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Published: August 28th 2017
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blog 08-26-17 Our Forefathers Day
The morning was glorious with clear blue skies and low 60s temp. The dog walk was beautiful, just smelling the air filled with the scent of pine and grassy smell. We are starting to acclimate to the alititude better, able to walk without feeling like there is no air. We are at 4,774ft right now, twice what I am used to and 4 times what Ginnie is used to. Even Linus seems to be having a little trouble, just not himself. We sat outside for a short time then formulated a plan for the day.
I knew that thunderstorms would form in the afternoon so we headed out early for Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse. There was traffic at the entrance to Mt Rushmore but we found a parking place in the garage so the car was in the shade. The temp was rising fast and would be 87 during the day.
Walking up the decodant stone entrance decorated with flags and mobbed with people I remembered the first time I was there when I was 12 yrs old. It was a simple and basic entrance then you saw the sculpturs and were
profoundly impressed. Something is lost in the extravagance.
The Presidents are still there and still impressive and Ginnie really enjoyed the experience. We sat for a while just looking and admiring the vision it took to see their forms in the raw rock.
Leaving we took the road around the back and got a profile view of George then on to Crazy Horse.
We were very impressed with the layout and design of the buildings viewing this sculpture. There was a film on the original artist and learned that his children are now carrying on his dream. It is a massive undertaking and will require who knows how many more years to complete. The entire Mt Rushmore will fit in Crazy Horse's head, 9 stories high. The mountain is a ways away so it is hard to understand the perspective.
While at the model of what is to be, we heard an announcement that there would be dancers soon. So we scurried over to the seating and got a front row seat. An Indian man from the Ogalla Sioux tribe gave a talk about his grandfather showing him the drum and what it meant to the
Indian people. It is the first sound a person hears before they are born, the sound of their mother's heart.
The dancers were a family of Ogalla Sioux born here, educated here, and both mom and dad teach here. Their 10 yr old daughter danced the shawl dance with butterflys on her costume, her name in Sioux. Then mom came on stage and talked about the connection to the earth through the feet, the need to wear leather soles or go barefoot. She danced a healing dance with her husband on the drum and vocalization, Being in the Black Hills in front of Crazy Horse's sculpture gave a special magic to the dancing and singing. Then we all got up and formed a big circle and danced, very inspiring.
By that time Ginnie and I were both starved so we went into the resturant and Ginnie ordered bison stew and I had an Indian taco. Both meals were delicious but too much food so we took half home. We stopped at the gift shop and got a few items then headed for the car loaded down with our meals, cameras and a rock each from the sculpting site.
Once home we fed the dogs then had a delightful happy hour ourside complete with a visit from the local adelesent mule deer who still had their spots. Great fun to see them.
We went in to have our leftover dinners until I discovered that my box was empty! It seems that Watson had climbed on my bed, opened the box and helped himself, he even ate the lettuce! I was NOT a happy camper.
So I was the one who went to bed without dinner.....
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Nancy Simmons
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.Disregard my previous e-mail. I subscribed to your blog. Luv the pics. The eyes are impressive