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Every so often I tell myself I need to keep a 3 x 5 index card with hash marks on it, denoting each day whether it was a great day or an awful day with regard to weather. We complain a lot about the weather, but it sure seems there are better days than worse days.

Today is one of those great days. I'm in the Bakken. It was 8:05 when I walked into the Cenex to get coffee. I don't know what the temperature was but it felt balmy, probably 50 but with no wind, it felt 60. Short-sleeve weather for some, light jackets for city folks, but heavier coats for those on the way out to the fields, all of which will be removed by mid-morning -- it's gonna be a warm day especially for those doing heavy labor.

Cenex (or is it CENEX?) was a veritable truck stop this morning. It was a hoot to watch F-350's maneuver among huge oil trucks. And then to watch the semis get back on to the city street. The traffic appeared choreographed; of course, it wasn't but everyone did just fine.

About seven years ago, over the course of four years or so, I spent many months at a stretch at a remote air base in northern England. For all practical purposes it was in Scotland. Every Saturday and Sunday I would get up about 7:00 a.m. and start walking towards Scotland, and spend 8 - 12 hours walking the northern Yorkshire. It was incredibly beautiful. It reminded me a lot of North Dakota, and today, the balmy, beautiful weather brought memories of those halcyon days in Yorkshire.

My music during those Yorkshire walks: Hank Williams, SR, from a CD I got in England and played on a portable Sony player. No iPods at the time, at least not that I remember. The Brits loved American rock-a-billy music, and they loved Hank Williams. The Beatles can trace their roots to American rock-a-billy.

Now in front of a computer I'm listening to a YouTube playlist of the greatest truck-driving singer ever, the Aussie Slim Dusty. I don't mean that he was a truck driver -- I don't know if he was -- but he sings great ballads about the Aussie truck drivers. I've embedded several of his videos in the blog over the years.

Hunter S. Thompson said music was his fuel. That's true for me, also. Music is my fuel.

If I would have ever started that 3 x 5 index card for weather, this day would  have gotten a hash mark for beautiful weather.

I honestly can't imagine a better place to be working in the oil fields. Later this afternoon I will be touring the fields. Last night I went out to see the huge new Lucy Hanson well just 3.5 miles east of Williston; it was getting dark so I couldn't see it well, but it appeared there were 18 storage tanks on the south side of the pad, and another 12 storage tanks on the north side of the pad, but don't quote me on that. I really couldn't see, and I could be way off, but it looked huge. I was not aware of this, but there appeared to be two pumpers being put in. I thought there was only one well on this pad, but checking the GIS map server does indeed show another well:

• 20842, Conf, BEXP, Larson 3-10 2H, Catwalk, Bakken

The Bakken never fails to excite.