- Don't open your mouth while biking in Northern Saskatchewan. You may no-see-um, but they will fly into any open orifice or unprotected eyeball anyway.
- If scary guy with shotgun says he wouldn't park at Lac La Ronge public campgrounds under any circumstances, try your luck with nice lady who owns resort and pitch your tent on a back lot.
- If sufficient scary events coincide to give you excessive creepy feeling- do get your butt outta whatever campground you're contemplating. You gotta know when to hold 'em...
- Despite Lena's generous intents, do NOT read Flaming Iguanas about crazy biker chick road-trip by light of fire and hooting owl with lines like, "you gotta know the first thing someone thinks when they see a woman travelling alone is murder her" Gosh-dang-it Bobby.
- Don't trust Westerners to understand that when you say you don't want meat on it, that you are vegetarian, that there should therefore NOT be meat on it. Ugh. I almost had bacon barf the other morning.
- Do bring your camera- I saw eagles, moose-cow and calf, coyotes, crazy hoot owls, beaver, otter, live and dead fish, the Northern Lights, and gorgeous scenery. I so far have managed to capture the dead fish on film.
Lac La Ronge is totally beautiful, and other happy campers at Quetico tipped me off about its beauty- so that's what I was doing so far North in Saskatchewan. Previous to this, I passed through Regina, visited the famous rum-running tunnels of Moose Jaw, had sublime Thai soup at Nit's, and headed North North North to Prince Albert. I think I took one pic of a grain elevator. Saskatoon was cool in a crazy sexy despite itself kinda way. I couldn't resist driving right in, visiting the University of Saskatchewan and checking out their Western Development Museum- theme: Saskatchewan in the Boom Times. Pretty cool, if you like all the old stuff, including locomotives and farm implements. Fortunately, I really do!
I'm writing now from an Internt Cafe in Jasper Alberta. Ohmigod, it really is as beautiful as people say. (the Park, not the city). I'm not sure any of you will ever see me again! I told the National Parks guy two days, but I think it'll have to stretch. What the heck? I have no deadlines!! (quiet mental bwa-hahahahaha follows this statement).
On a more sober note, the Park literature does go on quite a bit about IF YOU ARE APPROACHED BY A PREDATOR, then helpfully gives you a pretty long list of what might want you for dinner, and illustrates with colour pictures
I was in Edmonton last night- but I didn't fully appreciate the city. I tried a new strategy when it came to city sleeping, and I burned hours driving around while mostly lost. I was glad to get outta there. I did take advantage of 0% PST to buy a nifty digital camera at L-O-N-G last. I must research and price shop anything over $12 to death before plunking down cash. I ended up with a Canon S2IS mumble.. model, and dickered them down $70. So far so fun. I even read part of the manual!! Perhaps I will even someday make good on all those promises of many pics on ye old blog.
For those who really only want to know about my dogs- Dallas is doing fine with my parents, and Disco is apparently studying for her SATs over wine at some chi-chi Montreal Bistro. Dog is learning tricks faster than a no-see-um can fly up yer nostril after a sneeze.
I'm planning to spend basically the whole week between here and Banff. Kayaking tomorrow, maybe the hot springs tonight, and well, who knows what as I go from here. Destination Vancouver at week's end. So far, I've been ditching the cities for parks as fast as possible. We'll see how Van shakes down.
Cheerio, all! I'll be working on my peace of mind and voiding my mind of all thoughts as I amble or roll crazily down some winding mountain path. You all- keep up that good work!
