AROUND THE CONTINENT

We were very excited about camping in Grasslands National Park in the South-West corner of Saskatchewan.

So, on September 10th we made a long drive from Kenora Ontario to Weyburn Saskatchewan, with a lunch stop to visit Laurie Connor (former AC prof) in Winnipeg. We met at "The Forks" (area in central Winnipeg where the Red River meets the Assiniboine) and Laurie treated us to a great lunch with home made muffins to speed us on our way to a dog-friendly Weyburn motel. Then yesterday we drove to Grasslands where we are living in a tipi for a couple of nights.

The park was created in the 1980's to preserve some of the original prairie plant and animal species, and it is beautiful. The dry rolling hills are teaming with bird life (hawks, grouse, pheasants, owls, and lots of others) and mammals (bison, mule deer, coyotes, foxes, and "towns" of black-tailed prairie dogs). It is a desert, with the winding Frenchman River running through it. When we arrived it was 32 degrees Celsius and the café owner at the park entrance said it was a welcome change from the 36 degree heat of the last few weeks. But at night in our tipi, we need our warm sleeping bags as the temperature drops close to zero. There is haze in the air from forest fire smoke from Northern Saskatchewan. This makes the sun look fiery orange at times.

We have been hiking lots with dogs on leash. There are flat prairies, rolling hills, and massive buttes with cliffs. The dogs have been on high alert with all the wild animals. Boots and Jabba moan with frustration when they see deer or prairie dogs and they cannot run after the creatures. However, in the tipi we give them free range to decimate the rodent life, which is prolific. Or it was on the first night, but now (I am writing this in my sleeping bag on night #2) there is a total absence of squeaks and rustling which we heard on night #1.

Some of our most interesting moments on this trip involve conversations with other people -- we get a glimpse into someone else's life. The woman who owns the café in Val Marie, the village next to the park, said she came from Toronto 4 years ago to visit because her mother had been born here. She stayed and started the café for a different pace of life.
"I made documentaries for the CBC, and there was always pressure to produce. They say you're only as good as your next documentary. Here, my life is my own to live."

She makes awesome cappuccinos.もっと詳しく