The Black Hills of South Dakota

Here was our hotel for 5 nights - Custer State Park, South Dakota. I must admit, I liked it here. I was worried about ticks when I first arrived, but after sending Diesel into the long grass and wildflowers, I thought it safe. Mother and Father drove until 0300 am to get to the campsite, so they were too tired and grumpy to remember to take OUR picture at Wind Cave National Park. There is an amazing cave under the prairie that Scotties are not allowed in. We viewed the wildlife with Momma while Papa and Samuel went into the cave. We are getting to ride up front since there is less wildlife for Diesel to interrogate - and no bears!

Diesel Walks the Line

Diesel working the rails in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Mother waited with us while Samuel rode the 1880 steam train with Father. It was Father's Day after all. Diesel and I had fun exploring the tracks, drinking some water and peeing.

Grizzly!!!!

 I may only be one year old, but my parents seem to be lacking some common sense. Momma found her Grizzly - fortunately, Diesel and I were asleep in our "houses" when this happened. You see, Diesel cannot behave while driving and starts tearing up maps, thinks about lifting his leg in the new RV, and looks for trouble. So out came our houses and we travel in them on "at risk" days - this being one of them. It is just as well we were safe, as Diesel would have started barking at the bear (and so would I), and even if the bear didn't care - everyone else watching him would have.

Here is where I question Momma and Papa's parenting and Scottie skills: They came back to the same spot where the grizz was two days before, and set up a picnic LUNCH overlooking Lake Yellowstone! I am watching out for bears as the family, including Diesel, seemed more concerned with crackers and cheese than my safety. Sitting ducks - that is what they made us, and we were lucky to make it home.

Leashes in our own yard??????????

I was only protecting what is mine... So, maybe I was barking a "little" loud but that deer on the other side of the fence needed telling off... Then, Momma found out she just had two babies and was protecting them from me?!?!?!? So now we have to go out in the front yard on leashes until she moves on. In my own yard!

Yellowstone!

Wow! I see why my Momma and Papa like this place so much! A difficult place to be a Scottie with so many wolves and bears about, but we loved our walks around the campground. Like all National Parks, we cannot go very far - just as well when we found bear paw prints. Here we are at Yellowstone checking out the Lamar Valley and Biscuit Basin - not what we were expecting... where are the biscuits??????

Momma would not let us see the beaver - said we would bark at it. He was eating his dinner and his teeth are so powerful, we could hear him munching on the grass!

We can hear coyotes howling at night from our campsite. Bears have been seen 1 mile away. And, Momma keeps bear hunting. I think we should leave....

Here we go on our next adventure! I have decided I can tolerate this activity. I was concerned with all the moving around. However, now I know I get to STAY with my family and come home with them, I am enjoying my days more. Diesel and I watched anxiously as Mother and Father packed up the RV. After a LONG drive, we made it to Jackson, Wyoming - you can see us sitting under the famous arch of antlers with Samuel. We tried to get into an altercation with a larger dog after this picture was taken - there was a great deal of commotion and Mother says we made a spectacle of ourselves.

On to Grand Teton National Park, where Mother was on the hunt for bears. She kept looking and looking. I felt it was foolish, particularly with blatant signs warning us. She even had Father drive down this remote road searching for them. Instead, they found the rib cage of a poor animal devoured by bears. We have Yellowstone to go, all the uncertainty and yes, Momma finds her bear!