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Posts tagged ‘South Dakota’

Aug 27

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On Patrol

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Pushing west towards Colorado, we are back at our favorite Black Hills campground for the week.  Kelly is in San Francisco for the week, so it’s been just Lilly and me the past few days.  All is good through – I’ve been fortunate to have great neighbors supplying me with good conversation, they’ve fed me, and they have a big lovable dog that Lilly has completed ignored.

Speaking of Lilly … it seems she too has embarrassingly levels of adoration for this quickly campground – albeit less for its laid-back vibe and surprisingly nice bathrooms.  For her, this place is all about the field grasses steps from the camper.  Undeterred by aging barbed wire fencing, she is having loads of fun stalking field mice who dare enter her turf.

Fear not mice … Lilly and I are leaving tomorrow; the reign of terror will be ending soon.

Aug 20

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Coming Home

I’m fortunate to live a lifestyle such that I can park my mobile dwelling just about anywhere I choose.  This week I am in Brookings, the small South Dakota town where I was raised.   Less two high-school reunion weekends, I’ve really not been back since I left 21 years ago.

The town is vastly different these days, but at the same time fundamentally unchanged – I feel a certain comfort and familiarity here. While I would never choose to “live” here in the traditional sense, I’ve been so happy to be visiting without rush.

I have no idea where my future travels will take me, but this small town will always be home.

Aug 17

Nostalgic

In the fall of 1990, I found myself somewhat lost and overwhelmed … an 18yr old kid on the campus of big university.  Looking for comfort, I quickly found solace in what was familiar – which in my case was playing basketball.  Within this process I begin frequenting “the barn” – an old athletic facility which years prior to my arrival, university officials had retired from official sporting events, but made available for students and community residents.

I cannot begin to guess how many times I ran up and down this creaky floor as an undergraduate.  Needless to say, a good number of my college friendships are rooted in this building – the result of hours of pick-up games, which may or may not have involved a lot of talking shit, arguments, and other nonsense.

Having not visited the campus since May of 1994, this morning I found myself in this relic of a building wondering how did the years pass so quickly.  All these years later I was immediately nostalgic for the good times had in this too hot, too cold, dumpy, smelly place.

Jul 15

Continuing The Push Towards Minneapolis

Continuing our push east towards Minnesota, Kelly and I have paused in central South Dakota for the next 48 hours.  Our site, adjacent to the Missouri River overlooks the town of Chamberlain and provides a constant reminder that I hate Midwest summer humidity.

Right about now, I’d kill the cool air of the Pacific North West.

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