Old Blacksmith building

Today we took the group to the Dutton ranch, outside of Faith, SD.  It is near Mud Butte and Zeona, if that helps any… HA  Both need a detailed map to find them listed.  We also visited Dave’s sister Linda Anders and Dennis Hathaway on the Hathaway ranch.

Pictured is a photo of an old homesteader cabin, off of a neighboring ranch.  It was the site of a murder, in which a girl’s father didn’t approve of a suitor, and the suitor lost, as the story goes.   When it was no longer in use, Dave’s grandfather, Hiram Dutton, numbered the logs, disassembled them, and re-assembled them on the ranch.  Hiram & Mary Dutton homesteaded this ranch in 1914, and it has been in Dutton ownership ever since.  The log building was used as a blacksmith shop on the ranch.

It was the setting for some fun today!

Dave and Bonnie

Calamity Jane Carter

Calamity Jane Clargo

Mariethe' and Yves Salort

Old time Millie

We dressed up in some authentic western gear, (with real weapons!) and had some fun.   Some of the group painted while the others looked over the ranch and hunted petrified wood in the river.  (Which they found plenty)  Millie found what appears to be a petrified vertebrae, possibly from a dinosaur.  We are going to have it checked out by an expert.

I may possibly be off line for a couple of days with the events of our travels.  We will be venturing in to the southern Black Hills, and I am unsure if I will be able to get wireless Internet.  If I can’t keep the blog updated, I will definitely do a catch up once I am able!

Dinosaur Bones in the ground

We saw documented dinosaur bones, at an official site.  On private land, we were able to look over bones which are still in the ground, yet exposed, in the process of excavation.

We visited the Hathaway ranch, and had a wonderful lunch with Dennis and Linda.  We also got to experience their magnificent fishing hole…. a stock dam, which is filled with eager Bass, just waiting for you to throw in a line!  Here you see Jane Clargo getting a casting lesson from Dennis.

Casting lesson

The end of a great day