Meet Delmon!..on the right...unknown motorcycle dude on the left!
I learned many states ago to always stop at each new states Welcome Centers.  These people are an unusual source of information about their states that not many people are aware of and they give you free maps...gas stations charge $5-6 apiece!
Delman is a quiet unassuming man, who helped me plan out my jaunt across South Dakota...recommending places to stay with a dog based upon how far I thought I could drive that day...he loaded me up with maps (remember trying to keep the technology use down..a self esteem issue) and places to stop with historical import.
A really nice man who took care of everyone that walked through the door (didn't know that many people went to South Dakota), taking the time to calmly answer any and all questions.
A true gentleman!

THIS IS SUNDAY!

My biggest shock going through eastern South Dakota was the huge number of extremely big windmills that seemingly were everwhere!
I would say that there were thousands of them but that might be an overstatement....but not by much!
For some reason they were all spinning which I found highly unlikely considering that there was zero wind!
I think that the windmill companies put small electric motors on the blades to keep them spinning and making the farmers feel good that they are making money off of them!
Conspiracy theory anyone?....anyone?

I love the farms in this part of the country...they are gorgous with the green fields, blue skys and....windmills!
I was at a USC game at Nebraska and met this older guy sitting next to me at the bar.  He was wearing a plaid shirt (freshly pressed with brand new blue jeans on).  When I asked him what he did, he said he farmed.  When I asked him what (it was like trying to draw water from a stone), he said corn and soybeans.  I asked if his farm was around here (Omaha), he said no, that it was in South Dakota.
I mentioned that he must be pleased that the price of corn had increased 50%...he looked over at me and if he had been chewing..he would have spit on the floor and said "nope...doubled"
When driving past these large farms I thought of this man...
you see he also told me that he owned...
40,000 acres!!
This was one very simple and rich man!

Speaking of large windmills, check out these monsters on this truck...I was stunned at the size of them...I think that you can get a good perspective of the size of the blades from this picture!

Little did I know that there was more than one truck!

Those massive cornfields had to come from someone or something...they came from these guys and the thousands of Native American's that depended on these creatures for...well...their lives!

Once again another wrong turn, turns into GOLD for Clay and The Rubes!
I completely missed the Quality Inn blowing passed it coming to a dead end.  Had to pick left or right...I picked left.
We ran smack into an Indian hotel and marina complex ( no casino), right on the Missouri River.  The place was empty so the cute little girl at the desk gave us a river view room at the price for their base room...I still got it!
This is the view of the Missouri from our balcony...Lewis and Clark stopped here (American Island) on Sept. 17, 1804.
Sooooo.....more history!

I've always had a thing for the Moon, in particular full moons and new moons...I think that it has something to do that we as humans are affected by the moon, but more so the way the moon affects the tides in the ocean.. which ultimately affect all us.
Pretty cool, huh?
A full moon rising...might be a good name for a song...over the Missouri...the river that really opened up the west.
I miss the ocean!

I like moons...what can I say?
Did you ever wonder why Easter is on a different day every year?
I have and I have the answer that will make you the envy of all of your friends next Spring.
Ok...here's the scoop.
Easter is always the first Sunday, after the first full moon following the Spring Solstice.
Check it out...how is a religious holiday's date determined by something as pagan as a full moon?
Food for thought.

Sunrise from our room over the Missouri!
We have finally left (well we weren't actually in it that long) the Central time zone...one more time zone closer to home!
Tomorrow it's off to the Black Hills and some really good sightseeing.
In the east it was the history of how we as Americans came to be and to develop..the west seems to be more about natural beauty and what has been done to the land to urther the American lifestyle.
I know I'm not close to catching up on this thing but I will continue to plug on...the last two nights...back to back have been without question the worst nights of wifi service on this trip.  Either night by itself would have been the worst but I got them back to back...must be makeup for getting the Missouri River view room on pure luck!
I guess everything has a way of balancing itself...
More tomorrow!