Hillsboro, ND

Old school Fahrenheit

It was a very chilly night outside at about -8 C but we were cozy inside, and miraculously, nothing froze up on the Brave.   Although, Kirk is piling 2 of his beds together.  It was a sunny clear day with very little wind.  Great for putting the RV on cruise control and rolling down the highway.  We are stopped for the night in Hillsboro ND in their campground.  This is the only campground open between Sioux Falls and home and we have stayed here before.

The campground manager met us at the gate and said I can only offer a couple of spots, we got 2 feet of snow out of that storm.  One which he had plowed but was muddy and required a muddy road to get out again - nope rather not have that one.  Well then, in behind the building on the pavement and he would put some picnic tables across the water to a site electrical box and run us a cord to the RV.  Yes, that one please.  This may sound kind of iffy but we appreciated the fact that he is open where the other campgrounds that say open April 1 - aren't.  He put on rubber boots and ran that cord out over picnic tables and put a couple of orange pylons behind the RV to block anyone else from driving in behind us.  Kirk and I had a good walk around town and here we are.

Our site

The other site in the distance.

The picnic tables carrying extension cord to dry land

438 Km.

Sioux Falls, SD - back to the snow again

Kansas River

still no snow

Near Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux Falls

Jellystone Campground

Us

Some fellow travellers

Buenas Snoches

565 Km.

Topeka, Kansas - Following the snow north

We drove through rolling hills and open rangeland.  As far as "the eye can see" rangeland with scattered herds of cattle.  Nothing but miles and miles of rangeland.  We saw one bridge with about a 1' x 2' patch of snow.

We are in the KOA in Topeka for tonight.  Kirk and I walked the campground nature trail.  The cardinals were singing, a few chilly robins were hopping around, no snow and a fair amount of green.  There are also trees in bloom.

255 Km.

BRRR

Well it only got to 9 degrees C today.  We are still in Wellington along with a bunch of RVs from Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  The Wifi is good and we can get Netflix on TV.

Yes, they are from Minnesota

Good sense of humour.

I think this goat froze overnight.

Well, that's it for the excitement around here.

Waiting in Wellington

We are staying here until Sunday or Monday.  We are on the edges of a variety of nasty severe weather.  Currently it is snowing/blizzards north of us, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes east and southeast of us, and a huge wildfire south of us in Oklahoma near the border.  We are hot and sunny here with a 30 to 38 mph wind.  We are watching the weather channel.  There is a T-shirt in the campground office with a little dog that says "Dear Dorothy can't take the tornados, gone home, took the red shoes".  

Tree blooming.

Kirk has been having more close encounters with the wildlife.

Checking out the pond.

What's that?

This bullfrog is at least 6 inches long sitting.

One jumped about 10 feet, drives Kirk crazy.

Hmm

Closer

Kirk can't believe I'm not going for it.

He's getting away!

These guys are big.

You can catch & release fish in the pond.  There are little trout and these big catfish.  But really, why would I want to handle a big cat like that!  Great fun if you had kids with you though.  Kirk and I stood on the dock watching the fish for quite awhile as they came in to feed in the 6 inches of weedy water along the dock.  Whenever we go for a walk, Kirk is pulling for the pond.

Wellington KOA Kansas

It was time to get on the road again this morning.

Kirk all set to go!

It was a hot blustery day.  We drove through Oklahoma with a tail wind and into Kansas.  This is a small campground but it does have a pond with about 30 or more big catfish lazing around in the shallows and bullfrogs.

Wellington KOA

It is a hot day here and we are running the air.  

Bullfrog

About 5 inches

Little violets blooming in the grass

422 Km.