It’s a sacred place to many of the Native American peoples. It’s the source of an easily carved deep red stone that is found in few places in the world. The finest and richest deposits are here in southwestern Minnesota. They have used it for centuries to create ceremonial pipes. During our 2014 visit to Pipestone National Monument we learned of the sacredness of this site and the role of the pipestone in their spiritual lives. Today we wanted to visit again and to walk the trail near some of the historic quarries and across a portion of the prairie. It’s a gentle peaceful place and we feel privileged to be able to visit.
By deliberate choice we were in Medina for all the winter holiday festivities from Candlelight Walk in the days before Thanksgiving through A Christmas Carol and A Celtic Christmas as well as an Alex Bevan Concert and a historic house tour all the way through Medina’s 31st Ice Festival but perhaps the highlight was the town hosting hundreds of folks whose homes and lives were devasted by Hurricane Helene at the A Promise of Christmas Event the middle of January. It’s an honor to be a part of this amazing community!
The warmth we anticipated when we headed to the Caribbean in mid-January didn’t really materialize but the fun we had with our dancing friends and the great crew of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander more than made up for the not so favorable weather.
Aboard Jewel of the Seas, a favorite ship of ours, we enjoyed a foray into the history and geology of Canada’s Atlantic coast while enjoying the joys of friendships, longtime and new. Now we’re looking forward to returning to the same ship for further adventures!
0 Comments