Home, home on the range...

I stand corrected!  Mea culpa, I should have checked my facts – Pierre’s population is just under 14,000 (according to Wikipedia), not 5000.  It is still, however, the second smallest capital in population.  

Now that I have taken responsibility for my error, I can go on.  Last week-end I trekked again to Pierre.  Along the way what did I see alongside the road – a real cowboy, perched atop his noble steed and herding several head of cattle.  I was so excited I had to control the car to prevent there being one less cowboy in the world!  You drive so fast out here (70 on these back highways, 80 on the Interstate), and the shoulders are rather slight, that it’s difficult to make quick decisions about pulling over for the photo moment.

In Pierre I found another grocery store that was really nice and actually had my fresh herbs!  More excitement - I can hardly contain myself.  Next, I had planned my trip for later in the afternoon so I could try out a steak place for an early dinner, earlier than I usually like but I like less driving an hour after a meal later in the evening.  

So after shopping, I stopped at the Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse.  Not fancy, but what would you expect for a cattleman anyway?  Sawdust on the floor and all that!  It faces what I later learned was a lake and not part of the river, could have fooled me.  Lake Sharpe.  This will be nice when it’s really warm as there’s a deck with what looks like outside dining to come later in the season.  The paper mats explain the original owner bought the property in 1974, for a whopping $3000 (!) and after a series of battles with the city, involving aid by congressmen, it finally opened in 1986!  Must say the steak was great, seasoned with some special seasonings.  My only complaint was no filet mignon, my favorite, although my neighbor says that their prime rib is superb, so that’s on my list for a return visit.

Speaking of restaurants – here’s a great story, as yet unconfirmed, but from my neighbor again, who is the other psychologist at work and a reliable resource.  He announced that he had gotten Chinese take out the other night - ????  He explained that you call ahead and someone makes it in their home, then you drive across the river about 10-15 minutes to pick it up.  Chinese take-out on the reservation?  Add to list...

On another note, small town living is interesting and full of surprises, many are good ones.  For example a couple of weeks ago I went into Chamberlain to have my car serviced.  Do you know that they throw in a car wash too?  Wow!!!  Of course, not knowing that, I had driven through a car wash on my way over, wouldn’t you know?  The reason I had just washed it was that I “murdered” my first pheasant on the way to town.   Animal lover that I am (excluding ticks) I felt terrible but it flew out right in front of me, and at 70 mph, there was nothing I could do.  I kind of think they don’t fly real well, not being a pheasant expert, but I generally see them walking, not flying, and I hear them in grasses/bushes around the house.

Did I mention before that here they carry out your groceries (in special carry out carts) and put them in the car for you?  Super!  Actually this seems to be true in Chamberlain, but not in Pierre.  Grocery carry out hasn’t existed in my home city for many, many years.  Not only is this a lovely luxury for those of us (me) who like spoiling, but it gives jobs to people around here as well. 

While in town I drove around a bit.  One more thing you don’t see in the cities I’ve lived in is trailers, I mean mobile homes, in residential neighborhoods – not allowed.  They can only be in mobile home parks.  But they must be allowed here as I found them to be intermingled among the houses.

I found a new restaurant as well, Michelle’s.  It’s right on the river and the owners bought the restaurant recently and moved here from Minnesota.  I had a food question and my waitress happened to mention she needed to ask her daughter, Jona, pronounced as my name!  Come all the way to small town South Dakota and meet a Johna!  I think I’ve only met about three in my life!  Too funny.  The food was good and my only complaint was lack of a deck being right on the river and all.  However when I verbalized my musings about a deck, they told me it was in the making – well, good minds think alike I guess.

Speaking of Chamberlain, do you remember, some of you anyway, the old Rexall drug stores?  Well, we actually have one!

And a barber shop – complete with pole!!!

Another fun small town fact…I had walked with the dog to the post office as we usually do at lunchtime given good enough weather.  Our postal worker, Mona, who is a dear asked if I thought I could carry my two boxes.  Well, they were quite large, so that would be a no.  I’ll come another day, I said, when I can bring the car.  Mona then said she was closing up for lunch, which they do here, and she could drop me, dog and boxes at my house.  You sure?  Uh huh, said Mona and we bundled everything into her car and she drove us home.  Now, imagine that! 

But before I sign off for this time, I must tell you about my adventures in becoming a South Dakotan.  It was time for me to get my driver’s license and plates.  This of course meant driving some distance, as I know you must becoming aware.  I journeyed to Chamberlain where the licensing is open only Tuesday mornings (!).  There were forms to fill out, which was clear, but lots of people sitting at different tables and I wasn’t sure what to do next.  Someone directed me that I should get in the line – what line, where?  Someone else said to just sit where I was – okay then.  Eventually I was called (“ma’am you’re next” since they of course didn't know my name) and got everything completed.  The plates for the car were downstairs to the Treasurer’s office but of course, I didn’t have some of the right paperwork. 

I wanted to get all this finished and work was light so I decided to go in to work late the next morning and drive back to Chamberlain early.  Unfortunately they did not tell me that, though I could get my license in Chamberlain, I actually reside in another county so I had to go somewhere else for that.  I was however able to register to vote in the "wrong county".  Anyway, this somewhere else I had to go to was Gann Valley, about 30 minutes north and east of Chamberlain.  Okaayyy.  I entered the town center into Matilda (my GPS) plus I had some cursory directions from the treasurer’s office.  I was, as is typical for SD, out in the country and middle of nowhere.   Did I see pheasants, more pheasants and more yet again.   And most exciting a buffalo ranch!

That little hand on the top picture is of "Flat Stanley" - I am currently working on a school project for my grandson so this picture is doing double duty.


After quite some drive, Matilda says “you’re here”.  Hmmmm, there seems to be grass on both sides of me and road ahead and behind.  I know they said you have to watch as the town's so small you blink and you’ll miss it, but unless this agency was a blade of grass, Matilda was confused (not unusual for her in SD here).  I drove a bit longer but more grass.  Got nervous, turned around and drove back to the little town near the Interstate (very little).  I bought a map and asked the sales clerk who was minimally helpful, which might be a bit generous of me.  Waving at the buffalo again, this time I clocked what it said the distance was, and my guess was I didn’t go far enough.  Anyway, there was an itty-bitty post office, a couple of other buildings and across the street the Court house.  There I was able to get my car registered at last, and I actually found home without mishap, making in the end a rather large circle from home to home again.


That's it again from...the little house on the res...

Visiting Beer

South Dakotans call their capitol Pierre, like beer, and not Pi-ere as in the French name.  My father grew up in these parts, in fact for several years he lived in Pierre, and he set me straight as a child.  So dear readers, it’s important that you get it right as well.  Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I decided to venture forth to my new state’s capitol, Pierre.

Pierre is a little less than an hour from here going 70 mph the whole way, which is why it’s less than an hour.  Other states it would likely be a 90 minute trip.  Not a gas station in site…or anything else, for that matter, the whole way there excepting many cows out grazing.  This is truly ranch land.

There’s a big wind farm north of here, perhaps twenty or more turbines.  One day I shall drive further north to see it.  But I cut off west before the farm.  Here in Ft. Thompson, and Chamberlain, we’re in the Missouri river area and the hills are rolling and beautiful.  As spring is unfolding it’s greener now with almost an iridescent cast from the grasses that are pale yellow mixed in among the typical green of grass.  

As you leave Ft. T it flattens out and reminds me of the desert out west, miles and miles of flat.  You aren’t following the river along the way, which is apparently why it’s so flat, as when you start approaching Pierre the river reappears as do the rolling hills.  

There are many houses built at the top of a knoll with decks surrounding or whole sides of windows – I imagine the views from these homes must be extraordinary.  That’s true in Chamberlain as well, it seems the locals prefer to build atop a hill for the vast views, rather than directly along the river.  Perhaps there are rules against building close to the river, I rather hope so as so much of our country’s beauty has been stolen due to homes and various buildings staking claim to the beauty, thus robbing the public.  Case in point – the California coastline, especially my former home, Malibu.  OK, off my soapbox....

I found the mall, small but what should I expect given that Pierre is the second smallest capitol in the U.S. (Vermont apparently is #1).  There are a little over 5000 people in Pierre.  That’s .025 the size of Madison!  And Madison isn’t a big city actually, at 200,000, imagine the number of zeros if I tried to calculate the percent of Chicago. 

In fact, did you know that South Dakota has less than a million in the whole state?!  Milwaukee and surround is bigger, population-wise, than the entire state!  As I was driving along the main road, I discovered a Walgreen’s, which was very exciting coming from Walgreen’s territory.  This was the first I had seen in South Dakota.  I rest assured now that I can get many of the products that I like. 

I managed to find the capitol, not hard in such a small town.  Again on the main road, I spotted what might be it to my right a few blocks off the road I was on.  I made a couple of turns and voila!  

It’s very pretty, as you can see, but Madison’s capitol is still at the top.  I’m told Madison has one of the prettiest capitol buildings in the U.S.  I think it looks like a small White House.  But Pierre’s has it’s own stateliness and elegance as I would think all capitol buildings would.  Across the street was a Memorial for veterans.

After having a wonderful pedicure (!) (heaven) and a very bad manicure which managed to last a long time, which only partially offset the bad, I was hungry so set about to find lunch.  I stopped at Tom’s Diner for a burger.  It was, as one might hope, a classic diner and the burger was good as was the coffee with the exception that the coffee was in a paper cup.  One of my things, I like real cups for my coffee.   The other thing I’ve noted here as no one seems to have anything but yellow mustard.  I’m embarrassed to ask for Grey Poupon, and when I do I am often met with a quizzical look as in Grey Poupon???  It makes enjoying a hamburger or hot dog problematic for this foody snob.

Speaking of coffee cups, I must digress.  My cute little coffee house in Chamberlain?  Well, they have one (1) medium size "real" coffee cup.  The first time I visited I was able to have it, the second time, it was in use.  Ha, ha.  So I had a small that day - life in a small town.  City slickers must learn flexibility....

Back to Pierre.  Before heading home I made sure I had a full tank.  South Dakota is not a place to run out of gas; or if avoidable, have a breakdown.  I shall not travel that road in precarious winter situations, that’s for sure. 

Tonight they predict big winds…you mean all this wind so far has been little????  Apparently over 50 mph….well, I’m glad we’re tucked in for the night.  I’ll enjoy Mother Nature’s fury from my warm…little house on the res…