fifth level

-since there are no people behind me, do you live near here?

-yes.

-i was wondering if this was a posting that rotated six months here six months say in sarnia

-no they ask for volunteers for the southern border - mexico needs more official

-"volunteer?"

-no we can still volunteer, but if no one goes that may change.

-thanks.

re-entry was complete.

there was tim's across the highway from the sunset motel - please help our septic system by not flushing sanitary napkins or condoms. use garbage receptacle. thank you - but thought it too early. there would be others before being south of 49.

passed another on the east side of portage la prairie but wanted the freshest possible box of timbits to hold me over when i got back. i'd wait until i was east of winnipeg. that meant passing the one just before the bypass.

i couldn't understand the lessening of the speed on the most improved road i had been on in sometime. passing the last oil well, i remembered that i wanted to make a snap of one but had kept looking for a better one or that the next one would be just as good as any. now it was too late or too complicated to stop and do the u turn.

a brush fire near the trans-canada outside winnipeg. 

prolonging the stay a bit longer and realising from the past two days that i could find new roads to use, i went a bit further east along the bypass but not far enough for a last double double or any decent coffee as i was on route 59 heading south. more stops along the way - a covered signs, ukrainian churches, a hockey rink made of old tyres, small hotels.

reckoned that i should make a snap of the winding down of canada along a straight section and no sooner than i put the camera down there it was. the border complete with a wooden post showing the border.

beyond this minor bend everything was almost the same. it still route 59, still flat,  the speed limit went from the 100km/h to 55mph i felt like i was standing still but now there were patrols of troupers.

a giant advert with a u.s. flag and "united we stand". thought that i was in some alternative u.s. as from what i read and heard this could be read as ironic.

passed a memorial to 11 september made from plastic flamingos. the towns became larger. 

still stayed a north as possible taking the road to duluth heading through the chippewa national forest, past the birth places of judy garland and bob dylan, didn't slow down for bemidji and the paul bunyon experience. saw the creek that up here was the beginnings of the mississippi then crossed it a number of times. stopped for a restaurant in a fish and a proper coffee in a nice coffee house complete with vegetarian and vegan food in grand rapids which again made me aware of my stereotype that small places miss a lot when it seems that small places away from larger towns tend to be more self sustaining.

another twinned highway heading into duluth crossing highway 61. strained my neck to see lake superior. a series of diversions and i was back in wisconsin.thought about staying north through ashland and bayfield to stay along the lake - always hear of the lake superior snow belt on wisconsin public radio. too dark to make snaps along 53 missing the chance to document more road housed, resorts, motels ending up in eau claire trying to find a motel before all the restaurants closed.