As Tom was backing into our site the other day, the guy that was guiding him noticed a badly worn rear tire on the left side of the trailer, they had been replaced before we left AZ, so maybe 5,000 miles on them. He also had the axles checked and wheel bearing packed before we left. So he got under there and looked and it appears there is some damage to that axle. He went to town yesterday and got a new tire and will watch it closely for wear as we head to our next destination tomorrow.
I stayed home and did some housecleaning, tidied up my car, took several walks with Frisco, sat outdoors and read, and enjoyed the quiet and solitude.
Today, we drove to Steamboat Park in Pierre and hiked close to 4-miles around La Framboise Island, between Pierre and Ft. Pierre on the Missouri River. Recent rains caused there to be some soft, wet areas of the trail but we managed to get around them. At one point, we watched a Garter Snake (?), slither in front of us and then it hid under a small pile of sticks. Part of the hike took us through an open prairie with tall grass and we ended up picking up some hitch-hikers in the form of ticks along that stretch of the road. I picked several off of Tom and I have been picking them off myself ever since - at least 7 or 8 of the creepy crawlers. Yuck! I keep feeling little crawly sensations and hope that I get them all before I go to bed.
The South Dakota Capitol building as seen from the island across the way.
We stopped at the Outpost Lodge for a beer before heading back home and then spent the evening outdoors and had brats for dinner. This is the first 80+ degree day we have seen since leaving Arizona and we are both loving it.
A beautiful sunset from our site at Codger’s Cove tonight.
