oh what a long, strange, exhausting week it's been

Yup, it's been a while since a post.  Nothing much to post about 'cause it's been so flipping hot and humid - like you can't catch your breath if you are outside - gross, gross gross humid.  With that said we haven't left the house much to do anything other than take Sir for short walks ~ he can't even stand to be outside.

Other than that the only "things" up this week were a "cardio light stress test" and an ultra sound for me - chest pains again (aka elephants on my chest) all tests came back "normal", so I guess that makes me "normal" .... huh!!!

We will be leaving our beloved Sioux Falls in the morning.  Last night we had dinner with our dear friends Rick and Jaye, their daughter Allie came out later to join us.  We sure will miss them.

Doesn't King Richard look so very serious in these photos!

The big event around the Fairgrounds this week was the Junior Nationals of the American-International Charolais Association.  Like I said it was so damned hot around here we didn't go out much so I never got pictures of the cuties other than this one photo I took as I was heading out to do some shopping this morning - at that point these were the only two left on the entire fairgrounds!  They are such a cute/handsome breed.

It cooled off a bit an hour or so ago so Sir and I went out for a bit of "exercise" and lo and behold there was a rainbow!  As we walked further towards the corral where Sir plays, it turned into a double rainbow.  Can't remember the last time I saw a double!

After corral play we went into one of the open barn type exhibition areas where Sir sometimes gets to romp around if no one is around to whom he might be a threat.  Well it was very very windy (tornado warnings abound yet again).

And yup, he spots yet another gopher/ground hog/prairie dog hole.  Apparently there was a fresh scent at this one - so dig dig dig.

Then he sticks his head in ... Rick and I get to chuckling about this part of the "hunt" 'cause we just know there must be a gopher there looking at him that he isn't aware of! 

So tomorrow we will head to the campground at Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain, SD that Rick and Jaye told us about.  It seems quite nice along the Missouri River.  It would be terrific if there is a spot where Sir can get into the water for some water play.  After a few days there we will likely head to a campground in Sturgis.  We've never been to either of these two places so it may really feel like we are back on the road again - although we've certainly been to and through South Dakota a few times.  We had originally thought we'd go to Spearfish for a few nights after Chamberlain, but Sturgis seems the most likely at this point - then again we have been known to change our plans once in a while!  

At the moment we have lightning circling close by so I will do a spell check and quick proof read and get this published and head to bed!

take me (us) out for some adventures

Well, I'm repeating posts here I guess at this point ~ hopefully, with enough variation that no one will be bored, but I will reference the ones from two years ago (yikes)  ... 'cause we are back (in case you hadn't noticed from my previous lame post) in our Sioux Falls - although, we surely haven't done as much as we did when we were here two years ago.

Way back then, I did a post about going to a minor league ball game (or two) to watch the hometown Sioux Falls Canaries ~ well what the heck, the Canaries are now the "Fighting Pheasants" ~ new owners, corny name ~ what can I say, I was, in no way, responsible and no one consulted us on this ~ surely we would have said NO WAY to this name ... The new mascot is "Ringer" (yeah I don't quite "get it" either).  Ole Ringer did make his way through to make nice with the fans.

Rick discovered that The "Dillinger Gang" (way back when) had robbed a bank here in Sioux Falls.  Actually, I think he was watching some late night movie a couple nights ago (not positive because 1) I don't often "do" movies and 2) late night isn't often  ~ well except tonight ;-) ~ my "thing".  Anyway, Rick recently came to know about the "Gang" being involved in a bank robbery here in Sioux Falls, so on our way to one of the "off leash" dog parks here today we just happened to go by the site of said robbery.  Now, there seems to be some controversy in the Whelan household ~ King Richard says there was a police officer shot and killed in said robbery (and has been very distressed that there is no monument in this officer's honor), I've not seen any reference to said officer while perusing links to include in this here post!  So, with that said, perhaps King can rest a bit easier tomorrow (he has long been snoring away tonight).  No disrespect intended to any officer or my dear dear King ... just can't find a reference.

So with ALL that being said, after a wonderful dinner tonight with our great friends Rick and Jaye we went over to the location of said bank robbery and were fortunate enough to go down the basement vault on the property

The location has been rehabbed into condos ~ I know, I know, we usually don't like to hear (or read) such things but what a marvelous job was done with this.  They've kept the integrity of the building and appreciated the history.  I tried to find a link to post here and I can't find one other than businesses at the address.  Guess you'll have to trust me, once again, that the renovation is outstanding.  What  the basement vault is now a "common" area for the condo owners ~ outstanding use of original space.

So seriously, check out these photos of King Richard with our friend Jaye (above) and with  her husband, Rick (below) .... Do you see any changes here from the photo in my last Sioux Falls post done two years ago?  Ummmm seriously you guys ~ what is the name of that diet?

So, once again we've extended our stay (shocking isn't it).  Hopefully we'll be on the road again Saturday or Sunday.   More on that truly unintentional, unwanted delay, later.  

Meanwhile there is a cattle show here at the fairgrounds this week, which may provide a post, but I do believe it would be similar to one I did two years ago when, I think, the same cattle thing was happening.  It is interesting to hear, in these wee hours, the tractors etc. outside the barns here working ~ I suppose moving, well ~ ummm manure ~ bedding, hay ~ you name it ... Sir Arlo still has NO interest in these cattle (and the specific breed I'll reference later, but frankly I'm too tired to look it up and put a link here right now) ~ all Sir seems to have an interest in is the area outside the Sioux Empire Kennel barn (great sniffing and peeing opportunities there you know) and the gophers (prairie dogs??) that dig holes ALL over these vast acres.

Saturday night

Been a while I guess since a post!  Oooops ..

We are still in Sioux Falls ~ thought we'd be leaving today, but that wasn't to be.  Hopefully next Saturday we'll be heading north and west to Washington and Oregon.  

Rick is at Sioux Falls' annual "Hot Harley Nights" downtown at the moment.  I'm on two new meds that are "whacking" me so I stayed home to read, sleep and wallow in self pity.  I did end up making some ratatouille from farmers market goods today - the smell really got to me but oh well, hopefully it'll taste delicious tomorrow.

I hope that we'll get out this week and take some pictures so I can do a respectable blog post again!

Stay tuned.

Are you bored? Want to critique?

So why is it that my pictures of fireworks look, well like crap?  Certainly not like fireworks ... more like trees or flowers or plants of some sort?  Not that that is a bad thing, but they sure as heck don't look like fireworks.  In fact, could I pass them off as a magnificent work of art from Dale Chihuly?  Oh what a treat it was to see his work in Vegas (and somewhere else, but I can't, for the life of me remember where!!  OOOPS)... is he outstanding or what!?!

Seriously, if I posted these photos in December wouldn't you think they were tropical plants from wherever we were at the time?

Rick said "they're great ~ post some" .... 

So, my readers, what's up with this?  And why should you be subjected?  

Let's have it ~ opinions here - what the hell am I doing wrong ... although these are decent colorful photos (I think) .... Chad, please don't suggest SLR again ~ you may likely be correct, but as I've explained I need compact (fit in my pocket) portable and user friendly, like idiot friendly ... hmmmm is there a connection between those requirements of mine and the photo quality?

So this day was, for me, spent mostly at the sewing machine ~ for King Richard, well he did lots of "work jobs" around the coach.  I think because this was sort of a holiday, but tomorrow we have stuff to do ~ mail to get, doctors appointments to schedule, eyeglasses to order .... 

And, as I was out walking Sir this evening our Sioux Falls friends Rick and Jaye came through the "campsites" here at the fairgrounds on their way home from camping in the "hills" ... so we will be catching up with them on Wednesday ~ can't wait .... good, very good, people, fun, very fun people ....  Oh it's so good to be back in Sioux Falls.  I asked Rick today if he wanted to go up to Madision (50 miles north and west of here) to look at a couple properties - NO he didn't want to .... hmmmmmm .... UGH OH ....

over hill over dale we will hit the soggy trail

Hmmmm I loaded these photos several days ago, when the loading was good ... sometimes our satellite connection is not opportune to loading photos, so I load what I think might be worthy of a blog post then play catch up when I can (honesty is the best policy right?).  Trouble is, my "mind" then has to back track and try like hell to remember where the photos were taken and WHY I thought they might have been blog worthy (like now, trying to figure it out).  

Thankfully I did give this a title so that helps the "memory" (that and the book I keep that lists the campgrounds we've stayed at.... when was it that I got so anal?).  

This photo (above) was taken as we were leaving the campground just outside Kansas City (MO) where we were for ten days.  Well Rick was there for ten days, I was gone for six of those days.  Look at these great rolling rolling rolling hills ~ great motorcycling roads or what!  Hopefully we will pass this way again, like I believe I mentioned in a previous post, in October, November or April.  The few days I was here were gross, absolutely gross, can you say   s-a-u-n-a, but it was so pretty and a nice campground to boot!

Not sure why, but King Richard thought I should take a photo of this wreck.  Sure put a damper on someones day I'd imagine and I'm not a big fan of finding entertainment in someone elses distress, but here's the photo he requested!  And my side note - this was a straight road so not sure how it all came to be, with no "jack knife" apparent...

As we traveled into Nebraska - where we were for three nights, just west of Omaha, we traveled through some great farm country - corn corn corn ~ acres upon acres of corn.

Sadly, there have been horrific rains in these parts, and, as you can see in the photos below, vast amounts of crops have been lost.  Where you see water is where corn was planted - 

The yellow along the edges of the water are dying plants ... how does one recoup these losses of an entire crop Kimberly or John?  We've seen this over and over and over through Nebraska, Iowa and into South Dakota and it is really distressing (Kim is this what you deal with in your job?)  These farms have what seems to be hundreds ~ if not thousands ~ of acres.  

Then as we crossed into Nebraska we passed this county park (below) with a campground totally submerged ...

Seemed like it would be a great place for Sir Arlo to play and swim, but it would have been a better place to pitch a tent, or connect a motorhome and enjoy the area .... such devastation.

So we did arrive in Gretna, NE at a KOA there, that thankfully had room for us without disconnecting the trailer, and going into a holiday weekend to boot!  Typical KOA pricing but there just wasn't anything else around and I wanted Rick to see Omaha.  I'd been there two years ago with my baby sister (aka Kim, Kimberly or Kimmerly) and really enjoyed it and thought Rick would as well.

Maureen this photo is for you!  Taken at the Spaghetti Works in the Old Market area of Omaha .... Kim and I ate there two years ago and of course the Weymouth sign was a great photo op for himself, King Richard ....

Below just some random photos of this terrific old market area of Omaha ~ what a beautiful beautiful area.  As Rick said, so many cities have tried to rehab such areas and Omaha was truly successful in their endeavor.  Just outstanding how they've done it ~ rehabbed these fabulous buildings, kept the brick streets and the area is thriving with commercial and residential spaces.  Kudos to the powers that be in Omaha.  Unfortunately we only spent one afternoon here ~ I think this area deserves several afternoons, but it just wasn't to be for us this time through.

Check out those window boxes on the ancient roofs ~ aren't they great.  

Here's lookin' at you King Richard!

With all that said, we arrived back in our beloved Sioux Falls yesterday afternoon.  We'll be here for at least a week and perhaps two, although we are both anxious to get moving north and west to parts we've never seen - Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.  There are some things we need to attend to while we are here though ~ hopefully some modifications to the trailer, some new eyeglasses, I need a doctors appointment, Sir Arlo needs a doctors appointment and to have his tag renewed .... yada yada yada and on it goes ....

We are here at the Fairgrounds, where we stayed for a month and a half when we were here two years ago.  What a terrific fourth of July celebration they put on (although Sir certainly didn't enjoy it - much too much noise and activity for our tough guy!).  

whaz been happenin'

As I said in my last post, King Richard went to do the Harley Kansas City tour while I was up north.  While at Harley he found the next bike to love (not the price tag though).

He's been raving and raving about this bike and took some great pictures of it, in all its sparkling, shining glory!

When I was north I took a few photos of family as well as cousins and their families at the service for my aunt.  I'm not gonna post them, my photography (as well as my mind) were a bit off.  I also took a couple pictures of Auntie Gert's yard, which is absolutely outstanding.  Laurie, you and Kevin have kept it so beautiful~just like Auntie Gert always did - you're doing her proud cousin.

My Aunt and Uncle built this house on land that was once part of my grandfather's vast orchards.  It is a pretty little one story (well there is a guest suite above the garage, that cousins have used over the years and my father lived in when he moved to Shelburne to help my aunt when her illness first reared its ugly head.  I believe Auntie Gert and Uncle Gordon designed the house themselves (does anyone know this for sure?).  It overlooks this pretty pond, that at one point had a dock and a canoe or two.  That is where Uncle Gordon would shoot off his vast assortment of fireworks every fourth of July ... oh how he loved loved loved the fourth.  He was like a kid in a candy store with it.

Also,  Auntie Gert collected ducks ~ large ducks, small ducks, plain ducks and fancy ducks.  She even rented ducks for her pond ~ true story, she rented ducks every year and in the winter the ducks would go to ..... ummm wherever you return rented ducks!  She was a trip to say the least.  Anyway, the photo below(hopefully it can be enlarged to get a truer picture of her collection) is of her duck collection that each of us got to choose from as we left ~ I chose the cutest little duck casserole dish ... why I chose anything so fragile for our lifestyle is beyond me, but gosh darn it is a cute little duck!

And of course I have to post a couple pictures of our Muffin Princess who is still a teeny tiny peanut, but growing up so fast ... in this photo she is feeding an english muffin (seriously there is a piece of muffin in her hand) to pictures on the refrigerator - I think she is feeding her Vovos (Bethie's parents).  It was precious to witness this all the while she is saying "num num num".

She is ready, below, to help replace the screen in the sliding door to the deck.  Always ready to help that Princess is.