A Thousand Metres Underground

... is where I was on Saturday evening. I got to go on a tour of a potash mine just a little ways west of town. Jay's dad is one of the head safety guys there, and it was 'family tour and barbecue day' so Jay was able to get me and Brad in for a tour. It was pretty okay. The mill was loud and the tour guide started talking before everyone got to the stops he wanted to show us. Thus I have a pretty poor understanding of the potash processing. The mine tour was more interesting. We took a 3 1/2 minute elevator ride underground, then we sat in Land Cruisers while a mine employee drove us out to where some mining was being done. They had us go out in front of the big mining machine so we could see it operate. Let me just say that breathing in salty dust is not the most pleasant experience. There was a mild burning sensation in my nasal passages, so I decided to mouth breathe. The cloud of dust rushed into my mouth, tasting of salt. I like it more when air has no taste. The smell of the mine reminded me of a really mild version of what an anatomy lab smells like. I thought it might be pretty freaky to think of being underground like that, but it really just felt like you were driving in a really long corridor. I think it would be a pretty creepy place to be all by yourself. It's quite dark in most places, and there's a conveyor belt that extends the entire length of the mine. It makes lots of creaking and thumping noises, and when there aren't any machines operating that's the only noise you hear. All in all it was an interesting tour, but I'm glad I don't have to go to work there everyday.

P.S. Don't take a handful of salt product in your hand when you have a cut on your palm. Ow ow ow ow ow!