Sunday Night -- Wal-Mart -- Williston, North Dakota -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Of course Wal-Mart would not provide the data if asked, but it sure would be fun to see the sales for the Wal-Mart in Williston compared to any Wal-Mart anywhere else.

Sunday evening we had to pick up a few things -- mostly the old light bulbs before only the funny ones are available at $10 apiece -- so we drove out to Williston Wal-Mart. Traffic was heavy, but nothing compared to what it will be tomorrow, Monday, morning. Dad showed me a "secret" way to get to Wal-Mart to avoid the traffic. Water trucks parked wherever there was an open space. The truck stops along the milliondollarway were full of trucks. It's gonna be a lot better when that 720-acre truck stop north of Williston is completed. Wow -- 720 acres -- a section is 640 acres; there's already a man-camp out there getting ready to start building that truck stop / industrial park.

But Wal-Mart parking lot was full, and the check-out lines were long. Dad normally takes his few grocery items to the jewelry counter, but even that counter was busy tonight, so we did the self-checkout thing -- a first for him. Worked great.

Anyway, in the parking lot as we walked in; the first ten cars we passed: Idaho, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota, Montana, North Dakota. And one without a license plate, just one of those little "just bought" tags up on the rear window. One of the ten North Dakota plates belonged to us. Seven of the ten were pick-up trucks. The "story" in town is that no one lives in Idaho any more; they have all come to North Dakota. (No cars from Wyoming. Interesting.)

It looks like, for the first time in a long time, some of the eight hotels or so, might have some rooms available. Up until now, no rooms have been available in the eight hotels, but advertising on the electric signs suggest there may be some vacancies.