The farm, the prairies, and Saskatoon berries...........

The Prairies: I have stopped apologising for and defending the prairies. If you say you're going to Saskatchewan you get a flood of oh so clever comments about how flat they are and how straight the roads are --- often from people who have never been there. I spent every summer from birth to age 16 on my grandparents farm near Esk SK --- loved every minute of it and have been back as often as I can since. When we first rolled onto the prairie landscape in Minnesota I felt like I had come home again.

The landscape rolls gently and it rolls on forever --- the only thing vaster than the land is the ever-changing sky. The sky that is vaster than the eternity of land in front of you. The sky that surrounds you with the promise of endless hope and life beyond what you can see. The sky that foretells the next hour and the next century --- hints of doom in the black thunderheads before you --- portents of peace in the clear sky beside the tumult --- promises of joy in the rosy glimpse of the dawn.

The land speaks of humanity's relation to the planet we inhabit. The fields in their huge patchwork are a quilted picture of how humans and nature can work in concert, with respect and love to attain harmony. The untouched patches of sloughs and hillside and bush remind us that nature is always paramount and requires our obeisance. If you climb a few feet above the land --- to the the top of a farm gas tank --- you can indeed see for miles and see the planet's roundness on the horizon. Feel small and feel awe.

Patches of trees break up the fields. Sometimes these are sloughs (natural depressions that collect water -- some are permanent and some depend on the season) because water means bushes and trees and animals and birds. Sometimes the trees indicate a farmyard. Sometime many years ago a farmer thought he wanted some trees for a windbreak around his house and barn and maybe a bit of shade. So he took an afternoon away from the fields and hitched a stoneboat (heavy load-bearing sledge) to his team or his tractor and went to the nearby slough. There he dug out as many saplings as he could -- the biggest he could manage and dragged them back to the house --- planted them and waited; waited for years. In really dry summers sometimes he'd have to hitch up a water tank and drive for miles to the community well with the farm dog galloping in pursuit with its tongue almost dragging on the road of dust. At the well he'd pump a tankful of water for the farm and a few gallons for the dog who wouldn't stay home as told. Back at the farm the water would be pumped into the dry well and the cisterns to keep the people alive. Some leftover gallons would go to "keep the damn trees alive". The trees break up the landscape as you drive by generations later.

Always there is the endless sky............many see beauty in the desert......most see beauty in the ocean...........the next time you're on the prairies look with eyes unglazed by your old notions......and always there is the endless sky............

Oct 6 --- arrived in Humboldt around noon. On Monday we had heard thayt Aunt Joyce had had a heart attack and was in hospital in Saskatoon. Through the week she had had 2 stents put in her heart and was needing a third that was due to go in Thursday --- but the doctor was sick. She had the surgery Friday and was doing OK and we were planning to go to see her Saturday afternoon. Uncle Gordon and cousin Kathy's son Michael had gone shopping after lunch and we were waiting around with Kathy to go to the hospital when the phone rang and we were told that Aunt Joyce was ready for discharge. We were all sort of skeptical but Uncle Gordon and cousin Glenn went off and brought her back. She was in amazingly good shape which we were all delighted yet shocked to see. She has always been a real trouper through a lifetime of medical diversity and this time proved no exception.

Aunt Joyce

These folks and the Regina gang are some of the best people in the world and we are blessed that they are family.

L to R from the top then down: Cousin Glenn, Uncle Gordon, cousin Kathy's son Michael, Glenn's wife Laurie, Linda, Kathy, Kathy's daughter Nicole, Aunt Joyce (absent is Kathy's husband Ken

We visited and laughed and had Thanksgiving dinner --- giving particular thanks for Aunt Joyce and my Mom who had both scared us all with heart trouble. We gave thanks for the joy of being together again. We went out to the family farm for a poke around (more on that later). Laurie runs an amazing clothing store that features unique things that you'd find nowhere else. Linda and Kathy went off shopping and Linda bagged really cool sweater. I played and we all sang except for Laurie despite a light-hearted shaming from everyone including her husband Glenn --- who was also cajoled into singing to my surprise. 

The Thanksgiving table

The day before we were due to leave Uncle Gordon and I went back to the the farm to pick up some tools of my Grandpa's that I was taking home and had forgotten. On the way back it snowed --- a mini blizzard out of nowhere --- and these blasts of snow kept up through the afternoon and evening. The snow never amounted to much but it did get me very anxious to get on the road and over the mountains before things could turn nasty.

Peanut sees her first snow

Saskatoon Berry Pie

Saskatoon berries only grow on the prairies, only grow wild, and only grow in in the tenacious brush beside prairie sloughs. They are jealously guarded by swarms of Saskatchewan mosquitoes. It takes a brave soul to capture enough berries to make a pie. The reward is the best pie in the world. Anyone who has spent some time on the prairies will get a far away look in their eyes when remembering the taste of a Saskatoon pie. The taste is somewhere between a blueberry and a cranberry with the addition of what is clearly magic in a royal purple berry. My love of Saskatoon berry pie is family legend, so whenever I show up one of my aunts will root around in the freezer for that last container of berries and bake me a pie. This time it was my cousin Kathy who came up with pie --- and one for Linda and I to take on the road with us. Bless her.

The Farm
Here's a link to Some pics of the family farm --I suggest you hit the button for 'Slideshow' -- I love the fact that the farm is still in the family and with luck will remain so -- so I can walk its fields whenever I have the chance............

Regina and Dougley DoRight

Oct 4 --- We got to Regina about noon and Emily the GPS led us to the home of my Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Jean. We had never seen this particular home --- since the last time we saw them (4 years ago) they had moved from their Regina home of 37 years to a condo. When I heard this I was somewhat skeptical --- I couldn't see Uncle Lloyd (raised on a farm and still farming) confined to a condo with no land to call his own. Turns out I loved the place and actually said to Linda that I could see living in something similar someday --- words that filled her with joy because she has always seen a condo in our future and I have always used phrases like "when the devil goes ice-skating". I'll regret those words later. Really nice condo with shop space for Uncle Lloyd downstairs and across the street from the Regina Legislature with a great view and access to the 200 acres of park and lake that surround it.

Lloyd and Jean from their balcony with the Legislature in the background

Spent the afternoon catching up and were treated to dinner at Luigi's (a great pasta house) --- met my cousins Grant and Holly there and they came back after dinner to continue visiting.

Cousins Holly and Grant

Oct 5 --- Regina is the home of the "Depot" where all RCMP officers do their initial training. My cousin Kathy's husband Ken is a retired RCMP sergeant (and an incredibly good guy) and my Uncle Gordon went through the Depot until an injury ruled out a career as a Mountie --- so there is a bit of family connection involved. So we went to the musuem attacked to the Depot with Uncle Lloyd. Very cool museum with lots of stories and artifacts of the Mounties. We got to the end of the tour and there were racks of RCMP scarlet tunics and one of the famous hats. I beelined for the hat and put it on. Too small --- and I know that my hat size is small as heads go (but it's tightly packed dammit). Linda tells me to throw on a tunic and she'll take my picture. The first tunic is too small and so is the second one ---- I finally find one that I can get into --- I'm not that big --- and we get a pic. When we get home we tell this story to Aunt Jean and she cracks up and says "Doug, those are meant for kids......".

Dougley DoRight

Earlier in the day Uncle Lloyd helped me fix the TV mount in Peanut and provided parts from his shop for a few other small fixes. Always good to have a farmer and engineer offering help with any project. We took Lloyd and Jean out to dinner at "the Lakeshore" --- a really nice greek restaurant --- and were off to bed early for an early start tomorrow.

Michigan to Minnesota -- Autumn Beauty

Oct 1 --- Sarnia ON to Iron Mountain MI

Got away from the mechanic's in Sarnia by 11 am on a beautiful sunny morning. Zipped through the border and headed north at Flint. The autumn colours just got better and better. Good roads and no traffic. Stopped for a picnic lunch at a rest stop

Autumn Beauty

Went over the Mackinac Bridge and onto Michigan's UP (Upper Peninsula).Camped for the night in the Iron Mountain Walmart --- it seems that my expectation that all Walmart's had free Wifi in the instore MacDonalds was based on limited experience in Canada so we are (gasp) "unconnected" -- have to resolve that problem. 

Oct 2 --- Iron Mountain MI to Bemidji MN

A warm place to take a dump.................

On the road early under once again sunny skies. Pulled over by Sunnydale Lake in Wakefield MI to take a few pics.

Zipped through Wisconsin and over the bridge into Duluth --- stopped at the Tourist Info place for another picnic.

More glorious colours.........................

The burning question we had for the tourist folk was, "Where can a poor little RV take a dump". I hadn't really thought how dependent we are on keeping the relevant tanks empty/full as the case may be. When you need to take a dump you really need to. Good things in a dump station are; not too far out of your way, free (I paid $30 once), and warm --- it takes 20 or so minutes of me being outside. God bless nitrile gloves. We were delighted to find there was a free dump station 3 minutes away. We went and did our business and were back on the road with a weight lifted from our minds and Peanut's shoulders. Walmart again for the night --- Linda made  a nice salmon dinner and off to bed.

Oct 3 --- Bemidji MN to Westhope ND

On the road early again and this morning we left the autumn colours for the prairies. I love how the terrain changes as you drive serious distances. Seemingly all of a sudden you're in a whole new type of landscape without being aware of a change. We'd spent 2 days in the the deciduous woods of the UP and now we were on the prairies. Linda asked if it felt like home to me and indeed it did.................

We pushed through to Westhope ND (8 minutes from the border crossing into Manitoba) with the idea of making Regina by noonish tomorrow to spend some time with my family there. Tonight's luxury accommodation was a rather scrubby looking RV Park with mostly permanent dwellers. Full hookup for $15 but no Wifi or hottub. Darn. We'd had rain that day and found that our bed was a lot wetter than it should be --- seems I keep hitting a rear window handle while sleeping and that this lets water off the road in if we don't remember to make sure it is latched. Oops -- we get things dry enough to sleep..............

Oct 4 --- Westhope ND to Regina SK

It was seriously cold last night and this morning. Bless the furnace in Peanut which keeps her interior at whatever temperature we desire with no fuss whatsoever. I was packing up outside before we left and I swore I saw snowflakes. Our uneasiness about the weather was fuelled by the border guard who asked if we were ready for the snow --- when we visibly blanched at this he allowed as how it was going elsewhere. He let us across the border and we sailed into Regina by 1 pm --- with a short delay to let these huge trucks go by.........Wide Load doesn't quite cover it..........they were also taking down hydro lines to let these things by......

Stranded in Sarnia

So we finally get away about noon Sunday, Sept 30 about noon --- it’s a beautiful day, Peanut is on cruise control, the new stereo is blaring JP Cormier and life is good. We\re crossing the border at Sarnia and decide to pick up a few things at the Duty-Free. I’m turning into the parking lot at about 5 kph when an unholy screech issues from Peanuts nether regions --- something is scraping really badly. We both jump out and look – Linda is figuring curb – no curb. I’m thinking pothole – but no pothole. I’m also thinking ‘how could I miss either of those things'. Then I notice that the  body seems to be very low over the left front wheel  --- so much that Peanut has a list to port. Looks like we’ve lost the ball joint and Peanut is not moving another inch.

Sadly Peanut is taking up a lot of room where people wanting to cross the border need to get by. I move a couple of cones and Linda starts directing traffic while I get on the phone to Good Sam Road Assistance. Then a marvelous woman named Anne who runs the traffic on the bridge comes over and takes us under her wing. She sets up cones to direct the traffic around us and offers to call a tow truck. Good Sam is completely useless. They want to set up an RV place to take us before calling a tow truck --- good luck on Sunday afternoon. We finally declare a “safety hazard” and get Anne to get us a tow. She has also been busily getting us motel numbers and a passing trucker recommends a shop.

We end up getting towed to Bill’s Mobile Repair. As I find out later, Bill started out with a van full of tools fixing vehicles as large as semi’s that breakdown on the bridge. He’s not so mobile anymore as he has a shop that will take 8 tractor trailers – but he still has tool-laden vans that will come to you. We talked to someone at his shop who said they could look at Peanut first thing in the morning and the tow truck dude sets us down on a block so we are level for sleeping.

Peanut's first tow --- proud Dad and attending doctor

So we start settling in for the night and I hear a semi pull in. I go out to find out when Bill's opens in the morning. The lady trucker tells me he opens at 8 and I go back to Peanut. Five minutes later there is a knock on the door and the trucker tells us that she has called ‘Billy’ to tell him to expect us and that Billy said we could plug in right near where we were --- and provides us with a cord so we can reach. 

Now we have power so I can mess with the new TV that I have yet to touch. I hook up Peanut’s antenna and after much fiddling around and resorting to the manual I manage to bring in 4 stations --- one of which brings in the season premiere of Linda’s favourite show “Good Wife”. She was ecstatic as she had been a little sad about missing it. I got to look like a hero.

The next morning the boys at Bill’s were working on Peanut shortly after 8 and the ball joint arrived before they had the old one out. While theyL were working Bill himself came by to see how we were doing and offered us a vehicle if we wanted to go and get breakfast or go shopping. His mechanic was almost done by now so Bill told him to take Peanut inside and have a good look underneath to stave off further ‘mishaps’.

Linda waiting to hit the road..........

So everyone was as helpful as could be and we were on the road at 11 am Sunday having had a perfectly enjoyable evening at our free campsite.. When Linda has been telling this story she relates how things always work out for the best when we breakdown. I tend to add that maybe we are just outrageous optimists.

Mariposa 2012 -- a belated blog

Still getting the hang of this blogging stuff -- the cardinal rule seems to be do it often or you'll end up way behind. We've been on the road since the Mariposa Folk Festival (which was the second weekend of July) so I'm going to do a quick post and then try and get up to date in the next post -- he says hopefully.

This Mariposa was our 9th and was one of the best -- great lineup and great workshops. There was something we wanted to see or do for almost every hour of the the days. We had our usual parking spot in BlueBelle -- at the side of the lake about 50 yards from the back gate. This allows us to chill out/eat at the van and still hear music from one of the stages when we're not on the site somewhere. We have parked there every year to the point where people who have seen us in the past stop and say hi. Our friends Mike and Jenn joined us in their Eurovan camper as they have in the past and a few other Westy folks thought it was a good idea so we had this impromptu lineup of Westies........

Unfortunately we had to camp at the local Walmart every night --- this was the first year of on-site camping and though we had a camping pass we were forbidden to sleep in "anything with wheels". Mike offered to take the wheels off his van but this didn't meet with much approval. A couple of dudes did sleep in their van but we judged it not worth the potential hassle in the middle of the night.

Some of the things going on: I learned the basics of playing the Autoharp in a workshop, there was a great Steve Goodman tribute workshop led by the author of Steve's biography, great food (wood oven pizza from an on-site oven that sat on a very heavy duty trailer and fabulous 'tarts' that would put any pot pie to shame) and chillin' by the lake..............

Mikie, Jenn and Linda across the path from BlueBelle -- Mikie proves that he is the kayak guru whether on land or water

As for music.......

The amazing Danny Michel on the pub stage --- Linda was seeing him in the Beer tent while I was watching something at the main stage. The power went out and they were trying to get it going to no avail when Danny announced that he'd try to perform acoustically. He starts playing right in front of Linda who whips out her phone and proceeds to video. Danny sees this and leans down right into phone and says Hi while continuing to play -- right to Linda. I may actually post the video someday...

This dude (whose name I can't remeber -- another argument for frequent and up-to-date blogging) was an amazing acoustic player who occasionally would break forth with a blistering electric lead. You'll note that the electric guitar is mounted on a mike stand -- he'd step up to it and play it while still wearing the acoustic --- the first  time he did I thought the electric had appeared out of mid-air. Neat idea.

These guys are bluegrass playing brothers who have been playing together for 30 years and it shows.......

As experienced festival goers we always take our chairs to nail down a spot at the main stage as soon as the gates open in the morning so we always have great seats. For those who don't there is the big video screen below............showing Billy Bragg here..........

I had never seen Billy Bragg live so it was a big thrill for me. I've admired his writing for years. The angry young man of punk/folk has matured into a an artist who is still angry but the anger is tinged with hope and it is reflected in his songs. He is also very witty and funny on stage -- a great set and I was glad I was there.....

Billy Bragg on stage -- apparently he travels with the 2 great big amps behind --- you can see that they are miked through the PA and he'll wander over between songs to get the sound he wants..........

The Saturday night headliner was Jann Arden. Before her set the MC's came out and began doing inane patter about a mystery guest who was going to come out and do a few tunes while the stage was being set for Jann. One of them said "Gord will be out in a minute" and the cat was out of the bag. I was heading out of the stage area at the time which tool me down to the front -- as soon as I heard "Gord" I zipped back and ended up at the fence right in front of and 15 feet away from Gordon Lightfoot...........

He did 3 songs --- Linda and I both heard the following story from the Mariposa Artistic Director (AD) separately. Apparently Gord showed up with his 40 year old daughter who wanted to meet Jann Arden. He offered to play a few tunes if this could be arranged but the AD should check with Jann first as he (Gord) didn't want to steal any thunder. The AD explained this to Jann who said "he can have the whole set" --- which the AD would emphatically not allow. Linda and I agreed the last time we saw Lightfoot that we would not do so again, preferring to stick with memories of him in his prime in the old Massey Hall days. It is sad for me to see him perform live now -- though he still tours regularly. As the AD said "some people don't know when to quit".

Johnny Clegg of Jaluka fame closed the show on Sunday --- another legend --- he was making music with mixed race bands in South Africa when to do so risked imprisonment/beatings and potential death.........

A great festival and we'll be back next year. Since then we've been on the road in Peanut the RV visiting friends around about the Ottawa Valley with a weekend at the Blue Skies Music Festival. Hope to get that blogged this week --- before we go to Summerfolk in Owen Sound this weekend...........

The First Post -- and a few Bus Events

This is sort of a warm up --- Linda and I are leaving mid-September for an extended trip in our new 23' Class A whose name is 'Peanut'. The previous owners christened her that because they also had a 40 ft bus RV that made the 23 footer look like -- well, a peanut.

"PEANUT"

I'm trying to get used to blogging regularly and posting/sorting/deleting pics as I take them. Otherwise I'll end up with thousands of pics that will never be looked at because there are too many and within weeks we won't even remember where they were taken. Plus I need to get used to the blogging interface -- hopefully the posts will get better looking as I learn.

The trip plan is this. We plan to drive West from home is Mississauga ON until we hit the ocean and then turn left --- and I give Linda full credit for that phrase. We will visit my family in Saskatchewan, a few friends in BC (Pender Island, Courtney and Victoria) and a friend in Napa CA. Other than that everything is open and we'll decide as we go.

A Few Bus Events............


BusFusion


The biggest BusFusion ever --- 212 buses on the second weekend in June under sunny skies.It was the first year since 2009 that our friend Mikie and I weren't running things and it was great to relax and visit with folks while the new gang did the work. A few pics.........

Nancy and Kathy in Kathy's Van

Philty Phil and I

I try on Phil's new guitar glasses

West River Westies -- July 14th weekend

Our first trip to this event. Thoroughly enjoyed it despite very hot weather. Luckily there is a convenient river to cool off in. The big event  at WetWesties is the tubing regatta which has people tubing down the river in decorated inner tubes and water toys of every description --- ostensibly a race but no discernible winner was declared that I was aware of. Gee, maybe I won.............

Michele's designer float and sunhat

A very mellow bus driver

PVC pipe pontoon sailboat with live pontoons
If there had been prizes this should have won something

Had a bad day today (July 16) ---- the van wouldn't start this morning as we prepared to leave a state park near Syracuse where we'd camped after leaving West River Westies. I called Orville the guru at Peterborough VW (a very good friend to have) and started messing with the fuel injection system under his direction -- 4 phone calls and 90 minutes later I was about to give up and decided on one last try --- on this attempt I forgot to tighten a bolt on the fuel distributor that I had been tightening and loosening ---- so when a fellow camper cranked the van it sprayed gas in both my eyes in a fine spray at 35 psi --- flushed my eyes out -- got to Emerg and got a clean bill of health --- spent a few hours on the phone and ended up getting towed to a shop in Rochester who can look at it tomorrow and will call Orville for guidance --- got a cheap rental car and am writing this from a local Motel 6 after a nice pub dinner in lovely downtown Rochester. This town really misses the glory days of Kodak and cameras that took film...........