FTLComm - Naicam - December 25, 1999

Record breaking weather has swept across the prairies this the last year we begin with a one and a nine. (All the purest want to point out that this isn't the end of the century or the millennium so we have to find other ways to say that the calendar is changing pretty radically) On Christmas Eve I set out for Regina when I would normally be working on Ensign and the blurring picture at the top of the page was not to capture the image but record the colour of the early morning light about fifteen minutes East of Naicam. Similarly, this blue picture was snapped to show the emergence of what was to shape up to be a remarkable day. Just around zero at the time these were taken but it was not long until spray was wafting up from the road and on to the windshield of the van.

This picture was taken close to nine of a new "Tombstone" (aka: inland terminal) is being completed just North of Spalding. As I look at this picture I am immediately reminded of the events taking place on CBC radio at the time as Sheila Coles was hosting her annual Christmas Card show with people throughout the province calling in to wish each other a Merry Christmas. Several times I heard people I have heard before and familiar names were called out to acknowledge this wonder filled time of the year.

At 9:05 the sun was launching itself above the horizon as I listened to the morning news of war crimes in Bosnia, terrorist fears in America, renewed calls for peace in Northern Ireland, a son of a police chief receiving his earned five years in jail for child molesting, kidnapped victims reunited with their families and hostages being killed in India. What a savage species we are and how badly we need to heed the call for "peace on earth and good will toward men"

By 11:30 we were doing the shopping blitz with a break for lunch and by seven I had Matthew bring the van to a halt to snap this glow of the Louis Dreyfus terminal for we had successfully made it through the day. Shopping done, no dints in the van and a sense of peace in our own hearts as we look forward to Christmas day with our family in Yorkton.