Prairie Travels

You don't live on the prairies of South Dakota expecting to zip around on Freeways or even Highways for that matter.  

We have 17 miles of gravel roads to get to our hometown.  And lately they have been less than the desirable means of travel!! The incredible rains this summer have left very little gravel on the roads. Now, they are rock roads, oh and watch out for that occasional patch where the road is... well, it's just GONE!!

Pack your patience and your good humor when you travel through this country. 

Just when you do find that good paved road with a 55 m.p.h. speed limit, ohhhhh, slow down for that herd of cattle.... or

that herd of sheep.

Oh, the longer you're here the more you learn that life is not about always being in a hurry!!

You shut the car off, open a window and wait for the herd to pass.  

Suddenly, you realize your mind didn't just think about work, or bills, or problems. You just spent the last 5 minutes wondering where those sheep are going....why are they complaining, do they not like jogging, I used to love jogging, do they just not like leaving a nice green pasture, I wish I was jogging right now, It's really beautiful here...look at that blue sky, those sheep have it made out here!

Then suddenly, a horn honking behind you wakes you out or your daydream and you start your car up and your speeding down the highway again.

If you are lucky enough, you are on SD Highway 45.  This is the busy road that goes from Gann Valley to Miller.  Well, it was probably a little busier back in the 1950's when there was a farm and family of 10 on every section.  Now it's just the road that leads to the Highway Store.  Edna has been there for 50 plus years selling everything from gas to cheese.  It's a little piece of history sitting out here in the middle of nowhere.  We run to this store many times a month for a few gallons of gas or just to go for a ride and get some ice cream at Edna's.

 

Edna's daughter-in-law, Flor has been planting flowers for a few years now.

Her perennial bed has become quite stunning to passer-byes!!

The Store has been there many years and accumulated a lot of junk around it....

But, Flor and I agree, just plant flowers and suddenly a sea of junk looks like art on canvas!!

Thanks for stopping by!