I'll have to borrow your duck tape ideas for my article... Before I turned to writing full-time, I spent 20 years in the corporate world, some of that in training and organizational development. I used to run team training seminars, and I created exercises designed to help employees build teamwork skills. I'm picturing a little competition, in which a roomful of teams are given 15 minutes to "brainstorm with your team, and list as many uses as you can for duck tape. Winning team gets a roll for each member." (Use it to bind and gag team members who drive you crazy.)

No, I don't homeschool, but my two greatest friends do. One is in Nashville (that's Rhonda -- you'll meet her briefly in the book, and she's in an earlier post), and the other, Terry, lives in Oregon. I marvel at their hard work and dedication to educating their kids, and they've taught me great respect for something I never knew much about. I don't think I'd have the patience, and I'm in awe of those who do. Do you homeschool?

And Custer State Park. What a glorious destination. Yes, we did visit Custer on our Ribbons journey. For anyone looking for a scenic, serene, natural counterpoint to the hubbub and tourist kitsch around Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills in South Dakota, head to Custer State Park, where buffalo roam free and traffic stops until the behemoths have cleared the road. Custer info here: www.custerstatepark.info .

Having already visited the area, Danita, you probably know about the majestic scenic roads that thread through the Rushmore-Black Hills-Custer area. The Custer Wildlife Loop gives you eyefuls of buffalo and other creatures, and travelers to this area shouldn't miss driving on the Needles Scenic Byway and Iron Mountain Road. (RV drivers, be aware that there are some narrow rock arches on these roads. I didn't see anyone get stuck, but it'd be wise to check your "dimensions" before heading up onto either of these heavenly, high altitude ribbons of highway.)

We didn't stay at the park (we stayed at the Mt. Rushmore KOA -- a giant resort, really, with gobs of things to do. A little busy for my taste, but the kids absolutely loved it), but I remember seeing some gorgeous cabin complexes inside Custer: Blue Bell Resort was one. And Spokane Creek Resort on 16A just outside Custer looked nice, as well.

I envy you your buffalo-filled Memorial Day weekend. When I posted the info about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I joked, "Don't touch the lava." In Custer, don't touch the buffalo. We learned how dangerous these guys are from a wrangler at Yellowstone. I wrote about it in the book, and I'll post the "steer clear of buffalo" excerpt in another post.