ZIP-a-dee-do-da

During our days off this last week we decided to dial things back a little bit, or so I thought. Monday we took a much needed trip to the Super Walmart to stock up on groceries. The cupboards were getting a little bare. :-)
Once we made it back to the camper and got everything put away it was getting late in the afternoon so we decided to take a drive along some of the National Forest Service roads. We set our sites towards Bear Mountain where they maintain a fire tower at the peak. The roads are gravel but are fairly well maintained, even so it was still slow going with all the curves and switchbacks. The 14 mile drive took us about 40 minutes but we were rewarded with a nice view at the top.

There was even an RVer backed into a spot next to the fire tower.  No one was around the RV but it was obviously a long term set up so maybe he mans the look out?
We enjoyed our drive and saw a lot of wild life including, Deer, Rabbits, Turkeys and one small snake that Rudee could have gone without seeing. :-)

Once back at the campsite I threw a couple of steaks on the grill along with some corn on the cob. I soak the ears (still in their husks) in cold water for an hour or two and then place them (whole) on the grille. I turn the corn when the husks start to turn dark brown and they come out great! I also started a campfire with a bundle of wood we purchased. We even ate outside under the awning, just like "regular" campers! I love spending time like that and we even had some visitors from some of the other work campers who dropped by to share our fire. :-)

I have written before about one of our perks here being a VIP pass that gets us into a lot of the tourist attractions for free. Rudee was checking into things to do and stumbled across a Zip line that was free for us. OH BOY! Those of you that know me, know that I really don't like to be dangling above some deep abyss where falling would cause you a very painful death. Being the sport that I am and seeing that Rudee really wanted to go I decided to give it a try. We rode the bike over and got our tickets for the "ride". There was another couple in front of us so we got to watch them take the plunge.

I also got the chance to check the cable for any fraying that I was certain would be there. :-)
All too soon it was our turn to go and we got strapped into the chair. You ride side by side in a ski lift type chair dangling from a cable that was looking smaller by the minute!

Before I knew it they opened the gate in front of us and we were off!
HOLY CRAP!

The ride was actually kind of pleasant but once we reached the bottom I found out why they put two seat belts on us. The stop was a little sudden! I can't remember the last time I was able to touch my nose to my knees but I sure came close last Tuesday! :-)

We both enjoyed the ride and Rudee treated me to an ice cream cone afterwards for being a good boy and conquering my fear. All in all a fun day! I'll keep you posted.

looking for the next big thing

Things are getting quieter here in the Black Hills and the past week at work we have seen a decrease in visitors now that most schools are back in session. We are starting to think about our future for this winter as well. Our current finances dictate that we will need to make a wage this winter so we have narrowed our search to those places that provide us with some income. Unfortunately they seem to be few and far between as far as work camping jobs. Most of the campgrounds that are in areas where they can stay open during the winter tend to offer work in exchange for site situations. I guess they are in the warmer, more sought after winter climates so they seem to have enough interest from workers who are just looking for a warm place to park in exchange for a few hours of labor per week.
We have considered doing the Gate Guarding thing again this year but, frankly, we have been dreading being so isolated and being tied down to the 24 hours a day 7 days a week this work requires. We considered doing the sugar beet harvest but I don't think Rudee is up for the "work in the elements, manual labor" that this job entails.
I have made inquiries on a couple of jobs in Workamper News but I have not heard anything from one of them and the other said they were not currently hiring and haven't been for several months. This puzzled me that they would pay for a new advertisement for workers but then not have any openings. They told me I would be an excellent candidate and to check back every few weeks in case things changed. Oh well, back to the search.
We decided to apply to Amazon for their work camper program. The work only lasts until late December and is not our first choice in work camping but at least we'll be making some $$'s to get us by for a few months. We are waiting now for their call and interview to see if we have a job or need to keep looking.
Such is the life of a work camping full time RVer just trying to keep the dream alive. I'll keep you posted.

he's a horny guy!

Monday and Tuesday are our days off of work so we really like to take advantage of the time to enjoy everything that the Black Hills has to offer. We normally spend our time sightseeing on the bike as there are really no bad roads to ride around here. Monday we took a nice circular route from Custer to New Castle Wyoming and then up to Deadwood and back home. We really enjoy our time riding and the stress of everyday living just slips away with each passing mile.
Just outside of Hill City there are large signs warning passing motorist to beware of Big Horn Sheep in the area. We pass these signs all the time and have yet to ever see a sheep or even "signs" that a sheep has been in the vicinity. Monday as we rounded a curve we saw a motor home pulled off the roadway onto the shoulder. As we passed the stopped motorhome I spotted the reason he was stopped.

Big Horns!

We were able to watch the sheep for a while and felt very fortunate we were able to spend some time with them. :-)

Tuesday was a lazy day for us and we decided to leave the bike in it's garage for the day. After laying around most of the morning I decided I wanted to go fishing. Rudee packed us a sack lunch and we headed for the lake. I still had some trout dough bait left from my last trip and was hoping I could catch us some dinner. :-)
We got to the lake and found a nice shady spot. The fish were pretty active and in just a few minutes I had caught my first one, a small blue gill. I caught several more blue gills and finally a couple of small rainbow trout. None the fish were really big enough to keep so I played "catch and release" until the clouds rolled in and we started hearing thunder in the distance and decided we better high tail it home before we got wet.
Tuesday evening we met with some other full time RVers who hang out on the RV-Dreams Forum. Loretta and Bill are workcamping near Rapid City, Jim is right up the road from us at Custer Crazy Horse Campground while Ruth and Dale have been hanging around the area getting their South Dakota residency stuff completed. Here is a photo Ruth posted on the forum of our group, including the "photo bomb" guy in the back ground. :-)

I'm happy to report that Rudee is feeling much better. She has some large bruises from her most recent poking and prodding but at least her "spells" have decreased. I'll keep you posted.