I am here

Did you know that the train in Moosomin comes through at 4:00 a.m.? 4:02 to be exact. The Moosomin Motel backs onto the train tracks, and yes, there are still trains that travel through Saskatchewan and seem to be timed on Karen Emilson's schedule. The last one in the evening came through at 9:00 p.m., right before bed and then the one in the morning when I wanted to wake up.

I was on the road by 4:30. I won't give you a whole travel log because that is boring with a capital B. So instead I thought I'd just hand you a few observations.

But before I do that, I have to tell you that I got my oil changed right before I left. Mark will be very proud to hear this. I went to the Minuteman on St. James St., right between Mark's Work Warehouse and Wendy's. Funny, I'd never noticed the place before . . . anyway it was recommended by Val at the office.

So, did you know that there are guys under the ground, in what I guess they call the pits?
I did like every good woman should when her car is being looked at, I went around the side of the building, sat on the picnic table and re-organized my purse. When I thought they should be done, I went back and I saw a guy's head poking up from under the ground and he's checking the undercarriage of the car. He doesn't see me and hollers out to someone, "Look, there's some thick string wrapped around the (technical word I didn't catch, but it wasn't drive shaft because I know what that is)." I crouched down to look and then of course he sees me. He pulls a knife out of his pocket and starts hacking it off.
"That's baler twine," I say.
"Baler twine," he hollers back to whoever is in the pits with him.
"We're cattle producers," I say. "That's a common thing."

I stop at Boston Pizza and pick up a half spicy perogy/half barbeque chicken pizza to go. It's usually Wendy's to go for short trips, but I go for Pizza on the long drives. This is not a boring detail because the food on a road trip is very important. I also had a Tim Horton's coffee, and six, 710 ml bottles of water with me. I'm proud to say I made it as far as Brandon before I had to stop for a pee break. I also resisted the temptation to buy M & M's and a bag of Sea Salt & Pepper chips. Have you tried those chips? Don't. They are so fantastic, you can't eat just a handful. I tried them for the first time last fall at Joe & Amanda Bouchard's and have been hooked ever since.

Did you know:
1) Gas prices are higher in Saskatchewan than Manitoba. By about four cents a litre.
2) The leaves are out on the already
4) So are the bugs.

I got into Eastend by late morning. I am Jennifer now. It was great travelling the road, seeing things as my character would, being a young woman from Toronto noticing Saskatchewan for the first time. I scribbled a few notes as I drove. Dangerous I know, but it's one of the hazards of being a writer. When the characters start talking, it isn't necessary at the most convenient times.

I'd upload pictures but unfortunately the cord that connects the camera directly to the computer is lost. So the photos will have to wait until I get home.