Nature

I confess that after class I did not go and sit outside and observe nature. I knew that I was going to the other side of this state and that I could observe the changing landscape of South Dakota.

I love South Dakota! I was born in Sioux Falls and lived here until I was 5, then I moved to Spearfish and lived there for 2 years. I then moved 10 miles North to Belle Fourche and lived there for another 2 years. After that I returned to Sioux Falls and have been living here ever since. How different the people and the landscape is in South Dakota.

East River you have the typical praire. We have nice green grass and you can see for miles around because of how flat we are. We are very beautiful though. It also gets pretty humid here, so it can get mighty hot. There are also many lakes and many places to go fishing and swimming.

West River we see a big change. There are the beautiful Black Hills, or "paha sappa" to the Native Americans. This forest is very beautiful. There are many pine trees that line the landscape that make the mountains look "black" hence their name. Around Deadwood and also down by Keystone, you can see the damage of wildfires. There are whole sections of forrest with burnt pine trees for miles. It is very saddening to see this because of how long it took for the black hills to form and then how quickly they can be destroyed.

Drive 10 miles North of Spearfish, which is the ending of the Black Hills National Forrest, and you will be in Butte County. The landscape there looks almost like the wild west. There are tumble weeds blowing in the wind, rattlesnakes singing in the wind, and small butes all around. It is also very dry, with little to no grass in some places. I think Butte County is the most beautiful county in the state.

South Daktoa has everything: great, diverse landscape; wonderful, caring people; great attractions and things to do with the family; it just has everything. I always wonder why we still have a small population for this great state. I know many people that have moved here from other parts of the country and have never left because they like it here so much.