With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, it’s time to talk about fresh date night ideas. I often find myself having a hard time coming up with date ideas that don’t involve eating out. Right now, eating out can be tricky for several reasons. Maybe you (or your employer) aren’t comfortable with public dining for pandemic reasons. Or maybe you don’t want to sabatoge your New Year’s diet goals. Or maybe quarantimes have taught you to love cooking for yourself.
10 Terrific Winter Date Ideas in Minot
Whatever your reason for wanting a date that isn’t your standard “dinner and drinks” I’ve got you covered. Here are 10 terrific winter date ideas in Minot that aren’t dinner.
In Minot it’s easy to find a hockey game that fits your date night schedule. Bundle up and go root for the Minotauros or the MSU hockey teams. (Click the links for team schedules.)
Hit the Driving Range
Minot Parks recently opened a driving range inside the “MSU Bubble.” Open to the public every Sunday evening from 7:30-10pm for adults. See here for additional information. (More on the Bubble, it’s use and location is here.)
The Putt District downtown offers fun, neon mini golf year round. They’re open year round, seven days a week and stay open late (except Sunday). As a bonus to the fun activity, Putt District also serves beer, wine, Pride Dairy ice cream (in my opinion…the BEST!), and offers all-you-can-eat pizza with golf on the second Thursday of the month. See BeLOCAL’s feature on them here and information on hours, etc here.
Escape Point is Minot’s escape room. Puzzles are well thought out and challenging–and there are several options for only two players. (And lots of options for double dates.) See BeLOCAL’s profile of them here, and their website + room info here.
See a Movie
Still wary of going out to the movies? Catch a movie at Oak Park Theater. Audiences are capped off, the theater is clean, and there is plenty of space to socially distance. For a complete Oak Park Theater date night idea, see this Minot Monday post. If you still want more information, go to their website.
Go Skating
If weather is nice grab your skates (or borrow some from a friend) and hit one of Minot’s outdoor skating rinks. If the weather is not so nice, head to Maysa Arena to enjoy open skating. A list of skating rinks from BeLOCAL can be found here. Information on Maysa’s skating hours is here.
Take advantage of the snow for sledding or skiing date. Find a list of places to sled in town here. Information on cross country skiing in town is here. If you’d rather get out of town for downhill skiing head to Huff Hills or Bottineau Winter Park. Bottineau Winter Park also offers tubing (with a lift–so you don’t have to hike to the top of the hill.)
Go Curling
While they’re not open for lessons everyday, the Minot Curling Club offers “learn to curl” days/evenings and fun spiels for amateurs. I love curling. See a whole Minot Monday post on curling here. Check out the curling club’s event schedule here.
See a Show
Mouse River Players is back and offering limited seating shows–including one coming out over Valentine’s Day. Check in with their website for current and upcoming show information.
If relaxing is more your scene, spend some time relaxing together at LOR Spa. Check their website for a list of services–including couples massages.
More Positivity and Minot
For more encouragement for daily positive living and lots more stories about life in Minot, join me on Instagram and Facebook. For more Minot Monday posts–go here. To see more date ideas from BeLOCAL go here (pg 36). I’m so glad you’re here.
Happy Minot Monday! Today we are taking a road trip to get a Whirla Whip in Stanley, ND. Never heard of it? Perfect. Let me enlighten you. But first we need to thank BeLOCAL Minot for making Minot Monday possible. BeLOCAL is a guide to living like a local and thriving in your town. Be sure to check them out.
Whirla Whip in Stanley, ND
Today we’re taking a little road trip outside of Minot. Well…in the world of North Dakota, this is more like a quick commute than a road trip. Stanley is about an hour west of Minot, and lots of folks make the trip daily for work–or weekly for shopping. (See other road trip ideas from BeLOCAL here or my recommendation about a road trip to Rapid City here.)
Bet let’s get back on topic: Whirla Whip. Have you heard of it? If you have, you’re already on your living-local-A-game. If you haven’t, you aren’t alone. Let me enlighten you.
A Whirla Whip is an ice cream treat that was once found at soda fountains across the country. As soda fountain culture died out, so did the Whirla Whip. Today the only place you can get a true, genuine Whirla Whip is at Dakota Drug‘s original soda fountain in Stanley, ND.
…ice cream blended with your choice of mix-ins. Unlike fast-food joints with similar concepts that use soft serve, the Whirl-a-whip uses quality ice cream and blends it to a smooth consistency.
Lots of descriptions of what a Whirla Whip is exist. And it’s a little hard to explain. Yes, it’s ice cream with mix-ins. But that just makes it sound like any run of the mill Blizzard or Concrete or Flurrie.
Trust me. This is different.
First, like the quote above states, a Whirla Whip starts with hard ice cream. Believe me, you’ll taste a difference. Then your pick of flavors and mix-ins are whipped into it. The result is something light and creamy. Perfectly consistent (no pockets of vanilla ice cream left at the bottom or a the-cookie-dough-was-all-on-top situations here.)
Second, the flavor choices are a lot different than what you find on a fast-food menu. You can mix in up to three flavors. And any of the hard candies are pulverized into a powder than blended in–so you don’t break your teeth on them, while still enjoying the flavor.
Third, you can choose to start with a vanilla, chocolate or rainbow sherbet base. This isn’t a choice you typically have with other blended ice cream joints.
Flavor List and My “Usual.”
Here are the flavors you can choose to mix in. At the fountain, they also have several combinations on special already made up–in case you get overwhelmed.
Banana
Blueberry
Strawberry
Raspberry
Maraschino Cherry
Pineapple
Whopper
Butterfinger
Peanut Butter
Nutella
Bits o’ Brickle
Coffee
Dill Pickle
Bacon Bits
Oreo
Mint Oreo
Cheesecake
Brownie/Vanilla/Chocolate/Strawberry Cake Batter
French Vanilla
Coconut Cream
Orangesicle
Vanilla Wafers
Hard Candy Flavors
Cinnamon
Cherry
Butterscotch
Peppermint
Butter Rum
Lemon
Werther’s Original
Apple
Sprinkles
Licorice
Root Beer
Watermelon
Grape
Blue Raspberry
PRO TIP:
Here is my usual. It’s so good. If you feel overwhelmed, you should get this one: Vanilla ice cream base, cheese cake, coconut cream, orangesicle.
What To Do After Whirla Whips
Stanley is a small town, but we typically make an afternoon of our trip to the Fountain.
Shop around Dakota Drug. They carry lots of local or Dakota Made products.
Go to the park. We love the playground at Wilson Park. It’s got play equipment for kids of all sizes. If the weather is nice, we walk there to run off our ice cream.
Check out a few ghost towns in the area. Palermo, Tagus and Belden are all close to Stanley. Be sure to read up on visiting Ghost Towns here. You can access a Ghost Town Map here.
Here are a couple other ideas of things to do while you’re there.
Get More Local Love and Minot Living
Get more tips on living in Minot by following along with me on Instagram and Facebook. Each Monday I put out a round up of events going on in town in my Instagram stories. Throughout the week, I show you what life in Minot is like in stories and inspiration for intentional living through the week. And don’t forget to check out BeLOCAL–they offer a truly comprehensive guide for living in Minot.
Happy Minot Monday! Thanks to BeLOCAL Minot for making Minot Monday possible. Today we’re talking about flying from North Dakota during the Coronavirus era. Travel from Minot can be tricky, even more so when navigating a world in pandemic. Luckily BeLOCAL Minot and I are committed to helping you thrive while living in Minot. Check out BeLOCAL for more tips and information on living like a local.
Locals and transplants alike understand how refreshing it is to get away from Minot for a bit. Whether that means a weekend in “the cities” (Minneapolis/St Paul), a trip to the lake, or spending all winter in Arizona–even Minot’s biggest cheerleaders like to leave city limits sometimes.
Last week our family traveled away from Minot to visit family. This was our first significant travel since the COVID-19 era began. (I did take a short road trip to Rapid City, but that was solo and in the safety of my own car.)
This time we flew, which was completely different. I thought I might be helpful to share our experience and tips that I have. (For more on traveling from Minot see this post.)
We Flew From Bismarck
Our flight left from Bismarck. So I can’t attest to how conditions are in Minot. However, the airports are very similar–so I think the experience in Minot will be very similar. (Flying out of Minot is so convenient because it’s so close to everything, but sometimes you can get a great deal if you fly from Bismarck instead.) More on traveling from Minot here.
Masks in the Airport
Masks were highly recommended, but no one was forcing passengers to wear them in the airport or at the gate. All employees had masks on. Because there were so few passengers there was lots of space to be far from others. So while in the gate area (past security) about half of waiting passengers took their masks off.
According to general mask etiquette, kids two years old and up are supposed to wear masks. We did our best to keep a mask on Gideon, but that was a losing battle. Everyone we encountered showed grace when it came to keeping a mask on a toddler.
Security Screening
TSA Screening Area in Bismarck
The number of travelers was down significantly in Bismarck. While there usually isn’t much of a wait in the TSA screening line, the wait for this flight was nonexistent.
Here are things we observed going through security:
Shoes still need to come off.
Some things were still required to take out of carry on bags and place in bins (electronics, batteries, shoes, etc.)
Bins were not cleaned between uses.
Floor markers indicated where to stand to maintain distance between travelers/parties.
The standard 3oz liquid rule is flexible for hand sanitizer.
Other Things About the Airport & Boarding
Inside Bismarck Airport
After going through security we found that there was plenty of space to spread out and be well distanced from other travelers.
In the Bismarck Airport, there are living room style TVs. The last time we flew from there (in December) the TVs were on and remotes were on tables, so passengers could change channels. Now the TVs are off and the remotes are no longer available.
There are plenty of hand sanitizer stations available.
Food and beverage services are limited on most flights. Passengers were reminded to buy a coffee before boarding, as none would be available on board.
Boarding takes place from the back of the plane to front. Anyone who needs assistance or extra time is welcome to board at any time.
Passengers are welcome to have their boarding pass on their phone to limit contact on paper boarding passes. If you choose to (or need to) have a paper pass you can scan it yourself (gate attendants will help if you need it.)
While waiting in line to board passengers are asked to maintain social distance and wear masks. All passengers are expected to wear masks while boarding and through the duration of the flight.
During the Flight
Here are things we observed or are nice to know about flights during the coronavirus pandemic. We flew with Delta. Check your flight provider for their details and procedures.
One of our (three) flights was a bit delayed due to cleaning and sanitation. I’m not sure what all this entails, but it happens between each flight.
Upon boarding every passenger is given an antibacterial wipe to wipe their space/tray/armrests/etc.
Because flights have limited passenger capacity there is more room in overhead compartments. Things that we have needed to gate check in the past (like a roll-on carry on) were welcome. There was plenty of space.
Seats were strategically left open to offer greater distance.
Flight attendants handed out pre-made Ziploc bags with a single use hand sanitizer, a package of crackers, a package of cookies and a bottled water. No custom snack orders were taken.
Passengers were expected to wear masks at all times, except when eating or drinking. (Grace was given for children.)
Layovers
A mezzanine space during our layover in Minneapolis. No one else came up, except a single pilot for an hour. We were here for four hours.
We had two layovers during our travel day. Both airports (Minneapolis and Detroit) had their own COVID procedures in place. This included:
Hand sanitizer stations
Chairs blocked off in waiting areas to encourage social distancing
Kiosks are closed
Play spaces are closed
Select restaurants are closed
Some tram services are closed
Some lounges are closed
If you are looking for a specific restaurant I highly advise asking at an info desk to make sure it’s open. Volunteers have a list of which eateries are open each day.
It was easy to find a place with a lot of space during our longest layover. With fewer travelers and limited seating, airports are much less crowded than they used to be. If you have a long layover be sure to check mezzanine levels. These are often overlooked and very quiet.
Other Travel Tips
I packed snacks, but we got plenty of snacks on our flights.
In some ways I over prepared. Here are a few more tips for traveling during the COVID pandemic.
Pack hand sanitizer, but don’t go overboard. There are stations everywhere, and single use packets are available on flights.
Even though flight attendants give out antibacterial wipes, I found it helpful to have some of my own. (Like these) This came in handy for wiping toys or doing better cleaning on board.
Pack snacks if you’d like to avoid eating a meal in the airport. The snacks on board were more substantial in the past, but food in airports is limited.
Bring a water bottle. Drinking fountains are closed, but bottle fillers are open.
Bring your mask and wear it. Do your part to stay distanced from others, don’t travel if you’re sick.
Hopefully this helps if you are going to be traveling outside of our relatively safe bubble in Minot and North Dakota. If you are looking for more insight on life in Minot be sure to join our intentionally positive-thinking community on Instagram and Facebook. And remember to follow on Instagram and check in on my Stories every Monday evening to see a round up of events happening in Minot each week.
Minot Monday is made possible through a partnership with BeLOCAL Minot. BeLOCAL is a guide to living like a local–and aims to help you thrive in Minot. For more road trip ideas see here. For parks in town see here and here.
Before moving to North Dakota I didn’t give much thought to this state. Honestly it was a place I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to, let alone spend years living here. Even after moving into North Dakota, it took me a while to get under the surface and really start enjoying the special things that make life here so great. Things that you can’t find just anywhere.
That’s why I started writing the Minot Monday posts. To help others acclimate and start thriving in Minot more quickly than I did.
One thing I’ve come to love about North Dakota is the opportunity to explore nearly-forgotten places. Yes, I’m talking about our plentiful ghost towns. These places have an indescribable eerie beauty you have to experience to fully understand.
North Dakota ghost towns are plentiful and spread all across the state. Visiting a ghost town makes a great day trip outing (see more day/weekend trip ideas here from BeLOCAL). It’s also fun to stop at one along the way if you are headed out on a road trip. Exploring North Dakota ghosts towns is also a perfect activity to partake in while we continue to observe social distancing rules. You can’t get much more distanced than visiting a town that has been abandoned.
Finding North Dakota ghost towns is pretty easy due to some great resources and people who are passionate about sharing this style of history.
Ghosts of North Dakota is the absolute best resource for finding ghost towns. On their site you can search for a town by name and learn the history of the place you intend to go.
Ghosts of North Dakota also has a Google map with a pin in each ghost town. This way you can get driving directions as well.
The closest ghost towns to Minot are Tagus, Ruso, Bergen, Balfour and Kief. (Personally, I really like Balfour.) From Minot getting to a ghost town will take 30-60 minutes. This is a bit of a drive, but a short one according to North Dakota standards. The drives are scenic and part of the fun of finding these places.
Know Before You Go
These were taken inside the church in Balfour. So many things looked like the congregants has just been there and walked away.
Before you go visiting a North Dakota ghost town, here are a couple things to keep in mind.
Pack snacks or lunch. Driving out into the North Dakota country side is beautiful, but food is scarce. Plan to take car snacks or a picnic lunch if you’ll be getting hungry.
Fuel up first. Again, there isn’t much between towns in North Dakota. Be sure your car has enough fuel before you set out.
Take bug spray. Remember how we talked about ticks last week? Tall grass and country paths are prime tick territory. Remember your bug spray and use it. Also…remember to check for ticks–actually just reread the tick post.
Wear good shoes. This is not a good time for sandals or cheap flip flops. Wear something sturdy with closed toes.
Take a camera and a car charger. You’ll obviously want awesome photos, duh. But signal can be shotty in these places, so be sure to remember a car charger so you don’t get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a dead phone.
Be respectful. While these are “ghost towns,” some still have a handful of residents living there. Abide by signs, be kind and respectful toward structures, pick up your litter, these are places for everyone to enjoy.
I hope you’ll go out and explore a North Dakota ghost town this summer. Be safe and let me know how you like it! Remember to join me on Instagram and Facebook for more Minot fun and lots of intentional, encouraging living. And please, help keep AmyAllender.com up and running. If you like what you read, remember to share with your friends!
I’m not sure where the phrase, “dog days of summer” comes from. I guess I could Google it. I probably will later tonight when a spare moment comes my way. At any rate, we all know what the phrase means. The long, super hot, end-of-summer days. I was in Indiana last week with the fam. The dog days were there–along with high humidity and no rain in sight. I’m back on the surface of the sun now–and you better believe the dog days are here too. The SMF {skin melt factor} is through the roof and the heat beats down from the sky and reflects up from the rocks and pavement.
That said, there isn’t a better time than right now in the face of the heat to finally post up some drool-worthy images from a winter trip to Lake Tahoe I made while on a hiatus from writing.
I’ve been a lot of places, but this is honestly one of the most breath taking. I’ve never been in the summer, but I can attest to the joy that visiting Lake Tahoe in February was. The air is so clean and fresh it actually carries a scent of its own. The water is as clear as your contact lenses. The cool breeze will perk you up better than a strong cup of coffee.
I think my favorite part of Tahoe in winter is the temperature. There is snow on the ground, but we were totally comfortable in sweaters–no coats. It’s a odd thing for a Practically Canadian to see snow without -20˚ wind chills!
Just prior to this adventure I invested in my first ever wide angle lens. And…as you can see from the images that follow–it was worth every penny. Now I’m pretty much obsessed with it. I love these images. The sky. The mountains. The snow. Oh, yes–and one of my very best friends to boot.
We visited South Tahoe–Megan {that’s her in the adorable plaid scarf} lives in Lincoln, CA…so she acted as tour guide/chauffer.
Our trip was pretty short and sweet, but activities abound. Skiing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing…it’s all here. We mostly walked and just took in the scenery–another perfectly good {and free} option. The photos above were taken off of the path that follows the shore near North Lake Blvd.
I think one of Lake Tahoe’s best assets is the accessibility of it’s beauty without a strenuous journey to see it. You don’t need to backpack for days to bag these views. You don’t need to endure sore muscles or a day pack to lay eyes on this treasure. It’s just there. Visible. Breathtaking. For a person like me, who usually hikes, bikes or boats deep in to the wilderness to experience the wonders of nature and a bit of solitude–this was a refreshing excursion. We could just sit on a bench and gaze. Stroll the dock and gaze. Eat at a restaurant–and gaze.
And speaking of restaurants–we ate at Jake’s on the Lake, which was a fantastic choice. It’s stunning, the food is fabulous and if you go in the off season, like us, there will be seats near the windows so you can gawk at the lake while you eat.
Image via. Check out this full weekend itinerary from zipcar.com {where the image above originally came from}.
**TIP** If you head to Tahoe, pop in to the visitor center to pick up a map and they’ll slip you a coupon for a free slice of Hula Pie. It’s ice cream based and HUGE–so share it! {Click on the image to go to their Yelp page for more images of their delightful food.}
After food we drove over to Emerald Bay, a must see {according to all the locals we talked to}. We started at the pull off and left the car, then walked the easy one mile down to the shore of the bay. {Less easy on the way back up…but still a very mild walk.}
Outside of one small family and a bride and groom taking bridal portraits, we had the whole place to ourselves. Have I told you how much I love traveling off season?! From here you can see Vikingsholm–a historic mansion {“castle”} on the shore. You can wander and walk around all you want in the winter, but tours of this gem only happen in the summer months.
Let’s talk about heights for a second. I don’t really like them. But here’s the thing about me–Derek has the ability to peer pressure me into being brave. I guess heights aren’t really that bad…unless I’m standing on a diving board. Or the side of a pool. Any time I’m standing over water it’s really the absolute worst. The water always looks a million miles away, even if it’s really only 5 feet and children are diving in like tiny dare devils.
I digress.
The thing about New Mexico, land of enchantment, is that the valleys are blazing hot–but there are mountains really close by. Which is totally cool. Literally cool–because of the elevation. Get it?
So when I’m not sweating to the oldies in Alamogordo, or spending my time finding new ways to spin pin my hair up, we’ve been hiking in the hills. The prettiest so far has been our jaunt to the Mexican Canyon Trestle near Cloudcroft, NM {which is a darling little village.} The hike is on the easy side–good for lungs that aren’t used to the paper thin air down here. The views of the canyon are breathtaking. And if you are dare-devil/peer pressured enough, the trestle itself is quite magical. Let’s be honest…no picture taken here looks bad. Seriously.
Now, don’t go thinking I’m way hard core. It’s really sturdy. Trains weighing more than 300 tons used to cruise across {at least that’s what the sign said} and it’s been restored. Hiking {and yoga} happen at your own risk. I can’t tell you how high it is, but it’s pretty high. And when it was build, in 1900 it was a feat of engineering as it made a tight S-curve through the mountains.
I like places like this. A little dangerous. A little abandoned. A little old. It’s all very magical.
I posted a few of these photos on my personal Feacebook page and got lots of kind reactions and folks curious about where this is and what it is, and why we were up there at all. Cloudcroft, trestle, peer pressure. Trail information is here.
And lastly, I’ll share one more thing with you.
The day after I posted these image on Facebook my time-warp thingy came up and showed me the picture on the left and said, “We care about your memories. You posted this photo 10 years ago today.” TEN YEARS. I’m a little nervous to stand on his shoulders on one leg…but I still think we are pretty circusy, even a decade later. I’m just glad we got lots of practice in on the ground before we tried it somewhere scary high. {I assure you–we didn’t hold this pose too long. Cameras are very fast these days.}
I’m creeping in on the big 3-0 and I like to think I’m maintaining just a smidge of my cool. I hope you are too.
This is kind of a scary day. Probably not for you. And really, it hasn’t been a scary day for me either. Until this point–at 4:30pm in a small town close to the surface of the sun (that’s what I’ve taken to calling this place)–when I sat down on the loveseat in a long-term hotel suite to write this post.
The loveseat’s upholstery is covered in all kinds of Southwestern designs…eagles and lizards and the kind of stuff that makes you think of cave murals, Mayan art and adobe dwellings…all in muted, ugly hotel colors: mauve, tan, a different tan, dirty green and dusty blue. Classic tapestry colors. It’s not hideous. But I miss my couch and my pretty house and the general Nordic theme of Practically Canada.
Panda is here too. And because our current dwelling is comprised of limited space, I never forget her presence. Not because she’s overly snuggly and showering me with attention. No, I’m afraid she saves her cutest acts and best snuggles for Derek. After all we’ve been through, I’m old news….the person she goes to when she’s desperate {like in the middle of the day and Derek is working}. But definitely not first choice. No, no, no…I always know she’s here because no matter how much I clean–or how often a maid comes in–the air always smells a little bit like cat litter. Just a little.
Now I could open a window–if I were anywhere else. But on the surface of the sun, that’s just not possible. Because of the Skin Melt Factor–or SMF, for short.
Oh! That’s right. I got into this whole, “I’m scared,” thing and never bothered to mention exactly what’s happening. Isn’t it annoying when people start talking at you and you have no clue what they are going on about? Well–stop the smiling and nodding because I’m about to fill you in. {And waiting this long was an artistic choice. In high school they taught me to draw a reader in with an air of mystery and a good hook.} So, for those of you who haven’t hit the “back” button to return to browsing your Facebook feed, here goes.
In brief, today is scary for me because I’m doing something I haven’t done in a long, long time. Writing. I remember the day I stopped. I’d written a devotional on prayer. Prayer has consistently changed my life and worked miracles in my day to day. I love praying regularly with my church family–openly, honestly, with structure and purpose. I was learning about prayer by being surrounded with people who were more mature in their spiritual walks. I was becoming more passionate about prayer and I was seeing how the Body of Christ was supposed to work together. In turn, this was all fueling my private prayer life and walk with the Lord.
That evening I got a comment on Facebook that rocked me. It was negative and hurtful. I was walking a hard road anyway, and all of a sudden I was incredibly gun shy. I didn’t want the things I wrote to cause controversy, or something I loved doing to cause me fear and anxiety about how people perceive me or the strength of my faith. I was in a fierce battle with insecurity and up against raging spiritual warfare. When I sat down to write I was griped with fear. What if instead of glorifying the Lord, I was turning people away from faith? Who am I to be writing and teaching on Biblical truth? Who reads this stuff anyway? No one really wants to hear your lame stories. That was well over a year ago.
I might have written a few posts after that, but pretty much I stuck to showing only photo previews and businessy stuff. I’m not bummed that it happened, because it’s been nice to literally go days without looking at a computer or checking Facebook or getting a comment and wondering if with was nice or mean.
But here I sit on the surface of the sun–homeless except for this room–writing again. And I actually plan to continue. I’ve spent more than a year weighing this out. And I’ve come to the conclusion that more good and happy things have come from writing than, painful things. I don’t like to write about controversial things–I like to write about quirky things that help people learn and encourage folks to see the humor and beauty in the places they find themselves. I like to do this, I’ve prayed about it, so…here we go.
We are in New Mexico. The Minot episode{s} in my life have all but ended, expect for a guest starring role every now and then. My house has sold and someone new is calling it home. The movers kidnapped all my stuff and hauled it to a storage center in the desert. And I’m here. In a different dessert learning that just because heat is “dry” doesn’t mean it’s not miserable. According to the heat index, the dryness of the air means it actually feels less hot that the actual temperature. So when it’s 104˚F, it really only feels like 100˚. That’s why I developed my own index: The Skin Melt Factor. It’s the amount of heat radiated off of and reflected back from every available surface {rocks, asphalt, cement, bricks, wood…there is no grass here to soak it up} and the degree to which it makes my skin feel like it’s melting off of the bone. The SMF is very high here. It’s about a 10 at 7am, skyrockets to an alarming 37 by 2pm, and drops to a manageable 5 by 8:30pm.
Anyway, Derek’s been here since March. I just arrived at the beginning of the month. I stayed back in Minot to sell the house, wait for closing, enjoy one last Practically Canadian Summer. He’s here training until September. So despite the SMF, I’m very happy to be here. All kidding and sarcastic comments aside, I’m so glad to be here. I’m excited to be exploring the Southwest. I’m happy to be finding some local gems. I’m happy to have time to write and pray and workout and…most importantly dunk around in the pool. Mostly, it’s really nice to be back to adventuring with Derek and Panda.
Once upon a time when I was new to Practically Canada I was strolling through our local bookstore. For the first time ever, I laid eyes on one of the Ghosts of North Dakota photo books. Instantly, I was captured. Naturally I gravitate toward desolate, creepy things–it’s a quirk that leads me to long walks in cemeteries and a love of all things fall. {But now I’m getting off topic.}
Ever since that first peek at Ghosts of North Dakota, I’ve thought a session in one of the Practically Canadian ghost towns would be simply the best. I also knew it would take a very special senior to pull off such a sweet spot…it would also take a special senior to want to trek out to a ghost town with me for their senior portraits.
Maddie is that special senior. While eating Easter dinner with her family {they were kind enough to take Derek and me in for the holiday} we started chatting about photos. She told me she wanted something really different. She likes vintage, she’s got timeless beauty, and for some reason enjoys my company enough that she and her mom didn’t mind spending an hour in the car with me en route to our location. She was perfect for this location. I’m so glad she was game for a ghost town and I’m so excited to share this preview with all of you tonight.
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