Gr@y & Blue Fall Road Trip 09

There is a big electrical storm here in Wasagaming, Manitoba at Riding Mountain National Park. I just got soaked setting up the trailer. I arrived just at sundown, so with the rain and the darkness I decided to go into town to have dinner. Unfortunately being a tourist town, a little like Jasper, this is off season and places are closed except for a place on the boardwalk that sells burgers and hot dogs – I was cold, wet and hungry – it was great. I over heard a fellow say they are getting more rain than they had all summer. Bad day to wear jeans.

Rain this morning made for some treacherous driving. I found myself struggling on the roads both gravel and paved. The roads had driving ruts where standing water formed. I was hydroplaning. Worried about the trailer dust problem, I was glad I was no longer dealing with the now wet and lacking dust gravel road. Even when I hit the good pavement I drove through the heaviest rain ever. The problem magnified because with the Prairie winds and the moisture I found myself having to get out in the rain and adjust the canoe more than before. I had not mentioned it before but with the canoe and the Prairie winds when doing 110 km per hour and a big Semi goes by is quite unnerving - the canoe does move and the ratchet straps loosen.

The sky was full of migrating birds, in particular Canada Goose. I also got a chance to see Double Crested Cormorants, Hawks, Ross's Goose, and Snow Goose (above with four Ross's Goose-shorter bill).