Busy Sioux

I enjoyed a 3 day bus trip with other Master Naturalists. Here I am leaning against the supposedly haunted historic hotel in Pipestone. I had a room to myself. They said the hotel is haunted. There was an extremely creepy doll on the table by the front desk. As we looked at this Chucky doll look alike the desk clerk roughed up the doll and it spoke and laughed in an evil way that send all four of us out of the area while the hotel clerk smirked.  Haunted!  Really?  Is that why they have spider webs and mummies and fake ghosts laying around everywhere?  Or is this a way for the management to turn noise complaints into a pleasure for some gullible people. Ghosts/schmosts! No spirits can get through these thick walls of Sioux quartzite.

I have been to Pipestone twice.  Both times I went in the fall.  Both times it rained. Both times the roads were flooded.  Both times the corn and beans were standing in water.  Last time I went with a little boy with red boots and a cute red rain coat.  Both times I had a good time.

I would not mind being buried on this prairie. On the last night of our trip we were asked to share a poem or a reading or a photo or something about how we felt about prairies.  I talked the group into a sing along of "Oh Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie."  What a moment. As soon as I heard first one then two and then three voices join in I knew I made a good choice. Soon the whole room was singing a very sad song about the prairie.  I had a moment!