Grover Floods

Unlike the Katrina victums who only got flooded once,in the Grover house we had a flood once every spring. I not sure we knew this when Dad bought the ranch --not that it would have make any difference . The first year must have been quite a suprise. After that we just prepared.The house was built on the same level as the meadow and as the snow melted each spring the water level rose several feet in the basement.We would move food in the food room to higher shelves remove any other items from the floor and hang it on the walls.A pair of irrigation boots were put on the top steps so one could venture to the food room without getting wet.As the water reseaded to a few inches we employed a sump pump to keep it out.

Since the Grover house had only one bathroom a metal shower stall was installed in the basement.This was particularly helpful in the summer time when we bathed more than once a week.The moisture in the basement did attract reptilian critters. We had small frogs and at least one snake. It was best to check the floor just before you stepped out of the shower least you step on one of these basement dwellers.

Talks over the years

Dear Family,

It is sometimes said you are in my thoughts. May I say you are in my talks.Over the past 20 years I have given many talks. In one way or another you have all been in them. My talks almost always include some rememberance from my family,childhood,ranch life,ancestors,tractors,airplaine crashes,climbing the Tetons,home cooking,growing up in rural Wyoming,cows, horses,brothers and sisters,the Oregon trail, double dexter washing machines and any other thing that I could possibly stretch into a gospel subject.

I possibly should have quit on these stories early but people kept encoraging me. Some of course with the polite good talk Brother Bagley, but many with the we always look forward to your talks because they are so differnt and interesting .

President West was even polite in finding something nice to say after I gave my "Never buy new cars or trucks--Always rent when you are going to drive a lot of miles in a short time talk" in stake general priesthood meeting. My bridge to this subject was provident living. It was a bit of a stetch but it became my most requested talk for copies.

I have to admit that more often than not I had some story I wanted to tell and I find a gospel subject to fit with it.

Our last stake conference was my favorite. The gospel subject was repentance. I mixed into this talk the sights and smells of Monday washday in Grover. This included discribing the Double
Dexter washing machine, the wringer, the rinse tubs, the cloths line with sometimes frozen cloths on it. I wove into these images the priniples of repentance and becoming clean. Towards the end as I have done in some of my talks I sang a song---- Ye Simple Soals Who Have Strayed. There is a bit of a risk in trying to sing in the middle of a talk especially if you have become emotionally involved in the message. I love this song so I took the risk.

Anyway. I wanted to thank you all including my parents and grandparents who have contrubuted to the material that I use and will continue to use till someone stops me and says enough already Bagley

Seasons Greeting to you all, Errol

Brothers & Sisters

This is a pic of my brothers and sisters taken at Alisias wedding reception in Tetonia. It was 15 below that night. They were taking pictures of the bride outside the I.F. temple and she started looking like a popcicle. Dad

i am a cowboy

A birthday gift from sisters dear----For a cowboy who rides nomore.

I took them back and got the cash---And bought some more my style.

They were so fine this lace up kind---Of suede and great support

They would no doubt feel right at home --Even at a church court

With coat and tie or causual wear ---I really do look fine.

At funerals or reunions or just to go out and dine.

Now if you bury me in these boots--Please clean and brush them one last time.

But---if you need these boots --just pull them off-- before you close the lid.

I rarely wear my boots to bed---so why should I when I'm dead ?

Stake Conference

Ashley and I both spoke in the Sun. session of stake conference. She did a great job.

We attended the Senior concert. It was all about a good time. Ashley was the most antimatied showgirl on stage

They also showed a video of the senior choir trip and guess who was the most photograghed person in the senior class. Right again. I don't know where she gets it. Dad

cruise

Leisel's Memory of Dad

Looking back it seems like dad was often gone. Around the time I would get home from school he was often running off to play a game of racketball, and in the evenings there was often church meetings. A typical encounter could be sitting in the same room watching t.v. together without saying a word. Some of my friends thought no one should speak in his presence because something terrible might happen. When I would tell them that he wasn't scary and that I had never even seen him yell, I am pretty sure they did'nt believe me. All who know dad know that even though he is the only city boy out of his brothers, he has always maintained a bit of cowboy in him. You can take the cowboy out of the ranch but you can't take the cowboy out of the man, atleast not entirely. Cowboys for those who don't know can seem a little rough around the edges. They don't show there emotions because emotions are for the weak. They don't run there mouth just to hear themselves talk, and the certainly don't like it when they do have something to say and people don't listen. They don't have time for that because cowboys command respect, and they have more important things to do. It is not hard for them to get respect because everybody knows cowboys are cool. It goes without saying that you would naturally want to know one and listen to them even if they did'nt say much to you. The quiet confidence only adds to their mystique. As a daughter of a cowboy making his way in the city I knew my dad was vastly different from the fathers of my friends growing up. You see I don't think any of my friend's dads were cowboys. Atleast if they were I did'nt know so I always thought my dad was one of a kind. I saw other friends dads yell and get emotional. My dad never lost his cool. I remember one summer vacation in California dad took Rachel and Hayley Madsen with Ashley and I on a sail boat ride. We were haveing a great time but we'd been out long enough and it was time to come in, besides which I am sure we were getting charged by the minute. For some reason we would start to head in and then we would get pushed back out and further away.. this happened several times. Either mother nature was working against us our my dad was not a sailor. I knew this had to have been really frustrating to my dad. Finally we hollered at some guys on jet skis and they got help for us. Throughout the whole ordeal my dad kept a sence of humor and I remember being proud that my cousins got to see my dad remain calm in troubled waters. Growing up I have never doubted my dad's devotion to the gospel. Seeing my dads devotion to the church blessed my life in many ways. In the world we live in today that is a priceless thing. Monday nights became known to my friends as the night you better remember not to call around 7 0' clock unless you want to talk to Errol. Surprisingly my dad's voice on the other end of the line was quite terrifying to most. I don't know why. I think the myth that my dad was a ticking time bomb waiting to lash out on someone was all part of a skillfull craft he had honed. Even though there was no prior evidence to support the myth one did not want to be the first to find out if the myth was true. One day I decided I was going to wear a tank top and short shorts to school. I thought I looked really cute and that the tank top was'nt too skimpy. I remember comeing up stairs for breakfast thinking dad won't even notice me. I was wrong. There was a distinct look of dissaproval in the furrow of his brow that morning. For a man that might not notice that his daughter had hair down to her waist one day and chopped off to her chin the next.. a raised eyebrow was not a good thing. So I asked mom if I should change because I could tell dad was'nt fond of my outfit. She agreed with me that it was a cute outfit but that it was up to me. So feeling like she did'nt outright dissaprove of my outfit I atleast did'nt have to feel bad about what she thought. So I was off on my merry way to school. I immedietly got compliments upon arriving at school within the my first few classes when it occured to me that none of these compliments were comeing from girls. The furrowed brow would'nt leave my conscience. During lunch I made a friend take me home so I could change into something more modest. I am sure my dad never even knew about my mid-day wardrobe change. What stood out though through that memory was that he did'nt have to inject his opinion in an angry or controlling way to raise up decent and moral children. Instead it was more about what he did'nt say and the way he led his own life by example that made you want to make him proud of the person you were being even when he was'nt around. I have seen dad's rough cowboy edges smoothed and refine over the last several years and I think it quite an impressive thing. Who says an old cowboy can't learn new tricks?. I am grateful for the wonderful man and father I have been blessed with and feel sorry for everyone else less priveledged. LOVE leisel