20090620 – Goodbye Tim

20090620 – Goodbye Tim

Tim got on Amtrak at 2:30 this mornng. He reported later, from Barb's, that he had caught some sleep by the time the train reached Little Falls, then he stayed awake to watch the passage through Rice and to the Cities. He connected with Karen there and he, Barb and Karen joined in a short call to me. Now they are off on their own adventures.

Meanwhile, I returned to the Lindenwood Campground and slept till 6:30, showered, had breakfast, and headed to OK Tires. They did a nice job, moving the rims back to their proper positions, mounting the new tires, and bending back the mud guard that had gotten messed up when the tire incident happened a few days ago. The one disappointment in the tire replacement was that the freshest tires they had for the front of the van were manufactured in October of 2007—20 months ago. This means that they have only four years life left, if retired per spec, and will age out before I use all the miles from them.

Getting out of Fargo was a bit slow because of road construction on the route I unwittingly chose. I picked up US10 and in Minnesota I obtained a map, used the GPS and watched the bars on my cell, hoping to get a campground where I could both post the accumulated blog entries and call out to keep contact with Patt. Alas, I had to settle for cell service, unable to locate a campground with Internet access. So now my plan is to finish editing all the blog entries before leaving here tomorrow, then try to pick up some free wifi in Detroit Lakes tomorrow as I pass through.

My stay at Long Lake Campground promises to be pleasant enough. I am typing at a picnic table with the RV at my back and looking down a slope through Maple trees at a strip of cattails, then open water of Long Lake. The swimming activities of mid afternoon have finished and even the jet-ski craft are finally, probably temporarily, quiet for the supper hour. Baltimore Orioles, Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Yellow Warblers and American Robins are audible above the freight train rumblings from across the lake.

The campground itself is dedicated to swimming from the dock and a float a little way out and to catching skin cancer in a way that is familiar from my past years in Minnesota, but very unlike anything I had encountered earlier on this trip. Certainly, this is partly due to the great clear and warm weather this afternoon, which has been lacking up till now. But I think there is also a cultural component to this enjoyment of the lake country—I've encountered it only in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Although my experience is mostly limited (except for Wisconsin) to areas of the country West of the Mississippi.

Birds: today limited to a few drive bys: Belted Kingfisher, American White Pelican, Rock Dove, House Sparrow, American Robin. Here at the lake: Baltimore Oriole, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat.