Saturday, October eve!! Today is the last day of September which means that this year is rapidly passing. Only three months left of 2017 -- wow!

Today was another tourist day here in the Black Hills. We began the morning with the pancake breakfast that the motel offers. It was tasty and filled us up to start out sweeping some great places. We started out by going to the Crazy Horse Mountain memorial that is being built and literally carved out of the mountain much as was done years ago when they made Mt. Rushmore. A fellow started carving on that mountain I think back in 1941 or so and it is aa family operation. The whole thing is privately funded and through donations and tours and revenue gathered at the gate. But, the family has expanded their operation to the point that it now included a medical school for Native Americans. The memorial is of Chief Crazy Horse, a Lakota War Chief but it is dedicated top all tribes of the Native American people. I seriously doubt I'll live long enough to see it finished but generations from now will be able to see a wonderful tribute.

After Crazy Horse, we went to Mt. Rushmore. We have been there before but it is always great to see it. I just stand there in awe at the work that has been done to create that monument. And I stand in awe at what it represents: George Washington; the father of our country;  Thomas Jefferson; author of the our Declaration of Independence, Theodore Roosevelt; Father of our National Parks and Abraham Lincoln; the great emancipator from the civil war. The monument represents the vision and promise of this nation and each of these presidents stood tall when adversity came at them from every direction.

Tomorrow we head out for Cody Wyoming. As usual, I ask for your prayers for our safe travel. Tomorrow is Sunday and our church service will consist of travel and being grateful to God for the wonders of this world. In the mean time, I pray for peace in your soul.