Gets Better Every Day

9-22-2017 -- Lots of things going on since we got to Chief White Crane Recreational park in Yankton, SD. We love it here but it's been a surprise that it's been so hot and we've had to use the air conditioners more than we expected, more days than not. But I'm just thankful that we have them both. I'm nice and cool at night and sleeping like a baby.

I figured out last Sunday that I can only take so much relaxing and I needed to be a little busy. I got a bit depressed and started worrying about my family. My daughter was fighting with her hubby. Similar to Rich and I when we were raising teenagers. We couldn't agree on what they could do and what they couldn't. I was so much more lenient than he was. But they turned out ok so I guess the fighting just lets them know that you can fight and still love each other and stay together. I know they love each other deeply so I'm going to try not to worry. By Monday she was saying she thinks they are just going to move forward and forget about the weekend because they will never agree. That's what we eventually learned. No way you're going to change each other. When we figured that out and just accepted our differences, life got so much easier.

And of course who doesn't worry about a father who is 88 years old. I have to stay off that worry or I'll drive myself crazy. So Monday we got up and I cleaned the coach real good. Then we went to the laundromat and did 4 loads of laundry. I actually don't mind that. It all gets done at once in about 2 hours. We had worked hard cleaning and organizing and I felt really good. Then we walked across the Meridian Bridge between South Dakota and Nebraska. It was very cool. We talked to a retired school teacher who said she does it about 3 times a week. It's over the water so she doesn't have to worry about pollen and allergies.

Tuesday Richard took the kayak and went on the lake. That was a bit scary because he looked so unstable but he finally got settled in without tipping and going in the water and I left him to it. He called me a couple hours later and I went and picked him up. He had really enjoyed it. I was able to come home and just enjoy some "aloneness." Also didn't know that would be so much fun. I watched a chic flick and read without worrying about someone else. He said he felt the same way. It's weird what you still learn after 47 years together.

Wednesday we went to the Lewis & Clark Visitors Center across the river in Nebraska. That was fascinating. We watched 3 videos about Lewis and Clarks journey up the river from St. Louis MO to California. OMG, those men must have been dedicated and strong. They pushed those boats with huge poles to go against the current. And they had to deal with different Indian Tribes all along the way, which by the way most of them were very peaceful and cooperative. Not like you see in the movies. I'm so glad I didn't live during that time. I don't think I would have been strong enough. They must have smelled as they couldn't take many baths and they had to sleep with all those bugs and animal sounds.

You wouldn't believe that living this life has to be so Cush for me or I wouldn't do it.  In fact, the worst thing about this whole trip has been the flies and bugs. They are awful. We bought a "trapper" not a "zapper" from Walmart to see if that would help. We think it did but there are still hundreds. We hung a fly paper strip. That got a lot of them but not all. We sit everywhere with a fly swatter. Even in the restaurants there are flies. We went to a local restaurant yesterday and I almost got up to leave as I saw flies around the booth. But then we went to dinner at a Subway and I still saw them around us. We went last night to Walmart to get some more fly strips and they were completely sold out so I think something is going on around here. Fortunately it hasn't been mosquito's. That's what we were fighting at home all summer.

So yesterday we drove 2 and 1/2 hours to sight see. We saw the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. We went to an Indian Burial Ground and saw an archeology dig that had been going on for 20 years. Talk about slow. It looked like about 10 holes in the ground but I guess they've found lots of stuff as they dig down. Then we drove to Chamberlain, SD and saw the Dignity Statue of an Indian woman, 50 feet high. That was the best!!! We didn't get home until 9PM so we were zonked but it was great. We enjoyed all the country side with mile after mile of cattle ranches, corn fields, sunflower fields, soy bean fields and windmill farms. It looked like most farms had bee hives. Such beautiful country. I can understand why city people don't understand what they are missing. We took a different highway home (50 Hwy) and for 2 hours we only saw about 5 cars. It was eerie but calming.

So today we are going to relax and pack some things tonight to avoid packing in the rain tomorrow. We head north tomorrow to De Smet, SD. I feel so totally blessed. I'm still checking work email but mostly just deleting. It's obvious they have moved on just fine without me. I had a dream last night that I was having to defend some of my leadership efforts to some of my management team. Have no idea what that means except it's still on my mind and is a worry somehow. But overall, I'm just grateful that I'm done.

Here's to the continuing adventure!!!