Agritourism Holds Promise For Rural Communities
May 25th meeting in Buffalo FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Paul Laubach (405) 522-4657 or (405) 664-7743
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK--Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Terry Peach said a joint effort between three state agencies to promote Oklahoma agritourism ventures could boost rural development across the state. A public meeting concerning the venture will beheld Tuesday, May 25th in Buffalo. Anyone interested in learning more about possibilities in tourism for the rural Oklahoman should attend.
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation consider agritourism a top priority, he said. The three agencies decided to partner earlier this year on developing a plan to start an agritourism program in Oklahoma.
Agritourism includes guest and working ranches, maize farms, farm stays, wineries, hunting and fishing activities, birding, and many other outdoor and rural recreational activities.
“The Oklahoma Agritourism Steering Committee just completed their initial organizational meetings and will begin holding regional public meetings later in May,” Peach said. “We are very excited to be partnering with Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Kathy Taylor and Greg Duffy, Director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, on what we feel will become an invaluable program for economic development in rural Oklahoma.”
Peach has selected Paul Laubach of Leedey, Okla., to serve as the coordinator for the agritourism project. Those appointed to serve on the Oklahoma Agritourism Steering Committee include Bob Apple, Kenton; Les Brelsford, Wilburton; Marsha Butler, Vinita; Becky Franks, Antlers; Trapper Heglin, Buffalo; Lee Henry, Stidham; Dr. Jim Horne, Poteau; Newley Hutchison, Canton; Melyn Johnson, Guymon; Carol Jordan, Oklahoma City; Dr. Terry Lewis, Ringwood; Loren Liebscher, Weatherford; Kathy Moore, Woodward; Stephanie Read, Chandler; Sue Selman, Buffalo; Jill Stichler, Lexington; Dr. Tom Warren, Tulsa; Don Whinery, Sayre; and Carl White, Ames.
Laubach said public meetings will be held at several committee members’ operations around the state. Meetings are to be held at the Summerside Vineyards and Winery in Vinita, Read Ranch in Chandler, Rebel Hills Guest Ranch in Antlers, Rockin’ L-H Asparagus Farms in Stidham, Flying W Ranch in Sayre, Selman Ranch in Buffalo, and Chain Ranch in Canton.
“We decided to hold our public meetings in locations where our committee members own and operate their businesses so that community leaders and other interested parties can see first hand what agritourism is all about,” said Laubach. “We want people to see the potential for economic diversification of our farms and ranches in rural Oklahoma.”
Laubach said the Oklahoma Agritourism Steering Committee will compile a master plan based on the results of their own research and information gathered from the public meetings. The committee will present their findings to the partnering agencies at the end of June.
Loren.. we are all very proud of your accomplishments... keep up the great effort!
Thursday, August 19, 2004
P Bar Farms MAiZE 2004 coming soon....???
P Bar Farms... It's really cool to scout around and see what one can discover! Check out the following link for a "birdseye view of the MAiZE": P Bar Farms Photo Gallery Slideshow of 2003 MAiZE
From their site:
Reservations and Information:
PBar Farms
Rt 2 Box 92-G
Weatherford, OK 73096
580.772.4401 or 580.772.4151
General Information: info@pbarfarms.com
Loren Liebscher: loren@pbarfarms.com
Kim Liebscher: kim@pbarfarms.com
Tamra Misak: tamra@pbarfarms.com
Dorothy Royalty: dorothy@pbarfarms.com
Sharing our farm with others has been tucked in the back our minds for years. We knew we wanted to provide a memorable place to visit at an affordable price. We stress good, clean entertainment that is safe, fun and appropriate for all ages from children to older adults.
Now that fewer families are making a living from the farm, our goal is to increase awareness of agriculture and provide education to non-farm families in a fun way.
We invite you to visit PBar Farms to relax, make great memories and have some "farming fun."
Take a look at some of the Activities at PBar Farms and check out our Calendar of Events and Photo Gallery!
Over 45,000 have visited the farm!
Over 100 acres of indoor and outdoor possibilities!
PBar Farms
580.772.4401 or 580.772.4151
info@pbarfarms.com
Loren and Kim have worked overtime and have a first class amusement and Oklahoma treasure for all to see. MAiZE is owned and operated by Loren, Kim, Kelsey, Lindsey & Blaze Liebscher, Weatherford, OK.
An interesting black and white photo of a old style "press wheel"
An interesting black and white photo of a old style "press wheel" from a grain drill, cica 1910's. This wheel was part of a set of wheels that trailed behind a grain drill used to drill wheat. The wheel "pressed" the light layer of dirt down on top the seed to protect it and help preserve moisture so the seed would sprout and grow.
I have taken thousands of photos over the last few years... will try to share some from time to time. Today, I am trying to figure out this photo blog dealy.. You can now click on the photo and it should get larger and in focus so it can be seen better........... hopefully!!!
photo by stan
Piper Sudangrass is our story .. this summer!
This is a photo of some Piper SudanGrass that we planted this spring, in the drought. It had only a quarter inch of rain on it after 5 weeks.. and was starting to die out, but the good Lord blessed us with lots of rain after that, and on the first cutting of hay, we had over 90 6' round bales. Neighbor and friend Ken Judge swathed it for us, and we did the rest. It was taller than his John Deere Tractor and no bigger around than a small ink pen. This field is on upland CLAY soil. The video clip on the left of Ken is the field in the sand at Mom and Dads west of Perkins. Lots of difference in the two fields. Both were planted May 8th, and both had same amount of fertiler applied. Perkins field had 50lbs per acre, and Stillwater field had 40 lbs per acre. While the Stillwater field was much taller at harvest, it did NOT make the most. The field at Perkins beat it by one half bale per acre! After cutting, each had rain. Perkins field looks tough, light greeen and uneven, but the Stillwater field is very even and dark green and looks like it was just planted!!! Difference in ground, one being sand one being upland CLAY! Hope this has not put you to sleep! haha... We planted this for additional forage for the cattle this winter and something for Dad to "think" about this summer and keep up with. Not sure what to do this fall, thinking of planting some Marshall Rye by overseeding, MAYBE!
photo by stan
Grandson Austyn and Zoa...
Austyn and Zoa love to play together and this is the first picture I had them to BOTH be still for a second.
photo by stan
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Report on Dad this evening..
Dropped by to see Dad this evening.. took him his Diet Dr. Pepper, some Lipton Lemon Unsweetened Tea and some sugar free mints... He was in bed asleep... but a little nudge on the leg got him awake.. we visited for about an hour. He said he did therapy in the am but after lunch he was "too tired" to do much and was having trouble getting enough oxygen. We talked about the upcoming weekend and the trip or trips we are going to make, if he is not too tired.. but he says he will never be too tired to go home!! even for a visit!!!
So....
With Jake's help, we put up some more hay and will wait for this next "cold" front to pass... to do more. Cold fronts in August in Oklahoma..come on...let's get real...hahaha... but it has been nice.
All for now.. s
So....
With Jake's help, we put up some more hay and will wait for this next "cold" front to pass... to do more. Cold fronts in August in Oklahoma..come on...let's get real...hahaha... but it has been nice.
All for now.. s
This is a neat, but sad photo....
This is a very treasured yet sad photo. The photo was taken at David's Christmas 2003 and shows left to right front, Ann, Julia, and Aunt Myrtle Ellen Campbell Shaklee, and in the rear... Uncle Merwyn J. Shaklee and son Rodney Jay Shaklee. Ann's father, Harold O. Shaklee had two brothers and one sister, Merwyn of Jet, Don of Jet, and Thelma Wiseman of Duncan. We lost Uncle Merwyn this past summer. He was the last of the three brothers. He was an awesome individual, as all the Shaklee's are, and will be missed by all who knew him.
Kids at David's on Christmas, 2003
This photo was taken at Christmas 2003 at David Shaklee's in Lahoma, OK. From the left front; Tammy and Austyn and Phillip Moffat, Andrew and Paul and Heather Blankinship; Back left to right; Jake Moffat, Julia and Jade Shaklee; Ky Shaklee, (David and Terry's daughter Ky and son Jade). Jade, Julia and Ky live in Nashville, TN.
David Shaklee named Oklahoma Cooperative Manager of the Year, 2003.
David Shaklee, general manager Great Plains Cooperative, Lahoma,
received the Oklahoma Cooperative Manager of the Year award.
Stan says " David Shaklee is Ann's brother and has been with the Great Plains Coop for a long time, and is truly one of the best coop managers in the USA! Under his great leadership, the coop has bought other coops out and has grown in both physical size and in membership.
We are all very proud of David and his accomplishments...
Julia Shaklee...recently participated in the Amos Christie Pediatric Society Summer Scholarship program...
Christie Scholars spend eight weeks in summer program
August 22, 2003
Left to right, Anita Gupta, Jean Dobson, Tracey Wilkinson, Tamara Buckles, Cynthia Wilson and Julia Shaklee are six of the eight medical students that recently participated in the Amos Christie Pediatric Society Summer Scholarship program. Anne Rayner
Lisa Peper
Through the Amos Christie Pediatric Society Summer Scholarship program, eight medical students were given the opportunity to explore pediatric medicine and gain hands-on experience at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital this summer. The students completed the eight-week program earlier this month.
Every year, the Christie Society program provides scholarships for Vanderbilt Medical students in their first or second year, allowing them to apply their studies and get clinical experience and patient contact. The program honors the former professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Amos Christie, and is sponsored by contributions from former students, trainees, colleagues and friends.
The scholarship recipients are able to explore various areas of pediatrics, from the newborn nursery to adolescent services. They shadow attending physicians, residents and senior medical students as they provide care to patients or work on medical research in the lab.
“The program is designed to allow the students to experience some of the principles of pediatrics,” said Dr. Harris D. Riley, Jr., professor of Pediatrics and chairman of the Christie Society Summer Scholars Program. “They work directly with pediatricians and can choose between clinical services and laboratory research.”
This year’s scholarships were awarded to Tamara Buckles, Cindy Chin, Jean Dobson, Julia Shaklee, Anita Gupta, Brent Savoie, Tracey Wilkinson and Cynthia Wilson.
“Since first year has virtually no clinical experience built in, this was my first time in a real hospital setting, seeing real patients,” Dobson said.
Dobson joined the program after her first year of medical school. She spent time in the pediatric ambulatory care clinic, the newborn nursery, the adolescent clinic and traveled abroad in the Philippines for her last two weeks.
“The Amos Christie Program has been monumental in my medical education thus far,” she said. “It has given me a head-start in clinical exposure, afforded me precious, priceless knowledge and experience, provided me with new mentors and friends — but most importantly to me, it has influenced my future. I came to realize that pediatrics is exactly the primary care specialty that I have been searching for.”
Another Christie Scholar, Tamara Buckles, entered the program after her second year of school, considering it a good transition into her clinical years of training. She hoped to gain patient experience and observe good role models.
“I was able to do both of these things throughout the summer,” Buckles said. “I loved the opportunity to interact with patients and their families. It was fun to take all of the book knowledge I have worked to learn throughout my first two years of medical school and apply it to real people. I have seen everything from neonatal circumcisions to adolescents with eating disorders. This summer has certainly fostered my interest in pediatrics.”
Each year, since 1990, the Christie Society program has allowed a small class of students to take a sneak peek into their future careers. “Each class of scholars brings something new to the program,” Riley said “This class is no exception.”
August 22, 2003
Left to right, Anita Gupta, Jean Dobson, Tracey Wilkinson, Tamara Buckles, Cynthia Wilson and Julia Shaklee are six of the eight medical students that recently participated in the Amos Christie Pediatric Society Summer Scholarship program. Anne Rayner
Lisa Peper
Through the Amos Christie Pediatric Society Summer Scholarship program, eight medical students were given the opportunity to explore pediatric medicine and gain hands-on experience at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital this summer. The students completed the eight-week program earlier this month.
Every year, the Christie Society program provides scholarships for Vanderbilt Medical students in their first or second year, allowing them to apply their studies and get clinical experience and patient contact. The program honors the former professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Amos Christie, and is sponsored by contributions from former students, trainees, colleagues and friends.
The scholarship recipients are able to explore various areas of pediatrics, from the newborn nursery to adolescent services. They shadow attending physicians, residents and senior medical students as they provide care to patients or work on medical research in the lab.
“The program is designed to allow the students to experience some of the principles of pediatrics,” said Dr. Harris D. Riley, Jr., professor of Pediatrics and chairman of the Christie Society Summer Scholars Program. “They work directly with pediatricians and can choose between clinical services and laboratory research.”
This year’s scholarships were awarded to Tamara Buckles, Cindy Chin, Jean Dobson, Julia Shaklee, Anita Gupta, Brent Savoie, Tracey Wilkinson and Cynthia Wilson.
“Since first year has virtually no clinical experience built in, this was my first time in a real hospital setting, seeing real patients,” Dobson said.
Dobson joined the program after her first year of medical school. She spent time in the pediatric ambulatory care clinic, the newborn nursery, the adolescent clinic and traveled abroad in the Philippines for her last two weeks.
“The Amos Christie Program has been monumental in my medical education thus far,” she said. “It has given me a head-start in clinical exposure, afforded me precious, priceless knowledge and experience, provided me with new mentors and friends — but most importantly to me, it has influenced my future. I came to realize that pediatrics is exactly the primary care specialty that I have been searching for.”
Another Christie Scholar, Tamara Buckles, entered the program after her second year of school, considering it a good transition into her clinical years of training. She hoped to gain patient experience and observe good role models.
“I was able to do both of these things throughout the summer,” Buckles said. “I loved the opportunity to interact with patients and their families. It was fun to take all of the book knowledge I have worked to learn throughout my first two years of medical school and apply it to real people. I have seen everything from neonatal circumcisions to adolescents with eating disorders. This summer has certainly fostered my interest in pediatrics.”
Each year, since 1990, the Christie Society program has allowed a small class of students to take a sneak peek into their future careers. “Each class of scholars brings something new to the program,” Riley said “This class is no exception.”
Nephew Jade and Julia Shaklee.....
Francis - Shaklee
Julia Francis of Overland Park and Jade Shaklee of Nashville, Tenn., were married July 12, 2003 at Two River Mansion in Nashville. The Rev. Ralph Griggs officiated.
The bride is the daughter of Kathleen Francis of Olathe and John Francis of Overland Park. The groom is the son of Terry and David Shaklee of Lahoma, Okla.
Julia graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University, where she is a student of Vanderbilt School of Medicine. Jade, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, received his Masters in Accounting from the University of North Carolina. He is employed by a Big Four accounting firm. After a honeymoon in Napa Valley, Calif., the couple is residing in Nashville.
From Kansas City . Com on Sun, Aug. 24, 2003
~~~~~~~~
From Stan: Jade is the son of David and Terry Shaklee of Lahoma, OK. David one of Ann's three brothers. We are so proud of Jade and his accomplishments, and also of Julia. She is a very special lady. Jade.... did good!!!
Julia Francis of Overland Park and Jade Shaklee of Nashville, Tenn., were married July 12, 2003 at Two River Mansion in Nashville. The Rev. Ralph Griggs officiated.
The bride is the daughter of Kathleen Francis of Olathe and John Francis of Overland Park. The groom is the son of Terry and David Shaklee of Lahoma, Okla.
Julia graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University, where she is a student of Vanderbilt School of Medicine. Jade, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, received his Masters in Accounting from the University of North Carolina. He is employed by a Big Four accounting firm. After a honeymoon in Napa Valley, Calif., the couple is residing in Nashville.
From Kansas City . Com on Sun, Aug. 24, 2003
~~~~~~~~
From Stan: Jade is the son of David and Terry Shaklee of Lahoma, OK. David one of Ann's three brothers. We are so proud of Jade and his accomplishments, and also of Julia. She is a very special lady. Jade.... did good!!!
Email addresses needed for this site...
If you have or know of email addresses of family members and they do not show up on the side panel of this page, please email them to us. I only have the ones on the left side of this page. We would like to gather all of them to put up for the family to use as needed. Also, if you have news, pics ...old or new, either computer files, or regular and you want to share with all the family, please let us know. We can scan them into computer for you and return the originals back to you if you wish. We can build family photo albums into this page too, so all the family... as big as it is getting... can see who is doing what and who is who...
Please feel free to share this site with others as you wish. If you need any help, let us know.
Again, the site is for all of us.
Thanks... Stan
Please feel free to share this site with others as you wish. If you need any help, let us know.
Again, the site is for all of us.
Thanks... Stan
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
What I know, What I heard....
I heard that dad is about the same as last evening, according to Ann and Jake. They ran in to see him while I waited on repairmen to work on tractors, and the round baler. geeze... love to wait... then, they never showed!
Andrew 02/04
Ann and Jake took Grandpa a "Beta" in a pretty vase with a pond lilly on it... so he could have some chores to do... haha.. and first thing mom wanted to know was... do you feed it??? haha....
I mowed hay all day, hopefully to bale tomorrow or next.. before the rain. Still thinking about a "day" trip for Dad to his home on either Saturday or Sunday or both.. depends on the weather, still have lots of hay to put up, too.
Heard that Heather and Paul spent the day in OKC with Andrew and his severe ear infection... it is REALLY bad.... and he had tubes in his ears, asthma, and is allergic to everything!!! So he does have some Moffat in him!!
Austyn 02/04
Tammy and Austyn stopped by... she is using my camera to take some pictures of her classroom tomorrow to use. Austyn was wound up like an 8 day clock about starting pre kindergarten this year. He will be going to Will Rogers School in Stillwater this school year.
Got a note from Jon, and we... he has another website to build for another music artist of ours. He is so good and his sites are simple and load fast, even with lots of content like PCL!
All I know for now, mainly that Grandpa Moffat was pooped by noon, and is still on oxygen.
Have a great evening! Really great to hear from both Cortney and Joanna. Everyone.. keep us all posted!
Later...
Andrew 02/04
Ann and Jake took Grandpa a "Beta" in a pretty vase with a pond lilly on it... so he could have some chores to do... haha.. and first thing mom wanted to know was... do you feed it??? haha....
I mowed hay all day, hopefully to bale tomorrow or next.. before the rain. Still thinking about a "day" trip for Dad to his home on either Saturday or Sunday or both.. depends on the weather, still have lots of hay to put up, too.
Heard that Heather and Paul spent the day in OKC with Andrew and his severe ear infection... it is REALLY bad.... and he had tubes in his ears, asthma, and is allergic to everything!!! So he does have some Moffat in him!!
Austyn 02/04
Tammy and Austyn stopped by... she is using my camera to take some pictures of her classroom tomorrow to use. Austyn was wound up like an 8 day clock about starting pre kindergarten this year. He will be going to Will Rogers School in Stillwater this school year.
Got a note from Jon, and we... he has another website to build for another music artist of ours. He is so good and his sites are simple and load fast, even with lots of content like PCL!
All I know for now, mainly that Grandpa Moffat was pooped by noon, and is still on oxygen.
Have a great evening! Really great to hear from both Cortney and Joanna. Everyone.. keep us all posted!
Later...
Note received from Joanna Wilson....
Hi, Sorry I have not responded to your last email and your website. By the way, your website looks great. As for a report on Daddy (John), he seems to be doing ok. He seemed to really enjoy his birthday, this year. Doris and Jim Rowland brought cake and punch to the nursing home on Friday, Aug. 6th. They invited all his "coffee drinking friends" as well as the other residents in the nursing home. Then on Sunday, the 8th, we had the big family get-together at Doris and Jim's. We had 61 family members there. Had expected more, but with the rain, etc. we were happy to see those who came. The nursing home brought Daddy out to Doris's in their van about 10:00 AM and then about 2:00 or 2:30 PM, when he was ready to go, they came out and picked him up. I think he really enjoyed getting out for a bit and we were surprised he stayed that long. School started at Lexington and Porter, so Cheryl and Susan are back to work and Coy and Jacob are back in school. Our grandkids start back on Wed. or Thurs. of this week. Megan and Nathan should be moving into their new home in Texas later this week. We were at Deanna and Bob's last weekend. We saw all our family who live in the Tulsa area and had a good visit. Yesterday Doris and Jim went with us to OKC, met Ivan, Freda and Fannie at Golden Corral, had lunch and celebrated Freda and Doris's birthdays. Also, did a bit of shopping. That was fun, too. That is about all I know. We are expecting a couple of Clinton's cousins from Virginia to arrive here tomorrow evening. They will be staying here for several days, so guess I better get back to cleaning house.Tell everyone "hello". Love, Joanna
Monday, August 16, 2004
Ran by Dad's this evening about 8pm for an hour...
Dad was doing ok. He had a spell this am where his right leg went to sleep and would not wake up he said. He also informed he his toe nails turned blue... So they have now put him on oxygen for the time being and his toe nails looked A'OK' this evening. We visited a lot about the trip last Saturday and made some plans for this coming weekend. Seems he has "go" fever in his blood now and can not wait till the next outing. We "sort of" made plans to go out to his farm about 10ish or before and have lunch there and spend some time afterwards so he can "set in the front room" and look out his windows... and check out things... will just have to see how the week progresses. He said he walked a lot today and was pooped this evening. As I was leaving he mentioned .. that he hated to bother me.. but a Diet Dr. Pepper sure sounded good... so .. we took care of his request... I had no money so I bummed a dollar from a friendly nurse and got him his wish.. he had a few sips and was satisfied... After his shower today they did not put on the special sleeves he wears to help with the itching he has, so I had them get some and get them on him.
We talked a bit about this blog and that we had started the Moffat Family Blog to visit with family and try to keep up with all as it changes. He thought that was great! Told him we would have to show it to him when we are at his home or at our home. We talked a bit about doing another video from him to all the family.. he surprised me and said that sounded great!!
I received the following from our Niece Cortney in Orlando, Florida at 11a.m. today!
"Hi Uncle Stan,We are all doing alright. My mom is doing fine, the storm was actually supposed to go to Tampa, but then Friday morning it shifted direction and headed for Orlando. They had told a lot of people to evacuate Tampa and then the storm decided to hit somewhere else. We are all fine though! My mom ended up staying in Tampa and had some rain but that was pretty much it. We had really bad weather here in Orlando, but I am okay. I stayed over at my boyfriend's house which was just built about a year ago so it was really stable. We had some trees knocked over, but they were all small new ones, nothing hit the house or caused any damage to us or our cars. There was quite a bit of debris in the yard from the trees being uprooted and leaves & branches but that was about it. We were very fortunate. We only lost power for a few minutes at a time, nothing like the thousands that are without it. We stayed in the rest of the night, the storm hit around 9 pm Friday night - they let us leave early from work that day around 1 pm and then on Saturday they said for people to please stay off the roads b/c there were a lot of downed power lines & trees knocked over so we went out Saturday evening and drove around carefully. Most all of the traffic lights are out around here so there is a lot of traffic and the roads are pretty crazy. All the road signs were uprooted and there was some damage to a lot of buildings. The downtown area is supposed to have been hit really hard. I work downtown & was told that there was no work scheduled for today. I have just been staying here at the house - but my apartment is alright. We went over & checked on it & there isn't any damage. I have had a lot of problems with my cell phone & not having service or when I do all the circuits are busy. We actually lost power here for a few hours yesterday which was weird but it is back up now. I am going to head home to my apartment in a few hours and get settled back in there. I will recharge my phone and then give you all a call. I just checked my email and wanted to write you back that we are all okay here."
It was GREAT to hear from her and know that all are safe. Her dad, Ward Shaklee, lives in Melborne, about 45 minutes southeast of Orlando, and have not heard from them yet.
Was wondering if anyone has heard how Uncle John Moffat is doing? Or how Uncle Ivan and Aunt Freda are getting along? Need some reports... Please??? Saw Uncle Calvin and Aunt Agnes at Leon's funeral, they are doing ok. Went by the old Siegrist farmstead and took some pics of Grandpa's old barn that he and the kiddos milked cows in.. by hand. Wonder how Nita and Laura and families are doing? Please, leave a comment if you hear anything. Jonathan and Randi said all is well and going great, and baby might come early.. yeah haw.... He's a nervous camper right now.. haha..
All for now, sorry for the length but lots of thoughts racing through this old brain...
love to all, Stan
...Siegrist barn, North of El Reno, OK. August, 2004, where Mom says she milked cows by hand, cuz Grandpa Siegrist bribed her with a "ride to School" instead of walking the mile in the snow... if she would "help" him milk the cows before school.... More later... Uncle Calvin owns the homestead today. Need to get him online and have him tell us some of the things he remembers too... to keep MOM honest..haha..
We talked a bit about this blog and that we had started the Moffat Family Blog to visit with family and try to keep up with all as it changes. He thought that was great! Told him we would have to show it to him when we are at his home or at our home. We talked a bit about doing another video from him to all the family.. he surprised me and said that sounded great!!
I received the following from our Niece Cortney in Orlando, Florida at 11a.m. today!
"Hi Uncle Stan,We are all doing alright. My mom is doing fine, the storm was actually supposed to go to Tampa, but then Friday morning it shifted direction and headed for Orlando. They had told a lot of people to evacuate Tampa and then the storm decided to hit somewhere else. We are all fine though! My mom ended up staying in Tampa and had some rain but that was pretty much it. We had really bad weather here in Orlando, but I am okay. I stayed over at my boyfriend's house which was just built about a year ago so it was really stable. We had some trees knocked over, but they were all small new ones, nothing hit the house or caused any damage to us or our cars. There was quite a bit of debris in the yard from the trees being uprooted and leaves & branches but that was about it. We were very fortunate. We only lost power for a few minutes at a time, nothing like the thousands that are without it. We stayed in the rest of the night, the storm hit around 9 pm Friday night - they let us leave early from work that day around 1 pm and then on Saturday they said for people to please stay off the roads b/c there were a lot of downed power lines & trees knocked over so we went out Saturday evening and drove around carefully. Most all of the traffic lights are out around here so there is a lot of traffic and the roads are pretty crazy. All the road signs were uprooted and there was some damage to a lot of buildings. The downtown area is supposed to have been hit really hard. I work downtown & was told that there was no work scheduled for today. I have just been staying here at the house - but my apartment is alright. We went over & checked on it & there isn't any damage. I have had a lot of problems with my cell phone & not having service or when I do all the circuits are busy. We actually lost power here for a few hours yesterday which was weird but it is back up now. I am going to head home to my apartment in a few hours and get settled back in there. I will recharge my phone and then give you all a call. I just checked my email and wanted to write you back that we are all okay here."
It was GREAT to hear from her and know that all are safe. Her dad, Ward Shaklee, lives in Melborne, about 45 minutes southeast of Orlando, and have not heard from them yet.
Was wondering if anyone has heard how Uncle John Moffat is doing? Or how Uncle Ivan and Aunt Freda are getting along? Need some reports... Please??? Saw Uncle Calvin and Aunt Agnes at Leon's funeral, they are doing ok. Went by the old Siegrist farmstead and took some pics of Grandpa's old barn that he and the kiddos milked cows in.. by hand. Wonder how Nita and Laura and families are doing? Please, leave a comment if you hear anything. Jonathan and Randi said all is well and going great, and baby might come early.. yeah haw.... He's a nervous camper right now.. haha..
All for now, sorry for the length but lots of thoughts racing through this old brain...
love to all, Stan
...Siegrist barn, North of El Reno, OK. August, 2004, where Mom says she milked cows by hand, cuz Grandpa Siegrist bribed her with a "ride to School" instead of walking the mile in the snow... if she would "help" him milk the cows before school.... More later... Uncle Calvin owns the homestead today. Need to get him online and have him tell us some of the things he remembers too... to keep MOM honest..haha..
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Good Day All!
Just a quick note to say that Jake just got back from visiting with Grandpa Moffat. He found him in good spirits and still talking about his trip yesterday. He also reported that Jim and Doris had stopped by to see him yesterday afternoon, and that Dennis and Regina had come by to see him this am.
He told Jake he was doing ok and was still smiling, but his tummy was bloating up again and he was finding it to be a great discomfort to him. Mom was there and was trying to get someone to take a look at him, and get on top of what might become a problem early.
Other than that, all is well on the home front. I have taken a few pics of Andrew last Friday and will try to get them online soon.
Still no word from family in Florida, but we are still praying for the best for them.
All for now, more later... Stan
He told Jake he was doing ok and was still smiling, but his tummy was bloating up again and he was finding it to be a great discomfort to him. Mom was there and was trying to get someone to take a look at him, and get on top of what might become a problem early.
Other than that, all is well on the home front. I have taken a few pics of Andrew last Friday and will try to get them online soon.
Still no word from family in Florida, but we are still praying for the best for them.
All for now, more later... Stan
Saturday, August 14, 2004
We made it!!
We made it.....!!!!
Jake and I went to Westhaven and picked up Dad and took him out for over two hours this am, from 9am to 11:15am.
We had a blast! Dad was happy and loved seeing the land, his dog and cattle. He fed his dog Spot a couple of bones, saw Mom a bit, and rode out into his pasture and was amongst the cattle for a bit.
He seemed to take the trip in stride and was a bit choked up during his trip back, mentioning that the problem with the ride was the returning to Westhaven.
But overall, he seems happy there and talked a lot about the folks who work there and how nice they are and what all they do for him, etc. He was ready to get back, as he needed to take care of business ... eating and going to bathroom. And unlike a dad of a few short weeks ago, he was hungry and ready to eat!!
The ladies there helped us get Dad into Marilyn's buggy and out upon returning, and think the trip was good for him as well. He is hoping to walk some this afternoon if the help arrives to help him.
He still has a stiff neck and seems to be a bit stiff all over, probably from being in bed so long. I can not believe he can even remember how to walk!!
Besides going by his home and land we made it to Marilyn's, and our home, and then by Phil and Tammy's and then over by Heather and Paul's to see their Boer Goats, that were all laying around the remains of a big bale of hay.
It was such a cool and nice day out, and at one point Dad even remarked how wonder the air smelled!!!
All for now, will try to keep all posted as time goes on.
By the way, at this writing we have not heard yet from Ann's brother Ward Shaklee, who with wife Melanie live in Melborne, Florida, nor have we heard from our Niece Cortney who lives in Orlando, or Cortney's mom who lives in Tampa, Florida. We hope and pray all are safe and doing ok, and trust if they are not, they will let us know what they need to help them...
Jake and I went to Westhaven and picked up Dad and took him out for over two hours this am, from 9am to 11:15am.
We had a blast! Dad was happy and loved seeing the land, his dog and cattle. He fed his dog Spot a couple of bones, saw Mom a bit, and rode out into his pasture and was amongst the cattle for a bit.
He seemed to take the trip in stride and was a bit choked up during his trip back, mentioning that the problem with the ride was the returning to Westhaven.
But overall, he seems happy there and talked a lot about the folks who work there and how nice they are and what all they do for him, etc. He was ready to get back, as he needed to take care of business ... eating and going to bathroom. And unlike a dad of a few short weeks ago, he was hungry and ready to eat!!
The ladies there helped us get Dad into Marilyn's buggy and out upon returning, and think the trip was good for him as well. He is hoping to walk some this afternoon if the help arrives to help him.
He still has a stiff neck and seems to be a bit stiff all over, probably from being in bed so long. I can not believe he can even remember how to walk!!
Besides going by his home and land we made it to Marilyn's, and our home, and then by Phil and Tammy's and then over by Heather and Paul's to see their Boer Goats, that were all laying around the remains of a big bale of hay.
It was such a cool and nice day out, and at one point Dad even remarked how wonder the air smelled!!!
All for now, will try to keep all posted as time goes on.
By the way, at this writing we have not heard yet from Ann's brother Ward Shaklee, who with wife Melanie live in Melborne, Florida, nor have we heard from our Niece Cortney who lives in Orlando, or Cortney's mom who lives in Tampa, Florida. We hope and pray all are safe and doing ok, and trust if they are not, they will let us know what they need to help them...
Friday, August 13, 2004
We are keeping our fingers crossed .....
Jake, Ann and I hope to take Dad on his first trip to the "farm" in almost 4 months! We hope to pick him up and drive him around Saturday morning, if all holds together. He has been excited about it for days. It has been raining a bit lately this summer and on the sunny days I have been able to put up hay for the cattle. Rainy days are "repair" days. I have been able to "spruce" up things a bit so we hope he likes what he sees. We know he wants to pet his dog, Spot. And see his cattle. He has really been doing very well, and is really progressing fast. He keeps saying.."I want to go home. By working hard, I think I can". He can walk with his own walker instead of the center's big walker now, and just goes right along. He is gaining his balance and is able to set up unassisted some. Long way from flat on his back and not saying a word. Now he talks our leg off if given a chance!! And he leads the conversation. He is so grateful to have some great therapists, especially Joseph and Melody. Especially Melody. She keeps him in the right positive attitude, and is working with him so he can stand up from a sitting position again, so he can go and visit folks... She tells him to NOT use the "lift" chair, and to learn to do it without assistance, and then shows him how!!
And he enjoys the food, still cleaning up his plate. Will report more as it happens ... With a report on tomorrow's outing after noon tomorrow. Will try to get some pictures of him too...
later.. Stan
And he enjoys the food, still cleaning up his plate. Will report more as it happens ... With a report on tomorrow's outing after noon tomorrow. Will try to get some pictures of him too...
later.. Stan
Thursday, August 12, 2004
By the way.... Welcome to the Moffat Family Site...
Please feel free to let us know how your family is doing too. We would love to hear how Uncle Ivan and Aunt Freda are doing, and how Uncle John is doing and has Doris and Jim recovered from the big family gathering last Sunday? How are the Siegrist doing... How are the Liebscher's doing? How about the Shaklee's?
As I get your email's I will fix them on the links list on the side of this page for all to have.
Enjoy.. and leave your comments on this site please.. you can update us on family on the comments link at the bottom of the post too...
And if you have family pics, please email them to me and I will put them on line on this site. If they are not on computer and you do not mind giving up a photo, please send what you wish along and I will scan them and add them to this site too. This is for all family to use.. please feel free to use it and offer ideas to improve as needed.
Thanks and again, hope you enjoy!
As I get your email's I will fix them on the links list on the side of this page for all to have.
Enjoy.. and leave your comments on this site please.. you can update us on family on the comments link at the bottom of the post too...
And if you have family pics, please email them to me and I will put them on line on this site. If they are not on computer and you do not mind giving up a photo, please send what you wish along and I will scan them and add them to this site too. This is for all family to use.. please feel free to use it and offer ideas to improve as needed.
Thanks and again, hope you enjoy!
Dad improving fast!
Seems like the best thing to happen to Oscar was his being moved from Edmond to Stillwater. The folks at Westhaven work with him every day and several times a day. Great bunch of folks, and Dad is eating his meals almost 100% each time.
.............and TODAY... this am, he walked with his old walker, his going home walker, almost 4 city blocks by himself... He truly wants to go home and is really working hard to do that and we are all so proud of him. It was on April 27th when he went into the hospital, and hopefully he will be home on the 27th of August. He is missed by us all. Mom has really been a trouper too through this time, being there with dad almost every day. Marilyn has done the same, working and then working again... Jake has taken Mom some and has been to see Grandpa about every other day or so. He really responds to Jake well, and they seem to have a neat bond. The rest of the family makes it as their time allows, including me! I have tried to do the farming but according to Mom, they have done it without me cheaper, and better, so not sure that I will continue to do it. Might get fired!! Just have to see...
But the real news today.. Dad walked with his old walker by himself.. and did AWESOME!!!
More later...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)