Where have I been?

I’ve been pretty lax on updating my blog lately, but I’ve been busy. Megan and I went for a drive in that winter wonderland also known as my homeland, Canada. I have to go up there at least a couple of times a year, and at least once in the winter to remind myself why I live here. The lack of assault rifles and handguns really is oppressive.

Where are my guns when I need them?

Those elk wouldn’t be nearly so comfortable if I was armed!

We visited some of my relatives in Edmonton and Saskatoon, but the real reason for the trip was to get a load of Mennonite farmer sausage and a few tubs of cracklings. Oh, that bag of blue berries on the top shelf? Those are Saskatoon berries, named after my home town – or maybe the other way around. When I was a kid. we’d go pick the wild berries (most Canadians were still hunter-gatherers at that time), and Mom would make them into pies and jams and other tasty treats. There are a few places that have commercialized the berries, but we phoned around to grocery stores and couldn’t find any. I Googled them, and found a few places that served them, so I called one and asked if he’d sell us some. He only had them in 22lb bags, but he said he sell me whatever I wanted. I told him we were leaving Saskatoon the next morning, but he offered to open his shop early so I could buy some. So I bought five pounds from this guy who was either desperate for a $13 sale or maybe was just a really nice guy.

Another reason for the trip was to bring Hal’s bike back from Edmonton. Every year, he brings his bike up to be serviced in Edmonton, but last year they couldn’t get parts in time, so he left the bike there and flew home. I put it in the back of the truck and took it on a winter tour. How many Triumphs have seen the biggest Pysanka in the world in January?

We got a good taste of Canadian prairie winters with lots of snow and temps down to about minus 10-15°F. As cold as it was, the hospitality was great, and scenes like this remind me what a lovely place it actually is.