Merry Christmas

December 25

Burnsville. MN

I drove out to visit my nephew Bryan in Mitchell, SD, home of the famous "Corn Palace", for Christmas. We reminisced of times past, and he jogged my memory of events I'd forgotten. After watching a few movies together I returned to the snowiness known as Minnesota. To anyone who didn't have a white Christmas we have plenty of whiteness to share! Christ's Peace and Blessings to all.

FIRE !!!

Nov. 16

Burnsville, MN

I'm writing this post from yet a new address, not by choice but by necessity. Yesterday a fire leveled my barn loft home. All was lost except for my laptop, camera, and cell phone which I had along with me, as well as my sleeping bag and tent which normally reside in my car. The blaze started around 3:30 pm, shortly after I left for a 4 o'clock appointment. My barn mate John was also away. The owners Terri and Dan were home at the time, but were unable to contain the fire which seems to have started in the hay stored under the south side roof. The fire dept. was delayed in getting water to the site, which didn't help matters, and by the time I arrived back around 5:30 the inferno was lighting up the nighttime sky. The Red Cross put me up for the night in a Holiday Inn, and loaded a credit card for me with $22o for immediate needs, but today after purchasing a new power cord and charger for my laptop and phone, ceased to work. I also stopped at the bank, bought some clothes at a thrift store, picked up some supplies at Wal-Mart, and searched for a new residence, of which I found one, in the nearby city ironically named Burnsville. It's a nice house in town with a sweet older lady owner, and two male tenants, one my age and one in college. They were very nice and helpful. I had wanted to get out to the fire site today and see if by some miracle anything survived the intense flames (the animals were all safe by the way), but didn't have time. Tomorrow. I do still have some personal items and clothes stored back home at the farm and this might provide a good reason to go home for Thanksgiving.

I am reminded that we come into this world with nothing and we will leave this world with nothing save the deeds we have done...do good deeds my children.

Tow Trucks

October 13
Lakeville, MN

This past weekend took me back to my old home state of IN to attend the wedding of a dear friend and former McCreary House Volunteer housemate Ann. Ann was the mastermind behind many McCreary House (actually a trailer) counter-pranks. It's amazing how close four volunteers living in a two bedroom one bath trailer in rural KY can get, or the foolish pranks we would pull to entertain ourselves. Like the time David and I paneled over the girls bedroom door...I needed more wall space to hang some certificate I'd received, or the time I snuck a live rooster into the kitchen in hopes it would start crowing at the break of dawn and wake the girls, or the time we stole the rival Jackson Volunteer House flag and held it for ransom. But truly one of the classics was when the girls "wallpapered" our bedroom with black and white floral print wrapping paper. Ah the good ole days. At the wedding I was also reunited with my old roommate and work partner (and potential fire hazard) David a.k.a. UBS Man, as well as several other CAP friends...we missed you Callista. The wedding took place in a beautiful little country church near Roanoke. Ann's new husband Harley and his family have a tow truck business and the couple sped away from the church to the reception in a nicely decorated bright yellow wrecker. Little did I know how well I would become acquainted with tow trucks, for on the drive back my trusty Sentra gave up the ghost (temporarily) on I-90 just across the MN border. I called roadside assistance, which I'd wisely purchased this spring before the start of my meanderings, and soon a tow truck arrived and hauled me back to Wisconsin. After determining I had a faulty alternator I also had them replace my right front axle, which was also in need of replacement, and was back on the road again arriving home in time to warm some leftovers and retire to bed early after a lengthy trip.

Home Sweet Barn

October 1
Lakeville, MN

I've spent my first month in my barn loft apartment and am liking it well. The work exchange for rent is going well too. I am able to deposit my paycheck in the bank, what a novel idea to actually save money instead of spending it all. I have a neighbor John, who rents the apt. in the other side of the loft ( the west wing ). He's a pretty mellow dude. He just got back from spending the summer on a salmon fishing boat in Alaska. In a short while he'll be making a trip to the northwest coast to pick up his share of the catch; 1000 lbs. of frozen cleaned salmon. I wonder if he'll share some with his co-barn dweller...mmm grilled salmon fillets. We work together occasionally on the farm cleaning up, fixing fences, building cages, etc. The goal is to have the farm open to the public by next spring. Terri and Danny, the owners, have quite a variety of wildlife including wolves, cougars, bobcats, foxes, porcupines, badgers, skunks, raccoons, fisher, beaver, woodchucks, as well as some horses.

Work has been going well. I had 25 clients last week, the most so far. Word must be getting around of the awesome new therapist...although my hands are a bit fatigued. One of the other therapists was let go and the spa has yet to hire a new one, so I've been on call pretty much 7 days a week. I haven't had much time to pursue many other interests, but I have been thinking about getting back into music. I also share my room with some unwelcome guests, two mice just scurried across the floor as I write this, perhaps I should get a cat...or maybe a mountain lion would do the trick.

Here are some pictures of the place: including a sunrise from my east-facing window.

Settling In

August 6
Prior Lake, MN

I'm settling in to the stationary lifestyle. I am enjoying my work. Some days have been semi-busy, some not so busy. I'm renting a room in a house with a couple of other guys about 5 min. from where I work. It's located on 10 acres and is right next to the Minneapolis Gun Club (no worries though they shoot away from the house!) It comes complete with it's own ghost - how cool is that? Apparently some previous renter overdosed in the basement and 3 years to the date of his demise appeared to my roommate who rents the basement.

At the suggestion of a friend I've decided to compile a best/worst of list of my travels - here goes
Best radio stations - northern MN and northern CA
Worst radio stations - ND
Best place to view the stars - eastern OR desert, western NV desert
Worst interstate roads - CA
Most road construction - WY
Meanest mosquitoes - Crater Lake, OR
Best mountain stream to bathe in - Philo, CA; but be sure to wipe off the tiny worms that cling to you (Yuk!)
Best pizza joint/micro brewery - Wild River, Cave Junction, OR
Most hippies - northern CA, southern OR
Friendliest people - MN
Windiest state - WY
Most windmills - MT
Prettiest mountains - Glacier National Park
Tightest security - Canadian border
Most scenic road - Highway 1 CA
Curviest, steepest, most fun to drive mountain road - the 20-something mile stretch of highway between Manchester and Booneville CA

There you have it youngsters, summer's almost over - now get out there and see some of this great country!

A New Path

July 26
Olmsted County, MN


Today I am saying goodbye to the last stop on my summer farm tour. Restoration Gardens, near Kasson, MN is a unique place. Headed by two women, Pernell and Erin, and there three adopted children Jessi, Jacob, and Maria, and nestled away on a few acres in the middle of Minnesota farmland. There were also two interns there, Brittany and Hannah, whom I enjoyed working with. It had been pretty rainy here so we didn't get much gardening done, but we did do some weeding and mulching, as well as building a sawbuck and cutting some firewood. Today my carpentry skills were called upon as I was asked to repair a floor in a travel trailer they had recently purchased. It brought back memories of Christian Appalachian Project home repairs on dilapidated trailers and sagging houses. The floor in question was so rotted it would have caused CAP crew leader Kevin B. to exclaim..."Well"...
It's been a while since I've been around children. Being the youngest in the family most of my nieces and nephews are grown, so it was fun to toss a baseball with Jacob, and playing tag and cops and robbers with all the of the young hooligans. I was arrested several times on trumped up charges ranging from "stealing groceries" to "smashing a car". I plead innocent, but my cries fell on deaf ears. I was tied up with jump rope and blindfolded with my own bandanna. Minnesota justice is swift and harsh.

My journey has taken a new turn as the lure of gainful employment has caused me to take a job and attempt to settle. You're probably thinking my days of gypsy (we prefer the term vagabond) wanderings are through, but fear not all of ye who choose to live vicariously through me, I still may have an adventure or two left in me. But as for now I will be moving tomorrow to Lakeville, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul where I will begin work at Tigli Tan and Skin Spa practicing my art of massage therapy. Hopefully I will have enough free time to explore the North land, and Canada is not too far away... should I wish to exact vengeance upon them! Let it be known that although I now live in the heart of Viking territory I proudly remain a Bears fan.
I shall continue this blog for a while letting you know how things turn out.

County Fair Time

July 21

Houston County, MN

I'm working at the Kara Kahl farm this week. Doug and Mary are a semi-retired couple that enjoy gardening and raising champion milk goats. I joined current WWOOFer Justin here. He's an engineer looking for work in the area like myself. He kind of reminds me of my old housing partner at CAP, Kevin D, but he does a poor T Rex imitation. The fact that he's an engineer also reminds me of my other housing partner, UBS Man, but not really. We went to the La Crosse County Fair in WI on Saturday afternoon. In one of the livestock barns we came upon the " Draft Horse Queen". Justin quizzed her on the difference in horsepower between a draft horse and a regular horse. She could not provide a satisfactory answer. The rest of the evening was spent searching for other "queens". We looked for a "goat queen", a "pig queen", and a "rabbit queen", but were unsuccessful. Not even a "bee queen", or a "dairy queen", - although we did have a couple of root beer floats. It was an interesting evening. Big changes coming soon...stay tuned!

Bad Lands

July 13

Badlands National Park

I stopped at Badlands National Park today and I must say it's not at the top of my list of places to see. It's mostly grasslands, cliffs, and rock formations; much like the state of WY, which you can see for free. It's my theory that our national government needed an easy way to generate revenue so they just took some wasteland that they hadn't already used for Indian reservations, and made a national park of it, charging a fee to unsuspecting tourists who thought they might see something interesting. Actually my review of the place probably wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't arrived there in the mid-day heat, and I'm sure the early morning or late evening sun would create some interesting shadows across the rocky outcroppings.

( Acid rain and erosion have really affected Mt. Rushmore:)

Grand Tetons / Yellowstone

July 12
WY

Craters

July 11
Teton County, ID

Saturday afternoon I visited Crater Lake in OR. There was still some snow in the higher elevations. That night I slept in the open on the high desert of eastern OR. I fell asleep before complete darkness and awoke a little later to be amazed at the brightness of the stars. With a new moon, and no light pollution for hundreds of miles, it was as if I could reach up and take a bite out of the Milky Way. In the morning I woke up to the sound of coyotes howling in the distance. They were well-fed on the plentiful jack-rabbits. Sunday, in keeping the crater theme going, I drove through ID to Craters of the Moon National Monument. It didn't look at all what I expected the moon to look like (but then again I've never been to the moon have I.) As I mentioned earlier I'm traveling toward the east, back to MN to be exact. There's something about the rolling bluff country of the SE corner of the state that's calling me back. I'll be staying at a farm with goats, a garden, and a small vineyard about 20 miles west of La Crosse WI - but not before making a few more stops along the way.

Goodbye Oregon

July 10
Lone Mountain, OR

Today I said my goodbyes to Hazel, Myk, and Travis. It's been hot here in the 90's, but we usually finished our work before the heat of the day. Mon. and Tues. we poured floors that we mixed from about equal parts of screened clay and rock, and straw and water to taste. Wed. we fashioned a shaded area for a screen tent with poles and bamboo, and Thur. and Fri. we built a wooden platform on poles connected to a big oak, to be used by future guests as a tent site. Travis and I made a good team, tackling every project assigned to us with creativity and precision. Thur. also brought the visit of my friend Kaitlin, and her traveling mate Belinda. They were on there way to the hippie festival... um, I mean the Oregon Country Fair, and then on to WA to WWOOF on a goat dairy. They invited me to come to the fair over the weekend, and although tempted, I opted for another route. We went to Cave Junction that evening to a pizza joint/micro brewery that Myk and Hazel had introduced to me the previous night. Fri. afternoon Travis and I took a tour of the Oregon Caves, and that evening I dusted off my guitar and Myk brought out his drum and we had a little jam session in the screen tent. I'm starting my way back East. More on that later...

Treesong

July 5
O'Brien, OR

Sat. morning I bid farewell to Greenwood and motored up the coast on Hwy. 1 and then 101. I stopped at Klamath, CA and camped the night there. Sun. morning I made it a goal to get in the ocean, not being certain if I'd get back to the coast again. After several attempts of finding a way down the cliffs I found an easy access at the mouth of the Klamath River. I walked down to the shore and went in the water ( and by "went in " I mean I stood at the shoreline and let several huge waves splash into me just getting my shorts wet.) The water was icy cold, and the waves were big and powerful. I imagined them originating off the coast of Japan, or maybe some island of the Philippines. Sun. evening I checked in at Treesong and met my new hosts Hazel and Myk, as well as two current wwoofers Travis and Eva. I was given a tour, then we had dinner after which a small fire was built in the yard, and we sat around and talked until dark. Treesong is a permaculture inspired place, built of cob construction - a mixture of clay, rock, straw, and water - and using poles from the surrounding forest. It's quite an unusual dwelling.

Green Woods

July 2
Philo, CA

This week was spent at Greenwood Millworks nestled away in the mountains and forests. David and Michael, a father & son team have been my hosts. They raise a few goats, lambs, chickens, as well as a garden. My quarters was a screen tent in a little clearing. Mosquitoes are a bit pesky in this area. My massage table, which has been riding around in my back seat taking up space, was finally put to good use, serving as my bed for the week. I did, however, retreat to my own tent a couple of nights as the temps. dropped in the low 50's with a cool wind. I did varied things including repairing gates, and composting the garden. One afternoon we did some sustainable logging, thinning out a stand of small redwoods, firs, and tan oaks, and trimming and cutting them to length to be milled at a later date. We also spent a couple of days butchering two of their most troublesome goats. We had some visitors as we went about our tasks, hoards of yellow-jackets, who seemingly have quite an attraction for goat carcasses. Michael used a fly swatter to keep them at bay. I was peaceful toward their kind, commenting that I had never been stung by a yellow-jacket ( and therefore jinxing myself ) for on the second day a rogue yellow-jacket stung the pinky finger of my non knife-bearing hand. It must have sensed my peacefulness to it's species, injecting only a small amount of venom, and after a couple minutes of very minor stinging all was fine. Michael, however, used the incident to exact vengeance upon them for me, wielding the fly swatter with renewed vigor, and took quite a toll on their numbers. I choose the higher road and remained a pacifist - it's all about karma you know. I also took a walk through nearby Hendy Woods State Park viewing some old-growth redwoods, some 6-7 ft. in diameter.

Pacific

June 27
Mendocino County, CA

I saw another ocean. To be specific the Pacific. Saturday morning I left the ranch and began my drive to the coast. There's definitely more in CA as well as some smog too. I'd heard
tell via the internet that there would be a contra dance in Sebastopol that evening. I went to mass at St. Sebastion, then stopped by Safeway to restock my larder with some fruit, and then proceeded to contra. It was an opportunity to socialize with the natives, and a chance to show the California ladies what a barefoot hoosier boy can do. I wanted so to gypsy the hippie girls there, but no gypsy was called. The dance was over at 11, and not yet having found a place to stay, I drove out to the coast and up Hwy. 1. There are some beautiful views from the cliffs overlooking the ocean, but my timing was a bit off. I was able though to see the nearly full moon shimmering off the waves below from time to time. I found a campground, but it was full so I continued up the coast. Around 1 am I found a narrow road that headed inland through the middle of a redwood forest. There were no houses, and a sign said "No Services For 47 Miles". I deduced there would be no traffic, drove a couple of miles, found a pull-off, parked the car, threw down my air pad and sleeping bag behind a fallen log, and called it good. I could here the sound of water, and thought there must be a waterfall or rushing stream nearby, but in the morning I decided it must be the sound of the ocean waves pounding against the shore. I was relieved to find that no unwanted critters ( or wanted ones for that matter ) had occupied my sleeping bag with me. I packed up and drove up the coast a ways, found a beach access, and viewed the ocean in daylight.

Ridin' The Range

June 25
Sierra County, CA

The week at Stonehouse Ranch has been a good one. Located 17 miles NW of Reno, and one mile across the CA border in a long valley with mountains all around. They raise beef, dairy, horses, alpacas, chickens, as well as a vegetable garden. Trish has been my trail boss for the week instructing me on my chores of rounding up doggies, fixin' fence, helping milk their 3 Jersey cows; Star, Honey, and Grandma, and transplanting starts from the greenhouse to raised beds. Her husband Jerry works off the ranch, but provided us with some delicious evening meals, including home made ice cream, and introduced me to a tasty blueberry lager. There was lots of time for conversations on world events, the future, religion, and everyday topics. I feel I've gained some new perspectives. Next week I'll be working near the coast about 3 hours north of San Francisco at Greenwood Millworks, an off-grid organic farm with timber stand improvement and sawmill operations. I may have to don my flannels ( no pun intended! )

Lake Tahoe / Mt. Rose

June 23
Lake Tahoe, CA

I took a day trip to Lake Tahoe. It would be a nice place if it weren't for all the development and tourists, but with a little effort you can still find some secluded places to explore. After Tahoe I cruised up toward Reno crossing Mt. Rose, the highest pass on the Sierras at 8900 feet. I stopped just short of the peak and took a hike through the snow. I hear it's been pretty hot around the country... I can't imagine...

Reno Bound

June 20
Carson City, NV


"Flying by Winnemuca doin' 'bout 95, automatic, cruise control, good to be alive" Reno Bound by Southern Pacific. I cruised through NV Saturday and found a campsite at Lake Washoe S.P. just north of Carson City. There were little rodents in the park that looked like a cross between a squirrel and a rat. I called them sqats. Sunday I checked out Carson City walking around downtown. It's a pretty little town in the middle of a brown, ugly desert. I even went in the Silver Nugget Casino where I drank a beer, but I didn't waste any money on the slots. This evening I'll head up through Reno and check out the ranch.

Soul Searching

June 18

Bonneville Salt Flats, UT

I stopped at the higher elevations of WY this morning to try and sneak up on some grazing antelope for a close-up photo op using scattered pine trees for cover, and eventually crawling on hands and knees through the sage brush, avoiding the occasional cow-pie along the way. The antelope proved to wary for my stalking skills, and not wishing to have their images digitalized, bolted to safer haunts. My trek continued into Utah through Salt Lake City and the Great Salt Lake Desert. The drive through WY and UT has had some very desolate and barren looking landscapes, causing me to look inside at the emptiness and darkness within - hey, this is a spiritual journey as well - and I found that even in the barrenness and desolation there was beauty and order. I exited the freeway prior to sunset just before the NV border, and went to the the Bonneville Salt Flats. I found a county road that went up into the mountains and pulled into an old gravel pit on BLM property where I set up camp. A couple of hours after bedding down the winds picked up so violently that I was sure the tent would collapse around me, prompting me to remove the rain shield which was acting as a parachute in catching the wind, and retired inside the tent with it's structural integrity intact. Although an inconvenience it provided me the opportunity to view the desert half moon and stars that were brave enough to peek out from the partially overcast skies. The winds died back down and I slept peacefully.

Tell Me WY

June 17
Lander, WY

Wednesday morning I started out for WY. I lined up two job interviews at spas, one in Cheyenne and one in Casper. As I left ID I spotted an eagle soaring across the interstate - perhaps a good omen. It was a windy, rainy drive. Thursday it cleared, but winds were gusting 50+ mph. The stretch between Casper and Cheyenne was especially treacherous. Two tractor trailers were tipped over along I-25, like horses laying on their bellies in a pasture. I imagined them lying helpless with their soft undersides exposed to big truck predators- if there were such a thing. My Nissan had no trouble navigating the mighty winds, she just hunkered down and gripped the asphalt with her steel belted radials. We have logged almost 5000 miles on this journey thus far. She has been a loyal companion and her service has not gone unappreciated. Tomorrow I shall reward her with another oil change. The interviews went alright, but I wasn't overly impressed with either place. We'll see... From Casper I drove to Lander where I'm spending the night. I must have seen hundreds of antelope ( well maybe not hundreds, but at least 95 ) grazing along the roadsides with the cattle. I have another farm to work at next week stonehouseranch.com so tomorrow I'll be crossing back over the continental divide for Nevada.

Palouse Falls

June 14

Palouse Falls, WA

What's a good blog without a breathtaking waterfall picture? Sunday I took a road trip into WA state to see Steptoe Butte and Palouse Falls. Eastern WA is rolling farmland with no trees, quite different than ID. The falls were out in the middle of nowhere but a lot of people were at the park. I'll be at the ranch a few more days before rambling to a place of mystery!

Idaho

June 12
Benewah County, ID

Nothing too exciting happened this week at the farm. I spent the days pulling weeds around garlic plants and exploring the nearby towns and forests. Stan & Colleen and there houseful of cats are gracious hosts. I'm staying in a spare bedroom as the weather has been too cool and rainy to attempt camping. Colleen is an RN and health consultant and I've learned several new home remedies including Tiaga, a mushroom type fungus that grows on trees out here, of which I've collected a few specimens and intend to give them a try. Rob, a volunteer who has decided to stay on and is living in a camper, came within 30 ft. of a mountain lion on a walk earlier this week. I have not been so lucky (or unlucky) although I have seen deer, elk, and a beaver. After traveling over 2000 miles it's been good just to take it easy and have a home base to return to.

Mountain Standard Time

June 5
East Glacier, MT

Today I crossed into Montana. The temp. is cooler and the days are longer here in this northern land. Sunrise is at 5:30 and last night when I crawled in my tent at 10:30 it was still partially light out. Today's high will be in the upper 60's and tonight it's supposed to be around 40 prompting me to (along with the fact that I haven't showered in a couple of days) check in to the Mountain Pines Motel. Settling in I then drove up to Glacier National Park. The scenic 50 mile loop through the park was closed 13 miles in (due to snow and ice I suppose) so I spared myself the entrance fee, parked at a pull off along the highway and went for a relaxing hike along a mountain stream.

Headin' West

June 4
Lewis & Clark S. P., ND

I'm traveling west to northern ID where I will be WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) on the first of several farms I hope to stay at http://www.parksideorganicranch.com/ Driving along the northern part of MN, I would occasionally look over my right shoulder and glare in the general direction of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. I also periodically checked my rear views for any security agents or mounties who may be tailing me. None were spotted. I stopped in a little one horse town, Northome, at the city library to publish a previous post. Their "computer room" sported no less than three antiquated computers and a printer. The model I sat at reminded me of my previous (and first) laptop, which even to my lacking computer knowledge was slower than molasses in the middle of winter. Having completed my task I continued on to the Peace Garden State of North Dakota where I drifted across the high plains, undaunted by a strong prairie wind seeking to impede my progress. I set up camp at the Lewis & Clark S. P. and feasted on a pot of black beans and eggs cooked over my campfire, which were quite delicious. It doesn't take much to satisfy a hungry, road-wearied traveller.

Oh (almost) Canada

June 3
Lake Pfiefer, MN

So in preparing for this epic adventure I tried to take in all considerations and packed accordingly. Lots of clothes, camping and cooking gear, a guitar, massage table, and my trusty 22 caliber rifle should I be forced to live off the land, or be attacked by wild bears or mountain lions. That being said I cruised on up 61, and since I was this close to Canada, and never having been abroad, decided I would cross over into their fair country, drive along it's southern border and reemerge in the states at International Falls, MN. As I pulled up to customs and awaited my turn at the drive-thru, I whipped out my shiny new passport acquired less than a month ago. The agent went down her checklist of obligatory questions, and when she asked "Do you have any firearms? I casually replied "Yes" (wrong answer!) After a few more questions I was told those five words you don't want to hear at a border crossing. "Pull to the left please." I parked my car and went inside where I was told to have a seat and wait (just like the dentist's office.) After about 15 minutes I was called to the counter to undergo a series of questioning hereto for never experienced. I half expected them to drag me into a bare room with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I was then told to have a seat and after another 15 minutes was re summoned to the counter. The agent had her paperwork completed and no doubt had searched my files (if I have any.) She then informed me I would have to fill out a registration form and pay a $25 fee for the privilege of transporting my rifle. After having gone over my budget earlier in the day, and considering that the southern part of Canada couldn't vary that much from the northern part of the U.S. I kindly asked if I could waive the registration and just return to my homeland (wrong question!) She obliged my request, but told me they would have to search my car. I was told to have a seat again, and after another 15 minutes four security agents emerged from their dark lair, and with my accompaniment proceeded to the parking lot. I was told to stand on the sidewalk in front of the car while my loyal Sentra yielded her contents to the probing hands and searching eyes of the agents. They searched through all my luggage, opening any boxes or bags they encountered. I even saw one agent looking inside my shoes, trying to find any shred of evidence so they could pounce on me, throw me to the ground, and place me in shackles. I must admit I felt a bit incriminated, especially when a busload of tourists stopped in the parking lot directly behind me and watched all the goings on. Finally, satisfied that I wasn't smuggling any illegal aliens or drugs, and that I wasn't a threat to the security of their sovereign nation, (which at this point I wasn't entering anyway!), they went back inside, but not before informing me they needed to search my cell phone and laptop, to which I obediently typed in my password. After another 15 minute wait an agent came forth from the inner sanctum bearing my computer and phone (which I'm quite certain they planted tracking and monitoring devices in) and instructed me on how to leave their facilities. Back in my car I pulled around the side of the building with an agent pointing me in the direction of my homeland. I politely smiled and waved, but she failed to return the gesture. I was actually hoping for a kiss, because after spending the last hour and a half kissing a part of their anatomy ( that I learned in my A&P class is known as the gluteas maximus, medius, and minimus) I felt they could at least return the favor and kiss mine goodbye. Upon arriving at the American checkpoint I was asked if I enjoyed my trip to Canada, to which I told them my little story. They then told me to (guess what!) "pull to the left please!" After another series of questioning and searching (although much more abbreviated than their northern neighbors) I was allowed to set foot on native soil. None the worse for wear and a little bit wiser, I wasted little time driving back down 61 a ways and then hanging a right and heading deep into the north woods, stopping much after dark to pitch camp for the night.Later that night I was awakened by the sound of raindrops on the tent and I lay there pondering the events of the day. I tried to think of a moral to this story, but all that came to mind was the words to an old Hank Jr. song "and y'all was gettin' screwed but ya wasn't gettin' kissed". Idaho bound.

Gitchie Gumee

June 2
Two Harbors, MN

"The legend remains from the Chippewa on down on the big lake they call Gitchie Gumee"
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot. After bidding Andy farewell last night I stoked the campfire and crawled in the tent for what I hoped would be a restful night's sleep. Around 2 am I was roused from my slumber by increasing winds and distant lightning. After a few minutes of deliberation I decided to pull stakes and managed to escape the campsite before the brunt of the storm bore down, getting only slightly wet, and by 2:30 was rolling northward through IL. MO, and IA. By 10 am the Land of 10,000 Lakes had welcomed me with open arms. After an overdue oil change I continued north through western WI reentering MN at the southern edge of Lake Superior. I then followed the lake shore up 61 and got a motel room for the night at Two Harbors. The following day I continued my trek toward the Canadian border, but that's a whole 'nother story.