Mother Nature ALWAYS Wins....

The Snake River slide of 2011!! Beginning Saturday last week 5.14.2011, the mountain of mud, rock, trees, and bushes started to come down. It started simple enough only covering half of the road and has progressed to what is seen here. The mountain of debris just kept coming and coming. The slide is the result of a very wet Spring. I have been commuting through the Snake River Canyon for over 15 years and have never seen the amounts of water that has been coming off of the mountain....water was actually "sweating" from the rock wall located to the left of the slide. The slide has caused the closure of US 26 / 89...forcing traffic to travel North to Swan Valley, ID - through Pine Creek Pass to Victor, ID and up & over Teton Pass (10% grade) to commute to Jackson. It adds only 40 miles to my commute each day, but because of the two passes and traffic, it can add 75 minutes to my commute time. I regressed on one morning commute and had the thought, "I wonder how fast I can make this drive...." not wise, but I've never been one to back down from my on mind's challenges. After making a great start and only being on two wheels a couple of times the wet road and the morning's 28 degree temperature provided a huge variable. Fortunate for me, the hour was early enough that there was no traffic and somehow traction was regained. The remainder of the trip was driven at a more reasonable speed.

In reality the slide is not a big deal...nobody was hurt, no homes were lost and it WILL be fixed. It is just a unfortunate inconvenience. WYDOT is doing a great job in assessing and communicating with everyone. Everyone wants a timeline to as to when the road will reopen, which I feel is unfair. I don't think all the professionals...geologists or excavators can give a definite day....Mother Nature will have her say.

Haderlie Ranch's brand immortalized....

The landscaping of my yard is almost complete. I am putting the finishing touches on my "Rock Garden" This is at the entry way to my home and features our family's brand. Heritage has always been important to me and seeing this brand fills my head with so many thoughts of past experiences. This brand is put on all of our livestock...horses and cattle alike. The horses are branded with a method using a gel type substance that gradually eats the hair and skin to leave a permanent mark. The cattle (calves) are branded with an electric hot iron that glows red and burns the skin...making the scar actually raise above the skin level once healed. The smell is unmistakable. (Burnt hair & flesh)

Maybe some of you have seen the brands put on the arms of fraternity brothers...the burn will heal and puff up the area that was effected.

The hours spent branding cattle have always been some of the best times of my life. Without fail, we always had more family and friends than we had jobs to do.

True AMERICAN Heroes....

In a World filled with TMZ and many of us curiously awaiting Charlie Sheen's new revelation of how exactly he is winning, I argue that many more deserving individuals go unnoticed. The television and tabloids are filled with "celebrity" scandal, athletes outrageous actions and constant "news worthy" stories of the rich and famous. I'm no different. I have gotten caught up in the hoopla, but after reading a book this past week, NEVER again.


Everyone needs to read, LONE SURVIVOR, by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson.



This is a riveting eyewitness account of Operation Redwing and the heroics of several Navy Seals. For me, it brought so many things into perspective. What is a hero? What is important? What does true friendship 'look' like? It also shows how much good there still is in this World, even in a country that hates America.

Military men and women leave the comforts of their home and take the fight to the enemy on their "turf" everyday to give you and I the freedoms we enjoy. Their spouses and families sacrifice everything, unlike the headline grabbing entertainers of today, these selfless individuals don't do it for the publicity. They fight and do their job for the love of their country. While the professional athlete is "holding out" and doing everything in his power to get more money, for playing a game, special individuals like Marcus, Murph, Axe, and Danny Boy, Kristensen, Shane, James, Senior, Jeff, Jacques, Taylor, and Mac are dealing with life and death activities everyday!!! Without the thought of praise!!

After reading this book, I found myself asking....what is truly important in my life. FFF!!! (Family & Friends -First!!)

Take the time....read the book! I promise it will evoke emotion, provide insight to the rigorous training that these special individuals go through, the sacrifices they make and not for the glory or recognition....for love and honor!!! True American Heroes!!

A Gratifying Comparison....

Each of us, want to leave our mark in this World. When it comes to determining how big of a dent we leave, society compares the present to the past. It seems that for comparison’s sake, the past is only 20 years ago or so. For example, in the sporting world, a current basketball player is compared against Micheal Jordan and not so much against Oscar Robertson. Today’s golfers will be measured against Tiger Woods (golfing ability only) instead of Arnold Palmer. Entertainers are always compared against their peers. Who is the next _____________? Fill in the Blank

For me, I have always wanted to leave a mark the size of Australia. I have wanted to be a positive driving force in everyone’s life that I came in contact with. Two of my favorite quotes:

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

AND

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

With the introduction over, I can get to the point of this post. I ran into a family friend the other day and she said that she couldn’t believe how much I reminded her of my Dad. For the next few nanoseconds a T-Graph immediately appeared in my mind. My name on one side and my Dad’s name on the other separated by line in between. I started the quick, yet detailed, comparison process. I couldn’t think of how I could remind anyone of my Dad, there is just too many years between us. He is cowboy boots and straw hats. I am Nike and a backwards baseball cap. He is John Wayne and Marty Robbins. I am Paul Walker and T.I. He is Roy Rogers, Gunsmoke, and Bonanza. I am Vin Diesel, CSI, and The Big Bang Theory. His horse has a heartbeat while mine runs on high octane fuel. The list goes on and on….I hope you see the point, I couldn’t quickly come up with how I could be compared to my Dad. We concluded our conversation and went our separate ways.

Over the past few days, I have had some time to think about that experience. I was thrilled inside to think that someone sees something in me that compares with my Dad. I quickly turned my thought process from the superficial traits and focused on the true quality traits that make us who we are. It isn’t the style of hat we wear, but it is the thoughts, words and most importantly actions that come from the head that is under the hat.

My Dad is my hero. He is a great man. He is possibly the 2nd greatest person that I have ever known, my Mother being the greatest.

I started a new graph. Why is my Dad great? He is the most honest, hardest working, compassionate, soft-hearted, gentle spoken, humorous / joking, and service minded person I have ever known. Granted, when I was in high school, he was my worst enemy and I figured he didn’t know beans about anything. I couldn’t have been blinded more than by my own ignorance…I blame the hormones! Girls and Calculus will do that to you. It took me several years…tough years, to realize what he was trying to teach me with every opportunity he had. Everything was a learning experience. He taught me hard work and the rewards it brings. He showed me the value of service and the importance of being honest in everything you do. He showed me and helped me appreciate all the good that there is. He warned & cautioned me and explained the consequences of certain actions. Unfortunately for me, some I had to learn & experience on my own. Yet, through it all…there was my Dad to pick me up and help me become stronger each time.

I was instantly humbled by the thought that someone could see some of my Dad’s greatest traits in me. If I can become half the man my Dad is I will be doing pretty well.

I hope I have enough time left in this World to weave part of me into others and leave each person feeling full & blessed. It should be easy…my Dad has given me the blueprint!!

Party Rock Anthem...

I love music, ALL music. I can and do listen to something from all the different genres, some in moderation and others in excess. Today, my Sirius / XM Radio presets range from Top 40 to Country to Octane (Metal). Music has the power to evoke so much emotion. For me, certain songs always evoke a memory of an experience. I’ll hear a song, that I may not have heard in years, and remember everything about what I was doing when I “loved” that song. I am brutal when it comes to listening to a song that I really like. I will put the iPod on repeat and listen to the same song for an entire 90 minute commute.

This song, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO, has one of the most contagious and albeit quirky rhythms, that I have heard in a long time. You can’t help yourself but feel good and want to dance. So as the song says, “EVERYBODY JUST HAVE A GOOD TIME”!!

The Mountain West Basketball Tournament....

As I sit in the SLC International airport, I think about the TOP TEN reasons to attend the MWC tournament….



10. Reh-bels, Reh-bels…

9. In and Out Burger, fries and shake

8. Hoping Cosmo and the Utah Hawk are mysteriously gunned down

7. Woof-woof-woof

6. Final time to cheer F### Y** BYU

5. Watch Jimmer in person drop 40

4. Enjoy two top 10 teams

3. Maybe watch the Wyo girls on Friday

2. When is the last time I didn’t enjoy the tournament in Vegas? It is VEGAS!!

1. And now, please welcome to the court, the Rebel Girls !!!


Okay...Okay, I most likely won't participate in the BYU cheer, but I had to add it. I will never forget when BYU and Wyoming played football in 1988 in Laramie. ESPN brought in lights to televise the game...the crowd was chanting that phrase so loud, it could be heard of the television!! Not proud...but it was an experience.

What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas...it ends up on YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter.

GO POKES!!!

The Lighter Side of Commuting...

Over the past thirteen years, I have commuted back and forth from Star Valley to Jackson for work. In that time span, I have seen almost everything imaginable; from nearly impassable weather & road conditions to the beauty of Western Wyoming. I have seen horrific accidents and on occasion, I have been lucky enough to encounter a thoughtful motorist that needs to express their appreciation for my driving ability by saluting and showing me that I am number one. This evening’s commute has possibly provided me with one of the most memorable moments yet.

I need to regress for a moment and preface the remainder with a few thoughts. I have been born and raised in the Valley and was fortunate enough to grow up on a ranch. In that time frame, I have transported many different types of animals in vehicles, trailers, four wheelers, etc. I have hauled cattle and horses. Everyone has dog in their vehicle. I have brought baby chicks & ducks home in my vehicle. I have hauled swine to slaughter and sheep to market. I took my cat on a Sunday drive. I have even been a passenger when transporting ‘domestic’ elk to a holding pen. This being said, I couldn’t imagine being surprised by any type of animal in a vehicle.

Back on track….This evening’s commute started like any other; seatbelt securely fastened, both hands on the wheel (10 & 2…thank you Mr. Lamb), eyes on the road scanning for eminent danger, and the possibly distracting music at a low accommodating level. I cautiously approached a fellow commuter, who was going well below the posted 55 MPH speed limit. As I was patiently waiting for an appropriate time to perform a legal and safe pass, something in the rear of the vehicle caught my eye. In the rear hatch of this Subaru was a little white bunny rabbit. I had never thought about commuting with a pet bunny rabbit, but why not. Was the bunny real? Upon further analysis and observation, I could clearly see that the rabbit was in fact real and there was more than one…three to be exact. After a few “Ahh” moments, as in Ahh that bunny is cute, I crossed off the experience in my “Bucket List” data bank. The opportunity to pass the slower commuter was made available. As I began to pass, the moment that will be forever branded in my brain, transpired. What type of music was this driver listening to? One of the bunnies began to move in an unexpected manner. He almost looked like he was dancing. Was it the Macarena? The Electric Slide? The Cotton-Eyed Joe? OMG!! Mr. Bugs, a regular lothario, & his partner weren’t really “dancing.” I guess that could be argued also. The music artist Shalamar sang the tune “Dancing in the Sheets”…thank you Footloose Soundtrack. The Bunnies were doing the Lambada, the Forbidden Dance.


Yes folks, I saw two bunnies, doing what bunnies do, but at 55 MPH & in the back of a Subaru. I laughed out loud. It may very well be one of the “you had to be there” moments, I only hope you find enjoyment in this lighter side of commuting experience.

The Canal's of Life...

I wish I was writing of my adventures to far off lands to visit the wonders of a "canal" system. The Panama Canal or even the beauty of the Royal Canal in Ireland would be more glorious than the events of today: a root canal.

As I had the time to ponder how I got myself to this point in my dental history, I find it very ironic that I work in a business that encourages "maintenance" and my lack of maintenance has led me to an expensive and painful end. Maintaining a vehicle will help insure its' longevity and will definitely aid in avoiding costly internal repairs. The dentist is most definitely one of the places I never want to go. I brush twice daily and rinse...figuring that is enough. Since my dentist retired three years ago, I haven't taken the time or made the effort to find a new dentist...until I HAD to. About six months ago I broke a tooth. No big deal, I thought, I'll just chew on the other side of my mouth. This solution worked great, until I broke a tooth on the other side of my mouth. Oh well, I will just have to be careful and avoid hard foods and nuts. I'll be fine. (Yeah right). This only lasted for about three weeks before the pain of chewing yogurt even hurt.

I had the initial "consult" and found out the unbelievable news that I would have to have two root canals, one on each tooth that I had broke. Today was the day...for two hours, the dentist drilled, scraped, and mined out the roots of my broken teeth. With the taste of bleach in my mouth and the smell of burning gum...the procedure was over and I was left with a completely numb mouth---both sides.

I think the hardest part of the entire day was the four hours afterward of not being able to speak clearly. With grunts and head gestures --- hand waving and even the occasional drool coming from my mouth, I had the hardest time communicating. Those of you that know me know how I love to talk. ;-)

Two dental visits down and two to go...the most painful part is over, at least until the bills come in.

Love that has passed the test of time....

This posting is a bit late, but I wanted to add it. My parent's 60th Wedding Anniversary was on February 14, 2011. Congratulations to them both!!

Everything begins from scratch...

For several years, I've read blogs created by family and friends. I enjoyed being able to be part of their lives if even through electronic diary type entries. I would see pictures of family and watch them grow. I would read about experiences from triumphant victories to the sadness of heartbreaking events. I would live vicariously through the stories and pictures. I'm not sure as to what my main purpose is to creating this blog, my only hope is that through constant & consistent posting, those who read and/or follow will gain something; a smile or some laughter. So welcome to HADERLIE'S HAPPENINGS...