Winter hovers in the background. Hints: furnace running in the morning, sweatshirt days, early darkness. Craving a warm fire.  After clearing out the garden before the first frost, green tomatoes ripen on the kitchen counters.  Cupboards filled with pickled vegetables and freezer full too.

ND badlands

I read something not long ago that described the Northern US as a cold northern wasteland. Huuuummmpppphhhh. That generalization of the beautiful, hilly, high plains where I live won’t do. True, ND is northern and cold. But wasteland? No way. Ninety-eight percent of the land produces food. Nationally,  North Dakota ranks second to Kansas in total wheat production, though some years it has come out on top, depending on growing conditions. North Dakota was the top wheat producing state in 2009 and 2010.

Owning your “place” is like choosing your football team. Once there–wherever–we develop a loyalty to the place, after all, it is our place. We find a sense pride, like knowing the wheat production. We declare our loyalty: I am a North Dakotan now. Our place is number one and all other places are substandard. Hence, the term cold northern wasteland for a most fascinating state.

I move around for my work, and I have no trouble finding loyatly and pride in my new home state(s). Sometimes all I do is dig beneath the negative stereotype and see an area’s unique beauty. Hot and muggy South vs. green, lush, birding paradise. Desolate, arid Southwest vs. stark beauty and unique landforms. Soggy Northwest vs fern and forest wonderland. Cold, northern wasteland vs. land of diverse wildlife.

P.S. I am still a Broncos fan!