the Smell of Steak

The Rough Rider Hotel finally opened its restaurant for the season. It's a little fancier than the Iron Horse; I had filet mignon and we shared a bottle of Petit Bistro pinot noir, which I really liked. The food was great, but despite the smell wafting into my apartment every night calling me there, I think my wallet would be pretty thin if I go back more than once more this month.

More spring arrivals include savannah sparrows and spotted towhees. I have heard reports of orange-crowned warblers and yellow-rumped warblers, but have not observed them myself.

One of a flock of savannah sparrows in a prairie dog town. This was the only bird that let me get near enough to take a picture of it.

The house finches are starting to fight over my feeder. They will run me out of feed before too long. They put a couple sticks in the feeder, evidently staking their claim if they decided to put a nest there. I tried to discourage that.

Last but not least, we checked out the Dakota Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson. Entrance was $7 for adults for a museum that was generally OK. I still prefer the University of Wisconsin Geology Museum, which is FREE and has most of the same stuff (and a complete Edmontosaur). Really the Dakota Dinosaur Museum should be called the "impressive collection of rocks, oh, and also some dinosaur things." We did, however, punish the rest of their gift shop patrons for the upcoming summer by buying the best set of one-of-a-kind fossil bookends.