Devils tower

Pic coming soon

Last day in south Dakota

South Dakota Halloween Trip 2011 part 4

We went to Custard town and park, were we saw hundreds of free range buffalo and over 65 free range deer all in one gloriously long day. We found the town Custard to be adorable and the people were super friendly. We stopped in Custard to view the famous train station and to take a well rested break for coffee and such. The train is open to the public in the summer. We paid our fee into the park and spent the entire day at the park it was a great time. 

South Dakota Halloween Trip 2011 part 3

Entry Log : part 3- We are on the road from Rapid City to visit Cosmos Mystery Area , it was way smaller than we expected but it was still mentally trippy. As I was walking through the mystery areas I was feeling motion sick (dizzy and queasy) I was having trouble keeping my balance and in general walking it was if I was in a snow globe and someone was shaking my world around. I loved every minute of it! Our young tour guide was Jared and he did an excellent job. Thank you.

On the way to Cosmos we also passed two Christmas store. Mistletoe Ranch is for the people who like to make Christmas villages and Christmas Village was all ointments, the names are confusing I know, I had the most fun and spent money at Christmas Village and the owner looks like Santa clause in real life.

Footnote: we went in the last week of October and let me tell ya this place is closed for the season. We almost starved to death except for normal dinning in Rapid City. We ended up going to Wal-Mart in rapid city and buying a $2 cooler and dining via picnic everyday for lunch.

As for Halloween we were lucky to be in Keystone for the Haunting of Keystone

The Haunting of Keystone will be from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. today through Sunday, Oct. 23, and Friday through Sunday, Oct. 30, and includes three haunted attractions: the School from Hell (Keystone Victorian School Museum), Wicked Little Miners (Big Thunder Gold Mine) and Keystone Haunted Cemetery Ride (Keystone Cemetery). Admission to each attraction costs $6.50, or all three for $15. Each setting promotes historical spirits of Keystone. The event also includes a masquerade ball from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, at the community center in Keystone. For more information, call 666-4847 or go to www.haunted keystone.com/haunting.

We went on the haunted mine which was really scary, it was a blind unguided tour of a “real” mine that is still used today for gold. It was dark, damp and stunk of foul sneakers and we were so glad that the owners give you a hard hat to wear because I would have a goose egg on my forehead without it. Still it was so worth going. We also went to the original school for another haunted house.

We also drove around to Deadwood and Spearfish nothing to write home about.

South Dakota Halloween Trip 2011 part 2

Entry Log : Most Import part and focus of trip is visit the Mount Rushmore Monument, Keystone, South Dakota.  We arrived about an hour before the national park closed and we sorta planned it this way; due to, my addiction to sunsets. I highly recommend seeing the monument with the sunset it was spectacular watching the faces go from full sun to different degrees of grey…It was bitter cold and I was so happy that I was wearing my felt bell hat. The Hubs and I tend to dress someone classic even in leisure so our pictures almost have a retro 1940’s feel which was an unexpected surprise. The National park does have a café and I can recommend the coffee. Per normal for us we had our Dukan food on us and we enjoyed ever morsel with the café’s fresh brewed coffee. The monuments museum was small but easily gave the feel of the primitive tools and obstacles the baseball/sculptures faced while carving the monument. The walk from parking to the monument are pillars and each state is carved into a side of one of the pillar; this is our beloved native Texas

South Dakota Halloween Trip 2011

Entry Log Day 1: Weather, Raining, overcast and mid 60’s: Drove from Wichita Falls TX to DFW international airport. Flew AA to South Dakota airport just outside of Rapid city. (Travel info airport code is RAP) It was a long flight due to the time zone, so it looks like a 2hr flight but it is really 3hrs. Try to get a window seat the view changes often due to mountains and climate changes. I am a light to medium traveler and the hubs is a heavy traveler and we were both disappointed with the Enterprise rental car at Rapid City. We had reserved our car in advanced with our private account, and the car was dirty with visible stains on the fabric seat, (just yuck, who knows what the stain was) and we didn’t get to choose the car to fit our needs, one was chosen for us and the customer service was poor. As for the Rapid City airport it was small (think dirt road small) and it is mostly under construction and just to finish with my rant, when we returned to leave South Dakota for Dallas TX. The check in was half an hour late in opening up to check in your luggage, this is before a person is allowed to go through security so basically we were stuck with others in the cold entry of the airport with all ALL of our luggage before we could go through security, toilet, refresh ect., before actually boarding our flight. Needless to say I was a little disappointed and Rapid City Airport made me wait forever for my first cup of coffee, so uncivilized (sarcasm) pictures of the Hubs and Me
Picture 1  the car we rented. Dodge Charger Black
Picture 2 us on the flight
Picture 3 is us at the DFW airport waiting to get on the bus to go check in luggage and such

Monday after Christmas 2011

At Mesquite Creek Cottage

My 3 top youtube videos for 2011

Outdoor walking fun

Christmas is a week away

Home at Mesquite Creek Cottage

Give Validation as a Christmas Gift

First Day of the Fantasy of Lights, hometown Pride

The day started out dry, Dec 2, 2011at home

and then the weather turned wet and cold

December 1st Texas sunset

This is the view I enjoyed on my walk on our property The Mesquite Creek

Mesquite creek cottage Fall weekly dukan menu

Monday

Breakfast: now in habit of skipping breakfast and noticed weight loss came easier, hungry, drink lots of fluids

-fat free cottage cheese 1/2 cup, optional, flavor with strawberry MIO

-coffee with sweet & low, or hot tea

Lunch:

-chicken breast cooked with coarse spicy mustard

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Supper:

-turkey breast streak (they come in a steak form) with dried Italian seasoning and garlic powder

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Tuesday

Breakfast: now in habit of skipping breakfast and noticed weight loss came easier, hungry, drink lots of fluids

-fat free cottage cheese 1/2 cup, optional, flavor with strawberry MIO

-coffee with sweet & low, or hot tea

Lunch:

-turkey breast streak (they come in a steak form) with dried Italian seasoning and garlic powder

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Supper:

-chicken breast cooked with coarse spicy mustard

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Wednesday

Breakfast: now in habit of skipping breakfast and noticed weight loss came easier, hungry, drink lots of fluids

-fat free cottage cheese 1/2 cup, optional, flavor with strawberry MIO

-coffee with sweet & low, or hot tea

Lunch:

-chicken breast cooked with coarse spicy mustard

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Supper:

-turkey breast streak (they come in a steak form) with dried Italian seasoning and garlic powder

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Tuesday

Breakfast: now in habit of skipping breakfast and noticed weight loss came easier, hungry, drink lots of fluids

-fat free cottage cheese 1/2 cup, optional, flavor with strawberry MIO

-coffee with sweet & low, or hot tea

Lunch:

-turkey breast streak (they come in a steak form) with dried Italian seasoning and garlic powder

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Supper:

-chicken breast cooked with coarse spicy mustard

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Friday

Breakfast: now in habit of skipping breakfast and noticed weight loss came easier, hungry, drink lots of fluids

-fat free cottage cheese 1/2 cup, optional, flavor with strawberry MIO

-coffee with sweet & low, or hot tea

Lunch:

-chicken breast cooked homemade Italian tomato based sauce, fresh onoin

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Supper:

-home cooked fresh, liver & onions

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Saturday

Breakfast: now in habit of skipping breakfast and noticed weight loss came easier, hungry, drink lots of fluids

-fat free cottage cheese 1/2 cup, optional, flavor with strawberry MIO

-coffee with sweet & low, or hot tea

Lunch:

-turkey ham wraps with spring onions, mustard dip, optional tomatoes, bell pepper, fat free cheese

Supper:

-homemade pizza with dukan pancake for crust seasoned with Italian dried spices, optional: mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, low fat turkey bacon, lean ground beef, cheese, tomato sauce

Sunday

Breakfast: now in habit of skipping breakfast and noticed weight loss came easier, hungry, drink lots of fluids

-fat free cottage cheese 1/2 cup, optional, flavor with strawberry MIO

-coffee with sweet & low, or hot tea

Lunch:

-chicken breast cooked with coarse spicy mustard dip                                        -half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Supper:

-Crock pot (Slow cooker), lean roast, vegetables, fat free broth, dried spices

-half a cinnamon oat bran muffin with coffee

Tips: travel, we make our own beef jerky, and the muffins travel easily as well, drink with hot coffee (coffee appears to always be available everywhere) As for the work week menu, why chicken and turkey? Food is just that, food, why spend time and money on simple nutrition. The work week is busy and chicken and turkey are safe simple proteins that make life easy for weight loss. At the end of the day if you find yourself sarcastically mocking this menu, then ask yourself. HOW BAD DO YOU WANT TO BE FIT AND TRIM?

For Charles

Coffee, fall, cinnamon

pumpkin pie spice coffee, just seeing this picture of my coffee pot makes me want a steaming cup of joe

FOTD, Nov, Cold outside, faux fur vest

sink, FOTD, fall, cold outside

Thanksgiving Day 2011

this is me making the meringue cookies, from scratch, oh my grandmother would have been so proud at the foam I was making those egg whites dance to!

November Favorite Looks Fashion

Thanksgiving Food

Homemade cranberry sauce with splenda

individual crustless pumpkin pie, fat and sugar free

meringue splenda cookies

fat and sugar free cream cheese cake, was amazing!

we also had a turkey, roasted vegetables, and dukan bran stuffing