Digging Out

Fun for the whole family!

The Blizzard of 2010

Woke up today to a quieter and darker than usual morning...the white stuff had been falling all night.  And it kept on going until supper time.  There seemed to be a slight respite in the evening, but with complete darkness outside now, it's hard to tell what's going on.

Until such time as it stops, it's agreed that the snowmobile is the primary mode of transportation.  Can't be bothered to snowplow the driveway until it stops and we don't need to go anywhere anyhow.

Although, I am considering the 4 or 5 km trek the 'corner store' (at a nearby resort/golf course community) for more red wine.  Making due with white...for now.  The snowmobile could make it.  Nothing like a lovely ride in the ditch to get the juices going.

We managed a trip out to water the cattle this morning, the three of us on the ski-doo.  Watching Dexter stagger through and fall in the snow, I realized why it seemed like there was so much snow when I was a kid.  Because there was!  Ankle deep on us is calf-deep for the kid and it's hard enough to stagger around in a snow suit in the best of conditions.  Tomorrow, he may just have to tunnel his way around. :)

Saskatche-what?

This little nugget landed in my inbox today:

A Saskatchewan farmer and his wife, on their way back home in January, are at the airport in New York awaiting their flight.  They are dressed in heavy boots, parka, scarf, mittens, etc.. An older couple standing nearby is intrigued by their manner of dress.


The wife says to the husband: "Look at that couple. I wonder where they're from."

He replies: "How would I know?"

She counters: "You could go and ask them."

He says: "I don't really care. You want to know, you go and ask them."

She decides to do just that and walks over to the couple and asks, " Excuse me. Looking at your dress, I wondered where you're from."

The farmer replies: "Saskatoon , Saskatchewan."

The woman returns to her husband who asks: "So, where are they from?"


She replies: "I don't know. They don't speak English"

Good day

I had one of those long, computer afternoons where my eyes began feeling like little radiating squares in my head.

Chris left to get Dexter and I went for a lovely ski.  Yes, I, Michele Wiwchar, instead of being able to head down the street to pick up a Tango Palace treat, actually strapped on the skis.

It was a glorious, mild day, and I am slowly getting better at dressing appropriately for any particular outing.  As a quick climb up the stairs will wind me, actually skiing could be potentially debilitating.

With Sam the dog trotting along behind/beside/around me, I made it almost to the corrals (yes, we have corrals) before turning back. 

Got back in, tidied up and dutifully reported to the garage door to herald the arrival of Dexter, right on time.

It was a good day. :)

Burning down the house

Shortly after our arrival, I did a post with random shots of the farm, cleverly entitled Farm Shots.  In that gripping pictoral essay, there was a picture of the "broken house" (really, really old shed) that Dexter loved to visit for a big outing across the road.

Over the holidays, the shed was deemed a hazard and it was declared time to get rid of it.  I suspect decrepitude had little to do with this decision and a lot with getting 16 family members the hell out of the house and air everyone out for an hour, but nonetheless, it was the big excursion to go across the road to witness the conflagration.

Armed with diesel, matches and sleds full of whiny kids, we managed to stagger over and line up for the big event.

We had heard for years about how the shed had been built by our forefathers with only wooden pegs - no nails at all.  Pretty darned impressive it had lasted 80 odd years.  Also, a bit of a disappointment that upon inspection, massive spike-like nails were discovered on the corners. We'll attribute those as a later addition as it was, after all, relocated during the years and of course would have to be buttressed for that.

All that to say...boy was that sucker sturdy!!  Never mind that gallons of diesel wouldn't ignite it...it seemed at one point all the adults were pushing on the thing trying to push it down and it wasn't budging.

After about half an hour and everyone's whining reaching a fevered pitch, we headed in, except a few diehards who persevered to see to the demolition.

It was only after warming up and hangin out in the kitchen that we noticed it was the three oh-my-god-we-married-into-the-family spouses who had not returned home, choosing instead to play with flammable fuel in -20 weather.  Coincidence...?

Merry Biscotti

This very belated shout-out goes to Elizabeth who made the holiday season extra-special with a surprise shipment of Tango Palace biscotti (thunderous applause)!

Not only did it warm the frosty cockles of my heart that she even thought of it, but that she took time out of her day to head down to Queen and Jones AND become ensnared in the Jones speed trap AND enrich Canada Post's coffers...is just beyond all expectations.

So here's to Elizabeth and some well-enjoyed holiday cheer!

Settling into the new normal

Well, we're in week two of part-time (three days a week) daycare...and LOVING it!

We (meaning Dexter and I, let's be clear) get out of bed a reasonable time (7-ish), eat and load up the car.  There is endless commentary from Chatty Charlie in the backseat including very reliable alerts as to when  freight trucks are passing and oohs and ahhs as the sky changes from dark, to pink, to orange to sun!

Yes, it is ironic to end up commuting 2+ hours a day here, versus a 10 minute walk in Toronto, but hey, what can you do? 

I have only ever spent time here as a short-term visitor, which meant in the past, I hung out with family or just my anti-social self vegging at the farm.  It's interesting to be part of the flow of life...

Yorkton does have a 'rush hour'...I have had to wait at least one full light rotation a couple of times so far crossing Broadway and there was line up of school buses and cars depositing pupils into the two high schools we drive by.

Yes, there is a wait at Tim Horton's (well, there always is...it's chronically understaffed) and there are harried parents trying to disentangle screeching children at daycare as they try to make it to work on time.

I realize I sound like an idiot, but after what feels like a couple of months of moving and holiday daze, it's oddly refreshing to see a bustle of living going on...and awfully, awfully nice to be able to retreat from it when we've had enough too! :)

I wasn't alone...

I was at my desk the other day and I sensed a presence nearby....