DAY 9

Lenola - tour entry 9 "Where the buffalo roam"
11.9.99 - drive day - bismarck ND to billings MT
Scott - Just as we were pulling out of the days inn we were staying in at Bismarck, one of the hotel employees comes sprinting towards the van holding "popcorn" Sean's teddy bear/security blanket. In the rush of loading in our sleeping bags and luggage and checking out, Sean must have overlooked his snuggly little traveling companion. We thank the attendant profusely, knowing full well Sean would have been a mess without him. Nothing beats the hospitality and graciousness of these wonderful northern folk. I'm finally starting to warm up to Dave's little buddy Quackers the fowl mouthed duck. Quackers has become our unofficial tour guide throughout our trip along the north country. In between swallowing handfulls of peyote he purchased from a waitress at the spaceland grill and bar, he spins us amazing little tales and historical footnotes on this great region. .

The dopified duck first leads us to meet "Salem Sue" the worlds largest holstein cow. The giant mammal milk provider is 38' high, 50'long and weighs 12,000 lbs.It was erected in 1974 by the salem lions club and other various civic boosters
The mind expanding mallard also took us to The Painted Canyon, "the pride of the badlands".

Standing at the peak of this wondrous canyon, Quackers quoted Teddy Roosevelt, "This broken country extends back from the river for many miles, and has been called always, by Indians, French voyagers and American trappers alike, the badlands." "He wrote that in 1885", the duck explained "when he was only 24 years old and searching for adventure".

Quackers took a few pictures of us standing by the cliff, then he waddled back to the van and passed out on the dash board.
The scenery at painted canyon is breathtaking, the sky is a magnificent shade of light blue and I feel so good, it's like God is rubbing my tummy.

I gaze down at all the time worn buttes and outcroppings and suddenly realize that none of this has ever been manipulated in any way by humans. I am devastated and amazed at how serene and clean the area is. I walk back to the van and grab two giant hefty bags out of the back. When we were in Milwaukee a few days ago, I stopped at a Mailbox etc. and purchased as many styrofoam packing peanuts as the two huge bags could handle. I walked to the cliff's ledge and dumped both bag's contents into the valley below. I then sat at the edge of the canyon and watched all of the little pieces of foam gently scattered into all of the delicate foliage that is indigenous to the region. I turned around to see all of the gathering tourists slack jawed in horror.
sean - took the wheel all day & evening, amazing landscape, merciful weather. the appropriate visuals making great music sound even better. watched the mid-west turn into the West today. all is well. looking forward to playing again tomorrow night in missoula as well as meeting up and playing with ex-philadelphian mike lenert of caterpillar/lettuce prey.
Todays Van Playlist 11.9.99
gillian welch - hell for the yearlings
godspeed you black emporer! - f#a# infinity
mountain goats - full force galesburg
american folk anthology - disc 1-B
gastr del sol -
camofleur pastels - illuminati
grateful dead - 2.11.69 fillmore east disc 1
belle & sebastian - tigermilk
NPR

DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3, DAY 4, DAY 5, DAY 6, DAY 7, DAY 8, DAY 9, DAY 10
DAY 11, DAY 12, DAY 13, DAY 14, DAY 15, DAY 16, DAY 17, DAY 18, DAY 19, DAY 20,
Day 21, Day 22, Day 23, Day 24, Day 25, Day 26, Day 27, Day 28, Day 29, Day 30
Day 31, Day 32, Day 33, Day 34
EPILOGUE

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