The Color of Summer
By Christian Begeman Late spring and early summer are prime nature photography times. Lots of daylight, lots of new life and lots of color on our beloved Northern Plains. Since I have an affinity for...
View ArticleJuly/August 2020
((img|JulyAug20.jpg|width=250)) Indian rodeo is an entertaining pastime, thanks to competitors like Talise Kingfisher, a royalty candidate at a 2018 event in Eagle Butte, her hometown. Photo by...
View ArticleA Heavenly Visitor
South Dakota stargazers have turned their attention to a new addition in the night sky: Comet NEOWISE, first discovered on March 27 and now streaking across the heavens. It’s the brightest visible...
View ArticleSweet Anticipation
By Fran Hill I am usually not one to wish away the days. I like to live in and appreciate the moments that we have, be it the snowiest winter or the hottest summer. Even the past few months with all...
View ArticleFlavors of Summer
By Fran Hill Gardening is in full swing across South Dakota. The labor of planting and weeding and mulching and fertilizing is shifting to the labor of harvest as mature plants release their bounty. In...
View ArticleA Bridge for the Black Hills
By Michael Zimny ((img|keystone-wye-8-5-20.jpg|width=400)) The landmark Keystone Wye and (inset) the arch made from discarded spans. "Just as plants and wildlife complement the environment, so must the...
View ArticleSunday Driver
By Christian Begeman This summer, I’ve re-acquainted myself with Sunday road trips. And it has been good. Very good. These trips typically, but not always, take place starting in the early afternoon...
View ArticleSalad Bar Confessions
By Fran Hill I think that I need to begin with an apology to those who know me in real life. I need to ask their forgiveness for what I am about to share. Many have heard my whines about area salad...
View ArticleThe Mysterious Custer Graves
By John Andrews ((img|Custer-Graves-8-18-20.jpg|width=400)) A stone in the Bon Homme Cemetery marks the graves of six unknown men believed to be members of the Seventh Cavalry. Legend says they died...
View ArticleRounding Out the Meal
By Fran Hill This August, like most, I am wholeheartedly jumping into the garden bounty. It is the time of year when EVERYTHING is at its peak, and I appreciate it all. Most of our meals revolve around...
View ArticleSeptember/October 2020
((img|SeptOct20.jpg|width=250)) Custer photographer Paul Horsted enjoys the view from atop Green Mountain, one of eight Black Hills peaks that measure more than 7,000 feet. Galena Road Today: The...
View ArticleThe Show Goes On
By Michael Zimny Deadwood's outlaw history is key to its draw as a tourist destination. Street performances by the local acting troupe Deadwood Alive — reenacting historic scenes featuring characters...
View ArticleThe Little Things
By Christian Begeman Many memes have been made extolling “the little things.” Don’t believe me? Type “the little things” into your favorite search engine and choose images. You’ll find countless...
View ArticleHeirloom Food Cures for the COVID Era
By Katie Hunhoff My mom comes from the sprawling Mulloy family of South Dakota. Her dad and uncles built roads all over South Dakota when she was a child, so they have roots and stories in many...
View ArticleAutumn Arrives at Shadehill
Sioux Falls photographer Christian Begeman was in the midst of a West River trip when he alerted us to the quickly changing landscape around the Shadehill Reservoir in Perkins County. “It was pretty...
View ArticleThe Windmill Man
By Michael Zimny Mike Moeller has a unique skill set. Those iconic Aermotor windmills that populate the Plains, often in dilapidated, unworking condition? He can fix them. He can disassemble them,...
View ArticleAll the Right Notes
By Fran Hill I am tired. Exhausted. Wiped out. It isn’t always this way. Some days, I start out strong and hit my to-do list hard. I check things off and accomplish much before eventually hitting a...
View Article2020 South Dakota Gift Guide
Looking for South Dakota-made gifts this year? Enjoy our South Dakota Gift Guide featuring art, jewelry, furniture, foods and other treasures created by folks from our great state.View it here or read...
View ArticleWhen Autumn Leaves Start to Fall
By Christian Begeman The autumn of 2020 across South Dakota has come and nearly gone already, at least in terms of fall color. For the past several years I’ve made it a point to get out into the great...
View ArticleStart the Day with Comfort
By Fran Hill I had hoped winter would hold off for a while. My husband and I have hardly begun the annual leaf clearing project in our backyard, and just last week, I harvested the last of the garden....
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