Foot Troubles Not My Own

My hotrodding, motorcycle-man brother dinged his foot in a crack-up at AHRMA races in Grattan, Michigan, last weekend, and he's hanging around town, just spending his time, out commission, not earning a dime. . . He asked for, and got, a CD with his greatest hits, the photos of his foot taken at Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls. It doesn't look good. I captured these photos, which seem to show some breakage. Let's hope he gets up and running soon.

Hikes, Car Time, Fractures, Father's Day

I'm here at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls where my brother Jess, the fireman/bike racer, is awaiting surgery on his heel. Bummer. He was out in Michigan, where a racing mishap has turned into a need for some cutting and repair. So here we are.

No pictures at hand, but it's been a time over the past couple weeks while the wife and I went out and ran (oh?) the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half-Marathon, then headed west, into the Bighorn Mountains. Snow kept us from where we were aimed, but we camped up west of Buffalo, Wyoming, then in Hyattville, and we traveled to Yellowstone, Thermopolis, and points out west. It was a good time, to include an overnight at Old Faithful Inn, with lots of wildlife sightings (but no bears). About 2500 miles?

It's summer! In the meantime, we've done good work too in hiring a promising colleague to replace a long time collaborator.

Finally, it's Father's Day, so that keeps us all humbled by the shadow of our fathers and how becoming one opens the door to a whole new life.

Memorial Day in South Dakota

We took in some Memorial Day events in Howard yesterday, including the dedication of their new memorial in town complete with bronze statues of military personnel. The American Legion served lunch, and then it was off to the golf course, then a nice drive in the convertible on a beautiful day as the sun lit up the clouds.

I love this old vet's cap, and he was sitting next to me at the ceremony, so I took his picture. The one of the flag display is in Madison.

Big Garden, Many Blooms

Here is a panoramic shot of the backyard garden in its present form . . . We've been hauling in flowers from a donor garden in Howard, saving them from destruction that awaits them in August (or the neglect of summer in South Dakota).