When we moved to the Midwest three point five years ago, some cultural adjustments were necessary. For starters, we had to get used to people who were overwhelmingly nice. Began to think of “traffic” as being third in line at… Read More ›
Black Hills
Tina, Eat the Food!
I had a Zoom meeting with a Hollywood producer this morning. Which is a very cool sentence to type out, but not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. I’d love to say I was pitching the screenplay for my novel… Read More ›
Like 700,000 Angry Bees
It’s that time of year again, when the Black Hills are filled with an incessant, angry rumbling. Distant thunder? Nope: the constant drone of thousands of two-cylinder four-stroke piston engines. The streets are clogged with motorcyclists from near and far,… Read More ›
Here, Bear, & Everywhere
Irrational(?) Phobia When we moved to South Dakota three years ago, I was relieved to learn there were no bears in the Black Hills. I have a deep-rooted fear—probably irrational—that I might get eaten by a bear. The Cascades were… Read More ›
Red Flag Days
It’s been an interesting couple of days. A noisy couple of days, with the constant sound of helicopters and airplanes filling the skies. We woke up Monday morning to very gusty winds. A Red Flag Warning had been issued for… Read More ›
Oh, Shoot!
Last week, South Dakota Magazine reached out to me, asking if I’d be interested in having a photo featured in their Photo Friday series. Umm, does a three-legged dog swim in circles?! I was both humbled and honored. I do… Read More ›
There’s Gnome Place Like Home
Hard to believe there’s just one week left in January, huh? February may not have much going for it, unless you’re into groundhogs or candy hearts. It’s also Girl Scout Cookie season, so at least we have Thin Mints to… Read More ›
The Day Chinook Winds Blew Spearfish, South Dakota Into the Record Books
78 years ago today, Spearfish, South Dakota set a world record for temperature swings—one that stands to this day. Black Hills residents are no strangers to extreme weather, but the events of January 22, 1943 took even the most seasoned… Read More ›
Sugar Cookies or Powdered Doughnuts
Since a lot of you have been wondering (okay, maybe only three people asked), the lady-who-might-be-a-hoarder’s check cleared the next morning. Whew! Not that getting stiffed out of $30 would have sent me to the poorhouse, but it was the… Read More ›
Ban My Book…Please!
I think my book is too tame. Don’t get me wrong; it’s hardly G-rated. There’s sex, violence, and profanity. Kidnapping and substance abuse. Desecration of public lands, for crying out loud. But sadly, nobody has banned No Time for Kings…. Read More ›
Swinged Cat 