My Great Western Auto Tour

May 6, cont'd: Calgary, Alberta, to Kenmare, North Dakota

Page last updated May 29, 2002.

Not far from the U.S. boarder, a truck overturned, spilling a load of corn and blocking the road. I could have turned around and detoured the accident site, but I wanted to see how they would clear the wreck. I alternated photographing the sunset and the accident scene. Apart from the bitter cold, it was a pleasant hour. The Germans call it "schadenfreude," taking joy in other's sorrows.

The fellow in the red shirt is the driver. I felt very sorry for him. Other drivers told me that both the tractor and the trailer would probably be total losses. The driver had a black eye and seemed uninterested in describing what happened.

I was impressed by the size of the tow trucks brought in from the neighboring town. They must be confident that lots of trucks will get into trouble nearby in order to justify investing in such heavy equipment. The two cranes pulled the truck into one lane, and the RCMP let us get on our way.

Seeing the sun setting behind me was dramatic proof that I had turned toward home. I had been on the road for thirteen or fourteen hours when I took these photos. It was long past dark before I found the Quilt Inn in Kenmare. In the morning, the manager let me run a load of clothes in the motel's laundry room. I managed to get my things out of the dryer before the cleaning staff needed to use it.

Monday, May 6: Calgary, Alberta, to Kenmare, North Dakota
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