Parks

Now that autumn is upon us, many more residents are coming home to Grand Horizons.

We had our coffee and doughnuts on Oct. 29, and you could actually see the difference in attendance. The new people that came back to our park created a good size crowd.

This function has people mingling and catching up with news that happened during the summer. We also hear about the news that transpired at Grand Horizons — birthdays, get-well wishes and more.

Twice a month we do get to have our blood pressure taken, which is important, and usually takes a back burner while we are away for the winter months.

There is one activity that differs from last year, and that is water aerobics. Last year, water aerobics was on the days that we had shuffleboard. I wanted to go to exercise class, but thoroughly enjoyed shuffleboard. A decision had to be made, and shuffleboard won.

This year, water aerobics continues on shuffleboard days, and the days we do not participate in this game. I am very happy with the change.

Water aerobics also is important, as it helps in many things, plus it cools you off on hot, humid days.

Did you ever want to see goblins, ghosts, witches and so much more together? On Oct. 31, we did. A Halloween party took place, and about 70 residents joined in on the fun.

Annmarie Shackewyc hosted this event, along with Carol Wilcox, Barb Livingston and Cheryl Leone. They did a fantastic job in planning the party, and they came to the community center a day before to set up the decorations. They really outdid themselves, and the work they put in to decorating showed through. Everything was done in style.

They had a contest for the best costume, and the judges really had their work cut out for them, as one costume was better than the other. There were four prizes in all.

We also had a disc jockey, Gary Wilcox, who did a great job. He has done this for our park before, and he is just a natural.

There was a variety of songs, loads of dancing, and one tune after another.

It was a night to remember.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published November 12, 2014

October finds many snowbirds back and activities increasing at Grand Horizons.

While they still have the everyday or every week activities such as mahjong, dominoes, shuffleboard, Wednesday coffee and doughnuts, and more, they also had a luncheon Oct. 7 hosted by Lynne-Rae Dyson.

The luncheon was at T.G.I. Friday’s, and several women attended and had a great time. I spoke to Joyce Bell about this luncheon, and she told me that a number of women came here to dine and most of them stayed later to do some shopping as there was a mall nearby. In other words, they created an afternoon that they thoroughly enjoyed. Joyce went on to say that while some women went shopping, others went straight back to Grand Horizons.

There was a taco dinner Oct. 15 and from what Andy Castonguay mentioned, 99 residents attended this function.

He went on to say that there were six workers, and this consisted of Andy and Margaret Castonguay, Joyce and Ron Bell, and Annmarie and Chick Shackewyc. They have done several dinners together and work very well with each other.

According to the newsletter that we received, the taco dinner consisted of diced tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, olives and onions, which were all put in little bowls and could be added to the ground beef that is put in a taco shell.

All had a good time, and Andy mentioned that a few new neighbors attended which is something that we like to see.

On Oct. 16, Jeanne Bloomfield hosted another luncheon for the ladies at ABC Pizza House in Dade City. There were only a few in attendance because of previous engagements, but everyone who did attend had a nice time. The group all sat together, enjoyed themselves and had a delicious lunch.

I spoke with Jeanne, and she told me that she did things a little differently, as she had the ladies draw a piece of paper from a bag to determine who got a free lunch on her. This was a different and very clever idea.

Jeanne also told me that after lunch they went to a new gift shop where they had some lovely gifts, and they all enjoyed window shopping and browsing.

It was a special day at Grand Horizons Oct. 18, because there was the Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale. It is on this day that Grand Horizons gets volunteers to bake a cake, cookies or any other treat to donate to the bakery sale.

I am sure there were a variety of goodies being sold. When I am there, I usually bake a little something, and we usually buy some goodies. Everything is so good.

The sale was hosted by Cheryl and Ken Leone, Annmarie and Chick Shackewyc, and other helpers.

That is one thing about Grand Horizons — there are always several volunteers. Many people chip in so the bazaar and bake sale can run smoothly.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published October 29, 2014

On Aug. 14, we had a full day planned as we had reservations for the Fort Hays Chuck Wagon and Dinner Show. It consisted of a nine-hour narrated tour, plus two meals and a show.

We started at 7:30 with a breakfast of pancakes at the Chuck Wagon. We then boarded the coach with stops and a narration at Mount Rushmore Memorial. This is quite a site, and we saw videos of the work that went into this great monument. We were able to take a walk to view Mount Rushmore up close. It was a site that we won’t forget. The entire monument was created in granite.

We went back to the bus and went to the following ­— Lincoln Borglum Museum at the Mount Rushmore site, Pigtail Bridges, and scenic tunnels. The scenic tunnels were a real treat. From these tunnels we could actually get a beautiful picture of Mount Rushmore that looked framed. The tunnels were actually built with this in mind.
The bus then took us to see the Crazy Horse Memorial. This is a work in progress and was started on June 3, 1948. It is the world’s largest sculptural undertaking by carving a memorial Lakota leader, Crazy Horse. The 1948 dedication blast took off just 10 tons, but millions of tons have been removed since. Back to the bus, and we passed by Sylvan Lake and eventually arrived at Custer State Park. In Custer State Park, buffalos have the right of way. The massive beasts freely roam the parks thousands of acres, along with elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, coyotes and many other wildlife species. The towering pines sheltering the roadway, the swift flowing creeks with their clear sparkled waters, the massive cliffs and rock ridges, is nature at its best.
Custer State Park covers 71,000 acres in South Dakota’s Black Hills. In 1913, the park was created, but in 1919 the reserve became known as Custer State Park.
We arrived back at Fort Hays at 5:30 p.m., to browse around the different pictures, props and movies. Then we enjoyed a Chuck Wagon supper and a musical variety show. The show had loads of toe-tapping foot-stomping, belly-shaking laughter and more.
The following day we went on the Wildlife Loop Road as we were quite anxious to see more wildlife. This road twists and turns its way through the prairie and pine-studded hills that harbor many of the park’s wildlife species.
Now, let me ask you a question. “Do you like trains?” If you do, then let me tell you about the state railroad museum where we went. At the South Dakota Railroad Museum they had a 70-foot mural of the history of South Dakota and American railroad history. A very nice and informative video was also there for our viewing. There were antique tools and equipment, plus scale model trains.
Off to Four Mile Old West Town. This was featured in two parts. The first part had us walking through an old west town that included many features such as a newspaper office, a sheriff’s office, a saloon which had displays of women sitting on the bar, an old school house, the blacksmith, an ice company, a sweet shop, jeweler, a doctors office and more. It was a complete town with many shops.
There was also a cemetery of the town’s most notable citizens.
All the buildings had artifacts from the turn of the century, while the jail had the original furnishings from long ago. The jail was built around the time South Dakota was known as part of the Dakota Territory. The old wooden door showed the carving of an escaped prisoner.
The second part of Four Mile Old West Town was a one-hour melodrama where the audience interacts with Old West characters. The entire performance was very good and the audience was laughing and enjoying themselves.
Late in the morning on Saturday, we went back to the 1880 train and took the train ride. Here we got to see the Black Hills of South Dakota by rail. We experienced a historic, breathtakingly scenic, relaxing vintage train ride. This was a two-hour ride and a 20-mile round trip to Keystone.
While we saw much scenery, we also saw the vistas of Harney Peak, which is the highest point between the Swiss Alps and the Rocky Mountains.
Later in the afternoon, we went to the Circle B ranch and enjoyed watching the little ones trying to rope a steer (fake of course) and ride a pony, and we also got to see many horses. There was a shootout and after this, we entered the Chuck Wagon hall for dinner and a show. It is here that we stepped back in time and enjoyed an evening of Western hospitality and family entertainment.
The harmonies of the Circle B Cowboys were just delightful.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published October 1,2014

We left East Hartford, Connecticut, for our dream trip to South Dakota on Aug. 9. And for the first few days while traveling through several states, we experienced a change of scenery and weather.

It wasn’t until the end of the second day that we saw and experienced a big change. Yes, it was that obvious.

At this time we saw many cornfields, wheat fields, flatlands, fog, windmills, drones to check out corn production, a utility worker repairing a high voltage transmission line about 100 feet off the ground while suspended by a helicopter, and more.

On Aug. 11, we left Austin, Minnesota, for a leisurely three-hour drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where we visited a five-story observation tower. We took an elevator to the top and saw the most fantastic scenery. It was so relaxing just looking.

Upon entering Sioux Falls Park, there were falls on your right and several buildings on your left. From here we went to view the Corn Palace that is located in Mitchell, South Dakota. Here we saw a short film on the history of the Corn Palace and then had a short guided tour before we went on our own.

There has been a Corn Palace since 1892. The building is decorated with corn showing life in the American West. As the Corn Palace grew, new ones were built while the others were demolished. Each year a new decorating theme is chosen, and the outside of the Corn Palace is stripped and redecorated with new corn and grains.

Another stop on this day was at the Ingalls Homestead. Do you remember “Little House on the Prairie”? We started off with a short film about the Ingalls family and homestead. We then took a walking tour through “Laura’s Living Prairie.” We saw the house where she grew up, in addition to a visit to the schoolhouse, the livestock barn, the church and so much more. It definitely brought back memories.

On Aug. 12, we went to the Minuteman Missile National Park Service, where we saw a short historic video about the possible launching of a nuclear missile during the Cold War era. This site was started in 1999 to illustrate the history and significance of the Cold War, the arms race, and the dedication of U.S. Air Force personnel. Upon leaving this site, we saw a Delta Flight Peacekeeper vehicle that was used by the security personnel to patrol surface facilities.

On to Badlands National Park. This drive was just fabulous. We saw the most spectacular and breathtaking scenery ever. We experienced the quiet and serene surroundings while viewing some of the outlooks.

The Badlands was established as a national monument in 1939. There are 244,000 acres in this park, and there are visitors from all over the world. There are peaks, gullies and wide prairies in the Badlands, and words cannot describe it.

We then went to Ben Reifel Visitor Center and saw a video plus many exhibits.

One more stop for the day and that is to Wall Drug store that has been in operation since 1931. It is known for its free ice water. Believe it or not, this is what made it so famous today.

Wall Drug survived the depression by offering free ice water to thirsty travelers and by building its reputation on friendly service. There are many gift shops, attractions, paintings and more, but no drugstore.

On Aug. 13, after a leisurely breakfast, we saw the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. There were so many exhibits we got to see, including the B-15 bomber, 28 vintage aircraft missiles, and helicopters.

Now on to Rapid City to view the Call of the Wild Museum. This was a wildlife exhibit complete with deer, zebra, goats, giraffes, lions and more. It was a remarkable visit.

Did you ever want to see how pottery was made? This next visit gave us the opportunity as we went to a factory store where you took a self-guided tour. Each piece of Sioux pottery is handcrafted by a Lakota artist, decorated with designs and symbols important to their culture, and signed by the artist who created it.

Our next stop was Bear Country U.S.A., which is a unique three-mile drive through the wildlife park. The park is nestled on 250 acres of Black Hills beauty.

We saw black and grizzly bears in addition to mountain lions, wolves, elk, bobcats, buffalo and more, where they roam free and we are in a cage — our car. We then took a walk through a small animal zoo. This is where the younger animals frolic and play. It was lots of fun.

Then we went to Dinosaur Park, which offered a great opportunity to experience the size and appearance of dinosaurs that roamed Western South Dakota during the time that they existed.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published September 17, 2014

The summer months continue and activities are starting to pick up. They are still going strong with the many card games, bingo, dominoes, mahjong and much more.

In a short time, art, pinochle and other activities also will be on the agenda.

The summer months bring so many of the people from Grand Horizons to the pool to cool off and refresh themselves. We had a pool party a little while ago, and that was a huge success. From what I heard, they had Wii Bowling in the community center after the party.

They also are continuing taking the photos of the residents to put in the new directory that will be coming out shortly. They took several photos during the summer months, and from what I understand, they will be taking more in the following months. So, for the people who have gone elsewhere during the summer, your chance is coming. Do not despair, as you will also get an opportunity to have your picture taken and put in the brand new telephone directory.

They still have the lunch connoisseurs once a month, and for the month of August they went to the Olive Garden. Bill and Pidge Elliott were the host and hostess for this gathering, and they did a superb job.

I spoke to Bill and he mentioned that while they were there previously, they knew what to ask for in the seating so people could be comfortable and, therefore, get to mingle with everyone else. So, they ended up having several booths with about 26 people altogether.

Everyone had a good time. I have gone to the Olive Garden before and they have delicious dinners.

On Aug. 10, there was an ice cream social. We have those several times in the winter months, but it seems like it is always on the calendar for the summer months. And I am so glad, as I understand the weather is so hot, humid and sticky they need something like this to cool off and look forward to.

I spoke to Judy Ellsworth, and she mentioned that it was a very rainy day, so not as many attended as had originally signed up. But they still had a nice turnout of 37 residents. I think that sounds like a good number to me.

There was lots of ice cream and homemade hot fudge for all. Just writing this, I can taste the ice cream and the toppings. Yum.

Bill and Judy Ellsworth, and Steve and Nancy Lay hosted the social with Mim and Terry Gardner helping out. So, our thanks go out to everyone who pitched in. It definitely was appreciated.

As previously mentioned, Grand Horizons has a craft class, hosted by Cheryl Leone, once a week. Recently Annmarie Shackewyc stated that in the class, they painted back paver doorstops and most everyone did them as animals. Annmarie created them as cute girls. Two girls were in pink while a third was in blue. The three girls standing together created a nice contrast.

By Helene Rubenstein

Published September 3, 2014