Ghost at Oxbow Lake

Smaller trail for the adventurous

     Jeff and I decide to take a late evening walk at one of the popular parks in Sioux Falls called Sertoma Park.  As we approach the entrance, an adorable bunny surprises us as it hops around a large tree.  It is a baby bunny and tries to hide by flattening its body against the grass. After admiring this small creature, we continue walking across the road and into the park. Many fireflies light up the trail and woods all around, signaling the approach of darkness.  Perhaps this should be a fast-paced walk. It has been a long time since we have seen so many fireflies.  An eerie feeling comes over me as the trees on the trail hide the daylight. We see smaller trails leading off into the darkness of the woods.  Little fluffy white tufts have fallen from a large old Cottonwood tree nearby covering our path with a wispy film.  The stagnant Oxbow Lake can be seen through the brush.  It has no definite shore and has evaporated and formed areas of mud with critter footprints throughout. 

 “I wonder if there could be ghosts here.” I asked.

Resident Deer at Sertoma Park, Sioux Falls, SD

Jeff smiled and replied, “You know, there is an old Sioux legend about a warrior who wanders these woods looking for his lover.  He died in battle and was never given a proper burial.  So, he appears after sunset making all these trails with his continual roaming.” 

I know Jeff made up this story, but what if there is some mysterious presence lurking in the woods.  It is getting dark and we are not prepared for an overnight stay on the trail or getting lost and the trail seems longer than I thought.  I am the practical one, as you can tell.  We rounded a bend into an open field.  I unexpectedly see two eyes through the dark brush.  I realize we have come upon a deer.  We are so close to it, yet it is not afraid.  The deer wanders over the trail behind us and into the field and continues foraging.  A couple of rabbits hop in front of us and hide in the tall grass. 

We continue our walk and cross over Oxbow Lake on a sturdy wooden bridge.  I see another old Cottonwood tree at one end. Jeff and I begin light playful banter:  “The trail is this way.” “No, the trail goes that way.” “It is not far to the end now.”  “No, we go this way and have to walk all around this field before we are done.”  “That cannot be, you are wrong.”  “We are going to need a flashlight!”  “No, we won’t; we’ll be alright without it.”  “Oh yes, we can use our phones to light the way.”  “We need to conserve the batteries.” 

   

Charming  wooden bridge over Oxbow Lake

Suddenly, dark objects appear in the open field in front of us  Rabbits, lots of rabbits darting away here and there and hiding, except for one huge rabbit standing upright.  I am thinking this must be the old wise one that waits to see if there is a real danger before he abandons his activities.  After all, not many rabbits have been killed in this park as you can tell by their sheer numbers.  Unable to resist, I take off running toward that fat rabbit.  It runs away faster than any of the others.  I chuckle, but ahead there are more rabbits…invasion of the rabbits!  Rabbits might be dangerous in numbers if they decide to attack a human.  Remember, I am the practical one, and I like to plan ahead just in case.

We notice that some canoes are stored by a small pond and discuss how fun it might be to come back and rent one.  However, we see that the canoes are charred and broken and destroyed by fire. “This could be the doing of that restless Indian warrior that wanders the park at night,” I mused. Jeff grins.

Oh! Something touched my ankle!  Before I have a chance to react, it happens again.  I jump away and scream.

“What’s wrong?” Jeff asks concerned. 

“Something touched me!  Something hairy!”

Jeff and I look around to see if rabbits are there.  I look back from where we came and saw a light… no a torch!  I see the Sioux warrior carrying a torch coming towards us on the trail.  Jeff sees that I am distressed and asks again, “What’s wrong?”  I point, but he does not see anything.  I look again…  I do not see anything either.

“Let’s go.  I am getting thirsty.”  Jeff said.  I take another glance back to make sure we are not being followed.  The light fades, the trail becomes more difficult to follow, but we are close to the end.  As we step into familiar surroundings and street lights, Jeff exclaims, “You sure do walk fast!”

NOTE:  Most of this is true.  We did discuss a possible ghost while we were walking as part of our bantering.  Sure made the walk interesting, along with all the wild life and trails. This park has so much to offer that I will post more pictures.  Here is more information:  Sertoma Park, Sioux Falls, South Dakota