The day finally arrived! The camper was packed, the cat vacuumed, propane full, fuel full, tires checked, fridge loaded, snow brushed off. At the end of the work day we were to be headed west to put in a few miles before the day was done. But it was not to be :-(
Work interfered - in more ways than one. I got called out the night before to a gruesome wreck on the highway, just a kilometre down the road from home - the Fire Department requesting assistance. Four loaded semi-trucks had come together head-on, with disastrous results. It might as well have been a roadside bomb in Iraq; I'm sure the results look the same. It took about a half hour on scene just to figure out how many trucks were involved.
Tangled, twisted metal, freight, wheels, clothing, tarps, frames. Engines sitting on pavement, ripped right out of the frame. And everything covered in diesel fuel and snow. 
Fortunately, there was no fire. It took over 4 hours to cut one driver free, and only after a huge crane was brought in to lift some of the wreckage, and another victim was not found till morning.
Firefighters struggle to free one of the drivers, but other victims still remain missing. Even our search dog could not find them under tons of wreckage, snow, and diesel fuel.
One of the more intact trucks, in the harsh light of day - when most of the wreckage has been removed and hauled away.
The highway was closed, of course and it remained closed all the next day as lines of other trucks formed to cart all the pieces away. Flat decks, dump trucks, loaders, forklifts, and heavy tow trucks worked all day, but still the highway was not opened up when I had planned to hit the road. Having only managed two or three hours sleep, we decided that we did not wish to join the race with 500 more trucks who had been stuck on the roadside for over 20 hours waiting for the road to re-open.
So, better safe than sorry, it is one more night at home before the fearless feline and I head out to seek adventure - and warmth!
We are hoping to make it to the big RV show in Chilliwack or Abottsford for tomorrow nite.
Drive carefully and - slow down!
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