According to the locals, summer in ND is short. How can that be, I thought. The growing season and frost-free dates are the same as SE Wyoming. Yet, after my first summer, I agree; summer is short. More factors come into play besides the growing season. Fluctuating day length is the most noticeable variable. Nights…
When I bought my pop-up camper several people suggested I would outgrow it. Still, I went for it. For a first camper I wanted something new since I knew nothing, and I wanted lightweight since I never towed anything. This was a good choice for me. However, I am thinking of an upgrade by next…
We are already transitioning into fall. The seasonal shift announces itself in the cool nights and chilly, damp mornings that set in after the August full moon. The edges between each season are predictable, comforting times. Fall migration begins with flocks of smallish birds heading southeast. The garden fades. Round bales of hay rest quietly…
I explore the prairie uplands and discover new shorebirds and ducks most of the summer. Now, I am restless about finding something new and discovering new birds for my life list. What is nearby? The Missouri River! The banks of a major river could offer up a different terrain and corresponding new birds. This is…
I lived in arid lands most of my adult life; even SE Wyoming qualified as a high desert. Pivot irrigation rigs were a permanent part of the landscape. The sips of water metered out by the rigs was enough to bring the crops in, unless snow pack was low that year and the water source…
My work here keeps me busy all the time. Days are full and meetings often take up my evenings. The garden calls all the time, with fresh goodies to pickle and freeze. A funeral adds stress and extra work. This week I also do the service at the nursing home. Minister meetings take place about…
I climbed into bed at 7 PM and took my sleep-inducing allergy pill. I read more in Burning Daylight, by Jack London. No early sleep. A few miles down the road, drag car races kept the night air lively with their roar. Zoooooom. I turn off the 4 AM alarm and at 10 PM I…
According to experts, the Perseid Meteor Showers peak between the first hour of dark until around dawn, last night and this morning. I devise a plan to set up outside, away from the town lights. This is an especially good year because the moon is only a small crescent, which makes for darker skies and…
Fear of the unknown, camping alone, or night animals? No Fear of pulling up stakes and moving to a place where I don’t know a soul? No Fear of being alone? No Fear of foreign countries where I don’t speak the language? No Fear of mice or snakes? No Sometimes I wonder if I am subhuman,…
Early August: too early to see signs of fall? People in Yuma still sizzle in air temperatures over 100 degrees. The beach goers in Miami simmer now in high humidity and air temps in the 90s. However, if you gaze up to North Dakota on your weather map, you will discover that night temps are…