by Pa Rock
Weary Road Warrior
The trip into Watertown, South Dakota, yesterday was rain-soaked, with water falling from the sky so fast that it was hard to see the road. Today, I reasoned, things had to be better. But as I was starting to load the car around 6:00 a.m. I noticed that the sky was seriously overcast and looked to be threatening a repeat of yesterday's gully washer. I pulled out at 7:00 a.m. on the dot, and spent a few minutes on the interstate enjoying the sights, including a large wind farm on both sides of the road, but by 7:15 the rain started. The first round, twenty minutes or so, was just a standard heavy rain, but after it had subsided for a few minutes, Round Two blew in, and it was another colossal water event. By 8:30 I was in Fargo and things had settled down, and I was back to looking at the flat lands of the Dakotas and their fine assortment of stylish granaries.
(If Governor Burgum can afford to buy a vice presidential nomination, as he appears to be preparing to do, surely he could cough up enough coin to bring in some crop dusters and paint the extremely boring western edge of his state some outrageous color. Outlining the granaries in holiday lights would also add a little zest to the place! Give it some thought, Doug.)
I hit the Canadian border at straight-up noon. That particular crossing had about ten lanes, but only one was open, so I had to wait in a line for twenty minutes or so. This was the first time that I had driven into Canada since the 1980's, so I was unsure what would be needed. As I finally got to the open booth, I had my passport, car title, and proof of insurance ready, but all the young lady asked for was the passport. She asked me if I was visiting Canada and wanted to know if I was bringing in any alcohol, pot, guns, or knives. When I answered "no," she sent me on the way.
US Interstate 29, which I took from Kansas City yesterday goes all the way to the Canadian border, and on the Canadian side it becomes Canada 75 and is, for the most part, better maintained than its US cousin. I haven't looked it up, but I am supposing that US Interstate 29 is the newer version of Highway 71 which used to run from Canada to south Louisiana. From KC to Canada it is basically straight and boring, much like driving across western Kansas or most of Texas.
Canada 75 leads from the border to Winnipeg, sixty-some miles - except in Canada they use these things called kilometers instead of miles, But it was sixty-some miles according to my speedometer which uses the King's English. (As I pulled onto Canada 75, the first road sign that I saw said "Maximum: 100." Hot damn, I thought, I'll be in Saskatoon in no time! But again it was those pesky kilometers and I had to restrain my heavy gas pedal foot.)
It wasn't a quick trip to Winnipeg because a long portion of the four-lane road was restricted to just two due to road work. I didn't get to see much of Winnipeg because almost as soon as I reached the edge of the city, I saw the exit to Brandon, which I knew was on my route, and rather than risk not being able to find it again, I exited then - earlier than I had planned.
I had intended to spend the night in Winnipeg, but once I was on the road to Brandon, Canada 1, a nice thoroughfare that skips many of the small towns, I couldn't find anyplace to stay. I finally. wound up driving all the way to Brandon which is over 200 kilometers form Winnipeg - or, for you non-Canadian speakers, more than a hundred and twenty-five miles. I have done about five hundred miles per day the last two days, but tomorrow I am going to slow it down: Saskatoon is around 385 miles from Brandon (620 kilometers), and if I can make that, I will drop anchor there before turning and heading south when my strength builds back up!
Manitoba, where I have been driving all afternoon, was almost as boring as North Dakota for the first hundred miles or so, but then the flatlands suddenly gave way to some hills and evergreen trees, and the last hour or so of the drive was pleasantly scenic. Manitoba is the fitth Canadian province that I have visited (Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta - barely, and British Columbia). Tomorrow I will add Saskatchewan to that list. I would really like to see the Atlantic provinces sometime, but now I am playing 'beat the clock!'
Time for a nap and then I still have to dispose of the undertaker. Last night things got sidetracked with a dispute between a couple of the other characters - over a sewing machine of all things! If they would all just sit quietly and wait their turns, maybe I could get their story wrapped up!
My mantra for the rest of the trip: "No rain! No rain! No rain!"
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