Ernest Hemmingway's House and his 6-toed Cats!!

Barb and Lance toured Ernest Hemmingway's House and saw a few of the museum's 45 cats, all direct decendents from the Hemmingway 6-toed cats.

Harry S. Truman's "Little White House"

Lance and Barb toured the "Little White House" in Key West, which served as the functioning White House and a Presidential retreat for six US Presidents.

Dry Tortuga Island

Lance and Barb went to "Dry Tortugas National Park" a 2 1/2 hour boat ride (68 nautical miles) out in the ocean. The island is called "dry" because it doesn't have any fresh water source. The island is actually closer to Cuba than it is to the American mainland. The structure on the island is Fort Jefferson, a fort built before the Civil War by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was discovered in 1513 by Ponce de Leon and in 1832 was visited by John Audubon who observed the bird and marine life in the Dry Tortugas. During the Civil War, the island was under the control of the Union and the fort was a prison for Union deserters. It was built by slave and prisoner labor but was never totally finished. Nearly 2,000 people lived at Ft. Jefferson.




It was a rough voyage over and many people got sea sick --- Lance included!! Luckily he gradually recovered when on land.

Key West Vacation 2010!!

Lance and I finally made it to Key West, despite missed or delayed flights, snow and fog in Billings and Minneapolis, an unplanned overnight layover in Atlanta (minus our luggage!). Although we were scheduled to fly into Key West on a Saturday night, we did land smoothly Sunday Morning and our luggage found us, too!



We an evening at the Key West "Sunset Festival". The locals and tourists gather each night along the waterfront to celebrate the sunset. There are vendors, crafts, and plenty of entertainment such as singers, jugglers, and our favorite - the cat man who had performing cats!

Memorial Day at the zoo!

Lance and I went to the zoo on Memorial Day. We had a great time - the weather was perfect and many of the animals were out and active!

There are two eagles at the zoo. Native American legends say it's good luck to see an eagle!
The Grizzly Bear enjoyed eating a watermelon while sitting in the water.

Lance considers himself and "animal whisperer" and thinks he can communicate with the animals. Watch out for this horse - he bites!

There weren't many babies around yet but we did find a pregnant goat and some baby bunnies.

"Prince", the tiger, walks around his enclosure.

Snowstorm in October!!

Lance covered the pumpkins and squash with a tarp. He dug up all the carrots before the storm hit.

Backyard

Our street. There isn't much traffic!

Yellowstone National Park / Teton National Park Vacation

The mini grand canyon at Yellowstone National Park!

Lance catches a fish on Jackson Lake!! He released it. :)

Jackson Lake View

The Teton Mountains, as seen through the window of the Chapel of Transfiguation

The Alexanders and the Brady's at Jenny Lake in the Tetons!

Vacation in the Hills!

Sylvan Lake, Black Hills of South Dakota Sylvan Lake

Black Hills Fun!

Lance and I went to Spearfish for a few nights. Highlights included:

• Going to see the "Center of the Nation" outside of Belle Fourche.


• Riding bikes 10 miles (mostly downhill) on the Michelson Trail in the Black Hills (in the drizzly rain!!)


• Having fun with the Brady Clan!

Corn Maze

This fall when Shannon was home for the weekend, we went to our first corn maze! Luckily, Lance and Shannon were quite adept at reading maps. We had a wonderful time trekking though the corn field - mud and all!

Pryor Mountains!

This is the scene from our picnic area in the Pryor Mountains. We were at the ice cave in the Custer National Forest.
You can't see it, but this is a cold, cold, ice cave in the Pryor Mountains. It was hot outside, but inside the cave there was ice built up on the ground, walls, and ceiling. Luckily we brought along our flashlights to view the cave.
This was an old homestead that we saw just outside the Crow Reservation.
Mountain view.
View on our way home.

Wild Stallion!

Lance was walking through the woods in the Pryor Mountains (MT) and came across this young wild stallion. The Pryor's are known for their herds of wild horses. This one was off on his own and didn't seem too afraid of people. Lance came and got me so I could see him, too! What a beautiful horse and a rare opportunity for us!

Garden Galore!

How does you garden grow? Out of control!
We're growing Purple Green Beans that turn green again when you cook them, purple carrots, blue potatoes, red raspberries, and gigantic pumpkins.