Marker Man

Over 25 years ago, a great man by the name of Bruce Blake took up an unusual hobby. Driven by a love of history, and of storytelling, Bruce began to research some of the local history of southeastern South Dakota, which he then recorded on roadside historical markers. That quarter century of effort has culminated in the placement of over 160 historical markers throughout Minnehaha County.

Pictured here are Alex and Nick with one of Bruce's historical markers. This one is located in downtown Sioux Falls right across the street from the Holiday Inn, formerly the site of Fort Dakota:

This marker has special meaning to my boys, since Bruce dedicated it in their honor by inscribing their  names on the reverse side.

I met Bruce in the early 1980's while he was dating my mother. He was there to see me off in 1982 when I departed for the Navy, and he has been there for me and my family ever since.

This is a shot of Bruce, myself and my Mom at my graduation from the University of South Dakota in 1993:

Bruce holding my son Nick shortly after his birth in 1997:

In 2010, Bruce was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame for his historical work and other contributions to the state of South Dakota:

This month, Bruce, or as some call him, Marker Man, will be publishing a 550 page book that documents his 25 years of historical work. The book will be called Twelve Thousand Years of Human History: As Recorded on Historical Markers in Minnehaha County, S.D.

We are so proud of Bruce and his accomplishments. But more than that, we are honored to have been a part of his life during this magnificent journey. Congratulations, Marker Man, we love you.

Summer Vacation - Cottonwood

While camping South of Sioux Falls on some land owned by the Balk family, we made a trek to a giant Cottonwood tree near the Big Sioux river. Shane told us this tree was quite possibly one of the largest Cottonwood trees in the state of South Dakota, after viewing it, I have no problem believing him.

 

 

 

A Flight Over Vermillion

Life was so much simpler then. What better way to start the day than with a cold dew, a smoke, and a drive to the airport to fly in a private plane over the USD campus in Vermillion, SD. Of course that was 1988, and things are much, much, different now.

That's Sebastian looking back from the group, he was an exchange student from France.

That's Arnold (Schaef) Schaeffer looking over the tail of the plane.

Cranking up the engine.

That's our pilot, Dan Marnach.

That's Nils Paulsen giving a thumbs up, he was an exchange student from Norway.

Dan gives us our final re-assurance, that everything will be OK.

A glance back at the runway.

If you look to the left side of this photo, you'll notice that one of the buildings has Vermillion written on the roof. Just below and to the left is Taco John's, and to the left of that is Dairy Queen.


This shot includes the entire campus. Our dorm is on the right hand side.

You can see the Dakota Dome off to the right in the distance.

That's the back side of Old Main in the center.

The large complex is our dormitory.

This is a birds eye view of the Missouri River.


Later that day, the heat drove many students to the courtyard. Some participated in volleyball, others in... girl watching, and others... in both.



That's me in the sunglasses and funny looking blue shorts.

Flashback 1988

Here is a look back at a New Years ski trip we took to Terry Peak in 1988. these photos are all made from stills I took off of video I have of the ski trip. The entire video can be viewed by following this link here.

Corey Briest Story

This is the story about Corey Briest that was aired on CBS news. Corey was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq and sustained massive head injuries. This is a short snippet of his life after returning to the United States. His story is a testament to the reality that hell doesn't just reside on the battlefield. Michele stayed with Corey and his Mom Diane while attending the University of South Dakota 12 years ago. She has fond memories of spending time with Corey, and playing Nertz with him. Nertz was one of many games Corey taught Michele how to play. She cherishes the memories of those happy times together. Our hearts go out to Corey and his family, we hope that he gets the care that he needs, and deserves. You can learn more about Corey and his road to recovery by following this link to Caring Bridge, then just enter CoreyBriest in the site name box.

Here are some links for information about Corey:
CBS News
Argus Leader photo gallery
Argus Leader story
Argus Leader story 2
Operation Firing for Effect
Stephanie Herseth
Veterans Today
Mia Culpa
Update - June 20, 2007
Here is a new link to a new story about Corey in the Argus Leader. The family is receiving donations from kind people all over the nation, and that money is being used to build a handicap accessible home for Corey and his family.

South Dakota Think Signs

Scattered across the state of South Dakota are signs that are erected each time a motorist loses their life on South Dakota roads. These are the think signs, and from what I can tell, are unique to South Dakota. For many of the loved ones of the victim, these signs serve as a spiritual marker, where the family can go and grieve, and in many cases dress them up with ribbons and flowers. They are South Dakota's way of reminding motorists to drive carefully.

The Badlands

A trip to western South Dakota is not complete without a trek through the Badlands. This was probably our most fruitful in terms of the abundance of wildlife we encountered. We saw Bighorn Sheep, Deer, a Coyote, Prairie Dogs and a rabbit.



I thought some action shots would really bring some character to this series of pictures, so Alex and Nick were more than happy to oblige.