Weather! We had the most spectacular thunder storm last night, we watched lightening flash at all points around us, and fly across the sky horizontal and just go every which way. The thunder boomers were very impressive. We are very lucky that Butter doesn't care about any of it. She raised her head once during the storm, looked at us, then went back to sleep. Today we went by the Lake House and picked up a few more bottles of wine to enjoy and talk to the service manager. Yeah the tanks are in, well one tank is in and the other is running around Rapid City in a UPS truck, so it will arrive later. Yippee, this means the real repairs can start. It will be so good to get back into our home.
We stopped at the Camping World west of town on our way home. We had purchased a 2 step stair for butter to get into the truck. We have been impressed with it ad Butter took to using it really easily but one day Dan used it when fueling up the truck and it wasn't fully open and it collapsed on, well under him. We had seen one at Camping World and decided to just replace it and be more careful. So that is how we arrived at the store, and it was just a quick run in and out, we really didn't need umbrellas....hahaha. First it was rain, then really hard rain, then rain that turned to hail, and more hail, we were really grateful it stayed at about pea sized, and the other side of the building had about an inch by the time it stopped and we bolted for the truck with several purchases we didn't plan on, you know how that happens when your stuck in a store with nothing to do but shop.
Sept 16 We wanted to spend more time in Custer State Park and today seems like the best time. The weather is clearing and we had a plan for the day. We had a slow start to the day and headed to Hill City for lunch, we had been told to have a great german lunch at the Alpine Inn in Hill City. Well the guy at the Social Security office was right, it was a terrific lunch! and the best bread pudding ever for dessert. That being said, I had wanted to pick up a Fairborn Agate while we were in South Dakota, so a quick (?) stop at a rock shop. Me and rock shops aren't ever quick. We did make it back up the road to Prairie Berry Winery after about an hour and weren't sure about this stop. Dan and I both enjoy pretty heavy red wines and something called Prairie Berry was sounding a little lite and fruity, and it was, and we enjoyed it and left with 6 bottles to enjoy on down the road. We wound our way over to Custer State Park, and asked where the buffalo were hanging out to. The ranger told us they were all the way south almost to Wind Cave so we hd a nice long drive ahead of us. We hadn't taken the needle highway on our first day in the park so that was the plan today. There are several very tight tunnels, short, but tight, especially for a dually and when we arrived at the first one I wan't to see the "eye of the needle" but when I turned around, I came eye to eye with a mountain goat. WOW just magnificent, and I was in a position where I just needed to squat down and let people shot pictures over my head, but after about 10 minutes I needed to climb down and take a chance that he would hang around for the rest of the crowd trying to get pictures, he didn't. But just as we finally took our turn through the tunnel he popped out again over head, just wanted to say goodbye I'm sure. 
We found the buffalo and we found pronghorn and we found lots of prairie dogs and we just had a lovely day driving all around Custer State Park and it was well after dark before we wound our way back to Elk Creek and our little cabin.
Sept 17 and Sept 18 We just took it easy over the weekend and did laundry, went grocery shopping. We had some really entertaining wildlife out at Elk Creek. Numerous Turkey act as our alarm clocks most mornings, they come right up to the edge of the front patio and start making a lot of noise. The deer tend to be very quiet as they wander into the meadow out front each morning and each evening. The rabbits are just funny to watch and on a few occasions gave Butter a good run for her money. Silly dog thinking she could catch a rabbit.
Sept 19 We decided to head out to Ellsworth AirForce Base and tour the museum. This was really a good museum, the planes outside kept us busy for quite awhile and just as we headed in there was an amazing sound and off to the left we saw a B1 taking off, headed north and it was gone, WOW. The exhibits in the museum brought back lots of memories of jets and rockets and news cast that peppered our growing up years.
After the Air Force base we grabbed some lunch and decided to take advantage of the pass to return to the reptile gardens and take in the shows and see the areas we couldn't take Butter to the last time.
They had a really cute bird show and alligator show, and even a snake show. Dan got to pet a baby alligator, and we checked out all the snakes.Sept 20 Just a few errands to run today, first off to Americas Mailbox, pick up mail, fill out the forms to register to vote and apply for absentee ballots as we really hope to be on the road before November. Then to Safeway for a prescription pickup and we ran up the hill to see the Dinosaur Park. Built by the WPA there are 7 dinosaur sculptures. I have to admit seeing a duckbilled dinosaur brought back lots of childhood memories playing with plastic dinos. And the views of Rapid City were really spectacular as it was a year crisp day. After that we did a little shopping and took in a movie.
Sept 21 Sams club and Target for internet. We discovered that there were days when the internet was so bad at the resort we just head into town, grab a tea at Starbucks and have really good internet for an hour or so.
Sept 22 Service the truck, Dan had gotten a recommendation from the RV place and wanted to get the regular oil and transmission service done on the truck and as we were starting to hope we might be on the road again soon this seemed like a good idea, for him. Our resort had a wedding booked and we had to move out of the kitchenette and into a regular room and I was sitting around with little else to do, so I relocated all our belongings to another cabin down the way and when Dan came home we went into Piedmont and grabbed much at a little cafe. Dan had his first hot roast beef sandwich, with mashed potatoes and gravy all over it. I was really glad we opted for the half sandwich.
Sept 23 Lake house being worked on! We were headed into town to get breakfast as we no longer had a kitchenette and Green RV called to let us know what was going on. We decided to just go by and see what they were talking about. Seems the gray tank is fine! great news, the black tank is a true puzzlement. Why they ask do we have 2 black tank flushes? We didn't know we did. Best(WORST) RV told us we didn't have a black tank flush, but it was prepped for one. Remember this place back in California, it seems we are still not done with them. So when they told us we didn't have one, we said "install a black tank flush while you are doing the other work". When we got fed up with them and took our home they pointed to the flush attachment they had attached to the side, under the skirting. At the time we were too frustrated to question why they didn't use the prepped fitting in the water cabinet. Now we know why, because that was a fully functioning black tank flush....fully functioning mind you. They installed a second one and charged us for it. Now if this is the time that the black tank got blown out we will never know. But that is what had happened, the tank was pressured up and split all along the top edge. and the supporting bar under it bowed down. Now we could go on down the road dumping our tank every 2-3 days and never know of the problem. Until that day in Utah when every thing fell out. We are still scratching our heads, and so are the techs now looking at this. I ask them to please verify that the only thing going into that tank is the toilet, and they crawl up and trace the plumbing. I still believe that at least the bathroom facet is going into that tank. We will test it down the road. The work will progress and we will probably get our home back on Monday late or Tuesday. I decide it is time to start making plans to leave on Tuesday and make some reservations.
We go on over to Starbucks, sip tea and surf the net and decide its time to catch another movie...The magnificent 7. So it is a late night and we have to move out of the cabin tomorrow again.
Sept 24 Load em up, head em out, and we are moving back to motel 6. First we have a day to fill in Rapid City and I want to take in The Journey museum. This is a great museum, they aren't real busy so we request to see a movie and they accommodate us. Then another film with overhead shots of South Dakota. Its like soaring over the whole state, and having spent the better part of 4 weeks driving those roads it was really cool to see it all from the air. Then we walked through the ancient history of the land, the dinosaurs, the geology of the black hills, the early indians and then the incursion of the white man. We also learned about the great flood of 1972. But we are burned out and need some food, and to get checked in at the motel. They invite us back for another day.
Sept 25 We are up and at em again, because we are moving back to the Elk Creek Resort. It sounds much more difficult then it really is. The resort is about 12 miles out of town and we don't know for sure when we will be able to pick up the Lake House so it just seems wiser to move back rather then waiting it out at Motel 6. So After we return to The Journey Museum, and have a relaxing time with the rest of the displays and sit in on the history of Prairie Berry Winery with samples and mustard and ketchup tastings.....you never know what is going to be going on at a museum. We grab a burger and head to the resort. Natalie hands me our keys and tells me to come in tomorrow and finish up. Its like home.
Sept 26 We have a day and we will just wait to hear about the repairs. We call in and can't make a connection, lousy cell service. We are so conditioned to pick up our cell phones I hadn't even realized there was a phone on the night stand. I use it to call in and learn that the work is done! We can pick it up right now, and as tempting as that is, we decide to wait until Tuesday morning so we can get an early start and have an easier day. So first we go do laundry, we won't have to worry about it again for a few weeks if we get it done today. Then we head to Olive Garden for a late lunch and just try to relax. A glass of wine to celebrate and a really good meal. The weight and the wait have been hard on both of us and it is looking like the "sun will come out tomorrow"! Not that we haven't had lots of sunshine in South Dakota, but we would like to see some new vistas. We'll miss our little cabin, and the hills we watched start to turn yellow. But we will be very happy campers tomorrow.
So Aug 26th we dropped the rig off for repairs and Sept 27th we pick it up....On the road again!
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