In the nineteenth century an expedition was sent to survey the Canadian prairies to determine its suitability for agriculture. They reported that a large part of the prairies were far too arid to be farmed. That area is still known as the Palliser Triangle, after the leader of that expedition. The Triangle has now been … Continue reading Listen to the falling rain
Saskatchewan
Another blind lady
Rose Goodenough, widow of my cousin Ron, has written the history of her family and the community at Barrier Ford, Saskatchewan. Her parents were born in England, to families who lived comfortably, but were not wealthy. They thought to better their lot by coming to the Canadian prairies where free land was being offered. Rose’s … Continue reading Another blind lady
The COVID conundrum
Saskatchewan doesn't have a huge population, perhaps we're an anomaly in the big picture. The COVID infection rate is edging up to 0.05%, the death rate is 1 for every 200,000 people in the province. The seasonal flu has infected far more people, the death rate is much higher — even if half of us … Continue reading The COVID conundrum
A flatlander looks at life
I am a native of the Canadian prairies, like the young fella gazing across the plains in the picture above. We call him a gopher, technically he is a Richardson ground squirrel. When the government asked people to vote for an animal emblem for Saskatchewan, some folks suggested the gopher. He is kinda pesky, kinda … Continue reading A flatlander looks at life
Swan sightings
There is a pond 15 km north of us, near Frontenace Road, where swans pause every spring on their northward migration. I saw a dozen there on Thursday, Chris saw 20 yesterday and today the number was up to 30. I was disappointed when I looked on Pixabay for swan photos. They have very few … Continue reading Swan sightings
The signs of spring
I had some errands to do in Outlook this morning. There has been no highway maintenance this spring and the pavement is breaking up in many places. The Department of Highways has placed red diamond-shaped signs—like the one in the picture, but smaller—on the shoulder to mark these places. There are dozens of them between … Continue reading The signs of spring
Only an empty box
Agnes grew up 100 years ago on a farm in southwestern Saskatchewan. Her parents were members of a church which called itself Mennonite and worshipped in the German language. At home the family spoke a Low German dialect called Plautdietsch, and English. There were 14 children in the family, spaced about two years apart. Agnes … Continue reading Only an empty box
SPRING!
We heard, then saw, Canada geese this morning for the first time this spring. A reassuring sign that the wild things are carrying on as usual and spring is on its way.
Use this stuff
Wednesday morning when I went for blood tests, all the staff were wearing face shields and I was asked if I had travelled recently or had contact with someone infected with the Covid-19 virus. Are these just normal precautions or local evidence of a worldwide epidemic of unreasoning panic? So far here have been no … Continue reading Use this stuff
Winter grumbles
It was -36° when I got up this morning, wind chill -47°. Those numbers are on the Celsius scale, but the Fahrenheit numbers don't look any better: -33° and -52° wind chill. This is the depth of winter, the whole week is supposed to be like this. There can be advantages to days like this. … Continue reading Winter grumbles
