Today is July the 4th and Happy Independence Day to you all. It is also my day off and I am happy to have the holiday off. I get to miss the tourists increase in the store and I really wont miss it at all. :) I slept in late and had a late breakfast. I was wanting to keep in touch with Cathy today as this is also a special day in our family. My son Logan is getting remarried today. I am gaining another Daughter-in- (Emily) and a new granddaughter (Ava). When Logan called me to let me know of the coming marriage he knew I could not make it home. He was OK with that as they have been thinking about getting married for awhile and it was just the right time to get married. So they moved up the date and he was OK with me not being there as Cathy will be there and will send me pictures and videos.
This being my lazy day off I decided to drive around the area into the farm and ranch areas to just enjoy the wide open spaces. Below are a few pictures of my travels. I also visited a very old and small town of Quinn South Dakota. From Wikipedia:
Quinn's population was 54 in the 2010 census. Quinn was laid out in 1907. The town was named for Quinn Renno, a local rancher. A post office called Quinn has been in operation since 1907. The Quinn Methodist Church is on the National Register of Historic Places.
I pictured the Quinn Methodist church, but it seems to no longer be a church but now a community center. I really enjoy traveling around Wall and visiting the small towns that once had a powerful history but now are almost gone.
After visiting Quinn I headed down the road and saw a lot of cattle and horses. The farmers are working in their fields and I see the wheat is just about ready to bring in. I also see corn starting to pop up. I am really surprised that crops can even grow in this arid climate. The wind never stops blowing and it seems to suck out the water from everything. By my trailer I have cracks in the ground that are an inch to an inch and a half wide. The ground is hard as a rock and even if a hard rain comes in the wind seems to dry the place out quickly. I also see people hanging a lot of wash out on the line, as it saves cost and dries rather quickly.
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| The Bell Bar Ranch just kept on going and going. A lot of land. |
The video below cannot do the space justice, but I wanted to give you and idea of how wide open the place is. As I drive I can see for miles and miles. I just wish I could hike into some of the places but barb wire blocks access to all places. I may find a friendly rancher who will let me explore their place one day.
On my way back I was able to find a site that once contained a nuclear Minuteman Missile. There we several missile sites around the area and when the disarmament agreements were signed the missiles were removed and the silos were imploded. The land then went back to the local ranchers. The rancher decided to keep the fence and use the area for storage. How would you like to have a nuclear missile in your backyard?
Later I will get in a walk around town. By the way I had my first snake encounter on yesterday's walk. It was not a rattle snake. Which disappointed me. :) It was a variety that I did not recognize and I would show it to you but I don't carry my phone while walking. I can barely carry myself. :) Tonight I will go and watch Wall's fireworks. They will be shot off at the local golf course just after dark. Yes Wall has a golf course. I found that interesting too. I hope you all stay safe and have a great 4th. Be nice and kind to those you meet.
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