Sunday, October 24, 2010

Autumn

Monday, October 18, 2010

Day 12 Home again, home again

We did something rather crazy...we drove through the night.  Steve started out driving until about 10pm-ish and then  Christianna took over until 2:30am, then back to Steve until we were home today at 11am.  I woke up about 9 am in Bennington, Vt. Oh it felt so good to be back in New England.  
When we arrived in Wilmington, VT we got out at a Country store AND quilt shop.    Since Lydia traveled back with Rebecca...she missed this one!  We will really need to visit this quilt shop again!
Oh, we now see cows...dairy cows...no more bison.  Just Dairy cows on the hillsides!
Trees, Trees, and more trees.  Although it is past peak (which must have happened while we were gone), it still is beautiful...hmmm I wonder if that is because I just love being back home!

By 1 o'clock we had completely unloaded, washed clothes, picked up the mail, called patients, and ate a hot lunch. We arrive to cool crisp air...the house was 53 degrees when we walked in--chilly.  This is the coldest we have experienced in the last 2 weeks. 
Our trip was truly wonderful...but being back home is wonderful too!  

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Day 11 Sunday -- On the way home

After spending the night in Wisconsin, we attended the Sunday meeting in Rockford, IL with a lovely group of believers.  To our surprise, Steve Price from Kansas City, KS was speaking at the annual conference.  We stayed after lunch for the second message about Abiding in Christ. I am so glad we made time to stop and be blessed with fellowship here.
Then onto Chicago.  The only time I have been in Chicago has been to fly in...I now know why...driving even on Sunday was not our style...  Take me home!
But we did see the Sears tower, the Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and the Great Lake Michigan.
Keziah was so impressed the how close the jets were to us and how many she could see.  In our town of Walpole, an airplane is a rare item -- very rare. 

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Day 10 Wedding Day

Mr. and Mrs. Nathanael Pena

Friday, October 15, 2010

Day 9 Billboard of the day

Notice the location of this sign...a grave yard!

Day 9 Friday October 15

This is the last day of our South Dakota journey
We cross the Missouri River to get to the east side. After a visit to the Lewis & Clark information center...we go east.
In Mitchell, a stop at the Corn Palace was in order.
Finally we're back at Brookings,SD for Nathanael and Jesharlah's wedding rehearsal!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Day 8 Badlands Experience

Our day trip takes us through the beautiful Spearfish Canyon Scenic By-way with a few waterfalls and lots of rock formations.
After a quick visit to the historical railroad station in Deadwood we headed south to Rapid City


At Rapid City we saw the "dinosaur" over looking the area.

After a quick stop in Wall 

I feel that is so impossible to choose pictures for our Badlands adventure...I took well over 300 with my camera alone...then there is Rebecca's, Lydia's, and Keziah's camera's.  Although this is a "bad land',   we marveled at the structure and formations of this land.  Here are just a sampling of the pictures we took.
Just entering the Badlands we came upon this beautiful site
The girls are walking on a rather high wall of sunbaked mud and stone.  I am on a flat, level, safe piece of ground being very nervous for the rest of my family whom did not seem to be nervous.  A good zoom lens is handy for these situations!



Flowers of the desert

Day 8 Badlands travelers

Moriah and Deborah
My hubby
Christianna and Keziah
Being funny
Big Horn Sheep
Deer
A bunny.  Also lots of Prairie Dogs...but since I have already taken a few hundred pictures of the little critters...I took no more.

The Galla family also enjoyed this experience with us.

Rebecca and Chris
Abigail

and Stephen

We truly enjoyed seeing this mighty land.  We took short walks at the overlooks and climbed a few boulders.  But we wanted to take a scenic hike...so Chris found one for us.  We had the most amazing views on the Badlands on this hike...but I did find a few things rather interesting....
So there are a few steps...
Up, up, up

and there are two (2) strollers  hmmm...

that must go up!

Then there are some people who have to read every word on every sign, thus it takes them a long time to reach the summit.
and when they do they are think they must rest!

others...well just are a little crazy!!

Day 8 What we did not see

The End

A beautiful end to such an amazing day

Day 7 Billboard of the Day

Day 7 Wednesday, October 13, Devil's Tower

We left our cabin in Custer, SD and traveled into Wyoming up to Devil's Tower.
The tower from about 4.5 miles away!
Moriah, Christianna, Lydia, and Deborah
While on the 1.3 mile walk around the Tower, Abigail and Chris pose on a boulder.
Stephen made his trip around the Tower, part time in the stroller and part time being held.



Nearby the Tower is a very large and friendly Prairie Dog Town.

Day 6 Billboard of the Day