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