Last night was pretty good, what I can remember of it, which is most of it, actually. It was cold, about -20, but I think that's part of what I enjoyed: walking a mile into town and getting nicely chilled on the way in reminds me of those winter days as a kid in northern Alberta, where I'd play outside in the crystalline snow... Of course I didn't have to worry about ice forming on my mustache back then, but really the most annoying part of that is the stiffness and the weight, the ice itself seems to help insulate my upper lip.

I went to the Winnie, as usual. I seem to be getting known a bit better in town now, making friends and all that. Grand Forks has quite a bit of that "small town feeling" to it, a city of 4000+ people where "everybody knows everybody," which is nice, but along with that, maybe because of it, it can take a long time to "become a part of the community." I met a guy this summer, Garth, who has lived here for five or six years if I recall, and he was saying that he's still seen as something of a "new guy in town."

Anyway, the best part of the night was getting to talk a bit with one of the most amazing women I can remember ever meeting. Actually, I've kinda had my eye on her for a bit now, she seems at least potentially "interested." I really don't know where this is going to go, but the scenery sure is nice enough in the meantime.

*the photo is of second street, outside of Pope & Talbot, shot back in last August. The pick-up is at a four-way stop intersection that the city had been planning to turn into a two-way stop to facilitate trucks entering the mill. Things have been delayed because trees along the corner make for real poor visibility there. (I don't know if it's been the budgeting of the trees' removal, or what exactly has been the problem but "the talk" has been that the change might get done this summer...)