Day 42-- A South Dakota "All American Day".

      After reviewing what we accompished and saw today, that seemed to be a good way to put it all together. This is our last full day here in South Dakota and tomorrow we will journey north to Devils Lake North Dakota, on what will be the last "North bound leg" of this trip. After that  it will be east and south. Already we are further north than our home in Michigan. Aberdeen is 45 degrees 47 minutes North of the Equator. Grand Rapids Michgan is just less than 45 degrees North.

     The day started with decisions of what time to attend church (we actually decided that last night) and when to do the laundry and should we come back to the trailer to change clothes before doing the laundry.  Big decisions when traveling , eh? That last seemed to be the wisest decision.  Our church attendance was at another First United Methodist church here in Aberdeen.  It is a unique design as you can see. The original church has been added to three times and the old church, (three blocks away) has been sold to the city for recreational uses. The tower holds stained glass in the very top.

An arial viewof the First UMC in Aberdeen SD.



We did get to hear their 11 member bell choir play, and saw how much space they have created for themseves in all the attached structures. I returned later in the day to get some pictures and Ms Chumley gave  me a "cooks tour" so that I might get some ictures. I am posting them on the Face Book page for our home church, "First UMC Grand Rapids MI".  The message by the pastor was unique in that it was about "evangelism" as this summer is a huge  effort to interest chidren  in Brown County in knowing Jesus.

I don't have any picture sof the laundry, but it was success at $1.25 a washer load. Most laundramats are ,25 cents per 12 minutes of drying time. While Ruth was attending the washing and catching up on some computer time, I got the gas tank filled, and the truck washed (lots pf dust from those side roads).

We the headed for breakfast at the Millstone Family Restaurant which we had seen this week as we drove by a few times .

During a drive back to where we had been two days before, but without the long drive around the NWR, we stopped at ponds along the way and secured a number of birds with some great opportunity for  photography.  Remember that this part of South Dakota has more water than 100 miles south. Hence many ponds and pot holes.

 A Sanderling among many of them on the mud flats searching for food.

This is a White faced Ibis. 
Seldom seen except at migration.

                                

                                                                                    The White Faced Ibis flying that Ruth caught 

                                                                                                 with the "Big " lens.

One of the ponds that held many species 

of waterfowl. This is on the edge of the Sand Lake  NWR.

An barn, typical of the old west with the domes

 used for holding pulleys to lift hay bales. Today, 

machinery eliminates this process.

A farmer getting the ground cultivated for

 either beans, corn or wheat. This was today.

A park in tiny Columbia SD, that depicts the rural school children

saying the pledge to the flag. Below is one of the two plaques

depicting the "Pledge" and the "Spirit of Liberty".

As I indicated we will be heading north tomorrow, So we will see what North Dakota has to offer.