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Saturday, December 3, 2016

Thanksgiving 2016

Went to T's house for Thanksgiving.
The windows were appropriately decorated by child hands. A joint effort, however, I suspect L, the resident artist, had some input. Fall leaves have blown into the background. A profitable kid job waiting until another day. 

The table has been decorated with artwork and poetry from days gone by. Each lovingly saved by a proud mom.

The resident artist made place cards, each with a different picture. The card titled Grandpa Don, made a new step-grandpa feel accepted. It was personalized with a cowboy hat placed atop the turkey's head.

Mine reflected my love of all things nature.

I have had a lot of fun writing Thanksgiving stories at poor C's expense. This year there was no amusing story to write—no turkey left inside the trunk of the car to spoil in Texas, no turkey left inside an unplugged refrigerator in the garage, and no nearly raw turkey resting in a pool of blood. This year the turkey was perfection, moist and tender.

The usual pie contest had to be postponed until Christmas this year, but we had pie anyway. Cherry and pumpkin. With ice cream, of course.

While food is prepared, we are entertained with piano music.

As always happens on Thanksgiving day, the TV is turned to football and we all groan and cheer at the appropriate times.

Of course Gus has to have a few snuggles.

Food, fun, and family. The best way to spend a holiday.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Sioux Falls Again

November 5, 2016

On our way home, we stopped in Sioux Falls. Don's daughter baked us a wedding cake. It was lemon and Don friendly!

The next day we went back down to the Falls so I could get some daytime pics.


November 8, 2016. Next stop Illinois.
We stopped at my daughter's house and went to my granddaughter's final band performance. They are a very talented group.

November 9, 2016. Home again, home again, jiggity jig!


The Badlands

November 5, 2016

Headed back to Sioux Falls today. Took the scenic route through The Badlands.

The beginning.

This sign caught my attention!

Enjoying the view.

 Click to make this pic large enough to read.


I got to see Big Horn sheep alongside the road.

Looks like something from another planet.

The view from the road.

Next stop Sioux Falls.

Wedding Day

November 4, 2016

We eloped. Well, our kids knew, but no one else. We had planned to get married on September 20, 2016, but due to Don's heart issues, we were forced to postpone.

Why Sundance, Wyoming you ask? Because at our age there are a lot of memories that include others. We wanted to get married in a place where neither of us had been with another. Don had been there as a child, but not with a significant other. No old memories to cloud the new ones.

We arrived at the Crook County Courthouse about 8:30 a.m. to fill out the paperwork. Our appointment with the Judge was for  9:00 a.m.

Shortly after 9:00 a.m., the deed was done.
Our rings were made from the State of Wyoming quarters. 
After the wedding, we toured the museum which was in the basement of the courthouse.

 Then Don sat down and had a chat with The Sundance Kid.

Next stop The Badlands.

Devil's Tower

November 3, 2016

 Devil's Tower rises 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River, standing 867 feet from summit to base. Devils Tower was the first declared United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt. 

According to Native American folklore, two Sioux boys wandered far from their village when Mato the bear, a huge creature that had claws the size of tipi poles, spotted them, and wanted to eat them for breakfast. He was almost upon them when the boys prayed to Wakan Tanka, the Creator, to help them. They rose up on a huge rock, while Mato tried to get up from every side, leaving huge scratch marks as he did. Finally, he sauntered off, disappointed and discouraged. The bear came to rest east of the Black Hills at what is now Bear Butte. Wanblee, the eagle, helped the boys off the rock and back to their village. A painting depicting this legend by artist Herbert A. Collins hangs over the fireplace in the visitor's center at Devils Tower.

Our first view of Devil's Tower.



We were excited to see two buffalo alongside the road. Of course we stopped to take pictures.


These climbers were but a speck on the side of the tower. Fortunately, my camera has an awesome zoom. One guy...

...and a girl were climbing.

A few souvenirs later, we drove around to the other side of the tower.

Next, The Big Day

Sundance

November 3, 2016

It was early afternoon when we arrived in Sundance. We checked into the Rodeway Inn for two nights.

Sundance is a town in Crook County. The town is named for the Sun Dance ceremony practiced by several Native American Indian tribes.

However, I know it from the movie, ' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. The Sundance Kid was a real person. After his release from the town jail in 1888, Harry Longabaugh, an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, acquired the moniker, "the Sundance Kid".

Statute of the infamous Sundance Kid sitting in his jail cell.


Bank building downtown.

Downtown Sundance.

Next stop Devil's Tower.


Road to Wyoming

November 3. 2016

After we left Deadwood, we headed northwest toward our final destination, Sundance, Wyoming. It would be about a 5 hour drive. The terrain changed to more rolling hills.


We had to stop and take a picture of the welcome sign.
 



A pit stop at the welcome center.

Art at the Welcome Center.

 Next stop Sundance.

Deadwood

November 3, 2016

Downtown Deadwood. The population was 1,270 according to the 2010 census.

'The settlement of Deadwood began illegally in the 1870s on land which had been granted to the Lakota Indians in 1868. Deadwood became known for its lawlessness, during which time murder was common and punishment for murders not always fair and impartial. The town attained further notoriety for the murder of gunman Wild Bill Hickok. Mount Moriah Cemetery is the final resting place of Hickok and Clamity Jane, as well as slightly less notable figures such as Seth Bullock.  Hickok's murderer, Jack McCall, was prosecuted twice, despite the U.S. Constitution's prohibition against double jeopardy, because of a ruling that Deadwood was an illegal town in Indian Territory and thus lacked the jurisdiction to prosecute or acquit McCall. This decision moved McCall's trial to a Dakota Territory court ("Indian Court"), where he was found guilty of murder and hanged.'             ~ wikipedia

First stop, Midnight Star. The Midnight Star, owned by Kevin Costner, provides food, drink, and gaming, as well as a plethora of movie memorabilia.  
 The entrance.
 

We enjoyed a Bloody Mary at the bar.

The exit.

Like the door knobs on Wild Bill Bar.

Enjoyed seeing these houses on the hill as we were leaving Deadwood.

Next stop Wyoming.