SOUTH DAKOTA
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| THIS WAS THE VIEW OF US ENTERING THE BURYANEK STATE PARK |
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| WE HIT ALOT OF BUGS DRIVING. BUT OH WELL STILL PRETTY |
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| IT IS JUST SO PINEY AND PRETTY IN SOUTH DAKOTA. |
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| THE VIEW COMING DOWN TO THE MISSOURI RIVER. THERE IS A LOT OF RECREATIONAL THINGS TO DO ON THIS RIVER. |
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| NICK AND I THOUGHT THE CAVES THAT ARE BUILT IN TO THE WALL ALONG THE WATER WERE REALLY MYSTERIOUS AND WE SO WANTED TO EXPLORE THEM, BUT WE HAD A DEADLINE. WE WERE ONLY STAYING ONE NIGHT IN BURYANEK AND THEN ONTO THE BADLANDS. |
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| THE VIEW OFF OF OUR CABIN THE FIRST CABIN OF THE FIRST NIGHT. |
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| THE BOYS JUST CHILLIN ON LAKE MISSOURI WHILE MOM IS FIXING DINNER , THE FIRST OF MANY SITTING DINNERS I WILL BE MAKING OUTSIDE OUR CABINS.BUT THE VIEW WAS SO WORTH IT. I AM NOT THE BIGGEST FAN OF CAMPING AND COOKING. MY IDEA OF EATING OUT IS AT A RESTAURANT BUT I DID IT FOR THE BOYS. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I ENJOYED IT, BUT IT IS ALOT OF WORK AND PREPARATOIN TO CAMPING AND COOKING AND IT ENDS UP NOT BEING SUPER RELAXING FOR THE COOK. |
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| OK THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF MANY, MANY, MANY SKY PICTURES YOU ARE GOING TO SEE ON THIS POST. . THE SKY THERE IN THE SUMMER JUST DANCES WITH COLORS. |
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| NOT ONLY WAS THE SKY PICTURESQUE, THE COVERED WAGON LOOK OF THE PICNIC TABLES WAS A BONUS.... |
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| THE BOYS LOVED THIS. NEVER SEEN 80 MPH SIGN BEFORE HERE IN AMERICA. BUT I CAN SEE WHY. THE ROADS ARE SO STRAIGHT AND DRY. JOSH WAS DREAMING HE HAD HIS MOTORCYCLE WITH HIM. I AM GRATEFUL HE DID NOT AND I AM ALSO GRATEFUL THAT OUR CONVERSION VAN CANNOT TOLERATE 80.... |
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| SO EVERYBODY SAYS YOU MUST STOP AT WAHL. IT IS THE HOME OF THE FIRST PHARMACY CALL WAHLDRUGS. CUTE TOWN. AWESOME DONUTS. |
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| ONCE WE GOT CLOSER THE LANDSCAPE STARTED CHANGING AND LOOKING DARK, DARK GREEN WHICH FROM A DISTANCE CAN APPEAR BLACK, HENCE THE REASON THEY ARE CALLED THE BLACK HILLS. INDIANS WOULD GIVE DIRECTIONS TO EACH OTHER USING LANDMARKS, SUCH AS GO NORTH BY BLACK HILLS. ??? JUST A GUESS.... |
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| NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERYDAY LYING ON THE SIDE OF ROAD, CHILLIN AND FREE. NO PEN.... |
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| THESE WERE SOME OF MY FAVORITES TO SEE. |
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| THESE GUYS ARE JUST STINKING COOL TO SEE... YOU NEVER TIRE OF SEEING WILD BUFFALOS JUST ROAMING FREE. |
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| THESE GUYS ARE WILD....MY BUTT. THEY MAY SLEEP IN THE WILD AND NOT BE PENNED UP BUT THEY SURE LOVE BEING FED... |
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| THE VIEW OUTSIDE OUR CABIN (CABIN NUMBER 2) OTHERS HAVE SPOTTED BIG HORNS UP ON THOSE BLUFFS. WE LOOKED HARD, BUT NONE TO SEE... |
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| VIEW FROM OUR DECK |
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| WHO ARE THESE TWO OLD FAT PEOPLE. I DON'T RECOGNIZE THEM... |
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| HANDSOME, HANDSOME MAN.... |
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| OK SO THIS HAS A STORY I NEED TO TELL....OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE BECOME AFRAID OF HEIGHTS, AN UNUSUAL PHOBIC OF HEIGHTS. SO CHRIS DIDN'T FEEL LIKE DRIVING AND I HAD NOOO IDEA WHEN HE ASKED ME TO DRIVE UP TO THE LOOKOUT TOWER WHAT THAT MEANT. OK SO I SAID I WOULD DRIVE. OMG.....THE DROP OFF WAS THOUSANDS OF FEET WITH NO SIDE RAILS AND THE ROAD LOOKED LIKE IT WAS IN I DON'T KNOW...ITALY. I WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOO STRESSED DRIVING, MY HEART WAS RACING, I WAS SWEATING PROFUSELY, BUT THERE WAS NO WHERE TO PULL OVER AND SWITCH DRIVERS.THE ROAD WAS NOT EVEN WIDE ENOUGHT TO HANDLE TWO CARS. IF PASSING, ONE HAD TO STOP AND PULL AS CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAIN AS POSSIBLE SO WE COULD GET BY... I MADE IT UP BUT ON THE WAY DOWN I LAID DOWN AND DECIDED I DID NOT NEED TO SEE OUT THE WINDOW. THE BOYS MADE FUN OF ME, BUT IT WAS SERIOUSLY A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE... |
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| THE PARKING LOT OF THE LOOKOUT |
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| OH THESE LITTLE PRARIE DOGS WERE CUTE. THEY WERE EVERYWHERE... |
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| JUST SO COOL. I NEVER TIRE OF SEEING THEM. MUST HAVE BEEN SO COOL ON THE PRAIRIE ALONG TIME AGO TO SEE THEM AND SCARY. |
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| MOMMY AND HER NEW FAWN. THERE WAS SOOOO MUCH WILDLIFE JUST RUNNING AROUND. THAT WAS THE BEST PART OF THE VACATION.. |
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| WE HAVE SEEN LOTS OF TURKEYS IN MINNESOTA WHERE WE LIVE, BUT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN A GROUP OF BABIES CROSSING... |
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| THE BOYS ENJOYING A MEAL MOMMY MADE. LIKE I SAID, I WOULD BE MAKING MANY MEALS AT MANY CABINS. THIS IS CABIN #2 |
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| GORGEOUS MEN ENJOYING A HOT POCKET I MADE OF POTATOES, CARROTS, KIELBASA AND GREEN BEANS. THROW IT IN THE FIRE AND THERE YOU HAVE IT....A MEAL... |
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| THE BACK OR OUR CABIN...SKY LOOK BEAUTIFUL.... |
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| NICK BEING NICK AND JUST LOOKING COOL!!!! |
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| SKY WAS STARTING TO TURN PINK.. THAT MEANS SKY PICTURES....=) |
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| TWO TURKEY HANGING OUT.... |
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| AHH BROTHERLY LOVE. JOSH IS EITHER PUTTING HIS ARM AROUND HIM TO GIVE HIM LOVE AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND ADVICE OR IF YOU DON'T DO THIS FOR ME I WILL KILL YOU. I THINK THE LATTER...=) |
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| LOOKING SOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL NICHOLAS.... BEAUTIFUL SKY BEHIND YOU .... |
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| OMINOUS SKY PULLING IN.. |
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| ONE HAS TO BE IN AWE WHEN YOU SEE A HERD OF BUFFALO RUN WILD THROUGH THE CAMPS. I FELT LIKE I WAS IN DANCES WITH WOLVES... |
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| BACK AGAIN TO SEE THE WILDLIFE THE NEXT DAY AND YOU SEE THIS MOST MOMENTIOUS MOMENT OF A WILD DONKEY BREASTFEEDING..... |
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| OK WASN'T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN I STUCK A CARROT OUT THE WINDOW,... NOT EVERY DAY A DONKEY COMES TO TAKE YOUR ORDER FOR TAKEOUT.... |
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| OK YOU CAN GO NOW... |
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| AFTER SEEING THE DONKEYS, WE WERE HEADING TO MOUNT RUSHMORE AND WHAT DID WE COME UPON IN THE MORNING SUNNING. YOU SEE WHEN YOU CAMP, YOU ARE UP EARLY AND NOT VERY MANY CARS ON THE ROAD, SO THIS LITTLE GUY HAD TIME TO GET UP AND SUN HIMSELF. I AM SOOOO GLAD I SAW THIS RATTLESNAKE WHILE IN MY CAR. THERE WERE SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CAMP SAYING "BEWARE OF RATTLESNAKES" AND FROM THE LOCALS WE HEARD THEY WERE ESPECIALLY BAD THIS YEAR. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE DID NOT DO ALOT OF HIKING UNFORTUNATELY. |
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| I THINK THEY SAID WE COULD SEE MOUNT RUSHMORE FROM HERE, NEVER COULD MAKE OUT IF THIS IS THE BACK OR NOT BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY THE FRONT... |
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| OK SO WE ARE IN A LARGE CONVERSION VAN AND WE HAVE TO MAKE IT THROUGH THAT LITTLE OPENING. IT WAS VERY, VERY CLOSE |
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| ALL THOSE LITTLE TINY CAVES YOU DRIVE THROUGH ARE ON NEEDLES HIGHWAY. WE WONDERED WHY IT WAS CALLED NEEDLES, BUT THEN THE LOCALS TOLD UP BECAUSE AT THE VERY TOP, THERE APPREARS TO BE A NEEDLE EYE.. HENCE ABOVE... |
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| OUR CAR IS WAYYYYYYYYYY BIGGER THAN THE ONE BEFORE US AND WE HAVE TO MAKE IT THROUGH.. NO WHERE TO TURN BACK AROUJND. GOTTA TRY.. |
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| I TRULY FEEL LIKE WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. WE HAVE ROADS IN AMERICA..RIGHT???? |
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| OK SO WE ONLY HAD ONE OR MAYBE TWO NIGHTS IN EACH OF THE 3 CABINS. THIS LOOKS LIKE THEIR ROOMS AT HOME IN RECORD TIME. BUT WE DO ENJOY THESE CABINS. I ESPECIALLY ENJOY THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE ELECTRIC AND AIR CONDITIONING. I KNOW I AM A BABY. |
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| MOMMY ENJOYING A QUIET TIME ON THE PORCH EARLY MORMING WITH JUST OUTDOOR NOISES... |
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| MY TWO HANDSOME MEN. IN ALL TH E PICTURE OF HIKING AND BACKGROUND PICS, ZACK IS NOT THERE BECAUSE HE BROKE HIS ARM BEFORE VACATION HE AND I HAD SOME QUALITY TIME TOGETHER NEEDLESS TO SAY. I DIDN'T MIND BUT I FELT BAD HE MISSED SOME OF THESE BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS. |
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| CABIN NUMBER 3 |
YOU ARE GOING TO SEE ALOT OF SKY PICS FROM HERE ON OUT.. BE WARNED...
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| SUN SETTING NEAR OUR CABIN |
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| ANTELOPE RUNNING |
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| YOU CAN' T SEE THEM UNLESS YOU KNOW WHERE THEY WERE, BUT WILD SHEEP AND GOATS LIVE UP THERE AND PERIODICALLY YOU SPOT THEM.. WE DID...IT WAS AMAZING.... |
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| WILD TURKEYS RUNNING EVERYWHERE... |
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| JOSH DRIVING.. WE HAD HOPED HE WOULD DRIVE MORE BUT HE HAS NO PATIENCE FOR THE VAN AND HOW SLOW IT DRIVES. SOME DAY WHEN HE IS A PARENT, HE WILL APPRECIATE THE VAN...-=) |
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| THEY DIDN'T GET THE NO ELECTRONICS MEMO |
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| HIKERS AT HEART..... |
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| VIEW COMING DOWN FROM MOUNT RUSHMORE. |
BEAR PARK...
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| OK SO WE DROVE, NOT WALKED THROUGH THE COOLEST ZOO, WITH WARNINGS TO NOT LEAVE YOUR WINDOW DOWN AND SIGN A WAIVER YOU WILL NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR...THIS IS A HUGE ANTELOPE... |
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| COOL RAM. |
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| SLEEPING BEAR... |
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| OK SO THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF WILD BEARS ROAMING AROUND AND HAVING FUN...WE SAW ATLEAST 60 BEARS... |
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| THIS GUYS WAS SO COOL. HE GOT UNDER A TREE AND SCRATCHED HIS BACK. |
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| THIS GUY WAS SLEEPING WITH THREE LEGS UP!!!!!! |
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| THIS WAS THE BIGGEST OF THEM WEIGHING 1000 POUNDS |
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| BABY BEARS OF THAT YEAR BEING FED. THEY CERTAINLY WEREN'T WILD AND IT TOOK ALL I HAD NOT TO JUMP IN THEIR PEN AND JUST LOVE ON THEM.. |
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| MY BABY BEARS... |
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| BACK TO CAMP AND CABIN # 3 |
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| DEEP THOUGHTS AROUND A CAMPFIRE. LISTENING TO COYOTES...HOPING YOU DON'T SEE A BEAR. |
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| NICK'S FIRE PICTURE. I THINK IT IS SO COOL. |
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| SAW THIS SIGN ON THE WAY TO THE BADLANDS. OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PUPPIES... |
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| ENTERING THE BADLANDS. ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE SPACE OR MARS... |
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| THE BOYS TOOK THAT PATH DOWN BUT HEARD A RATTLESNAKE.. I HATE SNAKES NOT TO MENTION A RATTLESNAKE...URGH... |
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| MY BOYS!!!!!SEE MARS BEHING THEM. |
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| NOT SURE WHAT ANIMAL THAT IS... |
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| WILD GUYS RUNINING WILD IN THE BADLANDS. |
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| MY ADVENTUROUS ONE CAN;T WAIT TO HIKE THESE HILLS. |
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| DADDY WITH THE BOYS... |
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| THE PICTURE DOES NOT DO THIS JUSTICE. BUT THE HILLS ARE LAYERS OF COOL COLORS. ORANGE, PURPLE, REDS, COPPER...JUST STUNNING. |
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| THE MONKEY CLIMBING AGAIN, IT'S HIGHER THAN IT APPEARS. |
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| THIS A BOARDWALK WITH GREAT INFORMATION. I WAS ABLE TO WALK THAT ONE HOWEVER AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE, THERE ARE SIGNS. "BEWARE OF RATTLESNAKES. STAY ON TRAIL" NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE TO MAKE YOUR WALK RELAXING... |
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| HANDSOME CLIMBERS. THEY LOVED, I MEAN LOVED HIKING THESE TRAILS DESPITE THE AMOUNT OF RATTLLING THEY HEARD FROM RATTLESNAKES WARNING THEM... |
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| DOES THIS MEAN NOTHING TO MEN... |
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| LOOKOUT TOWER. THERE WERE WARNING OF OVERHEATING TOO. MANY ON THE TRAIL WERE DRENCHED AND BEET RED. OUR GUYS TOOK LOTS OF WATER BUT YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE HEAT AND DRYNESS THAT COMES OFF THESE ROCKS. |
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| LAST NIGHT ON OUR VACATION IN A HOTEL IN THE BADLANDS... |
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS AT THE BADLANDS. THERE WERE EVEN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT NIGHT TAKING PICTURE. MY CAM ERA DOES NOT DO JUSTICE...
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| ON OUR WAY HOME WE STOPPED AT SIOUX FALLS AND GOT OUT TO ENJOY A NICE QUIET LUNCH BY A PARK... |
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| SO NICK DECIDES WE ARE STILL ON VACATION AND REALLY WANTS TO HIKE MORE AND DECIEDES TO CROSS THE RIVER TO GET TO THE ISLAND IN THE PIC BELOW.. YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO AND EVERY MOM IS LOOKING AT ME.. I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WEREN'T ALLOWED UNTIL I SAW THE SIGN AND HE WAS OUT THERE. I WONDERED WHY NO OTHER KIDS WERE DOING THIS,.... |
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JUST LIKE THERE IS STURGEONS FOR BIKERS, THERE IS SIOUX FALLS FOR CORVETTS. MILES OF CORVETTES COME TOGTHER FOR A WEEKEND AND PARTY I GUESS...
THIS WAS A MEMORABLE 10 DAYS!!!!
LOVE MY HUSBAND AND MY BOYS. I MAY HAVE COMPLAINED FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT IN THE END, IT WAS A GOOD MEMORY.. |
