January 19th,
2003:
Overcast, with a north wind. The
temperature was –16° when we got up, but started dropping and by the
time we got back from coffee it was –18°.
You
would think it was a holiday weekend from all the snowmobiles around. I
don’t see any old machines, either, they all look pretty new. Some of
the rigs used to transport them look expensive; at Fisherman’s Cove this
morning, I saw a half-ton with a platform on top of the box that would
handle a couple of machines (that’s about all we saw out in BC -
there were few trailers), another brand-new aluminum trailer with a poly
housing to protect the machines from the weather, and lots of big tandem
trailers that would carry four or more machines. All are rigged with ramps
for loading and unloading the snowmobiles -
drive them on from the back and off from the front, no wrestling with
them. And then, of course, a diesel 4 X 4 with all the bells and whistles
to pull the trailer!
None
of those machines could be bought for under $5,000, and some would be over
$12,000. Then there are the helmets, suits, mitts, etc., and none of them
come cheap. With premium gas, trail permits and insurance, it’s an
expensive sport, but they would normally have a minimum of four months
that they could be used. One could easily spend that much on a boat,
motor, trailer, and accessories, for a shorter season.
I see a sign at the Cove advertising
the Porcupine Trail Blasters’ Snowmobile Derby next Saturday, January 25th.
It takes place at High Tor Hall, ten miles south of Porcupine Plain.
By the way, I understand Francis Dery
repairs snowmobiles. His shop is on the Archerwill road, #349, a mile west
of Nobleville Church.
The
annual Greenwater Ski Loppet takes place next Saturday, January 25th,
put on by the Naicam Ski Club. If you are interested, call Shirley at
598-4333 or Marge at 874-5533. The trails should be in excellent shape,
and there are miles and miles of them.
Contrary to snowmobiling,
cross-country (XC) skiing is dirt cheap. I had reason to check out the
price of a set of skis, bindings, boots and poles recently, and one could
be equipped for $250. Of course, it’s always possible to buy high-end
equipment but it’s certainly not necessary. Clothing is the toques,
sweaters, jackets and gloves that one would normally have at home. There
are no licenses or trail fees, and no gas to buy, except for the car to
get to the trails. One doesn’t always have to use prepared trails,
either, though they can be nice.
There
is a front page article in the January 12th edition of The
Sunday Advance about Helen Perrin Clarke, an Arborfield author. She wrote
two books about a 12-year-old girl growing up on a farm near Arborfield in
during the Second World War. The first was called “Search for
Elizabeth” and the second “Elizabeth and the City Girl”. I have them
both, and though they were written to give today’s students an idea of
what rural life was like during the war, I enjoyed them thoroughly. (Does
that say something about my level of maturity?) Now she has the third book
finished, and it is called “Elizabeth and the Grandmother”. I guess my
nagging paid off! The article says books may be purchased at The Bookstop
in Melfort, The Paper Trail in Nipawin, Lacroix Drug in Tisdale, and the
Carrot River Pharmacy in Carrot River. If none of those work for you, call
Helen at (306) 769-4148 and tell her I sent you. I got my copy!
We
had lunch the other day with Marg and Brian Shuya, and Doreen and Brian
got into a discussion on propagating lilies. Brian’s horticultural
smarts never cease to amaze me. Of course, it’s a passion, not just an
interest, with him. He has taken eight University credit courses, and has
a diploma in Prairie Horticulture. Last summer, I went over to his place
and took some photos of his lilies, and what a display! Brian has given us
a lot of help and advice, especially to do with our shrubs -
how much to prune, and when, and stuff like that. He has a web page called
www.briansgarden.com
with timely gardening tips. He fields questions from all over the world,
and when he gets stumped he has some highly placed experts to call
on.
Brian has another passion, and that is
wild birds. I’m sure he could tell you how many species we have in
Greenwater Park, and can likely imitate the song of most of them. He did
some creditable wildlife art painting a few years ago, but that seems to
have taken a back seat to his other interests.
