Our Guest from Japan

We recently hosted a gentlemen from Japan who was in town with a Rotary Exchange Group. Ryukai Seto was one of five in the group who arrived on Sept. 2 and stayed until Sept. 5. Ryukai is a Buddhist priest and teaches young priests to chant. He is very active in the Rotary Exchange program and had traveled extensively. However, his English was not so good. We did manage some decent conversations, and Wayne escorted him to many of the activities. Wayne arranged a visit to Blue Cloud Abbey here in NE South Dakota where one of the monks gave them a tour of the chapel and the Native American museum. It was a good cultural experience for us and I hope for the group from Japan.

Coordinator of Bereavement Services and Pastoral Care for Hospice

That's me!

Morning Glories

I planted this Morning Glory plant in June hoping it would climb the trellis on the back of the mailbox.


















Well, what do you know!!!

Vacation - finale

Our last day "up north" we spent in Duluth. Rode the trolley to The Depot which is home to several museums and the Duluth Art Institute. This train museum was fascinating.
















































Margaret McNeely Conservatory in St Paul's Como Park.













A favorite restaurant in Minneapolis, Pop!, where we enjoy meals with Orton and Karen.










Sure was fun to end our vacation in Sioux Falls with a visit to Travis, Lisa and Aubrey.


She's always in motion, so sometimes the pictures are blurry!

















Little Peanut.














Enjoying a cookie snack after supper.













Riding in the car.

Vacation - part three

After hiking the inland trails at Tettegouche State Park, we walked the trail along Lake Superior and appreciated the magma (cooled lava) formations and scenic bluffs. Sheer drops of 320 feet to the lake from Palisade Head - pictured in the background.





































Shovel Point.














From Shovel Point we looked back at where we'd been.
















From here we drove to Gooseberry Falls State Park. This is probably the most popular park on the North Shore as it is very accessible.

















The park was VERY crowded so after a quick look at the falls (we've been here before) we took a path less traveled.














The falls from a distance.










Enough hiking....time to chill at the lodge!

Vacation - part two

After hiking in Judge CR Magney State Park we stopped in Grand Marais. We walked out to Artist's Point and took in the sights. Amazing geological formations, lighthouse, and the Sawtooth Mountains in the background. We stopped for a tasty meal at The Crooked Spoon Cafe.

On Tuesday we headed out to Tettegouche State Park. Although it was raining a bit, we figured we might as well give it a try. The Baptism River flows through this park and we hiked inland to see High Falls (perhaps the highest waterfall contained entirely in Minnesota). We crossed a suspension bridge over the river and hiked down to the bottom of the falls -- and back up!

































High Falls from above.

High Falls from the bottom.

Really?
More steps?










Tettegouche Park had other trails along Lake Superior. Watch for the next post that will have pictures of the bluffs. And we saw so many mushrooms, ferns, moss, and berries that we'll have to have one posting just for those pictures!!

Vacation - part one

Here are a few highlights of our vacation.

Beginning with a stop in Duluth on Sunday afternoon. Just as we arrived the rain stopped and a ship was scheduled to depart. We heard the Aerial Lift Bridge being raised and headed for the canal.



Here is the coal tanker James Barker departing Duluth into Lake Superior.

















From Duluth we headed north to the shore and our room at Cove Point Lodge. Here's a view from our deck.










The next morning we headed for Judge CR Magney State Park - about 60 miles north of the lodge. We hiked through the woods to see Devil's Kettle Falls.



Did I mention that the hike involved over 200 steps?












































































Lower Falls of the Brule River.


























The Brule River flows through the park and at this point it splits. Half runs down the Upper Falls and the other half enters this cauldron (Devil's Kettle) and disappears. It is presumed that some of the water goes into an underground waterway and some reappears in a pool below, but the point of entry remains a mystery!









Oh yeah, did I mention there were a lots of steps!