Flies and the un-zen of RV Maintenance

Nick Woodland 6/29/23

Badlands National Park has undoubtedly some very interesting landscapes – volcanic ash eroding into otherworldly and fantastical shapes. They make for a bizarre skyline at any time of day. The open and mixed grasslands (the most extensive in the National Park system) are beautiful as they sway in the wind, looking as if mythical creatures are lurking below and racing around within, and contrast starkly with the subtle sage and beige tones in the rock that rises directly from them. Red wing blackbirds and other winged ones are active and noisy, crickets chirp, frogs croak, lightning cracks and thunder rolls. Storm clouds block the sun and the rock changes color to salmon and ocher shades. The flies however…

Oh, the flies. 

We arrived after a wet spell and there was standing muddy water in pockets all over. And when I mean muddy, I mean peanut butter mud. The skeeters and flies gushed forth from their primordial pools and wreaked havoc on our winter-white skin. We are still scratching today, randomly contorting our bodies to reach an itch like we have lice crawling all over us.

It’s been two weeks on the road now. We’ve learned a lot and driven just over 1,000 miles with our trailer. Our gear is working out pretty well so far. Back in March I ordered a couple of $50 REI camp chairs to replace our aging ones and then promptly returned them and bought a couple of $200 dollar Cliq chairs that are now the best part of the day when we arrive in a new spot. Driving from spot to spot is stressful. Then you have to park and level the trailer and then detach, stabilize it, open the slides, plug it in and switch the fridge over to electric (if we have a plug), unload the bikes…and then eventually, finally unfold and fall into the Cliq loungers. Those were a good buy.

Our outdoor kitchen is awesome and we cook outside 50% of our time. I’ve made more cups of coffee outside than inside so far. The Tahoe is a beast and the third row is a godsend. Our bikes are getting more use than ever and Wendy and Teagan both got new Trek’s before we left. The inflatable paddleboards are pretty slick, but heavy (they are stored under our bed). They got some good use in Glendo but not since then.

So far all our RV gear is working; leveling blocks, sewer/water hoses, ladders, regulators, filters, electrical adapters, rear-view camera and our weight distribution hitch.

Homeschooling is an interesting challenge and pretty fun when you get into it. We visited the Custer County Public library in Custer, SD for a few hours to get some work done with solid Wifi. I do some reading with Teagan and Ava and have attempted a few Native American lessons. Wendy has an online math curriculum for them that they can work on independently and we are all working on our journals. Wendy does a small bible study with them in some workbooks. It can be fun, but also frustrating when they aren’t all like, ‘Oh ok, I’m ready to work now!’. If only.

We are in eastern South Dakota now and it finally feels like summer, 90 degrees last night with fire flies winking on and off throughout the campground. Ava caught one and we looked at its translucent abdomen. We went for a bike ride together on a bike path and dipped our feet in the Big Sioux river.

We are trying to learn from the Lakota who lived in tipis with up to 7 people from 3 generations in a small one-room space. They politely ignored each other intentionally to give them privacy and space and it only worked through one virtue: respect. I think we all respect one another…but the politely ignoring part will take some work!