Fargo - North Dakota

Karl - Beth - Mary

The wind has died down, the temperature has crept up a bit, the skies are overcast but there’s not rain and the forecast is for continued important reaching into the 70’s but the end of the week.  There’s hope for the farmers to get into the fields and plant their corps.  In the Red River Valley of North Dakota there’s very little drainage because the countryside is essentially flat vying with a calm ocean surface for flattest place on earth, so we have to wait for the moist to soak into the ground.

The day is calm.  Mary fixed us a scrambled egg and gooey sweet roll breakfast after which we watched more game shows on TV as we crocheted and did needlepoint  and chatted about life and death.  Mary’s husband, my brother, died last September.  Midday we grabbed a few groceries and visited with Beth Moore, a Cameron but ironically a second cousin to Gail by the McLean side of the family.  She has lived well with MS most of her life, now in a assistant living facility.  She served us snickerdoodles and brownies and thought we were lying when we said we didn’t drink coffee.

Evening was spent over a lasagna, salad and sponge cake with a strawberry whipped cream topping, conversation and a bit of a game show on TV.  It’s hard to think that my baby brother David is no longer with us.  Mary however seems to be doing well.  Her son Karl was here for the evening and shared stories about his work as a electrician, continuing to remodel portions of his house and his new trees that he will plant this week.

This morning we’re off to Casselton to visit a collection of Gail’s high school classmates and do some basic household chores in the covered wagon.  Yes, house cleaning doesn’t end just because you’re away from home but still in a mobile home.  The wind is very mild, the temperatures are pleasant and the skies are blue.  It's another great day.  Hopefully this will lead to the farmers getting into the fields.