OK....Mrs. Jenk tagged me... so let me see if I can do this right ! Not many people I know have a blog..... so Tiffany, you are tagged !!! And Linda... if you get internet... you're also tagged !!!! Just answer these questions on your blog and tag someone else's blog.
Six names you go by:
1. Jac
2. Jacque
3. Ms. Beaver
4. Ms. Magill
5. Stepmom
6. jaja
Three things you are wearing right now:
1. Sac State T-shirt
2. jean shorts
3. scrunchie
Three things you want very badly at the moment:
1. good health
2. safe trip
3. lose 15 pounds
Three people you are certain who will fill this out:
1. Tifany if she has time & reads this blog
2. Linda if she gets internet
3. no one else I know has a blog !
Three things you did last night:
1. spent quality time with Mr. Beav
2. worked on emails
3. looked at maps
Two things you ate today:
1. cottage cheese
2. chinese food
Two people you last talked to on the phone:
1. Mom
2. Shelly
Two things you are going to do tomorrow:
1. walk
2. work on our brand new patio
Your favorite beverages:
1. diet coke
2. sweet tea
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Paddlefish... Whoaaa
Very co
ol fish........We don't have these in TX !! Just looking at them, they seem to be a cross between dolphin & swordfish ! While we were doing our west SD swing...... the biologists netted 11-(30-40lb) male & 7-(60-90lb) female paddlefish from the Niabrara River and spawned them at the hatche
ry. We had the good fortune to assist with releasing them back into the wild.....
ol fish........We don't have these in TX !! Just looking at them, they seem to be a cross between dolphin & swordfish ! While we were doing our west SD swing...... the biologists netted 11-(30-40lb) male & 7-(60-90lb) female paddlefish from the Niabrara River and spawned them at the hatche
ry. We had the good fortune to assist with releasing them back into the wild.....The crew assembled, some got into the big tanks.....BV jumped 
right 
in.... the males bei
ng smaller were caught by hand... the females were so big, stretchers were used to get 
them out .... it was like a wrestling 
match, sometimes the fish won !!! Staff loaded them into small portable tanks on a haul trailer & we drove about 30 min to the release area. 
While I took photos in the rain, BV helped unload the males, get the females into stretchers and then "coax" the fish into the river.... where I think, they were very relieved to be home !
right in.... the males bei
ng smaller were caught by hand... the females were so big, stretchers were used to get 
them out .... it was like a wrestling 
match, sometimes the fish won !!! Staff loaded them into small portable tanks on a haul trailer & we drove about 30 min to the release area. 
While I took photos in the rain, BV helped unload the males, get the females into stretchers and then "coax" the fish into the river.... where I think, they were very relieved to be home !Friday, May 22, 2009
Exploring the Black Hills, Day 1 !
Monday May 18 - Thursday May 21
We took a whirlwind tour of western SD, volunteering to take some equipment from Gavin's Point Hatchery to the DC Booth Hatchery in Spearfish on our days off. We saw soooo much, I can't include it all in one blog. So.... I'm going to post photos with narrative over several blogs..... and take ya'll on an adventure !
Monday: first stop enroute was at the "Corn Palace" in Mitchell, SD. The outside is completely covered with corn depicting scenes from around the world. Inside is a huge auditorium for concerts & events... again surrounded by scenes in corn. First bldg was decorated in 1892 and they have been doing this ever since.
We took a whirlwind tour of western SD, volunteering to take some equipment from Gavin's Point Hatchery to the DC Booth Hatchery in Spearfish on our days off. We saw soooo much, I can't include it all in one blog. So.... I'm going to post photos with narrative over several blogs..... and take ya'll on an adventure !
Monday: first stop enroute was at the "Corn Palace" in Mitchell, SD. The outside is completely covered with corn depicting scenes from around the world. Inside is a huge auditorium for concerts & events... again surrounded by scenes in corn. First bldg was decorated in 1892 and they have been doing this ever since.
The Black Hills - still Day 1 Badlands
The Badlands are a
sight to see..... as you drive thru grassland, it just appears out of n
owhere 
extending for miles. It's desolate but we did see animals as we toured the scenic loop.
Exiting out, we made our way up to Sturgis where the annual motorcycle rally convenes, then to Spearfish where we delivered the equipment and onto our hotel in Deadwood.
sight to see..... as you drive thru grassland, it just appears out of n
owhere 
extending for miles. It's desolate but we did see animals as we toured the scenic loop.Exiting out, we made our way up to Sturgis where the annual motorcycle rally convenes, then to Spearfish where we delivered the equipment and onto our hotel in Deadwood.
Black Hills - Day 2
Lots to see on Day 2:
Deadwood - full of old west history and like many towns, has been flooded & burned down several times. The entire town is on the National Historic Register and has been renovated to represent the "old town". Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock are buried here. Interesting window treatments.......
Map in hand, we then drove more scenic routes in the Black Hills making our way down to the Crazy Horse Monument. Now.... this is an exceptional place to see. Look it up on the internet... started in 1947 by a 
man who, dedicating his life to the task, spent the first 7 years bulding a road up the mountain, making ladders, hauling all tools & dynamite by himself. He married, had 10 children who now, after his death have continued his work. It is privately 
funded and is already listed as North America's Native American Cultural Center. The site is huge.... you can spend half a day going thru the museums & display areas containing every aspect of the indian culture & lifestyle you can imagine... and they have plans for a university and recreational areas.
We still had more to drive..... onto to Keystone and Mt. Rushmore....... that'll be the next blog.
Deadwood - full of old west history and like many towns, has been flooded & burned down several times. The entire town is on the National Historic Register and has been renovated to represent the "old town". Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock are buried here. Interesting window treatments.......
Map in hand, we then drove more scenic routes in the Black Hills making our way down to the Crazy Horse Monument. Now.... this is an exceptional place to see. Look it up on the internet... started in 1947 by a 
man who, dedicating his life to the task, spent the first 7 years bulding a road up the mountain, making ladders, hauling all tools & dynamite by himself. He married, had 10 children who now, after his death have continued his work. It is privately 
funded and is already listed as North America's Native American Cultural Center. The site is huge.... you can spend half a day going thru the museums & display areas containing every aspect of the indian culture & lifestyle you can imagine... and they have plans for a university and recreational areas.We still had more to drive..... onto to Keystone and Mt. Rushmore....... that'll be the next blog.
Black Hills Day 2 - continued
WOW - still on day 2.... on our way thru the scenic Black Hills, along the Needles Highway... what an awesome trip !! Those who ride motorcycles - ya gotta do it !!! Those that get car sick... well, take something ! From lowlands following snow melt str
eams & full lakes, thru pine
forests that wound up & around rock outcroppings, along one lane roads & tunnels where "no way" could we ta
ke the trailer, and then once getting to various ridges & mountain tops, we 
spiralled down roads that wrapped themselves around itself like a snake !!!!
After going thru one tunnel, we came out and had a marvelous view of Mt. Rushmore >>>>>>>>>>> 
We wound our way down to the National Mo
nument for the night show. While 
we were too early in the season for the laser lights, as it got darker.... they lit the monument with huge spotlites and we were able to see the changes. At pitch dark.... it is a memorable experience... as you drive away, the Monument can be seen for 
miles.
Ok... can you believe all that brings us just thru Day 2 ?
eams & full lakes, thru pineforests that wound up & around rock outcroppings, along one lane roads & tunnels where "no way" could we ta
ke the trailer, and then once getting to various ridges & mountain tops, we spiralled down roads that wrapped themselves around itself like a snake !!!!
After going thru one tunnel, we came out and had a marvelous view of Mt. Rushmore >>>>>>>>>>> We wound our way down to the National Mo
nument for the night show. While 
we were too early in the season for the laser lights, as it got darker.... they lit the monument with huge spotlites and we were able to see the changes. At pitch dark.... it is a memorable experience... as you drive away, the Monument can be seen for 
miles.Ok... can you believe all that brings us just thru Day 2 ?
We had one more day to spend in the Black Hills, but decided to take our time and drive back to the trailer via northern Nebraska, the Indian Reservations and areas we would have no other reason to check out !!! So, the final blog will be our trip back, the animals we saw along the way and an interesting use of cedar trees !!!
Black Hills - Day 3 & 4 - return to trailer
Day 3 - on our way back to the trailer we took the most northern route in NB 
until veering due north to Picstown, SD. Along the way we saw how they utilize cedars as "snow/wind breaks" along the highways >>>>>>
Winter is extremely harsh in these upper states ... all the farm & ranch homesites utilize several types & sizes of trees planted in rows upon rows, in a square around their buildings as protection. I'll get some more photos later.
Alas, our adventure ended after midnight, now on Day 4...... we'd been watching the fuel mileage and while the photo shows 20.9 mpg...... it did turn to 21 mpg as we drove into the Hatchery.... awesome for the diesel !
until veering due north to Picstown, SD. Along the way we saw how they utilize cedars as "snow/wind breaks" along the highways >>>>>>Winter is extremely harsh in these upper states ... all the farm & ranch homesites utilize several types & sizes of trees planted in rows upon rows, in a square around their buildings as protection. I'll get some more photos later.
We had the pleasure of encountering lots of wildlife ... in their native habitat..... along our journey. You've seen the praire dogs & deer. I also had the joy of taking photos of:
wild turkey, antelope, free range "shedding" bison
And my FAVORITE & most lucky shots.... mountain goats ! We came around a corner and I saw movement..... a group were coming off the hillside and went down for water. Of course I yelled for BV to "stop the truck
" , out I jumped and followed them to the ledge overlooking the ponds.
BUT - when they started back up... I quickly ran back to the truck .... and took more shots. BV had to drag me back in so we could continue our trip !!!! I have picked a few to show..... yes, there are more !!
And my FAVORITE & most lucky shots.... mountain goats ! We came around a corner and I saw movement..... a group were coming off the hillside and went down for water. Of course I yelled for BV to "stop the truck
" , out I jumped and followed them to the ledge overlooking the ponds.BUT - when they started back up... I quickly ran back to the truck .... and took more shots. BV had to drag me back in so we could continue our trip !!!! I have picked a few to show..... yes, there are more !!
Alas, our adventure ended after midnight, now on Day 4...... we'd been watching the fuel mileage and while the photo shows 20.9 mpg...... it did turn to 21 mpg as we drove into the Hatchery.... awesome for the diesel !We saw lights on in the hatchery... next morning we found out staff were spawning the paddlefish. Next blog..... yep you guessed it ! Paddlefish release back into the river .... and what fun this was !!!
We have been blessed on our journey ! And are thankful for our health, continued safety and the opportunity to enjoy our fine country......
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