Welcome Back Y'all!

      Welcome back. Whether it is you have been on a killer summer vacation and have been unplugged or are returning to school, a good welcome back is always in order.

My summer often meant long mornings watching the Today Show with my cuddly not-so-lap dog Maize. And usually if my overly active 2 year old Border Collie wasn't cuddling with me (it usually wasn't long lasting) she was bringing me a ball. I am beginning to believe that she believes that if she cuddles or a short period, I will be more inclined to throw her ball. She is a little too smart for her own good I would say.

     Once again, I find myself searching for a reason why I haven't posted in a forever. It isn't like I am a busy person anymore, matter of fact I am not very busy at all. All it is is pure laziness. So this little post is going to be a hell of a packed post. I'll give a not so quick thanks for all those who worked on the Soda Fire and quick recap of my life during those firey five days, a quick recap of all the not very exciting things that consumed my summer months, and my top song picks of the summer. Hang on folks, its going to be a wild ride.
       So I want to start off this very important post with a huge thank you to all the firefighters, both BLM and local crews. It was amazing to see crews from Rhode Island, New Jersey, New Mexico, Alaska, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and more come and help with a fire that has affected my community so greatly. I also want to send my thoughts and prayers to all those ranchers who summer range on the Owyhee Mountains, your loss of cattle and prime grazing land will never have a monetary compensation large enough to cover the emotional detriment of this tragedy. Burning around 300,000 acres, the Soda Fire was the largest fire in the nation and the second largest that the nation has ever seen.

Every day, my middle sister, Natalie, and I would keep track of the progress of the Soda Fire through binoculars. We attempted to take some pictures through the lenses. We had just mild success with this picture. 

The community will suffer from this loss for years to come. But what gives me hope is the fact that the community itself is strong and does not back down to help those in greater need then themselves. On the second day of the fire, there was a group of 10+ people, my parents and myself included, who drove trucks and trailers to help evacuate those who needed to. We picked up cattle and horses and important belongings and lodged them at our home. Please don't take that as a way to toot my own horn, we were doing it to help those who didn't have the means to do so. For the next days following, we rushed to help our rancher friends to fight the fire that approached their homes and barns. When the flame receded enough that we could ride onto the range, we spent days looking for surviving cattle and horses. Chills still run down my body as I think of the animals who expired because of the flames and the tears that ran down the cheeks of leathery men and women who look at their livestock that they were unable to rescue. The scene was grim, but it is the reality that became our lives. But we will rebuild, because we are strong as individuals and even stronger with our community, we will survive this. We don't have a choice. And for those who are wondering if my home or animals were ever in danger, the answer is no. Luckily we were on the east side of the Snake River, so no matter if the fire had moved its way through Homedale and Marsing, there was never a chance that our property was in danger. That fact alone made our location a great place to house evacuated animals.
      Again, thank you for the men and women who worked around the clock to stop a fire that had no intentions of stopping. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
       So lets move on to less heavy stuff.
       Over the summer, when I wasn't teaching swimming lessons, I worked for a guy who has a hobby wool farm moving pipe. It was a humbling experience to say the least. It made me realize that not all people who have a farm (no matter how big or small, industrial or hobby) think like a farmer. The job also taught me patience and understanding that no matter how great my way works, there is always other ways to get the job done. And as my summer was coming to a close, I got the opportunity to go with my dad on a work trip from Caldwell, through Vale, OR, to Burns, OR, to Bend, OR, then up to The Dalles, OR, across to Hermiston, OR, to Pasco, WA, and then back to Caldwell. Rarely do I get a lot of one-on-one time with my father now that I am in college so it was cool to not only see some countryside that I hadn't seen before but hang out with me and see what he does for a job.

This was one of my meals when I went on my trip with my dad. Honestly the best steak I have ever had. And that asparagus! GAH! It was just so good I couldn't resist to take a picture. Yep I am a Foodie. 

Washington and Oregon have some pretty sweet bridges that cross the Columbia River, this being one that connects Pasco, WA with Kennewick, WA.

      And there you have it people, literally my summer with the exception of a few fairs and rodeos here and there and minor details, but that is the gist. I am honestly envious of those of you who got to go and do amazing things. I was also super sad when my Facebook and Instagram was littered with pictures of FFA members going to their different officer trainings, WLC, and other FFA events. I miss going to all those things. But I am glad to see that y'all had a fun and eventful summer.
      Although it didn't take up a lot of time, there was always music playing in the background. Needless to say I found a few more songs that I thought that y'all would like to enjoy.

Keep on Lovin' You- Steele Magnolia

Lose My Mind- Brett Eldredge

John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16- Keith Urban

I Feel a Sin Comin' On- Pistol Annies

Sugar- Maroon 5

Picture- Kid Rock ft. Sheryl Crow

Over My Head- Jon Pardi

Heart of Dixie- Danielle Bradbery

Crazy in Love- Sofia Karlberg

Crash and Burn- Thomas Rhett

Tennessee Whiskey- Chris Stapleton

Life- The Cadillac Three

Want to Want Me- Jason Derulo

Stupid- Kacey Musgraves

Biscuits- Kacey Musgraves 

Dime Store Cowgirl- Kacey Musgraves

     As you can see, I was (and still am) on a Kacey Musgraves kick.If you haven't heard of that chick, go check her out, she never disappoints. 

     Now I know that some of those are not new, but they just fit my summer and became my constant playlist. Literally if you look at my iTunes account you will see that those songs are my top played. It wasn't an uncommon thing to see me flailing around in the yard or using my pitch fork handle as my microphone while I was feeding because I was jamming out all the time. Matter of fact, I was washing dishes after cooking dinner for my boyfriend and myself and without knowing it, I began to dance uncontrollably int he most fish out of water way. After a short time I saw him leaning against the wall laughing. In between his bouts of laughter he sputtered about how silly I looks dancing around and how I had managed to get dish soap all the way down the front of my shirt. What can I say, I go all in. 

     Anywhoo, I leave y'all with this whirlwind of a blog post. I cannot wait to continue this blogging experience on a more regular basis. Off to one of my genetics classes I go. Have a good school year everyone, learn lots and remember that there is growth in a comfort zone and no comfort in a growth zone. 

Until next time!

Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie 

Spud and myself on the anniversary of him coming to live with me.