Collective effort

Unfortunately there weren't enough of us today. The score in the Six Nations rugby match at Murrayfield was Scotland 6, Wales 24.
When I passed this poster (is that the right word? it seems too big for a poster) yesterday morning, the comma was up at the top of the 'y' of 'play', like an apostrophe. When I passed by on my way home in the evening, it had shifted down to be a comma. I wonder whose concern for grammar got it sorted.

HAPPY 4th of JULY from CUSTER, SD!

Today was a work day - Gary worked 7-3:30 and I was scheduled 2-10. The lodge was booked completely and everyone was in. After giving out the number for the medical center for someone whose kid and fallen and put a gash in their leg and giving directions to another whose kid had cracked their head open on the fireplace mantle I hoped it wassafe and we closed the office early to go see the fireworks in town.

This is the "Hollywood" Custer sign at the top of Pageant Hill

Slow moving thunderstorms were coming thru the area causing flooding in some areas and quarter size hail. We were lucky and the dark clouds parted over Custer so the fireworks went off without a hitch.

Hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July!





Till Later!

Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

Melissa and Gary

A Czech/Scottish Easter

Now 15 years old, these Easter eggs are a reminder in our house of similarly bitterly cold Easter on Speyside. Our au pair that year, Lenka, was from the Czech Republic, and was determined that our Easter eggs would be properly decorated in the traditional Czech way. Having sent home for the necessary transfers and dyes, Lenka then organised an onion-skin gathering trip to the local Tesco for the dye that would give some of the eggs their lovely, mottled brown colouring. I remember that under her guidance we bought one onion and a lot of loose skins - why buy a pound of onions if it's only the skins you need? Very appealing to Scottish sensibilities.

The eggs were varnished once cool, and although we rolled the plain dyed ones, we kept those with the beautiful transfers and flower designs. Amazingly most of them have lasted. I like to display them in this Swedish dish, handmade from alder and ash.





This design was made by pressing a small flower against the surface of the egg and then tying on a piece of mesh from the sort of bags that oranges come in.

The rolling took place on the same hill that I rolled Easter eggs on as a child - a lovely continuity, and with the added scenic background of a castle dating from the 13th century. I wondered each year what the original inhabitants of the castle would have made of the egg rolling.





Below, my Easter 'branch' decorated with painted eggs, birds, birds' nests and rabbits.







And outside, brave crocuses and pansies. We are heading off to the allotment this afternoon despite the cold, to start the Spring Dig. I'm already looking forward to the hot cross buns we'll have earned when we come back.

Wishing you a Happy Easter from Scotland.

Mankato city planners looking for bike route input

Even the most pessimistic cycling advocate would have a hard time denying the progress Mankato has made as a bike-friendly community in recent years.

In addition to adding several in-town bike paths, city planners built the Minneopa trail last year and the Greater Mankato Convention & Visitors Bureau released a trail map earlier this year complete with suggested area bike loops.

Aside from that, the Greater Mankato Bike & Walk Advocates verified cycling interest in the area with the successful Mankato River Ramble this past October. The inaugural tour ride drew more than 1,500 participants and drew rave reviews from all participants.

The League of American Cyclists recognized Mankato's efforts this past spring by awarding them with honorable mention status as a bike-friendly community. A prestigious honor no doubt, but Mankato city planners and bike advocates are looking for more next year.

"That really helped us assess where we're at as a bike-friendly community," Greater Mankato Bike & Walk Advocate founder Tom Engstrom said. "They told us what we need to improve on, and the city is taking steps to do that."

A big part of that step has been the city planners providing a large poster board map of Mankato for cyclists to draw out their regular bike routes with markers.According to Engstrom, the objective of the map is for city planners to get an idea of where cyclists regularly ride in Mankato. From there, the city will use the input to determine whether it's appropriate to label bike lanes on those routes.

Greater Mankato Multisport Club founder Chris Crocker said that local bike advocates are also looking into posting signs throughout the city directing cyclists to the various trail systems in town.

"We're hoping to go to the city with ideas of how to have better signage in Mankato and North Mankao," Crocker said. "The trail system infrastructure has already been built. But since the trails aren't all connected, there's no signage to help you find anything if you're not familiar with the area."

The poster board map had previously been available to cyclists at Flying Penguin Outdoor Sports and will be on hand at the Bike and Walk Street Film Festival, which will take place from 1-4 p.m. on January 14 at the Blue Earth County Library.

The festival, hosted by the Greater Mankato Bike & Walk Advocates, is open to the public and will feature about an hours worth of short videos on other bike-friendly communities. Engstrom hopes the viewing will help spark a brainstorming session from those in attendance.

"It'll be cool to watch them as a group," Engstrom said of the videos. "It'll help us learn how things work elsewhere and it might give us some ideas of things we can do here."

After the videos, an open forum will be held where those in attendance can make suggestions on how Mankato can make itself a better community for non-motorized commuters. Area cyclists will also have a chance to mark down some last-minute routes on the map, as Engstrom plans to present the map and the results of the forum to city officials shortly after the festival.

Immediately following the festival, Engstrom and other cyclists plan on going on a short bike ride through town that will likely end at Pub 500 for drinks and social hour.

Both Engstrom and Crocker expect a good turnout for the event and also expect the community's input to have a major impact on city planning in the near future.

"You have to give the city a lot of credit," Crocker said. "People want the community to be more friendly to bikers and pedestrians and the officials are listening."

For more information, contact Tom Engstrom at tje1947@gmail.com.

Sunset Cruise

Didn't do much of anything most of the day. Visited in the breakfast area. Went out to take some photos on the beach. Then more visiting in the hospitality Room.
Some were talking about going to Brookgreen Gardens. I was all for that, but the plan seems to had never gelled.
I heard someone comment it was too hot to got out. About 2pm, i went to the room and took a nap.
Many of the group are planning to take the casino boat. That was a 5 hour cruise that would not get back to the hotel until after midnight. Way too late for me. Several of us took a 1 1/2 hour sunset cruise. That was wonderful cruise. Just long enough. When we got back, the sun had set and there was a little coloring in the sky. Tonight's photo was taken on that cruise.

Return to Coomera Gorge

This post is more than a little dated now, given that it's about a month since the event, but I have decided to share it anyway, largely so I can show off the pictures I took on the day. I joined up with a few friends for a hike through Lamington National Park, on the Coomera circuit, which, of course, passes the famous Coomera Gorge. I really love the way the wet season impacts on this part of the world, creating the flowing waterfalls and feeding the seemingly eternal greenery of this area. Days like this are the sort of thing you can look back on well into the future, with incredible memories.

Indian Valley Open Space

I think Mom shoulda made a photoshow outta this adventure, because there are so many pictures of another one of my favorite places. Our county has an amazing string of lands set aside for doggies like me, Sammie, (and people too, cyclists, and, other furry creatures - some wild - and some not. I personally like the horses because of the delicious apples they leave behind. It was still a dark and stormy day, but the riverbed now has rushing water in it which makes me extremely happy. I got a lot done here yesterday - met some old friends, investigated the gopher holes, checked out the bridges to see if they were still safe for my peeps, and finally - FINALLY ran into my old golden buddies from last fall! Just seeing them made me kick up my heels in a frenzy. I get a total case of the woopies! This is when I run about 90 miles an hour around and around, making me, as well as anyone watching go totally dizzy with vertigo. In the last picture you can see Roddy's tongue in the corner trying just to stand as I race around him. That sure was fun. I was old mud-puppy again. When I got there, I was so clean (see below). When we got back to the car, I felt exhilarated and satiated. Mom and Dad massaged the mud off me with towels and I slept until dinner time. What a day! And super good cause Dad came home early from work! I hope I get to go back soon!
Love and Licks,
xo Sammie

Oh, To Be a Bookseller

Half-way through the afternoon he stopped stock-still in the middle of the floor, Pride and Prejudice in one hand and Wuthering Heights in the other, to deliver a homily on the profession of a bookseller.

"It is the most friendly vocation in the world," Grandfather announced. "A bookseller is the link between mind and mind, the feeder of the hungry, very often the binder up of wounds. There he sits, your bookseller, surrounded by a thousand minds all done up neatly in cardboard cases; beautiful minds, courageous minds, strong minds, wise minds, all sorts and conditions. And there come into him other minds, hungry for beauty, for knowledge, for truth, for love, and to the best of his ability he satisfied them all...Yes....It's a great vocation."

From A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge

Two Christmas Cards from Shanghai

When we arrived home, after our visit to the Aged Aunt, we found that the postman had delivered the new wall lamp (for above the sofa in the kitchen) plus several Christmas cards. I'll post a photograph of the lamp once your Dad has finished fitting it. I think you will like it.





Among the cards was this

spectacular one.





Thank you Jonathan! It is lovely... possibly the very first Christmas card (apart from schooldays) which you have ever sent to us! I shall cherish it.





Have a wonderful holiday, don't forget the sun cream, hat, and tee shirt!





Thinking of you.





Lots of love,





Mum & Dad

xxx





PS Harry and his Mum have just been here. Harry was proudly displaying his Christmas card. To say he was thrilled with it would be an understatement.

In Remembrance of Gabe's Daddy

See the little boy in red? He was in my class this summer in Vacation Bible School. He was visiting a cousin who used to go to our church, so they both came to VBS. I talked with him on the last day about where he was from, where he went to church, etc. A very personable young man, he told me he lived in Virginia and that his daddy was in Afghanistan. I enjoyed our talk very much.
Two days ago, I learned that his daddy was one of the Navy Seals on the helicopter that was shot down in Afghanistan; the one in which 31 young men, in the prime of life, died.
My heart aches for Gabe and the loss of his daddy. His life will be forever changed. Please pray for him, his family, and the others who lost a son, husband, brother, or friend.

Fleming Cottage Hospital

The snow is gone now, but this is what it looked like in January. The Fleming cottage hospital serves the area around Aberlour-on-Spey, and is where my father is being treated following his fall last month. This is the original bit of the hospital, with part of the modern wing at one side and health centre at the other. It's on a very human scale, with only 15 beds. And good home cooking.

Xtreme Century Photos

My photos of Xtreme Century are posted on win-photo.photoreflect.com
Some of my photos at the Malvern stop did not turn out -- settings got changed on the camera. One of the things I do not like about the new (Canon Rebel T1i) camera - easy to change setting just with handling.
Anyway - hope you enjoy them.

Reptile Gardens

Have most of the day off so we go to Reptile Gardens outside of Rapid CityOf course the main attraction is the Alligators and CrocodilesMy! What big teeth you have!These guys seemed to be coming to help their buddyThey had a Bird Show too - not quite Busch Gardens but entertaining






Inside the Dome is a Tropical area with beautiful Orchids, Birds and Lizards.I really wanted this Rose Quartz - but it was being guardedWe encountered some rush hour traffic here too





I got my fortune told by Henda the Chicken I asked if I would ever win the Lottery


Outside there was a Whack a mole garden - oops I mean Prairie Dog TownWhack a Mole!This guy is around 60 years old, their oldest Turtle born in 1881 died a couple of week ago. The Sturgis Bikers are everywhereBEE the Biker Babe