Oh Canada

So here we sit I sit in a hotel room in Thunder Bay Ontario, yes Canada. So time spent in Minneapolis was pretty fun. We got to do quite a bit and eat a lot of food. We saw two great shows, A Prairie Home Companion and another one called Triple Espresso. It's surprising to me in the twin cities how many people don't drive. Well I guess there are just as many cars and people still drive but the number of people using other means of transportation. There are people running, walking, lots of bikes, skateboards, roller blades, wheelchairs, just everything but cars. We toured Guthrie Theater backstage and all three stages. Saw their super cool public library of four floors and fireplaces. Did you know that Minneapolis has 7 miles of sky walks connecting their buildings downtown so people don't have to walk outside in negative temperatures? Did you know that there was a Red Bull sponsored bike race through them? I have to admit that this is some of the prettiest country up here. Today we left the last of the leaves behind us, the snow picked up around noon and snowed all afternoon, but none of it stuck. Driving along the rocky shores of the Great Lake Superior on one side with white birch trees and fur trees along the side of the road. Passing over creeks and waterfalls too. Well we saw a moose on our way, some deer, more bald eagles, a fox, a snowshoe hair, and lots of trees. One other thing is trains. There are lots of trains here. On the Mississippi River there are lots of barges used as well. There was a diagram we saw about transportation. One jumbo barge is equivalent to 15 jumbo hopper train cars which is equivalent to 58 tractor trailer trucks. Now out on the Mississippi where its wide they may have as many as 15 barges all together (we saw one). 15 barges can carry 22,500 TONS. Now would you rather see a tugboat pushing 15 barges down the river of 870 tractor trailer trucks. Hows that for a load?

the twin cities

So here we are in Minneapolis and its cold. Highs are in the high 40's and cold enough at night that things freeze and they are calling for snow. This is the beginning of winter here, some people don't even call this winter. Just wait a month or two and the mid day high wont even break 0. We stayed in a hotel last night in the middle of Illinois. Driving today was very beautiful and especially through Iowa. As we traveled up the Mississippi River we counted around 86 bald eagles. Thats a lot. Well I am not feeling very well and tired too so I don't feel like writing much more. Here are two pictures taken today. One is of the many bald eagles we saw today and the other picture is, well how do you describe it?

another journey

Well if you don't know yet I am safely back in the United States as of a little over a week. My first realization when I stepped out of RDU was "it's cold." My body had gotten used to those island temperatures and wearing zorries every day no more old man winter is here. I feel that I have gotten used to the temperatures once again and am glad to be here as well. I miss fish though. So one of the first things I did once I got back was I went to the grocery store. It was insane, there it was, everything you could ever eat except for weird things like shrimp crackers, and stuff with Asian writing on it. Basically mystery food. Star apples or star fruit they are something like three dollars a piece. In Pohnpei there were two trees that I could walk outside and pick more than I could eat. And fish in Harris Teeter comes from the Philippines, Greenland, Alaska, South America. Only some of the shrimp and the trout are from North Carolina. Tuna is like three or four dollars a pound and out there on those islands its just about a dollar. I am getting tired so I am going to wrap this up. I'm going on another trip, I leave in about 6.5 hours. My dad and I are going to Minnesota, why FOR FUN. So I have a bag full of cameras and lenses and stuff like that. And warm socks, and ski pants, and a coat, and another coat, and two pairs of gloves. I hear its cold up there. Weather online is looking in the 30's and low 40's. Thats for a high. Snow? I hope so. Palm trees? most likely not. So look for an update in a day or two. I am tired, goodnight. Oh, and here is a picture of Joe Dirt aka me on Halloween, enjoy.