Thursday 18 August 2005
1 p.m.

This bed-and-breakfast place was found during an internet search for accommodations, and I reserved a room for the three of us. When we arrived, no one was there but we found a sign taped on the door, inviting us to enter and make ourselves at home.

It seemed to me that S wasn't well pleased, that he thought the price was too high, that our room on the basement floor was too cool, that it had no TV, and so on and so forth. I suggested we go out for supper and come back later; food always improves his outlook. Anyone's, for that matter. When we returned, there was still no one there and we made ourselves at home in the common room with a movie.

Before long we heard footsteps from the ceiling above our heads and soon a soft-spoken and lovely lady came down the stairs with friendly greetings, extra blankets in case we'd need them (the furnace was just being turned up), and an invitation to come upstairs and see the dining room. That's one corner of it in the photo above. It's filled with antiques and has windows on three sides. Gorgeous room.

The simple appearance of a warm and gracious human being made all the difference. We enjoyed the rest of our evening, and early the next morning S was up there drinking coffee and chatting with our hosts for an hour before Everett and I joined them for breakfast.

Then we went to get Emil from Camp Easter Seal. He hated to leave, but, as he kept repeating, "I can always come back next year." Thank goodness.

~ I call this rock Mount Everett ~

Sunday 14 August 2005
2:08 p.m.

It's the biggest rock out there at "the touchstones," and both Everett and Sara, the hound, had to work at it. But they made it and were pleased with themselves, as you can see:

Friday 12 August 2005
7:50 p.m.

Those of you who keep up with Stubblejumpers Café will be aware of the centennial cookbook, but others have yet to be informed. Here's a repeat of the blurb I posted at the café ... but improved by a photo of the cookbook itself:

The province of Saskatchewan is celebrating its 100th birthday, and little towns are holding reunions and doing all kinds of interesting things to mark the anniversary. Cooking through the Century is the Wadena Arts Council's Centennial project.

It starts with a short history of Dorothy Simmonds (who is 102) and some of her favourite recipes. The council then gathered recipes from the Wadena playschool, kindergarten through Grade 12, and cooks around the community. The "century" of the title represents generations of recipe submitters.

The book is approximately 300 pages and contains about 500 recipes. There are a lot of very good cooks around these parts, so it's a recipe book worth having. If you’d like to order one, email the Wadena Arts Council at wacncl@sasktel.net and Vie will tell you where to mail a cheque or will take your credit card information. You can fax orders with Mastercard or Visa #, expiry date and authorized signature to 306-338-3751. Don’t forget to include your mailing address!

The recipe books cost $20 Cdn if mailed within Saskatchewan, $25 everywhere else in Canada, and US$20 anywhere else in the world.

Please order by November 15 if you want them for Christmas gifts - due to the high volume of mail at that time of year.

Monday 8 August 2005
8:18 a.m.

There she waits, patiently, for me to come out. There is no sneaking off, for me. She loves our walks. If I am outside she won't leave me to go with anyone else, even when the kids or Scott try to entice her away. She must think I might go somewhere without her.

I get such a kick out of her as we wander over the fields. She runs full tilt after gophers, sticks her nose in their holes and digs, jumps up at butterflies and birds as if she stands a chance at catching them. You can almost see her smiling, she is so happy out there.

The other day she yelped in pain as she tried to run through a barbed wire fence and got caught on the lowest wire. I called "Wait, I'm coming!" and trotted over to untangle her before she hurt herself more. She quieted but by the time I got there she'd untangled herself without damage.

***

We had a movie night with the boys last night, watched Roger Rabbit. It wasn't quite 11 o'clock when it was over so I made Everett get his jacket and shoes on, amid great protest, and accompany me to see if the northern lights were putting on a show. They weren't, but as we headed out to the road a shooting star raced across the sky in front of us. He was thrilled. It was his first one.

Oh, and now he's the biker king. He rides beside me and says, with this sweet look of incredulity on his face, "I can't believe I'm riding a bike -- and on the road!"

Sunday 7 August 2005
4:09 p.m.

The northern lights were out the other night. It's not the first time this summer, but I rarely go out after dark. Obviously it would be a good idea not to miss such stunning beauty as they display, and get my butt out there! Things that inspire such awe are worth a few swats at mosquitoes.

Mars -- is it? -- was glaring brightly in the west.

Hot day. Too warm to do anything. Too warm to sit in this room.

Friday 5 August 2005
10:14 p.m.

One day I had to pull over to the side of the road on the way into town, to see what a flock of large birds coasting across the sky was. For a change I had remembered to take the binoculars.

Once I saw that they were pelicans, I turned north and startled another flock of them out of the water. It was a stunning sight but I was too late with the camera to catch them at all close. As usual.

As a wildlife photographer I will never make my living.

Thursday 4 August 2005
3:07 p.m.

Because the burning of gas pollutes the air, and because fuel is expensive, I try to combine errands so my driving is limited as much as possible. Once a week I go to the local business centre to get mail, pay bills, bank, shop and whatnot; on the weekend I go to my home town to visit Grandma and, if I'm lucky, see my sister Karen.

So today when a call came in to drive northwest about 25 kilometres and pick up the farmbeau from a hay field, I was not sorry to leave my desk here and venture out on the dusty gravel roads. It was a treat to drive past the bright yellow canola fields and the rows of round bales, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Out "in the middle of nowhere" this miniature replica of an old country school has been parked in the ditch. I stopped for a photo; all three of these pictures were snapped from the same corner.

Wednesday 3 August 2005
10:46 a.m.

It's a cooler day so far, windy; what a pleasure to go out walking in it this morning after putting a thin layer of varathane on a shelf for the boys' room. The hound and I made a wide tour of the farmyard perimeter before I came in for breakfast, dishes, a bit of computer work and some soup stock started on the stove.

Already some small accomplishments so I can sit at the desk and focus on work for a few hours without feeling distracted by other things needing done.

This afternoon, Everett will become a bike rider, against his will. One day he'll surely thank me for forcing him to learn. It's been such a struggle every summer that we always give up with him in frustrated tears. He's 12, for cryin' out loud! and should be able to accompany me on leisurely rides over gravel roads. I'm determined. He's dreading it.

Tuesday 2 August 2005
12:14 p.m.

Last Wednesday Aunt Reta brought my van so we could head off to the city, from whence she would wend her way home to Phoenix. I was just about to get into the tub, so she borrowed my long-sleeved shirt and went out to the bush around the yard to pick some wild raspberries.

When she came in, she rinsed them, asked for sugar, and sat down to eat them.

Monday 1 August 2005
12:11 a.m.

There's so much work to be done on this farm. I'm not one who does any of it. Never did sign up for the constant thankless labour and risk of it, and never will.

But I do enjoy living in the country, and feel lucky to be called out by the sky several times a day. Yesterday I took a walk in the morning, a bike ride in the afternoon, and another walk at sunset. If this keeps up I'll be in shape in no time.

Today's a hot one. I kept my morning stroll short because of it. There was no breeze at the time I went; well okay, in Saskatchewan there is almost always a breeze, even if it's hardly noticeable. And there was this time too.