Listen closely and you might hear ghosts whispering in the trees.

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!

42 thoughts on “Listen closely and you might hear ghosts whispering in the trees.”

  3. Ha, ha, ha – that was a good one! I can only imagine the hilarious company newsletter made from your creative talents.

    What an interesting trip to a ghost town. And I love the burro dental check. Glad you two had such a lovely bison-burro-ghost adventure!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Thank you! If you’re a fan of The Onion, it’s definitely along those lines. Fun fact: I used to work with a guy whose cousin was the one who started The Onion. I always thought, in an alternate universe, I could be writing for those guys.

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  4. Thank god your mom posted the comment she did on the tattoo post. Up to that point I was taken in and wondering how drunk any guy would have to be to actually get a tramp stamp. OMG: the burros!! Who could possibly care about anything else with those guys outside your car.

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    1. I’ve spent some time in Spokane, WA. I think they’re pretty safe for now…although, there are some pretty sketchy parts of town, come to think of it. People just might be tempted to flee.

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  7. My first time through Custer State Park was on a motorcycle. Those burros made for some interesting obstacles for a fairly new rider. I’d say, “That’s a good burro. Stay right where you are.”

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      1. Oh, I held my breath as I rode within 10 feet of a bison. Massive creature, but he was relaxed and just off the road. His relatives gave us plenty of space.

        Those darn burros, though, were everywhere!

        Liked by 1 person

  8. I figured that wasn’t a picture of you, but I have to say I’m strangely disappointed you don’t really have a tramp stamp. Batman or otherwise..
    But begging burros? They totally make up for it. Hope you had some healthy snacks for them.
    😉

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  11. It hit me later that night of April First that it might have been a joke. Yes, sometimes things take me a little longer…I’m so glad you don’t have a tramp stamp because that would have been tragic, to say the least.

    Begging burros. I’m guessing people feed them? Or are they wanting a ride out of the loop?

    It appears that people did not heed the sign about destruction (graffiti) in the old mining town which is too bad. What an interesting piece of history.

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    1. Yes, people feed the burros (although I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a nice, private backyard of their own, as well). I wonder if they would help with general lawncare?

      The graffiti is a shame.

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  12. You are literally the only person I know who tried an April’s Fools joke this year. Everyone else seemed like, “Forget it. After the last five years of ‘The Onion’ headlines becoming actual ‘The New York Times’ headlines, we can’t even anymore.”

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  13. Those burros are so cute!!! When my friends were visiting from Germany they went to some little California or Arizona town on Route 66 and there were burros roaming around with stickers on their foreheads that said No Carrots because people were feeding them too much. lol

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  19. I don’t remember the burros or the bison or any of the large animals in Custer State Park but I still recall the many many and so funny prairie dogs, popping out of their holes. Did you see any of those?

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