Holy Canola

Technically not wheat, I know

Portage la Prairie July 6

Y’all need to ride the prairie provinces in July

For generations, Canadian writers have tried to capture what this part of the country is like. W.O. Mitchell, Margaret Laurence, and Sinclair Ross are rather well known Canadian authors (to us oldies) whose stories are often set in the prairies (says the English major).

You still need to experience it for yourselves.

Majestic, spectacular and amazing barely cover it. Canola (aka: rapeseed, in the olden days) is a wonder of nature. The dramatic changes in colour of the fields, between sunlight and shade, and the fact that they stretch for miles (literally, not figuratively), makes the ride a visual feast.

Today, I was paced for a 150 meters or so by hawk about 15 meters off my right shoulder, head-high.

Maybe two hours later, a crop-duster aircraft finishing its run pulled up and banked toward me as I was passing a road-train. A little pee came out.

Of me, not the crop-duster.

The prairies are not, in any way, boring. But all bets are off in the winter.

I know the focus of the title has very little to do with wheat. It’s much darker than that. My apologies to David Milgaard.

A quick recap on locations Eastbound

June 30 – Victoria to Kamloops (~440 km)

July 1 – Kamloops to Golden (~360 km)

July 2 – Golden to Calgary (~260 km)

July 3 – Day trip to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (~370 km)

July 4 – Service at Blackfoot Motorsports in Calgary

July 5 – Calgary to Moose Jaw (~685 km)

July 6 – Moose Jaw to…wait for it…Portage la Prairie (~550 km)

Photo break for the inattentive

First world motorcyclist problem

I knew this was going to happen, I’m so sorry

Those friendly, happy, funny people are from St. John’s “don’t forget the apostrophe ” NL.

Please you two, contact me at your earliest convenience so that I might improve the caption. And save face.

Well there’s something you don’t see every day

Anybody want to guess where?

‘K folks, I’ll add to this one later. I lost another hour to the time-zone thing today.