Heading west on Route 2, across the very northern portion of the United States, the guys spotted this storm forming. Luckily, they did not encounter any bad weather from this system.
Being in farmland the guys have encountered enormous fields of this, canola. Rapeseed-the common name of the plant that produces canola seeds. "Rape" comes from the Latin word rapum which translates to turnip. Turnip, rutabaga, cabbage, brussel sprouts, mustard and other veggies are related to the two varieties of canola that are grown; Brassica napus and Brassica rapa. Canola oil has become very popular for use in cooking oil because of it's low level of erucic acid content. 7 - 10 million tons of canola are grown annually in the United States and Canada. It has become a major cash crop.
Besides canola, a lot of wheat is grown in this part of the country. Farmers will make straw after the wheat heads have been harvested. Intimidating silos and grain bins are peppered throughout the area. Grain will be dried and stored in these bins until the price is right for the farmer to take to market.
Stu casually snapped this photo of Ron on the road behind him. Mike and Fred lag behind in the background.
Mike, Stu, Fred and Ron reach the North Dakota state line.
There is a huge oil reserve in the north west portion of the United States. Drill rigs like this work first in order to make way for the piping of the pumping equipment.
Newer, high production oil rigs replace the older, slower equipment still used.
Wind turbines generating power are beginning to become visible in some areas.Today was a very productive day of travel. The guys logged 565 miles. Being rural, flat and farm ground added to the travel productivity.
565 miles! You guys must be leaving smoke in your tracks! I love plotting your path on the map of the northern US that I have taped together page by page, from this web site! Mom follows it too, Ron!
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