Summer Trip - 2010 - Part 5

By the time our tour of the National Park Circuit was complete. The girls had more badges than I can count, or recount in my head at this time. As we visited the last National Park, Washita National Park - the Ranger was so excited to see the girls displaying their badges and excited about getting another badge that she had their picture taken with her and she submitted it to the Park Service Newletter. Of course, Parents and Grandparents got a copy of the publication.

For the Rest of the Summer, we enjoyed the grandchildren back in Texas visiting our son (their father).

Wink escorted the girls back to their mother in New Hampshire in mid August. We said goodbye to our son in Texas and headed back to the boat.

We had lots of stuff to do as we wanted to head for the Bahamas again in late October 2010....

We had gotten new batteries in November 2009 as we headed for the Bahamas, but we decided to get new battery boxes and the automatic watering system this year. The old batteries had to be removed so Wilma decided once again it was time for a new paint job to the engine room. Boy, does it look nice.

New Battery Boxes - with automatic watering system.

Wilma and Wink decided to put John Henry up for sale officially. We have listed with Mirage Manufacturing - Ken Fickett, Owner. (Note the for sale sign on picture below). Since the boat is up for sale, Wink and Wilma have decided to replace all the caulking on the Flybridge and clean everything super thoroughly. We also had John Henry pulled from the water and had the bottom, cleaned and painted.

In October, the long range weather seemed to be good for an early crossing to the Bahamas. Wink and Wilma started the provisioning for the 3-4 month stay. We shopped for the freezer and filled it. We shopped for canned goods and filled the pantry.

It's mid October and we're a week away from departure. Wilma gets a call from her youngest brother - he's in the hospital (maybe a stroke) but he's alert, talking, no real side effects. Wilma has 4 brothers and 2 sisters. We continue our plans to the Bahamas. Three days to departure, Wilma gets another call from her brother. NOT A STROKE - BRAIN MASS FOUND. We had better go check on him before we leave. We were leaving early anyway - what's two weeks delay.

We arrived in Texas at the hospital. By this time, the doctors had determined that it was a Brain Tumor - Possibly Cancer - Wink Says: I think we better stay here for a while. Wilma Agrees.

Summer Trip - 2010 - Part 4

We went to Crazy Horse Monument which is only about 2 hours from Rapid City, South Dakota.
No government money accepted. This is a private enterprise sponsored by the Indians and start in 1948. Korczak Ziolkowski who also worked on Mount Rushmore was asked to start work on the Monument. Later he met and married Ruth. They had nine children who all helped on the monument. After Korczak died, the monument is still being built by a number of the children.
This statue is a minature of what the monument plans to looklike. Crazy Horse is a lot larger than Mt. Rushmore with full size Amber, Emma and Wilma
I think the head of Crazy Horse is about the size of Mt. Rushmore.

Here is a marked up version of how it is suppose to turn out.

We also went to the Badlands where Emma is posing.

Amber and Emma in the Badlands.

Amber is sworn in as a jr. ranger for Badlands National Park.

We drove through Wind Cave National Monument, but it was so crowded that we decided to just look for wildlife. Our first Buffalo sighting. We actually learned that Buffalo is not the correct name - no buffalo in United States, they are Bison.

Prairie Dos - Millions of them.

Bison heard.

Wild Doneys.

We also visited a Minuteman Missle Site east of Rapid City, SD just north of the Badlands.

We went in groups - only 6 people at a time allowed into the site. Wink taking this picture of the Ranger, two people in our group and Emma, Amber and Wilma.

The blast door is 3 feet thick and is decorated by the airmen who worked on the site.
Just 4 miles away is the action Missle site preserved for mankind to know what the cold war was about. The girls earned another Jr. Ranger Badge at the Minuteman Missle Site.
We also went to Wall Drug where Emma was our action model.

Emma riding a Bucking Bronco. She was great, never fell off.

Emma enjoys a snuggle of a Bison.

Wink, Emma and Amber pet the mechanical Bison. Wall Drug was too commerical for us.