Happy Birthday Ms Victoria

We are on our way to Kuroki when Scott spots a calf unmoving and so we pull over.

Scott walks out there, hollering repeatedly; the other cattle head for the feeders, and this little guy pokes its head up to see what's happening.

We are joining friends and family for supper in Kuroki. From our moving vehicle I snap these photos at the edge of the little town (or I guess it's a hamlet):

I have a bottle of red wine tucked into my bag, and Scott wants to take some beer, so we stop at the Kuroki bar to buy some:

A Spanish-style villa on mainstreet Kuroki, Saskatchewan

The Joan

I remember the Chinese cafés and the "dreamin' on our dimes" jukeboxes . . .  .

Christmas is sparklin'
Out on Carol's lawn
This girl of my childhood games
Has kids nearly grown and gone
Grown up so fast
Like the turn of a page
We look like our mothers did, now,
When we were those kids' age

Nothin' lasts for long

Long weekend begins

The grass road into our yard

Once in a while I like to leave CBC radio on all night and hear bits of programs from around the world when I surface into wakefulness from time to time. Last night I learned that sports agents take boys from Africa to other countries to play, and when they don't do as well as hoped, they abandon them to live on the streets. Nasty.

Emil is up, making himself a fried egg. I'm soon off to town for breakfast with my pal Al, and then we're going to check out the garage sales. There are only about three. I plan to spend the afternoon in my flower bed, and then we have a supper invitation. The forecast is for rain to start tomorrow morning. But we've had a couple warm days, quite a treat after the long cold winter and spring. I am pretty sure I can see a tinge of kelly green on the poplar trees in the distance.

Noisefest

At least the farmers are finally able to get into the fields this week.
Last night's walk was a treat, long underwear and all. The numbers of geese passing over still leave me awed; how can there possibly be so many, and all flying through my part of Saskatchewan? Right over my house? It's incredible. And I never, ever get "oh big deal" about it. I am thrilled to the bone. Even from inside the house I can watch them, hear them ... and feel very, very grateful to be here.
Between the frogs' constant garbling and the other birds doing their courtship and mating songs, it's a noisefest. A beautiful, dazzling noisefest.

Long Underwear in May

So ... at twilight yesterday I wore my super-duper winter parka, fur-trimmed hood pulled up over my head, to go for a short walk. Just to the end of the driveway, because my legs were cold. And it's stupid to be walking on the road with dogs near sunset. That's dangerous. So I didn't leave the yard.

It is May 14, and this morning I am wearing long underwear beneath my jeans.
Just sayin' ... frigate!

We have had sightings of great white egrets around here. These are rare. I've yet to see one. Scott says he saw a flock of swans the other day.

And now, to work.

Cow Communications

Ready for another week: the dishes are finally done.
Now, if only they'd stay that way.
Ha!

Friggin' old dog barked herself hoarse last night, so that neither of us slept very well.
Of course, we were both too lazy to get out of bed and tell her to be quiet.
Which might have worked. Old dogs aren't stupid.

This old dog is going to finish her second mug of coffee, soak her head, and get off to work. Looks like another sunny day, but cool ... so then, it's not difficult to spend the day indoors.

Scott, quizzical:
You know that old cow I told you about, that didn't have a calf last year and seemed depressed?
Well, she had a great big calf this morning, and she looks like a different cow. She was eating her afterbirth and looking at me ... (makes face like happy, relieved cow, all pleased with herself).
Cow communications.
It's calving time, and Scott is gone at five every morning to check on the birthing situation before coming home for coffee and breakfast. I get the reports.
Funny how those calves can get up so quick after they're born and run after their moms.
Three days old and already hard to catch.
Cute little buggers.
That one that wouldn't let her calf suck? She's taking him now. 
And so on. He's got a pasture full of pets over there.

Tea-Drinkin' Witches

Best wary of people, but makes me sad all the same

4:30p.m.

My day so far:

*four hours uploading pics and articles to Wadena News

*a walk in the cool grey breeze with the doodling dogs

*spellchecking, space-checking, changing font and size, saving and printing Uncle Carl’s chapters to be read on the page

*one load laundry in washer, one in dryer

I still have to do dishes; they haven’t all been washed at one time for an entire week. Been working at ‘em in fits and starts.

Simmering roast chicken bones all day; took frozen beans and rice out to thaw, will throw ‘em into broth for soup.

But at least there’s a cup of tea in hand; didn’t stop and take a do-nothing tea break this afternoon, though. Tsk. Know I should.

OK, gonna.

Boy

Boy came downtown for supper on Thursday and I, driving home, pulled over to the side of the street to take this picture of him ambling back to his hidy-hole.

* * *

I suppose someone will remind me: man.

But I am his mother. To me, he's not only man and boy — he's baby, sweet child, innocent heart-opening joy — the list goes on and on and on, as every mom knows. I have the loveliest memories of him at all ages. He was the cutest little chubbybum, with rosebud lips and big eyes. He presented me with dandelions and stuffed toys and tender caring. He was a very affectionate, softhearted, kind kid, and still is. Deep down. Heh. (I'm kidding. I see it all the time.)

Dear You

Shelf-challenged.

It's pretty incredible in our skies right now.
The snow geese -- well, they are flying over in endless fragmented flocks of dozens if not hundreds of birds in each -- it's enough to make your mouth hang open.

I'm reading the fifth novel in the Buckshaw Chronicles series. Bless yer wee heart'ie, Bev, for the introduction and the loans. These are really clever murder mysteries that are an absolute pleasure to swim in. They are just so richly detailed and elegantly written and wry and funny.

There is a lonely spruce grouse thumping its chest in the bush next to our house. We hope it manages to attract a mate; we think it's the one that lost its entire family to a grader blade this winter, on the road outside our driveway. It makes itself at home in the yard; kinda like a chicken you don't have to fence, feed, water or clean up after.

After work it was pleasant enough outside to take a leisurely stroll past the flower bed, and see that the oriental poppies are up, and so are some maltese crosses, and blue flax. As soon as there's a warm day I'll start pruning back the dead stalks and leaves from last fall. Looking forward to that.

There's the door, sounds like Scott has arrived.
Talk to you tomorrow,
K.

S-H-I-V-E-R M-E T-I-M-B-E-R-S

My dressing room.

Two men in camoflauge were grocery shopping in the same aisle as me. Hunting snow geese is permitted in the spring as well as fall, they said, when I asked about their attire.
They have no trouble finding their way around the countryside out here, they said (they are from Florida); our roads are laid out in squares so it's easy.
How do we keep warm?
They had a cool winter in Florida too.

Brrr.

West of the house

The bird life is pretty incredible right now, but also ... the frogs! Whodathunk they'd be up and around during this cold?

In Memory of My Mom

 Hurray! Hurray!

It's the First of May!

Outdoor screwing

Starts today!

-with gratitude to Joanne Bohl, Mom's best friend, who told me Mom phoned every year on this date and recited this little ditty.
(image: facebook)

Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood

Another snowfall overnight. Betcha don't really want to click & enlarge.

 Well sure, I wore my parka and snowboots and a tuque to go for a walk. But the birds are abundant — happy, noisy and busy out there — it’s quite the thing. Blue herons are back, and northern flickers, and robins in flocks, and the red-winged blackbirds are chattering up a (gulp, I hope not) storm. At this point, weatherwise … we just don’t know what's what anymore.

The Canada geese waddle off the road before the dogs can reach them. 

And fly just a little way - glorious creatures.

My back is 100% better, thanks to Destination Health in Wadena. Improvement began the day of the first appointment for a shiatsu treatment, continued to the second one a week later, and the third week’s alternative therapy (applied by some kind of machine-thingy that the retired physiotherapist swears by, but can’t say exactly how it works; only that it does, and I agree) put me over the healing top by the very next day.  I had been suffering for more than a month, and it was only getting worse. 

I was beginning to wonder whether I'd ever feel 55 again. I was getting disheartened, and worried. But mostly, I was moving slowly, painfully ... and why? It's a mystery to me. Or was. Elaine (physiotherapist) explained what had likely happened to some tissue between joints, all due to Too Much Sitting without perfect posture. This has long been causing me problems even though I'm attentive to my posture. Or thought I was. 

Just a thin skin of ice on the water in the ditch.

What a relief it is to feel normal again. Not only can I walk, but I can walk straight! I can sit comfortably for more than five minutes, and can have a night’s sleep without waking up every 10 minutes to change position.

Why, this renewed human body almost inspires me to bake bread. We have been missing the homemade stuff around here in recent months. But let’s not overdo it, girlysue; washing dishes and putting one of my Aunt Marj’s frozen apple pies into the oven oughtta be just the ticket. I may even make a spaghetti sauce in advance of tomorrow’s after-work supper. Between that and washing the dishes and listening to the cacophany of wild birds flitting all over the yard, this day off should be just right.

I am really pleased to have this treatment clinic right here HANDY in Wadena. What a switch from always having to drive at least a half hour, and usually one or two or even three, for anything you need help with, be it dentist or chiropractor or whatever -  you're driving. Not that I don't like driving, but I like any sane-minded gal prefer the Sunday afternoon meander over the medical trip often accompanied by a bunch of shopping (might as well pick up items we can't get out here) that leaves you exhausted by the time you're back in your vehicle heading for home. No friggin' thanks.

Door for a Fairy Family

Image from Facebook; suggested one build these tiny doors and put them on trees. 

"I know exactly what that is, and how to fix it, and what you need to do so it doesn't happen again. I see this all the time."
That was the therapist at Destination Health in Wadena after I described my back troubles to her.
She explained what happens in the body to create this discomfort, treated me, and demonstrated the specific daily exercise that will heal and hold things in place.
When the allotted hour was up, I handed over $65 with pleasure and relief. If she is correct, it is money well spent.

My Place, of a morning

It's been a restful four days off.
My back is much, much better, so I could actually enjoy doing next to nothing.
It must still be healing, because I haven't had much energy, but that's fine: no pain to speak of.
Ah, to be on the mend. Thank goodness. What a relief.
I'll go today for my third shiatsu massage. They are rather uncomfortable, what with my back and feet having so many tender spots, but it's worth it to be able to move like a normal human being again.

I managed to get the dishes done.

Scott brought a tractor over and cleared snow away from the house.

This dark-eyed junco hit the livingroom window and was stunned for a while, but eventually got up and flew off.

Gord (my wasband) was out from Edmonton to spend a couple days with Emil and Everett. He played Easter Bunny and brought chocolate eggs when he drove Emil to the farm yesterday.

Something happened yesterday morning: I started slogging out the porch. After carrying some six large garbage bags of recycling out to the car and letting the roomba do its thing, I felt I'd accomplished quite a lot that was overdue. Now maybe it won't feel quite as much as if I'm walking into a garbage pit when I arrive home from work.

If this book doesn't make you laugh out loud ...

... then you are a curmudgeon of the highest order.

I especially recommend Dickinson's chapter about her cat Pumpkin.

Maybe THIS was the Last Blast

Last week, the snow was almost gone.

Today it's back. Six or eight wet, heavy inches of it.

Unabashedly Joni

Yep.
I love it.
Love it. Love it. Love it.

This particular song is one of her collection of covers of classic jazz tunes.
Fabulous. One of my favourite of all her albums.
If you love crooner tunes, and Joni's way of singing a tune, well then you've already got this CD:
 Both Sides Now. Read the Rolling Stones review by clicking on the link.

I haven't been listening to much music lately, probably because it's not convenient (I don't have a sound system setup that suits me) and also because silent surroundings are restful, appreciated and rare.

But after listening to the song above just now, and getting so much pleasure from it, I may just pull out my Both Sides Now CD and bask in it over the weekend.

Seventy Roses

Someone gave his mother 70 roses for her 70th birthday.

Men's Haircuts

At the Wadena News there is a well-loved regular feature page called Looking Back, where excerpts from every decade since 1908 are published.

This week there was no space for it. Readers will notice and worry for a moment, but few (if any) will contact us and say What the hell. Put that back.