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Published: August 7th 2007
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A WET & DRY FATHER’S DAY FOR BOB
Sunday, 17 June ‘07
I was due, overdue really, for a bike ride, to try to keep in cycling shape, and the folks at the hotel suggested we go to St Vital Park to exercise both the females on this trip. However there was a marathon being run, involving the route we would have taken, so we drove to another park, which seems to have the TransCanada Trail running through it. As it turns out, it is also a dog park, so Bob was able to let Panna loose for part of the time - except when I was cycling past them. It was frustrating for me, because I saw no signs indicating the TCT, and every route I chose ultimately wound up back at the same place! So I did a few circles around the park, and Panna & Bob met some other dogs & their people.
We then drove a rather long way out of our way to get to a Tim Hortons, which was right next to a large Catholic church, and jam packed, line-up out the door, with folks who were just getting out of church. But Bob had to have his Timmy’s (me too) & I wanted to change out of my cycling clothes, so we put up with the delay. Then we turned around & drove past the dog park again to get to the highway (which was, in fact, essentially right next to the dog park).
Again we had problems with our GPS devices - Bob’s was OK, but mine kept telling me to go back to the center of Winnipeg. Also, it predicted that our drive of about 4 hours was going to take about 16 hours! I finally realized I’d programmed it for a bicycle, travelling about 20 km/h, and had told it to avoid the major highways. Changed that & we were all set.
The TransCanada Highway was closed at Prairie du Portage, and all traffic was re-routed through the town. It was the first place after Winnipeg which offered a Tim Hortons (Actually, Leslie & I had stopped there last summer when we went to visit my son, Mike, who was in training at Shilo CFB.) Bob was just dying for a coffee, but the Timmy’s we used last summer was CLOSED! As Bob said, we’ve never seen a Tim Hortons be closed. It turns out there was a new one a little further down the road - except it was due to open only on Monday (it was Sunday). So we thought we were out of luck. Fortunately we finally saw one at the west end of town, near a modern commercial district (with all the typical chain stores); decided we’d get lunch too.
Among the unusual things we saw before we left Manitoba were a fellow on an ATV leading a horse, who was trotting along behind him. Also we saw some small pump type machines, much like oil rigs, all painted blue & white. I don’t know if they are for water for pastures or if in fact there is oil in Manitoba.
Then we finally reached Saskatchewan - our destination province. At the same time “Life is a Highway” came on the radio - a great classic road tune (for a great road trip, so far) - very appropriate! We immediately saw a sign which warned “Caution, blowing dust” - not one we’ve seen before.
Soon afterwards we arrived in Moosomin, at our little motel, which had all the “trappings” of another dive. But it really wasn’t, it was just small and older. My room was huge - one could live in it for a while, huge TV, wireless internet access, only the periodic horns of the trains that pass through town marred the experience. As it was kind of cloudy, we decided to again leave Panna in the crate in the van while we went for dinner, to a place nearby which the owner had recommended. It seemed to be quite popular, with some folks really dressed up for dinner, while we were in our jeans. But they didn’t have a liquor license - no wine, no beer! And we had no beer of our own, for Bob to drink even one - Happy Father’s Day (I guess). To make it worse, we’d left the windows open a few inches for Miss Panna, and there was a rainstorm while we were in the restaurant. I mean the skies opened up & emptied their contents on this little town (and probably more of the region). Our seats were soaking wet (good thing I’d brought a towel from the motel), and Panna was not too happy with us.
And tomorrow we get to Moose Jaw, we’ll stop driving and start cycling!
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