mmm...mmm...Maple Creek and beyond

Sorry this is posted a day late....could not get internet reception just outside Maple Creek SK. 

SNM Tour day # 16

This was an absolutely great day; the kind of day I envisioned when we were planning this tour more than a year ago.  Nice run and a nice cycle on a beautiful sunny day, a medical education event at noon, a media interview with an astute reporter and a bit more cycling to end the day...gotta love it!

Before I forget, I must say that we had a close encounter of a beaver kind. We woke up to find a tree chewed down next to our RV on the campsite. Was this a warning, an omen or was he/she just DAM happy to see us - who knows.

The noon hour talk was at the Medicine Hat Hospital and was attended by an attentive audience in the theatre, which was electronically linked to Bow Island, Brooks, Oyen and Bassano.  Given that this was at noon, we actually ran and cycled all the way to the Saskatchewan border, then backtracked in the RV, did the talk and then drove back and kept going from where we had left off. We crossed the border for the second time that day and have moved on into Saskatchewan. Monique got to cycle a bit today which was excellent also.

So borders are man made and artificial, right?  So how does one explain the totally abrupt changes that occurred as soon as we  crossed the border from AB to SK.

1.  The gophers, (we'll call them prairie dogs because we are definitely on the prairies) all of a sudden got much fatter and didn't move at all as I passed them on the shoulder compared to the Alberta one which were terrified and scurried off .

2.  All of a sudden, there were locusts (we'll call them grasshoppers) everywhere on the road, felt like rumble bars they were so numerous.  Initially I tried to avoid them but gave up and just accepted the crunching as part of the natural soundscape.

3.  I instantly started getting hit by flying bugs on a regular basis on my body and in the face to the point that my sunglasses were looking like a regular car grill in no time.

4.  After we crossed the border, there was absolutely NO road kill to be seen, lots of bloodstains but absolutely nothing else (I wonder what this means???  Interesting...)


SNM Day Sponsor:  Robert Hobbs - thanks again for your support!

A special birthday greeting to Suzanne, Monique's sister who turned 50 today, August 16th - Happy Birthday Sis! This wheat field photo reminded Monique of your shared youth in sunny Manitoba.

Random quotes of the day

You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment unless you trust enough
Frank Crane

If you want your life to be more rewarding, you have to change the way you think
O. Winfrey