If it's Monday it must be Moose Jaw

Yesterday and today. But first, the next cartoons! (Click for bigger.)

So the Prairies are sort of like Canada's version of the US midwest/south. More churchy, more conservative. Though in farmland there's a lot of support for the working class party (NDP.) 

In Calgary there was a mega church, with a full parking lot. Weird for me.

And I saw this as I left community. ...Yeah... pretty sure I don't need to live in this community.

Saskatchewan was pretty, even at this time of year. Rolling hills, and different colors of grass and grains, lots of cows. Every time I pass by cows I call out: Cowees! And Babies! (Lots of baby cows with their mommies.) There's also Birdyloos! And Buffaloes! And Horsies!

This pic is pretty good considering it's Drive By Photography. Yes, I do sometimes Drive Distracted. It's hard not to when living in your car. I eat sometimes. Change the mp3 player. But I slow down and wait until there are no cars around me. I wouldn't use the phone/text cause it takes away real brain focus. (As opposed to food... which we already eat mindlessly!)

Fernando apparently bought me this ginormous fish and left it at his sister's house. I used it to take a micro nap yesterday.

Each day I end up taking one little stop n' tour of some town. Yesterday I stopped to eat in Medicine Hat, and drove around following their "Historic Downtown" signs. Which led my all over the town, back and forth, all over the place. Yes, they somehow, were f*cking with me.

"Where the hell is the Historic Downtown?"

I did end up at the historic pottery factory: Medalta. Now has space for artists and displays and such. 

Rolling hills, lots of old weather worn buildings in the Prairies. My great-grandmother came with her family, as a girl, from Ireland. Made the same trek as I'm making, in the other direction, and on a red river cart. 

Largest teepee in the world (the tip.) Leftover from the Calgary Olympics.

My only bison spotting. Buffalooooooes!

Coweeees!

 Lots of trains.

Not only was Saskatchewan rollier than I expected, but suddenly there was a big damned lake!

I stopped in Moose Jaw, because of its name.

I think this was a doll museum I saw on the opposite side of the highway.

So here's the weird thing about gas: There are no Petro Canadas on the Trans-Canada highway, through Sask. I kept spending $20 at a time, waiting to fill up when I got a PCanada. There were none! None. And rarely gas stations right on the highway--you have to go into towns. Here I turned off into Wolesley...

It was ridiculously small and cute. And they kept the old grain elevator rather than just the concrete monstrosities now in use.

Downtown. Most stores closed.

When I stopped to look at the library an old man pulled up his car beside mine. He'd noticed my BC plates and told me to be sure to see the swinging bridge. ! I met a booster! A real live booster.

On the highway I'd seen signs for an opera house. ?! Here it is, the Town Hall and opera house.

Re-doing downtown.

Lake and hospital.

Swinging bridge!

Quilt shop! Pic for Mme Miroir.

Train crossing.

Finally, crossing into Manitoba.

When the sun hits the fields it's gorgy.

I was half an hour into Manitoba when I finally saw a Petro Canada. I pulled over to top up, and when I looked in my wallet... no debit card. Called the the Fas Gas station I'd gone to in Moosimin, and sure enough I left it in the machine. Le. Sigh.

First time I drove more than 10 kms over the speed limit. Back to Saskatchewan... back to Manitoba again.

Eventually got to Winnipeg where I thought I'd stay. Had also wondered whether to find my old neighborhood where I spent my grades K and 1, and later 4 and 5. Then I saw the sign by the by-pass highway, and the destination of Kenora. ... ... Well, I thought, fuck it. Isn't that what Google Earth is for? I drove right past and headed for Kenora. Manitoba in one day. Done.

Except it meant driving into the dusk and then night. Something I generally want to avoid cause that's when the deer are out feeding. I stayed alert and counted 11 by the roadside. #10 looked like he was ready to bust a move.

So I was relieved to hit Kenora and the first motel I saw. It smells like food in here, mildly skeevy, but the bathroom's clean and I didn't find bed bugs. Looking forward to seeing Kenora in daylight.

SONG OF THE DAY

Once upon a time two kids in love in a car were flyin' over mountains
Trying to catch a boat that'd take 'em up river to home...
And they raced the Matapedia
Sixty minutes sixty miles
Thirty minutes thirty miles
Twenty minutes twenty miles
Ten nine eight....