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Photography Travel

Back to the Black Hills

I left Pierre yesterday after a stormy night. Pierre area got 3-4 inches of rain. I had heard lots of reports of storm damage all the way out to the Black Hills. On the way, I counted 6 semis that were blown over and one fifth-wheel RV. I saw many damaged billboards and signs, several damaged buildings and grain bins. The worst wind damage seemed to be around Okaton.

I stopped in Hermosa and filled up with gas: cost $72.00. The hills are very green. I was really looking forward to getting to my spot and as I came up to it, I saw a large AT&T temporary cell phone tower. Hmmm. I drove up over the hill and there in my meadow was large National Guard camp, a bivouac site. Well, I turned around and went to my alternate site, up the steep hill, and found it quiet. So that’s where I am.

Last night there were more thunderstorms here but nothing severe. It is very cool today. By the end of the week it is forecast to be 105 F. in central South Dakota so I am glad to be here.

One of the first flowers I saw was this Pincushion Cactus, species Coryphantha vivipara. I haven’t seen one in flower for many years.
A moth nectaring on Death Camas.
While I was still in Pierre, my sister Sally and I were walking on Farm Island when she called me over to look at a beetle. I have never seen this beetle before, but it appears to be Cotalpa lanigera, the Goldsmith Beetle, famed as Edgar Allen Poe’s Gold-Bug. There seems to be some controversy about that. At any rate, according to BugGuide.net, it is the first record of this species for South Dakota (there are probably SD records or specimens elsewhere, I’m checking on that).

One reply on “Back to the Black Hills”

Glad you found your alternate spot unoccupied. Sound like there were some bad storms.

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