Pictures for Patrick!

While on the road between Sioux Falls and Mission, I took some photos of some of our favorite S.D. places for Patrick to enjoy. Here they are! (Patrick already knows what these things are, but I'll add some commentary for anyone else reading...)

This is the world famous Corn Palace, in Mitchell. The outside of the building is decorated in corn cobs, corn husks, millet, and stuff like that; there's a new theme every year. Last summer we laughed to see birds trying to steal the millet. (I didn't see any birds this time.)



Here are a few more shots of details...


Here we see the theme (on the marquis in front)...





... and this scene seemed especially timely, given our recent historic and fabulous inauguration of PRESIDENT OBAMA (that never gets old).









This is on the bottom of the lightposts. Isn't it cute?

I got lunch at our favorite coffee shop--still run by the same people.




A bit further down the interstate, just before the town of Chamberlain, there's a fantastic rest stop, of all things, with a mini Lewis and Clark museum kind of thing. The indoor part was closed, but my favorite part is outside, where you get to walk on a path that looks over the Missouri River.

This view is looking northeast-ish...














... this one's looking straight in front (north)...

(notice the bluffs across the river)












... and this one's looking west-ish. Notice that the river is completely frozen! I saw ice fishing hut-tent-thingies as I drove over the bridge.





Here's a bird-and-other-wildlife report for Dexter (and ducky): while driving, I saw a couple red-tailed hawks, possibly an eagle, lots of pigeons (in Sioux Falls, but none out here on the prairie), some antelope, a few deer, and a whole bunch of TURKEYS. They were HUGE!

And here are a few shots of my favorite views in S.D.--looking out over the prairie, and to the bluffs. These were taken on or very close to the Rosebud Reservation.


























These two photos give a little bit of an idea of why I'm here... I left a piece of myself here the first time I saw it. Or maybe the better way to say it is that I FOUND a piece of myself here.

Thank you, Patrick, for making this all possible!!!