by Kelli Bowen
One thing I miss now that I am a West River resident, is the green. I grew up in the Sheyenne River valley and then lived in the Red River valley. I lived among some of the best soil on Earth with the greenest prairie grass broken up by lines of green shelter belts.
Last week my car said 102 degrees…in May. It was so dry, there were multiple fires in the area. Every few days a new fire was popping up and eating up the parched landscape.
Red scoria dust blew as the bitter dry weeds coughed defiantly where a lawn might have been.
Then it sprinkled a little. Then rained. Then the mercury plummeted to 42 degrees: a 60 degree difference in the matter of a couple days. The rain kept coming.
Some people are having water get into their buildings. The neighborhood feral cat is slinking along closer to buildings to stay dry, and the grass is turning green.
As the rains washes the red rocks redder, the trees are sprouting leaves and the grass is resuscitated to its green glory, the babies arrive just in time to enjoy. We found baby bison in Theodore Roosevelt National Park this past weekend!
Hubby cut the grass in the yard and I was able to SMELL fresh grass being cut for the first time in a long time. Oh the things that bring me joy. The smell of rain coming, grass being cut, alfalfa, sagebrush and lilac. Oh my little NoDak heart goes pitter patter.
I’ve been lucky enough to smell them all of my favorites week. Get out and get you some good North Dakota spring smells! Maybe dance in a puddle while you’re at it!!
Kelli makes her home in Billings County with her husband, two daughters and a dog. She works for North Dakota's #1 tourist destination by day and tries to be an alright mom, wife, friend, and writer by night.
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