Leola, South Dakota

Jimmy at Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial

Well I made it to Leola which was my unofficial destination when I left Missoula a couple days ago. Jimmy and I stopped at Theodore Roosevelt National Monument on the way where I had some people take a photo of Jimmy and I.The girls keep saying I never post pictures of me, just Jimmy. Well they are correct as I am usually the one taking the picture and besides Jimmy is a ham and loves to be in front of the camera (notice he is always wearing a big goofy smile LOL) However I hesitate posting the pic since I am in it. Torn between should I, shouldn't I, should I ,,,,, you know the drill.

This will be all story so if you need pics then you may want to bail now.

As I said I am in Leola South Dakota. Leola is located 40 miles Northeast of Aberdeen South Dakota 12 miles South of the North Dakota border and halfway between the Missouri River and the Minnesota line

I was originally introduced to Leola in 2000 and for some unknown reason fell in love with it. I've only been here twice before and only know 3 people so ,,,,,

While working at the U.S. Border Station North of Haines Alaska a trucker we knew stopped in for processing and brought a Real Estate sheet from a local Realtor in his home town. (Leola) to show us the prices compared to Haines. I saw a 900 sq ft 1 bedroom house with a double garage attached that was larger than the house. It was on a double lot at the edge of this 650 person town 40 miles from a city with a Federal Building, a nearby lake, farming etc. And the price was only $10,000. I ended up buying the house for $7,000 and it came with a renter who was a single Dad with a small son.

Through this sale I met Jim Schaffer (the Realtor who I created and still maintain a webpage for his business) and Norma Dixon (The renters Mom and my point of contact) I didnt actually make it to Leola (and had never been here before, meaning house was bought sight unseen) until the summer of 2002 when I had purchased a hovercraft in Texas. I paid the expenses for Norma Dixon to go visit her son in Texas and tow the hovercraft back to Leola.

I arrived in Leola on a Tuesday evening and walked into the cafe on the highway. I asked where I could find an ATM and the lady said there wasn't one in town and that I would have to wait for the bank to open in the morning. I thanked her and turned to leave when she said "but we'll take your check Bruce". Quite surprised that she knew my name I turned around and said I dont live here. She said I know your Bruce Hale from Alaska you own the house on 3rd and 5th. Still surprised I asked how she knew that and she said I saw your truck and the Alaska plates. We heard you were coming. (oh how I love small towns) Thier all you can eat special that evening was lasagna, salad, rolls, chocolate cake, and drink for $4.25. She told me if I was here Friday they had an all you can eat Prime Rib special for $6.50 and apologized it was so expensive but "they raised the price of meat on me" Later that week I had a large cheeseburger, fries, and a soda for $2.50. I decided I could afford to live here on retirement and planned on moving into that house when the time comes.

When Norma was towing the Hovercraft back the axle on the trailer broke about 100 miles short so I called the place that towed it and had them fix it then dove down and got it. I returned to Leola where I began flying it on the small lake. In less than an hour there were well over 50 people showed up just to see what it was so I spent the rest of that day giving rides.

I cant explain why I like this little town so much. Maybe because it's a farming community and I grew up in and around farms, small town which I admit I do prefer, or the old country attitude where everyone waves at you when you pass by, everyone says hello, few doors get locked, there's only 1 cop who, when he isnt on a call is the towns maintenace guy and keeps a coverall uniform in the truck for when he's called out. I dont know, but I do like Leola, South Dakota.
If you want to check out the Real Estate prices or see some about Leola try the webpage http://www.schafferrealestate-leola.com/

Tomorrow I am attending the annual Threshing Bee. It will be fun. Parades, Threshing demos, stationary farm equipment displays, a german lunch, rope making demos, horse training demos, slow tractor race, and a watermelon feed. A day of fun, simular to what I enjoyed while a kid.

I had a nice 900 miles drive over here. A bit nostalgic. I found myself longing for the past and for the first time wishing someone (actually a particular someone) was sitting in the passenger seat so I could tell them what I was experiencing. Seeing row upon perfectly straight row of crops,  the smell of dirt when passing freshly cultivated fields, cow manure when passing dairys or pastures, the smell of freshly cut hay. All of that brought back memories such as my brother and I standing in the middle of a field watching that rain cloud follow the moutains around us and wishing it would come rain on us. Or the first time I was big enough to not just drive the tractor, (I had already been doing that awhile) but to pull the plows and plow the rows into the recently cultivated field. My dad told me how to line the first row up and then turn around and put the first plow into the last previously plowed row and follow it. "Just line the gas cap, the exhaust, and something on the side of the hill. Keep them lined up and you'll have perfect rows" so I did. He came to get me for lunch and was not pleased that even though each set of rows were perfectly aligned they curved to the left ,,,,, a lot. He, in a unhappy dad voice asked me what the heck i was doing and I said exactly what you said I lined up the gas cap, and the exhaust on a bush on the hill side. He (not nicely) asked which bush which I gladly pointed out. Through the binoculars he showed me it was a black cow slowly grazing right to left across the hillside. Being one that learns from his mistakes and having a dad that made you do it again, and again, and ,,,,, until he decided it was right meant that the rest of that day was re-cultivating the field removing my plowed rows and re-plowing it correctly. I didnt tell him how happy I was the next 2 days because what he saw as punishment and learning I saw as FUN, afterall I was driving the tractor and plowing not with my brother hoeing weeds in the cotton field.

Ok, you happy now? LOL