Rain

Rain. But not the wet stuff that falls from the skies. This Rain was a concert of Beatles music by a group of 4 men singing the music of the Beatles, with a bit of history, and all the costumes. I saw Rain - A Tribute to the Beatles earlier in July. I am finding it very convenient to live in this larger community and enjoy musical productions Hubby does not care to attend. (Thus he will attend sporting events I don't care to attend, or so he says.)

The performance was originally scheduled while we were in AZ, but a winter snowstorm postponed their appearance until July. Lucky for me.

a full house

The audience was mostly of my generation...some older, some younger.

some solos, some costume changes

Certainly brought back memories. I remember seeing the Beatles first U.S. appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. I watched that Sunday night February 9, 1964.

I also remember seeing a similar performance in Las Vegas some years ago. I liked the first half of the show, but didn't care for the second half.

This performance was a ditto. I do not and I suppose did not care for the Beatles music during their Sgt. Pepper period...

...or their Abbey Road phase.

4 very talented gentlemen, especially the one at the piano

3 or 4 different guitars and the piano

a great performance and crowd pleaser

AND I finally got to see Jersey Boys. Another great nostalgic evening. 

The Old and The New

Not much has been happening this month, so far, thus not a new blog post. So this one will cover a little this and that, old and new.

First: My brothers and I gathered at Mom's the last weekend in June to finalize some plans for her 90th birthday open house in mid-August. The boys went fishing and I went through photographs. This is one of the gems I found...

This envelope contained photographs processed in Minneapolis MN and sent to my parents with a two line address (who lived out in the country) and postage of 2¢ postmarked July 1952. I don't remember the photos in the envelope, but they must have been me!!!


Second: Curt's foot is healing well. I took these photos on July 1 when the pin was still in place and the foot wrapped in the constant companion walking boot. The pin was removed the next morning and he was given permission to take the boot off at night when he went to bed.

Final checkup is tomorrow. We are planning on him being able to resume driving and walking with two normal shoes. He's had no pain and has been getting around well, but doesn't do a lot of walking as his leg/hips gets sore from the difference in heel height. My chauffeuring duties will be over. YAHOO!!!



Next: We have been enjoying fireflies in the backyard and along the gully. [I am wrong in that Skunk Creek does NOT run behind our house. It is simply a culvert waterway to a swamp/pond across the street which may or may not be part of Skunk Creek's water system.] The the gully does have water running through after a downpour.

The photo is very poor quality. The brightest lights are solar lights from neighboring yards, but there is a little flash of white near the far left tree branch which is a firefly. I do not ever remember seeing as many as we have seen since mid-June. We have certainly enjoyed their light shows.

This was the sunset I enjoyed watching on July 4th as we left Watertown for the drive back home. I had this amazing view in the rearview mirror and the Brookings fireworks display through the windshield. That was one trip when I was very happy to be the chauffeur! [Hubby took the photo.]



And finally: The hibiscus. My friend Linda told me her issues trying to find a hibiscus plant in SF back in May when we all were thinking of flowers and planting and summer. She shared going to several different greenhouses and how prices ranged from $20 to almost $60. She was so happy to find a big, healthy hibiscus at a big box store for $12.99. After hearing her story, the ad from that big box store listed hibiscuses for $9.99 while supplies last. So I hustled to the store and bought a large, healthy blooming plant in anticipation of keeping it alive until 1) I got it transplanted into a larger pot, and 2) the deck was done and painted so it could find a home where it would be admired all summer.

The hibiscus (and the other deck plants) were moved from the deck to under the deck during the deck's remodeling and painting. Sometimes it and the others got too much rain and sometimes, none at all. The plants were moved from side to side to be safe and out-of-the-way. Finally, when the deck was done, the potted flowers had a home. The hibiscus has not had a single new flower since I brought it home, but LOTS of yellow leaves. Too much moisture. Last week I finally picked the last yellow leaf and the plant has chosen to bloom.

the old and the new

fading color

but oh, so pretty

I counted more than 20 buds on the plant when I took these photos last week. Finally!!!

rain clouds gathering, again

but they all skirted our area

June has been another wet month for us. With all the moisture and now, hot temps, the corn is really growing. Hard to believe much of it was planted so late this spring.

P.S. regarding the Facebook post from last week: Hubby was having a stress test and I was his chauffeur.  As I sat in the waiting room of the Heart Hospital, watching people and overhearing conversations, I couldn't help but think about how fortunate and blessed we truly are regarding our health. There were amputees, elderly in wheelchairs, folks our age with their 30-something-son who needed a driver, a young couple who looked so healthy and professional, but obviously had some heart issue. Hubby's test was for comparison reasons for his new cardiologist. Follow-up is next week.

The Falls

We had the opportunity to spend some time at The Falls last month thanks to our CO visitors. I climbed the observation tower and took photos while the others were geocaching down below. The tower gives a magnificent view of the area.

view from five stories above the park

Falls Park covers 123 acres. 7400 gallons of water drop 100 feet each second as it moves from the upper level back to the Big Sioux River as it continues on its journey.

the longest falls drop

Sioux Quartzite is the pink rock exposed throughout the park and the building material for most of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings in the park and many of other pioneer built structures in the area. The rock, among the oldest in South Dakota, is the second hardest rock. Diamond being the hardest.

Stories of The Falls were brought to the Europeans by their first visitors the Native Americans.

tree trunk across the falls

The Sioux Quartzite is very resistant to erosion due to its density, the result of cementation and compaction. Wave action on the floor of an ancient continental sea created the deposited silica-cemented quartzite and sandstone into what we see today.

Queen Bee Mill remains and Millrace and Dam

Although it is legal to walk out on the quartzite outcroppings, there have been several deaths, probably one a year at Falls Park. This spring a three-year old fell in and died. Many people visited The Falls this spring after the spring snow melt and the heavy rains. We did not, but the photos and videos were stunning and powerful. More viewing platforms are being built this summer, although people still leave the paved trails and walk closer to the river for a better view and that unique photo. Since 1980 there have been eleven deaths and numerous rescues at Falls Park.

Queen Bee Mill

This is the remains of the seven story mill built or funded by Richard Pettigrew in 1881. It processed 1500 bushels of wheat a day. The Sioux Quartzite building cost $500,000. It closed in 1883 due to a shortage of wheat and a decreased water supply. A fire swept through the structure in 1956 destroying the wooden roof and interior floors. The still-standing upper walls were knocked down to prevent them from falling and destroying the base of the mill.

Millrace and Dam

The Queen Bee Mill needed a power source and the dam (razed in 1908) and water wheel (also gone) provided the needed power until the mill closed and the power plant was built. Today it is one of numerous viewing platforms below the falls.

Sioux Falls Light and Power Company

This Sioux Falls Light and Power Company opened in 1908 and housed three 500 kilowatt hydroelectric generators. It is also built of Sioux Quartzite. The plant operated until 1974 and was donated to the city in 1977. Today it is the Falls Overlook Cafe offering food and beverages.

view of the Queen Bee Mill and its power source

Big Sioux River below The Falls

a Sioux Quartzite island in the river

fisherman along the shoreline

Also seen from the five-story observation tower...

twin spires of Saint Joseph Cathedral

new downtown lofts obstructing the view of 1919 historic building

clock tower of The Old Courthouse, 1893

The city has 26 miles of bike trails along the Big Sioux River, starting at Falls Park. The Big Sioux has been flowing in its present course for more than 10,000 years.

Visitors from Colorado

Our AZ snowbird neighbors from Loveland CO spent several days with us in late June. They were passing through on their way to and from a wedding in Minneapolis. We enjoyed good food, visiting and a tour of Sioux Falls.

We devoted one day to geocaching.

back to The Falls for one of the earth caches

hubby's first day of walking without the knee scooter

mission accomplished

first one of the day

looking, looking

I wonder who made the final find????

signing the log book

a fun library geocache

day's results...

3 counties

another state (Iowa-5 states on their road trip)

8 different cache types, including an event

a successful day of geocaching