Nuke the Russians

The cold war was a time I remember well. We lived every day expecting a blinding flash just before a quick trip to heaven. Those who could afford it, build fall-out shelters. We couldn't.

We visited the Ronald Reagan Cold War Museum known as Oscar Zero. It is a state park just north of Cooperstown. Erleen & I have been there several times. But this time we were joined by my brother, Tim and the Ingersolls. Yes, Norm & Judy are here for a few days. They drove our Buick out from California for us.

Oscar Zero is one of fifteen missile command centers in this part of North Dakota that has been decommissioned. It controlled ten inter-continental ballistic missiles once targeted for the Soviet Union. The actual command center is comprised of two vessels buried 80 feet below the peaceful prairie. The walls are four feet thick and the doors weigh several tons each. From here we could incinerate millions of Innocent people in eastern Europe and Asia. Yes, some would be Muslim, but at least as many would be Christians. Happy thought!

North Dakota fun

The banjos were twanging and the fiddles squealing. We took my brother Tim to Fort Ransom for the bluegrass festival. It was very enjoyable. My personal favorite was a band called Monroe Crossing. Fort Ransom is a quaint little town that caters to tourism with several events throughout the summer. It reminds us of Ferndale, California.

This evening we went to Binford for the rodeo. It was an official event on the professional bull riding circuit. Yes, there really are people who ride bulls for a living. Binford has about a population of around 170. There were a few thousand people there at the rodeo.

ND Picture

Here is a picture of the prairie in back of our home. The prairie is beautiful.

Also a picture of our Pathfinder proudly wearing its new ND license plate.

It's Raining

As I look out my office window on the second floor, I see lots of green. The store across the road is not green, but the boxelder trees, elm trees and grass certainly are. There is a thunder storm overhead. The thunder is shaking the house and the rain is pouring down in sheets. It's really quite exciting. The temperature is a comforable 70 degrees and there is a slight breeze. The storm will pass in an hour or so and tomorrow is expected to be sunny.

Tomorrow Erleen and I will join our house guests, the Standleys, Dan and Rachel Graybill and a number of other relatives and friends for a party on Tim and Debbie Fogderod's farm about ten minutes from Hannaford.

Sunday morning we leave for Minneapolis for continuing ed. We will be there a couple of days then we pick up my brother Tim in Fargo.

Our Nissan Pathfinder is now officially a North Dakota resident. It sports new shiny North Dakota plates. We have yet to get ND driver's licenses as the DMV is about two hours away.

We spent the afternoon in Vally City with Liz Standley and our friend Shawanna. She is a kick!

The rain is coming down so hard now that I can just barely make out the elavator building across Highway 1.

Settling In

As we end our third full day in Hannaford, things are beginning to settle down. I can still see sixteen boxes from where I am sitting in my little office, but that is down from thirty or so. The living room is functional now (we can even see the TV).

Erleen's cousin Russell Standley and his wife Liz are visiting from Eureka. We are all invited to dinner and horseshoes at Tim & Debbie's farm where Russell's brother, Irving lives on saturday.

We had a family bible study at Erleen's brother, John's house in Valley City last night. It was a good time for all.

I have already been asked to apply for a job at the post office here in Hannaford. It would be part-time, about five hours per day for five weeks each year. I haven't decided yet whether to apply.

Sunday we drive to Minneapolis for two days of continuing education. Then we pick up my brother, Tim at the airport in Fargo on the 23rd for a few days visit.

Life is busy, but lots of fun.

The Mess

We are in our ND home, BUT...

As you can see from the pictures, we hardly have a path to walk from one room to the next. Remember we condensed 38 years of office and 35 years of home into one huge package which we then deposited in our already furnished 1,300 sq. ft. house.

Home at Last

We made it all the way to Hannaford, North Dakota. We left Arcata early Thursday morning and arrived here at 4:00 PM Sunday. After a brief overnight stay at Matt & Grace's home in Portland we drove our loaded truck towing a trailer with our Nissan Pathfinder on it to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho where we spent the first night. The next night was spent in Miles City, Montana, then on to glory (Hannaford). There was some event happening in Miles City so it looked like we would have to sleep in a manger. But finally we got the last room available in the entire town, the handicap room at Motel 6. It has been a long time since we tried to share a small double bed. Let's just say it was cozy.

Our address is: PO Box 71, Hannaford, ND 58448.

On To A New Venture

And we're off!!