In 1966 Belle Plaine had all of 16 houses, two grain elevators, three other small businesses and a school that was no longer used. UGG rented one of the houses for their elevator manager. I had learned the basics of weighing and unloading grain by now, how to grade it and determine dockage and how … Continue reading Belle Plaine years
Learning the grain business
This temporary job with United Grain Growers lasted about seven years. The Moose Jaw elevator was only a few years old, still one of the old style wooden elevators, but with a scale and hoist that would accommodate a semi. Albert Simmie was the manager, nearing retirement and needing a helper. My job was pretty … Continue reading Learning the grain business
Migrations
The Dene (pronounced Denay) people speak a language which has 39 consonants and 116 vowel sounds. That is a total of 155 phonemes. For the sake of comparison, English and French run from 40-45 phonemes (total consonant and vowel sounds). These people are indigenous to the northern regions of the four western provinces of Canada, … Continue reading Migrations
Words of wisdom from J. S. Park
I keep forgetting that most people on social media who act like authorities are young 20-somethings who haven’t seen much of the world and don’t know how it works. They want to change the world from their basement, or they’re just hungry to go viral. It doesn’t mean they can’t have an opinion. It means […] … Continue reading Words of wisdom from J. S. Park
Dennis to the rescue
During the time I had been away in Toronto my folks had sold the little farm at Craik and bought an older two storey house in Moose Jaw. It wasn’t hard getting used to living in Moose Jaw, it was where I was born, we had family in the city and had made frequent trips … Continue reading Dennis to the rescue
Every Day With Jesus – booklet report
My wife has informed me that the book reviews I have posted are not reviews. I have thought about that and decided that she is right. I should have called them book reports. What I have before me today, though, is not really a book; it is a booklet of daily devotions giving a page … Continue reading Every Day With Jesus – booklet report
Fire Road – a book review
FIRE ROAD - The Napalm Girl's Journey through the Horrors of War to Faith, Forgiveness and Peace, by Kim Phúc Phan Thi. June 8, 1972, a nine-year-old girl had the clothes burned off her back by napalm during the Vietnam war. The photo taken by AP photographer Nick Ut won him a Pulitzer Prize and … Continue reading Fire Road – a book review
Another use for a station wagon
Why is this style of car called a station wagon? And what's with the faux wood trim? Well, the original station wagons were horse drawn conveyances for hauling passengers and baggage between hotels and railway stations. When motor cars started to become common, some people had the bright idea of putting such a wagon box … Continue reading Another use for a station wagon
The Toronto Interlude
There was a bond between my mother and I that never existed between me and my Dad. The bond with my mother was established at birth and nurtured by years of talking together, working together and playing together. My older cousins have told me of their appreciation for their Uncle Walter. The man they described … Continue reading The Toronto Interlude
Walking Towards Hope – a book review
One day in October of 1997 Paul Beckingham, his wife Mary and one of their young sons were taking a Kenyan boy back to his home on the edge of Nairobi. They came over a hill to find a massive Kenyan military transport coming towards them and taking up the whole road. Their lives changed … Continue reading Walking Towards Hope – a book review
