Beautiful, Balmy Day in the Bakken -- The Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Having spent most of my later adult life in southern latitudes (Turkey, Alabama, south Texas) I didn't know if I was going to be acclimate to North Dakota again.

But it is amazing how nice 25-degree weather with no wind can feel.

It is simply another gorgeous day in the Bakken. No wind, and not quite shirt-sleeve weather, but certainly no need for a heavy coat. And, again, my favorite stop at 6:00 a.m. is the Cenex at the 2nd busiest corner in Williston, watching the trucks maneuver up to the pumps. It's incredible how they can pull some of those road trains into the pumps designed for pickup trucks.

On another note, it looks like I get the opportunity to try out a new restaurant for breakfast tomorrow. On Saturdays, Michelle's on Main opens at 9:00 for breakfast. According to the print edition of the Williston Herald, the restaurant's official name is "216 Main."

It has a menu like a simplified version of Applebee's and slightly cheaper. Prices start at about $8 for burgers and sandwiches. Pop comes in cans rather than from a soda fountain. The atmosphere is simple.

The two owners, from Kalispell, Montana, and Pocatello, Idaho, have started other successful businesses in Montana, including restaurants and hotels.  [One of the local jokes is that the entire population of Idaha has moved to the Bakken; if they are starting restaurants here that must be true.]

From the Herald:

One advantage this restaurant has in oil-boom country is 216 Main has a dormitory in the basement which houses the restaurant's 20 employees.

Most of the employees are from Libby, Montana; there are just not enough local residents available for all the job openings.