Detour, Detour, then Detour Again!!!

Ok, So, a 3.5 hour trip from Tugaske home isn't the greatest, but, it isn't the worst either. Let's go for the 5 hours it took to go around all the washed out roads. #15 Highway is washed out between #2 and Nokomis. The Lockwood grid(pictures below) is washed out. We did manage across on the Drake Grid. Talk about going further and further north to get around the water . .. that you fear your going to find more and more and maybe should have taken the southern route through Regina in the first place as it would have been quicker some how!
Now, not to be . .. hmm .. . down on Saskatchewan politicians . . . but they spent, obscene amounts of money on the exclamation mark behind Saskatchewan! but THEY DON'T FIX THE BLOODY ROADS!!!! Don't get me wrong, I love Saskatchewan, I think it would be great if people would visit and get excited about Saskatchewan BUT! How do you get excited about a province where the roads wash out continually(#15 washed out last year, does anyone know if it was out the year before too?), why not fix it, put a bridge in . .. something? The roads are a pothole obstacle course! Nasty! Oh yes, #1 is nice, #11 is nice from Regina to Saskatoon, #16(Yellowhead?) is pretty damn good . . . but get off those paths to our other communities, where you find out about the rural people and their lives in Saskatchewan(there are a lot of rural communities!!) and you are traveling some of the worst, pardon my language, Shit, for roads. I would say Gravel is better than most those highways. I say, would because I drive a little fuel efficient car, that does better on pavement than gravel(unless the gravel has not been graded recent, then I am ok). How do you create Tourism with roads of shit? Yes, come see lake Diefenbaker! But look out for that grain truck stuck in the pothole, oh that bump you see is the tarp on his load! Little bit wild and woolly on them roads! Better yet, try to come from Foam lake on 310, rather than going over to #35 south of Wadena to Elfros, which is breaking out in the same places again this year . .. and is working its way to being like #310 from Foam Lake to #5. I would like to say #5 isn't bad, but it has it's places. So, I love the idea of tourism, and making Saskatchewan an exciting place, but I think the travel in Saskatchewan shouldn't be the hair raising experience that causes the excitement! The attractions at the Fair's, the people around, the elk farms, the buffalo farm, the wheat fields, these should be more exciting than the drive to get to the community where the haunted house cart ride with its jolts and spooks, are mundane next to the drive down the highway.

Ok, so now I am done with my rant. I think . .. Let's see . . ..

So, these are pics of the Lockwood grid we tried to get across as, hwy #15 was washed out again. We after taking these pics went up to the Drake grid to get across. It was good, no washouts on it . . Yet.

Coming up on the culverts.
Road looks a little worn and the ditch is running fast! and so is the culvert!!

Its a wonder those fence posts are still standing the way the water was rushing!! Must have been put in well!Culvert is rushing just a bit don't ya think?
They dug out the road to let the water through, this is why the at ditch was running so fast!
See, that's the road we should have been on, but the water needed to get through somewhere before it washed something else out.Culvert from the pasture. James hopped out and into the field to get a pic from that side so you could see it gushing! The water on the other side of the road was damn near to the gravel! You can see how deep the ditch is in the first couple pictures.

So, this is why you can't cross #15 hwy. I think they should put in a bridge there so the water can just flow under it. And this is why Lockwood road is impassable. So far though, Drake grid is good . .. Man that makes it a long trip around! Should make it interesting to say the least for those farmers with land on either side of this . . . creek, river . .. ah hell . .. Lake at Long Lake!!

And then, we get home and there are road closed signs along the highway for grids that I am sure have washed out, or in the process of being so. . .. Maybe we need hover crafts? Would they pass over the water without trouble? Would they be more fuel efficient? Can you imagine . . . My little Toyota took almost $40.00 in gas! I know I know. . . I should be happy it has a small tank! but really!!! I am glad we were in the car not the truck we have to use to haul the bin Crane around!! Glad we have jobs we don't have to travel far to do lots of bins. I feel for the guys out there trying to make it on single bins here and there .. .. and I feel for the Farmer trying to pay those crews to make those miles with trucks and cranes on behind! OUCH expensive!!!

Ok, I don't think I should rant anymore. .. so I won't get too much into the cost of fuel, other than OUCH! *sighs* and good to be home for a day, even if it is only a day.

Tugaske Bins . . . .

Well, We woke to it being a wee bit wet this morning . . . It was raining, and looking like it was going to stick around all day! See all that water? We decided it would be a good day to make the trip home and check for mail and all that good stuff. So that is what we did. The pic's below were taken at about 10am . . . Just before we headed out of town.

Wet, Wet, Wet and very spongy to walk on next to the marsh . . .

Had to put down the crane while we were away, so, up went the roof and it came down with the crane! (only a little ways up!)

James hard labour of roofs while I was in Moose Jaw, Tuesday. The one on the crane in the air we built the night before the rain, after building a bin(from one of James 3 roofs) and putting it on a hopper cone.
Hmm, 5 Rosco's(14ft diameter, 6 rings tall) on hopper cones, One Rosco(14ft, 6 rings) on a wood floor and one Westeel wide core(18 ft diameter, 4 rings) on a hopper cone tucked in the back(really can't see it from this angle). A Rosco has a shorter sidewall sheet than the wide core, therefore the 6 rings on a Rosco is about the same as the 4 Rings on the wide core for height.

So this is what we have been up to. Got these bins up, got the air(rockets installed) on 12 cones. 4 cones still need the air installed . . . but we just got the Rocket's delivered Monday, so, we built bins instead of air. The weather has been nice till today, when it rained!! But, had some laundry to do and mail to pick up, so it's good. Long drive home with all the roads washed out though . . .. (separate posting of pics). We got home . .. hmm . . . 5 hours later . .. usually only a 3.5 hour drive from there but . .. with detours and such . . .(don't ya just love what the Sask gov. is doing about the roads????) anyway, I have another bunch of photos for you! (above)

Back to Saskatchewan . .

mmm nice to be home . . . It felt like a long enough drive to get to Winnipeg, and hubby was driving! Then we had that course to take . .. and If we had never seen the bins before I think it would have been a lot more captivating. As for Hubby and I it was . . . well . . . informative to a degree . . we got to ask questions of the engineers and other persons. As for learning anything . . . I suppose. All said and done, it was an alright trip. We did manage a trip over to The Forks, which . . . could have been skipped. I remembered it being more interesting the first time .. . Hubby didn't have any interest in it. We did see the river up a bit, where I remember there being sidewalk it was river, so we stood on the steps and took a look. So, it was kinda eh. I wanted to go see Ram Wools in Winnipeg . .. but they are only open Mon-Sat 10-5:30. Which I very much think is cool. . .as people shouldn't have to be open Sunday's, but, from the point of arrival late Thurs, the course ran all day Friday, and Saturday by the time we finished there we just wanted to get home. No time for the wool shop that seemed to be up north in the city. . . . :( wish I would have seen it. Oh well .. . maybe next time . .. LOL So, about being happy to be home . . . driving in Winnipeg is interesting to say the least . .. and I suppose it doesn't just fall in the Winnipeg realm. I know you guys are thinking that it was the large busy city that got me... no, that I can handle. It was the lines, or lack there of! You know when you are on a main drag . .. say, Victoria Avenue in Regina, it has a boulevard or at the very least the orange line in the middle of the road that says "hey this is the middle of the road and the other side it oncoming traffic or ditch!" There in Winnipeg, I had to guess . .. or make sure I had seen the street on the map to make sure it was a 2 way or a one way . . .. lots of one ways there too! Anyways, even the highway in Manitoba, #1 highway had white dashes in the middle between us and oncoming in some places and there were places it was the orange but that you were on a hill and could not see what was coming and yet, its still a dash! In Saskatchewan, we get the solid line in the middle when your on a hill! Let me tell ya that makes a hell of a difference when your traveling behind a semi truck and wanna sneak a peak! if it's a solid line you know not to bother .. . dash your checking everywhere . . . crazy . .. and I will give Manitoba credit for their bump flags. . . they are larger, brighter and they flag smaller bumps... ones that our guys would just bypass they had marked .. . nice . .. But I still had trouble with them lines! I guess what they save in painting lines they use for flagging bumps on the highways! LOL

Anyways, Home now, off to Yorkton tomorrow, then through Regina back to Tugaske. Work on Tuesday . . .:)

So, off an running, catch ya's later!

I know it was early but . . ..

Hey all, I made it to Regina for a yummy Easter dinner with my family!!(Mom's an awesome cook!) Gotta love it! I also handed out the birthday presents I had done up. So, Dad got his package of socks(pictured in March 28 post). Dad Loved them! LOL I told mom if the toe undid on the black pair the first time she washed them to throw them out and dad made such a face as to say "you wouldn't dare!" LOL So, I guess if my fix for the broken yarn doesn't hold I will be fixing them! Also, cuz I was there on Monday, I got to find out that dad can wear the thin sport socks in his work boots!! very cool!! Can make toasty woollies for in his work boots now! HOORAY! mind you they are more work cuz dad likes that crazy long leg!! oh my! LOL

I also gave Sis her new fuzzy shawl! These pics are me wearing it .. . LOL and then there is the pants I gave her with them. I think she was more taken with the pants than the shawl!! But I do know she loves them both!! (her kitty likes the shawl too, soft fuzzy and warm!).

So, I am working on Mom's birthday present and can hopefully finish in time! I HOPE!! and then carry on with something else . . . LOL

We are in Winnipeg, to be certified by Westeel for building their bins. So hopefully will be a good weekend. Will keep you posted as I can access the net while we are here!

Catchya later!

Quick Stop in

Hey all, Just stopped home quick. LOL yes, off to the city tomorrow for Easter supper with the family. Hopefully I can get there on time! LOL We shall see . ..
We have been freezing our butts off. It snowed, it rained, it blew... was cold. Anyways . .. we managed to get legs and support angles, skids and chutes(rollers and such on the bottom to keep them closed when full) on 18 - 18 foot hopper cones, so the cones are done, the 6 - 14 foot hopper cones are skidded(bases put on). We also managed to get 4 of our 6 Westeel - Rosco's done. The pic below has two rings on, we were getting the ladder in the correct spot when this pic was taken. (more will follow later . .. ) This is just a pic of what the marsh on the other side of the trail from the yard we work in is like. This day was cold and the water is very grey and icy. We froze our butts most of the time we were there this week. That wind was nasty! Icy! The sun was warm when we did happen to see it, but the wind was sure to make it colder! So, refuge out of the wind was taken sometimes . .. brrr

I have been working on a little project . . little bits at a time . .. might show you later .. .. it is a gift but its turning out neat, so we shall see.

Talk to you all later!