On Friday morning the boys and I got into the car and headed for North Battleford to meet their dad, with whom they will spend their 10 days of Easter vacation. Just before reaching the highway we came upon this small herd of deer, which began scampering away from us. Usually they will light out across the field but this time they stayed on the road and we were practically able to drive alongside them. I was very careful, of course, because at any moment one could veer into the path of the vehicle.

It seemed strange that they stayed on the road as long as they did, but according to Scott the snow in the fields is "rotten" at this time of year and makes their usual speed across it impossible. We felt lucky to see them close-up for such a long time; they must have run along the road for almost a quarter-mile.

After dropping the boys with Gord I backtracked to Saskatoon and spent the night at Cathy's. We passed a quiet evening watching the film Into the Wild, which changed my attitude about the American lad, Christopher Johnson McCandless, who headed off alone into the Alaskan wilderness for a winter and died out there. I had previously assumed he was an unprepared fool, which was not the case. He survived very well for some time until unfortunate circumstances led him to accidentally poison himself by eating a wild plant.

On Saturday I drove home alone. The weather was fine, the highway was good, and once I was kidless there was no one to complain when I wanted to crank up the CD-player, which I did. Humboldt is the halfway point on the trip home and I planned to stop there and pick up a coffee, but drove past the restaurant because I was all teary-eyed after singing along with Your Long Journey, sung by Alison Kraus and Robert Plant:

God's given us years of happiness here
Now we must part
And as the angels come and call for you
The pains of grief tug at my heart
Oh, my darling
My darling
My heart breaks as you take your long journey

Oh, the days will be empty
The nights so long without you my love
And when God calls for you I'm left alone
But we will meet in heaven above
Oh, my darling
My darling
My heart breaks as you take your long journey

Fond memories I'll keep of happy ways
That on earth we trod
And when I come we will walk hand in hand
As one in heaven in the family of God
Oh, my darling
My darling
My heart breaks as you take your long journey

What a wuss I am. I can hear this and remain calm, but singing it is a different story. It's a pretty melody but I'm unable to get through it.

Yesterday I picked Grandma up at the lodge and brought her out for Easter dinner with Scott and me. Afterward she helped me with dishes while Scott went to Golden Grain Farm to meet a moving truck that was hauling some furniture Dad and Grace shipped out for me: a kitchen table with a set of the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in, a bookcase, a computer desk, a lawn chair and glass table, a TV, and a couple things for others.

We took a drive over and showed off Scott's progress on the house after Grandma had had her afternoon lie-down. He has completely re-done the kitchen and living room ceilings, as they were so warped he couldn't stand it. I hadn't even noticed, but he has an eye for such things and said it would have driven him crazy forever if he'd left it as it was.

Then she was ready to go back to the lodge so we took her home.

What you have in your bathrooms

Damon: I currently have Magician's Gambit, the 3rd book in the Belgariad series by David Eddings. I think I've read it a dozen times and it is still as powerful (if you like fantasy books).

Ann: A puzzle book and the TV guide are in my bathroom. But The Scarlett Feather by Maeve Binchey is travelling back and forth with me.