WILDLIFE SITINGS...BIG HORN SHEEP PLUS A YOUNG BUCK

This BIG HORN SHEEP RAM had a harem of 8 or 9 plus there were 3 or 4 lambs that stayed back in the woods. We have been fortunate enough to see BIG HORN SHEEP three times now...all in different places.

We spotted this young BUCK standing in a stream while we were exploring a back road nearby. He stood on alert for quite a few minutes and then turned tail and ran from us!

VISIT FROM COUSINS JOE & KAREN CAMPBELL

Yesterday we enjoyed a visit from cousins JOE & KAREN CAMPBELL. Joe & Karen are visiting the Black Hills on their way to ALASKA. They will meet up with an RV caravan group...sounds like FUN! We were happy they worked us into their busy travel schedule!

RED-TAILED HAWK

The days pass quickly here in the Black Hills. We are continuing to ride the back roads and enjoy exploring. The photos below are what we believe to be a YOUNG RED-TAILED HAWK that we spotted and Denny captured with the camera while on a recent ride.




We enjoyed a visit from our Frostproof neighbors, Bill & Ruth Creswell(next to us) and parents Bob & Faith (across the street), on Sunday afternoon. They are doing a trip similar to what we did last June...flew into Denver and making a big loop to include Yellowstone, Tetons, Black Hills and Cheyenne Frontier Days. They also got to experience one of our HAIL STORMS! We are looking forward to having cousins, Joe & Karen Campbell, stop by this coming week. The STURGIS BIKE RALLY will be the following week...that should be interesting as we are told the crowds impact a 100 mile radius...which would certainly include our area!

Yesterday was our hottest day yet (near 90 degrees) and there were hundreds here at our North Marina and on the lake cooling off!

RAINDROPS FALLING ON OUR ROOF!

Good Morning, It is Saturday morning and RAINDROPS ARE FALLING ON OUR ROOF! Phoebe heard it first and jumped off the bed before 5:30 AM and I heard them shortly thereafter and woke up at 5:30 AM! A few minutes later the power went off which, of course, shut down Denny's CPAP and OXYGEN machines...so he is up now also! This was forecast to be a BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND...with a chance of thundershowers in the morning, then possibly in the afternoon and/or evening!!!!!

On a brighter note, we took a ride north toward Deadwood yesterday morning and just a couple of miles north of us we saw this COYOTE standing in a meadow!



The coyote was our only wildlife siting. We did not go all the way into Deadwood before turning around and returning. Stopped at a BOONDOCKS 50's DINER for a cup of coffee...great 50's music and memorabilia BUT coffee was $1.65 a cup...not at all like 50's prices!

We are ready for a busy weekend IF and when it stops raining!

FOURTH OF JULY...WE MADE IT!

Fourth of July weekend passed quickly and smoothly...we were busy, but not as busy as we had imagined. The Mt. Rushmore Fireworks on July 3rd were a flop but they shot them off anyway, even tho the mountain was shrouded in fog. Saturday and Sunday were warm and sunny with NO RAIN!

We visited ROUGHLOCK FALLS at Savoy (near Spearfish, SD) as well as came across the film site of DANCES WITH WOLVES just beyond the falls.



I can not particularly remember ever seeing this scene in DANCES WITH WOLVES...but then it might have changed some in at least 20 years!



Yesterday, we went to Hill City early to do laundry and then rode through CUSTER STATE PARK's WILDLIFE LOOP again! There were more PRONGHORN ANTELOPE visible than usual and we saw our first baby pronghorn!



All is going smooth and our time here is over half completed...what will we do next????

ANOTHER HAIL STORM!!!

Yesterday, July 2nd, was a stormy day starting about mid day! Early morning was bright and clear and I watched two deer play on a green knoll across the cove from our marina. We were expecting friends to visit, Bill & Marline Ferro who had worked with us at Jamaica State Park in Vermont during 2003 & 2004...they live in Nevada and had been in Wyoming for a family reunion. Bill & Marline drove another couple hundred miles to see us as well as "revisit" the Black Hills.

The icy road photo was taken by Bill & Marline as they traveled to visit us...it was taken about 5 or 6 miles from us.


The next photo shows our flower beds...they do not have a chance!!! We planted Impatients and a couple of Zuchinni plants in May, just before Memorial Day and they have so far endured lots of COLD, lots of RAIN and several HAIL storms!!! Something chewed off one Zuchinni and the other has "tried" to grow a few new leaves. The Impatients have NOT grown at all, but have continued to blossom as little dwarfs!


The HAIL storm occurred between Noon and 1 PM and we heard later on the TV that Lake Pactola received about 2 inches of rain in about 15 minutes. When I drove to the South Marina around 5 PM there were still piles of ice from the hail storm all along the roadway and throughout the woods.