Continuing adventures

I have achieved nirvana!   Finally found all the parts to the cappuccino maker!  It was questionable for a while, got down to the last two kitchen boxes…  And there were a couple of parts in one, and not the rest.  I was nearly hysterical worrying that I had inadvertently thrown the other parts away.  But lo and behold I found them in the last box.  By this time it was 2PM, but I quit what I was doing, made my cappuccino and sat outside in the glorious sunshine.  Exquisite – it’s sometimes the small pleasures that mean the most!

Added to my ecstasy was when the internet connection guy arrived…I am listening as I write to my favorite WPR (Wisconsin Public Radio to you non-Wisconsonites) programs!  The only thing I have to remember is when they give weather predictions, it does not mean me.

This morning I noticed three hawks circling my backyard.  I wondered if they were searching out breakfast, but never saw any dive bombing so I’m guessing pickings were slim in this particular neighborhood.   Note to self, don’t let cats out.   

I have learned there is no recycling here.  It’s been really hard to wad up all the packing paper, boxes, etc., and know that all this great recycling “stuff” will go to some landfill and not be “properly” recycled.    Trash pick up is twice a week I’ve learned, which seems a luxury to me given that we had once a week pick up; and every other week for recyclables in Madison.  I guess having no garbage disposal is what makes twice a week pick up necessary….

Another hard issue for me is smoking.  Not ever having been a smoker, having no friends who smoke and most of Madison is smoke-free, I never have to be around it.  South Dakota is a “smoke” state.  Living in a smoke-free state is something I will truly miss.

I found the post office yesterday, it’s about one and a half blocks up the street.  You may recall that was another culture shock in that I wouldn’t get my mail delivered to my door.  So it’s a good little walk for Phoebe and I to do at lunch break.  And Phoebe is allowed to come in, unlike the rules in city Post Offices.  Hooray for the country.

Phoebe isn’t too sure about the walking “paths”, which aren’t cement sidewalks.  Her paws seem to be objecting, I guess they need toughening up.  It turns out there are lots of stickers in certain weeds that get in her little citified paws which I have to pull out for her.  Also, though the streets here are blacktopped, they are replete with rocks/pebbles embedded in them and not smooth like in the city.  Another “hardship” on Miss Phoebs’ paws.  She seems to like her front yard quite well though.  She met the neighbor’s dog, Jack, and they seem to be fast friends.  Jack is a father of four darling little Jack Russell pups that are only eight weeks old, Phoebe was pretty curious about those puppies.  She also found it great fun to chase the garbage truck when it zoomed down our circle.  Her first garbage truck chasing opportunity.

Many dogs roam around here.  I hear there is a pack of wild dogs so I’m told to be careful with Phoebe.  There’s a neighbor dog, Max, a big white fluffy dog who likes to come to our circle to visit.   We met Max on one of our first walks.  But when he showed up here today and Phoebe saw him out the window she about went nuts – she’s never had a gentleman caller before.  I thinking she’s starting to like it here.

The above was written a day or so ago…to continue…

Yesterday I saw the wild dogs.  Several were in my front yard sniffing out Phoebe’s now established territory.  My neighbor lady was calling  out “shoo” and they headed out to the main street.  I counted nine of them.  Mark, the man who recruited me, told me when he and his wife lived here they would befriend them and take them to the shelter.  I would be similarly inclined were it not for the added fact that the shelter is all the way to Sioux Falls, a mere 2.5 hours away.   I’m not sure how I’ll deal with this issue, it breaks my heart to see them out fending for themselves.

This is a great area to be a kid, though.  I see kids out riding bikes on the streets and paths.  There are also paths driven alongside the roads for ATVs and I’ve seen several people driving around in them.  I’m guessing some use them for their mode of transportation around here.  Cool. 

I have learned most of my neighbors are new too.  Next door is another psychologist, his wife being Pepper’s new mom (one of the pups) and the “shoo” lady.  She’s African American and from Chicago!  They moved here in January.

Nicole’s dad introduced himself and his son, Robert, 7, as they were driving out (in their truck, of course).  They are from Pennsylvania, his wife is a PA here and he is a househusband who home schools their two children.  I forget when they arrived here but it’s less than a year.  I learned he and his son help build Habitat homes here in Ft. T for some of the native Americans – how great is that!  And I will get another new neighbor across the way sometime in the next week or so – he’s head of facilities, I believe.

I think my car is in shock.  I haven’t driven it for two days!  Today though I will trek to Pierre, I understand about 45 minutes away, to get some things that I know I won’t be able to get in Chamberlain.  Speaking of cars, I was getting gas in Chamberlain the other day when I noticed Super was less than Regular.  I figured I must be misunderstanding something so I went it to explain my confusion.  The clerk informed me that since SD raises corn for ethanol, there is some kind of subsidy in SD which makes Super cheaper.  OK then, since my car will take ethanol I loaded up with the Super. 

The townspeople (Chamberlain being town in this instance) tell me there is no tax for when I shop here in Ft. T given that it’s the reservation.  Cool!  Of course there’s only one store here but I’ve checked it out and it has quite a bit of stuff.  In fact, I forgot to get sauerkraut for my soup I was going to make so when Phoebe and I went for the mail, I stopped in to see if they had it, which I was kind of dubious about since sauerkraut didn't seem to me to be part of the Native American cuisine.  But they did!  I also got the local (Chamberlain) newspaper, which comes out weekly.  Altogether it was $.99!  When I expressed my surprise, I was told the newspaper here in Ft. T is free.  Cool yet again!

Well, that’s the updates for now from the land of Little House on the Reservation.