On Saturday, July 16th, we went to Crazy Horse Memorial.  Crazy Horse was born in the Black Hills of  South Dakota.  While at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, under a flag of truce, he was stabbed in the back by an American soldier and died on September 6, 1877 at the age of they think 35.  Crazy Horse had been defending his people when the Treaty of 1868 was broken.  The treaty stated that "as long as rivers run and grass grows and trees bear leaves, Paha Sapa - the Black Hills of  Dakota will be forever the sacred land of the Sioux Indians.  Korczak Ziolkowski, polish sculptor, was summoned to the Black Hills by the Indian Chiefs of the area.  It accepted their proposal and started work on the mountain at the age of 40 in 1948.  Unlike Mt. Rushmore, he worked by himself.  The head of Crazy Horse is so big that all four heads of Mt. Rushmore could fit in the head.  Ziolkowski died in 1982 - his widow, their 5 sons and 2 daughters are continuing his work.  I doubt this memorial will be finished in our great-grandchildren's lifetime.  They refuse to accept any federal monies.  It is all being done by donations and by admission charges.

This is Ziolkowski's vision of this finished monument.  This is 1/34 the actual size. 

The children are currently working on the horse's head.  During the week you can hear explosions.

We went through Hill City.

and just for you Sharon ....

Wine anyone????

Cool Bridge -- all made out of wood!!