The compound week

My brother likes to call his 17 acre hobby farm "the compound." He's an aspiring off-the-gridder. I like to think of him as the South Dakota version of Michael Gross in Tremors, but without the giant fanged worm creatures banging around. He could handle the underground menace though.

Anyway he and his wife took a vacation and needed someone to watch the place/kids while they were away and I volunteered to do it. I took my mother along with me, not that she would be much help, but she does like her grandchildren and they like her back.

I did a bit of working in the office while I was there, but the fun part of the week was interacting with the animals. Mike has cows, goats, chickens, dogs, and cats aplenty. I didn't have to do much in the way of animal care because that was the girls' job, but I did like to visit them.

South Dakota week picture dump:

the art in the guest bathroom

Betsy likes boxes

Niece Annie at state gymnastics competition

Niece Annie's team won SD state gymnastics team title

The normally elusive and reclusive Rick is a totally clingy kitty at night. PET ME!!

I was in SD over Valentine's day and I helped Violet make her Valentine's box for school

NO READ. PET.

Another needy creature

This one, Ingrid, got out of her pen the first two days we were there, but was easy to put back

She found a "toy"

this cow wanted to lick me

she is very friendly

another one is curious about the human

so are the goats with no ears.

There's a hair in my drink

I walked outside even though it was bitter cold. Nice sunrise though

the majestic Rural Sioux water tower

the valentine cake I made

See? Bitter cold.

the neighbor's curious cows. I walked closer to get a better picture, but they all ran away. Chicken!

this dog likes vegetable scraps

I wish I had gotten a video of me driving my brother's Ranger. It's a fun vehicle and I drove it every day: to get the mail, to fill up the firebox, to chase after dogs, to take girls to the goat barn to do chores, and just for fun.