Hot Springs Fourth of July

July 4, 2015. We had entered the parade with our blue electric car, vivid yellow signs on every side proclaiming "No Uranium Mining in the Black Hills. Protect our Water." Citizens clad in bright yellow shirts from all over the Black Hills walked in front carrying signs and handing out flyers about the dangers of losing our most precious resource to the temporary gain of a few jobs for the benefit of foreign countries who lusted after our uranium deposits laced throughout the edges of our Black Hills.

We followed directly behind a truck pulling a boat, also a sign of the loss of precious water and contaminated fish in our streams and lakes if in-situ uranium mining comes to our tourist-loving Black Hills. Behind us followed two elderly ladies in wheel chairs, also protesting the pending loss of our most precious resource, our pure water. Bringing up the rear were some protesters on motorcycles carrying similar yellow signs.

"Why do you need to go on a vacation?" questioned one of the anti-uranium guys. "I thought you were retired."

We were sitting together after the parade enjoying a cook-out picnic with the group who had entered the parade.

"Retired? replied my husband. "We have never been so busy since we 'retired' to this peaceful rural community in the southern Black Hills."

"There is no escape from involvement in a rural area", I chimed in. "We have a VA to protect for our veterans, crystal mineral waters to save from pollution and fund raisers and causes that we believe make a difference to our environment, our city and our future."

I will never forget when we left the Twin Cities that some of our friends warned us, "You will get bored in the boonies!" Well, I beg to differ. Life is never constant. There are always battles to be fought, if through parades, marching, crossing picket lines, talking up at meetings, or through the power of the pen in writing or editing.

Oh, yes, we can use a vacation. But what a gift during our retirement years. We can use a break from our work. It is a precious gift....no boredom. We continue to fight. We continue to live life! We are filled with gratitude.

Photos courtesy of William Ing