Started out the day with blue sky, and some high clouds. It was a bit cool, so no chaps, but wore my jacket, and my light gloves.


First thing Jaz and I went to gas up. We were the only patrons, inside and outside of the station. While we were in paying for our gas, a guy came in and said, “Are those bikes out there yours?” Ya know, you just want to make some really smart comment, like, “No, I just wear these clothes to scare the busdriver.” Here's your sign. We were polite and just said yes.

This pretty thing was laying in the grass by the swinging bridge.

We stopped around 10:30 or so for an early breakfast, in Wolseley. There was a swinging bridge that we decided we had to see.

Jaz on the swinging bridge.

 It was great, on a little lake with a fountain.

This is the fountain with the senior housing in the background.

We walked across it and it swayed too and fro. It was like being on a drunken spree, without the drinking part. It was fun and we laughed and giggled like schoolgirls. Tee hee.

The swinging bridge and me.

The other side of the lake where we walked to, is the site of a senior home. The building was beautiful, and it looked like a very nice place to live. The grounds are nicely-kept, with flowers and grass.

It's also the site of the town's first courthouse. There were other buildings to photograph, too. It was a very picturesque little town, and the folks there were very friendly. We enjoyed our short visit.

The old courthouse ... a beautiful building that is still standing.

The plaque that goes with the building.

This little waterfall is near the swinging bridge by the senior home.

City Hall.

City Hall established 1906.

Now after realizing that there aren't a lot of rest stops or restrooms along the highways, I find myself being very suspicious of single cars pulled over next to the road. I now look for puddles.

Biker Bill, this Bear Claw is for you.

We are seeing more roadkill now that we had before … a couple of deer, racoons, coyotes. Didn't see any game at all today, alive that is.
I was so tired I could not stay awake. I told Jaz I had to stop so we stopped at a gas station and I got a RockStar java-type of drink. It didn't kick in right away, but now as I write this, I'm feeling pretty ramped up. Sitting in a bar at the Spruce Woods In in Glenboro, Manitoba, off Highway 2. The only place with internet is in the bar, so we're eating and drinking water. We want to go for a walk, too, but kitchen closes at 9 p.m. Cindy served our meals. I ate the best clubhouse deluxe sandwich ever … real roast turkey on it. It was so very tasty, and Cindy was very personable so we enjoyed visiting with her.
It was windy today, but not like yesterday when we were nearly knocked off the bikes a time or two. Riding with the cross wind yesterday coming from my left sent the heat from the engine into my leg, leaving a heat rash from the calf up past the knee. Today it didn't happen since we didn't have crosswinds from that direction for very long. So glad of that.
Finally saw some more oil derricks today so we could get some photos. It's interesting that they were in different colors, blue, little heads with yellow or orange, or orange tips. They look like those toy birds that you'd put next to a bowl of water, and they were weighted so their heads would bob up and down like they were drinking water. Some of you probably don't remember those.

The little derricks are so cute.  We found lots of them today.

Thunk, I saw it just before it hit. Something like one of those June bugs came right at me and bounced off the windshield. They don't splatter; they just hit and bounce off. I ducked … and wasn't hit, but they can feel like a stone hitting you. And that's why I ride with a windshield.

We got off of Highway 1 and dropped down to catch some country roads, 11 to 13, to 2.

There really wasn't much to see although there were lots of cows. They're such happy looking animals, always appearing to wear a smile.

And then there were the skunks. How is it that you can breathe out when you pass a skunk, and yet you still smell it? They always throw their scent when hit so it's just plain nasty.

And another animal, which is not an animal, but more like something out of a Star Wars movie, is something like looks like a giant spider. It's actually a piece of farm equipment, with giant legs on either side, a body that sits high and between the legs. We've seen a couple of them driving down the road and they appear to be giant spiders coming. Jaz and I both had the same thought, riding under the body and between the legs. But it probably is just a little too short for that.

As we entered Manitoba, I picked up a radio station out of Williston. I'm not sure since I've not had a chance to look it up, but it might be out of North Dakota. It was a great station.

We've seen something else today that we've not seen in a long time … real phone booths. Two of them. Who knew they still existed? The first was just outside of Regina.

Are the phone booths in Canada the last in the world?

The smell of dirt was strong today as we traveled lots of farm country. A lot of it had been freshly tilled. The farms are sometimes so pretty, and again we stopped to take photos of grain elevators. They fascinate both of us … maybe because we don't have them at home.

The grain elevator in the distance hardly looks real.

Interestingly, I was still wearing my jacket at 70+ degrees. I'd taken it off earlier, but got too cool, and put it back on. I'm thinking I don't take it off until the temperature reaches about 80 degrees. Funny how quickly you get acclimated to something like that.

The flooding still shows in Saskatchewan ... large puddles and mini-lakes everywhere.

We've heard the Queen of England is visiting Canada. We're trying to keep our distance, and not be in the same city at the same time as their could be fisticuffs between the two queens. I'm sure she would not understand my realm at all. I don't myself sometimes, but I, too, have loyal subjects.

Heading to Wawanesa, in the ditch was a car … in the mud and water. The road was straight. The two guys who must have been in it, were just kind of standing there looking perplexed as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was just surprising since we really hadn't seen anything like that.

A delightful little village.

Found another thing to photograph for Biker Bill.  Must have been on my mind today.

We stopped in Wawanesa, hoping for a place to stay. No inns of any kind. But we wandered around a little.

There's a nice little park above the river.

The town is located above a river, and also has a monument for veterans, although it's for World War 1 and 2 lives given for freedom.

The monument ... thanks to those veterans for our freedom.

The plaque for the monument.  Amen.

More information on the community.

The community was very nice, very clean and somewhere we would have loved to stay if it had been possible.

It was a very enjoyable day. We probably did around 300 miles or so, but we're not in a rush as we still have five days to get to Vermont. If it comes down to it, we'll step up the pace and the length of the day and do the miles we need. We can ride on command … like the wind.

Tomorrow is Canada Day, July 1.