RAMANAM
In the Name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, Amen.
Countrymen.
Little to report today. Feeling even more relaxed after another 10 hours in bed, mostly sleeping. Push off to the east tomorrow, stop next in Bemidji, MN.
I have no financial connection to it, and it may be just this one, but this Staybridge Suites is a dandy joint. Not cheap, but dandy.
Bill pays the bill. Sweet of him to let me stay here. He will return later this month I think to finish up some wells he has owned but been unable to put into production — too many calls to supervise companies’ projects — for 30+ years that we have known him. He has been out here in the fields of Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota since his SeeBee days in Vietnam. Our original connection is Sathya Sai Baba. Still is.
The northern ND/MN natural foods market chain is called Marketplace Foods, another cold country mom and pop chain. In the larger cities, such as here. Not chi-chi but gets the job done better than what I saw in the South some years ago.
West Coast, in general, has a higher cleanliness/sightliness standard than South and Northern Plains.
Northern ND and MN seem to be a continuum of sorts. Sammy’s Pizza restaurant also is northern ND/MN mom and pop chain. And people here seem to have northern MN in their brains as right next door, part of their world. Reminds me of attitude in Tri-Cities of WA and across the Columbia in Oregon as well as Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR, also across the Columbia: one conceptual, commercial area.
I like to get into the agricultural areas and out onto their actual fields for, I think, the same reason MacArthur liked to get to the front of a fight. To see what is happening. “Charlie, I can’t fight ’em if I can’t see ’em.”
Agriculture is the front line of civilization. You youngers, try never to forget that fact. No matter how cynically Ollie works the tax payer — and he does that in giga gobs — he remains the foundation of civilization. If Ollie quits, everything quits. Even electricity is less important than Ollie.
Rain in Minot is more dreary than rain in Western Washington. Reminds me of rain in NYC, which is probably like it is at West Point after Christmas. And much heavier than in Western Washington … when it happens.
Conversations at Sammy’s today were about oil-related work and potentials. Williston is not that close, to the west, of Minot in my mentality, but in that of the locals, it is. Travel is measured in time, not miles. Ask someone how far is some point, they answer in travel time.
Here is the Pasta Primavera at Sammy’s today, basically fettucini alfredo with veggies:
Clientele definitely not of the noblesse. Nor at Marketplace Foods. In fact, I am not sure there is a noblesse in Minot, North Dakota. I am comfortable here. Of course, I am on someone else’s dime.
AMDG – VICTORY