May 3 - Bismarck, North Dakota to Baxter/Brainerd, Minnesota - Sunny, no clouds, 6 C, windy making it cool - on our way out of Bismarck saw  "Space Alien Grill and Bar"  with an "Earthlings Welcome" sign outside - didn't go in but this is a must investigate if we ever see another one.  This part of North Dakota is oil country - lots of drilling, wells and refineries also flat,  grazing for cattle and horses, crops- hay, corn, barley, durum, hard red spring wheat and grasses.  Lots of birds - swans, white pelicans!, geese, ducks, magpies. grouse, pheasants, cranes and herons.  This area is on migration route and with all the grain crops it is a banquet - the area is called the Drift Prairie and lies between the Missouri River and the Red River. 

Well continuing to see marvels - saw the World's Largest Sandhill Crane, the World's Largest Buffalo but missed the World's Largest Turkey :(

East of Fargo - some lakes still have ice on them and large snow patches on the ground.  Sign at entrance to a rest area "No Firearms Allowed"  Trees not in leaf - just beginning to bud.   On billboard along interstate:
DNT TXT N DRV   there are also billboards and  LED signs with the same message in English for us Luddites.

North Dakota has many ethanol  plants - you can see them from the interstate - they use locally grown corn.   researched the process on Google and was impressed - these plants sound like super stills:)

Fargo is very nice - blue sky, few white clouds, 11 C but cold wind.  The flooding of the Red River is receding - there are areas still flooded as the photos below indicate.  These were taken in a Fargo neighbour hood in a park that the Red River runs through.

Photos taken at 17th St. S and Roger Maris drive at top of Park

looking into park on regular day - note stop sign on left  and bridge in background on left

Same area today

Stop sign

another sign farther back on right side

Raised the bridge so wouldn't get damaged

Also saw the earthen dikes they put up along the river banks.

Heading to Baxter/Brainerd  and in the distance can see  weather system in the distance - hope we don't get caught in snow.  The further into the state we go - cloudy skies, temperature dropping, lakes still covered in ice, large patches of snow, trucks with snowplows still attached.  Get hotel and quickly put on our jackets and toques - residents still wearing heavier clothing - wonder what tomorrow will bring as we head to Ashland , Wisconsin.

Favourite Road name:   Oink Joint Road