Hot In Canada? Yes!

My Office

This one finally showed up from my IPad

We're still on the prairie. And we're hot. I mean really hot. I don't even care to find out what the temperature is. It's just hot and humid. A little like the last time I was in Hawaii or maybe Gatlinberg or Penland. No doubt that's why I live on the north coast. I guess I should be happy to be dripping uncontrollably. I must be losing a little weight that way, eh?

During the last few hours on the road today I could feel the slightest geographical changes taking place. The little rises rose a little higher. The single or trio of trees visible against the skyline were becoming clusters of trees and then, wow, almost little forests. And the round bails in the fields were less and less to be seen. Of course I thought I had plenty of time to get a picture of them and other goodies  for days to come. All of a sudden it was as if someone had come along and picked them all up. And the reeds and cattails were not looking like they had. I grew very fond of those single or trio trees against the sky. They always looked so lonely but beautiful and inviting and took on more importance than larger numbers do. But now here come the beginnings of forests. I'm not quite sure what's in store for tomorrow but I love it when there are surprises whether large or small.

One huge surprise happened yesterday when I began taking a second look at the amazing wetlands along the highway. In the shallowest places they looked almost alkaline. Then, voila, I come over a little rise to see what looks like snow on the side of the road and then big piles of this white on both sides of the highway. Well, I do know snow has to have cooler temperature than we had then. So one can only come to the conclusion that it's salt. And salt it was. I'm used to seeing salt in the south bay in California and I know there are salt hills in various places but this really took me by surprise. I think the town was Chaplin and a giant claim was printed on a sign which also invited people to come in and view their wetlands nature preserve. So I turned in only to come to a locked gate and a big closed sign. This was about the fourth time I have come to such signs after turning in to see a local nature or historical museum. Oh well. We can't be open all the time, can we? I Googled the Chaplin Salt works and there's quite a bit on Mineral exploration and  mining in Saskatchewan  with quite a lot about the Chaplin deposits.

Actually, I haven't found a small museum that I could get into or that had enough shade outside for me to leave Bobby in. I hope it works one of these days. This is such a fascinating country and I'm so in the mood. I"m in Manitoba now, just outside the city of Brandon which is the second largest city in Manitoba and is located  just about 60 miles from the U.S. border and 135 miles from Winnipeg.

Earlier today I drove through Regina, the capitol of Saskatchewan Province. It is a large university community with abundant and very pleasant looking student housing as well as inviting neighborhoods. Fantastic parklands and wetlands seem to almost surround this city. I drove around in it to get a little of the feel of it and was thoroughly impressed. I've never seen anyplace with as many acres of rolling partially forested parks. Picnic tables in little nooks looking out over the huge lake that winds its way around Regina. Wetlands here are actually famous I read today. And birds abound. Something like six different woodpeckers are said to live here  as well as many other feathered friends. I actually saw thousands of birds driving on the highway because you can't drive more than a mile or two without passing ponds and extensive wetlands with reeds and cattails and other grasses to feed upon. Looks like a good life may be had here if you are a bird. They are also studied and counted and partially protected here.

The flip side of that subject comes to mind because I saw my first LARGE WINDMILLS  today several hours after leaving Regina. There weren't hundreds of them but I understand that in southern Alberta there are frighteningly large groupings of them. A woman from Toronto who was parked next to us at the Prairie Oasis park outside of Moose Jaw where I stayed last night said that she and her husband drove through such a grouping and she found it quite intimidating. Steve, you would probably be fascinated by that much energy being generated by a once favorite device. I remember our discussions at Echo and how close we almost came to having a small one on top of or near the cabin. Saved not by a bell but by a windmill flying the coup at the other end of the lake. I was so happy for that mishap. I know wind is a fantastic potential source of energy but I don't think the fish and birds have enough say about it. Wow. How did I get way out here? Time to say goodnight. Tomorrow Winnipeg and maybe a visit to a computer store. I think I have the idea of what to do from the Apple support team but I'd like to run it by someone first. Just call me ever cautious.

The machine is so crippled that no matter how often (and I am a Taurus) I tried to post this entry, it came up with pink underlined "Error." I'm going to try again this morning. Bingo! It came right up in a nanosecond. I also just received some mail. Life is good. And hope springs eternal. And all that good stuff.