salmon bones

When I was little my Dad told me something that he had made up. However, I believed it to be true for the next couple of years. He said that if I ate enough salmon bones, the little round ones that make up the spine I believe, that I could fly. So thus began the days of begging Mom to make something with salmon for dinner. When she did I would ask everyone to pick out the salmon bones and to pretty please give them to me. I basically gorged myself on salmon bones from salmon meals whenever possible. For the next couple years I lived with the hope that if I just ate enough that someday, yes someday I would fly like a bird!
Finally my Mom dashed my hopes. I was sad to discover the truth. Although every once in awhile to this day it actually happens in my dreams. I will have finally ate enough salmon bones and I begin to come off of the ground and fly a little.

I learned to not believe everything Dad said after that. Or well ... after the whole "Styrofoam cups come from the moon thing" anyway, although I only believed that for about a week.

-Ashley Trask
-September 20, 2016

Musings from the Ozarks

Prairie Day

by Joshua Trask

We started out bright and early to the George Washington Carver monument for the Prairie Day. When we got there we got in line to see all of the animal skins. They were cool. Fox, badger, bobcat, wolf, otter, skunk, weasel, rabbit...almost every kind of animal skin was there!
Next we went to the fire rescue station. It was a little place where they told about Smoky Bear. They had a bunch of gear for fighting fires.
We were accompanied by two families that we know and surrounded by a ton of people that we didn't know.
Then we went to see the live animals. There was a turtle and a prairie king snake. Mom freaked out about the snake!
We looked at all of the plants and held Monarch butterflies. We saw them all hatching out of their cocoons.
We then went to the Junior Ranger Station. They gave us little books to fill out.
We went to see the old fashioned toys. My favorite was the "ball in cup" toy.
Then we went on the trail to George Washington Carvers house. We met Ashley's English teacher there. He was cooking a bunch of yummy food and he wouldn't let us eat any of it!
At George Washington Carver's  house we listened to a lot of old fashioned music like guitar and banjo.
Back on the trail a seven foot black snake crossed the trail and Mom freaked out even MORE!
We went back to the Junior Ranger Station and all got Prairie Day badges.
After we left we had a fun time eating at Braums. It was a really great day!

Trip to the Little Grand Canyon

by Levi Trask

Our whole family went on a looonnng trip and we finally made it to the Little Grand Canyon. The first trail we went on was a trail that brought us to a look out place so we could look down at the cave. Then we went on another trail and it led to a stream. We all had fun climbing up a trail that led to a big rock. Then we went on a long dirt trail, we saw a rabbit on the trail. It was really cool seeing it. We were wanting to go down to the cave. We thought we could get down to it by going to the parking lot, cutting through the woods, and going down the ravine. But Elias came running saying he knew the way to it. We jumped the fence and hiked through the dry creek bed. We finally found the cave. It was HUGE!  We had to go through a dark place to make it out the other side. We made it to the little cave. It was filled with sinking sand type mud.
After we left we were starving so Dad took us to Colton's Steakhouse. It was filled with all sorts of animals hanging on the walls. We ate a bunch of delicious food. It was awesome!
We got home at midnight. Joshua was so annoying taking up the whole seat because he fell asleep.
But it was still an awesome day!

A Big Explore

by Elias Trask

We went on a big exploration. We walked for hours until we came to a path. We sat down and drank our drinks, but I couldn't sit down because Joshua and Levi disturbed a hive of hornets. We ran until we came to a cow pasture gate. We climbed into the field and were looking for a trap that had been there before. We couldn't find it. Joshua and Levi said they saw the cows, I didn't believe them. Then I saw the cows too and got scared. Our dog Koda came chasing after the cows, I climbed the fence because I was so scared. Levi saw a bull. We all got out of the field and ate apples. We walked and walked to a pond. We shot our guns but we didn't shoot any bullfrogs. Levi yelled, "a badger, a rabbit, no a fox!" But it was none of those. We actually don't know what it was but whatever it was, it was weird. It left too quick to see what it was.
We tried to get bullfrogs but still couldn't. On our way home I lost my shoe in the mud. So I walked the rest of the way with one shoe and a sock. We finally got home and I took a bath.

A note from Dylan

Hi! Hope you are doing good! I am! I have been busy with cleaning, making breakfast, fixing the mower, mowing, riding horses, helping dad do bodywork and painting on cars trucks and tractors, school, working on my truck some and driving it, and playing my guitar! I've learned quite a few songs on my guitar that I can sing to, and it's allot of fun! Summer sure seemed to go by so fast! I'm excited that falls here! I'm not really looking forward to winter though, although it shouldn't be too bad! When it gets a little cooler we are gonna go fishing with our neighbor in his boat! That'll be fun! Well, I hope you have a good day/night! 

-Dylan

The Squeal
by Ashley Trask

The squeal usually does not come in the early morning hours while it is still cool. It may come in the late morning though, as the sun begins to shine bright. It may come at any hour of the afternoon. During the hottest part of the day one can be sure of hearing the loud bothersome sound. It may burst forth in the evening as well. A person can never be quite certain when it will shout the squeal it has been holding back. The squeal has caused people to jump a little and give the double look. They look to see where it came from and soon find out. Once they do they scurry away as fast as they can. This disturbing squeal is actually a sound of relief to the owners of what is producing the squeal. To the owners of the squealing contraption it is a sound for which the aching ears rejoice to hear.

Might the reader be curious as to what the squealer actually is?

Too bad, I am ending the story here.

Just kidding. The crazy squealing object is my Dad's car, a Nissan Sentra. The air conditioner compressor will not stop attempting to quit on us. So, when the car squeals it means that the compressor is kicking back on. At times we go to great lengths to hear that squeal. Once it does let out the giant squeal we sigh with gladness because cold air blows through the vents onto our sweating selves.

The Horse Whisperer

by Paige Trask

It was a very busy Saturday, but we were all looking forward to one thing, The Horse Whisperer Event! We got everybody ready to go, and we were off!! When we arrived we got seated in the bleachers, and then went and got some food! It was absolutely delicious, ESPECIALLY the snow cones! :) And we all got like 3 cans of soda, which isn't very normal for us. Anyways, on with the show....or, uh, story. We got to jump in the bouncy houses, and we had a race in a different bouncy house too! That was fun. When we got back to our bleachers, which Dylan had saved for us, the sun was just setting. It was so beautiful! Then the Horse Whisperer man came out. He lunged his horse, then saddled it, and finally started riding. Each thing he did, he explained in a spiritual  manner. He rode bridle less, and said that it was like putting your trust in God. It was all really neat! We all had such a fun time, and got little cowboy New Testaments. Elias really liked those, because he wants to be a cowboy!
Anyways, that's all I could think of, so I really hope we can see ya'll soon!

-JoKeS-

Q. Why did the chicken cross the road?

A. To go to your house.

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Did you already forget? The chicken of course!

Q. What stops then goes then stops then goes?
A. A blonde at a blinking red light.

Q. What is green, red, and black and goes 200 mph?
A. A frog in a blender.


Must Do Autumn Activities!

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."
-William Cullen Bryant

Buy pumpkin spice creamer and use it in your coffee. It's delicious. The end.

Breathe in the cool, crisp air and feel cozy in sweaters.

Listen to the sound of leaves crunching under your feet.

But pick up a few colorful leaves for collecting before you crush them to pieces.

Bake a pumpkin pie.

the squeal

The squeal usually does not come in the early morning hours while it is still cool. It may come in the late morning though, as the sun begins to shine bright. It may come at any hour of the afternoon. During the hottest part of the day one can be sure of hearing the loud bothersome sound. It may burst forth in the evening as well. A person can never be quite certain when it will shout the squeal it has been holding back. The squeal has caused people to jump a little and give the double look. They look to see where it came from and soon find out. Once they do they scurry away as fast as they can. This disturbing squeal is actually a sound of relief to the owners of what is producing the squeal. To the owners of the squealing contraption it is a sound for which the aching ears rejoice to hear.

Might the reader be curious as to what the squealer actually is?

Too bad, I am ending the story here.

Just kidding. The crazy squealing object is my Dad's car, a Nissan Sentra. The air conditioner compressor will not stop attempting to quit on us. So, when the car squeals it means that the compressor is kicking back on. At times we go to great lengths to hear that squeal. Once it does let out the giant squeal we sigh with gladness because cold air blows through the vents onto our sweating selves.

-Ashley Trask
-September 22, 2016

traveling

I do not understand the people who complain about Walmart being such a long drive for them. It is on the other side of the town they live in. They are home bodies who do not care for stepping outside of the house they live in. They would rather stay in the confining walls instead of traveling any distance. They see the same thing day after day. Somehow for reasons I cannot comprehend, that does not bother them.

On the other hand, I ache to leave my house. I cannot stay cooped in for too long. At times drapetomania fills me. Please understand, I have wanted to leave ever since I figured out roads were made to take me anywhere I want to go. I love any minute spent in a vehicle getting to somewhere other than what is familiar. When I get to cruising down the road, it is hard for me to stop. If traveling were free it would be rare for anyone to see me again. I suppose one could say that I am homesick for the unknown.

I have a strong desire to see new sights. My ears are eager to hear new sounds and foreign languages. I crave food I have never tasted before. My feet want to run and explore on new ground. I want to see the moon shine on the other side of the world and be changed by it.

Life was never meant to be lived in one place. If it was then we would have roots instead of legs. Life is short and this world is wide. We should travel as far as we can for as long as we can.

-Ashley Trask

-September 24, 2016

wanted:

Wanted (so very bad):

A week staying in a little farm house surrounded by pastures full of cows and horses. Everyday of that week we will get up at five in the morning to go round up seventy plus cows with the four wheeler and herd them to the milk barn. The cold air was biting our faces as we shot through the field in the dark on the four wheeler, clinging to the bars on the back with gloved hands. Once they are all gathered together we will then hook them up seven at a time to the milking machines. I miss helping out by cleaning off the cows udders. It was humidly warm in the milk barn while being bitterly cold outside. This made the windows of the milk barn fog up incredibly. So while waiting on the cows we will play hang man on the windows together.
Please let me feed the baby calves their bottles when the milking is finished! Seeing their big chocolate eyes and feeling their impatient tugs on the bottle will make my day. I miss this.

After breakfast we will go do more tough farm work, bring it on because I am ready. We will be hauling feed to the cows, watering the horses, and picking a ton of rocks out of the garden plot. Then perhaps we could go saddle up the horses for a good ride together, singing silly songs as we bounce along. When the trail ride is done we can take a breather and hang out on the trampoline with the rope swing above it. I recall the time when we sat on the trampoline and played a memory game for hours. We were rolling in laughter by the time it was through. In the evening we would play tag on top of the rows upon rows of hay bales for hours at a time. I miss that.

Then it will be time for milking once more before a big dinner. Afterward we would play hide and seek in the dark or rope each other for practice. We would head off to bed early so that we would wake up refreshed the next morning, ready to do it all over again. We will be feeling exhausted but wonderful after a productive day of work and fun together. I miss that feeling.

Staying with this family, at this farm, is all just a memory in my head now. The few times we stayed with them were some of the most enjoyable times in my life. We became close friends and had fun together in abundance. I loved the work always needing to be done on their huge farm. The first paragraph was from the week in winter when we stayed with them. The second and third were from a week of summertime at their place. I just miss them and the fun we had together.

-Ashley Trask
-September 27, 2016

entertainment

I read a few shocking statistics in a book today. I know that entertainment can fill up a lot of time. For those who watch TV it is an overwhelming amount of time. Add time spent on our phones and it blows the mind. Here is a sample of the statistics:

The average American spends around one thousand hours a year watching TV. By the time they reach sixty five they will have watched TV for almost ten years of their life. That is just plain old depressing.
Now for the middle aged and younger generation we are looking at five hours a day spent online via computer, phone, or tablet. In a lifetime we will have spent fourteen years connected to the Internet. Add TV time to that and a quarter of a century will have been filled with staring at one screen or another. This could be worse than a prison sentence.
Smart phones ... a whopping eighty percent of users are found to check their smart phone within fifteen minutes of waking up in the morning. Others check their phones repeatedly all day long, almost as if they have a nervous tic. One in four Americans will not go to the bathroom without their phone in hand.
I have not brought up video games yet! One hundred fifty five million Americans regularly play video games. Four out of every five households have a device used to play video games. So now if we add in gaming time it is reported that children are spending an average of seven hours a day facing a screen. They sit for at least another six hours in school.
Childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate. Hmm, perhaps it has something to do with technology at their hands in abundance. Snacking goes hand in hand with technology and pretty soon a day consists of sitting and snacking. Technology also interferes with sleeping. On average a sleep deprived person will consume an extra three hundred calories per day. They will snack more frequently than a well rested person. With texting being the means of communicating with friends, it is causing a lack of true communication/doing activities with friends. Children today do not do what I did as a child. Going outside to run, bike, and go on adventures with friends is foreign to them. They are missing out on burning calories. They cannot properly release built up energy. Socializing with friends does not happen. All of this leads to not only physical health problems but suffering in their mental and behavioral health as well.

I do not want years of my life to be spent online, facing a screen. We are at a time that we need to use our phones/Internet. I know we have no way around that as it is how this generation does a number of things. But to waste literal years of our life by spending it looking at a screen? No thank you.

I do not want a computer or phone to become the closest relationship I have. Sadly that is what is happening to most people in our world today. They spend most of their waking hours on their phones instead of with family members and friends. Real people and real relationships are being put on the back burner these days. When we go out to eat we see couples sitting at tables. But instead of looking at the person opposite them at the table, they are staring down at lit up phone screens.

The greatest tragedy is people do not realize what they are missing. They feel as though they have a full life and are keeping up with everyone via social media. But it is all superficial. It is an empty life. In fact studies have shown that having trouble logging off is leading to stress and depression instead of "happiness".

Lets use our phones and computers when needed. But after the needs are met lets log off. Lets get outside and see the places that most are only seeing on TV. Lets keep ourselves fit and healthy by giving our bodies the exercise and proper nutrition needed. Instead of watching the Ninja Warrior lets see what our bodies are capable of, which is actually a lot more than you may think. Lets join in on family conversation around the dinner table. Lets keep our friendships alive and well by being a true friend. We cannot be a true friend if we are never available to talk to. If we are a great distance away letters are way more meaningful than Facebook messaging and we could use phones for what they were originally first used for; talking. Lets have a meaningful life that will not have wasted years that we will regret later on. Lets live life to the full and rid ourselves of the recurrent distractions caused by phones, computers, tablets, TV, and video games.

-Ashley Trask
-September 20, 2016

sibling love.

I found this post from a few years ago that I never posted...talk about melt my heart. I have the sweetest little brothers and sisters.

***

Here recently Dylan noticed that I was feeling rather down and sad one day and he said to me, "I'll take you on a great long four wheeler ride" wanting to cheer me up, he knows me well. :)

Paige and I share a bedroom, we have a bunk bed; she sleeps on the top, I on the bottom. More often than not though she ends up down with me and we end up talking and laughing late into the night sometimes. I like those times. :)


Joshua has such a helpful attitude and also cracks us up a lot with the funny things he comes up with.

Levi, knowing I'm into fishing and hunting, will excitedly tell me any new thing he learns on those topics or will show me new neat things in hunting magazines. It is really cute.

Elias picks me lovely bouquets of wild flowers and before leaving on a big trip recently he said, "Ashley I'm gonna miss you because I can't live a day without you." Awww.

Caden draws and "writes" (has someone else write down what he wants to say) me pictures and letters. One I found recently said, "Here's a letter from me! I love you, Caden." :)

Rylan: "Ashley.."
Me: "What, honey?"
Rylan: "Well, umm I just really like you!... And I wanna be cowboys with you."
He's so adorable.


And Lilliana, my little look alike baby sister sweetens every day with her cheesy smiles, chubby armed hugs, and baby kisses. <3

I wanted to jot down a few ways that my family sweetens my life. Not too long ago I asked a girl how many brothers and sisters she had and she told me she had one brother, adding a "thank God no more", and rolling her eyes. I instantly thought of all of my brothers and how I couldn't wish any of them away. They are sweethearts. How dull and boring life would be without their smiles, made up jokes, giggles, and tales of their adventures exploring the woods and ravines. I'm so thankful for every single one of them.