The Week in Review, Wild Goose style

We depend on Verizon Mifi for internet service and it's usually pretty good, but we have been waaay out in the sticks and there has not been enough signal to get a blog post out, so here is a flashback using locations instead of dates.... Whole lotta stuff goin' on!

Our grave site is just behind the Snider (red) stone.

Faulton, SD: Richard was born in Faulkton, SD, and my family lived here for a year and a half in my pre-teen days, plus we both have generations of ancestors in the Faulkton Cemetery... so we have decided to buy our burial plots here and place our son Richard's stone here also. (Read previous posts for details). We chose the plots amid cousins and aunts and uncles, and designed our headstone.  We left young Richard's to be placed to the east of ours.

Richard, Ron, Evelyn and Esther

We spent time with more kin folk while here... One cousin had left for his heavenly home not long ago at the age of 90. He and his wife, Evelyn (see picture), were avid square dancers. She designed and made all her dazzling dresses, but had his matching shirts sewn by a neighbor. Her outfits are being set up now in a museum. They also rode bikes together every morning for years.


Another special cousin is Esther who spent her life serving others and amasses loads of information about the family. She is in a nursing home now but still very mentally active. Name any family member and Esther can tell you when and where they were born and many details of their lives.

Ron, Evelyn's son-in-law joined us for a strawberry shortcake snack. He was here to help Evelyn, who has over 600 pairs of shoes, move out of the home she had shared with my cousin Bob for the 69 years, 233 days of their marriage. She faces the change with courage and hope... an incredible lady!

Richard in front of Burkmere School

We drove around the countryside and town, seeking out old memories and being amazed that the weather and the economy had completely obliterated the place I lived so many years ago, the store my uncle owned and even the one room school I attended. But we did find the school where Richard's mother taught before he was born. It actually looked pretty good considering the years and lack of maintenance.


Steele, SD: The wind always blows in the Dakotas, and our drive up to Steele to visit cousin Geneva was no exception. We have been getting 9.2 miles per gallon, but I fear we'll be looking at closer to 8 as we buck the prairie winds all the way to Denver.

World's largest Sand Hill Crane monument

We stayed at the OK Motel near the railroad tracks. Coal trains and empties ran day and night. I loved it, but Richard was less enamored with the night time blasts and moans from those wonderful engines' horns. 

The drivers on the passenger side had been down in a ditch.

We had arranged to have our mail sent up here, but it was delayed, so we extended our stay. Geneva treated us to home cooked meals, lots of wit and a tour of her environs. We visited two Veterans Memorial Parks, the world's largest Sand Hill Crane monument (looks a lot like our Sand Cranes in Florida), Lake Isabel, the Catholic church and a broken trailer spilling out its load of corn. 


Geneva and I always did know how to have a good time. It was a great visit all round!

Geneva and Iona, always were like sisters.

Deadwood, SD: We fought the wind until we hit the tourist town of Deadwood where they had marked off special RV free parking, so we pulled off and took a trolly bus around town. We ate a luscious meal at the unadvertised Deadwood Social Club. It is above the #10 Saloon and there is no sign. The food was fantastic and reasonably priced.

Eaton, CO: We left Deadwood after dark and drove down the mountains using the PAC brake which is an exhaust brake that shifts down for you as well. I don't know exactly how it works, but we dropped off 7% grades, up to three miles long and hardly touched a brake. I had never heard of PAC brakes until we bought our rig, but I am a fan, now.

Richard, Jasper and Sam discuss the dash with the Swedish Chef.

Our friend Sam is blind and the best mechanic I have ever known. We've known Sam for many years and his daughter Sonja stayed with us during her teen years. Our families are very close, so a visit with Sam, Sonja and her three amazing kids is always to be treasured. 


Also special was a trip to the A&W drive in. I hadn't had a root beer float in forever!

Sam under the ditzy dash

As usual, Sam went over our wheels with his skilled hands and ears. We had been having trouble with our dash all trip. It looks like something from a low budget 1970's science fiction movie, and it is not well secured, meaning it bounces and crashes with every bump in the road. Soon, Sam was under the thing and designing a support, which he installed the next day as his well mannered grandkids watched from the sofa.


We boondocked in a lot next to the railroad tracks in Eaton last night. Smoke from the Ft. Collins forest fire left a blanket of fine ash all over everything in the motorhome. Yes, I had foolishly opened the windows when we went to sleep.

Kristi and Richard, Morning Peeps

We woke up quick this morning when a dear friend drove her dump truck right up to our bedroom window and gave us a blast of air horn. Sure was great to see Kristi. When her hubby became ill, she quickly learned to drive a dump and operate his business, all the while taking care of a teen grand daughter and terminally ill husband. A recent widow now, she carries on with courage and good cheer... but the tears come easy and often. I sure do love and admire her.

Kersey, CO: We've known Marna since the first year of our marriage. I was trying to get through college so I could teach, and I took a huge overload of classes. Well, we lived two hours away from the college, thus commuting everyday was not doable, so Marna took me in and I just went home on weekends. We've been fast friends ever since. She now works in a library and it was a slow day so we visited there all afternoon.

Three of the best kids I know

We went with Marna to the La Cafeteria, a Mexican Buffet on 8th Ave in Greeley, CO. Run by the same family for over 30 years and looks like a dump, but oh, the food (Mexican) is yummie and all you can eat! So, we are now boondocking in a vacant lot behind a fuel stop. Lots of diesels idling here.

I am enjoying the RV LIFE quite a lot. I love my home and its comforts, but I also love the freedom to enjoy many people in various parts of the country. 

Kersey, CO: We've known Marna since the first year of our marriage. I was trying to get through college so I could teach, and I took a huge overload of classes. Well, we lived two hours away from the college, thus commuting everyday was not doable, so Marna took me in and I just went home on weekends. We've been fast friends ever since. She now works in a library and it was a slow day so we visited there all afternoon.

Marna (Dee)

We went with Marna to the La Cafeteria, a Mexican Buffet on 8th Ave in Greeley, co. Run by the same family for over 30 years and looks like a dump, but oh, the food (Mexican) is yummie and all you can eat! So, we are now boondocking in a vacant lot behind a fuel stop. Lots of diesels idling here.


I am enjoying the RV LIFE quite a lot. I love my home and its comforts, but I also love the freedom to enjoy many people in various parts of the country. I wish we had done this much earlier!