The Hays Family Reunion - Version 3 (2002) was a ridin' and tyin' good
time - the riding was done by some family members up at the Boyer Ranch
and the tying by those who were learning to tie knots that wouldn't 
tighten up on a horse's neck while you begin to break him.  And that was
just a taste of all that happened.

We had wonderful storytelling times with Uncle Elliott telling about
two hours of stories which Beverly got on tape.  Others added their 
stories also and another session allowed everyone to share good  
memories of Uncle Elliott and Uncle Stan.  The hope is to  transcribe 
these for the webpage and possibly a small book. 

And speaking of tastes, we had great food.  The Gordon and Bev Hays 
clan and Karl and I, with a lot of help from cousins, fed the group 
steaks and homemade ice cream.  That meal provided lunch the next day 
also and the Rebeccas' Lodge catered two good evening meals by 
arrangement of Dick Hays.  The children's activities included making 
some pretty good gum from real chicle (sap from a South American tree) 
but not everyone got to try it.

When the old-time stories pointed up the freedom the uncles and aunts 
and the visiting cousins enjoyed on the Little Snake River, I noticed 
that the children at the reunion experienced a similar freedom.  
They were outdoors almost all the time, playing in the ditch, 
catching water snakes and minnows, devising their own entertainment 
just as Gordon and I did all day every summer.  But most of this 
youngest generation probably has had little of such safe, undirected 
time.  They made the most of it!

The auction was great fun and funded the reunion.  Contributions 
included two of Lynn's wonderful Western prints, some lovely examples 
of Tony Marsh's pottery,  a copy of William Thompson Hays's commission 
as a First Lieutenant in Company H, Fifth Iowa Cavalry, artifacts from 
the locations of many relatives, baskets with food and wine, and a pair 
of spurs that was bid high.  Karl and I had stopped in Laramie to see 
Karl's Aunt Gladys and Cousin Rob at the Boardwalk Western Store so I 
got some fancy spurs with silver hearts and pretty good rowels. They 
are now in Brooklyn with a duplicate pair on its way to Long Beach, CA.

Will's t-shirts turned out fine; I understand there are a few left if 
anyone wants them. I counted 65 relatives at the reunion.   Lots of 
wonderful photos and family memorabilia was shared and photos and 
videos taken.  Karl has put some into my briefcase and will make some 
available on the website. Jim Moore took the official group pix (with 
about 15 cameras in all) and says he will have a video available - we 
can buy copies.

The birding walk on Monday morning had about ten participants and their 
list of sightings is also on the website.  Karl and I had 99 species of 
birds in our travels through Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming,
golden eagle over near Saratoga, dippers on the Snowy Range, in Poudre 
Canyon, and in the town of Elk Mountain, and a family  of sandhill 
cranes near Hayden, CO were some of the highlights.  Four kinds of 
hummingbirds were seen, the best place being the Senior Citizens' 
Center in Dixon.

The Gillespie family was well represented with Cousin Rosemary, Doreen,
and Deda and her husband, Dan, present all the time, Diane and Rick and
David and Jane spending more than a day with us, and Bob and Peggy
and Rich coming for a short while.

Many relatives made visits to the Reader Cemetery where lot of our 
"ancestors" are buried and toured the Hays house as well as other 
Museum displays.  Doreen won the cribbage tournament and the beautiful 
black walnut cribbage board Stan made.

In addition to those mentioned above, present were Aunt Sandy and Aunt 
Dorothy, Harrison, Nancy, Lisa and Tony, Walker and Zoe, Kathy, 
Russell, Theresa, Maxwell, Collin, and Rob Roselius, Peggy, Maria, 
Eric, Aliya and Garrett, Pat Emerson and Jack Harison, Joan and 
Laurene, Will Hays and Sara Mullen, Troy Hays, Rachel Crawford and 
Loki, Cody and Heather, the newlyweds, Nancy and Bill, Deborah and 
Cody, Diane, John, Marin and Joel Hummel,  Emmett,  Pam and Christi, 
Sheila and Megan,  Many local friends came in to visit and also to 
share our last meal with us.

On the way back Karl and I visited cemeteries in Mid-Missouri and found
graves for Grandma (Kate) Hays's Shelton cousins as well as Maupins and
Pasleys - relatives by marriage.  We plan to do some more exploring and
add more sites to the ones we already know in MO (which are the W. T.
Hays grave in Napton and locations in SW MO where Grandma lived before
the Gooldys moved to Wyoming).

I had a wonderful time.  Thanks, family!

Love,
    Laurie