Sept. 7  Day 9

We had a slow start this morning. My sister Anne’s phone call finally woke us at 8:30. Still, we were packed, had breakfast and on the way by 10:30.

Our trek across the prairies began today. Miles of flat straight smooth road stretched out across acres and acres of golden wheat waving in the prairie breeze. Above us a beautiful blue sky seemed to go on forever. No camera, least of all a cell phone camera could ever capture the vastness, the abundance, the majesty of all that precious farmland.

We ate lunch at the Anton Lake rest stop. By then a heavy prairie breeze was blowing across the parking lot. A stand of trembling aspens offered some protection at our picnic table. The sun warmed our backs and still we felt the chill of northern autumn air.

We reached our hotel in Yorkton by 4:30. When we stepped out of the car, that cool air and gusty breeze reminded us that we have left the warmth of summer behind. The main street of Yorkton is wide…very wide.

Supper at Brown’s Social House was scrumptious. Our waitress congenial and efficient. The cast on her broken ankle didn’t cramp her style or her work. She said the three inch heel on her other foot helped to keep her balanced.

When we stood to leave, a man at the next table started up a conversation with us. It turned out that he was from Chatham, Ontario, just a half hour away from my childhood home. He and his two colleagues are in in Yorkton to teach people how to ride Harley Davidson motorcycles. It seems to me that could be a young person’s dream job. After much laughter we gave me my card and returned to our hotel. I’ve spent this evening writing emails and this blog.

When I look back over my day, I believe I met God out on those beautiful prairies and at the restaurant in both our waitress Michelle and the friendly people at the next table. God’s presence has been there, quietly in the background keeping my eyes open to the wonder of life.