Plan — Inspiration from the North Dakota

Highway 22 north of Killdeer

Make Plans

Every house is built twice. Once on paper, and then in reality.

North Dakotans are hardy stock and their agrarian culture makes them planners.

They plan to plant, to cultivate, to harvest, to market.

Weather may change the plans. It can be frustrating, but there’s nothing wrong with rewriting plans — it taps into creativity, creating new alternatives.

Highway 22 north of Killdeer.

When I drive north of Killdeer, the first hill on the south side of town is followed by a flat plain. To the west are the Killdeer Mountains, ahead is a long slow curve. What lies beyond is what I plan for. If it’s icy or snowy, I’ll want to plan accordingly. If it’s a bright sunny day and the landscape is green, I might look for a good spot to grab a photo. I’ll bet you do the same when you drive through the Badlands. You plan for what’s ahead, don’t you?

What happens if you don’t make plans? Like Yogi Berra said, “You end up someplace else.”

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A collection of pithy sayings set to North Dakota landscape is in the gallery called “Just Sayin.’ “

Mike Kopp

Love to tell stories -- romantic, nostalgic stories of our explorations in the Northern Plains. 15 years a television reporter/anchor, 12 years radio news director, 3 years newspaper editor, 6 years documentary producer -- a lifetime of communication.