I'm camped in the Mankota stockyards. No permission of course. As the dear Geoff says, ' it's easier to beg forgiveness that to ask for permission'. Or something like that at any rate.
Well, there's not much happening at the stockyards right now so with hope it will be fine here.
I am going to stop for at least 2 days, maybe 3. Na'anni has some abrasion on her pasterns from the boot cuffs and they need to heal before we head out again. I think that the boots are a little too big and so are rubbing a little. I'm going to make a pad out of deerskin for the cuff so that they can tighten enough. Other than that the boots are working well especially when we hit the gravel. Yesterdays long long day (the longest yet. About 25 km. It wasn't supposed to be so long but I had to make a backtrack to find my canteen that blew off my saddle when Dakota went rodeo; got Naha's rope around his legs. Again. I wasn't on him!) and then I missed a trail that would have shaved 2 miles from our day. Merde. I apologised to the horses. I don't think they cared much for my apology.
I'm riding way more these days which also means that I have to let the ass fairies do their work on my, well, my ass, if you want to know the truth of the matter, I don't mind tellin' ya.
So
Where to next? I'm hoping to continue south into the grasslands national park area. My big concern has always been water down there. I'm going to call the park office today and see what the situation is. I may be in luck. The land is still really green and up to now I have not passed a day when I haven't been able to find water for the horses. Of course, I'm also heading into some of the driest parts of Canada.
I'm not sure if I will stay south or head up towards the Cypress Hills. They are beautiful for sure. I'll see. It's still a ways away. Grasslands is really a big reason for me doing this trip in the first place. To experience some last remnants of native prairie. We'll see if I have it in me to head north towards Cypress.
The land now is rolling plains. Lovely. Still dirt farms around but way more grazing land which makes me fell much better in my spirit.
If inch' allah, I make it to Pincher Creek, in the end, then I figure that I am a third of the way there at this moment. I'm not sure how far I have travelled to date. I might try to figure that out today. A nice restful activity!
The horses.
It always seems that after a long week of travel that when we stop the horses go as far away from me as possible! Well, it feels that way at least. I suppose that at some level we are tired of each other and need a little down time. I have my tent in the same space as the horses and because they generally like to have fun, I was expecting them to come and play around with my tent and other stuff but they have been at the other end of the large fenced in area we're in. Still, it's really nice to not be concerned that they are ok. Dakota came for a short visit this morning when I was making coffee.
A lovely woman named Melida has said I can use her outdoor tap for water. It's drinkable for me too though highly chlorinated. This seems really common with municipal water that I've come across. Maybe walkerton tainted water fears play a part in that.
Also, another lovely woman named Margaret that works at the Grasslands Inn said that I can use her shower in a small extra house that she has. She said that she'd just leave the door open and I can come and go as I wish.
Re: cleanliness, showers etc. Back when I was in Mortlach and visiting the school, the teacher called out to the kids to make sure that they wash their hands after touching the horses. I found this very amusing as I often go many many days without a shower or real washing. Touching the horses all day, soot and dirt on my hands, Stan Walchuks pine tar lard combo bug dope, cooking all the while. I'll dip my hands in a bucket of water to sort of wash them. Of course, more often than not it's the water that the horses have been drinking out of. Sometimes I'll just grab some dew wet grass and rub my hands in that. When I come across a bunch of sage, often I'll take a handful and rub it all over my face and neck and hands. Smells lovely.
Speaking of bug dope. For the last 2 days the mosquitoes have been pretty much nil. A few here and there but nothing to be concerned about. I'm sure that I could sleep fine without my netting. Yay for the high dry plains!
As I write this I am having breakfast at the motel. Coffee, bacon, eggs AND sausages. No toast, no potatoes.
For those into numbers (and who isn't, really!), I reckon I've travelled about 400 kms at this point. It's almost 5 weeks now.
On the straw bales to get Cel reception.
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