Medora Musical And Badlands, North Dakota - July 2011

 The above pictures are taken of the badlands from the scenery taken surrounding the Medora, North Dakota area.  It was a lovely evening to take in the Medora Musical which is Country music and comedy intertwined along with the history of Theodore Roosevelt who came to North Dakota and settled into this beautiful land as a young man.  Its a great show that they have every summer all summer and have had it for years and years...this is our second time to see it.  It is worth the time and money.  We went to the "Pitchfork Fondue" Dinner before the show (by the way, the show is in an outdoor ampitheatre).  The picture below shows the pitchforks they use to BBQ the steaks on over an open fire.  Every person, young and old gets a HUGE (probably 12-14 oz.) steak along with a large baked potato with all the trimmings, baked beans, cole slaw, fresh fruit, fresh veggies with dipping sauce, garlic bread, brownies, punch or water or coffee.  

 Sylvia Fletcher (www.mylipsdontmove.com) is the best ventriloquist I've ever seen or heard.  She was excellent.  You'll have to check her out.  I think that is her website.  She could do a show all by herself.  These two men below were men she chose out of the crowd to help with her skit.  It was quite comical. 

 This is the post office in Medora, ND.  Thought it was so cute.  Loved their little flower garden and cowboy boot bird houses!  These boots are made "more than just for walkin'"....

Tom's brother Steve loves to golf, so the next morning he went golfing, Tom drove the golf cart and went along for the ride...I took them and went back into town with our dog, Jack and poked around in the shops of Medora for a couple of hours.  Other than the Medora Musical and Pitchfork Fondue, Golfing, and touristy shops, Medora is strictly a tourist town...that is how the little town exists!!!  It is a fun place to shop and vist!

Last Few from Jamestown area before going to the Oil Fields...

After Union Sunday (July) Snyders asked if we would like to go to the Pingree Cafe...a favorite "hang-out" of the locals there.  I think just about the whole meeting was there plus some others too.  The picture below is of Linda's daughter, and granddaughter...they met up with us there after meeting as well as Tom's brother Steve met up with us there after meeting too.  It was a home-cooked meal, you went in line and served yourself.  Very tasty.  I took the picture of the tractor...just because I thought it was funny that someone came to the cafe to eat and pulled up in their tractor!  Some things humor us city folks!!!

One of Steve's trucks that he uses to haul water in the oil fields in Northern North Dakota and Northern Montana.

 These above pictures are of Devils lake and the surrounding areas.  You have maybe heard about some of the water that North Dakota has been unindated with.  Tom wanted to see Devils Lake as it has increased in size by 4 times in the past several years, so you can imagine all the damage it has caused to the surrounding areas as well as the town itself.  They have had to build a dike around the town in order for the town itself to not be completely flooded over.  The pictures above with the water over the roadway were of the main highway or what it was at one time.  Just amazing how the water just keeps coming!!!  Feel sorry for those poor people.  We saw barns and silos partly under water and homes nearly under water!

 Steve's truck he uses to haul water at the oil fields.  We were here at the oil fields and watched the operation for several hours.  We spent a couple days and saw how they do their operation.  It's interesting, but the roads aren't really equipped for so many big trucks so they are muddy and ill equipped and rough.  But the oil is rich and there is money to be made there!!!

 My brother in law, Steve and his daughter, Kylie.  She drives truck for her dad.

Nephew, Bryce, brother-in-law, Steve and Tom holding Bryce's dog, Beener in Lambert, Montana.

We're Still in Jamestown, ND...Family and Friends to see...

Tom's cousin, David Chadduck and his wife Linda took us to the Depot for lunch on Thursday.  There was no lack for conversation and we had lots of catching up to do after four years of not seeing them.

Thursday evening found us at Grizzlee's Restaurant with Myron and Nancy Vigesaa and really had a super evening with them as well.  It was fun catching up too.  They had boy/girl twins just months after we did and so it was always fun having the "twin" connection and understanding with one another, and NOW our "babies" are grown and moving on.

Lisa works at "Country Clipper" one day a week, so she cut Tom's hair yesterday.  It was worthy of pictures, first, because Lisa is cutting his hair, and secondly, I always cut Tom's hair, so it was fun to watch someone else cutting his hair.  Since Tom will be doing the wheat harvest in two or three weeks he needed to have a haircut that will last for a good long while!  So, Lisa hasn't even started here on Tom's hair! 

The Country Clipper!

Randy, Lisa's husband, standing by one of their three grain trucks!  Tom and Randy were good friends when he lived back in North Dakota.  Tom and I married one week before Randy and Lisa 27 years ago.  Tom stood up as one of the guys with Randy, (we flew back to ND on our honeymoon) and attended their wedding, then the four of us drove out to Seattle all of us on our honeymoons together through Glacier Park to Seattle!

Randy and Lisa share this four bedroom "cabin" with another couple on the lake five miles from their home.  Its really pretty.  They took us through it.

This is plans of their new home to be built on one level.  Should be finished by December of this year. 

Found these cute toadstools today at the Buchanan cemetary.

I don't normally take pictures of headstones of people I don't know but it really stuck me on so many of these headstones of so many children from long ago, that children did not live very long.  I think we are very fortunate to live in the day and age that we do and with the modern medicine that we have.  This little 3 1/2 year old boy's headstone said on it:  "There was an angelband in Heaven that was not quite complete, so the Lord took our darling Jessie to fill the vacant seat"...

These 4 old matching headstones are of 4 brothers and sisters from the early 1900's.  None of them lived more than 2 years old.  Can you imagine losing all your children!  It would just break your heart!  Those poor parents...I tried to imagine.  But, had they lived with today's medicine it may have been a whole 'nother story.