October 24^th, 2004:

The sun peeked out a few times today, but it didn’t stay out long. The temperature stays around that –1° to +1° range and the snow is disappearing.  I spent some time working on the batteries for the motor home and my hands got good and cold. How soft we get!

We went to Kelvington tonight and took in the Kelvington Hospital Blood Analysis Fund’s pork supper and bucket raffle. We had an excellent supper, and I even won some neat prizes in the raffle, something that rarely happens. I understand the Kelvington Hospital staff put on the event with help from staff of Kelvindell Lodge and many other volunteers. The purpose is to raise money towards the purchase of a blood analysis machine. There must have been close to a hundred prizes to draw for, all donated, which means some people did an awful lot of work soliciting those donations. They tell me they served just over six hundred meals. Kudos to the hard-working crew!

It snowed all day Monday, sometimes very light, occasionally quite heavy but always snowing. Tuesday morning there was a blanket of two or three inches covering everything, then it snowed very lightly all day Tuesday, too. It would have been lovely if the overcast weren’t so heavy. Walking was quite easy on Monday as the snow was light and fluffy, and it didn’t seem too icy in the car tracks, but by Tuesday it was very treacherous.

We went to Saskatoon on Thursday; from here to Naicam the roads were snow-packed & icy, but from Naicam on they were just wet. On the way back they were dry as a bone, so we got the car washed in Humboldt. Highway #349 was wet but not slushy, until we got to the end of pavement east of Archerwill. Then it was a sloppy mess. We might as well have saved our money!

We didn’t notice any standing crops at all, and just a few fields of canola in swath. East of Naicam there were two fields that could have been swathed flax, and east of Archerwill several that we couldn’t identify. Not much left out there, though, at least along the road to Saskatoon.

Despite all the doom and gloom being forecast for the remainder of this fall’s crop, I can remember many Novembers that were beautiful months. I am betting that we will get rid of this snow and get enough dry days to allow the rest of the crop to be combined. Remember - you heard it from an expert! (But don’t ask me to put any money on it!)

In the summer, one of my columns included a photo of three young girls playing classical music at a craft fair in Saskatoon. Last night, Penny Starsina told me she recognized those girls - they are neighbors of her daughter in Saskatoon, and their parents are teachers. She showed the girls their picture, and they were quite thrilled.

Doreen went to the Ladies’ Night Out sponsored by the Chase Place volunteers in Porcupine Plain last night. She reports a good, enthusiastic crowd, a wonderful meal, and marvelous entertainment.

Also last night was a wedding party for Colin and Jessie Puetz at Greenwater Hall. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make it, but offer our congratulations to Colin and Jessie.