Theodore

Some reflections on the first month.

Odd things stand out for me.

There is something proud, strong and majestic about a river that is about to flood over its banks. The Thompson River does not resemble the quiet stream flowing gently over mud and rocks as I remembered it. Fed by numerous angry streams is something to behold. As it cascades down, it fills its channel and pushes against its banks. It threatens to erode the soil supporting the plant life that has ventured too close to the edge. We enjoyed cycling up the Thompson River.

For a 5 km stretch of road leading into Dafoe [between Lanigan and Wynyard], we cycled directly into a 35 km/h headwind. Gusts were stronger. The effort required an uphill cadence with the added irritant of a stream of air on our face and body with no escape. This was the hardest 5 km so far. Then we turned to ride east with the wind directly at our side. It still held us in our grip and the gusts lifted us from our bikes. Oddly enough, I found that by turning my upper body at a 30° angle to the wind I could tack as a sailboat does. But as I began to feel a chest and pains never experienced before, I realized that my body was not meant to sit on a bicycle at a 30° angle. Such are the winds of Saskatchewan.