Jul 11 - Flood-Repair meeting in Deadwood

Tuesday, July 11, 1972 - Page 193
LOCATION: Bethlehem & Deadwood, South Dakota
 
11:30 AM
I'VE GOT NOTHIN' TO DO TODAY BUT SMILE
That's what Jim said this morning, and I think it sums up a mood. He probably got it from a song. Today is a Catholic Holiday (The Feast of St. Benedict), so we have no work -- just like last Tuesday. I got paid my seven dollars again. Practically everyone's gone -- Tom & Tom, John, Clint, Jim (they went in the van to wander around the Black Hills), Mike & Greg (they went hitchhiking into town), all are away for this one-day vacation. Only Bruce, Me, and Brad are left.

I'm sitting here at the old entrance to the cave, out in the sun and air. Bruce is in the Abbott's Cabin looking through Tom's photo albums. I just finished reading "The Thing In The Stone" by Simak. Now I think I'll read Bruce's book "I'm Okay, You're Okay." Or I'll just lie here and do NOTHIN' BUT SMILE.

Bruce King hard at work for $1 per day

(4:30 PM 7/12/1972)
It is now tomorrow, 4:41 P.M.
July 11, I found the copy [that means "text"] to the pamphlet I was to illustrate, so I got familiar with it. Gil told me NOT to get familiar with Darlene Sheckle. Hmm. And at 6:30 P.M. Me, Bruce, and Brad and Gordy (a visitor from Minnesota), drove to the meeting in Deadwood for the repair of damaged roads. Father Gil was there with His Honor The Mayor of Sturgis. It was an interesting meeting -- there were video tapes we watched on monitors, slides, maps, arguments, etc. Brad, Bruce and I stood around and analyzed everybody. The skies were full of lightning everywhere, but there was practically no rain. We drove in Gordy's brother's 1949 Mercury. Good grief. Tha's all.

Here we are...

TOMORROW: I'm OK, You're OK

Jul 07 - Darlene, horses & an unfortunate allergy

Friday, July 7, 1972 - Page 189
LOCATION: Bethlehem, South Dakota

(4:30 pm 7/9/1972)
Can't remember much of today -- Mom called and Jain [mom's sister] was still there so I talked to her, Willie [Jain's son: my cousin] was still there so I talked to him (he's fifteen now -- gee, last time I saw him, he was knee high to a coke bottle). We layed the side walk from the steps of the retreat house to the drive way -- we didn't lay it all, but finished what needed it. I primarily layed the cement in the forms, and finished the surface.

Mike mixing cement for sidewalks

The days have been hot -- Friday was hot too, so Tom Shearing, Greg and Jeff went swimming at Lion's Head (that's the place we swam at before). Clouds moved in fairly quickly, followed by lightning, thunder and rain which lasted at most fifteen minutes. Then the skies cleared again. Bruce, Clint and John worked down at the Sheckle's place, cleaning up the flood damage. They rode back on horses, with Darlene Sheckle, a cute 22-year-old gal who stayed for supper.

Fr. Gil forbade any further riding of horses because last time he permitted it, it cost him a couple of vet bills. But we had to ride the horses back, so I rode bareback with Darlene, Tom H. rode with Clint, and Bruce & John rode single -- two colts followed along. Darlene is a friendly person I'd like to know better -- but there's a problem -- for the first time in my life I was allergic to horses. When we left their place to drive back in the rain I became very sick, sneezing and wheezing. I slept in the retreat house so I'd not disturb anyone. Mike Mills (the National Guardian) came back late Friday nite.

TOMORROW: Jonathan Livingston Seagull