The Badger Hole

Yesterday when I introduced you all to our new clothes-drying rack it may have seemed that we only got it to be able to dry the bedroom rugs. We have bigger plans! There are many incidental items that have to be dried from time-to-time such as hiking socks after a long, strenuous hike, and towels after we have washed the Airstream or car. Up to now we have resorted to placing items over the end of a picnic table and finding large rocks to hold them in place. I think this drying rack will be a much more satisfactory solution.

Here's another item we picked up at Americas Mailbox - our new rain pants! They zipper all the way down the leg so they can be put on without taking off your boots. Since it was drizzly out this afternoon when we went out on a hike we thought we would give them a try.

New rain pants with rain jacket - ready for anything - which is good because blowing snow is forecast for Saturday and Sunday.  NOAA has just issued an alert for a Winter Storm Watch and the possibility of 6 - 12 inches of snow Saturday noon, overnight into Sunday.

This charming cabin was the hand-built home, called "The Badger Hole",  of Charles Badger Clark (1883-1957), Poet-Laureat of South Dakota and one of SD's best know and beloved citizens. The Badger Hole Historic Trail, which we hiked today, begins at his cabin. 

Badger Clark's poems reflect his love for the West, especially for the majesty and beauty of the Black Hills. "Sun and Saddle Leather" and "Sky Lines and Wood Smoke" are his best-known volumes. "The Cowboy's Prayer" probably is his most popular poem.

http://www.cowboypoetry.com/badger.htm

We also hiked to Legion Lake. You may notice that the rain pants really worked because we didn't  really have any rain while we were wearing them.

Springtime means new families. Perhaps you can just make out Mother and Father Goose, one on either side of their new babies.

There are lots of free-range bison in the park and you have to constantly "mind your foot" as you hike the trails. Today we also saw this bison hair that had been rubbed off on a nice pink granite boulder. It must be that itchy winter coat.