Almost there!

Made it to Billings, Montana last night. The roads were great up to that point. Once we passed through Bozeman, Mt. and then turned towards the road to West Yellowstone things seemed to change

The route is a long winding road along an icy river this time of year. Did I mention the roads were icy also. The pictures below show the river and the roads to through West Yellowstone and Island Park, Idaho.

We stopped to see my cousin Mary Lundstrom Winterton at her cabin on Bills Island, near Island Park, Idaho.


Nothing like arriving the evening of Christmas Eve, and having a cookie decorating party. We all gathered at Damons' family home since they offered the use of their home for housing. Damons folks went to Arizona for Christmas.... they are really the smart ones to go to where it is warm.

On our way to Rexburg, Idaho

It has been three months since we have seen all of our children. Boy were we anxious to see them all again.

The trip to Idaho was uneventful, except for.....the spare tire we changed when we arrived in Bismarck from Ft. Yates (Due to our fear that the tire on the trailer at the time was very worn and seperating and would blow!) was not very stalwart. As we pleasantly traveled along the freeway towards Billings, Montana, our "newly" placed spare tire's lug bolts had another plan to escape along with our spare tire down the interstate on it's own. Roger looked back in his side mirror as he felt a big bump and pulled over just as our spare tire went flying by us into the median and independently traveled for over 150 yards in two foot prairie grass. The search was on for the escaped tire! (My fear of snakes in the grass did not help the search.) Thankfully a couple in a truck stopped to help us and drove down the median until they found our tire and brought it back to us.

We felt lucky that our delay was only two hours to get a repair man to come and bring new lug bolts, and for us to limp along to Dickinson, North Dakota. (One of the new oil capitols of the United States) We bought a new tire and continued on our way. It sure beat the five hour repair truck wait we had this past summer after our tire blew on our U-Haul truck when moving to Ft. Yates, North Dakota this summer. All I can say is that I will take tire problems over engine problems any day.

Smilebox Playback

Click on the Smile Box reference below to check out our Christmas Card greeting with Pictures.

Smilebox Playback

Rubber Meets the Road

My observations regarding our experience here on the Reservation. Sometimes reality is worst than what you could ever imagine. That's where the rubber meets the road.

The reality on the reservation is as follows:

1. Addiction to alcohol and illegal drugs is rampant.
2. Government dependency is debilitating to the soul.
3. The hope level among the people here on a scale of 1 to 10,with 1 being low and 10 as great hope.....on the "Res" as they call it, is at a "1.5".
4. No economic prosperity
5. Few intact families (Father, Mother, and children living together)High level of
physical and sexual abuse due to alcohol consumption and associated behavior.
6. Diabetes is out of control, along with kidney failure (Due to diet, but mostly
alcohol) High level of dialysis patients and early death associated with these
diseases. (Not to mention the number of people dying in alcohol related
accidents).
7. Poverty level is high.
8. Teen Pregnancy and single parenthood common and promoted.
9. Victim-hood is a way of thinking,and the US Government and the white man owes them!
10. National, state, and Local (Trival) Government enabling and dependent on the
dependency of the people on the reservation. Power through subjugation.

Is there a way out.... possibly with the following changes in the mind set of individuals?

1. Positive Community and religious Influence
2. Education or skill development valued and sought beyond high school
3. Work opportunities developed by individuals
4. Benefit of economic development by local community leaders
5. Personal accountability and integrity.
6. Self reliance
7. Alcohol and illegal drug consumption stopped.
8. Dietary changes with excercise.
9. Intact family unit valued by individuals and promoted in the community.
10. Work ethic developed by each individual.


Development of Basic service businesses needed on the Reservation:

Hardware store
Hair cutting
Recycling
Trading post - to sell local crafts
Landscape Nursery or Landscape maintenance businesses
Flower Shop
Clothing shops
Shoe Shops
Craft and Fabric stores
Bakery
Food establishments -Pizza, Sandwich shop, Soup and Salad
Appliance Repair
Gas Station on Highway (Take advantage of travelers needing services)
Movie Theatre
Public Park - with Indian statues
Second Hand Stores for Clothing, appliances, etc.
Summer Indian Folklore Entertainment - to generate Tourism Industry
Manufacturing businesses
Sports shop - Fishing and Hunting Tour guides
Boat Dock -
History Museum of the Standing Rock - Sioux people
Drug Store

Kansas City at Thanksgiving

I drove from Ft. Yates, North Dakota to Kansas City, Kansas by myself. Quite an adventure. Roger was in St.George visiting his father who has been quite ill. He flew into Kansas City the night before Thanksgiving Day.

When I left Ft. Yates on Monday morning it was 12 degrees, foggy, and the ground covered in snow. I didn't know what to expect in Kansas City. Yippee....It was warm and beautiful and in the high 30's.

On the way South to Kansas my route was parallel to the Missouri River. I took this picture while driving. It was three grain containers that had collapsed into a sink hole due to the flooding of the Missouri River.











Ryan and Hannah live in Lenexa, Kansas. It is a suburb of Kansas City. I could hardly wait to get to Ryan and Hannahs, to see our newest addition to the Davies Family - Madeline Claire Davies.
















Thanksgiving Day was held at the Ross Family Home in Shawnee, Kansas.






Hannah Ross Davies and her sister Jessica Ross





Sophie and Lucy Ross, Hannah's sisters








Roger and Sydne Davies








Roger and Ryan Davies







Jane and Rob Ross, Hannah's Parents.







Madeline Claire's Blessing Day - Sunday November 27, 2011

Omaha Nebraska Temple and Visitors Center, Winter Quarters

Traveling to Kansas City to visit Ryan and Hannah, and their new baby Madeline, I made a detour trip to Florence, Nebraska. Florence is a Suburb to Omaha. I crossed over the Missouri River on the Mormon Bridge, and found the visitors center, Temple, and Graveyard.



Statue to the memory of those who died at "Winter Qtrs", Florence, Nebraska.



Winter Quarters was once a refuge for thousands of Latter-day Saint pioneers en route to the Salt Lake Valley. Between June 1846 and October 1848 alone, some 2,000 Church members died at Winter Quarters due to heavy storms, inadequate provisions and shelter, scurvy, malaria, and the Saints’ weakened condition after being driven from Nauvoo or crossing the seas from Europe. Winter Quarters became a place that tested the faith of thousands who struggled through sickness and wilderness to reach their eventual destination in the Salt Lake Valley.





These are gravestones of recent deaths (within 100 years) of members of the LDS church in the Omaha area. Today their are only a dozen or so gravestones visable. All but one gravestone, of Amy Porter from the early settlers of Winter Qtrs, were gone by the time the church began the restoration of the cemetary. The Gravestone of Amy Porter is now preserved and found in the Visitors center across the street from the graveyard.
The cemetary was mapped out using Amy Porter Gravestone as a reference point for all of the other graves.





Omaha Nebraska Temple - Fall of 2011, as seen through the barren trees.







Visitor Center Missionaries.




Temple as viewed from the Visitors Center.




Sis. Atkin from the Morningside Stake, St.George Utah, with Sydne Davies

Fort Yates and McLaughlin Elders

This is the final gang picture before transfers in the morning. Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.





Elders Woods and Neff










Roger Davies, Elder Woods, Sydne Davies - one of the family moving on. Elder Woods being transferred to Bismarck North Dakota.











Elders Neff, Woods, Smith and Hansen. Last meal together at the Davies home in Fort Yates, ND.



It is hard to see these missionaries being transferred to other areas of the mission. We admire their dedication and hard work. They are truly valiant missionaries.

Park City, Utah - Family Gathering for LDS General Conference

We made a trek from North Dakota to Park City, Utah for General Conference and a chance to gather our family. We stayed at the Marriott, "Summit Watch Time Share". Everyone except for Ryan and Hannah were there. Hannah is too close to here due date to make the trip.



Damon Mortensen taking pictures at Crew Mortensens Birthday Party. Kaytlyn Davies and Calvin Cox in the background.











Kyle Davies dishing up some eats.













Lauren Davies Evans with her sewing project for Ryan and Hannah's baby. Where is Lauren's husband Joe Evans. He is so sneaky to not be in any of the family pictures.












The Three Stooges, Damon Mortensen, Jessica Davies Mortensen, and Justin Davies





Kaytlyn Davies, Calvin Cox and Brynlee Mortensen




Birthday Party ! Jessica Davies Mortensen playing "Heavy Heavy Hang Over"..Crew Mortensen on his 5th Birthday.






Layla Mortensen hanging out on Uncle Justin Davies feet.

LDS Monument - Martins Cove, Wyoming

I have always wanted to make it to Martins' Cove. It has great religious significance to me. A great place to contemplate the trials and struggles of the early pioneers of the Mormon Church. Today the Mormon Handcart Visitors’ Center, near Martin’s Cove, is a reminder of not only the ill-fated handcart companies but also a tribute to the many pioneers who traveled with handcarts across the plains.









The Martin Handcart Company, however, was forced by a storm to stop in a small valley on the side of a mountain with very little shelter. After wading through deep snow up to this point, the pioneers stopped in a cove, formed by rock outcroppings. Trees provided protection and fuel. There they waited for help and supplies from Salt Lake City. In just five days, 56 of the 145 total who died in the crossing perished. But thanks to heroic rescue efforts of Church members sent by Brigham Young, the majority, 431 of the Martin handcart pioneers, survived the trip.








Visitor Center Home

Ellsworth AFB - Air Museum, South Dakota

A great desire of my husbands was to go to the Air Museum, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. I even found the visit to be really interesting. This Air Force Base is where the Titan Missle was managed. There are many old silos where the Titan Missles were located throughout North and South Dakota. Part of the defense of our country during the cold war with Russia.

Rapid City, SD - "Vintage Car" Graveyard

On an exploration trip around Rapid City I came upon this car graveyard. Great place to take vintage photos.



You've got to love this!