March 9, 2008:

It’s a warm and sunny day, and the snow in Saskatoon is melting to beat the band.

We just got home from Greenwater where we spent a glorious weekend. We went down yesterday and got to the Greenwater Hall just in time for the Pot Luck Supper. There must have been fifty or sixty people there, most of them old friends. As usual, we had a great meal and a great visit.

After that, we went to Kelvington, to Jenny’s place to spend the night. We had a nice visit with her and her cats, too. Peanut, the white one, decided she liked my black pants and immediately turned them gray.

Back to Greenwater this morning, where we joined the Millers and Dunlops for breakfast at The Cove and more visiting. Just like old times at the coffee table!

We were surprised that all the way from Saskatoon to Greenwater we didn’t see any sign of bare ground. In places we could see the tips of stubble, but no dirt. It had been blowing recently and there was snow stuck to the road from Crooked River to the Park, but the road wasn’t bad. We came home via Highway #5, and there was some bare dirt on those sharp hills east of Saskatoon .

From Chelan to Greenwater, there wasn’t a single animal track in the ditch, and only ghosts of snowmobile tracks. Lots of snow, though. Albert Renneberg didn’t think there was quite as much as last year, but not much less. Any moose he has seen have been in fine shape, but someone else reported seeing one covered with ticks. Albert said the coyotes are looking good, with little sign of mange.

We were sitting around after supper; some of the guys were talking hockey, but when they argued about who had scored a goal from the blue line in 1972, my eyes glazed over. Richard thought it was time to interject a little religion, so he told the following story:

Jacques Plante, famous NHL goalie, very much admired sportscaster Foster Hewett and also Foster’s son, Bill Hewett, so he invited them out for supper at a nice restaurant. They all met there at the agreed time and had a lovely dinner. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all three, the father, the son, and the goalie host.

We took in the Sports & Leisure Show at the Prairieland Park Thursday night. The place was really busy. Emphasis seemed to be on boats of all kinds. I didn’t see a single plain little fishing boat – they seem to run to eighteen feet and longer with huge engines. The simplest fishing boat was about $21,000, and some of the ski boats were $50,000 and more. I didn’t see prices on any of the many pontoon boats on display but I’ll bet lots of them were over the $50,000 mark.

There were a lot of dock systems too, with very elaborate boat lifts and canopies. It wouldn’t be at all hard to spend $100,000 on a boat and waterfront setup. Somewhere along the way I have lost contact with economic reality – do people really make that much money these days?

We saw a trailer that would eat Mel’s heart out – about twenty feet long with retractable wheels so the frame sits right down on the ground (or ice). The back lets down so you can carry a quad or snowmobile in it; there is a couch and benches, a little kitchen, and a room that I believe is meant to be a toilet. Plus, and here is the good part, six holes in the floor with covers! A heater and lights, of course. That would be carrying ice fishing to a fine art. Say goodbye, Ardie – if he gets his hands on one of those you won’t see him until spring.

Donna and Les Carpenter were there, manning a booth jointly for the Park and for Greenhills Golf Course. Donna tells us she will be running the pro shop this year.

Darren Teale was there too, in a booth for Porcupine Plain, The Cove, and Allan Serhan’s outfitting business. We didn’t get much chance to talk to any of them as they were quite busy answering questions.