"Is Dad Out of His mind?" These six words, echoed in the minds of three children and their Mother as their father forced the innocent children (Rem, Alec, and Abbie) out of the safety of their car and into a cruel and dangerous realm known as Custer State Park. They knew that faster then you could say "Let me in the car!" a monstrous bison could trample them into a fine powder, as their callous Father watched from behind the safety of his steering wheel in the car. First, Dad snapped one picture after another until he got just the right photo (while his children said silent tearful prayers) then suddenly Dad shouted "Look out! They're charging!" At that, the three children screamed and jumped into the car, panting and crying on the floor as Dad laughed like someone had just told him the funniest joke. This is the story I have heard for the last 14 years from my oldest brother and sister as they explain the photo of them and the bison on the refrigerator and a sample of a paper my older brother Rem wrote for his creative writing class on the same subject (emphasis on creative.)
This year my Dad took me and my three little brothers on the same fateful trip he had taken my four older siblings 15 years earlier. Once we got to South Dakota (where Custer State Park is located) Dad was determined to set the record strait and took us to that supposedly terror filled spot that my brother and sister have so often described. Though it was not the thrill ride they had made it seem (but then again I am 14 and not 10 or 7 as they were at the time, my brother Alec was only 4 and doesn't remember much of it and Anna was a baby who stayed in the car with mom) it was still amazing none the less. We saw prairie dogs and wild turkeys, deer and goats, but nothing compared to the bison and donkeys.
The donkeys walked right up to our car and stuck their heads in and demanded food or what ever they chewed on first. Then a little farther up the road there were the bison! They were big, hairy and smelled like fur drenched in unspeakable horror, but they were still cool. Of coarse my Dad wanted to get a picture, so I got out of the car and let dad take his photo then I got back in the car. No biggie. The bison aren't that threatening just big and smelly. Also the entire park was great just to look at. Over all if your ever in South Dakota I would recommend seeing it.
7 out of 9 tickets (since it's not food and because Abbie and Rem still tell the story their way)
Did Dad mention his reading allowed signs that said things like "Do not leave car. Bison known to gore." as we approached said bison? That combined with the fact that you look big enough to wrestle a bison with your bare hands here and that all I had was a puny 7 year old Rem and a tiny 4 year old Alec for protection... and I think you'll understand why I would tell it slightly differently. (And give it 8 out of 9, just because I was scarred for life doesn't mean I didn't love it.)
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