Showing off North Dakota

[US_Tank]

I took off on Father's Day with my wife Debbie, my two boys Jacob and Jordan, and my mother-in-law, Barb, for a mini-vacation out at the cabin.  There is nice combination of prairie grass and regular grass out there.  The prairie grass we like to let grow naturally to attract game birds such as Sharp-tailed grouse, Pheasants, Partridge, Doves, Sage Grouse, Turkeys, and Prairie Chickens.  And these birds frquent the area nicely.  Even deer, fox, coyotes, and birds of prey forage in and out of here.

As I was doing the mowing, I decided I needed a little "pitching wedge" golf course on the premises.

 

Here is the course as seen from the deck.............................................



 

 

Every hole is a Par 3 and one merely has to be with a club length in order to be considered in-the-hole! 

First hole of four.  More holes to come later this summer!  As you see the tee box, one must pitch over the tree...............................



 

 

 

 

...........................to this hole about 35 yards away...................................



 

 

 

This hole is 100 yards away..................................................



 

 

 

 

Here is a shot 50 yards away, notice the narrow fairway.  Good practice at getting out of heavy rough...............................



 

 

 

 

Hole 3 has a nice view....................................but this is not the tee shot.





 

 

 

 

Here is the tee shot to 3...........................................



 

 

 

 

note the crazy rough in front of the hole.



 

 

 

 

Hole 4 is about 80 yards coming back to the cabin....................................



 

 

 

 

 

and a closer view...........................................



 

 

 

 

 

Here are views of future holes 5 through 9........................................

#5



 

 

 

Hole 6



 

 

 

Hole 7  This one will be at least 55 yards.



 

 

 

 

Hole 8 which will be about 80 yards...............................



 

 

 

 

Hole 9 will end behind the cabin........................................



 

 

 

 

I have another 6 acres of prairie grass land behind the cabin for another 9 holes but I like it overgrown and a safe sanctury for the wildlife.  I have feeders back there and won't even hunt this birds myself.

More work included getting the boat water ready..........................................



 

 



 

 

 

 

About the hunting.............I lied!  We took out a few barn swallows with the .22 rifle.



 

 

 

 

And we roasted smores every night................................



 

 

 

 

..........................or we just sat by the fire......................................



 

 

 

While I had a good cigar..................................



 

 

 

 

I also did some grilling every night....................................



 

 

 

 

Grilling smoke...............................................



 

 

 

 

The meat.....................................



 

 

 

 

Finished the smoke just in time to eat..............................



 

 

 

 

 

We played lot's of games.................................





 

 

 

 

We took a trip to Fort Union right on the ND/MT border.  My uncle has worked  here for 30 years and he is soley responsible for the authenticity and condition of the fort. 





 

 

 

Fort Buford was the military fort for the protection of the settlers in the area.  And Fort Union was the trading fort 2 miles away where the steamboats from St. Louis arrived.  This is also where Lewis and Clark passed by.   Mountainmen came here to trade their furs for supplies.  This fort was also a trading mechanism to trade with the indians.



 

 

 

The fort was essentially a mansion of luxury in the 1800's.  It also provided protection agains renegade indians.



 

 

 

The Bastian here is where sniper's provided fields of fire........................note the Missouri River in the background.



 

 

 

And of course there were canon's.  This canon was fired today Thursday by my uncle to start off a "Buckskinner" Midwest Rendevous that kicks off today.  There are going to be tipees, and such with about 3,000 people in and around the fort camping, trading, and partying just like in the old days.



 

 

 

My uncle actually did the woodwork to carry the canon.  Everything is authentic right down to the types of nails and screws used in the day.



 

 

 

 

My uncle took us up onto the balcony where the general public does not get to go.  My kids dig this stuff as I do.



 

 

 

 

 

Went back to the cabin and a thunderstorm rolled on in.  Montana is called "Big Sky" country.  Well the big skies start in ND.  You have not seen a thunderstorm until you have seen on in North Dakota.  My mother-in-law had never been out west and she was amazed at the beauty of it.



 

 



 

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

Here is the storm rolling in from the north.....................................



 



 



 

 

 

 

We were all able to sit up against the south wall of the cabin as the storm came in from the north.  We were sheltered from the wind and rain and the lightning was simply awesome.



 

 

 

 

After the storm the sun broke out but it was still raining some.  Beautiful scenery though.







 

 

 

 

We were left with a nice rainbow that started right in front of the cabin..................





 

 

 

 

 

The next morning I had breakfast in the silent, calm, morning...............................

 



 

 

 

 

 

A great way to start each day.....................................

 



 



 

 

 

[Tonto]

Great Pics Tank!!!

Thanks for posting them!

[macallan2]

Wow Tank, you really know how to make a guy jealous!  Glad to see you had a great time with the fam.  I'm starting to think i need to consider ND for my land purchase...

[US_Tank]

ND was the last inexpensive sanctuary for land purchase.  The rich Californian's have seeped into Idaho and Montana.  But now that ND has the largest oil reserve in North America, the past 3 weeks have seen prices triple for "desolate" western ND land.  With the impending oil boom, people are going to want to build cabins, hunt, and even have mineral rights.

[MK 199]

Beautiful Tank, thanks for posting, looks like you all had a great time.  Is that Triploey you guys were playing?

[Yesenia]

Thanks for sharing. Makes me long for some time away from the city. Your pictures are in rotation on my desktop...you're a great photographer!

[steve047]

Daryn, thanks

[-PO-]

Wow Daryn spectacular photos, what beautiful country.  One day I will have to ride out that way and visit hock:

[US_Tank]

Wow Daryn spectacular photos, what beautiful country.  One day I will have to ride out that way and visit hock:

 

That is the purpose of the pictures.  If any of you guys get out here the rest is on me!   I know I am going to get Gunnar out this way soon relatively speaking.  And hopefully the Mum will make his way out also!

[MaytagMan]

That is amazing...   what beautiful country!