El Centro 2012

 Ok, we are near the Mexican border so Aliens are to be expected.

 These aliens were promptly loaded up and deported.

 We were actually site seeing somewhere between El Centro and San Diego.

 This tower is off Interstate 8 at about 3000 ft.

 Ralph and I got bored and went for a drive.

 This tower is a historic site.

 Some of the wood to construct the tower was salvaged from the old plank highway.

These boulders made road making very difficult.

 This was a camp location for many WPA workers.

 Some of the workers carved the bolders.

 This old indian fell down and became petrified.

 OK, he was stoned.

 Ralph and I climbed along the path carved out in 1933.

 Some of the carvings were kind of creepy.

 Ralph decided that this is the end of the trail.

 On the way out... look out a rattler.

 Looks more like a stone adder.

 This Gila Monster and the other carving were carved by an out of work engineer, Merle Ratcliff, during the depression.

 A week later Ralph and I decided to hit the local spa.

 OK the spa was a little rustic.

 The pond near the spa was a little smelly.

 This hot spring fed swim area is on BLM land.

 It is open to the public. We might return with swim suits this winter,



Buffalo Roundup 2011

Every year Custer State Park invites the public to witness the roundup of about 1300 Buffaloes. This is about half of the people the showed up!

As you can see, a few people showed up. This is a view of the South viewing area.

The cowboys were assisted by trucks.  Buffalo are hard on the horses so the trucks try stay between them.

The Bison are pushed toward a gate.

They are rounded up annually for vaccinations. many are sold at action to control numbers.

A bison goes for $1,000 to $2,500.

Many come from the horse camps to view the show from horseback.

The Governor came to see the show as well....this is not him.

Where can you see 1,300 Bison rumbling over a hill these days.  This was cool! 

Black Hills South Dakota 2011

OK, we return to our Home State for a couple months.

 The views of Mount Rushmore are amazing.

 This little begar came right up to our car,

 I think this fellow will be a surprize for the cabin owner when he returns.

 This grasshopper hitched a ride through Custer State Park. 

He hung on up to 50 MPH!

 Coral spied these fellows by the airport.

 This was an old gold mine.

 It was abandened when they hit water.

 The water runs year round.

 This waterfall is where the water flooded the mine.

 This is a home for wild horses from all over North America.

 They live out their lives running wild.

 This is a ceramonial Indian site.  Lakota men cut a bone into their chest and tie themselves to the pole.  They remain like this for 4 days.

 These petroglyphs were near a cave.  Hildago was filmed here.

 Some of the wild horses crossed the river and stay year round in the hills beyond.

 The horses are beautiful.

 This train runs from Keystone to Hills City.

 Taking on water for the trip.

The track is the steepest in North America.