Here's Little House on the Reservation, with Phoebe enjoying her new front yard.  Below is the view out my kitchen window, aka my back yard.

Mother Nature is wrecking near havoc as I write.  There seems to be a lot of wind here, and today it was such that I didn’t think Phoebs and I could walk to the Post Office, a mere block, so we drove.  Sacrilege.  But I love Mother Nature when she acts up, particularly if I am home, snug as the proverbial bug, and not needing to go out in her various wild states.  I’m not sure if wind farms harness the energy for other areas of the country, but if they do, the Native Americans here should really look into that as a great business venture.   Walking tonight I felt like Dorothy with Toto, actually Phoebe looks like Toto except for color.  If I see a munchkin, I’d best pinch myself to see if I’m dreaming.

One thing I’ve seen here that reminds me of years ago is people, sometimes a whole bed full, riding in the back of pick-up trucks.   I think city slickers think it’s too unsafe, in fact, the slickers don’t usually even let their dogs ride in the back for fear of retribution by PETA group.  But seeing it takes me back to earlier times.  I also don’t see helmets with bikers, probably part of the same difference between country and city life.

One thing that seems sad to me is the amount of trash along the roadside.  True, I'm from a very "green", recycling city.  That said, I didn’t notice litter on the Interstate, so it may be particular to where I am living, not having been to other parts of South Dakota as yet.  The space is so vast here, perhaps people think it doesn’t matter as it’s such a small drop in the landscape here. 

Last week-end, I drove into Mitchell, a town of about 15,000 people and a little over an hour from here.  That's the nearest Menards...  On the way I saw a house on fire; a rather large two story house with fire truck out trying to control the damage.  Speaking of fire trucks, I think I got a look at our local fire department.  There were about four pick up-like trucks, with flashing lights on the top of the cab and complete with fire equipment looking stuff in the bed.  Ha, ha!  Sure seemed funny to this foreigner.  But all the cars, well, all four or so of them, had pulled over to allow them full use of the road.

I will say people are very friendly here.  Today I had a message from the phone/Internet lady I signed on with, checking in with me to see how everything was and to please call (!) when I have time.  When I’ve needed to call the tech support, the help guys were clearly from good old U.S. of A. (!)(again), unlike many of the outsourced tech support folks back in the city.  Nothing against foreigners, but when you’re already pulling your hair out with some tech problem and you end up with someone in a foreign country whose English is heavily accented and you struggle to understand not only the solution to the problem, but their heavy accents as well, that’s not exactly a time I feel as patient or charitable as I might otherwise be inclined.  Nope, definitely not charitable at those times.  

Living here in government housing reminds me of one of my favorite movies:  October Sky.  A movie of coal miners living in a small coal town, where the whistle would blow and you’d see all the workers heading to, or fro, work, lunch buckets in hand.  This morning was like that as I headed out my door, only to see my neighbors all similarly heading out too, thermos in hand.   Not that there isn’t coffee at work, but to be honest, I may need to look for a thermos for work as well, if you can get my gist.

Well, over and out for now from the windy land of Little House on the Reservation.