The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead: The Fourth Estate stands tall out here!

Kentucky whiskey on a billboard in downtown Fargo

And let’s not forget North Dakota’s capital city, which I couldn’t visit, unfortunately, because North Dakota is huge.

The first year since 1997 that I won’t leave the United States of America has been less depressing than I expected it to be. I’ve actually managed to see a lot of the country this year, for the first time since I was about three feet tall. To date, 2007 has seen trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the cow town of Fort Worth, Texas, and the mountains of Idaho, among other places.

Here are some photos of recent trips.

As a matter of fact, as I write this, I’m sitting on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota, two states I don’t believe I’ve ever visited before, with the exception of Larry Craig International Airport in Minneapolis, which I visited recently.

I’m out here in the Fargo/Moorhead area on a reporting trip for work and it’s nice to see this very empty and rural part of the country. When my plane landed in Fargo, I thought we were landing in a cornfield; I could see no lights…

Last camping weekend of the year — Sept. 22 and 23

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. This photo, incidentally, reminds me of the greatest newspaper headline I’ve seen in recent memory. I can’t remember which state it was from, but it was about how hunters had made a positive influence on a local economy.

Ready? Here goes: Deer hunters rack up big bucks

I will now pause to reflect on the greatness of this headline, as should you.

Thank you.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Labor Day in the Windy City

Chicago

Chicago — Yes, we really did sit this close at Wrigley Field.

Chicago — I became a Cubs fan after this game. Go Cubs! Cubs rule! To hell with that goat!

Chicago — The view from our hotel room*

Chicago — The view from our hotel room*

Chicago — Mayor Daley: Hizzoner.

*Fabrication

Back to Montana in July to celebrate five years of Freddo and Christine

Montana, Big Sky Country

Montana, Big Frog Country

Montana, Big Belly Country (shout-out to pregnant sister). And as you can see, the helicopter came back so Cap’n Fred could give everyone rides around the countryside and alarm all the militiamen living out there in the back country.

Ah, God’s Country. Good to have you aboard. Reminds me of an old joke, lame but true:

Q. What’s the best thing about England?

A. The road back to Scotland.

Just had to post this postcard on the night that a depleted Germany squad beat a full England squad 2-1 in a friendly at Wembley. Tough luck, Becks. Better luck in Los Angeles.

Happy Independence Day, for those of you in the United States!

I’ve received complaints from all corners about how infrequently I now update Postcard Wars, and I can only nod my head in agreement. I will strive to do better and make a trip to the scanner soon to get all of your terrific postcards on the site for everyone to enjoy.

In the meantime, here are some photos from a recent trip to Boston — because what’s more patriotic than photos of Boston ahead of the Fourth of July?

Statehouse

Hahbor

North End

Foosball

Name three countries that begin with the same three letters, in the same order. Iraq, Iran and another country, for example, would be correct — if there were another country beginning with I, R and A.

I read an article just now about how blogs are exploding by 70 million each year, but that many of these just simmer for a while before bowing out when their authors become lazy. I am not lazy, and Postcard Wars will not bow out.

That said, here are some photos of a recent trip to the majestic Upper Delaware River at the Pennsylvania-New York border. Winter home of many a bald eagle, in case you didn’t know.

The river

More river

The worker

The house

And I will, by the way, one day, post all of your wonderful postcards, which I continue to receive with delight. It’s that damn lack of a scanner — not laziness, really — that’s causing this delay.

I passed my Africa test, by the way. I identified all the countries on a blank map, on two separate occasions. It took a lot of studying, and some odd memorization tricks, but no longer will some bozo from Guinea lecture me on the difference between East and West.

And what about the capitals, you ask? That was a bit tougher. I’ll be able to name them all just as soon as Burkina Faso changes its capital to a city that contains no vowels in its name.

Well, folks, it was the 2nd consecutive St. Patrick’s Day in the Dallas/Ft. Worth region for me, and what a fine experience. Cowboy Bryce and Cowgirl Laura got hitched, green champagne abounded and man those tamales were good! Especially with a Bloody Mary waiting to go down the hatch, and smoothly. Thanks for a great time!

Going to the chapel, etc.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeehawwwwwwwww!

A good Christian wedding.

And a fine couple!

Charlottesville, Virginia, is home to Thomas Jefferson. It is rather nice.

Monticello

That’s rural Virginia in the background. Hard to believe it was covered with lots of snow less than 12 hours after this photo was taken.

And here we have another presidential home, Mount Vernon, just south of DC. I liked this one better than Monticello.

The house (Duh). I mean, it’s not the outhouse, right?

(The outhouse, incidentally, was known as The Necessary by those who visited Mount Vernon, which I learned during our tour of the grounds. As in, ‘Bloody well done winning that war, George! That river must have been cold. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to The Necessary for a moment.’)

Nice view of the Potomac, which was spelled Potomack in its earlier references.

So I was embarrassed at a party recently when, while speaking with someone who had spent time in Guinea, I had to admit that I didn’t know where Guinea was.

I knew it was in Africa, but I was under the impression it was near Equatorial Guinea, a country I have some interest in because of its dictator, who regularly figures in the yearly Worst 20 People on Earth lists. But it turns out Guinea is not so near to Equatorial Guinea.

As this was a party on Dec. 31, the need for a New Year’s resolution quickly became clear: I committed myself to a quick but intensive crash course on African geography.

By March 1st, I need to be able to pass a quiz administered by my girlfriend in which I must fill in a blank political map of Africa with all of its 50-something countries. At the time of the resolution, I was feeling supremely confident and also said I could include the capitals of those 50-something countries at no extra charge. But this now strikes me as a bit insane when you get to countries such as Mozambique and Burkina Faso.

Nevertheless, I’m trying. Off to study now — stay tuned for the results of the test.