What a Tangled Web
If anybody really believes I have a Batman tramp stamp, well, I have a bridge to sell you.
Also: please don’t hate me.
But, it was April 1, and I’ve been candid about my love for April Fools’ Day in the past. If it were up to me, I’d declare it a national holiday. CenturyCo lets me do an April Fools’ newsletter every year and I plan those stories out months in advance.
Naturally, I’ve pulled a prank or two in my time. Like last year, when I blogged about getting suspended from work for three days after inadvertently surfing internet porn on the job.
I don’t actually have any tattoos. The photo? Some random guy on the internet. Batman isn’t even my favorite superhero (shoutout to Spiderman!); I built the post around the best pic I could find. Which means there really is some poor sap out there with Bruce Wayne’s alter ego on his lower back.
I guess the moral of the story is, never trust me on the first day of April. The rest of the year I’m as honest as they come.
Gone Ghost Huntin’
With nice weather on Saturday, we wanted to get out of the house and do something fun. It was the perfect day for a drive through the Black Hills. Our destination? The ghost town of Spokane.
Founded in 1890, Spokane was a thriving mining town, producing gold, silver, copper, zinc, mica, and graphite. Its most prosperous year was 1927, when it turned a profit of $144,742. Like all mining towns in the Black Hills, success was short-lived. Spokane was all but abandoned by the 1940s.
Over the decades, the few remaining structures have either collapsed or are on the verge of doing so. The schoolhouse is the best preserved, but has really taken a turn for the worse over the past few years. Sadly, I doubt it will be standing much longer. Not with the wind, rain, snow, and hail it’s exposed to constantly.
We still had a great time exploring the area. There are lots of abandoned cars and equipment, a root cellar, prospecting pits, and more. I love glimpses into the historical past.
There are other ghost towns scattered throughout the Black Hills, and we plan to explore as many as we can before they completely disappear.
Feeling Loopy
After Spokane, we drove through the Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park. Not exactly something new, but it’s something we never get tired of. The infamous begging burros always offer a friendly welcome.
And of course, no visit would be complete without bison.
All in all, it was a great day!
Mark My Words 
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