A day with our great friends

 A beautiful drive way up in the hills to spend some quality time with our beautiful friends.

 This is Rev Utecht as we spent time visiting before sharing a meal.

 Jeff and I had caught bunches of Blue Gill fish last week and we knew that Rev Utecht loved them.  SORRY Donna for making your house smell "FISHY" but the meal was prepared in 20 minutes or so. It is always nice to share join in prayer and eat with our friends.

 Rev Utecht and Donna relaxing after the meal.  We had a good visit.  Since they have now retired from the ministry and doing mission work, we miss our visit time of 3 hours as we travel to and from Porcupine on the Pine Ridge reservation.

 Jeff and Pastor visiting and relaxing. 

 It was a really hot 100 degree day (hottest day on record in Rapid City, 107 degrees)  so it was a good day to spend in an air conditioned car and home. 

 We just can't go to Rev Utechts without taking a peek at his wood work shop.  I absolutely love looking at all the memorable things on the walls in his shop.  Most are things he has cut or carved from wood, some pictures,  and many things from his grandchildren or things he made and they painted.  It is so much fun to hear him talk about everything.

 It is a shame how the pine beetles have hit the Black Hills forest.  

You can see all the brown dead trees as we drove in the hills.

 This is The Boondocks (best hamburgers in the area)  and as we drove past, some of the antique fair equipment was in motion.  It is a cute place to visit and reminds me of times gone by when I was much younger and used to ride the Ferris wheel, red tilt-o-wirl and other rides like these.

FUN AT THE FAIR

I took several; pictures of this old tractor because it reminds me of an old tractor that my dad had when I was just a little girl.  I remember him cranking it to start it and also standing next to him as he drove it.  I don't know if it is exactly like our  "Grotta tractor"  but it sure did bring back good farm memories.  I believe my Uncle Gerhart and my dad bought this tractor together.  Probably the first tractor they had.

This was my husbands favorite part of the fair.  These old steam engines and tractors etc are owned by Bob Grim and every year he brings them to the fair.  You can see him sitting next to the brick building, the one in the bib overalls and the rail-road cap.  He also plays the accordion and comes to the Blue grass jam's on Thursday evenings, the jam in Rockerville that Jeff and I normally go to.

These are wood carvings from last year and 2010.  They are carved in big trees that were actually trimmed down in our fair grounds.  

There were pulling contest's with horses, mules and even long horn steers.  Fun to watch.

The many rides were all fun to watch,  especially this long high ZIP LINE that was brought in from the Buffalo Chip (bike rally) camp ground.  It was a big hit and seemed to always keep busy.

This particular ride did not last long but I am convinced it would scare the per-gibbers out of ya.  Every time I see this particular ride, I think of my oldest grandson and how we watched him enjoy this fast fall ride.  

The rodeo was fun,  calf roping,  calf wrestling, the clowns, Rodeo queens and of course the bucking bronco contest.

 This basket of garden vegetables as it looked the day I entered it.  Below is another picture of the same basket of veg, one week later.   You can tell how the heat took it's tole on the veggies.

Below is my favorite ribbon, and it was on my "dill".    I think it won the Best of show because it was still green and blooming and also had very good dill aroma, no bug's had tasted it either.  LOL

 I certainly did enjoy going through our garden and finding things to enter in the horniculture open class exihibits at the fair.  I love looking at all the other entries in every department.  It is also so exciting seeing the ribbons that I and my friends get.  I even entered a jar of my Chokecherry Jell.  Next year if I enter I will know that I have to hot water bath the jar of jell for at least 10 min.

Now, hold on to your hats,  this was the most fun part of the fair this year.  They had 2 beautiful Elephants to look at and   YEP,  you guessed it,  RIDE!

 This Elephant's name is Rosie.  She is 28 yrs old.  I think they really like their job.  They are well kept,  not smelly at all and look very happy.  (especially when you pat them on the head or neck and when they are getting their picture taken.)

 Below I am riding an Elephant,  Daisy. She is the 48 year old.  She really liked it when I pet her head.  Her hair was real stiff and wiry, lots more then a pig!

t was fun, It made me smile.  I would ride a elephant again,  and to my youngest granddaughter,  if we are ever together where we can ride a elephant,  I would love to ride one with her!  

Friend Annual Birthday party

 One week ago our youngest daughter and husband took us out to eat at Lunds Landing in ND.  This was to celebrate both of our Birthdays.  This is the resort where our grandson Ansir works.  Here you can see him serving us.

 After we had eaten, we all indulged in a special treat for our Birthday.  Pie with Ice Cream. Ansir  got to join us and we had a nice visit.

 I chose the famous to Lunds landing, JUNE BERRY PIE!   It was great, my grandson makes many of these June Berry pies for the restaurant, he waits tables, cleans up and keeps up cabins, paints and dose yard work.  He is the jack-of -all-trades while at work 3 days per week.


TONIGHT AT OUR ANNUAL FRIEND BIRTHDAY PARTY!      

 We had planned to have our picnic at a cute road-side camp ground in the Black hills but due to storm clouds and lightning, we decided to have it under a city park shelter.  It was still a very fun time.

 We have 6 of our group with birthdays in 3 weeks time.  Since this was a big  65 birthday for our friend Rich, he got the honor of going through the food line first.  We were not far behind and there was more then plenty great food dishes to chose from.  YUM-YUM!

 Here is the pile of cards and gifts that were gathered for the 6 birthdays.

 Of coarse, the men sat at one table and us women sat at another.  

 We even had delicious chocolate cake with Ice Cream.
 How are we supposed to lose weight with all these terrific foods?  

 Below Leslie dishes up Ice Cream for her dad, Jim.

 Opening cards.   Here Jeff opens his cards, Cal holds up 3 that He received.

 Patty with the traditional sticker covered card from Rogene.

 Rich with the 1947 booklet card with many details from the year he was born.

 YEA!  Just what he wanted.  No better gift for the man who always has a fly swatter in his hand!

 Maybe he could even squish them between these two connected fly swatters.

 Now to see what is in this package!

 WOW!  Now this is some fly/bee swatter.

 Yep, even with getting older and slower,  you can hardly miss with this hummer of a swatter!

There he is after the bee's and fly's as his wife Rogene opens her cards and gift.  
It is a special time we enjoy with our friends and a special gift from our loving Father in Heaven to celebrate another year of life.  Our prayer is that He would use us all according to His perfect plan.