Postcard from The Black Hills

Hello from Custer State Park, South Dakota!
We're on vacation, camping and trail riding in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore~

An unexpected rain had us cut our ride short today, and one can only play so many hands of cribbage, so we jumped in the truck to find a good cell signal for Jim to check his email and I decided I'd try to send out a quick postcard from one of our treasured vacation spots. Every year we make a trek to the Black Hills of South Dakota, horses in tow. This little tradition started with my dear friend Mary Lou Clark back in 1993, if memory serves...( and it's not all that accurate anymore- ha!). But for the past four years, it's just been Jim, me and the girls.

Our days start with Jim making a big hearty breakfast. Anything from ham and eggs, french toast and bacon or like today, buckwheat pancakes and sausage. And I get a smile first thing!
Then we pack our saddlebags with snacks, plenty of water and our lunch for the day. Lunch is whatever we had leftover from dinner the night before, so today it's grilled marinated deer steak sandwiches. We start early with the hopes of seeing some elk or deer. Today we caught a herd of buffalo. They were not just grazing today, but moving fast toward us and Brandy didn't like it one bit... the memory of the first buffalo that charged her and Jim clearly hasn't left her memory banks!
I wish I could attach a "scratch-n-sniff" sticker so you could take a deep breath of the incredible pine filled air out here. As we rode today I tried to put into words how refreshing it was.... . It's not a Christmas tree pine really, but sweeter with an earthy warmth to it. At any rate, close your eyes and just imagine miles and miles of Ponderosa Pines, towering granite bluffs and green grassy meadows filled with elk, deer, turkey, pronghorn, prairie dogs and of course, buffalo! It's HEAVEN, PURE HEAVEN!

After riding for a few hours we stop for lunch. The girls rest quietly at a tree after working really hard climbing rocky trails and crossing French Creek 16 times! To add to the need for a break, Charmer and I had a near miss with a poisonous Prairie Rattlesnake today. I was taking in the scenery when I heard this unusual rattling sound below us. I looked down at Charmer's left leg to see a huge snake's tail with it's rattle shaking as it slithered into the grass near the trail. It was a bit nerve racking, to say the least! WHEW! Shortly after a satisfying lunch, we felt a few drops and grabbed our rain gear. -Wasn't long before it was a down-pour, but that's OK, it just wouldn't be a trail ride in the mountains without a rain shower or two. The lightning and thunder are really loud, but it usually doesn't last long and by the time we got back to camp 45 minutes later it was starting to let up some.

Wet clothes changed, saddles hung to dry and the girls settled into their stalls with a pile full of hay in their Slow Down Hay Feeders (please pardon the commercial interruption :)
Jim grills up some Italian marinated chicken for dinner and then makes builds a hot campfire to warm up by on this chilly 50 degree evening. The days have been in the low 70's. -Absolutely perfect riding and camping weather. Wish you were here Mary Lou!!!

Thanks so much to Bud and Jane Vander Well for taking care of the critters and homestead for us while we're gone. We wouldn't be able to be here taking in all of Nature's wonder without them!!