Water, Water, Water...

All is well here in ND. We moved to higher ground since they opened the flood gates on the dam spillway. Its good though. The new spot has some pretty sweet views.




















That white dot is our tent.

















We've managed to get out and see a few of the sites. Here is Kelly putting in her two cents as to whether they expedition should travel North or South at the Lewis and Clark Expedition Center.




















We went down to Cross Ranch State Park, but it was mostly flooded.

















































And here is what is causing the flooding. The emergency spillway on the dam. It has never been opened since they built the dam back in 1954. Yup all that water is coming your way.










































Not too much else to report right now. Kel and I are staying pretty busy between volunteering at the spillway and picking up some part time work cleaning the maintenance and admin buildings. We're totally pumped about coming home and having some BBQ. Until then, we be chillin' at the lake.

North Dakota Bound

Ok, before we left Cali it snowed. That's not really news, but this snow was in April. We happened to be camping right below the snow line so we just got all the nasty mush.







































These are Kelly's Orangery girls: Libby, Marci, and V-Dog(Veronica). Adios, senoritas!













Of course in Cali we had to say goodbye to all our volunteer buddies as well as my atrocious comb over.


































Around the table we have Gene, Wanda, some girl who stopped by, no hair cut Jones, and Barb. We always told them that when they advertise the position there it should say " full hook ups- electric, sewer, lake view, and free grandparents. We miss you guys!



And here is a tree that looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie.




















Completely unrelated? You bet! Expand on it further so that it makes sense with the flow of the blog to provide inertia towards the next picture!? Nah...





So we packed up and headed to ND. We went the northern route this time and cut through Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and Montana. We were up in dem' mountains, and here is the proof.

Roadside bison
















And a lot of snow...


































Ah... the over the mountains to the prairie... queue the music.



















This was our layover in Montana before heading into North Dakota. Some little out of the way state park whose name I can't quite remember.

































And this was our greeting to North Dakota. Lake Sakakawea, the 3rd largest man made lake in the US. Kelly was not ready to start swimming.



















But we got the tent up and wood gathered just in time for our first snow.



















































Yeah, I own a camo onezie... what's it to ya....























This is the spillway pond. This is now all underwater. Flooding is bad... : (




















We did get to enjoy it a bit before it was flooded. Kelly and I actually have been working on new careers in our spare time. I a race car driver, and her some butch bus driver of sorts.


































That is the 20 acre concrete spillway basin that is now releasing flood levels of Lake Sakakawea into the Missouri river. Good luck with that by the way.




































Yes we miss you guys, too. We are pumped to get home and do some BBQin'. I mean look what Kelly has come to... its lonely out here.