6:11 reveille. Looking out from my tent door it looked like another nice day was in store. But then I heard distant thunder from behind the tent. I look in that direction and saw nothing but a threatening dark sky. It looks like a storm is coming, I said out loud, and made haste to break camp, which I did in a record one hour. But I should have done it in 55 minutes because the lightning, thunder and heavy rain struck down on us with only five more minutes to go.
At least now I know what I can break camp in when push comes to shove.
After writing yesterday's blog, I headed for the showers, but stopped first in the men's room, or so I thought. Halfway though my shave, two charming and equally pretty young women wandered in. I politely told them they had the men's room, but thy corrected me, told me to continue my business, and they went about theirs. In DC, if that happened, I'd now be in jail on one charge or another. Here, I got to finish my shave and the ladies from Marathon have a good story to tell.
As we were getting ready to finally leave, I noted that it took eight days to cross it. That's one half the trip in days. Really big place.
9:50 on the road to Winnipeg, some 235 miles distant. Rain stopped, but sky still threatening.
11:30...stopped for our only rest break of the day, near water, which Erde immediately took advantage of. I have given up hope for a dry vehicle because of her aquatic interests.
1:40 stopped for gas just before Manitoba border. As I emerged from the Defender, a woman approached me and proposed marriage, just for my jeep. I corrected her and told her it was a land rover,not a jeep, although the license plate says JEEP. I declined her kind offer and got on my way.
1:52. Entered Manitoba and probably one of the worst rides anyone could imagine. I fear that the next 1200 miles will be like this. 100 miles of a bumpy, straight road, through flat, desolate plains, accompanied by oppressive sun and heat, occasional sand storms and a gray, ominous sky that suggested tornadoes, but none came. The line of trees that framed the road were planted to distract drivers from the boredom. When they ran out of trees, they planted electrical towers just feet apart. There was no road kill in sight because animals abandoned the area long go. I filled my gas tank before I started this stretch because when I sat drove the road in 2001 with Leben and Erde, I ran out if gas one mile before the road ended at Winnipeg at the first gas station for one hundred miles. (No big deal as I carry five extra gallons.). It was also on this road that Leben and Erde took refuge under my Defender during a rest top, the only shaded area they could find.
4:05. We made it to Birds Hill provincial park right on schedule. It was here in 2000 that Sonntag and I got caught in one if the most harrowing experiences of my life, an electrical storm that hovered directly over our heads in our tent for one hour. There was no lag between the lightning and thunder, which struck seconds apart. I could tell when the next bolt was going to strike because the tent poles crackled and Sonntag's hair stood up. I threw all metal out of the tent and huddled with Sonntag to reduce our foot print for the lightning reflecting upwards after missing the trees behind our tent. When we entered the camp tonight, the word was that we were supposed to have a repeat performance of that night.
5:30 I finished the evening's non-discretionary chores in a record one hour to beat the foul weather that was coming. As it turned out, it never came. The sky cleared up and the night turned out to be nice. At least now i know I can set up camp in an hour. Good practice.
6:35 lifted a hot pot off the stove not realizing how hot the handle was. I forget how you treat second degree burns. Maybe the Army Field Medical Manual i brought along will tell me. I also have a First Aid app on my iPad.
8:13 In tent. Repaired tent where the tent fabric over the door is separating from the zipper to the door. I cannot believe it took me almost one hour to put in the equivalent of 20 stitches. I did not have a thimble and so had to make one of duct tape. That worked well until it didn't .
6:35 lifted a hot pot off the stove not realizing how hot the handle was. I forget how you treat second degree burns. Maybe the Army Field Medical Manual i brought along will tell me. I also have a First Aid app on my iPad.
8:13 In tent. Repaired tent where the tent fabric over the door is separating from the zipper to the door. I cannot believe it took me almost one hour to put in the equivalent of 20 stitches. I did not have a thimble and so had to make one of duct tape. That worked well until it didn't .
Tomorrow we head about 200 miles up the road to Riding Mountain National Park where you have to drive through a area where bison have the right of way. i will be very interested in my fellow travelers'' reaction.
After tomorrow, we head to Calgary, a trip I dread. If there is one reason to not make this trip, this is it. But you get the same in the states, too. No way around it. I probably will not be blogging much, if at all, so I can get on the road early to avoid the heat of the late afternoon. But after Calgary, the cold, and with it snow, will hit us in the Canadian Rockies
10:30 taps.
Below. Erde in the rear bed sleeping to avoid the heat and boredom. She usually searches for the coolest spot. Leben and Erde switch places every rest stop.
Below. Leben sleeping in the front bed to avoid the heat and boredom. Notice how his nose is right beneath the AC vent. Thank God I installed a new, more powerful one just two months ago.
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