DC Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery

It’s now July, and I have once again fallen behind, even though I swore I would not allow that to happen again. It turns out life gets in the way…..in a good way.  We arrived here at the Spearfish City campground in May as planned. What we didn’t expect was all the rain and wind that would be coming our way. We prolonged our visit so the nasty weather would be gone when we got here, but it didn’t happen that way. There had been a major 10” snow dump just prior to our arriving so we weren’t sure what to expect, but we were really surprised to find green grass and sunshine. Well, not all days were like that. We have had rain (lots of it) wind, snow, hail and tornado warnings. I am so ready for some consistent nice weather. I think we may have arrived at that point now that July is about half over. It seems we will now go to the extreme on the thermometer! There seems to be no happy medium.

We are in a lovely campground across the street from the Hatchery where we are doing our volunteer work. They have provided a “Volunteer Village” for the 10 couples that we are volunteering with. The sites are large, grassy and back up to the Spearfish Creek. Not a bad place to call home for 5 months.

The Booth Fish Hatchery is quite a major attraction here in Spearfish. SD and is supported in many ways by the community. I had no idea fish could eat so much food in one day! The folks start arriving after sunrise to walk the grounds and feed the fish. And it goes until sunset.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.C._Booth_Historic_National_Fish_Hatchery

I can’t say enough about the extended family we have here. We all are here for the same reason, most of us fulltimers  and we’ve got each other’s back, no matter what it may be for….rv repair or advise, ideas on where to go or what to see, trading volunteer hours, beating each other in games of corn hole and figuring out who has the best technique for roasting marshmallows. And not to worry about the fire, we have 2 retired firefighters among us.

When we are not playing or exploring we can usually be found across the street at the Hatchery fulfilling our weekly obligations at one of the venues. I typically will be in the Pondshop (gifts) or the Museum, and Rob will be a Rover (wandering the grounds) or in the Rail car.

                                                                       Inside the Railcar

                                                          The Ice House and the Railcar

                                                                Pond shop

                                                                 A few of the raceways

                                                               The DC Booth House

Next door to the Fish Hatchery is the Spearfish City Park that is used continuously for play, picnics, weddings, Wednesday night music, and of course, swimming in the creek on these hot, humid days. We walk the park daily, enjoying the sounds of the water rushing over the rocks, the dogs enjoying the cool grass to roll in, kids on the playground and making room for the many bikers using the trails for their enjoyment. 

                                                       A favorite spot in the creek in the park

                                                        Bike rentals in the Park parking lot.

                                                  Many a dogs favorite pastime on a hot day

                                                            The kids love the cold water too.

With summer half over I hope you all have had the opportunity to explore, go on vacation or just relax in the moment and to appreciate all that is around us. Wherever we are, we find something new that piques our interest. I am amazed each day how many beautiful places we are surrounded by.No matter where you are, remember to get outdoors, give thanks to the Lord for the beauty around you and don’t forget to look up, it’s amazing out there.