We decided that today would be a great day for a road trip. Over 300 miles later we returned from seeing a beautiful portion of our home state. We left Rapid City and drove over to Sturgis where we took Route 79/34 exit. Out by Bear Butte we headed back east on Rt. 34.
Passed this abandoned home and in spite of gusts hitting 50 mph I had to try a picture. The shades of color told a story that made me want to know what happened to the family that built this home. It was obviously well built, the upper window suggests an artistic flair of the builder but the surroundings tell a story of hardship. Trees are rare in this area of South Dakota but the wind blows wickedly hard. Bitter winter cold and baking summer heat would take its toll on the hardiest soul.
Get out your atlas and search for Plainview, SD. Still heading east on Rt. 34, 13 miles east of White Owl right alongside the road is this solid Catholic Church. 1918, flu, war, and working hours per day to survive on the prairie. It's flaws reflect our lives that have been cleaned on the inside but remain scarred on the surface.
We turned left (north) at Howes, SD and just south of Faith, SD the east side of the road had a field of sunflowers ready for harvest while the west side of the road had a field of corn ready for harvest. For those of you in central Illinois not all farmers pick their corn as early as you do. I didn't see anywhere to dry the corn other than on the stalk. 
We followed Rt. 73 all the way to Lemmon, SD where turned left (west) onto Rt. 12 where we headed into North Dakota and on to Hettinger, ND. This is the region where the last large scale bison hunts were held in the later 19th century as the US government carried out its plan to force the Native American population onto reservations by wiping out their primary food source. In Hettinger we turned left (south) onto ND Rt. 8. Rt. 8 will turn into Rt. 79 when you enter SoDak.
We recently met a couple at First Wesleyan Church (Rapid City) and the wife attended a one room school like this one south of Hettinger. What amazed Vicki and I is that she is younger than us, had 4 in her class. What a unique opportunity for us to visit with her. She has been an R.N. for over 30 years so her education wasn't lacking.
Behind the school we noticed this stone commemorating the "Lodgepole Dam." If you have read anything posted by me you will understand that I am a strong supporter of FDR's WPA and CCC programs. All over South Dakota their projects still benefit thousands of us. The training provided was unmatched, it taught young men and women to work and develop the skills they had in a wide variety of activities. Not all New Deal programs were successful but these two were and should be a part of modern world. There is nothing wrong with work.
The real purpose of our drive today was to see the "soddie" where our church friend spent the first 5 months of her life. This home was built in 1918 by her Great Grandfather and passed down through the family. While currently slipping into memory, this home has stories that need to be recorded. Yes, it was a two story home; very unusual for a sod home.
Heading back toward Sturgis on Rt. 79 is this view looking northeast. The sun came out to light up the white cliffs. Traveled over 300 miles today, saw at least 200 antelope, thousands of cattle and a couple of dozen deer. We are blessed to live in a geographically diverse state.
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