2023 Estelline Trip

[JEBar]

big day of Rodeo Weekend in Estelline, SD .... right now our youngest son, his son and a friend they brought with them are running in a 5K race .... the big parade is later this morning and bunches of family members will be coming to our site for burgers after the parade .... yep, this will really push the ability of our outside cooking systems .... first up after breakfast for me will be to setup our outside kitchen and get to slicing/chopping onions

[Shakey Jake]

Hope it's cooler up there for a 5K run. It wouldn't happen here with this heat.
Jake

[JEBar]

the weather was good and the race went off without a hitch .... the chance of rain during the rodeo tonight has been lowered drastically .... sure hope that proves to be correct

[JEBar]

our oldest son had to fly back home yesterday so as to get back to work this morning .... his wife pulled out this morning in their Suburban loaded to the gills including 3 kids and a dog with her .... with 94 being predicted for today's high, our youngest son and his family plan to head to a water park down in Brookings .... Maureen has our camper's small washer/dryer overtime

[daytime dave]

Sounds like you are having a good time Jim.

[JEBar]

we certainly are .... today most went to a water park in Brookings this morning .... this afternoon 4 of us went to a local private trap range .... this was the first time I've fired a shotgun since I tore my right rotator cup two and a half years ago .... I only fired 50 rounds and am happy to say my shoulder is doing just fine .... we plan to go back and shoot again Thursday afternoon

[JEBar]

today we are off to a good start .... we fixed sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast .... now the family is driving out to one of Maureen's niece's 2,00++ acre farm .... the young'uns will get to see various animals and some really large and very impressive equipment ... this afternoon we will have a gathering where a niece will be bringing a large, homemade cheese cake .... now that's what I'm really looking forward to

[JEBar]

sadly, our children's visits with us in Estelline are all too rapidly coming to a close .... our oldest son had to fly back so as to go to work and his wife should arrive back home today or tomorrow .... our youngest son and his family are due to head out in the morning on a 1,600+ mile drive straight through back home .... we will be taking our daughter to Sioux Falls airport Saturday morning for her flight home ..... we've had a really good visit and all of us hate to see it coming to an end

[JEBar]

this part of east central SD has been under and extended drought .... today while I was smoking some chicken wings, black clouds rolled in and we had one heck of a storm ....strong wind, heavy rain with hail .... after the storm moved one we learned that the local rain gauges were showing 2.2" .... most of the hail was pea size and very soft .... I happened to get hammered by a brief period of marble size hail that was solid enough to where it bounced on pavement and didn't break ..... it left me with a pretty good size bruise on the back of my left hand and several sore places .... its just started raining again, this time without accompanying lighting or thunder .... this rain is sure welcome to the farmers/ranchers around here

[JEBar]

a most welcome gentle rain continued off and on all night .... it did hold off long enough this morning for our youngest son to get packed up and headed back to NC .... they plan to drive it straight through so they have long 25+ hour's drive in front of them .... we are getting ready for a grocery and other shopping drive to Brookings