Changes in latitude; changes in attitude.

What a difference in a week and a few thousand miles can make.

Before

After

Yeeeeee...hawwwww, Bronco Billy Rides Again!!

It seems as if the snow, wind and cold is relentless here in South Dakota.  With temps for the past week that never got above 20°,  all I felt like doing was go to work, stop off at a restaurant near the hotel then head back to my room. 

However...there was this big rodeo and stock show going on in Rapid City so I bundled up in a Pea Coat, down vest, scarf, hat and gloves and braved the -8° for the show.  I sat between two old former rodeo guys who continued to give me blow by blow, hoof to the dirt descriptions of what every rider was doing right or wrong.  This rodeo had laser light shows, high tech clowns and instant playback screens that focused in on the hands of the riders rosining up the ropes and gloves.

This night, the show was on bareback and saddle bronc and bull riding.

Here's a few shots from it all.

 

Rapid City, South Dakota

Just as I thought I'd get a couple of days off from T or C, New Mexico and do some motorcycling in Louisiana, home office called and had me scrambling for a ticket to Rapid City, South Dakota.

As we were landing, all I could see was something that looked almost as barren as New Mexico only it appeared to be frozen...and it was.

As I soon found out, South Dakota's weather changes ... a LOT.  The wind is incessant and it can be -4° one day and 60°F the next.  It's crazy.

The last time I was in this area was 2½ years ago when Gary and I stopped off in Sturgis for 2 or 3 days on our way to Idaho and Washington.  It was windy then but the temperature was much more agreeable in August.

I did go out to Mount Rushmore to see the presidents.  It's an obligatory thing if you're up here.

This weekend, a friend and co-worker of mine went out in search of wildlife in Custer State Park.  We were pretty excited seeing wild turkeys, Pronghorn antelopes,
















Bison/Buffalo

Mule deer

 
Wild burros

 

and an endless supply of Prairie dogs.

 Then there was the sad reminder of life and death on the prairie a hundred years ago.

A couple of interesting events happened on our trip was when we were on a dirt road, we met several buffalo ambling on the narrow way.   Rather than moving forward,  I thought it best to just stop and let them pass.  As one had passed, a second stopped to peer into the car.  As I began to slowly move past them, the one in the rear gave the car a little poke with it's horn.  Fortunately, it was light enough to not have any damage.

The second incident was similar but this time it was a drove of wild burros.  They too stood their ground in the middle of the road.  Thinking burros probably were not quite as dangerous as the bison beasts, I rolled the windows down.  One burro, on Chris' side became aggressive and for a moment, I thought he was going to try to eat my friend.  At that point, Chris was almost in my lap and that's not a pretty nor an easy thing.

The one thing we didn't see that I was hoping for was a Big Horn Sheep.  Too bad, maybe I can find one before I leave.