Catching Up: Staycation

As is my usual tradition, I took the week following Cowtown Jamborama off as a vacation. It's a usual thing, mostly because I'm too sore from all the dancing on Monday to do anything, and it's a nice time of year to take a vacation.

Monday I mostly just worked on the Cowtown photos and relaxed, but Tuesday I had plans to go meet up with Jillian and go to the zoo. As an added bonus, she had a guitar to lend me so I could start lessons.

I guess I wasn't the only one worn out from all the weekends activities.


We took a ride on the skyfari, where we spied all kinds of animals like rhinos, cheetahs, ostriches, and ...


... Maeg? Who let her out of her display.

I took many more zoo pictures, who knew?

Wednesday started out to be kind of a disappointment. I wanted to go golfing, and I thought I had a certificate for a free round, then I read the fine print ... oops. After running around for ninety minutes, I finally gave up on the golf, and went for a hike on the Bellevue History and Nature Trail just north of Haworth Park.

Even I know not to eat wild strawberries.


Even when you know there is a bird in picture, it can't always be easy to spot.


We kind of surprised each other.

If you take your camera on a nature trail hike, you might as well take dozens of pictures.

Thursday was the big road trip of the vacation. VK and I were going up to Ponca State Park near Sioux City. On the drive up we went by VK's house in South Sioux City, learning about the old haunts and histories of your friends is one of life's little pleasures.

School was in, kids not around and so we (almost) literally had the park to ourselves. I was interested in the park because it is one of two places in Nebraska where the Missouri River is not channeled. It turns out that the unchanneled Missouri River looks a lot like the Platte River. Now it much more understandable how the settlers crossed the river without a bridge or ferry, however, it turns out that the highlight of the park wasn't the river, but the gorgeous bluffs that the park sat on ... and the weather.

Not everything was perfect, squirrels kept running right in front of the car, VK had never been stung by a bee before and got it twice, and we took a late afternoon hike that was longer and felt more like being lost than we wanted. However I'll remember this trip for years.

Three state lookout: Nebraska (in the foreground), South Dakota (across the river), and Iowa (away on the right). I think I'm getting a look too.


Our picnic spot in one of the campgrounds, VK packed a tasty lunch.


I went up and down this twice, three out of four trips went well. VK's car is in the picture.


They say this tree is 365 years old. I thought it would be more lofty or something.


Somewhere around 200 feet straight down.


Well you have to include one artsy picture.

More of this road trip can be found here. Be sure and ask me (in person) about the bald eagle. After we left the state park, we drove up and down the streets in Ponca to see what kind of houses were available in small town Nebraska. We then went over to Sioux City to see the other house VK grew up in, and then dinner at Outback. After an uneventful drive home we got our cars and she went home, and I went to game night.

Friday I actually did get to golf, but not where I wanted to. I ended up down in Plattsmouth at Bay Hills, and shot an 82. It was a good round that got spastic at the end, finishing double bogey, birdie, double bogey, par. Later that evening, I went dancing at JNO for a very special occasion, Vivian's birthday jam! Amazingly there are no photos of the event, although Matt put up a YouTube Video about Vivian's birthday and it has the jam in it.

On Saturday there was a "goodbye" party for Pam. I use quotes because she isn't going anywhere soon, but eventually. After that I went over to Kaleb's for game night. Again, there is a disturbing lack of visual evidence that any of this actually took place. I remember it, but what if aliens or the government implanted the memory to cover up what really happened ... meh, I've heard goofier conspiracy theories.

On Sunday was Vivian's birthday party, and there are tons of pictures from that. It was at Platte River State Park at the Turkey Run Shelter. More beautiful weather and great friends.

I think you can tell from our hair that it was just a little windy at the top of the tower.


Our group always seems to have a large supply of frisbees.


Donna made the pinata ... from cement and superglue evidently. It destroyed that stick and made at least two people bleed.


Vivian liked her cake, and her gifts, and well, the whole day.

I took a bunch of pictures, they are found here. Matt also took a bunch, you can find them here.