September 1^st, 2002:

It is 9 pm as I write this; we just got home from Regina, where we attended the wedding of a favorite niece. On our way home, heavy rain clouds started to form to the west of us; by the time we got to Dafoe they were getting closer, and seemed to be moving north-east. While we were having supper in Wynyard, there was a downpour for a short while, but when we went out to the car it had stopped. We caught up with it south of Wadena, and from there all the way home it went from light rain to deluge and back again. It had obviously been raining here awhile, because there was about an inch and a half in the gauge. No harvesting this week!

While we were enjoying an excellent lasagna at the Steak House in Wynyard, Murray Daly came over to talk to us. I’m sorry to say he had to tell me who he was, but then, it must be thirty years since I last saw him. Murray used to work for Carl and Jean Wikberg in the plumbing business, and wanted to know how they were doing. He obviously thought highly of them. I was pleased to be able to tell him that they were doing just fine, looking hale and hearty.

Doreen was in Prince Albert on Wednesday, we both went to Saskatoon and back on Thursday, and on Friday we left for Regina. That’s as bad as when we were working! Hopefully, we can stay home this week.

Chris Weiss stopped by last week. Chris and family are from Drake, and often come here to fish and water ski. He tells me the fishing is for the birds, but earlier in the summer he got some photos of the loon family I mentioned in an earlier column, so I scanned it and will post it to my Web Page.

Doreen and I have been going to Weight Watchers in Porcupine Plain for the last year and a half. Between us, we have lost eighty pounds. That means we can go on a bus tour and only have to buy two tickets. Kelly and her friends have done a great job - so good, in fact, that they have a large proportion of Life Members, which means members who have reached their goal, and can continue to attend meetings without having to pay. Now, anyone who thinks Weight Watchers is a benevolent organization should think again. The girls can have jam-packed meetings every week, but if they haven’t got thirteen paying members, they are shut down. A new twelve-week cycle starts on September 16^th, if they have the requisite thirteen paid up members by September 9^th. They have nine, and so far are four short. If you would like to give it a try, call Kelly now!

A sure sign we are reaching the end of summer - Rudy Lambert was down on the beach with his metal detector. I thought he was transplanting dandelions, but he said he was collecting bottle caps. Also, Vince Brekker stopped in and said he was leaving for his home in Regina, and a bit of the underbrush is showing bright colors. We hate to see it end - but then, we hate to see every season end!

I was wandering around southeast of the Park and drove by Gerald Ottman’s bison herd. I stopped and got out to take a photo; there was a big bull lying down, but he didn’t move. A young, but large, bull came over to check me out. Talk about a baleful look!