April 6th, 2008: Warm again today; what little snow there is left receded noticeably.
We went to Greenwater on Monday; just a flying visit to do a little business but we got there in time for morning coffee and had a great time. Jack was there and he did not say “Are you back here again?” In fact, he was very mellow. Merv wasn’t there; I’m sorry to hear that he has been under the weather. Maurice was there, but I gather he had a terrible two-month battle with colds and flu. I get the impression there has been a lot of it going around.
Once we got east of Humboldt (and east of Wakaw on the way back) there was no bare ground at all. Close to Saskatoon there was lots of it. That area has had several recent snows that we didn’t get so everything is nice and clean and white. I can tell by the banks in front of our old place that the snow has gone down a lot, though.
We saw dozens of crows on the way to Greenwater – maybe hundreds. Frank used to say we get seven snows after the first crow is spotted, before we can call winter over. What has never been made clear is if Frank has to see that first crow, or does it still apply if I, or someone else, sees it first? And what constitutes a snow? A few stray flakes? Or a full-bore snowstorm? Every spring, I plan to test the theory, and every spring, I forget. Maybe it’s like the sex of a baby – better not to know until it’s born.
The fishing season ended on Monday, and all ice-fishing huts had to be off the ice before nightfall. We drove down to the marina and there were lots of huts pulled up on shore.
There were some people out fishing, but we couldn’t see any huts left out.
Kelvington’s Fishing Derby was on Sunday; we know that Dave Gwilliam won it with a jack of a little over two pounds, and that there were over 170 fishers, but I don’t know any other details. Someone asked Ty at the Cove if it was safe to drive on the ice, and he said an emphatic “No!” I don’t think there has been any wheeled traffic on the ice this winter, but a good depth of snow, so anyone venturing out there with a half ton is likely to wind up walking for help. I didn’t hear if the ice flooded during the Derby, as it has other years.
Bill Gudjonson’s lynx is a traveler, or else there are a lot of them around. Alex Dunlop saw one right up against the house in his yard, and apparently Helen Renneberg saw one too. Joe Rusteika saw one by the woodpile in our former yard. Quite a thrill.
I bought a new GPS navigator; Doreen got a yen for yard sales and flea markets, so yesterday we combined and let the navigator take us to the yard sales. It worked pretty well, too. I think it would do the job even in a completely strange city, though the Saskatoon map enclosed is somewhat out of date.
We didn’t see much to interest us at the yard sales, but at one we met Glen Quale, owner of the resort at Marean Lake formerly called McCrea’s Beach. Actually, we had met him last year at a function over at Woulfe’s, where we saw Glen, and the Woulfes, get pies in their faces. Glen tells me he is still working on revenge for that one, and it could come this summer. To the Woulfe Pack: Keep an eye over your shoulders! Glen says he is going to keep me posted on newsworthy events at Marean Lake.
There was a major flea market at Western Development Museum, and there we met Jim Berg, who was on our bus tour to Mesa in 2007. Jim volunteers at WDM and had a table at the flea market. His wife, Jean, was there too, but we never did see her. Another great visit. Jim has become a follower of the Greenwater Report, and recognized us as soon as he saw us. It took me a minute or two.
We went to Lloyd’s & Louise’s for supper last night. Scott was home again after a year in Asia touring China, Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, parts of India, Cambodia, Viet Nam and finally Myanmar. Nepal and Myanmar were his favorites. Scott likes to get right in with the locals, eat what they eat and often sleep where they sleep. Language is never a problem, which really surprises me. We were concerned, because he spent five weeks in Myanmar without being able to keep us posted. With all the news happening in Myanmar, we were really worried. Scott says it’s only the idiots that wind up in foreign jails. If one respects their laws, their customs, and doesn’t run down their governments, one has little to worry about.
|
