the great plains

So we made it safe and sound to Calgary... and the drive across the Prairies was as eventful as it could have been I suppose. It was the first time I'd made the trip West by veHICle, and I had been forewarned of the boredom offered up by the long straight shots across Saskatchewan (or, as Steve aptly puts it, Sascratchandyawn) and Alberta. Not that Manitoba had much going on - just torrential rains and mega-gusting winds - but thankfuly that died out just outside of the city. For the rest of the drive we had great weather - the skies were gorgeous: huge plumey clouds and deep blues, and despite the relative monotony of the landscape, I enjoyed the drive (and that's not because Steve drove the whole way....). We saw several trains along the way, and they were really pretty - maybe the juxtaposition of simple shapes and/or the length of the trains across long stretches of flat land... I'm sure this is a one shot deal - me enjoying this notoriously boring drive - but I'll take it. What else... the salt flats across Sask were interesting: they looked like crusty snow-swamps - but I learned a little bit about the area after investigating the salt and Palliser's Triange... vraiment interessant. The worst part of the trip? We saw a beautiful deer bounding alongside the road (that part was lovely), get hit by a semi behind us - it was horribly sad. I had a few moments of reflection on the almost irreversible effects human civilization has had on wildlife, displacement and habitat destruction; all for our own selfish sake. At this point in time I think the best we can do is try our best to manage and minimize the effects of our existence on others - wildlife and nature. I'm not going to delve in - this is an enormous thing to think about. SO! Moving on. We did the drive (Winnipeg - Calgary) in about 13 hours; we snacked non-stop, read magazines, did crosswords, played games... and the trip wasn't bad at all. I'm trying to think of other highlights -OH! We listened to a fantastic show on CBC's The Vinyl Cafe - a compilation of the best of Canadian rock music... it was amazing. I'm sure it can be dowloaded; at least I hope it can... I'd listen again for sure! So... this week should be busy: I'm coaching vball all week while the final frenzy of wedding preparations begins - and then on Saturday Steve's sister Erin and her fiance Fred tie the knot. It should be good. So... until next time! ")