South Dakota

the lobby at Blue Cloud Abbey

Depicts the monks coming to South Dakota from Indiana, meeting the natives

a lake at Blue Cloud Abbey

Gertie

cattle graze much of the land there at the abbey

a creek running through the camp at the abbey

the road out of camp, past the incinerator

Gertie was out of breath, but she wanted to follow along the whole way

a view from up on the hill at the monastery

Blue Cloud Abbey

sunset at the abbey

I expressed interest in how to make hoods, so Brother Sebastian sewed an example for me the morning before I left.

back on the road, after leaving the abbey

so much water this day, and with such beautiful skies.

closed, but I ate my lunch at the picnic tables behind there. quite a loud building

looky there, water on both sides of the road.

my turtle friend. i saved him from certain death, as he was just hanging out right in the middle of the road and a truck was coming. he’s shy.

hi, turtle

i felt pretty good the entire day, what with all the wonderful scenery, having just had a day off at the monastery.

my broken rear rack. no chance of stringing that back together.

so I bought a new one.

should be very secure.

curious cattle

a little bit closer now…

a little bit closer now…

and closer still…

keep going…

closer…

and still closer…

and there you go. a cow.

this is the rainbow my Momma sent me on a particularly tough day

cold, cold morning. windy and cold.

but still beautiful.

full moon

Sakakawea, Native American woman who braved the journey with Lewis and Clark

Sitting Bull

this was about halfway up one of the toughest hills of the trip. long, steep, nothing but pounding headwinds.

parking lot

my sleeping situation in McIntosh, in Sonny’s living room

a dinky little apple

petrified wood park in Lemmon, SD.

North Dakota

Mirror Lake park in Hettinger, ND. pretty ideal spot, there, right on the lake

oh buddy! after our golf cart broke in half and our bus blew up, Josh and I really wanted to get one of these things. they’re surprisingly a bit pricier, however.

you can barely see a dark spec in the distance. that’s me. not exactly what I intended, but I got a better one later

nighttime border crossing