Mitchell, SD

We are so lucky. Yesterday the bracket that holds the axle in the camper broke. We are fortunate that this didn't happen back when we were traveling to the Artic Circle or in the Yukon on those days that we were miles from any service stations. We're fortunate that is didn't occur when we were climbing those monster mountains in Bristish Columbia. It happened right after we left the Corn Palace and the library here in Mitchell just as were just about to get on I 90. We were at an intersection which wasn't the perfect place to have a camper or vehicle problems, but we were close to services. That was good. Steve did a great job of staying cool and calm, too!

People are so good, too. We were sitting there calling AAA for tow advice and then the police to let them know that we were screwing up their intersection when two young guys in a pickup truck jumped right out to help. Turns out that we didn't take them up on their kind offer, but is certainly was terrific of them to offer help. When the officer came, he suggested that we just wait for the tow truck. We did. Turns out we didn't need the tow, but that tow truck guy helped us out and led us to a camper sales business where they diagnosed the problem, sold us the parts to fix it, and called a guy who own a weilding business.

This morning it is getting fixed. A really nice older man who seems to know his stuff is doing the weilding. It's like when you get on a plane. It's good to know that the pilot is an older guy who know what he is doing. This man is in his 60s. My bet is he will do a great job and then we will be on our way.

Of course, this throws our schedule off a bit, but to quote the Bard, "All's well that ends well." We are fine. We may not make it for the Lobster Pound's last weekend, but we will do our best!

More good news -- since we are sort of stranded here in Mitchell, I have time to tell to tell a bit about our recent sights. ( Yesterday we were trying to hurry to get along on our way. Obviously, today I can take the full thirty minutes here in the Mitchell Library.)

First, Crazy Horse Monument, the world's largest mointain carving..Mount Rushmore would fit in just Crzy Horse's head! The scuptor, Korezak Ziolkowski, had ten children; seven of them are continuing the work he started. His widow also continues with the work he started. ( She was ten years younger than he.)

In 1948, Ziolkowski blasted 10 tons of rock. That started the process. Now sixty-one years later, Crazy Horse's head is complete and tons of rock have been removed from where Crazy Horse's horse eventually will be. A painted outline shows where the 45 ft. horse's ear, the 16 ft -wide ear and the 16 ft -wide eye will be. When complete, the sculpture will depict Crazy Horse's head, body, and his arm pointing to his lands. And, of course, his horse will be part of the monument. Probably the scupture will take another 100 years to complete. When he was alive, the scuptor turned down governmental assistnace in funding. No doubt he wanted complete artistic control. Also, he was a believer of the free enterprise system. Most of all, he believed in trying to right some of the injustices the Lakotas suffered. He made and his family is making a good stab at that. We were happy to come to see the progress. It is fun to return to an area to see what has happened in the years you've been away.

The Corn Palace also has an interesting story.The murals both inside and outside are made entirely of native grains and corn that is grown in this area. They use thousands of bushels of corn, grasses, and straw. These murals are made each year and have been since the 1800s. Well, during WW l, WW l l and the Depression they took a hiatus from their work, but for the rest of the years, it was business as usual. That is quite a commitment and history.

One of the murals shows a launch of a shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center. One portrays Mount Ruchmore; another, the Crazy Horse Mounument. The artists we know would be amazed at this work. And it is all corn!

The building is used for the town's events all year: Proms, college and high chool basketball games, concerts, dances, a rodeo, and conventions. With the town having a populations of 14,000, they use the building monthly. Fun and very different from anythins we see in New England.

You can tell we have been in Mitchell for a while. I have read every travel brochure we have. This morning at breakfast, Steve started asked me something about the town and kidded me about knowing so much about the place. Well, what else do you do when your camper is being fixed? You read.