RunAcrossTheUSA.com

[Brandon]

Finally, a little bit of civilization. We're relaxing by the pool at the Badlands/White River KOA campground. The past couple days have been pretty rough, as you can tell by our posts. The scenery hasn't been mindnumbing (it actually resembles the Rohan Prairie) but the combination of the heat, the lack of places to stop, the almost running out of water, the infrequency of houses, and leg soreness has taken its toll on us. However, as I sit right now and make this post, our spirits are much higher and optimism is on the rise. We appreciate all the prayers and encouragement so much.

Of course the luxury of a pool, showers, and the comfort of a campground will go a long way in inducing relaxation. Also, now that we're in the mountain time zone we have an extra hour that we gain in making the changeover, and we're using it tonight. And I can't forget to mention the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast provided by the campground in the morning. As Matt told the manager, "we take 'All-you-can-eat' as a personal challenge."

Today was a pretty uneventful, a phrase that is becoming all too common in our daily posts. We stopped at a grocery store in Wanblee, the first business we had seen in a day and a half. We were both starving by then because our lunch, dinner, and breakfast consisted of oatmeal packets and skittles.

We kept going in and out of the store to get more food. The cashier must have thought we were some poor starving children. We were able to fill up on microwaveable sandwiches, strawberries, and jo-jos (potato wedges).

We made a new friend today. A dog followed us for about ten miles and seemed like he wasn't going to stop, but he finally turned back. He had a bad habit of stopping in front of moving vessels--Matt, cars, semis--so I don't think he would have lasted long on the road. He had a broken rope around his neck, so we named him "Broken Rope." I will always remember him fondly.

The day passed by quickly for me as I listened to the only radio station we could pick up in the area: National Public Radio. It was actually pretty interesting. The topics varied from underwater exploration to movies to Iggy Pop (whom I had never heard of before the show).

Well, a good night's sleep is just a few steps away, so that's where I'm heading. We have more badlands to go through tomorrow and temperatures are expected to be in the 100s, so we could probably use a little extra prayer. I am confident that God will guide us through.

Brandon