Dakota Days - Sunset on Lake Mitchell and Bluegrass in Sioux Falls

Day Ten.  Wednesday 28 July 2004

"Bruce's last day with us today.  He had five copies of his book to sell.  Although I didn't get one on the day, I have one on order - he is signing them all too.  Bruce is off tomorrow to a remote part of Canada to relax and go fishing, presumably with his wife.

We all went to a house on Lake Mitchell this evening for dinner.  I don't know whose house it was, or if the owners were even there, but it seems the done thing over here for people to just invite you over for things.  In my experience so far, the Dakotans are a pretty friendly group of people... Unless you're an animal activist... Or an atheist...  Anyway, I took some photos of the most beautiful sunset over the lake, and Bruce cooked loads of steak which was pretty tasty.  Some people even went swimming in the lake, although they all came out green after a few minutes.  I stayed on the side with Tris and Angie, who commandeered a two-seater and were generally looking really British in the sunset."

Day Eleven.  Thursday 29 July 2004

"An excursion to Sioux Falls was made today!  Breakfast was bought on the road - Bruce told us not to tell out parents that it was "cookies, chips and soda," haha!  

This morning we were at the US Geographical Service, EROS which, for some reason, a few people in the minibus thought was going to be a strip club.  EROS was interesting, although daunting as we needed to present our passports in order to enter the site.... Although why anyone suspicious would want to target a mapping centre, I don't know...

I spent a bit of money this afternoon in a mall in the city.  I bought some jeans (kind of black, very nice), the diary of Lewis and Clark, and a piece of pottery for Mum.  The mall was huge, loads of shops that was something of a treat after quiet little Mitchell.  The girls working in one of the bookshops had seen our dig on the TV too, so they seemed pretty interested in what we had to say... until, whilst still chatting, I walked backwards into one of their book displays and knocked a few things flying - well done me!

In the evening, we went to a barbecue in someone else's house who we didn't know.  We had live music supplied by a Bluegrass group, who were pretty good.  Funny moment of the evening goes to the smelly old basset hound that was wondering around the garden - cute, but it absolutely stunk!  Had a happy attack on the drive back to Mitchell this evening - it really has been a good couple of days!"