Half day...

aka "play day'.

After working all morning, doing the usual ...

we took the rest of the day off and headed to St Francis to see the 'purple church' and visit the Buechel Memorial Lakota Museum.

Father Eugene Buechel, a Jesuit priest, came to live and work among the Lakota in 1902. His ministry lasted for 52 years and during that time, he amassed a large collection of Lakota objects. A museum was built in 1947 to house the collection and the pieces have never left the reservation.

Exquisite beadwork, quilts, quillwork

                                                  buffalo hide containers and 'winter counts'

 it's a wonderful assembly of Lakota handiwork.

                                                           
                                                             I loved the infant baptismal cap

and the beaded backboard.

The restoration of the church is complete - and it's absolutely exquisite - 

even if it raises all kinds of questions and issues for us about spending that amount of money on a building when faced with so many needs in the community it serves.

Took the scenic route home and closed out another day.

Halfway through the trip - and we've not turned on each other yet - like these folks from a 'winter count' - so far, so good!!