"The Way West...Day 3...Friday, June 15, 2012

Rain...and more rain. It started raining last night around 8:00PM. Fortunately, I had already made, eaten and cleaned up dinner, but my plans for a relaxing evening around the campfire were "rained out". I sat for awhile listening to the radio in the Explorer...then an hour or so of reading in the camper. And...by 9:30PM or so, I had drifted off to an early sleep.
So...this morning I am up at 4:00AM...and it's still raining. Everything is already packed up, so I just take off and go. There's a McDonalds open a few exits west, so I can get some wake up coffee.
Around 10:00AM, I cross the border from Minnesota into the Dakota Territories. I'm bound for Ft. Lincoln to take on provisions (flour, sugar...a barrel or two of salted pork).
I'll also be meeting up with the Mandan guides and scouts that I've hired for my trip west...this is Lakota country, so guides and scouts are absolutely essential.
Before heading to Ft. Lincoln, however, I'll be heading up to Thompson, North Dakota to attend the big annual party thrown by Roger's brother Don and his wife Mickie. Roger and Gretchen have arrived a few days earlier, and they guide me to my designated camping area where I'll have electricity and a little privacy.
Not long after my arrival, Roger, Gretchen and I head into Grand Forks for a few hours of shopping...Cabela's, Home Depot, Petco, grocery store (Hugo's) and the big local liquor store, Happy Harrys. This whole process takes several hours after which we are all three very thirsty. So...we stop at our favorite local bar, "The Gate" for a few cold ones before heading back to Thompson to work on party preparations.
Around 6:00PM or so, Mickie invites everyone in for "ham and turkey sandwiches". Now, you might think that this means a plate of sliced meat from the grocery's deli department. But...if that's what you thought, you'd be wrong. This is "Mickie's kitchen", and everything is first-class. This means that Micky has baked a ham and roasted a turkey...then carved off the meat for sandwiches. It's a great meal.
Later, we're all sitting around the picnic table next to Roger and Gretchen's motor home. There's me, Roger, Don...and a neighbor, Rod, who's a local Sheriff's deputy. Much beer is consumed as we sit late into the night...telling jokes and old stories...great fun.
It's long after midnight before things break up, and we at last head off for bed.
It's going to be a BIG day tomorrow.