Virginia to South Dakota - Friends and Family

We've been blessed to see friends from Virginia this year. While Jeff is officially from South Dakota now, we'll count it as Virginia for this blog. Last year our stays in South Dakota only overlapped by a day. So we were happy to share a few meals and side trips this year. 

Flag Guest

Next up, we saw the Ulfer family. This is the second time we've gotten to meet up with them thanks to their Facebook posts. I'd see a post and send a message asking where their next stop would be. If they were coming close, we'd try to meet up. 

Custer State Park

Facebook brought another encounter this year. I happened to post a photo indicating Badlands National Park. Immediately I heard from friends and family. The youth group from the church in which I grew up would be passing through the area on their way to the national youth conference. We were delighted to catch up with two of our nieces and a cousin as the group visited Mt. Rushmore.  Bonus!

Family!

We make an effort to join in with our new home too. We fly our banners at the base picnic. We attend the chapel on base. We shop at the commissary and exchange. We say hello to fellow campers we met in prior years. It may be a long way from Virginia, but we are making it work.

Banner day at Ellsworth

Maybe someday we'll be considered as really from SD

Where Are We Going Next?

Wild Weather in South Dakota

As we've come to appreciate the views of those wide open prairies and grasslands in South Dakota, we've also come to a healthy appreciation of the wild weather those landscapes bring. There's a reason vehicle dealers are required by their insurance companies to have awnings over their lots. There's a reason every campground warns you to bring in your awnings when not in use. 

As I'm writing this, we are experiencing yet another wind advisory, sustained winds of 25 - 35 mph  with gusts to 50 mph. The slideout toppers are creaking and snapping. It's supposed to be like this for another three hours before tapering off. If this were at night, we'd probably bring in the bedroom slideout in an effort to cut the noise enough for us to sleep. Thus far, we have yet to experience topper fabric or window awning damage. As they age though, we'll have to keep a closer eye out. 

The photos below are from a storm earlier in the month. 

Dark clouds coming

Rain, hail

Flood water with floating hail

Speed limit for kayak or car?

Aftermath

Hail accumulation on the roof

Hail accumulation spotted the next morning

Where Are We Going Next?