Thursday, June 9, 2011

It was the right decision to stay in Kenora the other night as I drove for at least an hour the next morning before finding what would have been a suitable hotel for the night. I was zipping along enjoying the prairie highways after the torture of Ontario and the sky got dark and it rained. Rained. RAINED. Thunder, lightining, winds, more rain and then yes, wait for it...HAIL! It was awesome. NOT. Anyway I made it through with no issues and arrived finally in Regina. I literally checked into the first hotel I saw and after a nice supper I settled down for the night. The drive yesterday was long but fast. Long only because it is the prairies and you don't see a whole lot of change to the views around you. That said, I love the prairies and if you look closely they are not flat and have some amazing beauty around them.

When driving through Manitoba and Saskatchewan I saw a lot of sandbags left around homes and businesses, high rivers and a exit on the highway that was under water. It was a bit eerie driving over bridges where the water could be measure in inches from the deck, not feet. When I last drove these roads the was was feet, meters below the current levels.

I made it to Edmonton and popped in for a surprise visit with an old friend. She was shocked and delighted. It was great. I settled into my hotel for the night and am now planning out my morning/day. I have a small shopping list of things to buy in Edmonton--cheaper than in Fort McMurray. And I desperately need a hair cut which I know if I don't get it today I will be a shaggy dog at work on Monday. I'm staying in a hotel in Fort McMurray tonight and then move into my new apartment sometime tomorrow. YEAH!! Then the weekend to unpack and yes, pick up the fur babies on Sunday noon. So...I better get going.

2 comments:

Jack said...

Good to hear you made it through the wind, rain and hail. Also glad to hear you got to see an old friend, that must have been uplifting after such a long drive. I am sure you'll be glad to get your new apt. & get somewhat situated before picking up the girls Sunday!

Jack

Anonymous said...

Jennifer: That wicked storm you drove through hit Ontario. I was speaking with a friend in Ottawa last night and she said it took the roof off an apartment buiding in Hull. You are lucky not to have had any issues with it while driving - like trees falling or power lines.

It is hard to believe you could drive through two provinces in one day after taking so long to get through Ontario. So nice to see your friend in Edmonton and pick up the necessities - like a hair cut!

Edith