I'm currently in Duluth for some training that work offered. Definitely out of my element. With the cold temp, it seems to have brought the homeless folks into any warmth that they can find. Yesterday morning, I witnessed fentanyl zombies for the first time in my life. 30 minutes ago, I witnessed three individuals bent over in a hallway, desperately sniffing a powdered substance out of a pouch, with narcan sitting next to them. Kind of an eye opener for me.
Sure am glad that I don't run into this on a daily basis. It's sure sad to see.

It's a strange world. 60 miles from me they're fighting with federal agents, at my place I'm fighting with frozen up cattle water's.

I've fought that battle, Donner. Not fun.

I was born and raised in the hills of arkansas.never heard or seen anything like that

Boy you got that right Big Sam. I could not live in a city or town of even 30K population. I would be like a cat in a cage.

We have piles of ice, from water bowls, at each of our 5 barns. I sold by cattle when everything started closing during Covid, so keeping water open for cattle is no longer an issue.

Keith

I am with you Sam. There are places I won't go anymore and Duluth is one. When I was younger I spent a lot of time around Duluth and up the north shore. Now don't care to go there any more.

Ahh Duluth a liberal craphole along with the twin cities, St. Cloud and a big area of Rochester.
We've got the same here with Madison, Milwaukee, Lacrosse, Eau Claire and sections of the far northern parts of the state where the out of staters retired to and brought their failed ideas with them.

Sad if you think about it as the biggest percentage of the people that live in the cities think it's normal to have unlimited narcan available to the druggies in case they OD. The big cities where wrong is right and right is wrong. I'm not saying we don't have some of that in the rural areas but not to the same extreme. The big cities where they'll protest for illegal lawbreakers but none of them will take any of them home with them to feed them and provide care and shelter.

I don't like any big cities. I grew up in the sticks in East Central Kansas and West Central Missouri. I worked in KC because that's where the money was. Along with other big cities across our great country. Didn't like any of them.

It's been nice not having to go to the city with the exception of doctor appointments/surgery since June of last year. My retirement is supposed to kick in next month and I will have no need to be in the city accept for doctors visits.

Now to get further away from civilization !

Our motel is connected to a restaurant. Got to watch EMS haul off one person, and PD haul off two more while we ate. Not sure if they were the same folks we saw using or not, but came from the right direction. Walked half a block or so to the tobacco shop, and encountered three separate folks that are under the influence of something or other. I'm not sure how these folks survive in these conditions. Strange place to me. I'm really missing Blackduck.

Blackduck is a nice little town in a very nice area. We were up there a few years back for a bear hunt. Great bunch of folks.

Zim

Who did you hunt with, Zim?

Blackduck is a good area have been there a couple of times. Good quiet area hopefully for a long time. This area where I am at is starting to show intrusion of some that are really not country savy. Hope they go away.

I hope they move out for you, backroadsarcher. Haven't been to Frazee for a long while, but I used to deliver there, and really liked the area. If you ever come through again, shoot me a PM, I'd buy you a beer or a cup of coffee.

I bought a bear hunt for Patrice at a MTA fund raising banquet. Went with Gary Strand who donated the hunt. THAT was a memorable experience.
Spent quite a bit of time over at Gary's place and got to shoot the breeze with him, Arnie and Kathy Petersen and a bunch of other characters.
Patrice got a nice bear too!

Zim

Sounds like a great time. You were with the right people, a real good bunch of folks.

I sure will, would be good to shoot the breeze. The last time i was up there was for an auction. Guy had trailers full of traps and some good guns. Can't miss those type of sales.