I spent Sunday evening in Swift Current after what could be called a nervous drive.

The day started off badly when the fellow at the RV storage place gave me shit for entering the site while the gate was open.  This was a member privilege which I did not have. Lesson learned for the next time which will never happen anyway. I apologized of course, many, many times and all was OK.

I managed to hitch the trailer all by myself, backing up, getting out and checking several  times until I nailed it.

I somehow got the electrical connection in wrong because the trailer brakes would not work. I unplugged the replugged and they were OK.  Still, unnerving.

The brake thing came after reading a post on the Escape Owners’ Forum about an issue with a certain refrigerator model (mine, of course) that everyone is trying to fix without much luck it would seem. Temp fixing the issue requires cutting two wires and splicing them…not my cup of tea!

So far, so good because the fridge is working well.

So, I am thinking that owning a trailer is much more fun if you possess various technical skills: electrical, plumbing and of course backing up!

When I arrived at the Walmart in Brandon a short while ago, the lady in the RV next to mine pointed out that I was crooked (reminding me of my mother).  Of course, I eventually climbed into the truck and managed to get it acceptably parked by backing up. I am encouraged!

Anyhow, trailer ownerhip requires a certain degree of knowledge but resources are never far….IF YOU HAVE WIFI! And someone who actually know something is awake with nothing better to do than peruse the forum.

Often replies on forums (fora?) start off with “I really don’t know anything about this…”, click, stop reading.

Having said that, the Escape forum and the FaceBook page have several experts who readily provide useful recommendations. I am  truly grateful!

Hwy 1 through Alberta and Saskatchewan is really great most of the time. At some places it’s like driving over corduroy (washboard as well) with the truck’s and the trailer’s wheels definitely not on the same cycle.

And there are the semis of course. They are going very fast and I had to learn that some of them (have not figured out which just yet) yank you toward them…not my preference.  An air pressure thing. I slow down to let them by and I keep both hands firmly on the wheel.

There are few places to stop, certainly no coffee shops. As my friend Hubert puts it, the priority here if grain and cows, not tourists!

All places where you could stop for gas or a bathroom break are all on the other side of the highway. You can cross over but there are no lights.  Such crossover places are called “important intersections” and you are warned when one is approaching. Some have yellow flashing lights so they must be particularly important or dangerous.

Some of the i i have an extra lane, a merge section, but hairy when a truck pulls out just the same.

On another note, dear Josée prepared all sorts of little packages of food for me and they are in my little freezer which is still working thank goodness!

What a darling!

Time for supper. Off to St Malo Park tomorrow for 2 nights. It’s a three-hour drive and there is no rush.

I may treat myself to an Egg McMuffin in the morning….they have wifi!