Spring shots

Nice shots of the farm. This was pre-monsoon in the first week on June.

Lovely lilacs

Dexter leaving.

Running into Grandma on our walk

Rolling bedding plant nursery.

A Simple Life

It turns out that Peter has farmed this land for over 40 years. He has seen things change from horses to atv's. These days the old John Deere is on a timer so if you need it in the morning it's warmed up and ready to go. Now that's someting I can appreciate being a computer geek from the center of the universe (aka Toronto). IT is all about automation. But, how is this generation managing it's legacy? I don't know.

The business of cattle farming is a simple one. You buy some land, put a fence around it and put cattle inside the fence. You feed and cattle and sell them every now then. Simple. Now Peter does not know anything about computers and I don't know anything about farming. But I'll tell you this, I don't know anyone from back east that has been doing the same job for over 40 years. He might be on to something here. I might be able to tell you why an account was locked out in an active directory domain, on what server, at what time. I could even tell you if this was a recurring event, possiblly indicating a breech in security or maybe it was just a typo. Simple right! What I cannot tell you is the best way to put a post in the gound to build a fence.

No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle

"Where are you headed?" he asked. I'm going to a farm just outside Yorkton. I'm going to spend a year there I said. It's a cattle farm. "Beef?". "Yes Sir". "So, your going to castrate them, cut their balls off, slaughter em?" As far I know, someone else handles that, I said. "So, your going to herd them" he said. "You know how to lasso?". "No Sir." "Got a horse?" "No Sir, but we have an ATV". "Well, I guess that will do", he said. "Well if you ever need some help son, let me know. Me and my horse would be glad to lend you a hand."

This was the oddest conversation that I have ever had in my life with a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Larry from Newhart. You know "Hi I'm Larry and this is my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl" fame. All the while I'm thinking "You've got a horse?" Come on you work in in a Motel. Now what you can't see at 10 o'clock at night with no street lights, but, what is very easy to see in the morning at 8am is that Larry had his horse tied up out back. Huh!

Deer Crossing

One thing that you fail to consider during your road trip out west is the large pools of blood on the highway and how normal that is...

GPS Rant

By GPS is definitely the way to travel. If I want to find a Tim Horton's (and who doesn't, I mean really...), I just punch it in. Say I don't want to go to that one cause the line is too long, I get a list of the other Timmy's nearby. Beautiful. The amazing thing about these little devices is that it opens up the world to people like me, the direction challenged. Being somewhere you have never been and knowing exactly where you cannot be underestimated. Gone are the days of asking a strangers for directions and nodding politely as if I understood what they said. Meanwhile I'm thinking who else can I ask for the very same directions. Goodbye to the days of never finding you car again. Just save you current location and go! Oh sweet Jesus, my savior, my God, I thank you! We all thank you!

Motel rooms

There is defiantly something strange about motel rooms. Some smell like popuri, others like pine cones. Some have an apple clock on the wall. Some have a just cleaned and sanitary paper wrapped around the toilet bowl, others do not (got to wonder about that). Some have easily accessible power outlets, others have beds bolted to the floor. Some are run by some really nice people. Others make you wish you had a gun under the pillow and hope that there aren't any cameras installed. The point that I am trying to make is lock the door!

On Growth

I have always been the type of person that absorbs like a sponge, the things I find interesting. It's now time to broaden those things... The point that I am trying to make is that I get tired of absorbing to the point that nothing gets in. I need to rest for awhile. Only to fill up again and pass whatever limit I had before.

It's all seems circular. Before you know it you are right back where you started only now able to take things on in a new way that wasn't even possible just moments ago.

Lake Superior

The drive from Sault Ste Marie into Thuderbay was absolutely spectacular. It was like being in a painting. Awesome, calming but the word that I am looking for is Tranquil. If I ever do this again, I must spend the night in Terrance Bay. It's a quite little town on the edge of Lake Superior. A definite must see for any Canadian.

The corner store

I woke up in Parry Sound today. The rain has stopped. It's a bit grey, the clouds are low and moving fast.

There was a nice lady at the MAC's corner store. I just asked for a pad and pen and she told me her life history of working at MAC's. She had been working at MAC's for nine years and was just transferred to this store. She has only been at this store for 4 months but everything is different! She's still trying to find her way around. The only reason she could find the paper and pens was that she put them there yesterday. She was hilarious and a sweetie in coke bottle glasses.