On the mend

Since retiring to the beautiful northern Black Hills region of South Dakota, we’ve become acquainted with many other retirees. Among these new-found friends are Roger and Fran Whorton, who grew up near Waterloo, Iowa, and were wed in 1966.

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Roger served a stint in the Marine Corps and ended up as a career officer in the U.S. Coast Guard as a pilot. He served in a variety of interesting assignments, including one as Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Air Station at Barber's Point in Hawaii. They have three grown children. Roger retired as a Captain in 2002, and he and Fran moved to Spearfish.

In the few years that we’ve known them, the Whortons have had their world altered considerably, due to a life-changing health condition. Roger has reflected upon their experience, and he's been kind enough share it with the Black Hills Journal. That's Roger pictured above -- on the mend -- and showing a renewed appreciation for health. He cites the role that stress can play in recovery, or lack thereof, especially when induced by burgeoning costs for major surgery.

In the final of three installments, Roger Whorton pens another episode of...

A HEART'S STORY

(Part 3)

by Roger Whorton

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Home is the place to recover. Hospitals do a great job at taking patients through the critical times, when you are helpless and need treatment. But danger lurks in the form of hospital infections and illnesses, especially after an operation. If I knew then what I know now about hospital infections! (Read more...)

The guys in the black tee shirts

Since retiring to the beautiful northern Black Hills region of South Dakota, we’ve become acquainted with many other retirees. Among these new-found friends are Roger and Fran Whorton, who grew up near Waterloo, Iowa, and were wed in 1966.

-

Roger served a stint in the Marine Corps and ended up as a career officer in the U.S. Coast Guard as a pilot. He served in a variety of interesting assignments, including one as Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Air Station at Barber's Point in Hawaii. They have three grown children. Roger retired as a Captain in 2002, and he and Fran moved to Spearfish.

In the few years that we’ve known them, the Whortons have had their world altered considerably, due to a life-changing health condition. Roger has reflected upon their experience, and he's been kind enough share it with the Black Hills Journal. That's Roger at left, a scooper of snow and seemingly fit as a fiddle. As we learned in the last installment of his story, Roger had done all the "right" things -- from a healthy diet to regular and frequent strenuous exercise. So, what happened?

In the second of three installments over the next few weeks, Roger Whorton writes - - -

A HEART'S STORY

(Part 2)

by Roger Whorton

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The doctors said I needed quadruple bypass surgery, and it was scheduled for ten days later, on Monday, May 12th.. My wife and I arrived very early in the morning. I remember very little of the day. After briefly talking with some administrative people, I was gowned and an IV was started. I met the anesthesiologist briefly, and had a short conversation with him. Someone was shaving my arms and legs, and then I was out—really out.

The next thing I foggily recall was that it was about 0330 the next morning and I was with two guys in black tee shirts. (Read more...)

All is well with the world

Since retiring to the beautiful northern Black Hills region of South Dakota, we’ve become acquainted with many other retirees. Among these new-found friends are Roger and Fran Whorton, who grew up near Waterloo, Iowa, and were wed in 1966.

-

Roger served a stint in the Marine Corps and ended up as a career officer in the U.S. Coast Guard as a pilot. He served in a variety of interesting assignments, including one as Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Air Station at Barber's Point in Hawaii. They have three grown children. Roger retired as a Captain in 2002, and he and Fran moved to Spearfish.

In the few years that we’ve known them, the Whortons have had their world altered considerably, due to a life-changing health condition. Roger has reflected upon their experience, and he's been kind enough share it with the Black Hills Journal. That's Fran and Roger in the photo, enjoying their grandchildren before learning about Roger's condition.

In the first of three installments over the next few weeks, Roger Whorton writes...

A HEART'S STORY

(Part 1)

by Roger Whorton

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mid-April of this year, 2008, I appeared to be a picture of health at 61 years old. Trim and active, I had never smoked, carefully watched my diet, and had exercised all my life. A month later, I had open-heart surgery and a quadruple Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).

How did things change so rapidly? (Read more...)

Re-discovering Roughlock Falls

A couple of weeks ago, we went on a photo shoot up Spearfish Canyon with Tom Griffith of TDG Communications of Deadwood. We were looking for a scenic spot that exemplifies the beauty of the northern Black Hills. Tom suggested Roughlock Falls.

My first choice would have been Spearfish Falls, or perhaps even Bridal Veil Falls. Having visited Roughlock a few times over the years, I felt it lagged far behind the beauty of the other falls. I knew that the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks folks had done some work out there recently, but I’d not seen Roughlock in probably 18 months.

Wow! Kudos to the GF&P Department for planning and developing this location in a tasteful and durable way. I think it is a powerful enhancement for Roughlock Falls, and it helps visitors enjoy this captivating area just west of Savoy.

Game, Fish & Parks spent about $600,000 on revitalizing the area around the falls. They’ve added a well-constructed walkway, new restrooms, and numerous picnic tables. Their signage does an excellent job of telling the history of the area and revealing how Roughlock got its unusual name. GF&P deserves a pat on the back. They did a first-class job.

We were so impressed after our visit there with Tom, that we drove back the next day, accompanied by Roger and Fran Whorton of Spearfish. They’re another couple of relatively-new retirees to the northern Hills, and I think it’s safe to say they were equally impressed with the site. We enjoyed a tasty picnic lunch after hiking the area and snapping a few pictures.

By the way, Roger and Fran are celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary this week. They’re a delightful couple who’ve become good friends. They’re also members of our newly-formed pinochle group, which I think is called the Spearfish Area Pinochle Society (SAPS). We gotta change that name.

As you have occasion to drive up Spearfish Canyon on Highway 14A, which is a National Scenic Byway, I encourage you to swing over to visit Roughlock Falls. After driving south out of Spearfish for about 12 miles, you'll reach Savoy. Staying on 14A to the left, you can navigate to Cheyenne Crossing (and that's another story!) or you can turn right -- which is west -- and go about one mile to Roughlock Falls. You might want to take a look at the Game, Fish and Parks website to gain some Roughlock Falls information, so you’ll have a bit of background about what’s there and its history. We've also added a few Roughlock Falls photos to our Spearfish Canyon photo gallery that we started last winter.

The magnificent beauty in and around Spearfish Canyon is another reason so many folks choose the Black Hills of South Dakota for retirement.