September 8 Day 10

Wide open prairie for the entire trip today. The sea of wheat surrounded us. I tried hard to take pictures but my camera just couldn’t cope. I was reminded of the wondrous ability of the human eye to see depth and colour and creativity and emotions and so much more. The scripture reading for this morning was Psalm 19:1-6 . “The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims God’s handiwork.”

We drove for about four hours when suddenly Tom said, “Is that water?” I lifted my eyes from the computer and stared. It looked like a mirage. The sea of wheat had become water complete with waves. The highway carried us closer until we were on a “causeway”, a strip of land as wide as the highway with a slope of possibly two feet down to the water. It looked to me as if a heavy wind would have waves washing over the road. We were passing Big Quill Lake outside of Kandahar. This is the Yellowhead Highway, a main artery in Saskatchewan. I pictured November weather, and then ice. Courageous people live in this area. That psalm didn’t say it but for sure I would add, the earth also declares God’s glory, and creativity, and power. Wow!

We reached Saskatoon about 5 p.m., not the best time to arrive in a strange city. I’m getting quite good using my cell phone as a google information source. I had checked out hotels and picked the Comfort Suites on the west side of the city. Our job was to find it. For the first time, I used the GPS on my phone. The nice lady carefully guided Tom as I watched the arrow move with us onto the ring road that circles the city. She brought us right to the hotel. Both Tom and I decided it takes courage to trust that contraption but it works. The hotel, with seniors discount is very reasonable. Our room is fabulous, the best yet. We have heaps of space, a full chesterfield and a chair as well as a big desk and chair, larger than usual fridge, microwave, closet, just everything you could ask for. And there’s a swimming pool and hot tub. I bet breakfast will be good tomorrow too.

We had supper at an Italian restaurant just down the street. My trout was delicious as was Tom’s stirfry. It came with salad and soup. Tom and I have been eating hotel breakfasts – eggs, sausage or ham, toast, yoghurt, fruit etc. lunch out of our store of cheese and crackers, and then buying supper. That is sure stretching out dollars. Problem is it seems to be stretching our waistlines as well.

Oh yes, we have one more story. As I have said before we are stopping at church’s to tell people about my books. In Wynyard we went to the town hall in search of a bathroom. While there we visited with one of the workers. She told us where to find the United Church. “The minister is a lovely young woman,” she said. “She drives a jeep. If you see a jeep parked at the church, she’ll be there.”

We found the church no problem but no jeep. While I was at the bank Tom went for a walk looking for a garbage can. He saw a lovely young woman pull up close to the church and park her jeep. So he walked up to her and asked, “Would you by any chance be the United Church minister.” Tom told me after that she looked like a deer caught in a car’s head lights. So he explained why he had asked. She laughed and shook her head and went on her way. Tom hoped she at least heard the compliment that he thought she was a lovely young woman.

Was God with us, today? Of course, God lives within us so is always with us just as Jesus promised. Did we notice God? Oh yes, out there on the highway in the vastness and abundance of the prairie, in our courage to trust modern technology to help us find our way, in the people we talked to all day – waitresses, city workers, bank tellers, and more.

May God bless all of you who are reading this daily report of our journey. Janet