The 60th annual Governor’s Easter Egg Hunt will be held this Sunday in Pierre at 1 p.m. It’s the oldest and largest family event in South Dakota. Bob Grandpre of Pierre shared these photos from last year’s event.
By Christian Begeman
The February blahs. You know what I’m talking about. The weather is brutal at the worst and a tease at best … sometimes hinting at spring then turning icy and gray all over again. The air is irritatingly dry. When the sun does shine, everybody looks like they are imitating Clint Eastwood’s famous squint due to the glare from the ice and snow. February in South Dakota is the time of year where winter really starts wearing on a person. A lot of folks get so antsy for warmer weather they hop a plane and head south in search of beaches and sunshine. I can’t say I blame them.
Recently I found a place right here in Sioux Falls that helped cure my February blahs. Not that it needed finding. The Sertoma Butterfly House has been here for quite some time. It’s just that I had never visited before. Shame on me. The temperature is always 80 degrees and the humidity is kept at a tropical level. The flight room is like a giant greenhouse so when the sun shines you can really feel it warm your bones. The butterflies do too. They are most active when the sun shines and they often flitter about just inches from you as you walk the paths among the flowers and foliage.
For a photographer the place is a great chance to test out a macro lens. The butterflies are somewhat used to human presence and if you are slow and patient, it isn’t that difficult to ease up on a colorful beauty while feeding to get some really interesting close-ups. It’s also a chance to learn. Most of the butterflies in the exhibit are not native to South Dakota, so you won’t see many of them in the wild … unless you plan on visiting the Central American tropics that is. I was able to see and shoot a Glasswing butterfly that has transparent wings. I didn’t even know such an animal existed.
If you don’t have a macro lens, that’s OK. The place is a wonderful destination for kids and thus great opportunities for kids’ photos. I invited my niece and nephew to come see the butterflies last week. They are ages two and three so their attention span presented a challenge, but nevertheless I was able to get some cute candid shots of them checking out the butterflies, fish and turtles.
Recently the Sertoma Butterfly House added a new attraction that is great for the kids as well as adults. The Purdy Marine Cove not only has an amazing display of coral exhibits (one aquarium looks like it was the inspiration for Pixar’s Finding Nemo) but also a new touch pool. If you ever wanted to know what a small shark, helmet crab, or stingray feels like, you won’t be disappointed. My nephew Bo wasn’t too sure he wanted to touch anything when he first laid eyes on the touch pool, but after he warmed up to it, it was tough pulling him away.
According to their brochure, the Sertoma Butterfly House is one of only 28 independent, year-round butterfly houses in the United States. When you stop and think about it, that’s pretty cool. I mean, who knew I just had to drive over to Sertoma Park in southern Sioux Falls to soak up some tropical weather and beat those February blahs?
Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog.
The 24th annual Media One Funski was held last weekend at Great Bear Ski Resort in Sioux Falls. The event is closing in on a half million dollars in total fundraising for The Children’s Inn, a domestic abuse shelter for women and children. It began in 1989 as a cross country ski race. Today Funski has expanded to include skiing, snowboarding, team snow tubing, kickball, and snow sculpture.
I don’t know about you, but I find January a little boring. The holiday sparkle has faded and I shiver at the thought of my usual outdoor activities. Oh sure, I’m glad to have the time to work on my Scrabble skills and my dog loves our extra couch time, but I’ve been dreaming about skipping town this weekend.
Along with my duties at the magazine, I teach yoga part-time. Winter weekends are a great opportunity for me to be a student again and explore local classes. Luckily it’s the third annual Sioux Falls Yoga Day this Saturday.
Yoga Day USA used to be an annual event sponsored by Yoga Alliance. Registered yoga teachers hosted free or low cost workshops the third Saturday in January to share the benefits of yoga with their communities. The last official Yoga Day USA was held in 2011, but a group of instructors have continued holding free classes at the Siouxland Libraries Main Library each winter.
Deb Yoder and Jill Johnson organize the event. Yoder teaches yoga at the Avera McKennan Fitness Center and the Prairie Center and Johnson is co-owner of The Dharma Room. Their goal is to introduce yoga to the community in a fun, neutral way that encourages people to find yoga in their neighborhood.”We offer a wide range of mind/body classes throughout the day so people can explore different modalities to find what works for them,” Johnson says
Along with teaching yoga, Yoder works for Siouxland Libraries as a Collection Development Librarian. The organization is helping to sponsor the event this year to demonstrate the Siouxland Libraries’ resources for planning healthy lifestyles. The event is free, but donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted for the Sioux Falls food pantry. Beginners and experienced practitioners are invited to drop in for a class or spend the whole day.”Some of the instructors will bake breads. We have tea and usually some fresh fruit so there’s something you can snack on,” Yoder says. Yoga mats are available to borrow, but those who have one are encouraged to bring their own.
The day’s schedule is as follows:
Beginning Yoga 9:15 – 10 a.m.
Learn basic moves that help you connect the mind, body, and breath. Taught by Alison Larson and Amanda Hahn, who recently completed their yoga teacher training with the Organic Yoga Company.
Family Yoga 10:15 – 11 a.m.
Kids and parents practice fun yoga moves and activities. Taught by Maria Travers from East Bank Yoga.
Qi Gong 11:15 a.m. – 12 Noon
Experience gentle movement that helps heal your body in this ancient Chinese health care practice referred to as “Chinese Yoga.” Taught by Kim Kersbergen from The Dharma Room.
Crystal Singing Bowls 12:15 – 1 p.m.
Relax and enjoy the singing bowls’ sound vibrations that have a positive effect on your body’s well-being. Presented by Veronika Ludewig from The Dharma Room.
Yin Yoga 1:15 – 2 p.m.
Relax into seated or reclining yoga poses held for two to three minutes, allowing a gentle stretch for the joints and tissues of your body. Taught by Deb Yoder from Avera McKennan Fitness Center and the Prairie Center.
Intermediate Yoga 2:15 – 3 p.m.
Use the yoga basics to build strength and find balance in more challenging poses. Taught by Jean Slattery from Om Yoga Fitness.
Laughter Yoga 3:15 – 4 p.m.
Laughter exercises and gentle yoga breathing beat stress and invigorate the body. Taught by Jill and Dan Johnson from The Dharma Room.
First Day hikes began over 20 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation, a Milton, Mass. state park. This year is the second time all 50 state park systems have sponsored First Day Hikes on New Year’s Day. South Dakota parks are offering 12 free hikes as part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes initiative.
Blood Run, our newest state park, is hosting its First Day Nature Hike on January 1 at 10:00 a.m.”It will be a guided hunt about nature in winter,” says Jennifer Nuncio, Seasonal Naturalist for South Dakota State Parks.”We hope to experience animals, tracks, and birds plus a few fun activities along the way.” Nuncio will lead the 1/2-mile hike and plans to share history about this Native American historical site near Sioux Falls. For information, contact 987-2263.
Other hikes include:
Riddle Hike, Newton Hills State Park near Canton, sunrise to sunset. Info: 605-987-2263
New Year’s Bird Count Walk, Lewis and Clark Recreation Area near Yankton, 10 a.m. CST. Info: 605-668-2985
Creekside Stroll, Custer State Park, 10 a.m. MST. Info: 605-255-4515
New Year’s Get Out and Go Scavenger Hunt, Adams Homestead Nature Area near North Sioux City, 1 p.m. CST. Info: 605-232-0873
Lewis and Clark History Hike, Spirit Mound Historic Prairie near Vermillion, 1 p.m. CST, pre-registration required. Info/register: 605-987-2263
First Day in the Forest, Richmond Lake Recreation Area near Aberdeen, 1 p.m. CST. Info: 605-626-3488
Snowshoe If Snow, Hike If No, West Whitlock Recreation Area near Gettysburg, 1 p.m. CST. Info: 605-765-9410
Birdwatcher’s Hike, Angostura Recreation Area near Hot Springs, 1 p.m. MST. Info: 605-745-6996
First Day Snowshoe Hike, George S. Mickelson Trail, 1 p.m. MST, pre-registration required. Info/register: 605-584-3896
First Day Find It, Lake Herman State Park near Madison, 1 p.m. CST. Info: 605-256-5003
After the 2011 Flood, LaFramboise Island Nature Area in Pierre, 2 p.m. CST. Info: 605-773-2885
First Day Hike, Oakwood Lakes State Park near Bruce, 2 p.m. CST. Info: 605-627-5441
Snowshoe Along the Big Sioux, Big Sioux Recreation Area in Brandon, 2 p.m. CST. Info: 605-582-7243
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| Students learn cooking skills and try new foods in Mitchell-based nonprofit Time at the Table’s Kitchen Kids program. Photo by Billy Mawhiney. |
In a world of harried schedules and grab-and-go food, the traditional cozy family supper around the dinner table is no longer the reality for many Americans. But would a return to family mealtimes be better for our health and overall well-being?
Billy Mawhiney of Time at the Table, a Mitchell-based nonprofit, thinks so.”I was fortunate as a child to grow up in a home where family dinner was a priority. Even during sports season my mother would sit with me while I ate dinner at the table, involving herself into my life. When I began researching family dinner and realizing that only 1 in 3 American families eat around the table, I knew we had to do something about it.”
Time at the Table offers a variety of tools that support their slogan,”Reconnecting families, one table at a time.” One of the most successful has been their Kitchen Kids program. Kitchen Kids is a series of classes for children in grades 3-8 designed to give them”cooking confidence” in a safe and entertaining environment.
When kids learn their way around the kitchen, it encourages them to take those skills home and show them to Mom and Dad, helping families connect in a fun, delicious way. The four-lesson series starts simply. Mawhiney says,”The first lesson is always attention getting — making pasta from scratch. It gets your hands dirty and focuses on simple, basic ingredients kids know.”
The classes also encourage children to try new and healthier foods. A grant from the USDA has allowed Kitchen Kids organizers to track the program’s success in nudging children into eating fruits and vegetables. It’s working — 83% of students show an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption after attending Kitchen Kids.
Groups are kept small, so students have plenty of help as they learn.”We keep the class ratio to 1:5 with volunteers from the RSVP program in Mitchell. The James Valley Community Center not only allows us to use their space, but also supports us with great volunteers to have an extra set of eyes and hands to help guide the kids,” says Mawhiney.
The program has been so successful in Mitchell that it’s expanding into Sioux Falls. A two-part Kitchen Kids class will be held on November 3 and 17 at the Cross Pointe Baptist Church from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The $40 cost covers both sessions, with scholarships available upon request.
Mawhiney would like to see Kitchen Kids-style programs available in communities across the state. To that end, Time at the Table is developing a Kitchen Kids Resource Guide to help local groups start up a program of their own, with well-tested recipes, step-by-step guidance for instructors and more. Time at the Table also offers family classes for parents with smaller children.
For more information or to donate to their scholarship program, contact Billy Mawhiney at 605-550-0335 or bmawhiney@timeatthetable.org.
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| A Kitchen Kids student prepares pizza rolls. Photo by Billy Mawhiney. |
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for rolling
Kosher salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon basil (dried or fresh)
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine oil, flour and a generous pinch of salt. Mix together until mixture resembles small peas. Add yogurt and stir to combine a sticky dough. If dough is a little dry, add 1-2 tablespoons ice water. Cover dough and refrigerate until ready to use.
In another mixing bowl, combine crushed tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/8″ thick. Use a floured 4″ cookie cutter, cup or bowl (a plastic food container works well) to cut the dough into circles. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting until all dough has been used up. You should have 14-16 circles.
Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the tomato filling on one half of the dough circle. Fold the other half over and press gently but firmly along the edges of the circle to seal it, forming a half-moon. Use the back of a fork to create a scalloped edge along the seal. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough circles.
Beat the egg with 1/8 cup water to make an egg wash. Brush the tops of the pizza rolls with the egg wash and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
The summer’s drought has been tough on area farmers. Our orchards weren’t immune, but Hebda Family Produce (formerly Garrity’s), east of Yankton, is still open for their fall Apple Fest.
My husband and I stopped out for the festivities last Sunday. They have plenty of apples to buy in their shop, but picking your own is not available due to the dry growing season. The pumpkins are doing fine, though. $8 gets you admission for the hay rack ride out to the pumpkin patch, the bale maze, playground, and a little cup of corn to feed the goats. My previous goat experience is limited, but Hebda’s were rather endearing. Some were quite cute and others were the “so ugly they’re cute” variety.
If goats aren’t your thing, it’s still worth the stop for their gift and snack shop. The cozy store was bustling with families sipping hot cider and devouring warm apple pie or caramel apple slices. We picked up a quarter peck of Connell Red apples then made mental note of the jams, jellies, and salsa for the hard to buy people on our Christmas list.
Apple Fest is each weekend in October. Visit Hebda’s Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 – 5:30 p.m. Call (605) 665-2806 for more details.
My husband Jeremy and I are trying to squeeze every last bit of fun out of this summer. I honestly can’t remember the last weekend we just stayed home — and my messy house proves it. We had a free Saturday last weekend so we decided to check out Split Rock Creek, Palisades State Park and Devil’s Gulch.
Our day trip started at Palisades State Park south of Garretson. Jeremy wanted to go for a run on one of the hiking trails along Split Rock Creek but some areas were a little too rocky for that. Big surprise, right? It’s a destination known for its purple and pink quartzite formations. Some geologists speculate that an earthquake divided the rock into a canyon ages ago, thus the name Split Rock Creek. Within the quartzite are spots of rare pipestone, a rock used by native tribes to create sacred pipes, war clubs and other tools.
The hike along the softly burbling waters was lovely. A light drizzle was a welcome respite from the usual dry summer weather, though it did make rocky parts of the path slippery. The Palisades look to be a popular weekend destination for picnicking, kayaking and fishing. The other visitors we met didn’t seem to mind the rain. There was even a wedding at one of the large picnic shelters. Personally, I’d love to while away a weekend at one of the campsites or adorable little cabins tucked between oak and ash trees along the water.
Once we finished exploring the Palisades, we made our way north to Devil’s Gulch in Garretson. Crossing Devil’s Gulch was on the”Summer ‘Oughta Do’ List for Kids” in our May/June 2011 issue. Jeremy and I are a couple of big kids so I knew we had to do it. Legend has it that outlaw Jesse James jumped Devil’s Gulch on horseback in 1876. Today an iron footbridge spans the 20-foot gap in quartzite.
It’s proven that James, his brother Frank, and a gang of six robbed the bank in Northfield, Minn., and fled west. No one is sure of their escape route, but one story says they split as they neared the state lines and Jesse followed Split Rock Creek. Supposedly a posse gained on him, he spurred his horse and leapt the chasm. Jeremy doesn’t think it really happened, but after crossing the footbridge I think it’s possible. And some say the creek was narrower back then and the gap has widened due to erosion. Why not take a Labor Day road trip and decide for yourself?
It was my birthday last Saturday and, among other festivities, my husband and I visited the Sertoma Butterfly House and Purdy Marine Cove at 4320 Oxbow Avenue in Sioux Falls. The Butterfly House opened in 2002 and was built with funding from the Noon Sertoma Club. The Purdy Marine Cove addition, made possible by donations from Charles Purdy, opened the fall of last year. The butterfly flight room is a popular winter destination because it’s kept at a temperate 80 degrees, but that temp felt cool compared to the 95 degree weather.
Nearly 1,000 butterflies from around the world flit around the little indoor garden with waterfalls, streams and skylight for natural light. I found the Blue Morpho to be most remarkable, with its shimmering wings and impressive size. Many were at least 4 inches wide.
Touching the butterflies is discouraged because it could damage their sensitive feet, but if one lands on your hair or clothes it is OK to take it for a ride. Kory Willard, Volunteer Coordinator and General Curator, had tips for those who would like to pick up a hitchhiker.”The best thing you can do is wear bright clothing, like the type of clothing that will show up under black light,” says Willard.”That’s the type of UV perspective butterflies will perceive.” He also suggests coming on a sunny day and sitting quietly in direct sunlight on one of the garden’s benches.
And flash photography is OK in the butterfly flight room, but not so in the darkened Marine Cove housing the tropical fish.”Some of the fish can perceive beyond the boundaries of the tank they are in,” says Willard.”With flash photography it stimulates a fear response in a lot of fish because it simulates lightning, signaling a pending storm or crashing waves.” Even so, it’s fun to just observe the thirteen freshwater and saltwater aquariums with their kaleidoscope of colors. The newest attraction is the 2,500 gallon touch pool made possible by a donation from Richard and Eloise Elmen and designed by Willard and Grant Anderson, Curator of Fishes. It’s a bit like a tropical petting zoo where we found the stingrays to be quite slimy and the sharks a bit scratchy. But I’m not sure how to describe the starfish. You will have to find out for yourself.
The Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls held its 3rd annual Women’s Try It Day on Saturday. Photos by Rebecca Johnson.
