The Blue Lady Travels in the Red Lands: Things We Do In South Dakota, Part 2, Festivals of Trees

One of the corridors at the state capital building this year.
A tree for breast cancer people on the left.

I never realized how much of a "thing"  a "Festival of Trees" is until I lived in South Dakota. I imagine lots of places have them, although I do not recall actually attending any except in SoDak. But here, they really are something. Every little place seemed to have one this December, and it's clear these things are traditions in all those towns and cities.

At home in Lead I was an usher more than once for our festival, held at the Historic Homestake Opera House (HHOH) as one of their regular fund raisers for the place. The Opera House was one of many civic buildings originally built by the Homestake Mine Company to improve the daily lives of the miners and their families.

Restored Opera House entrance plaza.
The spaces on the left used to house the pool and recreation areas.
Now they are offices and an art gallery owned by the local Arts Council.

Jul 2015 - NOT a Blue Christmas for the Blue Lady

SLC is cooperating this year by having a
white Christmas.

Smokey Rose looks just right in
Christmas mode

Hygge Time

Smokey Rose knows how to get cozy

(I am feeling ok now. Others are getting sick all over the place, but I am better. Just have a cough sometimes still)

Jul is over and none too soon. While there is certainly a lot to like about the holiday, it is usually too much for me in the end, and I don't even have kids or a big house, don't entertain, don't bake things (for Jul anyway), don't have seasonal music playing all the time, don't travel anymore to be with loved ones, don't do a lot of things one is supposed to do at this time of year.