Day 6

I'm sitting here in Chamberlain, South Dakota and I'm thinking it's as close to Heaven I've ever been. I freaking love it here. I don't want to leave. We decided to treat ourselves and spend two consecutive nights in a campground. Not the same campground as yesterday, but one that costs money nonetheless. Of course they have wireless because that's the top-of-the-list-qualifier for any campground that we may choose. Last night the signal reached our camper, but today I couldn't get a signal so I'm under a shady tree near the communal area with my back against the coarse bark. The wide expanse of the Missouri River is in view off to my left, and the remainder of last night's moon is still in view above me.

Last night we met a lady from Arkansas, just as nice as could be. They just came from Mt. Rushmore, where we are headed today. That'll be after the Badlands, of course, something for which I am really looking forward to. It feels like this is where the trip is really beginning. I figure we'll probably end up parked somewhere for the night tonight, maybe still in SD. That'd be fine with me. I'm loving the flat landscape as far as your eye can see. There's something so cleansing, or freeing about it.

Since I've been sitting here typing, I also met a little boy, I'd say 7, from South Dakota. 'Cody' asked me to help him with his over-sized bike and then came over to look at my computer. He was interested in the pictures I was uploading. There was the picture of the peacock and he told me his dad hunts 'em. I made a sad face and his look asked me why that made me sad. I tried to explain to him that I'm a vegetarian and I don't believe in that kind of thing. "Well he does 'em," he explain, "shoots 'em and then throws him in the woods." O..k...I wish I could write that with the accent written in, but to be honest, I couldn't even understand half the words he was saying, let alone mimic them in writing. He thought I was saying he was lying, so I tried to explain about a person's individual beliefs and right about the time I got tongue-tied, he got distracted and up left me alone. But for real though, peacocks are probably one of those animals that you can't shoot, right? Jesus, I don't even know if they're native to this country.

I guess I'd better shape up and start typing my blog while we're on the road so that I can just upload it when we get to another campsite. I was doing that the first couple days, but now that I've settled into this vacation mode of ours, I've gotten lazy about it. I did just spend a couple hours uploading more pictures and titling the ones I had already posted, so go take a look at flickr again, and go back to the beginning of the vacation pictures though, cuz I tried to explain the location of things and other details.

But this is nice, this slowing down. And I'm not even homesick one bit.