Mom died last December. Sis is in a much better place with her life. My time in North Carolina was done. Most of my travels led me west and I wanted to be closer. The east is trashed. There are still some wonderful places where I grew up but too many people have stressed the Chi. The west has always compelled me. Open space. Never ending sunsets. L’aissez-faire. Great pot. Lately, however, I’ve become disenchanted with some of the west. Colorado, where I spent 20 years, is an incredible place. Truly alpine and beautiful. Of late, Colorado has become what I call the “dude state”. Perhaps my age is showing but I feel as if you can’t be a self promoting FKT’r you don’t belong in Colorado. Oregon is truly a wonderous place. Diverse, green, oceanic. Along with California and most of the west coast, Oregon has been plagued with drought and wildfires. Fires you can avoid but the pervasive smoke is unabiding.

Last spring I happened to be in Minneapolis as I traveled towards Canada to spend the summer with Bonnie. I lived in Minnesota in the mid eighties and early nineties. The North Country is spell bounding. Lakes, wilderness and truly wild things. I had an office in downtown Minneapolis and throughly enjoyed the time there. Downtown Minneapolis is a great town. The Mill District in particular. Right along the Mississippi River, great old mill buildings have been repurposed into offices and apartments. It’s full of life and energy. Minnesota and Minneapolis in particular have become one of the top rated cycling places in the country. Hundreds of miles of bike paths and dedicated bike lanes run everywhere.

Despite all the recent Black Lives Matter nonsense and riots, downtown Minneapolis is a people place. I’ve always found Midwest people warm and unpretentious. I loved doing business with them in the past.

And so, I found an apartment in the Mill District and plopped down a little 700 square foot base to wander from. Wobegon still exists.