Out Motoring

This evening after supper (burgers on the grill), we were in the front yard playing and tending to plants, and we heard an amplified announcer as well as the shouts of a crowd in the distance. The sky was a bit overcast, the breeze was picking up, but the evening was still young, so I asked, "Who wants to go for a drive?" Everybody did, and we packed into the Explorer, opened the windows, and went in search of the noise.

We found it: the Knights of Columbus Badlands Bowl, a high school all-star football game with ND students vs. MT students, held at DSU's Whitney Stadium. (ND won.) We pulled up on the street, parked, and peeked in on the game for a while. Then we kept driving, windows open, just enjoying the breezy weather. Susan directed me to the scenic Patterson Lake Recreation Area and Dickinson Dam and Reservoir, each a short drive west of the city on the north side of the lake. We also drove around some lakeside neighborhoods as well as the new houses in the State Ave. neighborhood west of the city, admiring some of the homes . . . and being thankful for our own house when seeing some others!

It felt stormy outside, and Suzanna and Hillary were quick to close their window against the strong breeze. Abigail, however, took off her glasses ("I don't want them to blow away") and leaned her face as far into her open window as she could to experience the wind in her face and hair, just the way a puppy dog usually sticks its snout out the window when riding in a vehicle. Cute as the dickens.

It all reminded me of my own childhood when Dad would sometimes offer to take us for a drive of an evening to go "look at the fields," although it always turned into a peaceful, meandering ride across the gravel roads to admire people's yards, to check out cemeteries, and to see sights (and sites) off the beaten path. Fond memories and a fun evening tonight, too.