Mother Goose

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away.... well, I guess how far it is depends on how you plan to get to the land of Saskatchewan. It sure is far, far, far away if you drive.

So that was another place we flew to during the summer. Or at least, at the end of summer. We thought hubby was done work for the year and so we took off to see our long lost daughter and maybe do some physical activity around her house.

In the early fall, parents aren't the only ones who fly to the wide open prairies. Flocks of geese do it too. In fact those lovely big fields, freshly harvested, attract many thousands of those winged creatures. Of all the many types of geese in the fields over Saskatchewan, the most amazing to me is the sight of snow geese circling the fields. The flock looks just like a slow moving tornado, a dark grey on the side of the funnel thats facing you. But when the sun hits the birds coming back around, the white of their backs is dazzling. And once landed, you understand where they got their name, as it appears the ground is completely covered in snow.

With all this feathered infestation, those smart prairie people decided not to let a good reason for a party go to waste.  They created Goosefest. Maybe not so much fun for the geese, but the people have a great time.




It starts out with a good old fashioned goose plucking.  Who doesn't like a competitive goose plucking? Certainly not the kids at the base of the stage throwing the loose feathers in the air.  And having a grand old time doing it. I didn't stay around for the potato peeling contest that was next, but did get a peek at the egg dropping. Some man stands about 20 feet up on a scaffold and drops raw eggs down to anyone on the ground foolish enough to try to catch it. I stayed well away from the splatter.




The heavy horse pull was the next night. And yes, it was the horses that were heavy, although with every successful pass, an additional 500 pounds were added to the skid. It didn't take long for the weight being pulled to outweigh the teams doing the pulling. Some pairs were experienced and quietly walked over to be hooked up before digging in and throwing their bulk into the harness. Other teams were matched and flashy, a crowd favourite. But to me the most fun were the eager pairs. The ones that could hardly wait for the pin to drop ito the skid before they were off dragging their load. Many times the pin hadn't yet connected and their load was only the hapless handler at the end of their reins uselessly skidding along on his heels behind them.

They kept the teams waiting their turn on the other side of the drag strip from the crowd. I got to see one man talking to his horse who was so happy for the attention that it would nudge him whenever he stopped. Such an intimate equine moment.




The big party day was Saturday, starting with a long parade complete with marching band. I heard the music, but missed the event due to a previous appointment with the local dump. I preferred to wait until after a hot shower before going downtown to participate in the festivities.



Downtown had bouncy air castles for the kids, food vendors, live bands on stage, and a vintage car show. Although I think the dealership that snuck in that brand new Ford truck in the lineup was cheating. There was also an assortment of shiny motorcyles that had my hubby drooling.

An ethnic food festival that evening gave us all a taste of prepared dishes. Enough food was served to be able to call it dinner. One table served Dill Pickle Soup while the Metis group had bannock and buffalo. Hungarian and Portuguese food sat side by side on our plates with a local crabapple dessert.

Goosefest ended with a dance at the arena, but it started much too late for this old fogie, so we kissed our daughter goodnight as she walked out the door. Judging by how late she came home, it was a good time.

And as they say, they all lived happily ever after.  Except for those poor naked geese. Oh, and the husband who ended up going back to work on our return. Oh well, at least I was happy.

W

Summer Vacation

I know it has been awhile since I've posted a blog. Mea culpa.  I just didn't think anyone would be interested in our 5 month enforced stay in Ontario. This is a time period required by the province to keep us eligible for our  "free" government health care. It is not enough that we pay taxes to them.

But please do not think that we have been idle.  I guess its just not in our nature.  Although the trailer pretty well stayed put the entire summer, hubby and I have been bouncing around the province. And a few other places.

This has not really been a bad thing. It has given us the opportunity to spend good quality time with family and friends.









I sent my dear man to work in the crowded city of Toronto for most of the summer.  I did not exile him there, despite what he thinks. I even alternated spending time with him in the city and having the grandchildren all by myself at the trailer.  On the weeks I stayed with him in a hotel room with maid service, I selflessly shopped while he worked.

And then devotedly lay on the beach with my grandchildren the next week. It was a hard summer for both of us.

But it did have a few bright spots.  We flew down to Phoenix for a wedding, and stayed a week. It was hot and dry and a wonderful change from the wet spring and early summer we had been having in Canada.

 Phoenix has these odd mountain croppings that pop out of the mostly flat terrain. Of course, anything higher than our heads has to be explored. 

So we went up the Cholla Trail. Yes, that is exactly what the trail looks like.                                        Because of the heat, all climbing has to be done at sunrise. Surprisingly, this was very enjoyable.
Maybe because we got to spend the rest of the day in the air conditioned resort or in the pool.  

During our walks we got to see lots of wildlife. Desert hares were everywhere, as were the quail.  I did not make the hike to the very top of the mountain, so hubby had to take a picture to prove that he had finally seen a real roadrunner - one of his favourite characters on Bugs Bunny shows. You might have to look closely, but you can see him standing on the side of the rock.

Back at the trailer park, I enjoyed my more sedate walks by the waterfront, where I could keep tabs on the resident family of swans. Definitely more my style!

And my exhausting days with the younger generation were usually capped off with a campfire.  Why else stay in a park?

At the end of the summer, I can say that "our" hard work paid off. Our assets have increased, although not in our cash reserves like one would expect. Instead we have invested in new living quarters - a cottage, so to speak.  A newer, shorter Airstream to take with us on our travels south this winter.