21 August 2012

Well I was up to day 5 and now it is day 25 in the RV and  one month since we arrived in the US!!
We had intended to stay in South Dakota for about 2 weeks... an opportunity to see our friends who live in the Black Hills and get ourselves a bit more organised in the RV after our fairly long drive from Alabama. We needed to register the motorhome and transfer it into our names; outfit and stock up with essentials and attend the Sturgis rally while we were here. We have done so much more than that.  Here is a bit of what we have been doing for the last  3 weeks.

Our friend Ron Rossknecht had a lake side site at Sheridan Lake waiting for us. Unfortunately our power lead was too short and no matter how we tried, the sewer pipe also fell short!! So began a 3 hour exercise in trying to make it all fit together. We had a number of enthusiastic helpers including Ron's son Trevor (yep!) who was working at a KOA camp in his summer holidays. The RV was moved to a fairly unlevel spot and then the lower side was propped up on wooden blocks. I thought it was a bit too unstable and said I wasn't happy to sleep in it like that!!! So the blocks were removed and the wheels on the higher side were dug in to the ground.
 The next day however we moved the RV back to level ground, filled in the holes dug out the night before for the wheels, bought an extension of sewer pipe and borrowed a length of 50amp power lead.  We then found that the hydraulic levellers were not working! We booked Jim the RV man who could not come out until the following Wednesday.  But we were comfortable; everything else was working well and we were settled. Ron gave us the use of a motor vehicle and also offered his office in Hill City whenever we wanted. There is no service at all at Sheridan Lake which is really part of the beauty of the place - and it is beautiful!

There followed a pattern to our days of walking (for me) in the morning before breakfast, Trevor would join Ron and Mason our neighbour for coffee, then chores - very few - before we were off on another round of
hunting and gathering things together for the rest of the year.  We have bought a bike each; a wonderful coffee percolator (a Bialetti ); 2 outdoor chairs; not to mention floor rugs, doona and more kitchen utensils.  Trevor is a terrible shopper! He starts yawning the minute we enter a store and races up and down the aisles so fast that I end up saying - lets go!  I am not sure how we have done as well as we have.
A few mistakes - we have already replaced the can opener and the corkscrew - it doesn't pay to buy the cheapest.

We also dined very well - a dinner at Steve's; fun evenings at the lake when Margaret, Ron's mum came to stay and great times with Rod and Marion