The Long Way Back To Minot

Sometimes when we want to escape the trucks, trucks and trucks on the main highway, we go home on a back road.  The back road takes a little longer but we can go slower and just enjoy the scenery.

One day we decided to take a detour on a road up a hill.  We had seen this road many times and wondered where it went so we decided to explore.

The road went down into the coulees before it started heading up.

 

There are trees in North Dakota and these pictures are proof, however they are few and far between.

 

 

These trees are growing up the side of the hills.  I can assure you there are not scenes like this in very many places up here-mostly flat farmland.

 

This is the view from the top of the hill just before the road turns and levels out. 

 

 

By the way, guess where this road brought us, to the road we take on the long way home.  What a great way to relax after a busy day at work.

Sunday Phunnies

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.
 W. C. Fields

If I’m not back in five minutes… wait longer!
 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

The only way to make your PC go faster is to throw it out a window.
 Robert Paul

Elena, my four year old, says to me in all seriousness; “Mommy, you need to buy another baby”.

A tax is a fine for doing well, a fine is a tax for doing wrong.
 Unknown

Sarcasm helps keep you from telling people what you really think of them.
 Unknown

Man who stands on toilet, gets high on pot!

Sometimes people deserve a high five, in the face, with a chair.

God grant me the serenity to accept that people are ignorant, the courage to uphold the law when I’m hostile, & the wisdom to realize that murder is illegal.

Don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t sell drugs. The government hates competition!

Wheat, Wheat, Sunflowers

It is harvest time in North Dakota and the crops are ready.  Red Wheat which will be harvested and the stalks gathered as straw.

A good view of a wheat field from the top of the hill.

White wheat

Harvesting the wheat

This sunflower field goes on for over a mile in each direction.

Lots of sunflower oil from these plants.

For the last few weeks the farmers have been cutting the tall grass and rolling the hay bales.

A crop duster over the soybeans.

It is definitely harvest time around here and the farmers are really busy but we enjoy looking at the crops.

Sunday Phunnies

Smile: if you can’t lift the corners, let the middle sag.
 Unknown

Ten percent of something is better than 100% of nothing.
 Unknown

Not one man in a beer commercial has a beer belly.
 Rita Rudner

I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
 Groucho Marx

When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.
 Henny Youngman

Everybody who is incapable of learning has taken to teaching.
 Oscar Wilde

Men are like bank accounts. Without a lot of money they don’t generate a lot of interest.

There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.

I exercise strong self control. I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast.
 WC Fields

A Drive in the Country

We had to drive to one of our job sites on the west side of the state and decided to take the long way home.  We were pleasantly surprised to see the scenery was very similar to the badlands, just not quite so rugged.

This 2 lane road runs right through the oil patch and was very busy with big rigs.  The road is curvy with no place to stop and the traffic doesn't allow you to slow down much, so it was pretty but not fun.

Sights along the oil patch.

We drove through the Ft. Berthold Indian Reservation and hit road construction-not fun.  We drove 25 miles per hour for almost an hour until we could turn.  It seemed like a good time to visit Lake Sakakawea.

This is a man-made lake that runs across the middle of North Dakota from the center to the far west.

Ft. Stevenson State Park is located on the northeastern sice of the state.

Inside the park is another prairie dog town

A prairie dog hole.

Larry's next gun!

The Interpretive Center

Hope you enjoyed our drive down south.