End of our 7th RV USA Trip

We drove south from Nebraska into Kansas, and fittingly came across these beautiful fields of sunflowers. I say 'fittingly', because Kansas is known as the Sunflower State. 

Mind you there are a lot of wheat and corn fields here too. In fact, while we were in our campground, Murray noticed a chap working in an adjacent field. By the time he had finished doing whatever he was working on and wandered to the field to chat to the chap, there was no sign of him. However he found a few bits of ripe, golden wheat left over from the harvester. He put it in a sheaf for me to share with you all. 

We were due to drive to Kansas City the next morning - our final destination once more, before we put the RV in the cave for storage during our absence. Murray was doing his usual maintenance check, and detected that one of the inside, back tyres was flat. The Gods were smiling on us that day, as there happened to be Don's Tire business directly across the road from our RV Park. Even though it was 7.30pm, it was still daylight, and Murray noticed there were still some guys in Don's Tires so he walked over and asked if there was any chance of getting our tyre fixed in the am. Sure enough, we just had to be there at 8am and they would take care of it. Perfect. 

Nasty blow out

Time for the spare tyre

We left Don's Tires with our spare tyre fitted, and were on the road by 9am. After driving for a while, we saw a nice, new Walmart en route, and we couldn't resist dropping in for a final farewell, and to break up the 2.5 hour drive west to Kansas City. Before we knew it, the city of Kansas City, Missouri was right in front of us (albeit a tad hazy as it was a hot, hot day), and we knew we weren't far from our last RV park of the trip. As we turned into the street where our campground is, this horse and wagon pulled out in front of us. A reminder of days gone by from this very area (the wagons that participated in the rush for land in California passed by on this block of land and it is maintained as a National Heritage area). 

Kansas City

Wagon days

We had only been checked into the RV park for a few hours when we got a text from our friends Randy and Andrea saying they would be at our door at 5pm. You may recall in a previous blog where we met up with Jess and Bobbie - they are Randy's daughter and mother, respectively. It was great to see them again, and we spent time catching up on the past 12 months, as we had called in and visited them at their home near St Louis last year. We then decided to head to a nearby Outback Steakhouse for dinner, but not before giving them a tour of the cave where we store our RV each year. 

Murray, me, Andrea, Randy

Talk about a small world. The chap, Bruce, who served us in the Outback restaurant overheard Randy and Murray mention Northern Pike - a fish commonly caught up in Missouri and North Dakota. He asked where the fish was caught, and I mentioned how Murray had caught a 48" Northern Pike in North Dakota a few years back - it even made the paper! Bruce then said his wife grew up in a small town in North Dakota, and when I asked the name of the town, it was the same town where our friends that we camp with each year live. Milt, the chap that owned the boat that Murray was in when he caught the 'whopper' fish lived in the same town as Bruce's wife was from. Bruce asked the name of our friends, and he said that he knew of them. However, when he got home and relayed the story to his wife, she knew the name of our friends intimately, as she and our friends' son were playmates as children, and my girlfriend Kathy used to babysit her. She quickly got on the phone and rang Kathy in North Dakota and told how her husband had met her Australian friends etc etc. I got a phone call from my girlfriend the next morning asking how we enjoyed our dinner at Outback! I knew I hadn't mentioned it to her, so I was wondering how she knew - the story came out, and we both were amazed at what a small world we live in. It turns out that Bruce and his wife are going to be staying in our friend's camper next week during a family reunion up there in the little tiny town of Underwood. Population <800 again="" and="" as="" at="" balance="" boom="" closed="" count="" down.="" even="" has="" home="" last="" less="" might="" mining="" nbsp="" nw="" oil="" out="" probably="" retirement="" span="" that="" the="" there="" though.="" to="">

After dinner, it was still light (it doesn't get dark until around 10pm), we took Randy and Andrea on a quick tour of the Independence, Missouri area around our campground, including President Truman's home where he lived with his wife and what became their 'Summer White House', and also the area where he spent 64 years of his life. The County Courthouse here is where he started his political career. So much history within a few blocks.

The next day we were packing our suitcases after yet another great time visiting the USA. We visited 15 states and had a fantastic time with lots of great memories and some unforgettable experiences. You only have to read through the blog to get an idea of how we spent the past 4 months, and you can see a rough outline of our travels in the map below. 

People keep asking us when we are going to sell the motorhome, but we are taking it year by year. At this stage, all we know is we want to come back one more time...after that, who knows...We drove our RV into our cave where it will sit in a constant 62 F or 16.5 C year 'round, until we come and turn on the ignition to begin another trip. 

Parked until next spring

Nebraska 2013

Here we are in our last week before flying back home to Australia, following a wonderful 4 months in USA. These photos were taken as we were driving through Nebraska, and when we spent 4 nights. The wheat, corn fields and soy crops lined both sides of the road as we travelled south. There were also many feedlots, where they fatten up cattle prior to sale for the meat market. 

Wheat fields ripe and ready for harvest

Corn fields both sides of the highway

Corn rows as far as the eye can see

I was a bit late trying to get a photo of this feedlot, but you get the idea

Shady RV site overlooking the golf club (center left) and corn fields (to the right)

Our campground in Waco, Nebraska was adjacent to a nice 9 hole golf course. Our RV site overlooked a cornfield and was in a nice, shady area. Murray could walk a few steps to the golf club, and I had an unobstructed view of the fields. At dusk the fireflies flitted in the grass and bushes right beside the RV. I could sit at my laptop and watch them in airconditioned comfort. 

Murray heading off to pick up his golf buggy and come back for his clubs

Wylie Campground Aberdeen, South Dakota

After we said goodbye to Bobbie and Jess (see previous blog), it was such a beautiful evening, that Murray and I decided we would take a walk around the Wylie Campground and the adjacent Storybook Land. Regular blog readers will remember we stopped at this same campground in South Dakota in June last year - 2012. It was a few minutes after 9.06 pm when we set out, and were greeted by this beautiful setting sun. Even though the photo seems quite dark (because I zoomed in), it was still very light as you can tell by the photos of the animals. I didn't use a flash until I got to Dorothy and the Land of Oz.

Even though we have been here before, it was so relaxing to walk along the path and chat to the animals. The first animal we came to was this Lama, but he wasn't in the chatting mood - in fact, he ignored us completely. So after a few minutes we walked past the Mallard Ducks and then stayed for a while marvelling at the huge size of the bison. Yes Jen, they are still shedding their winter coats up here and still look a bit shaggy. It will only be shed just in time to grow a nice new, thick winter coat. Then we saw the ducks and geese and some baby chicks. Cute little fluffy things. 

An aloof Lama!

Mellow Mallards

This was a big brute of a bison

Nice rack!

See the brown baby chicks?

Sika Deer - with baby fawn

By the time we had finished visiting with the animals, the next turn found us in the centre of Storybook Land - it was 9.40pm and getting quite dark. We realised that we were the only ones in here, but I was like a kid in a candy store and was taking photos of this and that, and chuckling at the way they had depicted the nursery rhymes from my youth. I felt like a kid again.

American flag and lamplight - so pretty

This little piggy made his house of straw - the big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew the house in!

The wolf had no chance with blowing down the house of bricks!

Dorothy and her Oz team! 

I was busy taking a photo of Dorothy with her Land of Oz mates, when Murray called out to say the gates all seem to be locked! I looked at my watch and didn't wonder - it was nearly 10pm. I looked at how high the fence was, and was ready to pass Murray my camera and iPhone so that I could scale the fence, when we did a bit more of a wander around the perimeter. Thankfully we found a gate that was slightly ajar. Phew! The photo on the left was taken at 9.47pm. Still enough light to see by and walk safely back to our RV which was just around the corner. 

Safely out the gate and walking to our RV

South Dakota Surprise

Well, what a fabulous day it turned out to be today. It started out with a glorious day in North Dakota where we packed up and got ready to drive south to our destination in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Only a short 2.5 hour drive. Before we left the campground, we visited with Avalyn and Wes, and enjoyed coffee and caramel buns as we said our goodbyes for another 12 months. 

Avalyn and Wes's campsite

Before we knew it, we were driving south towards the South Dakota border. Last night as I was going to sleep, I detected a whiff of skunk - hard to get that smell wrong. But it was only mild, and I forgot all about it until I woke this morning, and I picked up a slight scent of it again. I mentioned it to Murray, but he hadn't noticed it. Sure enough, as we drove out of the campground, there on Highway 1804 was a freshly killed skunk. The only skunk we have ever seen in this state during the 7 years we have been coming here. Our campground was only 12 miles north of the South Dakota border, so in only a few minutes, we were over the border. 

We called into the post office in the first town we came to over the border - Pollock, and I posted a birthday parcel off to my daughter who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, and a card off to a girlfriend who is on duty in Djibouti. Back on board we drove along admiring the summer fields of corn, wheat and sunflowers, and eventually started thinking about lunch plans. We thought we might just pull over into a shady spot and rustle up something in the RV, and then realised that we would be at our campground by 1.30 pm. so we each had a muesli bar and decided to wait until we got to our campground. We had a fillet mignon steak out for dinner, so we had our day all planned - or so we thought. 

Murray had noticed some water leaking out of a house battery in the back of the RV, so he wondered if he shouldn't call into a battery place when we got to Aberdeen, and ask someone whether the leak was an issue. So I pulled out my trusty iPhone and did a google search on battery suppliers in the area. While I was on the iPhone, I saw a FB message flash on my screen from my friend Andrea. She mentioned that her mother in law Bobbie (her husband Randy's mum) was in the area visiting Andrea and Randy's daughter Jess, and was staying at the Mina Lake campground which is not far from where we were headed to in Aberdeen.  Just at that moment I looked up and saw the word 'Mina' on a town sign, and realised we must have been close to where Bobbie was camped. We had met Bobbie on our second US RV trip in 2008, and had parked our RV at the front door of their Wisconsin farm house. We knew Bobbie had an A frame camper when we last visited, so when we saw the sign for the Mina Lake campground, Murray did a quick left turn off the highway and we followed the signs 3 miles into the campground. We thought we would just take a chance on locating Randy's mum and saying hello. 

Driving through the campground - looking... looking...

On the first drive through the park, there was no sign of the distinctive A frame camper. We discussed how she could have sold the A frame and bought another camper, so we did a second drive through the campground. We noticed a pop top van and saw a woman on her own setting up, and wondered if that could be her. But as we got closer we saw 2 push bikes and a small tent, and figured, no, Bobbie was on her own, and had no young kids to sleep in a tent. So we drove out, all the while I was frantically trying to FB Andrea as we had no cell phone reception. FB was silent, but then we had only gone a short way up the road when I saw another comment from Andrea, saying her MIL had sold the A frame and bought a Eurovan. We had no idea what that was, but it was enough to make us go back and see if the pop-top van we saw with the two bikes was hers. 

We pulled up and from the window of the RV Murray asked if she was Randy Richert's mum, and just at that point we recognised her, and she recognised us. Not bad after 6 years, and only meeting each other that one time. She was as surprised as we were with the unexpected visit. We had a tour through her camper - boy, such a great setup - so compact and so right for her. She gets 28 miles to the gallon, and doesn't need to tow anything. She had her kayak in the water behind her, and a small tent where she puts supplies that neatly stack back into the kayak when she moves on.

Bobbie's Eurovan on Mina Lake

After we chatted for awhile she mentioned that her and her grand-daughter Jess were heading into Aberdeen for dinner, and if we would like to join them, they could pick us up from our campground. It had been a few years since we had seen Jess, and we didn't want to miss the opportunity to see her again, and to spend a bit more time with Bobbie. So we accepted her kind offer, and had a lovely evening with them. After dinner, we dropped into Walmart for some supplies for Jess, and then called into an Icecream shop for dessert. Here are the four of us enjoying our sweet treats! 

Jess, Bobbie, Trish and Murray

It was a simply glorious evening and it would have been great to spend more time together, but Jess still had an hour's drive ahead of her, and with the wildlife on the road at dusk and after dark, she was keen to get back to her place before dark. They dropped us off at the campground, and we acknowledged that it was one of those special little interludes in life - unexpected and unforgettable! All thanks to Andrea for the tip off! 

Branding Day

Up goes the corral

Yes, it was that time of the year again - time to brand, castrate, and vaccinate the spring calves on Clint and Amanda's ranch. First things first, they had to erect the temporary corral. Amanda had also picked up a great canopy for some shade, so that was quickly put up. Then there was nothing to do but wait and socialise until the rest of the gang arrived to help with the roping etc. 

Waiting for the rest of the ropers

Emilie opens the gate to let us out to the paddock to bring the cattle in

Clint, Hayley, John, Josh and myself went out to bring the cows and calves in, and then once in the stockyard, we separated the calves from the cows. There were about 50 calves to be branded and vaccinated. The calves were roped, flipped on their right side, then they were branded on their left shoulder. The majority of male calves were also castrated (a few were kept out to be future breeders). 

What a fine team of cowboys/girls!

While that was happening, I vaccinated the calves with a potion that vaccinates against seven different diseases. The calves that got castrated got a second injection - tetanus. So before I injected each calf, I had to check whether it was a male or female, and if it was one to be castrated. The syringes are a decent size - here is one of them in front of the herd we had to round up. Although in this syringe is an antibiotic to treat a calf with foot rot - Clint is in the herd searching for the calf. See previous post!

All the calves are in the temporary corral ready for the branding

While Murray is branding this one I am moving around to get access to the neck for the vaccination

They start training them young!

North Dakota Ranch 2013

The Ranch 

Hayley, Emilie and Macey

Here we are at Clint and Amanda's ranch in McClusky, North Dakota. We stayed on the ranch for 2 nights again this year and enjoyed catching up with the family. Their eldest daughter Taylor was away doing voluntary work in Minnesota, so we missed seeing her, but enjoyed catching up with Hayley, Emilie and Macey. In Taylor's absence, Hayley was the eldest 'ranch hand' and boy, can that girl work. She is only 13 but is keen as mustard and from what I could see, she gets in and helps with everything - outside on the property, and inside the home. For the round-up she was riding a new horse - the previous owner said it would do the job, but it seemed very ornery, and had no plans on doing any ranch work that day, and just kept backing up. Hayley simply dismounted, went into the house and got her blue spurs on, got back on the horse, and before long the horse was riding alongside the others!

Here is the horse backing up on Hayley

Hayley and Emilie delivering food to the barn for the show cattle

Meet Flash, the yard calf. His mother required a caesarean for his birth, and then no milk came in to feed her calf. They housed the calf in a trailer, and Macey would feed him with a bottle and teat. One day he got through the door and out into the yard where he frolicked and played with Macey and the dogs. He was so friendly they just left him to run loose. He hangs around the house and still feeds from the bottle. He was inquisitive enough to come and visit me in the RV - I sat on the RV steps and chatted to him. He thought my accent was really odd. Ha ha.

Clint roping the calf with foot rot

Once Clint had roped the calf and administered the antibiotic, he asked if I would like to ride the horse home, and he would drive back with Murray. We didn't bother shortening the stirrups, but it wasn't that far back to the house. I enjoyed it.

Here is the calf with his mother after he got his antibiotic shot

On the day before we arrived at the ranch, Clint noticed one of the calves was limping. He figured it must have foot rot which would need treating with an antibiotic injection. So the day we arrived he saddled up his horse and went out the rope the calf. He put the syringe with the antibiotic in his truck, and Murray drove that out to the paddock. I just went along for the ride. 

A nearby farmer has bee hives on his property. While we were on the ranch, a swarm of bees flew over and settled on this old building near the grain silos - not far from our RV really. They were still there when we drove away, so Clint was going to contact the guy and suggest he come and get his bees back!

Before we knew it, we were driving out of the gate and heading south to Bismarck once again. But not before one last, lingering look back at the ranch, and checking out this pretty foal that was born not so long ago.