Finally, a day of nice weather when I don't have a million things to do! Just so happened to be the very nicest day since I arrived, with a high in the mid-70s. Spectacular! To take advantage, Katie, Tyler, and I planned a 10 mile hike on Sheep Mountain. It was lovely. We stopped in to the Wagon Wheel on the way back to town to visit Jerry, and we played a few hands of cribbage. I won again, 2:1. Next was some bean bag toss while dinner was on the grill. Hung out for a little longer, then I headed home to catch up on email and blogging. All around a great day, and finally a chance to take photos that are worthy of posting here!

Looking west from the gunnery range overlook on
Sheep Mountain Table.

Looking northwest.

Harney Peak over fingers of Sheep Mountain.

Hiking along with ranger Tyler and Katie.

Unnamed draw.

Taking a stop to rest and play with the yucca.

Looking north to the area we started from.

Spring Draw.

Start of Spring Draw.

A shed.

Southwest off Sheep Mountain.

Almost to the end of the two-track.
Plenty of mud around.

The Bryce area at the end of the trail.

Bryce area of Sheep Mountain.

Looking south off Sheep Mountain.

Harney Peak and a draw off Sheep Mountain.

Today there was a great migration of caterpillars.
All but one were crossing the two track from west to east.

On the return hike.

Getting closer to the end.

Back at the gunnery range overlook, with Harney Peak.

Intended, but failed, to sleep in after a relaxing night at the historic Alex Johnson hotel. Instead we got ready and check out early, then went for breakfast across the street. In the afternoon, I went back to the Dahl to meet a ranger and summer intern from the park. They were volunteering to help at the Saturday Arts Adventures the Dahl puts on for kids, and they were creating collages of badlands landscapes based on my paintings. The ranger also brought three other students along, classmates of the intern from Crazy Horse High School. These three and I spent time walking through the galleries, then walked around downtown Rapid City to visit a few arts related locations. We stopped by Art Alley (filled with graffiti), the Museum of the American Bison, and the Prairie Edge gallery before going back to the Dahl so the kids could have some time to draw ideas from our conversations. It was a pleasant afternoon and I hope to be able to help the kids on a follow up art project, creating a collaborative painting using graffiti style art to represent the badlands, and discussing how graffiti seems to contrast the mission of the park service.

Got back to the housing area and was invited to join friends for a homemade lasagna dinner, then headed back home a little early for some much needed sleep.