Mt. Rushmore on Tuesday

Good evening, friends and relatives,

I'm in trouble. I ate another map....my third one. Now, don't get me wrong....I do like the taste of paper but I didn't eat the map because I was hungry. I WAS hungry, actually, but I had food in my space, and water...so that wasn't the reason. No, I ate it becasue I was mad. Yes, friends, a mad-on. A good old-fashioned Juni mad-on. Wanna know why? They had the audacity to leave me in the truck....alone.....by myself....with no one to scritch me, or talk to me or pat my paw. Alone. Yes, OK, I knew Daddy was right outside the door putting fuel in the truck, and I knew Mommy had just gone into the store for a minute, but couldn't I have helped? I've done the heavy lookin' on before.....I KNOW HOW TO DO THESE THINGS! IT DOESN'T TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST! But no, they leave me in the truck, alone, without attention, or any loving, or much of anything to do. Soooo, I search, and I find, and I eat......MAPS! Third one! Did ya get that? Third one......you'd think they'd learn......sigh.....



So, we left Buffalo, Wyoming this morning and got to Gillette where we saw a HUGE coal strip-mining operation. Really ugly....and the trains that take the coal away have over 120 cars to them, with two or three engines that pull them, and always one in the back pushing. Long. Very long.



From there, we headed to South Dakota and Mt. Rushmore. Along the way, Daddy kept finding things to add to our....You Know You're In the West When.....list....like....



You Know You're In the West When

* you can park your forklift at the motel

*you skirt your fifth wheel and both slide outs

*you use 12 foot fences around cemeteries to keep the antelope out

*you see four trees on a thousand acre ranch

*you can count 120 cars on a coal train, with three engines pullin' and one or two pushin'

*you see a herd of antelope mixed in with a herd on black angus

*you can fill up with fuel, lose ten bucks at the slot machines, eat lunch, take a shower, do your laundry, shop for momentos, talk to the locals over a beer (boy, are they intrigued with the GPS, 'specially when there's one on a Harley!), get four sets of directions and sixteen free phamphlets all at the same establishment. Mommy says it's mind boggling.



We did stop at the Mt. Rushmore place. Mommy says it was really interesting, the history of it, even though she doesn't like the part about carving up a mountain. Daddy was more impressed than he thought he would be. Me? I had to stay in the truck.....they took all the maps out this time. See? I knew they'd get it one of these days.



After that, we went to see the Crazy Horse Mountain thing.....but it's not done yet. It probably won't be done for years and years, but it had an interesting story to it, too. Mommy says to google it.....she doesn't want to have me spend time pawing the story. Too long.



After that, we came to our campground. It's a HUGE one, which is great because there are lots of kids, and I HAVE NEW FRIENDS! I played with them a little. They love me. Everyone loves me. I'm such a good girl......when I'm not eating maps.



OK.....pictures next......enjoy and talk to you tomorrow. I love you all. Juni