Day 24, Miller to DeSmet, SD

After a restful night in the Miller High School, air conditioned, Yes!, we set off for De Smet. The weather/wind forecast was becoming familiar, winds 15 to 20 out of the east. It promised to be another hard day pushing into the wind, and the promise was kept.

The arrow and target were in a field as we left Miller. Don't know its significance.



We continue to be amazed by the extent of flood damage throughout the states where we have ridden. The picture at the left is not of a small lake, but rather a farmer's field. Even where the waters have receded, you can see evidence of their presence, such as fences which are totally jammed with dead vegetation, grasses and other plants that were caught in the fence as the water rushed through.



This was the halfway point of our day, and coincidentally of the ride. Hard to believe that we are half way done. Gave us a bit of a lift.

Turns out that we needed the lift. The wind continued to build, and the sun went behind clouds. It is a bit telling that this was the last picture that Margaret took this day. The last ten miles into De Smet took us more than an hour. We arrived in time to set up our tent in a light rain.

I should say a word about De Smet. Apparently De Smet is the setting for Laura Ingel Wilder's book, "Little Women." LIW and her history and literature are taken very seriously here. Each building in the down town area has a card which lists its history. They also have re-enactments of portions of the book during the summer.

The De Smet Chamber of Commerce hosted us for dinner in a store in the business district. Very nice meal and very nice people. Tomorrow we ride to Tyler, MN, and a new state.