March 23^rd, 2003:

The cold spell broke a week ago last Friday, and it has been thawing every day since. The snow has gone down dramatically; between here and Melfort there are some fields that are all bare. I worried about the snowmobile trail where it crosses our driveway; it was built up to quite a depth and I thought once the car broke through, it might get stuck. Looks like I can stop worrying, though. Walking is hazardous; packed snow is ice-coated, and what looks like bare but wet pavement can be black ice. I tried walking this morning but gave it up after a bad fall.

Today was the Kelvington Legion’s Fishing Tournament, so I went down to see how things were going. I parked in the parking area and walked; before I was ten steps from the boat launch, I was over my shoes in water. Out where the fishing was happening, there were places the water was six inches deep or more. The ice was safe, of course - there is about three feet of it - but I still felt nervous.

They sold 150 holes; there must have been a hundred or more fishers there, plus forty or fifty vehicles parked on the west side as a windbreak. There was a very stiff west wind and although it was +6°, it felt mighty cold. Winner of 1^st Prize went to Alan Jepson, who caught a 13.4 lb. Jackfish; 2^nd to George Renneberg with a 1.4 lb. Jack or Pickerel (he caught one of each), and 3^rd to Monty Ewen with a 1 lb. Jack. There were fourteen fish caught in total, four of them in the first few minutes.

The benefit potluck supper for Hunter Woulfe was Friday evening, and it was, as usual, a great success. I estimated over eighty people attended; if not for the flu that is going around, it would likely have been well over a hundred. The food was fantastic, lots of everything, and I managed four passes at the dessert table.

There was very little program; Chase Woulfe, Hunter’s cousin, gave a verbal birthday card  (Hunter’s first birthday is today, Sunday); June Draude wished him Happy Birthday, and Lana Woulfe thanked those present (as well as those who had been unable to attend) for their gifts and good wishes.

I am told the event raised over $4,000, which will be used for Hunter’s welfare. Hunter has cystic fibrosis.

I walked to the Cove for coffee last Monday; visited with Albert, Frank, Wayne, and the Schmidts. I complained that after one weekend of mild weather, it felt cold at –2°. I guess I took off my long johns too soon. Albert said he takes his off the 30^th of June and puts them on again the second of July. Frank, of course, wanted to know if he didn’t at least change them sometimes, and Albert said he did. He didn’t want to be like the guy who got sick, went to hospital, and they had to cut his long johns off with clippers because his body hair had grown through the wool!

Also on Monday, we went to the Perigord rummage sale. When we got there, it was at its peak, and I got a few photos. Of course, everyone wanted me to make sure her face didn’t appear in the paper. By the way, the next Perigord Rummage Sale will be on April 14^th.

About 12:15, a bunch of high school kids came in and started going through the stuff, seeming quite excited. Pretty well everyone found something to buy - I gather “Retro” is in. When we left, a girl was outside trying on a corset over her clothes. A little later, I saw her getting into a car, still wearing the corset, so it must be part of her uniform!

Maurice complained that his truck doesn’t go as far on a gallon of gas as his old one did. We thought it didn’t matter, because if he was burning gas in a diesel, it wouldn’t last long enough to matter. The conversation got around to fuel tank sizes; Emile opined that a Dodge won’t go as far on a tankful, but Albert said it would get there quicker.

We went to the music festival on Wednesday; we wanted to hear Amy Shuya sing, and she did - four pieces. We also heard a number of other kids doing a great job. What a lovely evening’s entertainment!

Archie Nordick tells me he was fishing at Marean Lake and the perch were biting. He also caught one or two small pickerel.