1035 September 8, 2023 Goodbye Canada!

This morning, we were up before dawn.  We decided not to forego our exercise.  While Tim did his yoga and stretching, I walked laps around Thatcher Center (Walmart and surrounding stores).  I watched the sunrise over Moose Jaw.  This town is home to the largest moose in the world.  A 32-foot metal sculpture stands at the Tourism Center and is the city’s claim to fame.  Unfortunately, GPS took us around the city instead of through it so we missed the humongous moose. 

We drove across the Great Plains of Saskatchewan; past nubs and stubble leftover after the wheat was shorn and harvested.  You had better like riding a tractor if you live out here and as Tim said “have a comfortable seat.”  Golden hay bales and silver silos glinted in the early light.  The clouds were windswept across blue skies.  Raptors sat perched atop telephone poles waiting for breakfast.  A red fox prowled the field.  In the distance there appeared to be a smudge of grey smoke but as we approached, we could see a large flock of small black birds.

There was a lot of truck traffic.  There were wide loads on trailers carrying giant 12-foot tractor tires.  There were trucks hauling farm equipment and all of the supplies that keep the farms running; fertilizer, fuel, and other agricultural stuff.  As we got closer to the US border, livestock grazed in fields dotted with pumpjacks, methodically drawing oil from the earth.  There was a field of sunflowers, faces tipped toward the sun. 

We crossed the border at Portal, North Dakota and the time changed to Central Time.  One border patrol agent walked the drug sniffing dog around our rig.  The second agent asked lots of questions.  She had us disembark and then she boarded the RV.  We could hear her opening and closing cupboards.  We were cleared to enter the US.

Goodbye Canada! 

We have spent a lot of time at both the Mexican and Canadian borders.  When you enter Mexico, sometimes there is a wall.  Whether or not there is or isn’t, it is immediately apparent that you have entered a foreign country; the pastel houses, the distinct difference in resources.  When you cross into Canada, there is only a swath of grass separating the two countries.  One country melts into the next.  The cities in western Canada look very similar to our US cities.  English is the primary language.  Home Depot, Staples, McDonalds, Walmart, and a host of other stores and businesses are familiar.  Canada also grapples with issues of illegal drugs and homelessness. 

There are many things uniquely Canadian.  Some things Canadians do better.  The country is cleaner.  There is less litter.  There is more of an effort to recycle and use clean energy. 

In our experience we have found Canada to be a welcoming place.  The people are gracious and kind and helpful.

Now we return to America; American flags and dollars and gallons and miles.  Hopefully there will be lower grocery and fuel prices!

In North Dakota, the landscape didn’t change much.  There were a few corn and soybean fields mixed in among the grain.

We did see a group of about 20 pronghorns grazing in the high weeds.

Today Tim drove 330 miles.  Travel was slower because we were on 2 lane country roads.  There were also a couple of long areas of construction where we waited each time for more than 30 minutes for a pilot car. No set it and go today. 

We found a small campground in Martin.  Full hookups and a pull through site for $15.00.  We were greeted by a man who lives in town.  He knew we were coming so he came over to mow.  Everything was neat and well kept when we arrived.  We asked if there was a café or restaurant here.  There isn’t.  According to the 2010 census, 78 people live here.

I was cleaning the multitude of sticky bug corpses from the windshield when the gentleman came back.  He said that he was sorry that there was no café but that he did have some fresh vegetables to share.  He gave me a bag of roma tomatoes and cucumbers from his garden.  He wanted no payment, only a thank you!  Small town America at its very finest!

We enjoyed tuna salad and boiled eggs and a beautiful cucumber and tomato salad.  We haven’t had fresh tomatoes all summer and these were sweet and meaty and delicious!

There are train tracks directly across the street.  We have heard four trains go by since we got here at 4pm.  I’m sure the trains won’t sound those horns overnight!!!

Tim and I both saw this poem on Facebook today. Without knowing, we both sent it to each other…it speaks to us!