Trans
      Canada
      Trek
      Towards
      UPEI
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Part
      3
      of
      9
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      think
      that
      Saskatchewan
      was
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      prettiest
      provinces
      I've
      seen
      (besides
     
     
      BC,
      of
      course).
      The
      general
      image
      of
     
     
      Saskatchewan
      is
      big
      and
      flat,
      lots
      of
      wheat,
     
     
      and
      a
      big
      bow!
      of
      blue
      sky
      overhead.
      But
      |
     
     
      didn't
      see
      that
      at
      all.
      Sure,
      along
      the
      high-
     
     
      way
      it
      was
      flat,
      but
      the
      scenery
      is
      constant-
     
     
      ly
      changing:
      long
      rolling
      hills,
      waves
      of
      tall
     
     
      grasses,
      a
      peppering
      of
      small
      lakes,
      occa-
     
     
      sionally
      a
      grove
      of
      trees
      along
      the
      banks
      of
     
     
      a
      creek,
      and
      lots
      of
      small
      towns.
      We
      drove
     
     
      a
      really
      long
      way
      over
      those
      two
      days;
      565
     
     
      km
      the
      first
      day
      and
      625
      km
      the
      second
     
     
      day.
     
    

    
     
      We
      stopped
      at
      Reed
      Lake
      to
      stretch
     
     
      our
      legs
      and
      we
      saw
      many
      interesting
     
     
      birds,
      including
      the
      American
      pelican,
     
     
      American
      avocet,
      black
      cormorants,
      snow
     
     
      geese,
      several
      kinds
      of
      gulls,
      and
      other
     
     
      water
      fowl.
      |
      took
      some
      pictures
      of
      some
     
     
      wild
      sunflowers
      in
      bloom.
      There
      were
      so
     
     
      many
      grasshoppers
      and
      locusts,
      hundreds
     
     
      of
      them
      would
      scatter
      at
      our
      every
      step.
     
     
      While
      we
      were
      standing
      on
      the
      lookout
      at
     
     
      Reed
      Lake,
      a
      train
      went
      by
      and
      |
      waved
     
     
      and
      |
      think
      the
      engineer
      saw
      me
      and
      pulled
     
     
      the
      whistle,
      which
      kind
      of
      was
      neat.
     
    

    
     
      Our
      target
      for
      the
      day
      was
      the
      mid-
     
     
      dle
      of
      Saskatchewan
      and
      |
      settled
      on
     
     
      Buffalo
      Pound
      Provincial
      Park.
      After
      Reed
     
     
      Lake,
      we
      saw
      further
      ahead
      by
      the
      highway
     
     
      an
      old
      wooden
      grain
      elevator,
      peeling
      paint
     
     
      and
      all.
      It
      was
      still
      being
      used.
      |
      got
      a
      great
     
     
      picture
      with
      a
      train
      passing
      right
      behind
      the
     
     
      building.
      The
      train's
      whistle
      sang
      out
      as
      it
     
     
      went
      by.
      Those
      grain
      elevators
      are
      slowly
     
     
      being
      torn
      down
      and
      replaced
      by
      newer
     
     
      and
      more
      advanced
      silos,
      which
      is
      too
      bad.
     
     
      But
      |
      suppose
      they
      do
      pose
      a
      hazard
      if
      they
     
     
      are
      not
      being
      maintained.
     
    

    
     
      Finally,
      after
      a
      long
      day's
      drive,
      we
     
     
      made
      it
      to
      Moose
      Jaw.
      We
      stopped
      at
      IGA
     
     
      and
      got
      some
      groceries
      and
      headed
      20
      km
     
     
      N
      to
      Buffalo
      Pound
      Provincial
      Park.
      We
      had
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .:page
      [8]
      September
      29,
      2003:.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      nice
      campsite.
      It
      was
      very
     
     
      quiet
      there
      —
      so
      quiet
      you
      could
     
     
      hear
      all
      the
      insects
      buzzing
     
     
      around.
      It
      sounded
      like
      listening
     
     
      through
      a
      long
      paper
      tube,
      like
     
     
      the
      ones
      Christmas
      paper
     
     
      comes
      wrapped
      on.
      It
      was
      quite
     
     
      eerie.
      We
      went
      to
      the
      little
      buf-
     
     
      falo
      reserve
      they
      have
      there
     
     
      and
      saw
      a
      lone
      male
      off
      inthe
      |
     
     
      distance,
      plus
      a
      female
      and
      her
      |
     
     
      calf
      closer
      by.
      The
      calf
      was
      the
     
     
      same
      colour
      as
      the
      dry
      grass,
     
     
      but
      a
      little
      darker,
      and
      very
     
     
      cute.
      There
      were
      also
      some
     
     
      deer
      with
      growing
      antlers,
      and
     
     
      on
      the
      way
      back,
      a
      porcupine
     
     
      crossed
      our
      path.
      Neither
      of
      us
     
     
      had
      seen
      a
      porcupine
      before;
     
     
      they
      are
      huge
      and
      deceivingly
     
     
      fuzzy
      looking.
     
    

    
     
      There
      were
      more
      low
     
     
      rolling
      hills
      around
      there
      with
     
     
      lots
      of
      trees,
      and
      there
      hap-
     
     
      pened
      to
      be
      a
      good
      one
      just
     
     
      behind
      our
      camp
      with
      a
      trail
     
     
      going
      straight
      up.
      |
      decided
      it
     
     
      would
      be
      fun
      if
      |
      went
      to
      the
      top
     
     
      and
      blew
      some
      bubbles
      (child-
     
     
      ish,
      |
      know,
      but
      fun!).
      So
      |
      got
     
     
      to
      the
      top,
      barely
      noticing
      the
     
     
      wide
      variety
      of
      plants
      along
      the
     
     
      way
      and
      sat
      down.
      |
      sat
      on
      a
      sharp
      rock,
      so
     
     
      |
      shifted
      my
      weight
      so
      |
      was
      more
      comfort-
     
     
      able.
      Eventually
      my
      friend
      came
      up,
      took
     
     
      my
      picture
      and
      said,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Did
      you
      notice
      the
      opuntia?"
     
     
      "What's
      that?"
      Of
      course
      |
      ask.
     
     
      "A
      cactus.”
      He
      says.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (It
      is
      more
      commonly
      known
      as
      prickly
      pear
     
     
      cactus.)
      Oh
      great,
      it
      would
      be
      just
      my
      luck
     
     
      if
      I'd
      sat
      on
      one.
      But
      I
      figured
      |
      would
      have
     
     
      noticed
      sitting
      on
      a
      cactus,
      so
      |
      didn't
      get
     
     
      up.
      |
      wasn't
      finished
      blowing
      bubbles.
     
     
      Eventually
      |
      got
      up
      and
      looked
      to
      make
     
     
      sure
      it
      was
      just
      a
      sharp
      stone
      I'd
      sat
      on.
      It
     
    
   
   
    
     
      :
      Saskatchewan
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was,
      thank
      goodness.
      But
      my
      friend
      noticed
     
     
      the
      spines
      sticking
      out
      of
      my
      shorts
      on
      the
     
     
      other
      side.
      |
      had
      sat
      on
      a
      cactus
      after
      all!
     
     
      That'll
      teach
      me.
      Some
      of
      the
      spines
      had
     
     
      gone
      right
      through
      my
      shorts
      and
      into
      my
     
     
      skin
      and
      |
      hadn't
      even
      noticed.
      Z
     
    

    
     
      The
      next
      day,
      the
      longer
      day,
      we
     
     
      spent
      driving
      into
      Manitoba.
      But
      first
      we
     
     
      stopped
      in
      Regina.
      |
      really
      liked
      Regina,
      |
     
     
      thought
      it
      rivals
      Victoria
      with
      its
      gardens,
     
     
      and
      all
      the
      old
      buildings.
      |
      particularly
      want-
     
     
      ed
      to
      stop
      there
      because
      |
      wanted
      'to
      see
     
     
      the
      city
      where
      my
      grandfather
      was
      born
     
     
      and
      raised.
      We
      saw
      the
      government
      build-
     
     
      ings
      there,
      and
      they
      were
      nice,
      again
      a
      lot
     
     
      like
      the
      buildings
      in
      Victoria.
      All
      the
      streets
     
     
      were
      lined
      with
      big,
      old
      trees.
      |
      would
      love
     
     
      to
      visit
      Regina
      again.