From Calgary, we pushed toward Winnipeg. Doug and Cheryl had friends to see in Minnesota, and I had a plane to catch in Winnipeg. There wasn’t much to see — mostly just prairie and the occasional eerie sky caused by nearby smoke.

We stopped in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and then in Winnipeg, Manitoba. At this point, Cheryl, Doug, and I went our separate ways. Doug and Cheryl headed to friends and then to a fishing excursion for salmon in Lake Ontario. I was headed back to my RV. Home has now become where the RV is parked, so I told people I was headed home. The RV was at my daughter’s home in western Nebraska.

The flights were generally uneventful. Customs was a breeze. And…I flew back into the Alliance Airport where Natasha picked me up. We spent the next week dealing with kids, animals, and trying to get my RV repaired from its rough journey involving a new driver on rugged roads. Additionally, we made a few technical improvements that Natasha had figured out would help me. The best thing we did was put on jack pads, so I did not have to bend down and figure out how to orient the stabilizers that I had been using.

Wyatt and Natasha put some lawn stuff together so Wyatt could be productive while driving something.  This kid lives to drive.  I also got to go to a progress show where the 4-H’ers prepare for the County Fair.  Only Raegan went but she had two in the same weight class so Brena willingly helped her younger sister out by showing the other lamb.  Of course, Grandma had to photo document the events. 

In addition to a couple of great sunsets, we made a detour while in Scottsbluff to go to the Scotts Bluff Monument.  Just before I had left for Alaska, the farmers in Nebraska were begging for rain. While I was gone, they had received over nine inches of it! Nine inches in one season is almost unheard of in this part of the country, and everything I saw was greener than I had ever seen it before. It was great to take pictures of how the landscape looks when it has an adequate amount of rainfall to turn green. The views of the valley from the monument and the hillsides going in and out of Scottsbluff were amazing. I am so pleased to have seen it looking so vibrant. 

The RV needed to be serviced, so I made an appointment. It was a push to the finish of everything in Nebraska, given the very hot weather. While I had an appointment prescheduled, the shop had ordered the wrong hubs, so I spent two nights in the Camping World parking lot, with electricity, waiting on wheel hubs. Note to self, have those serviced more often; then you won’t have to replace them.

A couple of days later than planned, I finally made it to the Badlands of South Dakota. I had been here before but only just passing through. This time, I was looking forward to hanging out there.