May Day

May Day came and went here in Watertown, South Dakota with no big rallies, riots or property destruction.  Certainly not the case in our home town of Seattle the poster child for Mad Day Anarchy  Celebrations, riots and destruction.  We spent a quiet evening on my cousins back porch with a really big bon fire and now one even mentioned May Day.

The excitement here in Watertown this week has to do with an Art Walk in the downtown corridor and the fact that the Secret Service has descended on this small town on the plains in preparation for the President of the United States paying a visit here next Friday.  He is scheduled to address the local two year college commencement.  Students at the Lake Area Technical Institute are extremely excited to have the President addressing their graduating class.  Lake Area Technical is recognized as one of the top community colleges in the nation.  The President will address the graduating class and address the schools high retention and graduation rates.

We got back from Rapid City on Thursday.  Friday morning after a quick visit with our cousin we went and picked up the trailer and moved it to the Watertown City Park, Stokes-Thomas Lake City Park and Campground along the banks of Lake Kampeska.  We have site 28 in the trees and having just opened on May Day we were one of the first to park.  As the afternoon wore on, more and more travelers moved in and we found ourselves with quite a crowd and very few empty spots.  It is a Watertown City Park and it is first come, first served.  Twenty-one dollars per night for water and electric.  They have bath houses but there is only one per area and they can be very busy.  There is a 14 day limit and no reservations are taken.  There are 72 camping spots, each with water and 30/50 amp service.  There is a dump station available and a boat launch.  This is a very nice little park and we will be staying until Sunday morning.

We are going to visit our cousin again today, shopping, laundry, and washing the truck are just a part of our plans for the day.  We want to visit the Redlin Art Center again.  I would never come here without going to see this wonderful exhibition of Terry Redlin's work.  He is a wonderful wildlife artist as well as a story teller through his art taking us back to days past.  Unfortunately he is no longer able to paint as he has Alzheimer's disease.  Then we have a fish fry at my other cousins home tonight.

Our relatives here in Watertown roll out the red carpet every time we come to town.  I have never had such hospitality as they provide us.  We want for nothing and if we need help they are there to offer their assistance.  And the food...OMG, they feed us so well.  I am going to miss everyone here when we head east towards Waveland, Indiana tomorrow morning.

Hope all is well and thanks for stopping by.