Oh yah, Ole and Lena, I’m back in Minnesota

When I got up this morning, the wind was still blasting away in Summit, SD.  I checked my weather apps, and the forecast for Fargo, ND, and Detroit Lakes, MN, didn’t show severe winds, so I decided to head out.  A couple of miles after I got onto I-29 it dawned on me how Summit got its name… because it’s higher in the air than anywhere around, and probably has wind most of the time.  As soon as I descended into the valley, the winds dropped significantly.

It was an uneventful drive of 180 miles that I had to the refuge today.  Along the way, I wanted to fill the gas tank so I’d have a virtually full tank while the rig sits at Tamarac.  I remembered that last year I stopped at a Love’s station just outside of Fargo, but I passed it by this time.  I seemed to remember a couple of gas stations along US 10 in Minnesota that would not be as crowded, and I could take my own sweet time getting into and out of one of them.  Thankfully, I was correct.

As I pulled into the station in Hawley, MN, it soon became apparent that I was back in the land of Minnesota-nice people.  I chatted with the man at the pump next to me, as he was curious where the heck I was going with this big rig, and was surprised that it used gas as opposed to diesel.

 

The pump was rather slow, so he went on his way and my next visitor approached.  This older guy, with only about three teeth, was chewing on a chicken leg.  He too wanted to know where the heck I was going.  I told him, and he then launched into the story of his sister (who’s really six months older than him, but claims to be four years younger) and her third husband who has an RV.  He was about to leave, but waited in the doorway of the station as I went to pay my bill.  When I came out, he gave me a magazine with everything to do in the Park Rapids area, and proceeded to tell me where the best grocery store was in Detroit Lakes.  I thanked him for the information, and finally wiggled my way out of there.

It was with a great sigh of relief that I backed into my site here at Tamarac once again.  The skies had been threatening rain all day, but I got everything basically set up before the skies opened up.  The easiest thing I did was press that little button that launches the automatic satellite DISH.  Why in the world didn’t I have this thing installed years ago? 

All the staff welcomed me back, but there was one thing that happened that sealed the deal on my return to Minnesota.  Just before I started this post, I picked off a tick walking on my neck.  I got out the duck tape, and stuck him on it.  Yep, I’m home for the summer!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy