August 18: Hazelton, ND

     Those crazy winds changed a little bit again today, coming from the southwest.  That was a great development for about half of my day.  The other half, for the first time in a week, went in a southerly direction.  That's OK though because I am on the other side of the Missouri River.  If Mandan, as the sign on the edge of town claims, is truly the "gateway to the west," then I am now in the east.  And the east is already noticeably flatter.  Wheat fields are giving way to corn fields.  And the aridity of the west is gone.  As if by magic, today is my first humid day.  According to the news it was at 98% when I left Bismark this morning.
     I am starting to see some vast sunflower fields.  I think Kansas claims to be the "Sunflower State," but North Dakota has to be a close second.  Personally, I would call North Dakota the "Hay Bale State."  Once in a while I like to use a big word, so let me just throw this out there:  In this state, hay bales are ubiquitous. 
     Speaking of hay, about two miles outside of Hazelton, on Highway 83 (The Lawrence Welk Highway*) I saw my first haySTACK and it was not a stack of haybales of which there are many.  I think it was about 10' high and about 30' around.  It made me just want to grab a pitchfork.  Alas, it will probably be turned into three or four bales of hay by tomorrow morning.

     I am camping at a little city park in Hazelton.  I'm all alone here with a picnic shelter and some playground equipment and some horseshoe pits.  Everywhere there are signs that say "No Alcoholic Beverages."  I interpret such signs to mean, "Please Be Discreet."


*The Great Plains, by Ian Frazier, has an interesting essay on Lawrence Welk's impact on North Dakota.  Unfortunately, his hometown, Strasbourg, is 35 miles out of my way.

The North Dakota state capitol building.

Help!  A giant spider is attacking my campsite!