Grandkids take in a river museum.

The lead in to a week of frenetic activity was picking up the grandkids and son Tony at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa airport.  After an overnight in Cedar Rapids,  we headed home to Minnesota and stopped on the way in Dubuque, Iowa to see the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. River fish and animals, interactive exhibits, river boats of all types and descriptions were all there. The kids loved it.

Naturally, being a Mississippi River guy, Mark Twain was there to greet us. 

The next day we headed off the Minnesota Zoo in the Twin Cities. Well, you get the idea of how it went......:)

 

 

The Grandkids

We recently had some visitors from far away Arizona.  It was son Tony and the Grandkids.   Here we are standing in front of some Belgian draft horses who had taken us for a wagon ride in a local apple orchard. 

 
Visiting the Minnesota Zoo.  

For Dog Lovers

She wandered into Steve and Jewels farm at Easter time and stayed. So they named her "Lily."  She's been there ever since. Lily is a good girl.

Jewel sent us some pictures......

In memory of the my big guy..... Baron

Cuteness Personified

Some shots from my cousin Terry in Idaho.

 

Black Hills Adventure (Part III)

The Black Hills were at their glorious best when we and friends Gary and Rosie camped for a week there in September.

Not so crowded as during the  heights of the tourist season in July and August there was plenty of space to tour and hike the countryside.  A week is hardly adequate to enjoy everything but we made a good effort.  
There are many scenic "byways" but the Needles Highway is one of the best.  Winding through a beautiful forest and narrow tunnels cut into magnificent rocky outcroppings, the narrow road is really for tourists only driving at a slow pace. Come on along....

The hiking views were also spectacular as we followed The French Creek Trail beneath some red bluffs.

Having had a couple of  spills this summer Troutbirder chose to slide down any rocky inclines on his butt!

The trail along Bismarck lake revealed a mirrored view.  A little tired after all the activity, the Troutbirders sat down to rest up a bit.

Well, sorta...

 

 

 

Black Hills Rollerskating (Part II)

Our choice of a camping week in the Black Hills of South Dakota was planned for mid September  to avoid the crowds of people attending the annual "buffalo roundup" on the weekend of the 25th. Thousands of buffalo scattered throughout the hills are gathered, corralled, counted and culled for auctioning.  It turns out they were collected and hidden away so that on the aforementioned weekend they could be corralled and showcase all at once to their adoring fans.  We saw only two on our daylong outing in Custer State Park. 
The next day was different though as we headed an hour  south to Wind Cave National Park where the four legged giants were grazing in abundance....

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

 Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

 

 But you can be happy if you've a mind to

 

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it

 Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it

Gary and Rosie did some spelunking in Wind Cave while Mrs. T. and I did some exploring/hiking.  The trip back to our campground took us thru Custer State Parks "Loop Road" where we saw some more critters including a small herd of semi-wild burros. They weren't the least bashful about sticking there noses right inside the car looking for treats....

A pronghorn antelope

And on a smaller scale a mountain bluebird and a prairie dog.  All in all it was a beautiful day in the Black Hills of South Dakota.....

 

 

The Black Hills (Part I)

Early September found the Troutbirders and their friends Gary and Rosie heading off to the Black Hills of South Dakota for camping. We drove west beside the soy bean and cornfields of southwestern Minnesota and eastern South Dakota.   Crossing the Missouri River at Chamberlain S.D. we usually see a more “western” perspective.

 It's rolling hills, grasslands with sagebrush and a few scattered ranches.  Often, even in July, the prairie has already turned brown.  Not this year. It was still green in September and there were even scattered fields of sunflowers, sorghum and corn. The Black Hills themselves were more spectacular than ever……    Come on along and take a look.

 

The Troutbirders at beautiful Sylvan Lake.

Checking out a local motel.

It was a little crowded for four. Just kidding. Actually, it was the first stockade settlement in the Black Hills. 

Y

This is our actual abode/  It is a Coyote Ultralite camper.  We stayed at Custer Mountain Campground near Custer, South Dakota. 

The view from the campground.

Bismarck Lake dam.

Bismarck Lake.    

The hills were alive

and the Ponderosa Pines gorgeous. We did some hiking and touring enjoying the vistas, the birds and the wildlife. That next in Part II.....

 

 

 

Pancreatic Cancer: Know It. Fight It. End It.

 

It is estimated that more than 45,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and more than 38,000 will die from the disease. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer death, with a five-year survival rate of just 6%. Pancreatic cancer has the lowest relative survival rate of any major cancer.

The Troutbirders and thousands of other people recently attended  the  Purple Stride fund raising run/walk event in Rochester, Minnesota. Here are friend Steve, who is fighting the courageous fight,  and his family, son in law Chris, daughter Megan and wife Jewel.

Also a few of the many Team Glady members including Mrs. T., Joanne and John G.

Pancreatic cancer is the most under-funded, under-recognized and least-studied of all major cancer killers with only two percent of the National Cancer Institute's annual budget dedicated to pancreatic cancer research.

Your donations will help to change these dismal statistics by funding research grants, advocacy efforts, patient support, and awareness activities coordinated by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.