Part Eight

“Thank You”

Seems simple enough to say in appreciation for someone doing something for you. And in this time and place, it is more appropriate than ever. More on that in a moment.

Saturday morning brings lots of sunshine and cirrus clouds all around and temps about 10 degrees cooler. So let me tell you about my friend Jenn.

I have known Jenn for over 9 years. We met thru the posting boards of the then WB Network and were fans of the TV show “Dawson’s Creek”. Our first meeting was to have happened in August of 2001 when she was on a business trip to Philadelphia but circumstances beyond our control prevented that from happening. But 2 months later, we met at her Mom’s house here in Pierre. Jenn has 2 daughters: Miranda who is 18 and Rebecca who is almost 15. And there are the 3 dogs: Nutmeg, Ginger and Bella who are dachshunds. Jenn is the definitive image of a single mom; raising 2 kids and owning her own piece of the rock: a nice cozy two story home in the center of the city. She has worked in public service for most of her adult life.  She began as a committee secretary for the House of Representatives during Legislative Session at the state capitol. She then went to the Department of Labor as a receptionist, and then the Divisions of Securities as a broker registrar, which meant that she registered investment advisors and broker dealers. She now works for Hughes County as a deputy finance officer and voter registrar. And with it being less than 3 weeks to the South Dakota gubernatorial election, Jenn has the honors of keeping tabs on the absentee ballots. Not a job for the fainthearted. Despite all of the duties that are in her life, Jenn manages to keep a smile of optimism on her face and, plain and simple, doesn’t take crap from anybody. We keep in touch by phone every Sunday night and email thru the week. Let’s just say that after a long week, Jenn appreciates that I am around and it’s a good thing to have an adult conversation each week with a good friend.

And as we usually do when I come up for a visit, it’s up to the grounds of the state capital building:

 It is a beautiful place to walk around, particularly on this fall day.

In the distance across the “capital lake”:

Is the governor’s mansion:

 And on the grounds are these memorials for those from South Dakota who served in the armed forces and public service.

First, the 6 statues representing the veterans of World War II:

The memorial for the veterans of the Korean War:

And a memorial for the veterans of the Vietnam War:

Plus there are memorials for public service for policemen:

One for firefighters:

And one for emergency medical services.

On the memorial for police, one of the names is Jenn’s paternal grandfather, Virgil Deyo, who was a policeman for the City of Huron. His name resides on this monument.

Jenn never knew her grandfather due to the time of her birth but her grandfather is held in the highest regard.

At the beginning, I mentioned the phrase “Thank You”. And along those lines, since I needed a hat to wear while on my vacation, I chose the one from the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.

On Memorial Day 2004, this monument opened to the general public and has been quite the crowd attraction. I took my Dad down there in October 2004 as appreciation for the replacement window work we had done on my house that summer. So as I did for my trip here 2 years ago, I chose my National WWII Memorial hat.

As we approach Veteran’s Day here in the U.S., please take a moment to remember our veterans in your thoughts and prayers. And if you happen to come upon some veterans out there selling their poppy flowers or if there is a veteran in your family, please say thank you to them for their service for our independence. It is the least that we can do and to bring a smile on any veteran’s face is a good thing. And here I mention the Air Force in honor of my Dad:

And those men whom he served with in the 15^th Air Force, 450^th Bomb Group, 720^th, 721^st, 722^nd and 723^rd Squadrons. Thanks to them. And thank you, Dad.

So, it’s dinnertime for Jenn and I at one of the local restaurants, The Long Branch, which serves a very fine prime rib. And then later, it is some great ice cream at a place called Zesto, which happens to be a couple of blocks from Jenn's house. This little ice cream place, which also serves up hot dogs and some fried foods, has been a landmark in Pierre for as long as any of the local residents can remember. And Sunday is its last day of the season until its reopening in the spring. As quiet as it looks in this photo, there have been some long lines of people waiting to get just one last bit of summer before they start seeing their breath in front of them. Zesto thanks the locals for their patronage. And may I say the chocolate rivals that of Dairy Queen back home.

Sunday, we say bye to Jenn and family and hit the road at 12 Noon to visit a former engineer of News8. And Monday, we work our way to the northern point of the Power River Basin in Gillette, Wyoming. We’re at the halfway point of our journey. So stay tuned.

I’m Philip J Zocco. On the Road. In Pierre, South Dakota.