There was a lot to learn living on the plains of South Dakota for this city kid from back east in Wisconsin.One of the first things I learned is that, comparatively speaking, Wisconsin is like the east coast compared to the center of the country.
It took a while to learn this. As a reporter, I would call up ranchers, farmers, or other folks to request an interview and the opportunity to shoot video for that evening's news. If they said yes, a time would be arranged for me to arrive.
When I got there, especially in the case of farms and ranches, the person I was meeting would ask me in for coffee. "Well, thank you... but I really don't have time. If we could go ahead and do the interview first, that would be great."
"The wife just brewed some coffee and there's some cookies. Let's go have that cup of coffee."
After several minutes of exchanges like this - I went in for coffee.
I eventually learned it was much faster to say thank you, go inside, and drink the coffee. (Long time readers know I don't drink coffee, except professionally as a reporter and insurance representative.)
During my time with KELO I shot a number of hunting and fishing stories. After spending a morning out in the blinds shooting (video and bullets) ducks, the guide who took me stopped by the house with something for my wife. It was a bag with three ducks. The ducks were cleaned, but heads still attached. The only idea we had to handle them was to call our hunting friends, who enjoyed the duck.
One story that sticks in my mind was one from the Rosebud Reservation. The local convenience stores were restricting the sale of household cleaners because they were being used by some teens and young adults for a cheap high by huffing the aerosol alcohol. In some cases, that killed them. Sad to say (and learn), we don't all live in the same world.
On the other end of the spectrum, during the state's centennial in 1989, there were special events throughout the year.
My favorite was a cattle drive. I shot video of leather-skin cowboys on horseback moving a large of cattle through the Badlands of western South Dakota. The Chuckwagon was pulled by a team of horses and the Cookie prepared grub over an open fire. The landscape was incredible made even better when snow started falling. If the asphalt road wasn't there it looked like something I might have seen in 1889.
Of course, in 1889 there was no KELO-land news.
More memories to come!
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