Boxing Day 2022

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day.

Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday, sort of our Black Friday. 

Many people wait until then to buy their Christmas presents***.

It originated in Great Britain and is celebrated in a number of countries that previously formed part of the British Empire.

But there is more to the day than shopping.
There is Boxing Day Test match which is a cricket match held in Melbourne, Victoria, involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team that is touring Australia during the southern summer, this year, the South African Proteas*.

It is an annual event and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG).
It’s a must watch on TV for all cricket fans who are unable to make it in person.

And there is the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, an annual event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales, down the east coast and across the notorious Bass Strait and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170 km).
It is widely considered to be one of the most difficult yacht races in the world.

This event has grown over the decades, since the inaugural race in 1945, to become one of the top three offshore yacht races in the world, and it now attracts maxi yachts from all around the globe.

The prize is The George Adams Tattersall Cup, awarded to the ultimate winner of the handicap competition based on the length, shape, weight and sail dimensions of the yacht. Much public attention however, focuses on the race for "line honours" – the first boat across the finishing line, typically the newest and largest Maxi yacht in the fleet.
The start in Sydney Harbour and the initial part race through Sydney Heads and the turn south is very spectacular and covered by multiple TV cameras on shore, on spectator craft, on the boats themselves and from the air.
Even for non sailing fans it’s worth an hour or so viewing**.

It’s also the day a lot of city folk escape suburbia and head for, usually, their favourite coastal destination to start their summer holidays.

The population in our area increases fourfold until the end of January.

Traffic jams on major highways are the name of the game and journey times can be double the normal.

As a result of the influx of tourists our roads are clogged and beaches crowded.

Not our favourite time of the year.

But they bring their money with them which is good for local businesses. And after 2 years of covid disruption, they need it.

UPDATE: 30/12/22

*Australia beat South Africa by an innings and 182 runs with a day to spare and take a 2-0 lead the 3 match series.

** Andoo Comanche has won line honours in the 77th edition of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

The 100-foot yacht crossed the River Derwent finish line just before 1am on Wednesday 28/12 (AEDT) with a time of one day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds.

 Celestial has been crowned the overall winner of the 2022 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, winning in an adjusted time of 2 days, 16 hours, 35 minutes and 26 seconds just a year after being stripped of top spot following a time penalty. The TP52 yacht from Sydney was the 14th to arrive in Hobart just before 11.30am on Wednesday.

***AAP is reporting Australians have spent a record $75bn in the lead-up to Christmas but the spending frenzy didn’t stop there.
The Australian Retailers Association also recorded unprecedented growth on Boxing Day with the $1.2bn spend equating to 15% more than last year.

2022 was the biggest festive season spending on record.

Christmas Day 2022

Christmas Day dawned overcast but it soon burnt off to a sunny cloudless day.

Summer finally seems to be here.

We had our traditional pancake breakfast and began to prepare our lunchtime feast.

It was much simpler than previous years.

Smoked salmon with capers as entree (starter).

BBQ Filet Mignon with steamed asparagus and Parmesan for main,

Cheesecake and berries for the co driver; plum pudding and custard for me.

We had selected three bottles of wine.

A cheapish champagne which was surprisingly good, a French rosé from Provence which was pretty awful (tipped out) and a wonderful ten year old Sangiovese from Pikes.

Another successful day.

Christmas Greetings 2022

Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers have always been part of my celebrations on the day, mainly during the lunch.
The co driver wasn’t aware of these when she arrived in Australia. They are apparently unknown in the USA.
But she embraced their use from the start so every year we buy them early because they disappear quickly off the supermarket shelves.
They come in various ‘grades’ and prices depending on the contents.
This year we went for the luxury ones, not that that means much as you’ll find out reading on.
There is a traditional way of using them.
First off, each of the two participants grab each end of the cracker.
Then they pull.
A small ‘explosion’ results.

One of the participants then ends up with the bulky end of the cracker.
Inside there is a ‘gift’, a coloured paper hat and a crap dad joke question on a piece of paper.
Everyone usually oooohs and ahhhhs over the ‘gift’ which are normally pretty useless no matter what you paid and are eventually thrown away. The paper hat must then be worn and the CDJ read out.
Depending on the amount of alcohol previously consumed, these can be uproariously funny.
All very hokey but very good fun.
According to an article in our local paper (which is very amusing) origins of cracker-pulling came in 1847, invented by a guy, Tom Smith, who made bon-bon sweets. When sales started to slump, he decided to create bon-bon shaped gifts instead - with the classic “crack” element and placing trinkets inside. History says adding the party popper strip was inspired by the crackle of a log on fire. It’s also possible he was a bored small business owner and decided to play with explosives.
Either way, nice one Mr.Smith.

Another Trip to the USA / The Trip Home

It was a slow 90 minute drive from Jersey City to JFK in the late afternoon.

The peak hour traffic was horrendous. I am glad we allowed ample time.

Check in with Air New Zealand was also slow but security reasonably quick albeit a little chaotic.

Lots of yelling and barking of orders. But that's the TSA for you. Water off a duck’s back.

After all that we needed a pre boarding drink.

Two 330mL bottles of beer and a packet of chips at an airport bar…..$US25! 

100% ripoff!

Our flight had arrived into JFK from Auckland an hour late so our departure was similarly delayed.

But as with the trip over, service and food were good once we were underway and I again scored 2 vacant seats beside me so was able to stretch out catch up on some sleep.

We had only 1.5 hours transit time in Auckland to get our flight back to Sydney so, with the delayed departure, was sure we would miss that.

But the purser came around about 2 hours out and said there were many Sydney bound passengers on our trans Pacific flight so they would be holding the Auckland-Sydney flight for us.

As it was, we made up time and landed only a few minutes late.

After a painfully slow moving line through international security at AKL (unprepared paxs’ fault, not the system) we arrived at the departure gate just as they started boarding.

Incident free trip across the Tasman, quick (fully automated) immigration procedure into Australia, slight delay with baggage for USA originating pax, unhindered passage through customs and into our car.

The 3 hour drive home was not too bad, considering the time we’d already been travelling, and we stopped for a BLAT sandwich and coffee at our usual haunt in Berry for lunch to break up the journey.

Jet lag clicked in that evening and stayed with us for around 5 or 6 days which is a little longer than normal.

But it was all well worth it.

Catching up with family and friends after such a long period apart was great.

And we’ll probably do it all again next year.

Another Trip to the USA / The Jersey City (New York) Family Part 4

Sunday saw us back in Manhattan for a deli lunch pastrami sandwich, a bucket list item, at Pastrami Queen.

The touristy Katz’s of When Harry Met Sally fame was deliberately given a miss due to the chronic long lines. I thought the sandwich at PQ was just as good as at the other place where we had eaten before plus it wasn’t so manic.

Then, after a short walk through Central Park for more autumn colour and a subway ride, it was up to the Top of the Rock, 70 floors up on the Rockefeller building.

We had got a bit of a handle on subway navigation again this trip but the larger stations can be a little confusing, especially at weekends, when line maintenance can totally upend timetables.

Always good to have a subway expert with us ie. the daughter.

Top of the Rock’s three levels of indoor and outdoor observation decks deliver spectacular, unobstructed 360 degree views of the city skyline. The terraces face east, west, north, and south, making it one the best observation decks in NYC.

Having an Express Pass for immediate entry at any time on the day plus priority elevator access, was a worthwhile bonus.

Dinner was in Jersey City at Hamilton Pork

Great BBQ and margaritas (and tequila shots for some).

Monday was our last day in the USA.

There was a final walk around the waterfront of Jersey City after breakfast and a relaxed afternoon waiting for our car and the trip to the airport.

Five weeks away from home and it had passed so quickly. 

Thankfully I had made a mistake with airline booking dates, adding an extra week!

We had done and seen so much so the added time turned out not to be such a mistake after all.

Thanks to both families for their hospitality and time taken out of their busy lives to look after us.

Another Trip to the USA / The Jersey City (New York) Family Part 3

Friday was a full on day!

An early ferry across the river from Jersey City to Manhattan to catch a boat for a cruise up the Hudson River to Cold Spring with beautiful autumn foliage on both banks on the way.

We’d been to Cold Spring before and liked it a lot.

We had lunch (with a bottle of Pinot Noir) at Hudson Hil’s Cafe  which, again, didn’t disappoint and did some shopping at some of the many stores along the main street.

Then, after a sit at the waterfront, it was on the train back to New York City where we stopped for a few oysters and a glass of wine at the iconic Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, then supper at the best taco place in NYC, Los Tacos #1.

Phew!

A really great day.

Saturday we were on our traditional NYC excursion, the Staten Island ferry, one of the best free rides in the world. There was not much of a crowd, the weather was good for pics, the Statue of Liberty shone and boarding the return journey went without problems. But you have to be quick to avoid having to wait for the next one. All part of the fun.

After that, we walked around the Financial District taking in the iconic buildings eg. The NewYork Stock Exchange and the not so iconic.

The co driver dropped into Tiffany & Co, came out empty handed, thought about things, went back in and returned with a purchase.

Then it was onto one of our faves, Luke’s, for a delicious lunch. I had the trio: lobster, crab and shrimp rolls. Lobster wins over the crab but only just. The shrimp was a distant last.

Saturday night the SIL, Nick, and I headed for a hockey game in Long Island, the daughter and the co driver to dinner and a piano concert in Williamsburg.

It was a long slow drive to the new stadium, UBS Arena, but 100% worth it.

First ice hockey game I’d been to and I was hooked.

Hotdogs and beer were a bonus!

Apart from the usual razzmatazz you’d expect at an American sporting event, the game itself was very exciting. The skill of the players is exceptional.

‘Our’ team, the Islanders, came from behind to win. The noise when they won in this most amazing stadium surely tested the integrity of the roofing structure.

Thanks to Nick for putting up with my dumb questions about the game and calmly helping resolve a lost property problem I had on arrival at the facility.

Our exposure to NHL hockey at home is limited. We get one or two live games a week on a streaming service and Islanders games are very limited.

But I’ll keep up with the news on their website and hopefully see them in the Stanley Cup finals.

Another Trip to the USA / The Jersey City (New York) Family Part 2

The walk from the apartment building along the Jersey City waterfront to the PATH station for the train trip into Manhattan has pretty spectacular views of the New York City skyline

The destination station is under the Oculus which never fails to impress.

This day’s activity was a visit to Central Park.

It was good to have a guide who knows the park well.

The autumn colours were fantastic.

Dinner was at the Wuerstbar in Jersey City.
Great food and a nice equivalent of the Koeln (Cologne) beer Koelsch.

Next day was a quieter one.

We did the walk from Jersey City to Hoboken along the Hudson River waterfront where the beautiful railway station interior was a highlight.

Another Trip to the USA / The Jersey City (New York) Family Part 1

With my time over in South Dakota, I moved on to Jersey City, NJ, to catch up with the daughter, her husband and puppy after almost a three year absence due to Covid.

One last prairie sunrise after a great meal at Morries the night before on our traditional date night there with the co driver and onto United flights to Newark via Denver, one and half hours the ‘wrong’ way but, hey, you go with the flow.

And did you know if you are 75+ you don’t have to take your shoes or jacket off at TSA check points.  

All flights were on time, no hassles with the connection or lost/delayed baggage. Even time for brekky in DEN at Shake Shack which was just ok.

The daughter’s apartment is in a very tall prominent 52 storey building quite close to the Hudson River. There is a glimpse of the New York skyline from their living room window. The building has everything that opens and shuts for good living, just like a resort hotel, including a ground floor cafe with excellent coffee.

Our New York adventure began with a visit to the American Museum of Natural History. Huge lines to get in at the opening time but 30 minutes later we were in the North West Coast Hall.

It was virtually empty.

It is organised into a series of alcoves focused on the material culture of 10 Native Nations of the Pacific Northwest. The gallery presents more than 1,000 restored cultural treasures enlivened with new interpretation developed with Consulting Curators from the Coast Salish, Gitxsan, Haida, Haíltzaqv, Kwakwakaw'akw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Nuxalk, Tlingit, and Tsimshian communities.

Wonderful!

We looked through some other halls and ended up with ‘the whale’.

Most, particularly the Hall of Biodiversity, were very interesting.

Sensory overload took over at the museum after a few hours so it was time for lunch.

We made a selection of healthy goodies from the vast range at Zabars before heading home.

This is a biggest deli I have been to. A festival of culinary delights.

A very good day.

Another Trip to the USA / Dignity of Earth and Sky

High on an eastern bluff overlooking the Missouri River near the town of Chamberlain, SD, stands the most amazing monument; a 15m tall 12 tonne sculpture of a Native American woman with a traditional Lakota Star quilt composed of 128 stainless steel diamonds unfurling behind her.

It was commissioned to commemorate South Dakota’s 125th year of statehood. 

Dignity of Earth and Sky was designed and created by South Dakota born Dale Lamphere who has built 60 public sculptures around the USA including the Arc of Dreams in Sioux Falls.

But it is more than just a tourist attraction.

It appears the monument has been accepted by the Native American population. A group of Lakota Sioux on their annual pilgrimage to the Wounded Knee battle site have stopped there. There was also a two day gathering of Native American women there to celebrate the power and importance of women in Native culture.

It is certainly an impressive piece.

Many environmental aspects needed to be considered with the design.

Structural engineering measures ensure Dignity will withstand 200km/hr winds and special automotive coatings will make sure the colours remain true for decades.

Absolutely worth stopping for.

Another Trip to the USA / Black Hills Adventures 2

Day 2 of our family stay in the Black Hills saw us heading for the Needles Highway. 

Eighteen years ago we had abandoned this trip due to the difficult nature of the road but now we had an experienced driver.

The Needles Highway is a spectacular drive through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by birch and aspen and rugged granite mountains. The road’s name comes from the needlelike granite formations that dominate the horizon along the highway. The road was carefully planned by former South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck, who marked the entire course on foot and by horseback. 

Construction was completed in 1922.

The highway passes Sylvan Lake and twists and turns as it climbs its way to the top through tunnels driven through solid granite to a unique rock formation called the Needle's Eye, an opening created by wind, rain, freezing, and thawing

The views from the top across Custer State Park are amazing

We arrived back in Hill City later that evening and lined up with the crowd of diners at the iconic Alpine Inn. 

It was our second visit here.

In 1883, the discovery of tin near Hill City attracted enough English capital to organize the “Harney Peak Tin Mining, Milling, and Manufacturing Company”.
The company built the Harney Peak Hotel for use by its mining executives. The hotel was a favorite spot for Sunday diners and a rendezvous for mining, timbering, and railroad men active in the area.
The mining company ceased operations in 1892.
Surviving two major fires, the hotel and dining room remained in operation until 1934.
Waldraut (Wally) Matush came to the USA from Stuttgart, Germany in 1961, moved to Hill City in 1970 and acquired the Harney Peak Hotel in 1974. 

Over a ten year period, the Hotel housed a variety of businesses until it became home of the present Alpine Inn in 1984.

Wally is the “Matron Saint” of the Alpine Inn and plans are to bury her in the basement when she dies so that she can haunt the building with the rest of its ghosts.
In 1996, Wally turned over the reins to her daughter, Monika, who carries on with the traditions started by her mother.
The menu is simple.
One starter choice: Iceberg wedge with ranch dressing.
Two mains choices: Bacon wrapped Filet Mignon with baked potato and Texas toast or German dumplings with Swiss cheese. 

Dessert choices: Too many!  

The cause of severe decision crises.
We shared an apple strudel (Sorry Dr. M), our hosts a triple berry ice-cream pie.

Atmosphere and service are great, food is delicious and the prices, even for wine, are extremely reasonable.

We all enjoyed the evening immensely and a fitting end to our Black Hills getaway.

Thanks again to J&K for their generous hospitality.

Some Important Spring Farm Work

My old friend Stirls came down for a few days to help with some farm work.
The most important job was a complete revamp of part of the southern boundary fence that had been bush fire damaged back in 1999/20 and temporarily repaired.

It had also had suffered further demise by a number of flood incidents and major tree fall over the last 3 years.
It was quite a big job. Chainsawing tree debris, resetting strainers, installing new posts and straining and attaching new barbed wire. But for two days it was pleasant working in the bush in cool spring weather. 

No snakes seen the entire time. The noise and activity must have frightened them off. 
A minor job was to fix the main cattle yard gate. It hadn’t swung properly for 20 years but now it does. Just needed the post it was hanging off straightened and reinforced.

Our northern house paddock boundary fence needed some rotten posts replaced which was easily done. But then we decided to restrain the wiring to make it look a bit more presentable to the outside world which took another half day.

A number of bushfire burnt trees from 3 years ago still remained along our western house paddock boundary fence.
It was time to remove them.
There was some reasonable fire wood amongst it all so we sorted that out from the rest which was then taken to the ever increasing burn pile which can only be lit up in April next year when fire restrictions come off.

The co driver wanted those burnt trees replaced with some screening plants so instead of paying through the nose at the local nursery, I thought we’d try transferring some small native plants (lilly pilly), that would eventually do the job, from our bush. There’s plenty of those that have sprung up after the fires along the creek banks.
Transplanting native plants is always fraught with ‘danger’. They just don’t like it but I felt that if they we small enough (max 1m) and we got enough root ball it might just work. Anyway we did that, traipsing up our big hill a number of times with the selected plants, dug suitable holes and planted, watered and staked them. I expect a 50% failure rate but we’ll see.

Our endeavours were not helped on the last few days by an unseasonal howling westerly wind with gusts up to 70km/hr. These caused a lot of damage other places to our north so we got off a bit lightly I think. Gusts up to 100km/hr were recorded in our major town Nowra.
We experienced one short blackout which didn’t interrupt our life much.

Another Trip to the USA / Black Hills Adventures 1

Our accomodation in a family holiday home near Pactola Lake was amazing.

It was relatively remote, winding dirt roads to get there, and high up surrounded by pine forest with 180 degree views across the Hills.

Here’s a sample below. For a more expansive look click on this link.

The weather was very changeable. It even snowed on us one morning.

Our hosts were very generous with their time, taking us places that they knew very well with some a little off the beaten track.
On Day 1 we drove into Deadwood and the old part of town.

The city had its heyday from 1876 to 1879, after gold deposits had been discovered there, leading to the Black Hills Gold Rush. At its height, the city had a population of 25,000, attracting Old West figures such as Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok who was killed there.

Then we drove the Spearfish Canyon Highway turning off to Roughlock Falls.

From there we went even further west almost to the Wyoming border.

The road into Spearfish from the falls turnoff is just as spectacular as the first half from Cheyenne Crossing.

At Spearfish we eventually found somewhere to eat at a great bar, Stadium Sports Grill.

So many businesses in the tourism areas close for the season on Labor Day in early September.

After lunch we headed for Bear Butte State Park.

Bear Butte is a geological laccolith feature located near Sturgis, for 2 weeks in August, the motor cycle capital of the world and is an important landmark and religious site for the Plains Indians tribes.

Bear Butte is called Matȟó Pahá, or Bear Mountain, by the Lakota, or Sioux. To the Cheyenne, it is known as Noahȧ-vose ("giving hill") or Náhkȯhe-vose ("bear hill").
The mountain is sacred to many indigenous peoples, who make pilgrimages to leave prayer cloths and tobacco bundles tied to the branches of the trees along the mountain's flanks. Other offerings are often left at the top of the mountain. 

The site is associated with various religious ceremonies throughout the year.
It was a very cold and windy afternoon there so we only walked to the beginning of the trail up the mountain.
We were the only ones at the entire site and I could actually feel, despite the miserable weather conditions, a certain peace and calmness standing there.
Certainly not a place we would have visited without our knowledgeable local ‘guides’ recommendation.

Another Trip to the USA / The Black Hills, SD - Crazy Horse Memorial

Eighteen years ago I enjoyed a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial.
It is a mountain monument under construction on privately held land in the Black Hills, South Dakota.
It will depict the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, riding a horse and pointing to his tribal land. 

The memorial was commissioned by Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, to be sculpted by Korczak Ziolkowski. It is operated by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization.
The monument has been in progress since 1948 and is far from completion.
I had heard progress had been very slow and wondered whether another visit was worthwhile.

We drove to the gate and realised that indeed not much had changed and, as we had already seen the associated museum and exhibits, we turned around and headed for Hill City and a coffee.
There we found another impressive horse.

Another Trip to the USA / The Black Hills, SD - Mount Rushmore

Our first stop on the way from Rapid City to the monument was Keystone. 

What an absolute tourist trap and ugly place that has become. 

Thankfully, virtually nothing was open apart from a few shops selling obscene t-shirts, tacky souvenirs and jewellery.

We had thought about doing the 1880 Railroad trip but opted instead for a olde western photo shoot which was fun.

So guess we fell into the tourist trap just a little.

A trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota is not complete without a visit to Mount Rushmore.

This was my second visit.

It never fails to impress.

Despite the cold temperature and strong winds we did the base walk which gives you and even closer look.

It’s a bit of a strenuous walk up and down stairs but well worth the effort.

Then there’s this pic (not mine) from the air which is also very impressive.

Another Trip to the USA / Rapid City, SD - The City of Presidents

Visitors to downtown Rapid City are greeted by the City of Presidents, a series of life-size bronze statues of the nation’s past presidents along the city’s streets and sidewalks.
There are 42 of them.
You know who is not there yet. We were bigly disappointed 😉
We walked a couple of blocks and found the ones we were most interested in.
They are all beautifully sculpted and cast.

Another Trip to the USA / A Break in the Black Hills

About 6 hours drive west of Sioux Falls are the Black Hills and the state’s second largest city, Rapid City.

It’s a fast straight drive, speed limit mostly 130km/hr, across the flat prairie.

But there are a few ‘must do stops’ on the way, if you have the time, like the Corn Palace at Mitchell and the statue of Dignity of Earth and Sky at Chamberlain (more on her later) over looking the mighty Missouri River.

And of course there’s the Badlands National Park and for some good old fashioned kitsch fun, Wall, home of the Wall Drug Company.

We stopped there for our Buffalo burger and a poke about in some of the many stores.

In Rapid we oriented ourselves with downtown, got coffee and visited a quilt store and book shop until it was time to book into our hotel. 

The bookstore was offering for free books that had been banned at the local high school. Good to see the first amendment in action there. Not so much at the so called educational institution however

We were back in town later in the evening for a great Mexican meal at a restaurant whose sign on the Interstate made a visit irresistible.

Next morning we visited a coffee shop, run by a West Australian man, that had touted big Aussie breakfasts on their website. It was not to be. The menu had changed to standard American fare. Coffee was good however.

Then after a walk around the streets to see the Statues of the Presidents (see separate post) and another "five minute" quilt store stop, we headed out into the Hills for some tourist activity and to catch up with more family.

Another Trip to the USA / The Falls at Sioux Falls

Just outside downtown Sioux Falls is the 52ha Falls Park.
Here, the Big Sioux River cascades down 30m of pink Sioux Quartzite giving the city its name.
The area is of some historical significance.

The remains of the seven-story Queen Bee Mill, a brainchild of South Dakota's first senator, Richard Pettigrew, lie on the east side of the river. In the autumn of 1878 Pettigrew decided Sioux Falls needed its own mill so farmers could avoid the cost of shipping wheat to Minnesota or Wisconsin.
The mill opened on 25th October 1881, and consisted of a seven-story main structure built of the quartzite quarried on site. At the time of its construction, the mill was one of the most advanced in America. However, by 1883, the mill had closed, a victim of inadequate water power and a short supply of wheat.
On 30th January 1956, fire swept through the structure, destroying the wooden roof and interior floors.

The quartzite building still standing on the east bank of the river is the Sioux Falls Light and Power Company building, completed in 1908. The building housed three 500-kilowatt hydroelectric generators and used the dam and the millrace from the Queen Bee Mill. 

In subsequent years the plant added additional coal-fired steam generators. The building was abandoned in 1974 and donated to the city in 1977 before remodelling took place to create the Falls Overlook Café.
Originally constructed to provide power for the Queen Bee Mill in the 1880s, the dam was raised in 1908 to supply power to the hydroelectric plant. 

Today the millrace is a viewing platform.

It was a cold day, -10℃ when I took the above video and the severe drought had reduced the flow over the falls significantly but a visit to Falls Park, no matter what, is always a rewarding experience.

It’s possible to visit the falls here virtually, 24/7.

Another Trip to the USA / Sioux Falls SD - The Sculpture Walk

SculptureWalk Sioux Falls is the largest annual exhibit of public sculptures in the world.
Curated by a blind jury of local dignitaries and art enthusiasts, works are loaned by the artists and installed in the spring throughout downtown Sioux Falls, to be continuously displayed all year. The public votes for the “People’s Choice Award” from May through September, and the favorite sculpture is purchased by the City of Sioux Falls to become part of its permanent collection.
Also, industry experts select “Best of Show” awards, which honor works achieving the highest levels of artistic merit and creativity. 

‘Elk’ won the Peoples Choice Award which was a bit of a surprise.

But SD is a hunting state.
And my fave ‘Volereta’ (see last pic), won second prize for Best of Show.
This year was the 19th exhibition and was as good as ever. 

We ‘did’ it twice!

And my favourite of the whole exhibition