Comments

  1. Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says

    That stone -- I assume the one that Lofty’s talking about? -- in the second picture looked like a bathing elephant to me at first glance.

  2. kestrel says

    What a wonderful place. I saw the Russian Olives and thought, eeeek… but they smell really good especially in the spring.

  3. says

    Russian olives? I thought the trees look familiar. I did not know the species had been introduced to North America and has become a nuisance there. Similarly black locust was introduced to Europe and is a nuisance here.

    Is the lake name produced “čida” or “tčida” or “tšida”?

  4. says

    The Russian Olives were all initial deliberate plantings, they help keep a whole lot of wildlife fed, and they’re kept in check by all the birds who eat the fruits. At any rate, they aren’t considered to be a problem in Tschida.

    Charly:

    “tčida” or “tšida”

    A combination of these. Lake Tschida is also known as Heart Butte Reservoir.

  5. kestrel says

    @Charly: yeah, in my area, the Russian Olive is considered an invasive pest as it out-competes native species and will grow nearly anywhere. Funny you mention the Black Locust, it grows all over here and yes, it is definitely a nuisance! I’ve been “stabbed” by it many times, sometimes right through the sole of my boot. It does get beautiful flowers on it in the very late spring.

  6. Tethys says

    The scent of blooming Russian olives is fantastic, but they are no longer planted because they can become invasive. North Dakota is dry enough that they tend to die out in the droughts and severe winters. There are very few European plants that have not been introduced to North America. Why they would introduce black locust in Europe? There are species that don’t have the vicious thorns, like green locust. It is a common urban tree because it does well in the poor and droughty soils of the boulevard between the road and sidewalks.

    Tschida is pronounced cheetah, but with the added hint of a T in the initial consonant as in tchotchke.

  7. says

    That’s not how it’s pronounced here. Then again, this is Dakota.

    The Russian olive trees do great out at the lake, they prosper well. And it hasn’t been dry here in the least bit. *Looks out at another cloudy, wet day.*

  8. Ice Swimmer says

    Gorgeous pictures of gorgeous scenery.

    Wikipedia states that the eponymous mayior Michael Tschida was born in Vienna. Could he be of Slavic ancestry. The last name has the feel of a Germanized Slavic name.

  9. Tethys says

    Caine

    That’s not how it’s pronounced here. Then again, this is Dakota.

    I’ve no doubt it has a unique pronunciation in ND. In New London, Conneticutt they have a river Thames, which is pronounced phonetically rather than the “Tems” of it’s namesake.
    The Tschidas I know pronounce it as t’cheetah, very similar to the way a Chicago native pronounces it as Tchicago. It is a Slavic language surname, found throughtout Hungary, Austria etc.

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