Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy

Without fail, going to Winnipeg in a non-Summer season has brought a snow storm. Even more unfortunate are the circumstances that brought me here, but such is life, and the cycle of it. Still it’s strange to make a surprise mid-week trip to another city, and even worse to feel guilty about enjoying the moments of leisure, when a relative is at death’s door in hospital. It’s more important than attending something like this.

Last night my brother, sister-in-law, and I piled into their white car and drove to Langbank. We stopped in Kipling and I saw the Red-Paperclip house for the first time. They have red paperclip lights up on the power poles on the highway. The farm where we spent the night has seen about a century of Canadian Winters. On the wall of the computer room was a photo of the 1913 harvest.

After a hearty breakfast (and homemade midnight snack of muffin and chicken noodle soup), we were on our way into Manitoba. The snow started at about the border, and increased in intensity until it was a whiteout by Brandon. The radio only had warnings for highway 16 until that point. Fortunately we made it through into clear weather, and it was sunny by Portage la Prairie. I had lunch at a nearly empty A&W, while my siblings stood in line behind about half a dozen Mounties and others at Subway. I finished eating nearly before they got back to the car.

Parking in Winnipeg wasn’t too hard, and we found our way to visit in the hospital. It was apparent that we’d be staying an extra day by that point. And the weather wasn’t going to let us return tonight in peace anyway it turned out. A local weather report indicated traffic accidents and closed roads.