Heading West

The library performances are going well.  I am back in the swing of things with songs and stories from around the world.  In some cases I picked up the stories from the places I traveled to.  At the Bismarck Public Library, I discovered that Marvia, the children's librarian had retired and the performance area, already the best I've experienced had been improved on even more.  With so many children's activities canceled due to flooding, I had 128 customers, 28 of whom were turned away because of fire regulations.  Some showed up at Mandan that afternoon

The dresses Tisha found for me are perfect.  At first I carefully laid them out in the back, but soon discovered they were indeed wrinkle free.  A quick shake and they are ready to go.

The biggest problem I have with North Dakota cities is their street layouts.  They seem to avoid naming anything for anyone, very egalitarian of them.  Instead, they are all numbered, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on.  To make it confusing, they are called NE, SW, such as 2nd Street NE.  Then they are intersected with Avenues, also numbered 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on.  I was perpetually lost.  Asking directions just confused me more.

But I headed west on H.94 to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  I stopped at the first visitors center and bought what will be my only souvenir, Sibley's guide to western birds, a companion to my eastern guide.  I was already seeing magpies, so I had to be ready.

A tourist came tearing in to report there was a rattlesnake on the trail and somebody had been get over there and get rid of it.  The attendants smiled and sent her on, but told me later that there were always rattlesnakes around and shooing them away would never end.  Hikers have to get smarter.

There was no room at the campground.  The Little Missouri had flooded out all but 29 sites, so I went on to the Buffalo Gap National Grassland campground and hit nirvana.  A lovely campground in a grove of trees at the edge of a creek.  Campground hosts with maps, a connecting trail that runs through the park, running water, flush toilets and heavens above, showers!!!!

I intend to stay there the next three days. All this for the senior citizen rate of $3 a night!

I'll try to post photos tomorrow.