Pronghorn

We saw pronghorn antelope today!  As you can see, they are really pretty animals.  (don't forget to tap on the pic for a close up) They were out on the prairie as we were driving towards Agate Fossil Beds National Monument this morning.

The fossil beds were very interesting.  Totally different from our last fossil experience in Ashfall.  There is no excavating at this site.  Many fossils have been removed and are in various museums elsewhere so even this display at the visitor center was all reproduction.

They did have something interesting there though that have not been found anywhere else.  Spiral formations in the rock have turned out to be fossilized burrows from a beaver like creature that lived millions of years ago.

Also, at the visitor center, a room was devoted to a collection of Lakota Indian items.  Everything in the room was given to James Cook who owned the ranch where the fossils have been found.  Cook had a close relationship with Chief Red Cloud and had many visits from the chief and his family in the 1900's.  Chief Red Cloud gave things to Cook and his family in hopes that Cook would take care of them and display them for all to see as the chief knew if these things were not preserved, they would disappear with the changing times.

This is just a sample, it was quite a collection.

Then we went to a winery in Mitchell, Prairie Vine.  I did not like their reds at all, did not like the nose or the taste.  Their sweeter wines were OK.  They directed us to another winery just across the border in Wyoming,  Table Mountain Vineyard near Huntley, WY.  So we drove out to it, a much nicer experience right at the vineyard.  There wines were much better but nothing still really caught my eye.

Well today was warm here, high 80s.  Tomorrows high will be much different, low 70's which will be OK with us because we are going to hike Scotts Bluff!