Manitoba and Sakatchewan pt 2

I'm hoping that the drizzle will subside, after all, this place is already flooded... surely mother nature will listen to reason. This campground seems like any other. a bunch of semi-residents have left their RV's here. Plugged in, but no cars in the driveways. I hit the patch of woods to gather some deadfall wood for a fire later. If nothing else, I can get an Axe/Machete workout. The majority of the trees are a scraggly looking oak. It's bark is very moist and thick, and looks an awful lot like skin when you've been in the pool too long. It's hard yet supple, hard to 'break'. Not sure if it'll burn, but hunter/gatherer instincts are too strong. We will see. By the time I have my 3 piles (kindling, medium and logs) I hear a car pull up a few lots down, one of the RV-ers. There is still plenty of 'light' and the drizzling has stopped, the fire can wait; let's go meet the neighbors. Very nice couple in their early fifties, obviously locals. They immediately start up a fire, and pull up an extra chair for me. I tell them I'll be right back. If I'm going to hang out with them, I want to bring a few things over. Camembert from Montreal, whole wheat Ritz crackers and the 1/5 th of Wild Turkey 101 which you can't find in Canada. Food and drink are the universal ice breaker. They really enjoyed the rare (for these parts) treats, and opened right up. He tends to his cattle (about 3 dozen) mostly, but also is part time electrician and does a few stints when local farmers need an extra set of hands. She is a teacher/PTA type. She's currently in charge of organizing the food for the school's upcoming summer field trips. Supposedly EVERY class gets one, EVERY year.
On the RV residents, I found out that they pay $1,200 a year for a lot with sewage hook up, electric and water. NOW it makes sense. If you own an RV, and are not traveling, why not find a spot other than your driveway to park it? They can come out anytime they want, and get away without having to drive very far, or spend a lot of time gathering gear. It's already there.
On the flooding, it turns out that the government has been trying to divert water to streams that eventually dump into Lake Manitoba. Only problem is it's too much, and they have no plan B... The way it was explained to me is that you have a 6" pipe dumping water into the lake, and a 2" pipe draining out on the other side. DOOOOOH! On such a flat region, I can see where the system just doesn't work.
Another car, their friends Bob and ??? They set up, have dinner, and then join the pow wow. Bob is a school bus driver, and she doesn't seem to work (very quiet, home maker type). Bob asks where I'm coming from/going. I mention Regina... "Whoaaaa! You're going to have trouble getting there" he says. Supposedly part of HWY 1 is under a foot of water, and even 4x4's are being diverted. They suspect that parts of the highway's asphalt has been washed away, and they don't want us american red neck types with big trucks aggravating the situation (they probably want to avoid fishing us out as well). Damn, going to have to check my options tomorrow. Bob dug the Wild turkey as well... "50.5% alcohol?" he asks, as he pours himself a stiff dram. "Wow, good burn" he says. Obviously he approves. We talk about little things till another couple joins the party. another couple in the same age bracket, and these guys obviously know each other very well. Both of them are farm hands (not much else to do around here in terms of work). He just got back from the doctor, who told him to ask his boss for two weeks of clerical/office work... The roar of laughter kind of surprised me. He is having lower back and knee pain. I can relate since I had a herniated disk a while back. They have him on T-3 (super tylenol), what a joke. Forgive my French, but, It's like pissing on a forest fire. I suggest he ask for  some Carisoprodol. "what's that?", Bob is quick to clarify that the Canadian medical system is waaaaaaay behind. Turns out one prescription for aches and pains is to put a bar of Irish Spring soap under the covers with you at night when going to sleep. You gotta be joking... Haven't you heard of Ben Gay? I hear an echo... "what's that?" WOW! Change the subject...
We talked for a bit more, then I hit the inflatable rack. It rained through the night... I guess the next camper will have some wet firewood if he wants it. Didn't sleep well, maybe I should have gotten some Irish Spring, cause my left shoulder was extremely sore when I woke up at 6 AM. Still raining, DAMN! going to have to break camp in the pouring rain. This is going to suck. I powered through it with out coffee, and hit the road soaked. Few miles to Brandon, and then a few more to the Saskatchewan border. I stopped for coffee, breakfast, and gas. The topic of conversation was the flooding (go figure). I heard a trucker say that the detour around the flooding on Hwy 1 at Wolsely took 7 hours, Double DAAAMN! I also hear rampant rumors about friends and family that are being forced (strongly advised) to evacuate the city of Weyburn and surrounding populated areas; Triple DAAAMN! I need a new plan, and even though I have nothing against Regina, I think I will not include it in plan B. Map in hand, I have 2 options: South then West (takes me through Weyburn territory) PASS. North then West it is. I hop on 10 North, then hit 16 West, looks like I'm shooting for Saskatoon. It's a long haul, and I'm not out of the 'cold rain and snow'-melt yet... but Dante is fearless and ready for anything.

Finally I crest the edge of a plateau, maybe 50 feet total elevation. It's not much, but I remember thinking 'I'm heading in the right direction'. A half hour later, I see a patch of blue break through the grey skies... Eureka! Still lingering signs of past flooding, but also seas of little yellow flowers are a sight for sore, wet eyes...

Going to find a hotel (any hotel) with clean dry sheets, a HOT shower, and wifi... Another chapter in the books, so to speak