Was the weather on the Fourth of July too perfect? There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, after all. It seemed everything fell into place – vendors made money, people were fed well, kids had plenty of fun, great music filled the air. But the sun, intertwined with minimal winds, combined for the reddening of my fair Irish skin. My brother, who attended the Mandan Parade in the morning, suffered for about three days afterwards, complaining about the redness on his neck and face. And for about two days after the Fourth, I had a tender neck because of the sun. It may have been a wonderful day, and who could have asked for better weather conditions, but even if something's that perfect, precautions need to be taken...something neither I or by brother did. But of course, it's easier to realize this all in hindsight, when my skin begins to peel.

Mist rises almost daily off the Missouri River and through the filtered sunlight one can catch glimpses of whitetail deer coaxing spotted fawns through the lush grass. Rain is good.

Mandan... 15,000 people, all busy people with their busy lives, doing things to fill the gap between boredom and excitement. What do they do in between, I wonder. That, I think, is what makes Mandan what it is.

Now that it is raining, it's so wonderfully green along the river. Last night (Wednesday, June 4) round 9:30 p.m. I noticed a glint across the river. The white homes along the east bank reflected the setting sun in a color of gold not often seen. There were clouds in pink and purple mother of pearl and the tree rows along the east bank were polarized looking, almost like an altered digital photograph. It was spectacular.