June 29 Day 31 91 kms Moosomin – Oak Lake

Three provinces done, seven more to go. Rolled into Manitoba an hour into my ride, easy ride for the rest of the day into Oak Lake. Still dealing with some tire issue, but no big deal. 

Did a little cloud watching beautiful big fluffy clouds. Then I started notice I Had storm at my back, followed me for the last two hours of my ride. I was Watching it in my side mirror. 

I got into Oak Lake, at my cousins home just before the cloud burst, some thunder & lighting too. Murray was home & got my bike tuck away in the shop. Rain didn’t last long anyways, then we were off to pick up Rhoda from her school bus garage, as it was the last day of school. Lots of visiting then to do chores and have dinner. Great day.

My cousin Rhoda milking Lucky

Murray making breakfast “Bacon, Bacon, Bacon!!!”

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June 28 Day31 134kms Wolseley – Moosomin

Good day, easy going ride. Had to change a flat on the side of the road, no problems. 
Landscape has a lot more trees, pasture/haying country then field crops. Reminds me of some of the land around BayTree, out the Spirit River Highway.

Met a really interesting lady biking, she was towing a trailer with her service dog. She started in Alaska, though Yukon, so did the Alaska Highway through Dawson Creek, then into Alberta. So I knew some of her travels, and she had started early spring so dealt with snow, cold, & bears. I remember all the Bears that used to be on that highway. One time I was training for Race I needed to do hills so I did the steamboat but I had Dale and the girls follow me in the truck because steamboat was always full of bears. Anyways really cool lady. 

Camped at Moosomin off to see more family tomorrow. 

June 28 6:30 am Still in my tent 0 kms

So last week I met Aaron Lybbert, he’s married to my cousin Chelsey. Amazing Dad, Husband, & his in-laws really like him too, Lol 

He was so exited to meet me, he asked me so many questions about my trip & wanted to ask more. (But the whole family wanted to hear my answers too). Anyway it was the first time I really realize that what I was doing was pretty special and people just don’t do this on whim, which is what I did. The timing was right for me, I wanted to see Canada so I just decided to buy a bike and ride across the country not really expecting it to influence people. I started the blogs for my family because they were worried about the dangers out there, again I did not even think of that I was just gonna ride my bike. 

Aaron shared my post last night and he made some comments with his share about something that I had said pretty casually, that I really appreciate the big sky’s and I’m not bored cycling through the prairies. Those comments change his perspective when he was out for a training ride on Saturday.

Maybe I’m naïve but I really didn’t think I had that kind of influence on somebody, too think I could influence somebody else’s day. It’s pretty humbling. But when I am out there on the prairies I see those rows and rows of potatoes, grain, or beans and know that’s someone’s paycheck and they’re totally dependent on the weather. When I see a stand of trees that were planted years ago I know that somebody’s great grandparents did that just for wind break the protector their home. When a trucker pulls over to the left lane to go around me I think he’s just doing his job going A to B missing his family and he’s making sure he is taking care me too. 

Maybe that’s why I really like the prairies. Mountains are beautiful, the landscape was gorgeous in BC but you really understand the people when ride by this land. In BC I appreciated them too, the fisherman, the logger, the farmer but you do get just distracted with the beauty of the land, here you actually have to take a moment or you will just buy into the attitude that it’s flat and boring.

This bike trip give me the luxury to slow life down and take it all in, so that’s what I’m trying to do. Thank you Aaron for giving me this moment where I actually realized this is pretty damn special and a lot of people don’t get the time to do something at this level or have the ability. I hope everyone just takes a moment in the day, maybe through their car window, to do just a little bit of what I do for seven hours on the bike.

June 27 Day 30 111 kms Regina – Wolseley

Today started with good-bye, Val & Emery were great to stay with, Emery made us grilled egg & cheese for breakfast then hugs and on my way. They had a graduation ceremony to go to today. Emery told me that Regina has the largest urban park in Canada, goes through the city, so I cycled the park (10kms), never had to deal with traffic (city streets) until I was outside the city on highway #1. It was so relaxed and very scenic. 

The bike ride was easy going all day with the wind behind me and the sun out, it was quite warm & I drank a lot of water. 
Rolled into Indian Head to their Info center for more water and a chat with the two older ladies volunteering at the center. Here’s part of the conversation: 

Lady one: Oh there was a guy just here.

Lady two: You would have liked him. 

Lady one: He was from France

Lady two: Tall and handsome

Lady one: He’s studying Canadian agriculture

Lady two: He spoke  pretty good  English

Lady one: oh you could teach him she said with a mischievous little grin at me

Lady two: We sent him to the (such & such Park) 

Lady one: There’s a beach there, ( with the same mischievous grin) 

Lady two: Oh but you’re on a bike 

Lady one: Ya that’s too far for you

Me: lol lol 😂 😂😂😂

So if you need to be set up there’s a couple great match makers at Indian Head. Lol

Swinging bridge at Wolseley 

  St. Anne’s Church

So spending the night in Wolseley, went out to a little Bakery & had Pizza and the company of these two wonderful little ladies. Chatted up a storm with me at dinner. A pair of cutie patootie’s, the cooks children. 

June 25 Day 28 76 kms Moose Jaw – Regina

Started the morning with a big birthday breakfast at a truck stop in Moose Jaw and some great family phone calls – never got on the road till 11:00 then still had to pull off to the side for another 3 calls & texts of birthday greetings. Love my family & friends

Trees all the way from Moose Jaw to Regina – and didn’t have to pee once- life’s little irony. Emery said they had been planted for the Queen visit years ago.

Got into Regina to be greeted by my very excited cousin Val & her son Emery, visited then Val took me out for dinner, went to Boston Pizza where Our server was Trinity, Val’s granddaughter. Beautiful young lady that will be graduating Tuesday.

Back to house, hung out with Val & Emery & watch a movie. 
June 26 –  Rest Day

Perfect day, just enjoyed my time with Val. Went to the science center to the exhibit- Body Work. They are real bodies. The bodies are prevented from decay by a means of a rubberization process. Cool. Dinner at the house with Emery, then just BS all night.

These are really people’s bodies opened up & posed so you can see how the organs & tissues work.

June 24 Day 27 85kms Chaplin – Moose Jaw

Started the morning with Breakfast outside the gas station (needed to buy some milk) at their picnic table with a couple of local farmer having coffee. Only a little over 4hrs bike to Moose Jaw, good weather, nothing exciting. 

Went to the bike shop first thing to get tubes, and went to top up the air in the one I had changed and it was low again. Decided to check it out and Finally found the The culprit that was flattering my tires, a small staple or something. So three new tubes. 

Staying with another Warm Showers Host, cool organic gardener, does the farmers market, she lives in residential but has gardens around town. I got settled & showered then into Moose Jaw to be a tourist.

Check out that biker’s tan. Lol

Did the Chinese side of the Tunnels – really liked it. It’s not as theatrical as the Al Capone side, Only one tour guide & he only played an acting part for short bit, most of it he explained how horrible these people would have been treated. I think it was lost on 9 kids in the group. 
It’s not my thing to do the Mineral pool (Not after been spoiled rotten by Liard River Hotsprings) but I did, water felt good. 

Went out for amazing fish & chips at a very recommended English Pub, Bobby’s Place, Two bachelorette parties, so loud & entertaining. Lol

My birthday year!! My 2nd odometer (distance from Ashley’s in Vancouver)

June 23 Day 26 90kms Swift Current – Chaplin.

Good day, a little cloudy, not hot and the wind at my back!!!!

Started late, didn’t leave the hotel to check out. Slept in, took my time & I Had to change another flat, one yesterday too, but this morning one was my own fault, didn’t have the tube all the way in the tire at the valve stem. So good thing I carry two tubes, I’ll need to pick up a couple tomorrow in Moose Jaw. 

So first pee break of the day was bad planning on my part, bunch of trees (yippee in Sask.) drop the bike & bee line, (cause I was waiting for trees) into the bush, ouch, there’s thorns 2-3″ long, everywhere, but turn & drop pants anyway. I may have pierced a part of my body that make my Instagram name BikerAnnie more hardcore. Lol 
Second pee was behind two hay bales, no thorns but the guys from the far lane may got a bit of a view. 

This is Reed Lake just out of Herbert a very cloudy green lake. 

So I go into a little town called Herbert today, the museum serves a Mennonite lunch (Faspa).So I’m having my lunch, looking at my Facebook. One of comments is from a family friend Fay Harder telling me that I should be at Herbert soon where her husband Dick grew up. So the young man that works at the Museum tells me The pharmacy is owned by a Harder. The owner Mr. Harder not there but the The ladies at the pharmacy said “well it’s not the same Harder” (they would know, lol) must be Elma’s brother from Dawson Creek, so they phone her, (Small Towns) they find out she’s having coffee at the museum where I just had my lunch ( I had seen her) so I head back to say Hi not only is she sitting there she’s with her sister Martha. So I get a picture for Fay with Dick’s two sisters. Lol Small World 

Salt of the earth at Chaplin

Settled into a campground at Chaplin then went for a walk, got some Chicken Chop Suey, restaurant had just closed (only food in town), the lady at gas station said make a run for it, So ran over & knocked on the window and they cooked me up some take out. Could had one of dehydrated meals but I was craving veggies. 

Off to Moose Jaw tomorrow, might see what the Spa is all about. Ok it’s a Spa date – just read my fortune cookie.

June 22 Day 25 141 kms Maple Creek – Swift Current

Today was all about just getting to Swift Current, tried to look at scenery once in a while but it rained the whole day. Never even took the camera out of my bag for a picture. It was only 8kms from Maple Creek to Highway 1 but took me 45 minute because I was heading north & wind was from the west, all I could do to keep the bike straight up. 

(Pin the tent upside down to dry off the bottom in the wind thisbmorning, rained most of the night.)

Then east with the wind at my back, yippee! But rain & more rain – made great time for 2hrs but was cold, got wet too. Met another biker at the PetroPass in Tompkins- there for about an hour drying out & warming up. After that the highway ran a lot of east by northeast or the wind changed, fought alot of cross wind & rolling hills to Swift Current only averaged about 16kms/hr. And rained the whole way. But did it!  
So I’m biking down the highway transport trucks & other traffic are trying to pull into the left lane when they can but not always so I’m getting lots of spray off the trucks, I’m fighting wind and rain and it’s ugly when this jeep passes me then It pulls over on to the shoulder ahead of me. so now I have to negotiate going around him making sure Im watching traffic coming behind me so it’s safe to pass going into the right lane. He shuts off his lights and he’s just sitting there, so as I get closer the drivers door opens & he gets out, I’m like what the hell is he doing! I give him the thumb ups that I’m fine & he holds out a plastic bag with an ORANGE 🍊 in it – WHAT THE @*#F ??? It’s pouring rain, wind is blowing me sideways, now not only do I have to go around him he’s got his door open too. And he thinks I’d like a orange 🍊 a whole orange 🍊 what a crazy person. I just kept going. But I did buy two oranges tonight & had one before dinner, lol. 
So I’m cold- shoe/gloves soaked. I don’t take baths, maybe once a year or after a marathon to soak the muscles. I’m strictly a shower person. But today I’m cold/wet & want a very hot long soak in the tub, thinking about it the last couple hours on the bike, because I decided to get a motel room to dry everything out. So I go cheap- only need a clean bed, heat, & a bathroom. Go into the bathroom to fill the bath & can’t believe my luck, the tub is only 3′ x 2′ – I think the one in my holiday trailer is only a bit smaller, lol. Anyway, appreciate the little things, I had a tub, could have only been a shower. Felt good after the cold day. 

A Laundry mat was close-so did a small load, ate supper, then Netflix & chilled.

June 21 Day 24 106kms Medicine Hat – Maple Creek.

Great start to the day – breakfast with Donna & Keith then we all walk to where I’d enter Highway 1. I was a little worried about the traffic but there was no need, divided highway all the way so noise wasn’t bad at all and maybe only a handful of transport trucks didn’t pull over to the left lane. So Big shout out to the truckers!! 👍

So peddle passed a small pond, people had built nesting boxes so I was taking my time going by looking at the birds. I had saw at the far end of the pond there were some smaller birds harassing two hawks, but wasn’t looking at them, then all of a sudden I looked up and the hawk was in a full dive for my head, all I saw was beak, eyes, & wingspan!!! So shoulders to the ears, peddled faster & screamed. Looked to my left & he(she) was flying up from the dive & I just got out of there. 

My heart was racing.

Seen a couple more nest further down the road, once I was a good distance away from one I stopped for a picture. 
Shout out for the ladies at the Walsh Info center, they have a book just for cyclists to sign in & they give you a free cliff bar and fruit bar. 

Crossed over to Saskatchewan today, that was fast trip through Alberta. 

Got into Maple Creek at a good time, camping at Willowbend RV park, set up & went downtown. It’s raining now (9:30) so in the tent for the night.

June 19 Day 24. 62kms Bow Island – Medicine Hat June 20 Day 25 Rest Day

Biked into “The Hat” yesterday to be greeted by my Aunt Mary & a cousin Keith Crush. Wonderful day, lunch with auntie, then afternoon spent with her at her home. Evening -dinner at Donna & Keith’ with their daughter Chelsey, her husband Aaron and their beautiful children. 

Aaron (and everyone) had so many questions about my trip it was first time I realized how someone could be so excited in something I was doing. That what I was doing was very exciting .

My other cousins Lori &. Darcy came over with their grandson Merrick . They all surprised me with a early birthday cake – Auntie was behind that but it was very sweet of them all & the kids made me a poster/card. 

I really got to see Medicine Hat today from two people that love the city, Donna & Keith toured me around, showed me some history and beautiful parks, never would a seen the beauty of the city biking through. 

My favorite place was the Medalta Stone Ware factory, the huge Kilns, the building, the pottery, the history- the land supplied clay, natural gas, and water to create the pottery and there was the railway for shipping. Very interesting. 

Lunch then Spent the rest afternoon with Lori, Auntie, met Lori & Darcy son Travis ( Merrick’s dad). Then off to Chelsey and Aaron’s children’s sporting events. Beckett’s baseball game and Sadie’s soccer game (little sister, Leni cheering them on). Last game was, Keith’s (the umpire) ball game. Finished the day with a delicious meal on the patio with Donna & Keith.