Another 532 miles Monday and we made it out of Montana. Stopped in Bismark, North Dakota to wade in the Missouri River, and ended up staying the night in Jamestown. North Dakota is another beautiful state with many great places to live, judging from what I could see from the main Interstate. Tuesday we drove the remaining 400 miles to Duluth, Minnesota to visit Lenie’s cousin, Myra, and her 90-year-old Aunt Gert and 85-year-old Uncle Seth. Duluth has a population of 80,000 and is on a series of hills overlooking Lake Superior, which is 160 miles wide by 350 miles long.

We’ll head to the MREA Fair to set up Thursday. The Fair is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We’re bringing about 50 T-shirts and 50 hats to sell. Wear either to the Fair, and I’ll give you a free autographed copy of my book, Can America be Saved from Stupid People. I don’t think it can, but that’s another story. For now, I’ll enjoy the Energy Fair. Lots of old friends, subscribers, and advertisers to say hello to. We’ll have dinner with the Belangers, publishers of Countryside and Small Stock Journal, Saturday night. Bryan Welch, publisher of Mother Earth News, said in an email he’ll join us if he makes it to the Fair.

I don’t know Bryan Welch very well, but Dave Belanger is a brilliant young businessman who could make a financial success of any business. Every time we talk on the phone I feel I learn a lot about the business aspects of publishing. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a businessman. While I’ve kept BHM financially strong, Dave has taken the magazine he inherited from his father, JD Belanger, and quadrupled its size. JD, now retired, is a writer more like me. Maybe someday one of my kids will be able to grow the heck out of BHM.

Our motel has a view of the freeway and Lake Superior beyond. Lake Superior is very cold at 40 degrees. Compare that to the high 40s of the Pacific Ocean off our Oregon Coast, and our Oregon Coast is good fishing because of its cold upwelling from the deeper Pacific. The air temperature in Duluth is in the low 60s due to the moderating mass of Lake Superior. Compare that to the mid-80s we’ve been driving through for the past two days. Conditions are similar to our Oregon Coast where the Pacific keeps the Gold Beach air temperature in the low 60s while just a few miles inland it soars to the 80s and 90s. Lake Superior is similar to an an ocean in other ways. For example, waves can reach a height of 31 feet, according to a brochure in our motel room. NOAA reports waves that high off our Oregon coast during heavy seas.

Meanwhile, we heard yesterday that Annie’s husband, Erik, has gotten orders for North Carolina. He’ll join the 2nd Battalion 9th Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune, which is being reformed. Annie and Erik are very excited to be leaving 29 Palms’s Mojave Desert with its 115-degree heat, but I think this transfer is a prelude to sending him back to Iraq.