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 Prairie Pioneer Girl Dress Apron Pattern 9424 McCalls New $5.98 Time Remaining: 25d 14h 47m Buy It Now for only: $5.98 |
 MISSES S M L XL PRAIRIE PIONEER SUMMER DRESS APRON COSTUME SEWING PATTERN $4.99 Time Remaining: 2d 13h 38m |
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 GIRLS 7 8 10 12 14 PRAIRIE PIONEER SUMMER DRESS APRON COSTUME SEWING PATTERN $4.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2d 13h 40m |
 Adult Pioneer Prairie Queen Costume Pattern Misses Size 6 18 Cowgirl Old West $11.98 Time Remaining: 14d 16h 19m Buy It Now for only: $11.98 |
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 B3992 Misses Prairie Pioneer Costume Uncut Pattern Sunbonnet 12 16 $10.95 Time Remaining: 3d 7h 23m Buy It Now for only: $10.95 |
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 McCalls 9423 Misses Pioneer Prairie Costumes $13.00 Time Remaining: 1d 7h 59m Buy It Now for only: $13.00 |
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 McCalls 9424 Girls Pioneer Prairie Costumes Pattern $11.05 Time Remaining: 21d 9h 20m Buy It Now for only: $11.05 |
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 MCCALLS COSTUME PATTERN PILGRIM PIONEER PRAIRIE LADIES DRESS SZ C 10 12 14 7563 $2.99 Time Remaining: 3d 13h 25m |
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 Women COSTUME PILGRIM PRAIRIE PIONEER COLONIAL 14 $8.99 Time Remaining: 15d 15h 57m Buy It Now for only: $8.99 |
 MISSES PRAIRIE PIONEER DRESS BONNET APRON COSTUME SEWING PATTERN S 8 10 $4.99 Time Remaining: 4d 14h 32m Buy It Now for only: $4.99 |
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 GIRLS L 14 16 PRAIRIE PIONEER DRESS BONNET APRON COSTUME SEWING PATTERN $4.99 Time Remaining: 4d 14h 52m Buy It Now for only: $4.99 |
 MISSES PRAIRIE PIONEER DRESS BONNET APRON COSTUME SEWING PATTERN M 12 14 $4.99 Time Remaining: 4d 14h 43m Buy It Now for only: $4.99 |
 Womens Prairie dress costume pioneer pattern sz 8 10 $9.75 Time Remaining: 28d 5h 29m Buy It Now for only: $9.75 |
 McCalls 2056 Prairie Pilgrim Pioneer Floor Length Dress Size 10 12 14 Uncut $17.61 Time Remaining: 20d 10h 33m Buy It Now for only: $17.61 |
 COSTUME PATTERN 9424 PRAIRIE PIONEER GIRLS 10 12 UNCUT $6.95 Time Remaining: 4d 11h 11m Buy It Now for only: $6.95 |
Prairie Pioneer
Dealing with Vacation Mishaps
A year after getting married, my wife and I embarked on what I consider an epic journey. We packed our new Sunfire up with camping gear and headed East from the sheltered valleys of British Columbia across the prairies. Our goal was Montreal, and from there we would head south to Indiana and then back West through the United States. We planned to camp along the way, in order to save money. Our vacation was an interesting one. I would not term it a disaster, but there were several significant events along the way that led me to realize several key facts about planning and implementing a big trip, which I would like to share in this article.
Our first trials came as we left the mountains of my youth and descended into the treeless prairies. Treeless is significant, as we realized on our first stop that there was no wood available at the campsites for fires, beyond a couple of old fence posts. Saskatchewan, therefore, saw us dining on cold canned food. Lesson number one: Know the foliage of your destination and plan accordingly. The buffalo have vanished and therefore the old pioneer fuel of chips is no longer an option.
The next night, we consulted our travel brochure for sites in Manitoba. Manitoba has trees, so firewood was not an issue. We found a site that advertised plenty of firewood, spacious spots, and working showers. What it did not advertise was the fact that it was located on a recently flooded river, which upon returning to its banks had left a highly fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes. I have never seen so many of these insects in my entire life- you could hear them buzzing outside of the car- I am not joking. Lesson number two: Do not entirely believe what you read in brochures.
The density of the mosquito population was so extreme that even though it was already almost dark, we realized that we could not stay there. Instead, we drove a while longer and finally arrived in Ontario. We ate supper at a restaurant and then realized it was way too late to find and set up camp, so we found a rest stop and decided to sleep in the car. Lesson number three: A six foot two frame does not sleep well in the driver's seat of a Pontiac Sunfire. I decided to climb in the back, which led to lesson number four: Always check what you are lying on, no matter how late. I discovered in the morning that I had slept on top of the pancake syrup and the dish soap, which had both spilled their entire contents all over the car. An attempt to scrub the syrup out resulted in the formation of lots of bubbles. Our car to this day still smells like syrup and soap.
The remainder of the trip through Canada went well, although I will say that the roads in Ontario are seriously lacking when it comes to planning. The greatest disasters on the trip came on the way back East through the United States, and involved a severe altercation with a border guard, weather the likes of which I had never heard of in Minnesota, a biker rally in South Dakota, and a forest fire in Wyoming. The biggest lesson I learned on the whole trip was that it is absolutely essential to plan ahead when it comes to a vacation.
About the Author
For tips on water turtles and turtles habitat, visit the Facts About Turtles website.
What books/movies would you recommend for someone who is fascinated by the pioneering days?
I love books and movies set in the pioneer days of America, such as Little House on the Prairie. Anyone know of any other good books or movies that are also set in that time period?
Sign of the Bear.
I think that's what it is called... I read it last year...
The movie is pretty 'OK', but not that exciting...
Morris Community Church float-band at Prairie Pioneer Days Parade on July 11th 2010