After running in Montana for about a week, we were in North Dakota for a very short time. In order to run through all the 48 contiguous states in four months, we have to run through the corners of some of the states to make the route as direct as possible. After entering North Dakota yesterday, we stayed overnight in Bowman. This morning we ran out into the hot and windy plains heading south towards South Dakota.

We forgot to mention that yesterday in Bowman some of the members of our men’s team had stopped into the Eats n’ Treats Ice Cream shop after running. They were treated to complimentary ‘Tornadoes’ for which they are very grateful. As they were about to leave, they were approached by a man who happened to be a State Senator. He had seen two of our runners running past his ranch earlier and was happy to meet us unexpectedly here at the shop. He was very understanding and supportive of the World Harmony Run and offered a personal contribution to our cause. It is always so amazing how we meet people who are so inspired and moved by our efforts even when they know very little about us at first.

This whole area of the country usually looks much browner in color at this time of year as far as I can remember. But this year they have had lots of rain already, more than some whole years in the past. The hills, the plains and farms, and even the sides of the roads next to the shoulders that we run on are quite green and colorful with wildflowers, wheat, grasses for hay and local bushes. There are not many trees in most areas of these plains, but the fragrance of the wildflowers of yellow, blue, purple and pink all help to make the hot and windy running of the last few days a bit more tolerable.

Today it was extremely hot and windy. With strong headwinds most of the day and temperatures above 100F to almost 112F or 43 C, it felt as if we were running in a strong blow dryer with the torch adding a few more degrees to the ‘fire’. After surviving the hottest and one of the windiest days so far in almost three months since we started our journey, we settled into a small town of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Kathleen Murray of the Super 8 Motel was kind enough to offer two nice rooms for the guys to stay in.

The women’s teams found rooms at the All Star Travel Lodge in nearby Spearfish.

Julie, the very kind manager at the Spearfish Pizza Hut, generously offered the whole team pizzas, salads, drinks and some pasta. For such small towns we were quite amazed at the generosity and level of understanding and oneness we experienced there.

Thanks to subway for providing 11 footlongs for tomorrow's lunch!

We did not meet up with too many people as we were running during the heat of the day probably because it was so hot that no one wanted to come out of their homes or air conditioned cars and trucks. Some of them probably thought we were a bit crazy running in this weather at all, not to speak of carrying a lit torch.

By the time we arrived at our motel after dinner it was about 10 p.m. and the temperature was still 90 F or about 33 C. I knew of a small community nearby called ‘Arpan’ so I decided to drive there to take some photos. Pathik and Kaspars came along even though it was getting late. About 9 miles east of Belle Fourche on Hwy. 212 is a sign pointing to Arpan which was seven miles north along the Belle Fourche Reservoir.

Not intending to be vain, I thought it quite a coincidence that this small community of a few farm houses would be called Arpan in South Dakota which makes it Arpan, S.D. My full name happens to be Arpan Steve DeAngelo which also makes it Arpan, S.D. I found out many years ago when I first discovered this community that the founder of this area was named Isaac Arpan. He started a small farm community when the train went through this huge farm over 100 years ago. There was a post office and general store and houses for the workers mainly. There is no more train or post office or even a store, just some farm houses for the local families. The roads are mostly gravel and dirt, but the community seems well taken care of. Next time we come around to this area again I hope to do more research as to exactly the role of the Arpan farm community. All seems pretty harmonious there for the time being.

Arpan and Team Harmony

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