"The Bad"

Yes, there were mosquitoes. The part of Saskatchewan where my cousins farm is, has had over 20 inches of rain in June and July and normally they get around 12 inches per year. As a result, there is standing water ever where, which is a perfect breeding ground for these nasty critters. They are large and the air is vibrating with their numbers, but I did not find them too aggressive. I used to be so envious of those whose blood was rejected by the mosquitoes, and it seems that this time around, I was one of them. I only got one or two bites and did not even use the Off  Deepwoods Sportsman repellent I researched and bought for the trip. Interestingly, of all the places I stopped, it was only in Saskatoon and area where I found there were any of these bugs at all. 

Another 'bad' thing were the roads in Saskatoon and the outlying areas. The asphalt was heaved, broken, and ridgy everywhere and I was especially cautious as I had low clearance with my car. I am totally spoilt coming from an area of the country that has such good roads. Mind you, they have to contend with vicious frost heaves in the winter and this year too much rain, which softens the ground, will also result in worse heaves this coming winter when the freeze  comes up. 

The weather was not 'bad', but could have been better at times. I drove through a lot of rain during the entire trip but the worst was my trip back to my room in Saskatoon on Friday night after the opening night. There was threat of a storm coming with severe areas predicted. As I drove to the city, the sky got progressively darker even though it was not yet sunset. Suddenly, the lightening started and I drove into a wall of water and wind. I thought I would be blown off the road. The outdoor temp plunged and the windshield instantly fogged up. Before I knew what was happening, I was driving through several inches of rain on the road, obscuring the lines and curbs. The gust of winds were hurricane force and I was so afraid that something was going to come flying at me and damage my precious transportation. It was not my car, but entrusted to me. I somehow managed to get to the place where I was staying and just sat in the car, waiting for the lightening and downpour to subside. It left as suddenly as it appeared and there were the remains of the sunset. The extremes in Saskatchewan can be bad, and they were that night.

 I also had a scary incident with weather on Monday night between Edson and Hinton on the Yellowhead Highway. I stopped the car to take a photo of what I saw in the distance, wondering if the road would lead me to it. 

    

I did not have to wait long to find out. I could see the curtain of water as I approached and was curious to see just how bad it would be. It hit viciously and without mercy. My first thought was hydroplaning so I made sure the cruise control was off and I eased back on my speed. The big rigs on my tail had no such worries and bore down on my position very quickly with great plumes of road spray flying out beside and behind them. I knew if I was caught between them, my visibility would go from bad to disastrous. I stayed ahead of the trucks just enough to keep them from passing me, even though it was a four lane divided highway. The water was inches deep on the road and getting deeper. Were it not for my pursuers, I would have pulled over and waited it out. About two miles down the road, it subsided almost as quickly as it had started and I pulled away from the trucks rapidly. It was the weight of the car, the traction control, and God's hand that preserved me. It was truly scary.

I drove through a lot of rain on the trip home including this big shower on the Coquihalla Highway. (Below)

 I thought that one good result would be that the bugs smashed against the front of the car would wash off. Not to be. The legs and wings were gone, but their red and yellow pigmentation were embedded into the Corvette's paint job. It would take a lot of warm soapy water and elbow grease to get rid of that stuff when I got home. 

Tomorrow is Sunday so I will not get into the "Ugly" part of the trilogy. We do not want to spoil our day of rest.