Another Time Zone; Winners and Stinking Creeks; The Badlands; Moonscapes and Wildflowers; A Bad-Ass in Sheep's Clothing

We are now in the Mountain Time Zone, having crossed the line in central South Dakota, somewhere on I-90 north of Winner. I commented to My Lovely Bride that only happy people must live in Winner; unhappy or unsuccessful folks must be asked to relocate across the tracks... perhaps to Loser, SD? Or maybe they have to live on the South Dakota version of Stinking Creek Road... we actually saw a sign for that byway in Tennessee. I researched the derivation of the creek's pungent name, and found that during the abnormally bitter and snowy winter of 1779-1780, it had been the site of a mass die-off of elk and deer, and when the snow melted, the carcasses rotted, and the carrion stench persisted for months. Today it is a lovely valley, but the name, if not the aroma, has persisted for over 200 years. (I was unable to find any historical info on Winner's name.)


This is our first visit to western South Dakota. Our coach is now parked on a not-very-level site in Badlands National Park, but the dramatic view makes us forget the coach's tilt. (Thankfully, it's to the right.) To one side are the sculptured spires and buttes that give this park its name. Small shelters provide windbreaks for picnic tables, and it does get very windy here.

To the other side we see open, mixed grass prairie, containing 60 species of grass: tall varieties like big bluestem and prairie cordgrass, and short-grasses such as blue grama and buffalograss. (Being a Navy guy, I'm not up on grasses, but these prairies once supported millions of bison and elk, so I suppose they must be good chow for hoofed critters.)

We have been out on several hikes here in the Badlands, and it's one of the few places where the rangers say, "You can use the trails, or you can hike cross country wherever you want. You can also climb anywhere you desire."











The reason for this largesse is that there are almost no trees here, and it would be very hard to get lost, since you can see (or be seen) for miles and miles. The terrain provides generally easy to moderate hiking, but the prairie is pretty dry. By definition, it gets more rain than the Southwestern desert but much less than Eastern forests.









 


Since there are no streams or springs in the Badlands, you have to carry your own water. Our Osprey daypacks are fitted with 2 or 3 liter polyethylene reservoirs fitted with hoses and bite valves. The only down side to these clever pieces of gear is that you can't fill them with Gatorade. Or beer. Bummer!















There also aren't any park benches along the trail, but Suzanne found a nice chair-like formation on which to take a rest, but it was just for a few moments. Then she was off again at a strong pace, trying to wear me out...

Here is Your Tired Correspondent at the end of one hike. "Are we there yet? Is there a wine bar nearby?"  "Ty, are you wine-ing again?"










 
This was the Summit Pass Trail from the top. We had hiked in from the back side (to the left in the photo), but we would be climbing up the steep, scree-filled chute tomorrow.












Our trail meandered across the prairie, skirting deep ravines that approached canyon proportions. At times the terrain felt moon-like; I was glad that we were hiking in the Spring; August must be brutally hot here.

The Badlands had a snowy winter, and with all the residual water from snowmelt and recent rains, wildflowers are in riotous bloom. The trails are lined with flowers of almost every hue, making for a pleasantly colorful hike.

Near the end of our second hike, we found this small mini-mesa about five feet high and six feet in diameter. It was topped with cactus, and birds had dug a half-dozen small nests in the easily chiseled soil.

 
And yes, we did see some wildlife on our hike. I wish I had the sure-footedness and stamina of this bighorn sheep, which we found in a group of four walking down a gully. Suzanne was within 30 feet of him when she got this great photo. I commented to Suzanne that he could use some grooming advice... "Hey, what's your problem, Ty? I look just fine; keep your comments to yourself, bud, or you'll find out what these horns are for!" 

Lord Fletcher's; Winston; Memorial Day; A Giant! The Corn Palace; A Huge Love Note

Blogger's Note: If you did not receive your email copy of the latest blog, which was published on Sunday, you may find it on the blog website at www.LifeAsTySeesIt.com. I'm not sure why the email version didn't get sent out, but it probably had something to do with technical issues not being addressed by Google on the long holiday weekend.


On Sunday, My Lovely Bride was in need of a "recharge", so we just hung out at our campsite in the morning and afternoon, did some "admin" chores, and went for an easy bike ride. By the evening we were ready to link up with the Hammond family again for a farewell to Minnesota dinner at Lord Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. This traditional venue recalled fond memories for the Hammonds and gave us an insight into what lake lodge dining must have been like in the early 20th Century. We all had fish - the walleye, Mahi-Mahi and northern pike were all proclaimed exceptional. Here are Cris, MLB, Bill, Bill's sons Brooks and Churchill, and Your Faithful Correspondent. Special thanks to Cris for this unique experience.



At the end of the meal, I had to freshen up, and on the way through the bar, found this portrait of one of my heroes, Winston Churchill. Apparently The British Bulldog was one of Bill Hammond's heroes as well, having named his son after him... where are leaders like him today when we need them so badly?












Did you know that Winston's mother, Jennie Jerome, was American, born and raised in Brooklyn and was considered one of the most beautiful women of her day? She was also an accomplished pianist, having been tutored by a friend of Chopin, and became Lady Churchill when she married Lord Randolph Churchill. Winston was born the year after their wedding; he worshiped his mother, and she became a political mentor to him due to her contacts in British politics and high society.












Monday morning found us getting underway for the next leg of our journey, into South Dakota. As we drove south on Minnesota Highway 60, we passed several Memorial Day ceremonies being held in small towns like St. Peter. Unfortunately, parking our coach on crowded downtown streets was not possible, so we had to keep driving. We said a silent prayer for Susan, our Marine Corps sergeant daughter whom we lost in 2006, and all of the service men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.










One of the towns we passed was Le Sueur, known locally as The Valley of the Jolly Green Giant. Here is the lad himself, standing tall and proud on a hillside.











We set up camp at the KOA in Mitchell, South Dakota, and after My Lovely Bride prepared a gourmet meal of seared scallops, pasta and sauteed peppers, we dashed off to town to see ... The Corn Palace, one of the truly unique edifices in America. Built in a Moorish Revival style, it is used for public and private events, sports and concerts. What makes it unique is that it is decorated (inside and out) with art made from corn and other grains. All of the corn comes from one farm in Mitchell, and it costs $130,000 per year to replace the murals. Unfortunately we arrived during a thunderstorm late in the day, and couldn't spend much time there before closing; nevertheless, the Corn Palace will be one of the highlights of our trip!






Finally, in thinking about Lady Churchill's marriage, I recalled this banner being towed by a plane over Lake Michigan last week... the banner read, "Julia, I love you. Will you marry me? Love, Tony". I don't know who Tony is or what he does for a living, but I suspect he is destined for greatness. At the very least, he's made a good start on his marriage.

The Frozen North; Golden Valley; Minneapolis; A Naval Author; A Periodic Table of What? People on Sticks; Great Tee Shirts!

We have returned to one of our favorite destinations, The Frozen North. Oh, yes, it is also called Minnesnowta. We are temporarily residing in Baker Preserve Campground in Maple Plain, MN, about 20 miles west of the Twin Cities. When we first arrived, I was disappointed in finding that the snow and ice had all been removed a few days ago. This was our campground on the day we arrived, a few days prior to the Memorial Day weekend. Let me identify a couple of parts of this photo: a. the grey area in the foreground, which looks like permafrost, is actually... permafrost; b. the non-evergreen trees that you see without leaves are actually trees without leaves; a few have tiny buds on them, and may actually get leaves by July when winter returns; c. the green on the ground was purported to be grass, but I suspect it was actually painted to look like grass; d. the water risers for campers to hook up to for showers, cooking and coffee are invisible (not because they are stealthy, but because the permafrost eliminates the possibility of having unfrozen fresh water at any of the campsites); e. the other campers are also invisible because they are too smart to be out here in tents or trailers on frozen tundra with no fresh water and in groves of trees without leaves. But we Floridians are tough... we are used to brutally cold weather; I actually had to wear a sweater twice this past winter!


Shortly after we arrived, we met with noted naval history novelist William Hammond and his family for lunch at an Irish pub. Here are Bill's sister Cris and two of his sons, Harrison and Churchill. Suzanne also gave readings to Cris and Bill during our visit, and the Hammond family attended her event that evening as well. See Bill's web site at http://www.bill-hammond.com/ for more information on his outstanding novels.





After lunch, we hit an upscale frozen yoghurt shop possibly designed by a chemist, as indicated by their Periodic Table of Flavors and a huge formula covering the wall...











And yes, the frozen yoghurt was exceptional... Suzanne was even able to keep her bowl of goodies under $5...


















Suzanne gave her Making the Connection presentation on Friday evening, and what a warm reception we had from Rev. Pat, Rev. Patty and Connie at Christ Church Unity in Golden Valley, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis. About half of the large, enthusiastic crowd was from their community, and half from other parts of Minnesota. Our good friend Pat Suchan even drove down from Duluth, a 360 mile round trip; thank you Pat, it was great to see you again! Thanks also to Echo Bodine, a famous Minneapolis psychic medium who was so gracious to encourage her many friends and followers to attend Suzanne's event.

Back at the campground, it actually started to fill up in preparation for the Memorial Day weekend, the traditional beginning of Spring Thaw here in Minnesota. Contrast this photo with the one taken on our arrival... it was tough for Rudy and Gretchen to find any privacy for... well, you know...










As I walked the puppies, I spoke to several locals who claimed that it wasn't that brutal a winter... as if 30 below zero for a week at a time is a normal occurrence. They even commented that "Oh, it doesn't get cold down here in southern Minnesota... but it can get downright chilly up north in Ely." (These guys must be living in a parallel universe...) But you also hear stories that hundreds of native Minnesotans are putting their houses on the market in disgust at the weather and plan to relocate to... FLORIDA. (Yep, Global Warming is a terrible thing.)




On Saturday, we met up with the infamous Terri of the Frozen North for lunch at Wylde Roast and a Segway Magical History Tour of Minneapolis. After a safety video and a safety briefing, and fitting out with helmets, it took only a few minutes to learn to ride the stick with wheels, but those first few minutes were a bit exciting. Here is My Lovely Bride (think Corvette Chick at reduced speed) at our training area, looking a bit nonchalant and ready to get moving.She may have been thinking, "I can do 150 in my Vette... this will be too slow and boring for me..."








You can actually accelerate quickly, turn on a dime, and you simply shift the weight on your feet forward and aft to go ahead or in reverse. Riding the Segways was a blast, and we looked like a flock of ducklings in single file moving at 8-12 mph around the riverfront area. At $7,000 a pop to own, I'm not sure they will replace golf carts in The Villages, but for a day, they were great fun.







 

 
Here are the Three Musketeers stooging around on the famous Stone Arch Bridge at St. Anthony Falls. You may note that Terri is not wearing her trademark arctic parka and snow goggles today... it was unseasonably mild on Saturday.









The Stone Arch Bridge is the only arched bridge made of stone on the entire Mississippi River, and was built by railroad tycoon James J. Hill and architect Charles C. Smith in 1882-1883.It served as a railroad bridge until 1978, and became a bike/walking path in 1994.











The Segway tour proceeded onto Nicollet Island, where only 144 residents occupy quaint old frame houses, one painted in garish purple and (incorrectly) reputed to be home of the singer previously known as Prince.

The Minneapolis riverfront is lovely, and we had hoped to come back for a bike ride, but we ran out of time, and since winter freeze-up may occur at any time, it will have to wait for another visit.

Saturday evening found us at Terri and Pam's lovely home in Coon Rapids, MN, for snackies and dinner - delicious homemade pasta sauce over spaghetti squash, with a very artistic salad and yummy chocolate dessert. Their cat Gabby was temporarily sequestered in the basement to prevent inadvertent interaction with Rudy and Gretchen, who might have mistaken her for a large squirrel...












I have occasionally poked fun at Terri for the odd name of her current home town. She very thoughtfully designed tee shirts for MLB and myself, with "Someone in Coon Rapids Loves Me" logos, to commemorate our visit!

Devil's Lake; Palfrey's Glen; A Glacial Landscape; Baraboo

We departed the Chicago area on Monday, heading for Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin. We hadn't spent much time in The Badger State, and since our Dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers, we thought it would be appropriate to see more of it. We chose that particular state park because of its hiking trails and spectacular scenery; it is so special that the Nature Conservancy named the Baraboo Hills as one of the Earth's Last Great Places because of their rare plants, animals and rocks.

Our favorite hike here was up the Balanced Rock trail... lest you think that this was an easy hike, since Wisconsin is relatively flat, here is your Humble Correspondent trying to decide which rock to clamber up and over next...

And here is our intrepid Hiker Chick posing next to the eponymous hunk of quartzite itself. "STOP! Don't push that rock!" That's beautiful Devil's Lake in the background, about 500 feet below her.

Another 5-star hike was up Palfrey's Glen, a gorgeous mini-canyon with hundred foot high walls and a clear, very cold mountain stream cutting its way into the bedrock.













The geology here is glacial; the ice sheets and glaciers that covered this area (known as the Wisconsin Glaciation, it lasted until just a few months ago) left enormous piles of rocks scattered across the landscape. The compressed rock and glacial till in this photo is known as conglomerate, or "plum pudding stone", and is a mix of quartzite and sandstone from ancient beaches. 










I thought I'd get a nice picture of these tree roots clinging to the canyon wall, and asked Suzanne to step up for perspective... not knowing that an orb would pop up in the photo, right around her head. (Maybe she really is an angel...)















The flora in Palfrey's Glen is also stunning. I was amazed at the size of these leaves... I could have used some on my recent backpacking trip in Smoky Mountain National Park! 

The blog has been absent for the past few days because we have been "Off the Grid". Our AT&T cell phone service was somewhat less than "limited" in Wisconsin... in fact, it was all but non-existent. The only way Suzanne could get her Sanaya and blog posts out was by sitting on a bench outside Jen's Alpine Cafe in Baraboo and connecting with their Wi-Fi. The town advertised a free Wi-Fi zone, but perhaps it was on the fritz. While Suzanne worked, the puppies and I chased squirrels in the town square (this is now one of their favorite places). I also got to admire this World War I cannon. Its location here seems fitting, because in WW II Baraboo's Badger Ordnance Works was the largest ammunition plant in the world. Baraboo was also the original home of the Ringling Brothers Circus, and was known for decades as Circus City.

Just before getting underway on Wednesday morning, I took a short hike from our campsite down the hill to Devil's Lake. I like early mornings; the lighting is soft, people aren't up yet, it's quiet, and you're more likely to see wildlife than later in the day. I sat for a few minutes, joyfully watching two ducks taking a morning swim and enjoying the moment... then back to The Coach to load up the caravan for our next stop: Minnesnowta!

Unity on the North Shore; Not Eye-Rolling! Lake Bluff; A Navy Formula

For us Florida folks, the weather up here in the Windy City has been brutal - there was actually snow in the Chicago suburbs Friday morning - but fortunately, we received a warm greeting from our friends. Jay McKey and Monique Thorman from Unity on the North Shore prepared a gourmet lunch of pasta with homemade pesto and chicken, with a dessert of mango sorbet, at their home in Evanston; thanks to both of you for your hospitality and a fabulous meal, and to your son Brandon for his super photography!






That evening, we were able to kidnap our dear friend Catherine Chiesa for a dinner at Bodega Grill and Wine Lounge, an amazing restaurant in Gurnee, IL. Catherine is evidently a celebrity here, because Owner Gus Govas dropped by to chat with Catherine and sent over a very nice bottle of Cabernet. (That doesn't happen to us nearly often enough!) After enjoying a delicious order of calamari, we all ordered lamb, and it was superb, as was the bread pudding that My Lovely Bride was lusting after. (Hasn't she read Conquer Your Cravings?)









Just before hitting the rack (Navy terminology for going to bed), MLB asked me a question... I don't even remember what the question was, but I violated the Good Husband's Rule No. 643, "Never roll your eyes within visual range of Your Lovely Bride!" I almost had to set up my tent and sleep outside in 36 degree cold, wind and rain for a moment's carelessness. Please take this rule very seriously. With today's technology, you're not even safe rolling your eyes while in another city or on another continent... Your Lovely Bride may have installed Facetime on your phone, and your eye-rolling could be immortalized for her and her friends to view. Talk about Trouble in River City!



On Saturday, the Drill Sergeant had Der Blogmeister and the puppies up at dawn, in spite of serious objections. The weather had warmed considerably, all the way up to 41F when I took the pups for our morning constitutional. By 8:45, we were arriving at Unity on the North Shore in Evanston, IL, for our next event. Suzanne did a "Double Header", presenting Making the Connection in the morning and Heart Gifts in the afternoon to a large, enthusiastic group in UNS's beautiful Sanctuary. Rev. Kurt Condra introduced Suzanne to his community and visitors to UNS. This was our second visit to UNS, and it was even more successful than the first. Both presentations were very well received. Many thanks to Bev, Rev. Curt, Jay, and Elizabeth for your help in bringing us back to UNS.



The only complaint Saturday came from Rudy and Gretchen; they found many scents of Targets of Opportunity, but they sighted no prey on this visit to Evanston. From my more elevated vantage point, I saw both grey squirrels and cottontails, but alas, our little hunters were too short for visual identification of their intended meals before they scampered to safety.





But.... the good news came on Sunday, when Suzanne suggested we drive to one of our favorite towns, Lake Bluff, which is adjacent to Lake Forest, one of the most expensive towns in the US.

I think summer arrived this afternoon; it may even last until tomorrow evening. Here we see some tulip blooms that caught Suzanne's eye.













I love the architecture here; these were two of the homes we liked. We met a couple  my age from Santa Fe, NM, who were looking for a house here; I jokingly asked if the husband was an ice skater... he replied that in fact he was, and he had lived in a nearby town as a youngster. He actually missed the cold weather, Santa Fe being too temperate for his blood. (There are a lot of crazy people out there!)

As we were wandering around Lake Bluff with Rudy and Gretchen, we encountered a dozen of the dumbest and slowest squirrels on the planet. We would get a visual on a squirrel (in the Navy, as in British fox-hunting, this is called a "Tally-Ho"), and we'd be off to the races. On three occasions, the rodent in question was either so slow or so inept that our Dachshunds would get within a foot or two of him/her before Dog Dad had to pull on their leashes to avoid their snacking on the little buggers. Here I am showing our puppies where the squirrels had gone; since dogs don't climb trees, they don't have the instinct to look up when the squirrel disappears around the back side of an oak tree.

Chasing squirrels wore us out. Rudy and Gretchen needed a water break; I opted for an Amber Ale, and Dog Mom chose decaf coffee and a cookie from Wisma, a local coffee shop.















While enjoying my ale, I reflected on my eye-rolling error noted above. I recalled that in the Navy, there is a famous formula that deals with pats on the back for a job well done (called Attaboys) and figurative smacks alongside the head for errors in judgment/performance (called Aw Shits). The formula states: "It takes five Attaboys to overcome one Aw Shit!" I determined to recover by making some points with MLB: "Sweetheart, would you like a foot massage?"