Memorial Day Weekend Family Fun - Day 3 (Monday)

On Monday, we did the back-country gravel road drive into the Elkhorn Ranch Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND. This was T.R.'s principal ranch in the 1880s, when he was in the cattle business of then-Dakota Territory. He stated that (I paraphrase) if it weren't for his time in Dakota Territory, he would never have been president. The UND Archeological Field School will doing a precision mapping project here in about a week. So we came out for a visit so the kids could see T.R.'s place, and so I could do a little recon.

Kids hanging out, literally, at the entrance gate to the Elkhorn Ranch.







Emma hanging out, literally, at the interpretive sign area next to the former cabin at the Elkhorn Ranch.







CATTLE POOP!!








Kids hanging out on the fieldstone foundation stones of T.R.'s cabin.







Grace being presidential, or goofy, whilst standing on a foundation stone of the cabin.










Emma posing on a cabin foundation fieldstone.











Connor and Carrie at a corner of the barn, which was archeologically excavated back in the 1950s. A cement post was placed, in 1959, to mark the building corner.









Grace showing off a cement corner post she found while exploring.








The gang in front of a site datum placed in 1959. We are probably the first people to see this since 1959, or at least the first to see it and recognize its archeological importance. This will help the fieldschool tie the original map work, from the 1959 excavations, into our modern, high-tech map. If you want something done right, you better get a TEXAS A&M AGGIE to do it!



View of the Badlands behind (west) of T.R.'s cabin. He took some photos of his ranch place back in the 1880s, and you can see these very hills today!

Memorial Day Weekend Family Fun - Day 2 (Sunday)

On Sunday, we headed up to the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND.


Gotta start a good trip with a picnic lunch. We didn't have to protect our pic-a-nic basket from Yogi Bear, but there was a herd of buffalo a few hundred yards away.


Roadside geology lesson for Grace. Mike pontificating and gesturing wildly, as usual.


Taking a break during a hike along the south rim. Photo by Grace!


Mike explaining Little Missouri River valley geology to Emma. Or maybe I'm pointing out some buffalo down on the valley floor. I forget.


Seriously cute girl named Emma.


BUFFALO POOP!!


Cute ladies at the end of the hike. Grace and Connor are nowhere to been seen, as they've taken the lead down the trail!


Serious cute attitude!!


CCC overlook shelter. The winds were howling!


Grace and I ventured down to the CCC overlook to check out the views. You can gauge the wind speed by looking at her ponytail...


View of the Little Missouri River valley, as taken from the CCC overlook.


Lots of hiking equals tired kids.

Memorial Day Weekend Family Fun - Day 1 (Saturday)

Carrie brought the family out for an extended visit over, and beyond, the Memorial Day weekend. We visited all 3 portions of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND. On Saturday, we did the South Unit of TRNP.


Cute family standing in the way of the scenic vista at the Painted Canyon overlook.

The kids about to head down a trail at the Scoria Point overlook.

Emma being cute, as usual. She was very proud of herself for climbing up the side of a butte and finding this rock to pose on for a photo!


Buffalo, bison, or tetanka.

Prairie dog, or "flickertail." Very cute. Their "dog town" burrows cover huge portions of the Little Missouri River valley bottoms in the South Unit.

Wild horses. The ladies always fawn over wild horses!

Kids tuckered out after some serious hiking and butte climbing!

Carrie and me being cute and snuggly. She makes it easy to be a snuggler...love ya babe!

Exploring Hot Springs

Hi all,

My brother Doug is up for a visit and we spent one day last weekend cruising around Hot Springs, SD. Here are some pics:

MJ

View from my motel balcony.


Building in the VA Hospital campus.


3 off-road vehicles, 2 off-kilter drivers.


Flagpole with doofii in foreground.

Back to the Field

I'M BACK!!

In the field, that is...

I'm now in Lemmon SD, working on a small testing project at Shadehill Reservoir. We're testing 4 sites here over the course of a week (and maybe another day or two...). Should get in some good cross-training over the 1+ week (heavy duty sweating, hard physical labor, etc.).

Lemmon is known for its infamous "Petrified Wood Park." Some pretty interesting structures. Depending on what the meaning of "pretty" is... According to the local story, a local businessman or rancher (I forget, I'm getting old you know) hired a bunch of local people during the 1930s as a way to boost the economy.

Here are a few pics of the Petrified Wood Park. It is a wonder to behold...something that pictures and words don't do justice to.

Until next time,
MJ

Weekend Family Visit

I've been working out in the North Dakota badlands for the past week and a half, and this last weekend my family came out for a visit. During a hectic weekend, we went to some cool places and saw some cool sights. Here are some of the highlights:
















My 6-yr old Grace gives her unbiased opinion of 19th century bedpans.





















Buffalo in Teddy Roosevelt National Park South Unit. Buffalo poop looks deceptively like rocks, the kind my 9-yr old Connor likes to pick up.
















The kids posing on scoria rocks. It's RED!!
















Rock collection. Cool. Rocks made into a fire ring. Cooler. Having a pretend fire in the RV camper. Uber cool!
















Classic Emma moment.
















Youthful enthusiam of watching the coal train fly by one block behind my RV. Every time a train went by, the kids would stop everything and run to the nearest window/door to watch the train. Connor would count engines and cars for every train.





















Roasting marshmallows on a windy, soggy day.


Thank you family for coming out to see me. Thank you Carrie for making the long drive. Thank you kids for spending your weekend cooped up in a small trailer and exploring the badlands in cold, soggy weather. When you left, I cried. I can't wait to come home and see you.

Love,
Dad