Dear Family
The year 2016 was a interesting year to say the least. I will try and wrap it up in the fewest words
possible. Went on about 5 pretty nice horse rides. One of the rides was a two night stay with Shawn and Shane up at the upper Palisade lake. Shane took his oldest boy Nash, and Shawn took his oldest boy Hayden. They are getting to be quite the cowboys. A beautiful 7 mile ride with two beautiful lakes and a spectacular view on the trails. A view that changes around every corner. The trail has about 7 bridges on it which makes the trail that much more fun. The bridges proved to be a big challenge to us this time however. Shane had just traded for a new mule for Nash. This mule, his name is Scout will go anywhere and do anything for Nash. He is very gentle and safe. Scout has one problem, he will not cross bridges. I tried every trick I knew to get him across including blindfolding him. This trick almost turned out to be a disaster. I will leave the rest of that story up to your imagination. Long story short, Shawn ended up dragging the mule across seven bridges with the mule hanging back and butt on the bridge. Great trip with great family with great food. We had two awesome rides into Union Falls.
Union falls is the second largest water fall in Yellowstone at 250 feet. Spectacular view. It has a great hot springs swimming hole. On that trip we had all four of Shawn's kids riding there own mule. Shawn is going through the mule stage right now.
Tena and I have been very busy with our church jobs working with the young single adults. These kids grow on you. Tena and I have also been to a lot of football and basketball games. Trae finished his football career at Idaho State University and Madison finished her basketball career at college of Idaho. Hadley, Hayden, Hallie, Hunter and Nash are also heavy into Basketball.
Tena and Linda had a very fun trip to St, George where Carol, Blair and NaDean showed them a very good time. I am going to get her back on a horse for at least one ride this summer.
She proved to be a very good nurse helping me through my knees being replaced. I could not have made it without her help. I want to thank her for that from the bottom of my heart.
Ok so far this letter has been my life for the last several years. The rest of the letter is going to be a little different.
By no way am I looking for pity or sympathy but this is a newsletter and I am about to report the news.
This Story started on April 1st. I was riding horses with Shawn and Shane on the Rexburg sand dunes. I was on a big black mule. We were looking for elk and deer sheds. I wandered off about 100 yards from the rest of the group. As I was coming down a really steep hill the saddle slid forward and caused the mule to buck. I had no chance on the steep hill and got thrown off. It was a long way to the ground as you can imagine being on such a steep hill. I landed on my side onto a 4 inch branch. Long story short I came out of the sand dunes on a dune buggy not a mule. I broke 3 ribs and had a partially collapsed lung. This laid me up for a few weeks. If anyone reads this in the near or distance future please note there is a lesson to be learned. Don’t wander off on a green mule. Ride with a cropper, and walk your horse down steep hills. This mule had never bucked before. It was human error not mule error. Most of the wrecks I have had with horses could have been avoided, had I used better judgment, more caution and not over estimating myself. No one is bullet proof. I am not a spring chicken anymore. We have to use better judgment as we get older. Such it is in life. Most of the wrecks we encounter could be avoided if we stop, think and use some common sense.
This mule experience seemed to start a chain of events to the Doctors office. Later on about August I
had another kidney stone. I have had over 20 kidney stones in my life, some of them are not painful but many of them are very painful. One cannot describe a kidney stone experience, you have to have had a bad one in order to know what I am talking about. I know that many in the family have had one.
In October I decided I had had enough knee pain so decided to get a double knee replacement. This seems to be turning out alright. Hopefully when a year has gone by I will be glad for this decision. On December 28 I had a 'turp' procedure done on my prostrate. This procedure might be more commonly know as a router rooter. I am hoping all these events will pay off for the the year 2017 and years to come.
I am feeling fine and have been back on my horse one time.
About now, after reading this letter you must be saying to your family that Gerald is on drugs. Nay not so says I. I have not had a pain killer for 6 weeks or so. Maybe my mind will get back to normal again as well.
Dad would say “such is life”. I know we have all had various challenges in life big and small. I hope and pray we all come out on the other side of our individual adversities, a better and stronger person. May you all be abundantly blessed through 2017 and the years to come.
Love you all
Gerald and Tena Humpherys
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