Amy and I have travelled west to South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Wall Drug and Deadwood. All in all a valuable, low key trip with my dear wife. The photo situation hasn't been great due to heavy rains or shooting at the height of the afternoon sun, but I snapped a few. Corn Palace

Custer State Park
Dancer at Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse Monument

Sunday

It's been a good weekend, I think. I burned yard clippings and branches early yesterday morning, mowed, took my laptop in for some servicing, etc. Got many things done. Amy and I went to Labriola and got wood burning pizzas, which is a minor passion of mine. I then lazed and wrote and listened to Duke Ellington last night while Amy went with a friend to House of Blues to see a show. Doesn't get a lot better than that.

I went on a bike ride this morning on the Illinois Prairie Path. I went west a little bit, caught the Elgin Branch north and then turned around. Maybe 12 miles, so nothing stressful. It's good to be so close to these things. I hate using the bike rack on the car, so it's always best to just ride right from the garage. There are a mad number of trails around here. Later I'm trying a friend's chicken recipe. Now off to yoga.

Further Galena

I got up early this morning and walked around the grounds a bit more to see where the flood had hit. I ran into a friend of the owners clearing debris who told me it had rained 18 inches in 10 hours and where we were standing had been under seven feet of water. There but by the grace of God, I guess. I am told two people in Jo Daviess County died in their cars. Any damage that I saw did nothing to detract from the beauty of the area.

I do recommend coming here to Inn at Irish Hollow if you get a chance. The food and accomodations have been very nice. I have spent my time reading, sleeping and wandering Galena with Amy. We saw a magician Friday night. I seem to have become a born again magic show junkie. Was like something out of a Woody Allen movie.

Galena

Amy and I took my last three-day weekend to go to Galena, IL. We're staying at the Inn at Irish Hollow, a country B&B located about eight miles away from the downtown. The area saw a flood last week in which 15 inches fell in eight hours. As you can see below, it was destructive, sending fencing, hay bales and other debris careening about their 500 acres.

Downton Galena. Very Pleasant.