A Morning at Mt. Rushmore

It's a beautiful morning at Mt. Rushmore. The air is cooler than it has been for the last few days. We love coming here early in the day, before the crowds arrive. Our reason is...church in the amphitheater, a service held by A Christian Ministry in the National Parks. This ministry sends college students to most of the National Parks in the U.S. The kids have regular jobs in the parks and then on Sundays they host a service for the tourists. That usually means they have a new congregation every Sunday, unless it's people like us who also work in the area and like attending there.

I love this photo of Mt. Rushmore, with the clouds streaming out above the 4 presidents.

This photo is of the 3 young men, all college students, who are serving at Mt. Rushmore. They didn't know each other before they arrived—all are from a different part of the country. They work well together and seem to enjoy their ministry. It's a great opportunity for the volunteers to practice serving and to get to experience a beautiful part of the country at the same time. It will be a lasting memory for them.

Girls on Vacation!

The highlight of our summer here at Bear Country was the visit of our 2 daughters and 2 grand daughters from Washington. We waited eagerly for weeks, sent brochures, gave travel advice and talked about what we'd do. The girls finally arrived, pitched their tent beside our RV, and our fun began. The best part was just visiting, but we also saw Mt. Rushmore and attended a church service there just under the noses of the 4 presidents. We toured Custer State Park where we were treated to the fascinating sight of about 200 buffalo on the road. Traffic was nearly at a standstill while we waited for these huge, majestic creatures to meander on their way. I noticed some very nervous motorcyclists ahead of us trying to keep out of the path of the giants! Crazy Horse Monument was next. It's amazing to see what has been done there and what will be done before the monument is completed. The 4 heads on Mt. Rushmore would completely fit into just the head of Crazy Horse. During the girls' stay we also went to Bear Country twice, Old MacDonald's Farm, Fort Hays Chuckwagon Supper and Show, Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns, and Storybook Island. Boy, were we tired! That was a lot of "going" for 2 old coots like us! It all came to an end after 5 days. We parted sadly, the girls setting out on the trip home, and Keith and I back to work. The blessings of happy times with family are about the best treats we can have. Thanks be to God Who invented families!