20070724 

235 miles to Wasagaming MB, in Riding Mountain National Park

It was 75*F and very humid when we got up. It had rained a little in the early morning - we heard the thunder and a few pitti-pats of drops on the roof, but not much came of it. The day, however, was cloudy which is always nice when driving. Dolores tells me the heat index here yesterday topped 113*F.

As we traveled east from Regina on Hwy 10, then 15, then the Yellowhead (16) to Russell MB, we were overtaking the storm. The humidity held, but the temperature was reasonable. Past Russell, the temperature warmed up some, but the highest it reached was 86*F - nothing compared with yesterday.

The difference between Saskatchewan and Manitoba became evident as we crossed the line - more hilly territory, smaller fields, more trees. Those wheat fields of Saskatchwean are huge. Some we've seen appear to take up what would be a section in the US.

Oddly, we're back in the Central Daylight time zone - the same as at home in PCB. If you extend our current longitude south, you can pick a point due south of us that is just east of Abilene, Texas. From there, it's about 850 miles east to PCB. No wonder sunset came well after 9pm tonight. It was still light while we ate our late dinner at 9:45.

We set up the trailer, then looked around town. It's much the same as our last trip, but there are a flock of people here. We must have come here on an off week last time (2005). People all over the place, and very few from the US. We had lunch, then returned to the trailer for a while.

We took a ride into the country later and saw nothing but nice countryside. No animals. Well, there were two - rabbits.

Then dinner, now computer chores, next relax and bed.
 

20070725 

At Wasagaming MB, in Riding Mountain National Park.

Cool, humid, rain, damp. It was 76* at 8am and 68* at 6pm.


We got up with no sign of rain, but we could see clouds gathering in the west. TV showed the front a few dozen miles away. 

We went into downtown Wasagaming for breakfast at the White House - it was as good as it was two years ago.

Then we decided to get a animal-viewing ride while we could. We headed out the west road toward the bison preserve - an open area where the bison are left alone in an area large enough to give them almost free range.

We were only a few miles from the main road (MB-10) when I spotted a little black bear ahead on the left side of the road. Then the big mommy bear came out, followed by another little cub. While we were beating ourselves to death getting out our cameras, the bears walked across the road and into the brush on the right. We drove ahead to that spot but didn't get a glimpse of them - they just disappeared.

We went on to the bison preserve and beyond (I missed the turn). We came back and started up the road to the north bison preserve. Dolores spotted another black bear. We backed up and started taking pictures of a moderate-sized bear feeding in the long grass. The bear cooperated for a bit, then wandered into the taller brush. It was easy to see him/her/it tracking off to the right and out by the brush wiggling as he/she/it went past.

On we went to the end of the road - no bison. Back to the south bison preserve road - no bison. 

Back we went to the area where we'd seen the bear. Sure enough, he'd come out on the far side of the brush on the connecting road and was still feeding. We stopped, turned off the engine, and took more pictures. The bear started toward the truck and eventually got to the gravel road I was parked on - about six feet away. I surprised the bear by starting the engine. It ran back into the grass and stopped 20 or so feet away.

A mini-motorhome came along. We motioned to them to approach slowly. When they came up next to us, we pointed out the bear. Then we drove on.

We drove into the one-way road along a river in the south preserve, to encounter a grass-mowing machine that had suffered a flat tire. The operator was staying in the cab (smart) and waiting for help. He did raise his side mower enough that we could get past it. We did that road to the end - no bison. We returned toward the bear and found two bison in a short side road to a static exhibit. Pictures were taken and on we went again toward the bear. No bear. I guess he finally tired of pictures.

We looked at Lake Audey and then went out the south exit of the park and used local gravel roads to go to Onanole. I shopped in the hardware store and got one thing I wanted. Then we called it a trip and returned to the trailer. 

The cloud cover was solid by this time and the rain began, fitfully. It would rain lightly for ten minutes, then stop for twenty. That continued all afternoon.

I did some printer chores and downloaded the pictures to the computer. I printed a sheet of bear pictures. D took a nap. Later, we made up sphagetti and Italian hot sausage for dinner. We watched the TV news and weather; it's supposed to be nice tomorrow with less humidity.

We took a late animal-search ride to the north exit of the park. We started at 8pm to get back around sunset at 9:30pm Central Daylight time.

At first we thought we wouldn't see much, what with a moose, a deer, and a rabbit, each of which ran into the woods before we could get any pictures. But as it grew closer to sunset, the animals came out. We got pictures of a moose feeding in a pond, and of two black bears. We saw two more bears, but couldn't get pictures of them. Turns out there's bears all over the place.

We returned to the trailer to process pictures and loaf.

The evening news showed that Carman MB set the Canadian all-time temperature record today with a heat index of 53*C (about 127*F). I find that one hard to believe. I sure am glad this front came through - we'll be going through Carman on our way down to the US.

 

20070726

At Wasagaming MB, in Riding Mountain National Park.

Cool, sunny. Perfect upper-midwest weather. Finally.


We were up late last night, so we slept in. We finally got moving and took a ride.

We saw a fox on MB-19. We came around a corner and saw a little dot in the road in the distance. I turned off the engine and coasted to a stop. The fox kept coming down our side of the road. We started taking pictures. The fox kept coming. We kept taking pictures. The fox kept trotting, and moved to the other side of the road to get around the big grey thing in his way. I took a picture downward next to the truck. The fox finally got the idea that this thing wasn't supposed to be here. He looked up and caught my eye. He froze for a part of a second and then darted off the road and through the wildflowers into the woods. 

That was one surprised fox.

We did the Rolling River road and saw (very briefly) a black bear.

Then we came back to town and did some shopping. We did a little lunch, then shopped in another store. We picked up a couple of little items and books. 

The rangers at the visitors center said that fox sometimes do silly things like sit next to the road so they can get the breeze given off by passing cars. The rangers couldn't give any reason for all the bears we saw last night other than coincidence. They also said there are lots of elk here, despite our not seeing any.

Back, then, to the trailer.

Before dusk, we took another ride out to the bison preserve. We came to a bison herd settled in for the night right next to the road. Took pictures. We went a bit further and found some elk quite a distance into the field. We tried to get pictures of the elk, but they were too far out.

Then we returned to the little house for a (very) late dinner. Now we're finishing chores and preparing to travel. This was our last full day in Canada for this year.