Yeah, I "should" write something, and do some more work at my computer. But right now the sun is shining on snow bright enough to blind, and I "should" go outside before it begins to fade.

~ fueling up in Wadena ~

The thermometer registered 15C below, and the snow was sparkling beneath a blue sky; I had to go out. This tete-a-tete looked soft and inviting but cold, so I didn't sit down. Instead I pulled my hood over my head and strolled toward the barn. There is a set of twin calves that are so tiny, Scott said, that when they were born they stood only about two feet tall. Now that's small. They're a week old already so will have grown a lot but I thought I'd like to see them.

I thought this dog was white. She looks pale against the brilliance of the fresh snow. I couldn't bear to leave the sunlight to go into the dark barn, so trudged right on past.

It was a much-needed walk. I've been hibernating since it turned cold, and that is not smart; I need fresh air and exercise daily, even if it isn't much. Today was a normal Saskatchewan winter day so I was fearless enough to remove a mitten to snap photos, only to discover that it's not as mild out there as it looks.

Wild roses all around the yard provide for birds over the winter.

We plan to work together over at Golden Grain Farm this weekend, go out for supper with Faye and Rick tomorrow night and attend a concert in town on Sunday afternoon. It'll be a busy couple days after a week of moving slowly.

Now Playing: Valdy, from Emil's bedroom

Desks don't come much larger than mine, but still this one is covered with whatever I'm doing and both wooden slides are pulled out too.

Everett made perogies for lunch, The Lovers is the card pulled in answer to the question "What do I most need to know today?" and for my health I have begun to do the 5 Tibetan Rites, seen in illustrations behind the card. Ten minutes a day and I'll be ship-shape. (It's doing it consistently that is my challenge.)

Before I got out of bed this morning Scott told me it was 40 below and the schoolbuses aren't running. The kitchen window is pretty frosty. That's one thing I may actually miss after we've moved; sometimes there are pretty patterns.

As soon as we fell into this cold snap, I thought "Someone is going to be found frozen," and sure enough, the news today is that a three-year-old has been discovered in her diaper and T-shirt, and her one-year-old sister has not yet been located.

It's a sad day in Saskatchewan. I shed tears while listening to the radio, and there will be more to come.

The Johnson elevator's still holding its ground out there all by its lonesome. This was taken from the road on Friday, when it was only 5C below and hadn't started snowing. Now we're enjoying 30C below, before wind chill.

Here's the elevator back in the day.

**

I have been smiling at these since Sunday morning. My eyes are drawn by the hot pink carnations. A lot of their colour is found around my yard during the growing season.

Who cares if it's too cold to go out. We have flowers in the kitchen.

It's only about 5C below this afternoon, but I am still partial to this "thermal" setting in the photo booth. It warms everything up, doesn't it?

Emil and I are off cross-country driving for an afternoon chinwag with faithful reader (and longtime family friend) Joanne; poor little Everett must stay home and work on his Grade 10 English.

News that has me smiling today is that a friend is expecting her first baby in July. Every time I think of it I want to get up and do a happy dance for her and her hubby.

Apparently Grandma and this Claus character have met before. Party animals.

Then there's Everett, who has no time for such frivolity:

When the boys went to their dad's for the month of July, Everett and I wrote back and forth:

july 11
mom
i went to fort edmonton park with uncle russ
it was fun and i had a float
i remember going there in elementary school on a field trip
are you happy yet?
bye
p.s. stop putting my letters on your webpage, i'll be checking

july 12
Dear Everett,
Whaddaya mean? I'm always happy. Especially with you guys away; the bathroom is always empty when I want it.

-stop putting my letters on your webpage, i'll be checking

Shit, that's too bad. Without your letters, I'll actually have to write something myself. Oh, and my faithful readers will be disappointed. They look forward to your summer letters every year.
Thanks for writing,
Mom
ps remind Gord to make dentist appointments

July 13, Thursday
Mom.
Poppa and I went to see Pirates: At World's End at the theatre. It was good. You still have to see the second one. I heard they're making a fourth one. Emil and Russ went to eat lunch at some place. Emil ate frogs legs. He said they were so good he ordered another serving. I'm not becoming interested!
Everett

Monday July 16
Dear Everett,
I was weeding one of the flower beds yesterday when I noticed some raspberries starting to turn red. So there should be some ready when you get home.
How was your weekend in Valleyview? What kind of mischief did you and Dominick get up to?
Love,
Mom

Hi Mom.
My weekend in Vallyveiw was very fun. Dominick and I went to drive around. The trails are more bumpy and I got stuck once. Jason has a Nintendo Wii! He hasn't actually bought any games for it but the machine has a bunch of games already put in it. You can also play old games from previous platforms. Really old games. They were able to play games for the old Super Nintendo. The movement games really made me sweat and they were fun. We visited Gary and Jeanette. As soon as I got to their house Gary got me and Dominick doing a bunch of physical labour. Holy crap!! In all, it was a very good trip.
Everett

Hi Everett,
I am so tired, I can hardly type. Why, without you here to do all the work, I am practically reduced to skin and bones. You'd hardly recognize me. Yesterday and today I mowed the front and back lawn with the push mower (Jesus that's some tough sledding) while wearing my bathing suit (I am so skinny now, I am practically invisible, so it might not be such a horrible sight), and just now I had to lift the big blue water jug all by myself. I swear, how did I ever get by without you to slave for me? Hurry back.
What kind of physical labour did Gary get you to do? Maybe you should save up to buy your own Wii, and whip yourself into shape!
Remind Pop about the dentist.
How are you guys staying cool in Gord's suite? One thing that helps is to wear a wet towel (cold of course) around your neck (wring it out first) and keep dabbing your skin with it. The evaporation helps cool you off. Please keep a close eye on Emil in that hot apartment because he could get overheated and not realize it, ok? Make sure you guys drink enough water.
Love you,
Mom

Wed July 18
Mom, stop whining. Even I don't whine that much. And you only have to do it for a week or more.
Gary made us do a bunch of lifting.
Why don't you buy me a Wii for my birthday?
Poppa knows about the dentist thing. Turns out we already had appointments...for next time we come out.
We stay cool with an air condishoner so we don't have to do that tiring, non-working way you do.
Everett

Thurs July 19
Everett,
Buy you a Wii? Not on your life. The worst parenting mistake I ever made was buying you a Playstation. You won't be seeing me repeat it. If you want a Wii, get a job and save your money.
Sure wish you were here yesterday. I hired Kurt to come and help me wash windows. He started at one o'clock and we worked till past 7, with a couple half-hour cigarette breaks (he smokes two, one right after the other). He did the outsides and got up on the ladder, while I did the insides. Still have to do the ones in the office, but other than that they are all done and look pretty good. If you were here, you could have earned yourself some cash. I was tuckered by the end of the day.
He is supposed to come back to do Pat and Ivan's windows but it really works best if you work as partners, so you can be on each side of a window and see the streaks each other misses. Maybe you can partner up with him to do Pat and Ivan's if he doesn't get to them before August.
I didn't know Poppa's place had an air conditioner. He only said fans.
When is the last time you guys saw the dentist?
Have you guys gone to see Helen yet?
Love,
Mom

Monday July 23
Hi mom.
We had fun at the family reunion. Dominick wouldn't shut up because he had a sugar crash. Almost nobody showed up so we didn't really do anything. I brought back something that reminds me of you. I'm very careful with it. You can see it when I get back.
Everett

Everett,
Hm, wonder what that could be. An empty hornets' nest?
It is so hot today, we are all wilted. No way am I cooking tonight; we'll go out for supper where there is air-conditioning. The Crazy Moose has a new operator and Scott says it might not be a bad place to go.
Rebecca just stopped in, wondering when you'd be back. We had an ice cream cone out on the swing and she went home after I showed her all the flower patches around the yard.
Little kittens have been dying mysteriously. They are blaming it on Sara but no one has seen Sara hurt a kitten yet.
Seems to me I had two things to tell you but now I don't remember either of them.
I am going to Saskatoon on Wednesday night, will stay overnight at Auntie Cathy's and bring Aunt Reta home with me the next day. Grandma is getting excited about seeing her.
I saw Grandma yesterday afternoon; she didn't want to go for a drive so I just visited her in her room till suppertime.
Love,
Mom

Tues July 24
Mom
Are the kittens bodies showing up anywhere or are they just disappearing?
Everett

Wed July 25
Hi Everett,
Another dead neon the day before yesterday. The air filter is clogged up (the black part that is in the water), you will have to clean it the moment you get home. I hope that's not what's killing the fish; seems it's mostly neons dying, and maybe they were just getting old?
One kitten was by the firepit, apparently it looked like its back end had been ripped apart. I don't know if other dead kittens were found or if they have just been disappearing.
I ordered three new pairs of jeans for Emil today. If they don't fit I can return them.
Well, I should work. Haven't done dishes in a couple of days; kitchen's a mess. Wish you were here.
xoxo
Mom

friday july 27
I DON'T SEE ANY EMAILS FROM YOU IN MY INBOX
i sent in your homeschooling registration on wednesday
auntie reta blacked out and fell down in the denver airport and has a black eye
violet and alex are moving out sept 2 and we will start moving in shortly after that
i think you are going to have the middle bedroom until we get the basement sorted out
we need to find you a desk to keep in there
MOM

Everett could spend hours distorting his image in the computer's photo booth. When the kids from next door come over, they happily join him. Their loud cackling can be heard all over the house; this is the best toy, ever.

There is quite a parade of Everett's "artwork" and some of it is good for a laugh, I'll admit.

He likes it even better if I'll play the game with him, but I get bored and run away: