Chelsea's Great Vacation Adventure.

What a good time! My neice Chelsea from Indiana came out to spend the week with us. The first day she was here she had me riding bikes all over the neighborhood. Yesterdat she had Tyler ride with her tyhrough the parks across town. We spent last night playing guitar on the deck with drinks and Chelsea and Tyler went to the late movie while the rest of us hit the bed. It has been non-stop FUN! Today we hit Mt. Rushmore, Hill City and Bear Country. Lunch was at the Hwy 16 Diner in Hill City and was very good. Tonight Tyler and Chelsea are watching movies. Mary and Mom are watching "America has Talent" and I am working on more constructive things.

I saw a Badger today

I was about 30 miles north of Belle Fourche today and when I pulled out on the road there was a badger in front of me. He looked rather sickly so I didn't get real close. A little history about Badgers : Badgers are the name of the Merkel Texas High School Team. Not that that is much history. I thought it was something. Not special, just something.

I'm Back at Work

I'm back at work and heading to Montana and Wyoming on inspections for the next two ay. It'll be nice being out of the office. I'm worried about my brother Andy.

Guitar Man

I recorded my brother doing this so Tyler could learn it. I have watched it about 12 times since. Mike is a real talent.

Which Fish is Bigger?

There has been much concertation about who caught the largest Red Snapper between my younger sibling and me. Much to my angst my brother’s cohort in crime attempted to manipulate the photos of the fish through a diabolical secret software program called “Hold Your Fish Closer ®” Luckily I was able to definitively, without any categorical or indomitable question, determine which fish picture was the most accurate. As is clearly apparent that my fish must be the larger brother of the baby fish Mike caught. All is now calm in the world.

Music abounds in Pensacola!

Everywhere we have gone in this town music is being performed. Yesterday at lunch we went by Mike's house. Not only was a fantastic lunch served for close to 60 people but we had a live band! This is MARK AND THE TRIBUTORS performing "Seminole Wind"!

Pensacola SCUBA experience.

Mike and Mark Whibbs (Mike's brother-n-law) met us at a dock in Gulf Breeze this morning at 6:30 with Mark's 25 foot fishing boat. A thunderstorm had just passed overhead and we loaded all the SCUBA gear and took off for an old Liberty Ship that had been sunk by Nazis during WWII. Side note: Nazis are like Muslims only nicer. The ship was about 6 miles out into the gulf and at 85 feet. We set anchor. That took a couple of times, we kept drifting. Mike finally dropped the anchor right on top of the wreck and Mark went down the anchor line to check that it would hold. In the mean time Tyler and Mary were working into a state of "Green Gills". Mary recovered and Tyler made several offers to Neptune, the God of the Sea. When we got all the dive gear straight Tyler and joined Mark in the first dive, following along with camera in hand. Mark brought a Speargun but had no luck. We all came to the top about 30 minutes later for a much needed break. Mike and Mary dropped several lines into the water and 
had already had many bites when we joined them. We needed to wait about an hour between dives so most of us picked up fishing rods. I hooked into 3 fish but was only able to bring one to the boat deck, a red snapper about 3.5 pounds. Not 5 minutes later I was standing next to Mike talking about the fact that "I had not gotten skunked and how happy I was" when Mike hooked into another snapper ruining my ability to tease him. Mike landed his snapper but it was to small to eat except on a cracker or something. After the fish going on ice Mark, Tyler and I put the dive gear back on and dropped down for another round around the sunken ship. The 2nd dive went even better than the 1st and at one point we were surrounded with hundreds of 4 foot Amber Jacks. The way back to dock we lost an engine but I think the slow down helped everyone recover their stable stomach. The whole experience was incredible and I can't say thanks enough to our hosts Mike and Mark.

Dinner at Mike and Jacinta's

What a great afternoon! Tyler Mary and I went to Flounders for Raw Oysters. They were $8.99 a dozen which is way out of line but it has been so long since I have had them we got them anyway. Tyler had never had raw oysters and he ate more than half of them. Mike and Jacinta worked a regular day and after they got home Tyler drove us over to their house for dinner. Have I mentioned traffic? Traffic is something we don't encounter in South Dakota. I mean, now and then we get behind a tractor or something but we never really have traffic. Here we have traffic and it's on bridges. I have been having Tyler drive and I navigate. Mary has been really good keeping an open eye for things two dumb guys miss. Well, we faced the traffic drove to Mike's house and had a great dinner. Mike and Jacinta cooked ribeyes, corn-on-the-cob, potatoes and salad. All of this was chased down with some good red wine. After dinner the boys hide in the den so the chicks could wash dishes. At least I thought that was the plan because we went into the music room and shut the door. This made me very uneasy because I always like to help washing. Mike has always had issues helping with chores. This was always a hardship for me growing up. Tyler and Mike played guitar for the rest of the evening while I listened. I know Tyler learned a lot about playing and really loved the night.

I later tried to discuss trading a couple of items with Mike but he decided to manipulate me so I had to stop and take a breather (strategic move). I've been a horse trader a lot longer than Mike.

Jacinta and Mary had fun talking about old times and family. As was par for the course, Mike and Jacinta went above and beyond in providing us wonderful experience. Today, Mike is bringing over surfboards. I am sure another lesson is in store for me.

Free at last, Free at last! Oh Lordy, Free at last!

The 1st photo isof Pensacola Beach, the 2nd is a tall building in Mobile and the 3rd is the Magnolia lined roads in Mobile.

Got up this morning at 0700. We left Jackson MS and drove to Pensacola. The road was very pretty. Hwy 49 in Mississippi was rolling hills and a ton of trees. When we rolled into Mobile Alabama the Magnolia trees lined the roads creating tunnels to drive through. Mobile is a town I would love to spend some more time in. It is full f old Antebellum homes. Pensacola was as expected. Very busy. We dropped Ashley off at Cain's Kennel and drove out to Pensacola Beach. Our hotel is very nice and right on the beach. I wish everyone could have been here. 

This is how you know your in Shreveport LA

This is a store that offers GRILL changes. I mean FRONT TEETH modifications! I really thought this was a fad that had gone away before I had my chance to partake! It was across the street from What-a-burger. Great lunch, good service.

Breaking Leroy

This is the horse Leroy at the nursing home Bill is in. It's a 2 year old that had not been broke for riding. A young man (16) worked with the horse for 3 days and I was able to ride it around the arena. Kind of a spooking horse whispering thing.

The drive to Texas

Pretty Highways of Texas, the way Mary looks at 5 in the morning and 2 county courthouse.

The drive to Texas went very well. We left last Thursday at 0300 hours, drove to Murdo (200 miles) and went south for 812 more miles. We did see on Bull Elk on the prairie of South Dakota. This was a 1st. The weather was thunderstorms, to include 1 inch hail, in South Dakota and hot the rest of the way. We stayed the 1st night in Liberal Kansas, The temperature was 103 degrees and not 1 of the 6 hotels we checked had an open pool. The next morning we drove on to Merkel Texas. One neat thing about Texas is the location of the county courthouses. The courthouse must be located within 1 days horseback ride from anywhere in the county. The courthouse is also normally in the town center.