Ice Houses.

Four Days Work.

____ Tuesday morning departure for Wisconsin once again. This time to the state border town of La Crosse. A full days drive but once the snow starts to fall on the outskirts of Minneapolis; darkness falls and so does my chance of being on the customer's doorstep at day break. South of the Twin Cites, on Interstate 35, near white-out conditions and the wipers cannot cope. I can't see where I am going and can't stop when I get there as the home-going commuters of Minnesota have polished the hard-packed snow until it shines. The Kwik Trip at Owatonna still has one available parking stall as most of the other drivers have parked-up early.

____ Wednesday dawns clear and bright, as so often, after 8 inches of snow have fell and the clouds have disappeared. A quick tip at La Crosse is followed by a trailer switch at nearby Arcadia. Destination is now Saskatoon and a bonus is the lightness of the 12,000 pound load. A tail-wind blows the rig to Fargo after a tankful of number 1 diesel. Saskatchewan will be cold. Gelling fuel is the last thing I need.

____ Thursday had me running roads that I have not run for five years. Fargo to North Portal, via the town of Minot. I remember the town truckstops full of gas and oil exploration rigs as North Dakota experienced a boom. Now that the price of gasoline has plummeted due to Arab over-production; the Flying'J and Schatz Crossroads have plenty of space on their parking lots. Another change on the route comes after a customs examination at North Portal; the town of Estevan now has a by-pass. A two-lane ring-road that saves the run-around of the town-centre back-streets. After an evening meal at Weyburn's Main-Track Greek Restaurant; I push on up to Saskatoon.

____ Friday starts with a trailer swap and instructions to head to Yorkton and another rear-end switch. A loaded trailer going to Massachusetts but as so often; I only get to take it as far as Steinbach. Four days work has already logged-up more than 45 hours so I would never have delivered it without a log-hours reset. It gets me back to the house and feed the birds; take my 36 hour break at home and set of for Kansas on Sunday Morning.

Ice Fishing: what's that all about? Keen angler or unhappily married man?