sugared Fruit

Craft stores sell those fancy "sugared" looking fruits like pears and apples for Christmas decorations.
Ma Nature, as always, thought of it first. Freezing rain and sleet will crystalize on a frozen pumpkin and create the same object d'art. Alas, it  lasted only a day, all three pumpkins are now helping to fuel a yearling white-tail buck.  He had the cheek to step up on the front porch and help himself to a hearty and sweet meal.

this must be the universal Sign...

for "cows in the road" or "open range", because there isn't a Guernsey cow within  miles of here. The young'un below is pure Angus, never been in a barn or a milking parlor. You notice these oddities when you marry into a family who raised registered Holsteins!

thank you for the Invitation

we watch, we listened, we learned, we were honored to be there...

friend of the Drum

his voice was unheard over the deep "heartbeat" of the drum.

waiting to Dance

jingle dress Dancing

a young lady, on the floor of the arena, music follows her dress as she dances.

in Anticipation

Men's fancy dancers' bustles, waiting for their owners return.

He Sapa Wacipi

Sunday, daughter Rachel and I spent a snowy afternoon at He Sapa Wacipi, the Black Hills Pow Wow, an annual 3 day celebration of our Native American culture in South Dakota. It is truly an amazing experience, the color, pagentry, drumming and singing is both riveting and uplifting, the fine arts exhibit is beautiful. I wish I had had the big camera with the long lens, there are so many details to take in the little digital just can't reach. The dancers' regalia are works of art, the dignity of the elders and the exuberance of the littlest dancers captivate the imagination. Share the experience over the next few days, from a few snapshots of what we saw in the arena. This is the arena floor with the movement of the first Intertribal dance.

prescription for cold Relief ...

Record low temperatures in October 10 and 11, (11F and 16F)  Just 5 months ago it was a lovely rainy (not snowy) day in May and the bleeding heart was in full bloom. Only 7 months to wait.

the Culprits

vandalism by Hoodlums...

Any guesses as to who has been vandalizing Snoopy's pumpkins overnight?

turn Left

the old Adage...

about "the frost being on the pumpkin"...not today! Here be snow, not frost, on Snoopy.

October 8, 2009  7am in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

the MightyMite

The "MightyMite" smallest of the Giant Pumpkin Lifters, minions of the Empress of the Giant Pumpkin Growers.

our personal favorite was the Winner!

One of the kids' favorite teachers is:  

Empress of the Giant Pumpkin Growers! 

Go Ms Evans!

it takes a Forklift...

to move these babies around! They sat on pallets and were moved to the scale with heavy machinery.

can you guess how Big?

The winner, prior to weigh in on an early morning that literally had "frost on the pumpkin", 7:30 am  32F.

1st Annual Pumpkin Festival Rapid City, SD

Saturday, October 3....wait till you see the winner!

Space Days 2009

Yesterday our entire school got to attend a NASA day long celebration of space and space exploration. Hands-on activities and displays were scattered all over the campus of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology for kids to experience. Our favorites were probably the portable planetarium, photos from the Hubble Space telescope, the paper airplane contest and the simulation of the Mars Rover vehicles. Did you know there is a "Golden Arches" on the surface of Mars???
Thanks to the sponsorship of NASA, the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, the Journey Museum and the School of Mines, our kids explored a universe they didn't know much about. Love the logo from the back of Tyler's t-shirt (we all got one)...our South Dakota coyote singing to the stars.

to the tower of Rapunzel

 The woodbine climbs the chimney all the way to the roof, passing by Rachel's window on the way. In the middle of summer it shades the window and lends green, underwatery sort of light to her room all day. By October, the morning has a rosy glow, sadly, not appreciated by our NiteOwl.