A little song reference for you there. While I was out taking photos of large birds and the May cover photo of the Dakota Beacon (and collecting ticks) I came upon this wreckage. It’s visible from the Expressway Bridge as well as Fox Island Road, and looks pretty old. I doubt it had anything to do with the construction of the bridge, but perhaps it was at one time involved in the rock wall built to control flooding. In any case, it’s rotting away silently in the grass along the Missouri River. Whoever owns it should probably take the batteries out and other caustic pollutants, but it looks like it’s become part of the habitat otherwise.

As Bismarck and Mandan grow steadily northward, a lot of really scenic riverside views are becoming history. This view, for example, will likely not survive 2007. It’s on a hill just north of Bismarck, where a neighborhood is being built at this very moment. I’m not the only one who knows of this spot; in fact, someone had put some old patio furniture there last time I ventured out there!

This looks like the fencepost at the end of Double Ditch park, but it’s actually overlooking Pioneer Park. The doubletrack trail leading up to it is still intact, but will likely soon become someone’s back yard. That’s okay…there are plenty of other nice vantage points surrounding our fair cities. Many are just waiting to be discovered.

Out on a drive the other night, I decided to see how the blockhouses would look at sunset. I had my family with me in the truck, and we went good ol’ Fort Lincoln. I like North Dakota parks and the opportunity to support and enjoy them, but I have to give Fort Lincoln a big “thumbs down” for this trip.

It’s five bucks to get into the park. If you approach after hours, just slip a fiver into one of the envelopes at the gate and drop it in the slot. That’s what I typically do. Then you’re free to roam about the park, including a short drive up the hill to the blockhouses. The only problem is: the gates to the blockhouses were locked! There’s a sign next to them indicating “GATES LOCKED AT DARK.” Fine, but it wasn’t even close to dark yet. This is the second time this has happened to me, and I’m getting really tired of not getting my money’s worth. In fact, on my desk I have a ND State Historical Society Foundation membership form ready to send in. Part of the benefits include free admission to state historic sites. What good would that be if the gates continue to be locked?

My wife is a saint. She said that if I wanted to hike up the hill instead, grab a quick couple of shots when the sun got to the horizon, and bolt back down…well, that was fine with her. I did so, not really getting any decent shots at all, but collecting TEN wood ticks. It was almost a tick a minute on that hike, since I had forgotten to apply any insect repellent. I found nine that night and one the next morning. I was working on a DVD and felt a tickle on my neck and…YIKES! Then I had the creepy-crawlies all day long.

If you’re thinking about going out to Fort Lincoln, just park on the north end and hike in for free. You’ll save five bucks and achieve the same result. And don’t forget to take a can of OFF or another type of tick repellent. They’re crazy this year!

It was hard to miss the giant plume of smoke billowing skyward as I drove from Mandan to Bismarck last night. A quick peek from the river’s edge revealed a lot of activity along the sandbar just north of the Expressway Bridge. I could see rural fire, police, and city fire vehicles lining the access road along the sandbar…to me, this indicated that it was likely NOT a controlled burn. From the news report I caught last night, it was not.

One thing you may not know about the Bismarck Fire Department and Bismarck Forestry Department is that they are actually pretty well equipped to deal with such a threat. They realized the fire danger that exists in areas such as this one (or the woodlands south of the city) and have built fire trails in these areas. The fire trails allow them quick access to places that normally would be a nightmare to reach, and these trails allow them to react quickly to fires that otherwise might burn out of control.

Just such a situation happened south of town a few years back in a very remote are and, thanks to the fire trail, the fire crews were able to react and contain the fire just prior to a nasty wind shift. That wind shift would have driven the fire right into the Tatley Meadows trailer park and brought disaster with it.

Kudos to our local responders! If this had spread under the Expressway Bridge, who knows what kind of complications could have resulted. From what I saw, the crew was able to contain this blaze very quickly.

I know…it isn’t a statue per se, but it should ring a bell nonetheless. I will say this: it goes back to 1877. I blurred out the inscription on the plaque because that might make it too easy. But even if you know what this bell stands for, even if you know its history, I’m also looking for someone who can tell me where it currently resides. Have fun!

This one’s going to be super easy because of the background, but it is a relatively new statue. So…have at it! I’m guessing a lot of my readers saw this statue recently, but it’s not like we have a ton of statues around Bismarck-Mandan for me to throw at you. For now, this is my best attempt at stumping you!

This one will probably be pretty easy for many of you, but for others it’ll be a real stumper. This bell originally hung in a different location, but was moved here in 1966. Have fun with it!

This one’s probably too easy, and it’s technically more of a sculpture than a statue. But if you’ve taken a ride recently you’ll probably get it at first glance. Is that enough of a clue for y’all?