Sorry about the “miss-fire” with the previous emails. I was experimenting on the website and “clicked” a button by mistake.
I think I mentioned before, we decided to drive thru Fargo on I-94 instead of going up to Grand Forks based on weather. From Karen and Troys we had a good drive, stopped at Sam’s in Fargo for Fuel at $4.60 gal, then went to Walmart for milk and bread.
Back on the road for another 20 miles overnight at a truck roadside pull off. It was bitter cold with wind 20-30 mph and temps were 28 overnight.
SP time (Army term for starting point when a convoy begins) was at 0930 which we both met and west we drove along I-94. A very good road, not many trucks and best of all we had a tailwind! Bigfoot was slugging fuel at 11.9 mpg and Elkhorn was sipping at a rate of 14 mpg.
We saw a historic sign about western author Louis L’Amour and the National Buffalo Museum. Louis L’Amour is an award winning western author and screenwriter, who published more than 400 short stories and over 100 novels. He wrote 65 TV scripts, and sold over 30 stories to the motion picture industry, including “Hondo”, starring John Wayne.
Well, Virgil is a big fan of L’Amour having read almost all of his 100 novels, so we chatted on our hand held radios, and “heck yeah” let’s go.
Before we exited I-94 to the right on the hill we could see 6 buffalo sunning on the hillside, so it was a right turn and close by was a western themed town, with wooden sidewalks, but it seems like a ghost town. The parking lots were empty and the narrow street running through town was deserted. We parked in front of the museum and yes, it was open, $6 to get in, very friendly staff, and a terrific little museum, which is exactly what Ann Marie likes in a museum. She was engaged in taking pictures and looking at artifacts of everything buffalo, and not reading her kindle (like most museums).
After some time we drove to the end of the street where there was the world largest buffalo for a photo op. Too early in the season for this tourist town to wake, but it won’t be long now, before it is crowded with folks. Although cold right now, which we expected, for us this is one of the perfect times of year to travel. The “shoulder season” allows us to sight see without the crowds.
Virgil found a County Park campground on a lake (on freecamprounds.net) outside of New Salem, ND. It is free, upto 10 day stay, no hookups, and beautiful views. This a waterfowl and birding paradise, the water, reeds, and grasses provide an excellent habitat for nesting birds.
We saw a bald eagle flying high in the wind yesterday, and there were too many types of bird to list. But they all have one thing in mind, nesting and “squawking” like little mad men in a drunken saloon. Boy, those geese can make some noise.
Canada geese return to the same nesting sites every year. Their nest sites are usually located in an elevated area on an island, on top of a small hill, in bushes, or in a raised area around a lake. Canada geese lay between four and nine eggs per year. The female lays one egg every one to two days, usually early in the morning. She does not leave the nest, eat, drink, or bathe while the eggs are incubating. The gestation period is 28 to 30 days. No wonder they are so loud, she’s hungry and miserable, and he is tired of watching. Okay enough about geese.
Virgil and I took a hike around the very well cared for lake. The county has done a great job preserving this bird habitat. Along the way we found a dead white pelican, laying in the middle of an open field, rigor had not set in, and his leg was still bleeding, but dead, with two broken legs, guessing from falling out of the sky. We examined him but could not determine what caused his demise. He will be dinner for some animals tonight. Mother nature’s cycle of life.
Like the rest of the birds here, this is one of their breeding grounds. White pelicans are one of the largest birds in North America, with a 9-foot wingspan. Similar to Brown Pelican in shape but much larger, and very different in habits: Occurs far inland, feeds cooperatively in shallow lakes, does not dive from the air for fish and forages by swimming on the surface, dipping bill into water and scooping up fish in pouch.
We enjoyed watching the “break-up” of ice on the lake, as the river current and wind would move the ice sheets to the shore, kinda kool.
After a two night stay, we will be heading to Teddy Roosevelt NP for a couple of days.