July 24-Across the Park

Yesterday was just a day to play around in Rapid City.  The town of Wall is on the way and famous for their free Ice water and the hundreds of highway billboards they have! I dropped in and just looked at all the stuff they have for sale.  If you are ever out this way you definitely have to stop at Wall just for the tourist appeal, amazing.  I did a little exploring and shopping in Rapid City, found a marvelous gift shop called Prairies Edge. Oh I found the painting I want from a local artist...$4,800 dollars, just kidding about getting it.  The artwork was amazing and I did get a really nice pair of earrings produced here.  I also stopped on the way back and got a chocolate shake at the DQ!  See I did have a big day!
Today I set out first thing this morning and did a 5 mile hike across the park priarie.  If anyone does not fall in love with the Badlands just by driving the scenic route they have to get out and walk this trail. My mourning was amazing and I took nearly 100 photos. Not going to bore you with all of them but the weather was marvelous, a breeze was blowing over the prairie, no one in sight most of the trail and it is like discovering the earth all over again.  It is still usually green right now and the birds are everywhere.  The sights from parts of the trail range from grasslands to an overlook at the intersection of Saddle Pass and the Castle trail which lets you look down into the basin.  The formations and landscape tell the story of the erosion process and each turn and hill brings you up on even something more amazing.  I took a little over 2 hours to do 5 miles I just kept stopping and looking all around me marveling at the sights. It is energizing and somehow humbling at the same time.  You feel very small and yet so significant, if that makes any sense at all. 

My time is passing quickly and there is so much I still want to do and see.  My friend and roommate is now back on her way to Baton Rouge to get ready for school.  We plan on getting our students to write each other, that will be fun and interesting. She is a marvelous teacher and person.  I really enjoyed getting to meet her and know her.  It has been a treat to get to know all the staff here!
So I will leave you with two new posts today and that brings me up to date.  We will be hosting a heritage celebration on the 31st and I will post pictures and highlights of that sometime right after.  Hope you are taking time to stand still and listen to the world around you, the little things that seem like noise are truely blessings when you stop to think about them.  Isn't life grand?!