Life in a Farm Town

Well, it's about 95 degrees and 45% humidity in the rural town of Arthur, ND. I am about 20 minutes west of FARGO. Good times! This week, I'm staying with the Moore family (Dawn, her husband Joe, and their son, Kevin- who is Marcel's age. They have a daughter my age, but she moved out after graduation). Joe manages the busy grain elevator in town and Kevin is currently interning at the elevator in the agronomy department (the study of soil). The Moore family has been so awesome, and willing to show me life in a farm town. Before this week, I really had no clue how the weather really effects farming. Unfortunately, it's been a horrible year of flooding, and therefore the planting schedule is behind.

Monday, Dawn took me on a tour of several farms in town ranging from a really successful commercial farm (where took the picture of me on the tractor), to a less successful cattle farm, to a farm w/ pigs and pheasants. Above the pigstye, is a huge barn where they hold barn dances. The place fits about 600 and kids from the local colleges come out in the fall for Barn Dances!

Last night, Kevin brought me to see someone planting Soybeans. A man named Art ran the tractor, and gave me a ride across the field, explaining the process to me. It's amazing how much technology is used in farming if farmers can afford it. The tractor I rode on was guided by GPS, and Art didn't even have to steer. While on the ride, Art asked about Rhode Island, and said he had once been there (a former semi-truck driver). Halfway through the ride, he realized he knew a Portuguese woman from Rhode Island that had married a man out here, eight miles away... What a small world!

This week is going way better than last, and tomorrow is Show Day! The kids have been very well behaved, and are willing to work hard. We have been able to add light changes, since we have four great Assistant Directors. I will try to take a picure of me in my bear suit, as some of you have been asking. I hear next week will be tough, but atleast after that we have a week break. Oh, also, again if anyone has friends in Colorado (Denver or Boulder) please hook me up!

INTERSTING TIDBIT: Some farms are green farms some are red. Meaning, they either buy John Deere equipment (green) or Case (red). Farming is getting very costly.. most machines are hundreds of thousands of dollars!

Milton, ND... aka "Middle of Nowhere"

Milton, ND--- population 80 and dropping (mostly senior citizens) practically a ghost town

What to do in Milton? Missoula Children's Theatre performances are the annual highlint at the Little Star Theatre. The theatre was tiny and cute, very antique-- A vaudeville stage, complete with footlights and a gorgeous tapestry curtain with an Italian scene painted at the theatre's opening in 1896.

One night we were invited to the town's Flag Day celebration. Since I'm missing Bristol's 4th, I thought it'd be a great chance for some patriotic exercises... There were twenty of us, we said the pledge, heard a reading, and then sat down to some potluck: "hot dish and bars" (aka casseroles and desserts)...

One guy in town, probably in his mid-thirties (looked like "Napolean Dynamite's" brother) came up to us... "Hi there, I'm Scott, yea, I'm the eligible bachelor in town... so what're you ladies doin fer fun in Milton... I'd love to take you for ice cream, or if the weather's nice, I could show you my 4-wheeler. Oh ya, and Friday night, there's dancin in Lannngdon, yea." I'm kinda sorry now we didn't take him up on his offer, would've been quite a story.

So finally, I got to wear my new bathing suit at some dam near our hotel. It's in the 90s and hot in farm country.

The show went well, a good start to the tour. I had so much fun playing Baloo the Bear... I don't think I'll need to worry too much about my lack of cardio opportunities (my partner doesn't do the running thing). My substitute: 4 hours in a bear costume, dancing, singing, and storytelling in an un-air conditioned theatre.


Some SHOUT OUTS: Liz, you'll be glad to know that everything out here is Pop!
Meggie, went to Fargo today, and thought of you!

Well, now I'm in Arthur, ND (population 400), and staying with a fun family. I hear this weekend is Community Days complete with a Karaoke Night and Street Dance... Should be a fun time with the locals!

OH, and if anyone has friends in Boulder or Denver, I would love to meet some people. I'm spending 4th of July week down there! Please hook me up!

And wish me luck on our first week w/o a trainer!

Near the border of Montana & North Dakota.. Does this remind anyone else of Star Wars? Vaguely? 

Gorgeous ... we drove past these mountains for hours in Western Montana... breathtaking! Definitely see the Rockies someday! 

If you look really closely, you can see "Home On the Range" ... the song Andre & FatFreeBob dedicated to me before I left the East Coast! 

Training's Over!

So, I have learned more this week, than in a year's worth of college. We learned our show in three days, then spent this past week in a forest setting attending several workshops on all the complicated logistics of the job. I will be able to do anything after this experience. It's gonna be crazy! Here, I've seen my first bear in the wild.. a little black bear, perfect observation for my character Baloo the Bear in THE JUNGLE BOOK.

One morning, I took a 7 or 8 mile run/walk up a cross country trail in the mountains. We weren't intending to go that far, but after an hour on the trail, we realized we had no clue what the mileage of the trail was (and my friend Maryann had to be back to camp in 45 min!)... could have been one mile or twelve more miles. So we pretty much ran the whole way down the mountain, dodging a family of deer and managed not to run into the bear.... Just kidding Mom! It's truly GORGEOUS out here. It will be tough to leave the mountains an the raging rivers after only a week and a half. North Dakota and more importantly FARGO, here I come!

Several teams left today, so last night we all stayed up late, partying in the lodge. It's an odd feeling to meet so many awesome people, and then wish them good luck, goodbye, and see you in August! Today, my partner, Jamie, and I are routing our trip. Looks like we'll be able to check out Mt. Rushmore and Rocky Mountain National Park during our week off over 4th of July.

So, our first town has a population of 80 people. I'm psyched!

FIND OF THE WEEK: Moose Drool, local beer of Missoula, MT. (dark amber, smoky taste) the label is hilarious, keeping it for my scrapbook-- by Blue Sky Brewing

Training: Day One

On my way back to the dorms at U of Montana this evening, a few new tour actors and I were discussing how surreal it is that we are here, working, as actors! In the mountains! Being paid to see the country. Now before you think I have some luxurious job, you must realize I 've just finished the first of multiple 12 hour working days.

I began this morning at 6:30am since my body thought it was 8:30am (jet lag). When falling asleep last night around 9:30 or 10 (close to midnight eastern time) , it was still light outside... bizarre, almost like Alaska where the sun never sets in the summer... not sure what's up with that. So, yea, I began my day with a run in the rain with a fellow tour actor, Mary Anne (who happens to be from South Eastern Mass (small world!), and a half mile hike up Mount Sentinel. Cold rain, but very refreshing. Training was 9am-9pm, and what a job this is going to be... so much energy required! I love it!

Much more to write, but unfortunately, I forgot to borrow an E-thernet cord, so I'm borrowing my roommate's, and I think she needs to use it. Hope all are well, love you MOM :-)