Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
MLee, we use the Andersen levelers and a set of the black rubber chocks on the opposite side in addition to the x-chocks. My son tells me so far that the sites have been so level that they have not used the Andersen levelers. I assume they did use the black rubber chocks for that reason as well. I'll remind them when I talk to them again.
crispyboy, yes, I sure wish I was along. My wife is a "stay-at-home" Mom and my son does not need to be here until cross-country kicks up in earnest the last week of July. So, we figured instead o the truck and trailer gathering dust it ought to go somewhere. I can't be off work for more than two weeks at a shot, so if the trip was going to happen than my wife would have to drive. She said OK. I think I was overly cautious on planning, but knowing that I have done everything possible is my way of allowing myself to not worry about them.
I am glad some folks are enjoying the updates.
DAY 6
The plan for Day 6 was to go to Wounded Knee, but the road to the actual site was washed out. Reserving the route, came across a goat in the road. Apparently the goat felt that the road belonged to him and would not move. This is a nice picture of the South Dakota prairie; this is actually on the Pine Ridge reservation. My wife told me last night that they have had 16 inches of rain for the year so far; normal is around 3 inches. The balance of the morning was spent at the Wounded Knee museum in Wall, SD. I am glad they did this because a stop at the Little Bighorn battlefield is coming up – my son will get to see both sides of the story.
The afternoon was spent hiking and looking at the fossil digs. Had a quite a few animal sightings, all of which my son is seeing in their natural habitat for the first time: more pronghorn antelope, countless prairie dogs, bison, and bighorn sheep (which I have never seen myself). My son said they came across a group of bighorn sheep and the babies from this season. I have no idea what the proper terms are for bighorn sheep. My son said he felt like he was on an alien planet; the land is so different from northwesten Pennsylvania.
DAY 7
The morning of Day 7 was spent at the minute-man missile silo. When I was in the USCG from 1977 to 1981 I was stationed at an Omega station in Lamoure, North Dakota from June, 1979 to June 1981. The first day off I had a took a drive in the countryside and looked at the endless sea of green: wheat and sunflowers. I saw this gravel area that was surrounded by a triple fence and had this big concrete patio in the middle. There were little blue signs on the fence that said “SAC”. The area around the fence was mowed, so I walked around the perimeter to look at it. A while later I saw this blue crew cab pickup pull up next to my car. Four guys got out wearing dark blue uniforms and carrying M16s. Two stayed by the truck, one went over to my car, and one walked to about twenty feet away from me. The guy that approached me asked me politely what I was doing. I said just looking around. He then told me that I was on a military installation and that I was welcome to look all I wanted from the road but would I please leave the immediate area now. The sight of four automatic weapons put me in a most agreeable mood
, and I said I was already on my way out. All of the guys back at the Omega station had a good laugh at my expense when I relayed this experience later; I had no idea what I was looking at.
I am glad my son got to see this when there are so many fewer missiles in service. I hope it stays that way, although the desire of man to destroy his neighbor never seems to diminish. In a lot of ways I think the world is more uncertain than when I was in elementary school in the early 1960s learning to “duck and cover.”
The afternoon was spent hiking. The evening brought a thunderstorm and lots of rain.
crispyboy, yes, I sure wish I was along. My wife is a "stay-at-home" Mom and my son does not need to be here until cross-country kicks up in earnest the last week of July. So, we figured instead o the truck and trailer gathering dust it ought to go somewhere. I can't be off work for more than two weeks at a shot, so if the trip was going to happen than my wife would have to drive. She said OK. I think I was overly cautious on planning, but knowing that I have done everything possible is my way of allowing myself to not worry about them.
I am glad some folks are enjoying the updates.
DAY 6
The plan for Day 6 was to go to Wounded Knee, but the road to the actual site was washed out. Reserving the route, came across a goat in the road. Apparently the goat felt that the road belonged to him and would not move. This is a nice picture of the South Dakota prairie; this is actually on the Pine Ridge reservation. My wife told me last night that they have had 16 inches of rain for the year so far; normal is around 3 inches. The balance of the morning was spent at the Wounded Knee museum in Wall, SD. I am glad they did this because a stop at the Little Bighorn battlefield is coming up – my son will get to see both sides of the story.
The afternoon was spent hiking and looking at the fossil digs. Had a quite a few animal sightings, all of which my son is seeing in their natural habitat for the first time: more pronghorn antelope, countless prairie dogs, bison, and bighorn sheep (which I have never seen myself). My son said they came across a group of bighorn sheep and the babies from this season. I have no idea what the proper terms are for bighorn sheep. My son said he felt like he was on an alien planet; the land is so different from northwesten Pennsylvania.
DAY 7
The morning of Day 7 was spent at the minute-man missile silo. When I was in the USCG from 1977 to 1981 I was stationed at an Omega station in Lamoure, North Dakota from June, 1979 to June 1981. The first day off I had a took a drive in the countryside and looked at the endless sea of green: wheat and sunflowers. I saw this gravel area that was surrounded by a triple fence and had this big concrete patio in the middle. There were little blue signs on the fence that said “SAC”. The area around the fence was mowed, so I walked around the perimeter to look at it. A while later I saw this blue crew cab pickup pull up next to my car. Four guys got out wearing dark blue uniforms and carrying M16s. Two stayed by the truck, one went over to my car, and one walked to about twenty feet away from me. The guy that approached me asked me politely what I was doing. I said just looking around. He then told me that I was on a military installation and that I was welcome to look all I wanted from the road but would I please leave the immediate area now. The sight of four automatic weapons put me in a most agreeable mood
, and I said I was already on my way out. All of the guys back at the Omega station had a good laugh at my expense when I relayed this experience later; I had no idea what I was looking at. I am glad my son got to see this when there are so many fewer missiles in service. I hope it stays that way, although the desire of man to destroy his neighbor never seems to diminish. In a lot of ways I think the world is more uncertain than when I was in elementary school in the early 1960s learning to “duck and cover.”
The afternoon was spent hiking. The evening brought a thunderstorm and lots of rain.
. 
