Trooper #395 Ellsworths Viewing and Funeral

 Like I'd said earlier we spent WAY too much time in funeral clothes this weekend. I hope we dont have to dress up again for that for a long time.  

Trooper Ellsworth was a Box Elder trooper who was accidentally hit and killed while working last week. He had been in Box Elder for 7 years. He ran a good majority of our calls with us on the freeway and highway. His viewing was Tuesday night at the Stake Center in South Willard. Since it was in our area it was our responsibility to help out and show our respects. 

We had the entry and the highway lined with 300+ flags thanks to individuals who let us borrow them and wards in the area.  

We also brought Ladder 51 and hung our flag from it with a signed Thin Blue Line flag below.

 This is the entry to the Stake Center

 A guy who works with one of our department members made these HUGE metal signs and stands. He is donating one to the family, one to the office and one to someone else. He put a massive amount of time and work into this and it was beautiful! 

My sister wanted a picture of me in my dress outfit lol. We had to be set up and ready for when the body came in at about 3pm and then as they set up the center  for the funeral and when the wife came in. For his body, the family and his wife we were all lined up on the entry way at attention.

 South entry to the Stake Center

 I worked 8 hours that morning and was able to flex 4 hours of holiday time to go help our department set up everything. I was starving after we were all ready and thankfully our dept had a compartment of the engine full of chips, cookies and sandwiches. I hurried and hid on the side of the engine and stuffed my face.

 Our ladder looked so good. They even ran blue lights along the bottom.

 Freezing in my dress clothes in the brush truck. 

 The entry had the Patriot Guard holding flags the ENTIRE time

 We had assignments to be posted at different entry's for traffic control and in case there were accidents. We parked behind the Troopers to run block for them and have their back.

 After the traffic slowed down we were supposed to be in turnouts and our hi vis vests at the entry. It was freezing out!

 I found out my turnout boots were still wet inside after a day and a half on the boot dryer. As soon as I put my feet in SQUISH came the water. So I stood outside in wet boots for a few hours. I might have lost a few toes. We lined up to stand at attention and salute when the body came past. It took a while and we also stood there at attention while all the family and people left the viewing. We lined both sides of the road.

The empty spot in this line is where I was standing

 Everyone passed through and left about 9:30. Then it was time to pick up flags. We put on our lights and had a great pickup crew. Everyone pitched in.

 Then we had to take all the flags back to our city hall and sort them.

 A few of us who didnt get to sign the flag prior got to sign it that night. We kept it until it went to the funeral.

 We finished up at the station at almost 11pm. 

We crashed that night and the next morning I was working a dispatching shift at Box Elder. I have never worked there before but I know 90% of the dispatchers, a good idea of the response areas and officers/fire departments so I volunteered to fill in while they let dispatchers go to the funeral. It was quite an experience. Its a lot different being a smaller center. They are a lot closer to their officers and have a lot more interaction. They are in the same complex as the Sheriffs office and jail. The jail brought us lunch and it was really good!

 PLUS I got to dispatch with my favoritest JP and Nikki King!

It was a really great experience to get to volunteer to go help them out. I stayed there until their shift coverage came back from the funeral. It took  A LOT longer than they planned but that was ok!

Wading on the Freeway

Monday I needed to go to Walmart for groceries. It was a fabulous BLIZZARD that morning so I waited to even shower. I knew we were going to get sent out on the freeway for a wreck during the commute. I waited and nothing came in so I got ready and headed into town. Just as I walked in the store and put something in my cart the page went off for an accident that needed extrication at 10am. So I hurried and left the store and headed to the station. We usually dont have a lot of people around during the day because everyone is at work.

When we got on scene we had a van that had gone off the freeway and across the water on the opposite side of the canal. 

The canal is about 3+ feet deep. Its got really soft sticky mud on the bottom of it where you will usually sink another foot or two. This is not the first time we've ever had to get in this canal and Im sure it wont be the last!

Of course I cant show you the cool pictures of us getting her out of the car... HIPAA and all.. but here are some others

 This is after we got her across the ladder. We had to wait for the tow truck driver to get back across to hook the truck and we had to get some of her property out of the van that she needed before it was drug across the water and out of the ditch.

I only had about 2 feet of mud INSIDE my turn out boots at this point. It was warm in the water but cold once we got out!

 She was very lucky and not injured!

 We were a muddy mess when we got back to the station. Now remember we were in cold canal water during a blizzard... and we have to rinse ourselves off with a hose now.

 My turnouts at the station

 and this is when I took them off. I had to be hosed off good outside.

 Dumping water out of my boot

 We washed our turn out pants twice... I had to hose out my boots and then take them home to put on a boot dryer. Thankfully I always keep a spare pair of socks at the station just in case... I spent the rest of the day back and forth from the station to my house rewashing our pants and drying them in the dryer!

Duck Hunt and Broken Boat

Sunday afternoon we headed out duck hunting. We went to a spot they had been going recently. Its been pretty slow duck hunting so I havent been going. I like to wait til its snowy blowy rainy weather because then the shooting is usually good. We were almost to the spot we wanted to be when the boat went over a log about 2 feet under the water. Chris hurried and picked up the prop but it still hit it. It damaged the prop pretty good and broke the ujoint on the motor. Normally that wouldnt happen. We have no idea why it snapped but we didnt hit the log hard enough or did the prop stay on it long enough. We think maybe the prop went into the wood and bound just enough to put pressure on the ujoint and snap it. So now we are in the water, no running motor and almost to our duck spot. 

Thankfully we werent too far from home. Taylor called his dad to bring his boat down to the launch and we pushed the boat to the spot we wanted. We threw out the decoys and Taylor walked the 10 minutes up to where his dad would be parking. We got all the decoys out and Todd and I sat in the weeds to hunt and Chris pushed his boat to about where it broke. Taylor met him there, they towed the boat back to the ramp and then came back down in Taylors boat to hunt. 

The weather had all this promise of a cold nasty blizzard. Unfortunately it was just right around us and not on us :(

Rue girl

 I got a new shotgun a while ago for 'Christmas' from Chris. Each time we've gone out Ive not had a chance to shoot it or kill a duck. FINALLY I got to take a duck down with it. 

 and this is the ONLY duck we shot all night

Verlynn Kings Funeral-Garland

This past week a lot of time has been spent in funeral clothes!

Garland Fire Dept had a long time member Verlynn King pass away. He had been having health problems and was 75. He had 47 years as a volunteer fire fighter and was still an active member. We had the honor of assisting Tremonton with our ladder truck to help hold up the flag. 

We arrived at 1030 Saturday morning. The funeral started at 12.

We got the flag all set up. It takes a while!

 His turnouts

 Seeing the big American flag and all these people in dress uniforms cant help but make your heart swell a little.

 The Willard Fire Group

Rod, Doug, Todd and I

. We stayed and guarded the flag and trucks so Tremonton could go to the funeral. The procession came through about 1:30. It was lead by several fire trucks. We all stood and saluted as they came past. They continued onto the grave site and we took down the flag and ladder trucks.

Grey Thursday and Black Friday

Todd and I did our annual Grey Thursday trip to Walmart that night just for fun. We ended up finding some good deals and made our way through the crowd easily. We didnt even have to wait in line to check out! It was perfect. 

 That next morning we went to Cals, Tractor Supply, breakfast at Larrys Spring Chicken Inn and then headed to Browning. We made out like bandits at Browning! This is Chris and I in the middle row of Janas Denali. It was FULL

 after we got home from shopping we headed to Idaho to get our Christmas tree!

 It didnt take long and we found two great trees!