Still no real exploring flight....

Flew at sunrise this morning.  Chilly and heavy dew.  As soon as I got up to altitude, found that there was considerable southerly wind.  Actually, only making 36mph ground speed against it in the direction I wanted to go......  So just flew around the town and landed again.....

Soon after touch-down the tailwheel detached itself and the axle skidded along the runway.  Searched and searched but couldn't find the wheel, as it had run off into the grass.  Had to carry the tail and push the aircraft to the intersection to get it clear of the runway.  No sooner done than an aircraft took off on that runway.....  Went back and hunted and hunted for that wheel.  Was despairing that I might have to order another and wait until it came....  Then finally stepped on it!  Just yesterday I was looking at the cotter pin that held it on, and deciding that I'd replace that pin with a bolt - too late.....

Difficulties loading the aircraft, cause this new tailwheel doesn't fit the wheeled dolly needed to lift the tail into the trailer.  So I have to bodily lift the tail onto a support and change to the old tailwheel to load it into the trailer.....  Big hassle, and liable to do a back injury due to the awkward lift.  Need to get this dolly modified, but darn't approach any welding shop here cause they're all super busy....

Drove to Wiliston, the fabled main center of all this oilfield activity.  Yep, very busy place, even on Labor Day holiday....  This airfield with lots of business jet traffic wouldn't be suitable for me, so moved on to Watford City airfield.   On the road this place is even more busy, big trucks everywhere, and all in a hurry.....

To get here, drove cross-country along the Lewis and Clark Trail.  The road doesn't quite follow the river, but gives some good varied views of the country.  A really jumbled and mixed feeling.....  Some good visions of Indian country in the hills along the river, with cliffs for buffalo jumps, and visions of sheltered campsites they might have used.  Now herds of fat Angus cattle on that grassland....  Very lush grain fields on the more level country.  And everywhere now, the new economy, drilling rigs and oil activity.  The jack pumps pulling long strokes at full speed, so a lot of oil coming up.  Tanker trucks everywhere carrying that oil to wherever....  There are about 15 dams across the Missouri now, so much of it is actually a chain of lakes, so it's hard to visualize Lewis and Clark actually making their way upstream.  ......  Great for agriculture and flood control, but I'm looking forward to finding some of the original river that Lewis and Clark paddled up....

Moved to Watford City airfield and set up camp.  Camping on airfields means you have to get used to the rotating navigation beacons that flash green-white-green-white.... all night.  This airfield also had a large gas flare lighting up the area....

So still haven't had a real exploring flight yet.....  Hopefully tomorrow morning, if it's not too cloudy, as forecast......  There's lots of interesting activity right around here.

Warm beer tonight cause the liquor store is closed on this holiday.  A continual stream of young men in pickup trucks driving up and going away disappointed....