Monday, May 13, 2013

Lake Sharpe Reservoir and Dam C.O.E. park near Chamberlain, S.D.

Today was crazy.  It was 34 degrees two days ago in Sioux Falls and now 2 hours away it is 92 degrees.  Ton went kayaking and we also took a bike ride and enjoyed the campground.  This park has water on three sides and we can see all three of them out of our window.  There are a lot of 5^th wheels towing a boat.  These fisherman have it all…. a beautiful lake, catching lots of fish, truck, camper and boat all with them.  This Army corp. Park was closed last year because it was flooded half up the bath house walls as it’s in the valley.  It’s been a very pleasant day.

 

 

 



Notice the water line on the trees.  That shows how high the water got last year in the
spring and then in the summer they had a major drought.   This park was closed the entire year.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Today we went to St. Joseph Lakota Indian School. It was beautiful in the museum part. The students live here and many of them year round. Some of them live with relatives when not at the school as their parents are too poor to keep them. The dorms are nice, but they must get up and start with prayer. Then, single file they go to breakfast and then chapel. One little boy said “It’s hard getting up so early, but we get breakfast here and that makes it worth it.” The museum allowed us to take pictures and it is supported by donations. The school part did not allow pictures but is sponsored by the diocese. The children do not pay anything and they follow the public school curricular and schedule mixed with the Catholic catechism and training. They learn how to make it in the outside world and learn English as well as their Lakota language. Grades Kindergarten - 8^th grade live in one group of homes and Grades 9 – 12 in another area.

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting it made for a very nice day and once again it was 92 degrees but very windy today.  We leave here in the morning.