Day 3

I'll be honest. I'm not exactly wild about dinosaur provincial Park. But more about that later.

We spent Day 2 on the road. We drove through Saskatchewan. Driving through Saskatchewan is not the cure for boredom. Nor is it the cure for insomnia. Which is not good when you're driving.

But in spite of what my prejudiced Manitoban friend said, Saskatchewan has more hills then Manitoba. Way more. But to be fair Manitoba has far more trees. I think between Regina and the Alberta-Saskatchewan border there are four trees. You can see for miles in all directions. I think I even saw into the future at one point. 

So there's not much else to tell you about Day 2, Other than the fact that we arrived at dinosaur provincial Park.

The first thing that concerned me was that they handed me a brochure about mosquitoes. I've been camping before. I expect mosquitoes. They're part of the deal. Why am I being handed a brochure?

I got my answer about 30 seconds after being handed the brochure. There are quite a few mosquitoes at dinosaur provincial Park. 

Quite a few as in, say, plague-level mosquitoes. We're talking biblical type stuff here. High-quality repellent is a necessity.

I practically bathed in Muskol, which has 23.5% DEET. These mosquitoes didn't even seem to notice. It wasn't until I bumped up to 25% Deep woods Off that they started to back off. This morning we all sprayed down with 30% DEET stuff that I've never heard of before. But it seems to be working.

This morning after a fine campfire breakfast, we went climbing in the mountains surrounding the park. Well they're not exactly mountains but I don't know what to call them. But I got to say the terrain is amazing. 

That being said, next time I will book a campsite at the nearby Kinbrook Island provincial Park, and jjust make a day trip or two into the dinosaur park. There are fewer mosquitoes at Kinbrook, and the trailers are not stacked in like cordwood.

Anyhoo, day three is now well underway and it's going to be a good one. Have a great Thursday.

Seeking a Grant

Four weeks here and I figured I was safe. The blackflies I'd heard so much about either didn't like my blood, or I didn't react to the bites. I was in the clear.

Wrong.

This morning, the back of my neck feels like a braille beginner book. Great big bumps and lots of them. It's like the blackflies had a party and everyone was invited. Drinks on me.

But hey, I was warned. I just didn't listen. I was told the most popular cologne for men, women and children in Thompson is Muskol. I chose not to wear that divine scent.

It occurred to me, however, that I'd had a couple of shots last night before I went for our little walk in the great outdoors. And this was the first time I got chewed. So I've got to ask myself, why? Is it possible that the blackflies in Thompson are alcoholics? It would stand to reason. After all, I'm sure at least 50 per cent of the people they bite are hammered. So maybe they've become accustomed to the buzz. Maybe last night, with a little alcohol in my system, I did in fact become an open bar. And an open bar in Thompson is just asking for trouble.

I think this is worth a little more study - strictly for scientific purposes, you understand. In fact, I think I'll apply for a grant from the Canadian government, as well as the Manitoba government for my research.

Let's see, a 15-pack a week, 52 weeks, tylenol, expenses . . . $100,000 should do it. Makes about as much sense as some of the other studies I've seen funded by the good folks spending your tax dollars. I'll get started on the paperwork.

Anyway, today's garage sale day. Must get rid of some of the surplus that resulted from, or was discovered during, the move. Nice chance to meet the neighbours too. And who knows? If it's a nice sunny day, maybe I can convince a few of them to join me in a little research.