“You’ll sit in the car…”

Remember that earlier post in which I told you about our family trip to South Dakota, in particular, when we went to the Badlands?  Here is an anecdote of that day:

My brother, Zach really loved standing at the precipice of the canyons.  He would stand at the edge, hands on his hips, taking in the great landscapes and the huge sky.  This behavior distressed my poor mother.  One huge gust of wind would have swept him off his feet and, perhaps, hurtling to his death.  Mom kept telling him to get away from the edge, and he knew she was distressed.

Instead of backing off, Zach posed for pictures, because that’s what eighteen year-old guys do:

“Zachary!” yelled Mom, a significant distance away, “If you don’t get back from that edge, you’ll sit in the car the rest of vacation!!!”

Somehow, it is far more hilarious when grown-up Zach gets yelled at than when little Zach got yelled at.

Advertisements

Warmth from the Badlands

After a while, winter begins to wear me down with its constant grey skies, freezing temperatures, and cold and flu season.  My family often takes this opportunity to reflect on the warmth and sunshine of our previous summer vacation.

Lately, when I become so cold I cannot warm up, I remember the Badlands.  It was 102 degrees when we were there last summer, though we also experienced ping-pong ball sized hail and a torrential downpour, all within three hours of one another.  We had a blast.  If you’ve never been there, the Badlands feel like the desert, only far more beautiful.  The caverns and small canyons are filled with stunning color and the lighting is just incredible.  Be warned: the temperature can become stifling, and there is nowhere to find respite from the sun.  However, once winter returns with its frigid embrace, you’ll be thankful to have experienced such warmth.