The thunderstorm began around 2am, with thunderclaps that lasted minutes; so long, you'd think the clouds were all lined up in a row for the occasion as the sound continued. We woke up at 6am to discover that some of the seams some weaknesses in the tent design. Nothing major, we weren't soaking. But by 7am we could no longer lie there trying to sleep.
By 9am we were on the road in search of a place to buy coffee. The rain powered down from the sky as if shot from a machine gun. Once again, we were stopped on the highway due to an accident. A car had hydroplaned into a guard rail so that the rail itself, first decimated the left side of the car body, then launched itself through his car window and door. By the time we got to the site of the accident, the sad vehicle was hoisted on a flatbed tow truck and an brush machine was at work pushing the glass and debris off the road.
The rain faded on and off until 10am as we drove through Wisconsin farmland. The hills flattened out to fields of corn and soybeans. Then, as we entered Minnesota, the land undulated and folded. We arrived at the St. Paul home of my friend Janice at 2.30pm. I worked with Janice on the ePortfolio project I began at Dalhousie University. She visited me at my cottage in Nova Scotia on her way back from a conference, and this was the first time we've seen each other since.
We were treated to assorted cheeses, blueberries, cherries and iced tea. Her cat Felix paid a visit. Then Janice whisked us off for a car tour of St. Paul, Minnesota. We toured wide avenues of row after row of mansions built in the 1800's by lumber barons. I snapped my camera as we drove around St. Paul's Cathedral and the State Assembly.
We grabbed a room at the Hampton Inn just south of Minneapolis.
One disappointment: No fave signs to share today. Alas, such is our lot.
Tomorrow: On toward Mount Rushmore and much less harried pace.
The blog is a great read. Drive safely.
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