I guess the guy was dead as nobody was working on him.  Come to find out, it was Cammie Hernandez’s husband that was killed.  She was spring creek’s girls soccer coach and they were in Reno for games that day.  They had only been married for about 5 weeks.  He was from Elko, 25 years old named Stephen Crow.  I did not know him, but Chelsea probably went to school with him.  It was sad.  Someone said he was doing a wheelie on a dirt bike without a helmet and drifted over into the oncoming traffic in the other lane.

Saturday, I went out antelope hunting by myself.  Summer had a birthday party and did not want to go.  But it is hard when you are alone trying to spot the antelope.  I drove to Carlin and went north up to Tuscarora.  Which is the eastern side of my area.  I stopped and talked to a Rancher about getting permission to hunt the Maggie creek ranch and he said, I needed to talk to John Griggs.  So we will have to talk to Griggs to get permission.  There were rabbits by the 100’s and I saw 6 coyotes.  I did not shoot at any as I did not have permission.  As I was driving on the maid road from Tuscarora where you and I would always hunt.  I pulled over and was glassing and I spotted a herd buck with about 4  does about 2 miles out.  So I found a place to pull the truck over and went on a 3-4 hour stock.  When I finally got to the area, I could not find them anywhere.  I hiked all over hoping to see them, but never did.  I am not sure how big he was, but he was running those does around.  It was too hard to tell from that distance.  I also spotted a lone buck off the side of the road.  I pulled over and went over there and he was barely legal, if he was legal.  His horns were barely above his ears.  So I passed on him.  I did not see many more antelope and only about 4 other hunters.  Everyone else had either got theirs or cleared out.  So I drove the 4 wheeler around more, but did not see any antelope.  For the evening hunt I thought I would go back by the area where I saw the herd buck.  I drove around but did not see anything.  So I saw this road that headed back into the mountains that I have never been on.  I drove up it for about 5 miles and I was seeing antelope poop all over the road, so I thought I would see something.  I drove up to the one area and there was a pond there, so the antelope had water.  It was starting to get dark, so I started heading back to the truck and on the way back I saw 4 antelope sprinting off to my right.  So I stopped the 4-wheeler and put my binos on them.  They were all bucks, and a couple had pretty good size.  So I grabbed my gun, loaded a bullet and picked out the biggest one I could see ( all in a matter of 3 seconds) and I shot and I heard a whack.  So I thought I got him.  They were about 300-400 yards out.  But when I shot, all 4 took off running as fast as they could and I thought I missed. (I should learn to never 2^nd guess myself as I rarely miss, haha)  I seem to shot better in the quick situation when you don’t have a lot of time to think.  They ran over a hill and down out of sight.  So I got back on the 4-wheeler and started to drive off.  But I saw them start going up the mountain on the other side. So I started glassing them and there were only 3.  I thought, what happened to the 4^th.  So I grabbed my gun and headed over there where they disappeared and when I got down to the bottom on the other side I saw the buck and he jumped up and started running again and I shot and finished him off.  My 1^st shot had gone through his back hind quarters and broken his leg, but you could not tell the way he was running.  But the bullet ricocheted off the bone and went down through his guts, and half of his guts were hanging out, so I had basically got shot him.  But since he ran up and down the other side almost to the bottom, I was able to drive the 4-wheeler right up to him.  The hill where I 1^st shot him would have been too steep.  So I left my gun, binos, spotting scope and back pack up on the dirt road, and drove all the way to him.  I did not take time to gut him as I wanted to be able to find my way back to the truck before dark.  So I barely got him on the back and took off back up the mountain.  Made it to the dirt road and got my other supplies and headed back to the truck.  I got there right at dark.  I could have used the extra muscles. Trying to lift and secure the buck on their by myself was like trying to cling and jerk 200 lbs.  It was tough.  I gutted him from the back of the truck as I did not know if I could lift him back into the back of the truck.  It was about 8:30 pm, so I thought I better get home, so mom did not worry and I skinned him at home.  Since he was gut shot, he was pretty stinky and Adelaide came out and said, oh that stinks.  “ It smells like really bad morning breath.” 

He is definitely not a mounter, but I think he is a little bigger than the 1^st buck I got.  I am not sure and I have not compared yet.  So I think he is a little bigger than yours.  But I did not want to keep going out there alone. My class starts tomorrow and I need to get things done for that, I have taxes to do and I would have to wait 5 years to reapply whether I got one of not.  So I just got some jerky meat.

Our freezer went out as you know, and Paul Blackburn asked us if we knew of anyone who needs a freezer.  So mom said yes, ours just went out.  So that is a blessing.  Especially when mom gets her big old bull elk.

Well I hope you are staying cool.  Have you worn those wool pants we bought at mens warehouse?  I have worn the pair you left and I about die every Sunday with the heat.  I think that guy was pulling our leg when he said wool would breathe and be cooler.

Have a super week.  We love you and pray for you daily.  Enjoy this special time in your life when you are a full time representative of Jesus Christ.

We love you,

Dad

No luck on my antelope hunt

 Hola Elder Nielsen,

Well, I blinked and there went another week.  This was really busy.  I have been working until about 7 as we are trying to get all the students award before school starts.  GBC and the other schools start on the 31st.  Summer got her school schedule and she got Mrs. Maderas, so she is happy.

On Sat. my antelope hunt started and I had to recruit Summer to help me spot the antelope.  But we spotted 50 antelope, 10 bucks, and she only spotted one of those and that was outside my area.  We went in Soldier Creek, an area to the left of the main road, but it was before the area where you and I hunted on your hunt.  We saw 2 groups of bachelor bucks, one group of 3 and one group of 4.  I was half tempted to shot one, but I think it might have been smaller than the one you shot.  So I passed on all of them.  One buck we saw, was some what decent, but it ran over the ridge and out of sight before I could get the 4 wheeler stopped and the glasses on him.  It was in the low 90's, so it was really hot.  The only way Summer would go is if I could get her back for the ward back to school ward BBQ.  We left the area right about 5 when the evening hunt was starting to get good. We were an hour late to the BBQ, but we were hot and hungry so the food was great.

Today we went to our Sacrament meeting and sunday school, then we went to listen to Jason Wilson's farewell.  He did a good job, and courtney welch sang and did a good job.  Bro. Wilson invited us over to their house afterwards to discuss his job opportunity for me.  He said it is getting crazy and they need me right away.  Their business in central america is growing like crazy but it is the most dangerous place  in the world.  I would have security guards 24 7 watching me.  We will have to pray and see what the Lord thinks.

Erin spoke at the seminary fireside tonight, so we went to that to hear her talk.  She did a great job.  She said, she has spoken 8 times now since she got home.  She and I have to speak in the spanish branch next week.

Have a super week.  Is it raining like crazy there?  We love you and pray for your success.  Keep working and studying hard and being obedient and the Lord will bless you always.

Love,

Dad

Lots to tell you

Magandang gabi,

 
We received an email from your mission president with the pictures of you and your new comp and with you and your President and his wife.  We are not sure when your p-day is, so I am writing this in case it is Monday.  That way you will have a letter from us. 
 
Last weekend was fun.  We got up around 4 am to do the paper route and then showered and got ready to go to Brigham City UT for Nathan Nielsen's sealing in the temple there. We thought we had to get on the road by 7 am to make it in time.  We were all ready and packed and ready to go and I went out to start the truck which was parked behind the suburban and it would not start.  I tried a few times and the battery eventually died.  So now we have a dead truck behind the suburban and can't get the suburban out to go.  We tried jump starting the truck and that did not work.  Mom asked if we could take the van. I did not want to be stranded half way across the desert.  We were going north of Oasis to Snowville, ID on the back roads where we went with bob hayes on your elk hunt.  It is a lonely 2 lane highway and I did not trust the van.  So we tried moving all the junk in the garage to see if I could some how manuver the suburban around and get it past the truck.  We tried about a 30 point turn back and forth, but the front end of the suburban was going to hit the wall in the garage by the living room.  So we had to back out the truck, where the back end is past the side walk and we finally got the suburban out.  Then we tried to push the truck back into the driveway and we could not budge it an inch. So now it is 8:11 am and I wanted to be on the road at 7.  Well we were going over to Hermana Botts on Sunday any way, so we tried to make it.  I was going about 85 across that 2 lane highway north of the Great salt lake.  We were north of antelope island.
 
We were flying and we got to Brigham City about 15 minutes before teh sealing and we thought, great we are going to make it.  We did not have directions to the temple, but we could see it so we were just driving towards the temple.  We came to some railroad tracks and of course there was a train moving about 5 mph.  I could have walked faster.  We we waited there for probably 10 minutes and then the train finally passed and we hurried up to the temple and they were waiting for us there.  When mom and erin went in, they asked are you the folks from Elko, we said yes, and they hurried us right up to the sealing room where everyone was waiting.  We got there right at 1 pm utah time when it was starting.  The sealing was very nice. The sealer was from Malad and did a great job.  Nate's wife is a farm girl from a little town in northern utah called Corinne.  She seemed like a very nice girl, a return missionary, etc.  The sealing only took like 20 minutes and we were out taking pictures outside the temple.  Summer just watched adelaide and Carly on the temple grounds.  Then we all went over to Maddox's, a nice resturant and had a nice lunch.  It was really good.  Amber had to work that morning and she traveled down from rexburg and met us after lunch.  We went to their reception in Corinne and it was a very pleasant evening.  Afterwards, we went to visit Dirk and Pam Bleazard and thought perhaps we could stay with them as it is closer to Hermana Botts place in Kaysville, instead of driving all the way back to Sharon's place.  Well we stayed there until like 10:30 pm and mom did not feel right about asking them if we could stay, so we left and drove to Hermana bott's place trying to find it in the dark.  We could not find  the street, Amber and Erin was following us in the Camry, so we just found a vacant lot area, and pulled over and slept in the car.  Or tried to sleep in the car.  We did that when we were in Wyoming on our elk hunt.  So we thought it would be good for the other younger kids to experience that.  We woke up Sunday morning and we were only about 3 blocks from Hermana Bott's church, Erin could see the steeple, so we drove to the church and went inside the bathrooms to freshen up and get our church clothes on.  We went to the 9 am sacratmeeting since we were there and then Hermana Bott's sacratmeeting was at 11 am.  Both meeting were really nice.  In the 9 am meeting, a lady spode who Connie recognized and she use to be in our ward in Elko.  I did not recognize her from Adam, but she recognized me and came down and talked to us after the meetings.  We went to Hermana Bott's house after their meeting and they had some food and a good little get together.  It was nice to meet Hermana Bott in person.  She and Erin are really close and we loved her before we met her.  Erin's mission president and his wife were there, so it was nice to meet them.  Afterwards, we traveled back to Elko and got home around 7 or 7:30 pm.
 
On Tuesday and wednesday I had to travel to Winnemucca to meet with students.  It was nice to get home and be done from our travels for a while.  In Utah we were crossing the street and had to push the botton, so we could cross and Addie asked if she could push it again.  And I said, sure, you can push it as many times as you like.  It would make a beep sound each time she pushed it.  And she asked me, Dad, do you know everything about life?  I answered in the affirmative, of course.
 
Yesterday, saturday, I made some jerky and tried to would on Amber's car.  Some one broke the window mecanism in the back and the window would not stay up at all.  So Amber and I tore the back door panel off and I put a board in there to make shift it to stay up.  I am not sure how it will hold up, but it has to be better than having the window down the entire time, especially with winter coming up.  Then I replaced her brake light as that was out as well.  Erin and Amber spent most of the week watching family videos and laughing at Chelsea.  They would video tape it with their phone or ipod and send it to chelsea.  They were laughing and rolling on the ground the entire time. 
 
Bishop Perkins in the 4th ward is moving to Damonte Ranch area in REno, so this is his last sunday and they will have to replace him.  I think that is about 5 bishops they have replace in 1.5 years in the stake presidency.
 
Leigha Zisler's mom came in to see me on Friday.  She said Leigha had not heard from you yet, so I told her where she could go to read your blog that chelsea is keeping for you and gave her you email address.  She is going to college at Boise STate.  We visited for about 1/2 hour.  I told her you only have an hour on the computer and so you don't have alot of time to write or respond to emails.
 
Jacob Conklin's mom came over thursday night and asked if I could write Jacob a fatherly letter and try to encourage him.  I guess he was feeling inadequate or missing home and was discouraged.  I had already written him a little note replying to his letter letting him know he had your email address incorrect.  Then President Esplin told me today that he had come home Friday night.  So that is not good.  We are not sure all the details, but we can just love him and pray for him.
 
We are having the family that watches Chica over for dinner tonight. (Mel's parents) To pay them back for watching Chica so much.  I guess, Chica was stealing their shoes  as well.  So it is not just us.  She steals everyones shoes.
 
Jason Wilson's farewell is next sunday and we will go to that.
 
Well, we hope you are enjoying your new companion.  Remember to be obedient in every thing.  We love you and pray for you daily.  Keep working and studying hard. Represent the Lord the best you can.  Do everything that he would day and do.
 
Love,
 
Dad

Counting down the Summer

Hola Elder Nielsen,

It was really hot in California.  We went to church to all 3 meetings at church in California.  They were good meetings.  Then we went back and had dinner at Grandma's and got things ready to go.  We left around 3:30 pm but there was an accident over Donner's Summit and we had about an 1.5 hour delay.  Traffic was stopped and backed up for about 8 miles.  So we did not get home until 10:30 pm.  Then Monday morning I left for Pahrump to meet w/ students.  It was a long trip and very hot down there.  About 108 every day.  We just got back tonight at 7:30 pm about 45 minutes ago.  And I told mom we have to write out letters.

Other than that, I met a few Filipinos down there that I was trying my Tagalog on.  It was kind of fun.  Also, in the hotel we met a family from Italy at breakfast that I was talking to.  I was speaking Spanish and they were speaking Italian and we were understanding each other.  Their son spoke well in English.  There were lots of people from France at the hotel.  We have not done any scouting for mom's elk as I figured we would go deer hunting for summer up there in those areas looking for mom's bull.  That was we can kill too birds with one stone.  My antelope hunt starts in 2 weeks.

This weekend we will be going to Utah for Nathan Nielsen's wedding and then on Sunday we will go to Hermana Bott's home coming.

Addie lost one of her teeth this week.  It came out while she was eating breakfast.

Is it raining a lot there.  One of the ladies that works at the college in Pahrump is from the Philippines and she is from Quezon City.  She said it is part of Manila and a big city. 

Have a super week. Only one more week to go in the MTC and then it will be game time.  Time for the real deal.  We are excited for you.  Keep working, praying and studying hard.  The Lord will bless you for your efforts.  We love you and pray for you daily.

Love

Dad