Life’s Little Moments Happen When You Least Expect Them – En Route to Winnipeg

After a most enjoyable last day in Moose Jaw, I was back on the bus and bound for Saskatoon.  We transferred at … a town of well, it looked like about 5 + the four of us traveling from Moose Jaw to Saskatoon that day..  And, I am pretty certain that the entire town is involved in operating the gas station/diner we stopped at to wait for our next bus.  

I was somewhat entranced looking out at the expansive fields backlit by the setting sun.  It was one of those true prairie experiences I have wanted to have on this trip… and here it was, at a roadside diner and gas bar.  You can’t get any more Jake and the Kid than that my friends.  Interesting, how sometimes all it takes to fulfill a life dream is an open sky, a warm summer’s night, and an olde thyme radio playing the CBC.

The bus came and on we went to Saskatoon.  I hopped off in the now thrice visited terminal and stowed my stuff in a locker.  I must say that I have mastered working with those little orange keys and have grown an appreciation for having correct change – some would say these are important travel/life lessons…;).  It would be 4 ½ hours (or so I thought) until my train, so I decided to go and take a walk by the river.

I mentioned it in my original post on Saskatoon and I’ll write it again this time… there is quite the interesting vibe in this city.  You can feel the artistic and down to earth energies throughout.  Of course, like any city, it has its fare share of socio-economic challenges – especially with post-boom Albertans making a run for the Sask. Border….  But Saskatoon has a quiet excitement about it that makes it a most pleasant place to spend some time. 

My lay over here in Saskatoon ended up being a little longer than originally anticipated.  My train was to be in at 12:45 a.m. and it arrived at 4:50 a.m.  Not really wanting to have any late night adventures…;)… I camped out at the rail station until the train arrived.  It was a steamy night and the station is not used to having people in it for so long (it normally is only open for a few hours a day)… so it was sweltering.  Attempts to cool the place down by leaving the doors open were thwarted by swarms of mosquitoes descending upon unsuspecting blood vessels.  Needless to say, I was a little anxious to get on train…

Though, it was a little unpleasant, I should note that there were a few upsides to this situation:  1. At least I wasn’t traveling West, that train was delayed 8 hours, 2.  A delay meant more daylight hours between Saskatoon and Winnipeg and most importantly 3. A hot and sticky train station does make for an interesting bonding ground with fellow passengers.

 Like most Canadian small talk, the conversation began with the weather (both outside and inside the station), but eventually led to where people were from, travel destinations, our families, our work, and even our hopes and dreams.  I spent a good deal of time chatting with some former CN workers who were traveling with their spouses to Toronto.  One of the wives said to me that I would make a good husband some day.  When I jokingly asked her why she would say that, expecting that she was referring to my fondness of cooking or seemingly viable employment prospects , her response in a charmingly wise British accent brought a smile to my tired face and remains etched in my mind:

“You chose to listen to your soul, son… And you will be a better man for it.  Your heart and mind have been awakened to all that life has to offer. who wouldn’t consider themselves lucky to spend their lives with a someone like that…”

Catherine and her husband, Peter, have been married for nearly 50 years… and though she admits that “We have our moments!”, there is not a day that goes by that she doesn’t give thanks for “the decision to live our dreams together”. 

 The train arrived and I hunkered down into my berth.  And albeit a bit of a rough ride and an all too early call for breakfast, I did enjoy the 3^rd leg aboard the Canadian staring out at the prairies – good news, they are still flat!, chatting with my train car mates, and allowing myself to think about what Catherine had said… just a little bit… and about the prospects for a life of love and adventure to come.

 We pulled into Winnipeg and I was a tired puppy.  Thankful that my hosts, Jacqueline and Jean Yves,  were amenable to me checking in around 2:30, instead of the posted check-in  time (Jacqueline would later tell me that she always has her rooms ready early… “just in case”).   I headed to my accommodations (read: Gite de la Cathedrale, a beautiful home in St. Boniface – the heart of the Franco-Manitoban community, located just across the river from Winnipeg).

 Dinner at the Forks Market, and a quick walk about were about all that I could muster.  After the lap top goes off, I will be nestling into bed with the July edition of Harper’s Magazine – that’s right!  I forgot to mention that I found a copy in (drum roll please)… MOOSE JAW!  Cultural capital indeed…

 Tomorrow, I am planning on heading to the legislature, going to the Manitoba Museum, and wandering around the Exchange District.  Good times and political geekiness lie ahead… bring on the continued adventure!