Summer on the northern plains is passing quickly. Today there was a tornado about 40 miles north of here. As I walked along the street, strong storms were visible to the south and to the north. But here in Bismarck it was sunny, sweltering, and quite calm. I wished for a short thunderstorm to stir up my otherwise lazy Sunday. The excitement never materialized.

I attended the Fourth of July celebration in Tioga with a few friends. In this age of special effects and amazing things on video screens, nothing yet compares to a great fireworks show. I was left speechless for a few moments - literally.

In just a few weeks, I will be on vacation. I can hardly wait. This year I'll be tackling the CANDISC bicycle tour for the fifth time. This year it's about 430 miles of cycling in a week. I'll be camping out in small towns, and there will be a complete lack of computers or televisions. Aaaaahh. I'll probably even turn off my cell phone. Double Aaaaahh.