Travel Blog

It's about that time of year when thoughts turn towards winter employment. This year, instead of Amazon.com, Phil and I are hoping to get a job that runs from October through March, or even longer if need be. We're hoping for a job in Death Valley at Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort. If anyone's ever stayed there, or better yet, worked there, please email us and tell us about it. We really liked our drive through Death Valley a couple years ago (even though we thought our truck was going to explode), and it would be a nice place to stay for awhile.

Not really much new to report at Custer State Park. We're working hard, and getting out and about on our day off. Phil was feeling well enough yesterday to eat Chinese food, so we drove into Rapid City to get our fixes. Then we took Willoughby splashing around the creek for awhile, but it was near 90 degrees, and Xander, who won't dunk himself in the water, was overheating, so we had to cut the trip short and take him home to sprawl out in the air conditioning.

Well, the worst wasn't quite past when I last posted. Another storm hit around 1:00 a.m., and there was enough thunder, lightning and wind to keep me from sleeping. But no damaging hail, so it was all good.

We drove into Rapid City today to buy some MaxAir vents to go over all of our standard vents, and Phil installed them and we're ready for whatever Custer wants to throw at us weatherwise. And they're nice because we can keep the vents open and not worry about rain getting in. My job today was to replace a seal in our toilet. Our toilet wouldn't hold water, so I took it apart and noticed the seal that was in there had a little bubble in it that wouldn't flatten out. So I got to take the toilet apart today and replace that seal. It wasn't hard, and luckily the toilet isn't too disgusting yet since we just got the place, so only rubber gloves were needed this time. Next time I'll probably have to get out the hazmat suit and gas mask as well. I'm looking forward to it.

That's about all our excitement for now. We were going to take Willoughby swimming today at Legion Lake, but the winds are still pretty fierce, so I don't think that would be a good idea. She likes to swim, but I don't want her to get a snootfull of whitecaps.

Dave, c'mon man. Give me a head's up, would you? Not that I could do anything with a warning, but it's the principle. You're my weather guy. Sheesh. I got the following off AccuWeather.com: "While everything, including the kitchen sink, is possible with these storms, an elevated risk of tornadoes lies from the central part of the Dakotas westward to eastern Montana and western Nebraska Wednesday night." Not again! We only have two skylights left, and one's over our bed! 7:20 PM: The lightning has started already, but nothing else yet. I'll let you know tomorrow how we fared.UPDATE 7:30 PM: The rain has begun. UPDATE 7:38 PM: Pea-sized hail mixed in. UPDATE 7:42: I can see light in the distance...I think the worst is already over. Ahhhhhhh.

Not much new to report. We've been working six days a week, and on the seventh day, we rest. We have been able to bring our usual Payne weather pattern with us. It's a lot colder and rainier than usual. Vacationers have not been pleased. I've been ok with it, though. I could live without the constant rain, but I like it on the cool side. All my coworkers want to smack me.

I was able to get some nice turtle pictures a bit ago. For a change, they didn't jump into the water as soon as they saw me.

And, of course, I was able to get some more bison pics. I like the one in its wallow. He looked very relaxed.

Hopefully I'll have more to talk about soon. We still have the Badlands to go visit, and from what I've been hearing, that place is spectacular.

We headed out to work the other day, and this is what we saw:

Luckily, the hundred or so bison were not by the RVs for a change; they were all hanging out by the dorms. Can you imagine answering the door to this knock?

I had to take the pictures from the truck as we passed by, so most didn't come out too well. I have the cutest picture of a mother and twins if the definition of cutest is fuzziest and out of focus, but I think I got some passable shots too. This was my first chance to take pictures of the babies, so you'll see a pattern here.

And that's why sometimes around here, you just have to "call in buffalo." In fact, some of Phil's workers were stuck in the dorms and he had to leave work and rescue them. He drove close to the dorms, and about 8 workers piled into the back of our pickup. Just one of the many interesting working conditions here at Custer State Park.