One more highlight

So back the first of July I got this new fancy phone that I am STILL learning how to use.  One of the nice things about it, is it does take descent photos.  Problem:  How do you get the pics off the phone?  Well, I'm still learning how it works.  A week after I got the phone, Sarah, a friend of ours living in Utah came out to the southern hills with group a gals to do the tourist thing.  I had the opportunity to meet up with them and bike part of the George S. Mickelson Trail.  It's an old rail line (101 miles long) that the state bought and has turned it into a recreational trail open to hiking, biking, snowmobiles, and horses, depending on which leg of the trail you are on.  We did a 25 mile leg, Rochford Trail head to Hill City, and my phone was what I took for a camera....hence my forgetting I had these pictures as until last night, I hadn't figured out how to get them off the phone.  LOL  You can access more info on the trail at

http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/mickelson-trail/ 

Myself, Sarah and 3 of the gals from the group.  This water fall was just after we left the Rochford Trail head and made a good spot for a group photo.

Sarah, stopped for a water break.

An old church building at the Mystic town site (now a ghost town).

Next time, I would like to take the time to explore all the old buildings there.

There are a total of 3 tunnels on the trail.  The park service has shored them up by putting timbers up around the original ones.  It was really nice and cool in those tunnels!

Sarah and I along about mile 20ish.

This old box car at the Redfern area was used as a bunk house back in it's day.

More old buildings at the Redfern area.

OK, I know you are wondering why I put this sign in.  Well, it wasn't really a trail head, but there was a shelter at Redfern with a well to replenish our water.  We needed it after just completing an 8 mile incline!  But most important, it signified the END of the incline and it was all down hill into Hill City!

Bill says he is willing to bike part of the trail with me one of these times he is off.  He is very specific about which parts, the down hill parts, but I would like to do the trail again and would like to do more of the trail so I think we'll just have to make that happen!

Summer 2011 Highlights

Well, I can't believe we are already at the end of summer!  It was so late arriving this year, it just doesn't seem right that even the dog days of August are almost over. 

Since I'm so far behind, just a few highlights..................

Casey and I went to North Dakota for the 4th of July.  Bill had to work all weekend, so we went north!

Bill and the Guys bought fireworks.......

You can buy REAL fireworks up there!  Yes, these are ones that we were shooting off and not the town of Dickinson's display!  They're pyro's!

We took Casey to Lake Roubaix for a swim one afternoon.  She practically belly flops when she dives!

When it's time to go to work (and the pheasant dummy IS going to work), Casey is on top of her game.  She keeps her eye on the "prize" and just loves to do water retrieves.  Heck, playing or working, she don't care!

I chaperoned a hike to the top of Harney Peak for one of the programs that my Little is in.  7 of the 9 girls and myself made it to the top!  There is a lot of beetle kill up there, and it was pretty smokey that day, but the view was still really cool.  This picture really doesn't show it off.

Me and Kalisha at the top!  There is an old Fire Guard Station at the summit.  I believe the station was built in the late 1800's and yes, it is still plenty safe to climb up in.

I made a trip over to Cody in early August and took the time to enjoy the Big Horn's.  The wild flowers were still in bloom and made for some nice photo ops.

Ten Sleep Creek.

Shell Creek Falls

Looking back toward the Big Horn's on the Ten Sleep side.  You can see part of Ten Sleep in the right center.

Casey and I hiked the Little Spearfish Trail earlier this month.

Any surprise she was in the creek?

I'm pretty proud of this shot!

Mmmmm.........wild raspberries.....and yes, they were good!

Casey hurt her shoulder while we were hiking.  We both ran out of water before we made it back to the trail head and she was really hot.  So to cool her off and put some "cold" on her shoulder I sent her into the creek, except she decided it was better to have a "Natural Spa Day" and had a mud bath instead.  When we made it back to the trail head, I wanted her to get in the creek and clean up a bit...can you not just hear the words "I just want to go home, Mom" going through her head in this shot?  After a pain pill and a good nights rest she was right back to her energetic self the next day!  Lucky me?!?!?!?  LOL

I went kayaking at Orman Dam earlier this week.  These geese were my buddies while I was on the lake.

Yesterday Casey and I went to Sheridan Lake to play/kayak.  She has learned a new trick.

She goes just deep enough that she can stand on her hind legs and splash.  It's hilarious to watch!  I can't get her to get on the kayak with me, so I let her play for awhile and get tired, then I go play while she takes a nap.  Then when I'm tired and get back to where ever I've launched from, she gets back out and plays some more while I load up.  It's a pretty good little routine we have worked out!

Sorry this is such a long post.  Guess that's what happens when I don't stay up to date.  LOL  The only other thing that we've been up to is there is a new Casino/Event venue in Deadwood, Deadwood Mountain Grand and they have had some fan-tab-u-lous concerts!  Bill and I went to The Oak Ridge Boys with Diamond Rio in July, I and a neighbor went to Charlie Daniels with Travis Tritt the first of August and then when Bill was home the last time, we went to Kenny Rogers.  Earlier this week Kalisha and I went to Josh Turner at the fair down in Rapid.  The opportunity to have such great live entertainment is just one more reason why we love living here!  Concert pics are for another post though.