08/28/2026
221 and 643 before the digging began. Pembina Pipeline Gate I
Range Road 221 off 645
“All In A Night’s Work”
Patrolling can take a heavy mental toll. You find yourself driving across pitch-black gravel roads into the night, never quite knowing what lies ahead. At any given moment, the beam of your headlights might catch a glimpse of passing wildlife, homeless encampments, or trees fallen after a storm, blocking the path. Other times, it reveals the sudden tension of surprised thieves, and the slow approach of an unfamiliar vehicle trailing behind you.
There are the frustrating moments too, like the relentless swarms of insects clouding around while you check a gate lock, the heavy mud caking every inch of your vehicle's undercarriage, potholes as big as a bathtub hidden beneath road puddles, and let’s not forget the pulsating ache in your back from navigating those rutted roads for twelve long hours during pouring rain or heavy snow.
But then…the night offers its gifts: a moose with her calf frozen in the headlights, the gratitude of a stranger you helped find their way, the beauty of the sunsets, and the soft glow of the moon. The owls flying overhead while the birds sleep, and the steady sound of frogs singing and keeping you company.
Finally, you’re in the dawn of another sun rising to light up the dirt roads as your shift draws to an end. A quiet relief sets in as the morning safely returns you home, just as the farmers awake to brew their coffee, and animals wait to be fed. The work trucks begin making their way onto their sites, and rock trucks, kicking up dust, start rolling down the very same roads you just spent 12 hours patrolling.
As the world around me builds into a busy morning, I’ll head to bed to sleep through the day. The people waking up will go about their lives with no idea how my night was spent, silently protecting the dark roads on which they’ll walk or drive, so their ‘day’ will be safe.
~Protecting What Matters~