There was only about a 5 minute window early October 2nd where the sun broke over the horizon and was in full view here in eastern South Dakota, before ducking behind the clouds for much of the rest of the day. After nearly two years of living here, I am still in awe almost each and every morning of how wide and beautiful the sunrise is from this little dot on a great big map.
South Dakota Sunrise
The clock just turned twelve. I had hoped to sit down to write hours ago. But I got sucked into a movie with the only two that were still up, the Cowboy and one of the twins. It’s been awhile that we had his littles here. The end of the school year and holidays always kind of mess up co-parenting schedules a bit, so it’s been longer than usual that we’ve seen them. We’re soaking up each moment we can, while we have them.
Besides a couple of the horses munching on the grass yet in the pasture nearby, I can hear only the rumbling of thunder off in the distance. Rain storms have been in and out of the area and throughout South Dakota since last night. The mixture of the storms along with the recent heat we’ve had, have made for some beautiful skies throughout the day – magnificent cloud formations and the sun peeking through only moments later.
After suffering through a seemingly never-ending bitterly cold winter, it all now seems so far away. The weather recently has made for what feel like those quintessential, absolutely perfect summer days. And I love summer storms. Not the crazy, violent kind – and storms around here do kick up some pretty nasty winds. I’m just talking about those refreshing summer showers, maybe some thunder and lightning. The kind you can smell coming – kind of summer rains.
As the skies cleared this evening, it just felt like one of those nights my parents used to go for walks through town when we were kids. I was wiped out, along with everyone else after a busy day. But we cleaned up from dinner and while everyone else sat down to watch a movie, I laced up my running shoes one more time and headed down the road. So glad that I did. The palette of colors that stretched as far as the eye could see, in-between very dark storm systems which were producing a heavy mist on the ground in the distance – were these gorgeous pink and orange pastels, almost like a water color painting. I picked up the pace of my leisurely walk in the hopes I might get home and grab my camera fast enough to catch even one image of it.
Not so lucky. The best colors were long gone. But I decided to grab some of the last light of day, anyway. I’m absolutely blown away at how quickly the days go by anymore. While nearly half a year has gone by already, I’m excited summer is upon us.
Welcome, June. It’s good to see you again.
The recent heatwave has brought along with it a heaviness in the air. This morning, it was almost palpable in Eastern South Dakota ..
Morning Fog
While I know days like today create a lot of problems for; people with trouble breathing, travel .. oh, I don’t know, surveyors I’m guessing .. I love days like this (on occasion). There is so much beauty and almost a mystery in days like today. These are some of my favorite to visit places like our national parks. Or, just stay home.
Waiting on the School Bus
It really has not been a bad past few months, in terms of winters.
Well..
If you like snow or rely on it for income, it pretty much sucked.
I didn’t ski once. It’s been a long time since I haven’t gone at all. Or, ice skate. I love doing both, especially with my daughter. We had planned to take the Cowboy in fact. We live near a cool ice skating park with a shelter that serves hot cocoa and had looked forward to going.
This winter though, worked for me. For many reasons. The Cowboy and I have been on the road a ton between here and there. I hate driving in snow. Plus it’s allowed me to get away with the near balding tires I’ve had all winter. I no longer have a yard to just throw open the back door to something fenced in to let the dogs out, I have to walk them. And pick up after them. In a lot of snow, neither of those are fun. And I hate being cold. I usually live in long underwear each winter. I’m not sure that I put them on but twice over the past 5 months. While I love skiing and hate that the hills around here or for that fact, many places took a huge hit this year.. I’ll take winters like the one we’ve had. At least, every now and then.
………….
But I haven’t had the windows open (except to let the smoke out after cooking on a few occasions) since probably mid-November.
I cracked a few on Saturday morning in the apartment.
My daughter, who usually begs me to put the windows up because the wind is blowing her hair in her eyes, wanted all the windows down on the way home from church Sunday morning.
Ahhhhhhhhh….
FRESH, honest to goodness, crisp but not frigid, can crack the windows open all day and not let a ton of heat/money escape as my dad will say, makes you want to garden, feel the breeze on your face and it’s awesome, air.
Car windows, down.
The weekend like the one we’ve had .. has to be one of my favorites each year. The first real buying into the fact spring may actually be here – kind of weekend. Where people are back out in full force. In shorts. Running. Biking. Roller blading. Walking their dogs. Sweating again (those running). Fishing. (Not in an ice shanty.) Sitting at the Terrace, walking State Street, finally putting the Christmas tree to the curb and taking down the lights, re-introduce yourself to your neighbor, windows open kind of weekend.
I’ve hardly sat at the computer. I’ve hardly thought to tweet. Log onto Facebook. Blog. Or do anything inside since Friday night when I left work at 9pm.
It’s helped my internet at home has been down.
But the weather had us out enjoying everything we could, with no jacket required. The warming temps actually kept the Cowboy and I from talking as much as we usually do, too. He and his kids didn’t set foot much inside all weekend. It was a kite flying, bike riding, playing football in the yard until bath time kind of weekend in South Dakota.
My daughter and I enjoyed a date night at the Symphony. We moseyed around the downtown deciding where we wanted to eat versus darting from the car to exactly where we knew we were heading. We leisurely the dogs. I cleaned our little porch to get it ready for the first sign its okay to plant any flowers. We pulled our hula hoops (and these are some serious hula hoops) out of storage. And hit the barn.
Post ride. A few more moments savoring the weekend.
As I think of how beautiful it was here, I wonder if the 14 inches of snow has melted yet at my dad’s to the north ..
I’m hoping everyone had such a weekend.
Spring, welcome back, old friend …
Conversations With a Cowboy 