An Actual Cowboy /  by Dave Hileman

Grant-Koors Ranch National Historic Site is a little known gem of a park in Montana. With Yellowstone just to the south and Glacier a bit north not too many people choose to spend a lot of time at this ranch. They are missing a treat. The ranch was once over one million acres, and they leased millions more. It began just after the Civil War and the last building constructed was in the very early 1900's. It was an active ranch until late 1960's and turned over to the National Park System intact. Every rope, fence, pot, wagon etc. It is an amazing slice of history. This man - who was retired and not a professional cowboy actually rode with some of the last cattle drives as a young boy. 

Birthday /  by Dave Hileman

A happy birthday to Cindy. I am so thankful for her. She, among many things, is a great traveling and hiking companion. Here we are after a hike in western Glacier National Park at a lake with several snow-melt waterfalls in the background. And a bonus with Cindy as Captain of our temporary yacht with Grandkids in Charleston, SC. One last photo, along with our friend Rusty, in Acadia atop another mountain reached after a strenuous long climb. The post was set for January 7, her actual birthday but I could not get back to the house and, because of a dose of stupid, could not get this up from the computer at Geof's house. Anyway, it was a nice day.

"The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
and he receives favor from the lord" Proverbs 18:22 NLT

 

Weather /  by Dave Hileman

So, we are supposed to be getting a significant snow storm by the time this posts. So I found this older photo taken on top of the pass over the Great Smoky Mountains. It was shot in February and it was cold, very. 

Weathered /  by Dave Hileman

Old boat tied up at a dock in Southwest Harbor, Maine. The man that owns it is a mackerel fisherman. He catches them and trades them for lobsters and then sells the lobster to area restaurants. 

Where Are We Aiming In 2017? /  by Dave Hileman

We started this quest to visit the 409, 411, 413, 415 National Park Service sites this past year about February. (They added more than I ever expected just last year with 6 new parks and there are still that many in process.) We started with the 139 we had already visited and about 25 of those recently enough to have some sort of photos. Now we are at 158 with about 70 sites photographed. The new website went live in early summer and this latest revision is still in process. Should be finished by the end of the weekend with several more galleries posted in the National Park Photos by States section. What is next? This winter we hope to get to a couple of new sites and some that need better photographs. Not sure how many that will be because other things, work for example, is very busy. But we do have a long vacation scheduled for mid-April to late May in the Southwest and expect to visit as many as 20 new parks. There will only be limited time for fall sites so our goal for 2017 will be 30 new sites. It would be great if we could reach 200 total by this time next year.  

Fort Moultrie in part of the Fort Sumter National Monument in Charlestown, SC. This fort was where South Carolina gets the nickname Palmetto State. This fort is the only place to follow the entire history of seacoast defense can be traced starting i…

Fort Moultrie in part of the Fort Sumter National Monument in Charlestown, SC. This fort was where South Carolina gets the nickname Palmetto State. This fort is the only place to follow the entire history of seacoast defense can be traced starting in 1776 until it closed in 1947.

Nineteen Too /  by Dave Hileman

We also re-visited 19 National Park Service units this past year including our 14th week in Acadia National Park. Many of those we revisited were ones we went to BC (before camera). So the photos were a primary reason but we had a great time and some of the ones we did visit we had not been to in decades. Arlington House since the late 60's, Eisenhower house since the early 80's are two of those places. This group was very diverse, two National Parks, two National Seashores, National Military Parks, National Battlefields, Memorials, Historic Sites and one dedicated to the arts. We completed all the parks in Vermont and New Hampshire (one each!) and really enjoyed Boston area. Especially the pastry shops which, sadly, are not listed in NPS - even though they were worthy of national recognition. 

Tomorrow we will finish the look back and talk about where we are going. 

Nineteen /  by Dave Hileman

New National Park Sites visited and photographed in 2016. The nineteen were spread over 12 states. Eight of them were battlefields in French and Indian, Revolutionary and Civil War sites. Shiloh was the highlight of those with Stone's River the biggest surprise as to the scope of the battle. Tupelo was the biggest disappointment - very small, no parking, over grown and little information. Seven of them were houses, including Lincoln, Adams, JFK and Maggie Walker. Adams house were just a bit of a let down because of the context, very small lots amidst lots of traffic and noise a few feet away. George Washington's Headquarters / Longfellow house was the most interesting. The Aviation Heritage Center in Dayton was the best of those we knew nothing about but were entranced by the story of those men. George Rogers Clark in Vincennes was also in the running, we really enjoyed that stop. This brings us to well over 150. More tomorrow. 

George Rogers Clark Memorial

George Rogers Clark Memorial

Tunnel at Bryce /  by Dave Hileman

Walking the trails at Bryce, or at least some of the trails, will take you through tunnels. This trail had three and one was curved. There are simply no other reasonable ways for the trails to be designed. They are very cool. 

Creche III /  by Dave Hileman

This one is from my family. I do not know who purchased it but it shows up in photos in our house in 1950 or 51. It is labeled "made in West Germany." That designation began in 1946, so post war. This one has had a minor repair too. It once had a foreground that folded up to make a sort of case but the hinge wore and the screws no longer would hold so I removed it. Also I had to make a new ear for the donkey and a new horn for the cow. (Who, of course, should not be there at all.) Once again, set design by Ellary Bee. 

Creche /  by Dave Hileman

Yesterday I posted a more modern interpretation of the birth story creche. It was purchased at a consignment store in Williamsburg a couple of years ago. I really like it but know nothing about it. There are no markings on the pieces. 

Not true of today's post. This was Cindy's since she was a little girl. It was a gift from her parents. We are not sure when the three Swiss shepherds, nearly giant status, arrived but we have had them for a long time. The shed has had some repair and we think baby Jesus arrived from another set. That is not a theological point. I really like the camel and his holder. This years' setting was by designer Ellary Bee - first time in decades I did not arrange the figures. Good job Ellary. 

Tree Facsimile /  by Dave Hileman

It is a real tree, as in it has weight and occupies space, it is just not a natural tree. We gave up on that a few years ago and I will admit this is less mess and quite nice to look at but no pine scent. It is already lite and it drops no needles. Also it does not tend to fall over or need water. I still miss the misshapen, too large or lopsided trees that we gathered. They were usually from Lowes, not some romantic trudging-through-the-snow to select and cut one from the forest. One year, okay more than one year, I had to secure the tree with some fishing line to keep it in place. But I liked the challenge. Perhaps from the two years I sold them at Glen's Custard stand when it was still in Cheswick, PA. 

Still this is a pretty neat touch to have up for three whole weeks without needed extra fire insurance.