day 6, belated pictorial review

We'll begin with a statement. Our lateness arises not from a hatred of most of you, nor due to a pants malfunction. The reason for our being so late with the day 6 post, and our inevitable lateness with today's day 7 post, will be clear by the end of this update.





Here is the world's only corn palace. We stayed in Mitchell, SD for the night and as we were driving away, realized just how close we were to this magical place.


A-Maize-ing!



The outside is covered in murals made from different colored corncobs and various grasses and grains.


I'm all ears!



Each year they choose a theme and create scenes accordingly. You can see in the first picture that they were still working on the outside.


This post sure seems cob-bled together!






Oh please, this type of picture is so corny.

I feel as though I am mere husk of a man in this picture.

What he really means is he feels husky!


Shucks!



I insisted we include this picture. You can't tell, but the landscape is beautiful. The open road ahead also displays our determination, ruggedness, and that I'm an idiot.

And this is where mother nature recently vacuumed.

This is Montana's salute to Intelligent Design. It's tough to see, but the man is actually leading the T. Rex on a leash. Much like Cat leads me on mine.

Cowboys!

Indians! Native Americans!

This, this! is the coolest thing I may have seen on the trip... besides the other really cool things, of course. It was so great... we got off on some exit for something and as I was waiting to turn, this object comes tumbling towards my car. I thought to myself, "what could this be? A miniature bush? A ball of twine?" As it approached, I realized what it was. A tumbleweed! A real, live weed that tumbles. It rolled closer and closer until it hit the side of the car with a tumbly thunk. It then turned and continued on its tumbling way. I wanted to get out and take it, but I thought it would be better to leave it for the enjoyment of future travelers. Actually, Michael wouldn't let me get out to chase after it on the exit ramp. I don't know why...

1. You were driving.

2. I can't believe the most exciting part of the trip for you has been a freaking weed.

3:

There once was a weed that tumbled

Just like a ball that's been fumbled

Cat hit the brakes

and gave me a shake

after which I sourly grumbled.

:p

You want to write about your little friends?

Yes, thank you, I do.

These are Prairie Dogs. On the way to the Badlands, we stopped at a place where we could feed these animals some special food that we had to buy in little paper bags in the store. It turns out the "special" food is unsalted peanuts. We threw pieces to them and one almost took a piece from my hand. They were very cute.

Catherine is pretending to be a gopher or something, and is biting me. So I'll quickly point out that the next two events, the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore, are better viewed in the following two posts. Now, please pardon me whilst I protect my tender, juicy flank.

So far our day is pretty is pretty good. I'll see if I can persuade Cat to put her meal aside and write about the events, in which our travels take a dark and bed-less turn. (I'm bleeding from a dozen dozen wounds. Send help!)

Imagine this: darkness falls. We are driving in unknown territory on a route off the highway, determined to get to a relatively large town in Wyoming where we can rest our steering hands and pedaling feet. This is the most direct route from Mt. Rushmore back to the highway. I am driving. The sky is lighting up in flash after flash of very impressive lightning. It's going okay until I spy many, many flashing emergency vehicle lights tending to a seemingly very bad accident. I admit, only because I'm sure if I don't Michael will, I was scared before this. The roads were dark, narrow, and windy and people would come up on you very quickly in an intimidating fashion. Anyway, shortly after the accident, there are signs that warn of even narrower, more windy roads ahead. I kind of freak out and Michael takes over the wheel. Then it downpours... the kind that blocks most of your vision. Then there are entire families of deer grazing 6 inches from the side of the road. It was scary, I was tired. I'm happy we made it out alive.

So we make it to town, unfortunately not before hundreds of bikers and rodeo goers had filled up every single hotel room in the place. So we think, okay, the next town is about 100 miles away, we can make it... We do make it, but again, every single room in town is full. The nice lady at the Best Western warns us not to continue on our westward journey tonight. She says there are deer, elk, moose, and even bears and elephants on the roads. Okay, okay, not deer. She does, however, offer us a cozy parking spot in which to sleep. At this point, it is about 1:30AM. See below, we are very happy campers.

I manage to sleep off and on, though not very restfully, since my legs keep taking turns falling asleep.




My anger is manifesting itself as waves of pure light.

Just for fun, look at the corn palace again. See what the theme is? The rodeo. A rodeo which neither of us expected, but had dire results.

Join us...um..later... for day 7, our travels out of the state with no room at the inn, and into the state with nice hotels that let you sleep inside.