Mandan Indian Village Exhibit Near Fort Abraham Lincoln

The Mandan Indian Village at Fort Abraham Lincoln was fascinating and well worth the several hours we spent there.

The smaller lodges were must as interesting as the larger one, most likely used for tribal ceremonies.

And within the smaller structures, there were a number of things of interest: various things from their culture, including rattles, drums, and even a few children's games.

The pictures below show the things that interested us. There were a number of things they let tourists handle and look at during the guided tour.

Ann and Jack took a tour of the residence of Custer. There were many interesting things in this museum, well worth the bother of finding it and spending several hours there. It's a museum I would like to see again, and I know Jack enjoyed it very much.

At 5:00 p.m., we had to be on our way in order to get to the river boat. We made it with a bit of time to spare.

It was an end of a perfect day.

Our Stay In Minnesota

Some nights, it was difficult to get the three kids to get to sleep. Jack had been looking forward to seeing Tommy and Anna for months, and when darkness fell and it was time to go to sleep, Jack didn't want to stop playing. He also liked watching a movie or two.

Eventually, we would turn off the lights and finally get them to sleep, but it was fun to hear their laughter and see their smiles.

It's what made the trip so great. To se the grandchildren have fun together was incredible.

But eventually, the three would start to fall asleep. Usually Anna or Jack would be the ones to fall asleep first.

Tommy was the last to shut his eyes, and we sometimes would enjoy him just a little while longer before he fell asleep too. For me, it was incredibly fun to be able to do things with him.

One afternoon, I decided I would take the boys to a movie. Jack and I had seen Star Trek. I thought it might be fun to see it a second time, but Jack was not interested.

Tommy and I went the next day. It was so much fun, and I could tell that Tommy was excited. He talked a mile a minute before we arrived. Tommy does that when he's excited.

We walked into the theater with plenty of time. I did concessions. Tommy was very excited about the sodas, popcorn and mini-doughnuts they had. It seems like I also bought something else that Tommy wanted as a snack.

The movie was fantastic. It's something I'll always remember doing with him, not because of the great film, because it was a very good one, but because of how excited my grandson was to be with me that afternoon.

The photograph at the left is of Jack and Anna playing just a short time before we left for Idaho Falls.

Everything is so green in Minnesota. It's something I will miss. Living all your life in a desert area all your life forces you to notice things like this.

You just can help enjoying a scene without scrub brush and cactus.

The Last Day In Minnesota

Just before we left Minnesota early this past spring to return home, I took pictures of Tommy and Anna.

This dress is one that Ann and I sent with some other things for our little princess. She put this on for us special, so we could get a picture, and Anna did love the colors.

The trip to Minnesota was fast this year. I did my visits to the specialist at Mayo, and it gave us a few days to be with the grandchildren. It was nice, but it went so quickly.

It was a sad trip in a couple of ways. First, I don't know we'll ever get back there again in early summer, so there are things I'll miss--the beautiful farms and endless cornfields, the sound of frogs at sunset, the bird song there--mourning doves at night and killdeer and larks during the day.

Oh, and I'll miss going to Mall of America.

The Vibes At Disneyland

Only those in wheelchairs and electric carts understand this blog. Whenever I was there with my children, we ran from ride to ride. It was always October when we visited, and with few exceptions, the number of people in the park was minimal on those days. There was no wait at any ride, and we ran from ride to ride.

It was like our family felt we had to get "our money's worth" out of each visit. Sometimes when we are there even now, that attitude resurfaces with me, but then I take a reality check.

First I can't move like that at all, and unless my electric cart operates well, there is no way that we go quickly. Even then, there are no few days in the park that aren't crowded, but even when no one is there, I find myself looking at the visit differently.

I watched this man in a wheelchair. I was in my cart. A worker stood next to me, and suddenly, the worker spoke.

"You know it's interesting. The man there in that wheelchair arrives each morning, watches families arrive together, sits for a few hours in the sun, and then he goes home."

First, I thought it was strange, but then I realized that every time I arrived, I had this rush of memories as we went down Main Street, and I realized I was the same way. I too could sit on Main Street, listen to the music, and watch families walk hand in hand down toward the center of the park.

It's an incredible feeling there.

The nice part about having a chance to go more than one day is this important fact--you don't regret coming, you don't regret going home, yet you look forward to the next trip to Disneyland. At least that's the way it is for me.

If you are not lucky enough to have a change of heart, where you actually begin to love the crowds and enjoy the park experience, you will when you have grandchildren.

The times I've spent there with grandchildren has been wonderful.

There is not a trip that doesn't offer great memories: Tommy's addiction to a warm churro, Jack's knocking on the door of the little door near the exit of the Alice In Wonderland ride, Anna's continual skip and hysterical laugh while we have fun together.

It's all part of the Disney experience.

Each visit there with grandchildren yields new memories, and soon, we'll be there with our newest addition: Sammy.

Anna At Sleep

Anna is fun to see when asleep. It's like how Stephen Crane described bodies on a civil war battlefield--lying on grass as if dropped from a height. Anna spreads out her arms and usually is like this, whether in her car seat, on a couch, in her bed.

She runs continually, so when she finally collapses into deep slumber, not even 10 harpies or one of the sopranos from the congregation in our old Ward could awaken her.

Not even I sleep that soundly. Once during the woman's attempt at church to sing this thing called a "descant," I almost stood up and ran for the nearest air raid shelter.

Anna, however, sleeps that soundly. She would have to do that, because she slept through one of my movies, and to sleep through The Polar Express with the way I set the volume, you have to be a sound sleeper.

When the train appears in the opening scene, I set my Bose system, so that it literally "rocks the house." Oh, and according to my Annie, it rocks the neighborhood too, but my grandchildren love it.

Eating Italian at Buca di Beppo

The best thing about our hotel, besides the made to order breakfast, was the Italian restaurant in the parking lot. Ann and I tried it one trip a few years ago, and since that time, we repeat the visit when possible.

They have this apple and walnut salad there that is incredible. You have the sweet and sour taste of the apple, the taste of the roasted walnut, and then they use an Italian vinaigrette. They cover the salad with feta cheese and dried cranberries.

It's incredible. The veal parmesan is excellent too. There is only one thing to keep in mind, and that is that the servings are very large. Jack loved the bread and marinara dipping sauce we ordered each night, and he was a fan of their spaghetti and large meatball too.

Jack loved the pictures on the walls--nuns riding in carnival rides and little chubby bambinos.

We kept saying that we would save room for dessert one night, but it never happened. It was a perfect way to end an evening.

This picture happened the first day we were at the park.

It was the perfect end of a perfect day, although we were just about ready to board the shuttle to return to the park to ride the rides while people watched light shows, parades and fireworks. It worked well each night. There were no long lines, and the air was nice and cool.

Splash Mountain Anyone?

On our trip to Disneyland in July of 2010, Jack chose to do Splash Mountain several times. I went once. During times when there are a lot of people in the park, they have the rides going in hyperdrive. It hurts me to ride them, and Splash Mountain is one example, but I had to do it once.

Jack got a chance to see one of the Disney characters--Br'er Fox--just outside the ride.

We forgot our "water gear," because we thought the park would be warm enough not to need it during a summer day in July.

It's been a strange year, because it was quite cold in the evenings, and during the day it was sometimes on the colder side. When it came to a decision on one or our last days, I went anyway. In spite of the weather being a bit cool that day, I decided I had to go with Jack one more time. I couldn't miss it.

I rode my electric cart through the exit, like they allow for handicapped riders, and I waited for Ann and Jack to appear in the line.

We climbed into the seats, and the funny part of the whole ride was that I really didn't get all that wet. Jack and my Annie, however, saw the worst of it. But it was worth the ride, and I'm glad I went with them.

I held on, and it didn't hurt that badly either, unlike the ride on the Matterhorn earlier that day.

The laughing place for us was any ride we did together in the park during that trip in early July. It was the most spontaneous thing we've ever done, and my Annie and I have always been examples of those who sometimes planned things like that.

It was something meant to be.

I keep hoping that we will make it one more time this year, but I can't believe that will happen, although that could change, especially on the day my Annie says this to me: "Jon, how long will it take you to get ready for a trip?"

Mall of America

The trip to Minnesota was fun. I only wish I could do things without an electric cart, but it at least allows me to get around enough to see everyone having fun without their having to wait for me.

And besides, every cart has a basket for things you find during the time there.

The two boys and Anna had a lot of fun, but occasionally, there was a ride that Anna was unable to do because of height requirements.

This ride however with the semi truck things was a favorite. Anna and the boys could enjoy it, and I think Anna liked the whole feel of being in a small version of some sort of monster truck.

It must have been noisy, because the lady in the back of the ride with Anna had her fingers in her ears, which is funny considering Anna's response.

I have a number of pictures of this ride, because the three grandkids went on it at least four or five times.

The inside of Mall of America was fantastic, because it was a hot day that afternoon, and it still remained reasonably cool.

A fun thing was this young father I kept running into with his family. He looked familiar, yet I didn't say anything.

Finally, he was at a table eating near us at one of the concession places in the mall. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but you look like this kid I taught at Rigby High."

"Herr Ward?" he asked. It was a funny experience, and it was great to see him. I taught him for several years in German, but he never did the trip during the summer. He loved baseball, and that was the time he did camps and participated in American Legion ball or something like that. To make a long story short, he was never able to travel with one of my exchanges.

It was fun for me to see him again, but the best part was seeing how well things are going for him and his family. It's always such a "rush" for me to learn about former students enjoying life and doing well.

The rides were fun. All three smiled all day long, except of course when Anna was too short to go on one coaster ride.

It wasn't a problem, because Jack doesn't always like those, and he gladly went with Anna occasionally, but Jack did do the one coaster that had a steep drop.

As long as nothing is dark and loud and scary with it, it works alright. I went with him on one coaster at Legoland, and it was a bit more than I wanted to do. The drop was a sheer fall, and the cars were short. We were in the front. That explains why I feared it would be too scary for Jack. But he loved it.

I don't remember this ride at the left at all, but Jack enjoyed it. I wish I could remember what it was like, but I'll have to check with Jack or have Tommy see the picture and respond in a comment.

The day was an incredible day--one full of fun, yet we didn't really do anything expensive for lunch like we usually did. Each year we always went to Ruby Tuesday or whatever the steakhouse is we frequented.

We just had fun with the little ones, and that's really what made the time there so much fun.

One Final Picture Of Tommy In Minnesota

I took some final photographs of the kids in Minnesota. We had packed the car, hugged everyone, even looked about a bit. I knew this would be our last trip to see the kids in Rochester.

I will miss the frogs in springtime. I'll even miss the starry nights and the dialect that is so typical of Minnesota and Wisconsin, but I'll enjoy traveling anywhere to see my grandchildren.

Tommy was sporting his recent claims he submitted to the tooth fairy. It's fun to see the differences in my grandchildren--the gifts each one has, the things that make them laugh, the foods they like to eat.

It's what makes life so fun as a grandparent.

Tommy is my fleet-footed back, either offensive or defensive. I also love the honesty of children.

Like professional athletes on national television, if they have an itch, they scratch it, and if they have to go to the bathroom, they grab it and hold it. I guess they think that an adult telling them to hold "it" was meant literally and not figuratively.

I love my grandchildren, and each one makes me smile. My memory on this trip was the day I took Tommy to see Star Trek. It was fun to see how excited he was to go with me to a movie, and he was ecstatic over my passion for concessions.

It was a trip that was unforgettable. Yes, I saw some specialists at Mayo about leg swelling, which was incredible, but the little things--spending moments with grandchildren--are what make that trip memorable: going to a movie with them and spoiling them with concessions, ordering pizza and watching a movie together, watching their eyes sparkle as they ride rides at Mall of America. The journey was long but incredible.

Another View of The Boys Trying To Catch Bluegill

This is a fun picture of the boys fishing together at the pond. Both are fiercely independent. Jack hates it when I cast for him, and to be honest, I can't do well with those reels that have the button thing for a release.

I find it difficult enough to use my own. I need more practice.

The thunderstorm forced us to go home early, and we intended on returning back another night, but it never happened.

That's what next summer will bring, but next time, I'll remember to have smaller hooks.

The Blue Angels In Idaho Falls

Several days before the Blue Angels and other pilots did the air show in Idaho Falls, they began doing some practice runs. After the first initial roar of a jet engine, Jack and Tommy immediately ran to us and wanted to go outside.

We hadn't planned on going to the show. It was expensive, and I thought it would be too much for grandsons too young to appreciate it.

They decided they had to see the show the next day. Then we went to the river. Aunt Connie arrived in Idaho Falls, and we immediately decided to go to a restaurant near the falls.

It was a mistake, because the jets flew very close to the ground by the river, and the engines roared as they dived and did maneuvers in the sky overhead.

The decided they didn't want to go.

Meanwhile, I had been looking forward to seeing a Russian MIG, a P-51's and some other World War II era fighters.

I rethought it when I saw how frightened both boys seemed to be.

Each time they flew overhead, both boys eventually would not even look into the sky.

It was spectacular to see them, and after reading what happened with concessions and lines at the airport, I figure the boys and I saw the best part of the show, but we didn't see any prop planes, and we didn't see a MIG.

There's always another time for that. And in the meantime, I plan to find a show that features the planes I want to see.

But what is saw was well worth seeing. It was a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon while sitting at the river on a park bench.

It gave me a new understanding of why a former student of mine always wanted to fly jets; however, that doesn't mean I'm not going to worry about his statement that he will be "called up," if the "little thing" in Afghanistan isn't over by next year.

It's not that I'm not patriotic. I just hate seeing these students I taught in the line of fire.

I hated it when my son was in the army too, although I'm very proud of his service and the honorable way he served to keep our country and other soldiers safe.

Drowning Some Nightcrawlers At Gem Lake

One thing that Lydia had to do while home was go fishing one day. It was a peaceful couple of hours, and the fish were biting. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the hooks I had were too big for the small fish. Bluegill would take the worms, but I had hooks for good-sized trout.

Tommy and Jack and Anna had good bites, hard enough to take the line out a bit, but nothing really took the hook enough to land a fish.

My father always said the fun part was getting the bite; the rest was what happened before you put it into a frying pan.

The pond was pretty, once you were able to get by a trash can at the front gate. I guess city people are too self-indulgent to understand that when you clean fish on a hot day and through them into a trash can, the smell is not going to be appreciated an hour or two later by others coming to enjoy the pond.

I swear I could smell that horrible sweet stink of those cans for almost a week. The wind would blow just right, and in my mind, I could smell that horrible smell.

Some people pay thousands of dollars to lose an appetite. It only cost me the price of a fishing license, a few nightcrawlers and the amount of money it took to put new line on my pole. I still can't eat anything without thinking about that smell.

Tommy loved this fishing spot. There was a dry space to sit, and there were no thorns or rocks that made it uncomfortable to sit and watch the bubble at the end of his line.

A Walk Down Memory Lane For My Children

This is a view of Malad from the air. The Samaria Mountain is in the background. Old Timers always said that when the mountain groaned or roared, it was time to plant your garden. I could never figure that one, until I took some German exchange students hiking there.

The mountain has a honeycomb of caves, and while hiking, you can see those that caved in over time. I had a small group of students who loved exploring those caves and told about how small some of the caves were. I told them about the cave-ins and even about the folk lore thing about the mountain roaring, but it didn't do any good. They still spent time crawling underground in those caves.

In April of 1907, there was massive flooding, and a dam broke, which sent water rushing toward the town. I couldn't believe these pictures when I saw them on the Malad site.

I only remember one flood in the 80's, and it was a bad one, but nothing happened like this. There was a lot of water in the valley, making it tough to feed cattle in that early spring, but the damage was not like in this picture from the early 20th century.

The funny part about these

old pictures is how difficult it is to recognize anything in the town, and I grew up in Malad and lived there until '87.

But when I grew up in Malad, the community was familiar with the large number of reservoirs that surrounded the area. That luxury didn't happen when a photographer took these early pictures of Main Street.

The picture above is a view of Ireland Bank at the original site. My regret is that Idaho communities didn't preserve the old buildings. Malad kept them, but they are in such a condition of disrepair, that I'm not all that sure that anyone can ever do anything to restore them.

Cles and Lydia went to school in this building, and the teachers were incredible. It was a great start for them. Cles finished the sixth grade, and Lydia had one more year of elementary school before beginning the experience at Bonneville North Junior High.

Kristin only knew this building when she went there with my Annie. There were times when we spent a lot of time getting classrooms ready. That's what you did in the days when Ann and I began teaching.

I did teacher seminars for a while, and it shocked me to hear young instructors brag about not spending extra time preparing materials or setting up their classroom.

This is the corner near the Malad Drive-In. At the left is the old American Legion Hall. It was here, where we spent Saturday nights dancing to the sounds of the 60's. The dances always went until midnight, and we did them all year long.

I quit going after high school graduation, but before then, it was something I never missed. I only wish the town had the businesses it once had. Everything began dying away in the late 70's and early 80's.