A trip to the Hills
Hello February! Here we are, back from the Black Hills Stock Show. Wow, what a good, kind of crazy ten days we had. I’ll tell you all about it.
Our first day started with it being seriously icy on the way out of town and before we left the area, we decided to put on some fuel and get snacks. I got out of the truck, slipped on the ice, hurting my shoulder, elbow and hip that wasn’t replaced. Everyone in the station got a chuckle, but I thought I needed shoulder surgery. I’m still nursing it but all the bruising is almost gone. I’m giving it a week more, then if it’s not better, I’m going in.
We had to get a new to us truck a week before heading out, but we’re pleasantly surprised with this new Yukon. I loved it. I tell you what, always buy local. Our dealership in Canby is first rate and we’re glad to do business with him. The only problem with this new truck? I always caught myself speeding. In my old truck, you knew you were doing over 60 because the whole thing would shimmy and shudder. This one…well we won’t say how fast I was going. But luckily this one has cruise that works, I need to start using it.
The show itself was just ok, but the weather out there was phenomenal! Honestly, I missed out on a lot of the local crowd…I’m sure many were outside instead. Out of all those days, I wore a jacket one time, just because it was raining, otherwise the weather was in the 60’s every day. My kids took a day and spent it at Mount Rushmore and went through Custer State Park. They even got to do their homework on the deck. It was just so beautiful!
Even though I love the Black Hills so much, I feel there’s some decline in Rapid City. The homeless problem has been out of control for the last six years I’ve been going there, but this year was kind of crazy. There was a stabbing right outside of the event center where the show was, between some homeless. The person was found dead on a park bench the next morning. Pretty sad stuff.
The definite highlights of the trip was staying at a really nice Airbnb on the golf course, I always get to take along my older kids and spend time with them and that’s a hoot for sure. For working so hard, I took them to a fancy restaurant where they proceeded to show me by their actions NOT to take them to a fancy restaurant again. Levi was breaking up his carrot ribbons on his salad with his fingers, while Jess dipped her lettuce in her dressing with her hands and Rachel ordered buffalo on the bone and had no idea how to eat it. But while Levi smelled each bite before he ate it, and squished out bloody juices from his steak, I’m determined to “uncaveman” my kids at all cost.
Aside from seeing a guy pulling his taxidermy dogs in a wagon at the show (yes, his real dogs were dead and stuffed) it was a good show. And that was even okay… just not something you see every day. My thoughts were this: what about the dog that he was walking alongside of him? Was it thinking, ‘I might be next and is there still room for me in the wagon?’
Until next time, Fairchild “thoughts that keep you up at night” Farmgirl
Suzanne Fairchild is a freelance writer who lives on a farm in southwest Minnesota with her husband and children. She can be reached at rmf@itctel.com.
Our first day started with it being seriously icy on the way out of town and before we left the area, we decided to put on some fuel and get snacks. I got out of the truck, slipped on the ice, hurting my shoulder, elbow and hip that wasn’t replaced. Everyone in the station got a chuckle, but I thought I needed shoulder surgery. I’m still nursing it but all the bruising is almost gone. I’m giving it a week more, then if it’s not better, I’m going in.
We had to get a new to us truck a week before heading out, but we’re pleasantly surprised with this new Yukon. I loved it. I tell you what, always buy local. Our dealership in Canby is first rate and we’re glad to do business with him. The only problem with this new truck? I always caught myself speeding. In my old truck, you knew you were doing over 60 because the whole thing would shimmy and shudder. This one…well we won’t say how fast I was going. But luckily this one has cruise that works, I need to start using it.
The show itself was just ok, but the weather out there was phenomenal! Honestly, I missed out on a lot of the local crowd…I’m sure many were outside instead. Out of all those days, I wore a jacket one time, just because it was raining, otherwise the weather was in the 60’s every day. My kids took a day and spent it at Mount Rushmore and went through Custer State Park. They even got to do their homework on the deck. It was just so beautiful!
Even though I love the Black Hills so much, I feel there’s some decline in Rapid City. The homeless problem has been out of control for the last six years I’ve been going there, but this year was kind of crazy. There was a stabbing right outside of the event center where the show was, between some homeless. The person was found dead on a park bench the next morning. Pretty sad stuff.
The definite highlights of the trip was staying at a really nice Airbnb on the golf course, I always get to take along my older kids and spend time with them and that’s a hoot for sure. For working so hard, I took them to a fancy restaurant where they proceeded to show me by their actions NOT to take them to a fancy restaurant again. Levi was breaking up his carrot ribbons on his salad with his fingers, while Jess dipped her lettuce in her dressing with her hands and Rachel ordered buffalo on the bone and had no idea how to eat it. But while Levi smelled each bite before he ate it, and squished out bloody juices from his steak, I’m determined to “uncaveman” my kids at all cost.
Aside from seeing a guy pulling his taxidermy dogs in a wagon at the show (yes, his real dogs were dead and stuffed) it was a good show. And that was even okay… just not something you see every day. My thoughts were this: what about the dog that he was walking alongside of him? Was it thinking, ‘I might be next and is there still room for me in the wagon?’
Until next time, Fairchild “thoughts that keep you up at night” Farmgirl
Suzanne Fairchild is a freelance writer who lives on a farm in southwest Minnesota with her husband and children. She can be reached at rmf@itctel.com.