In his latest column, Norm Park offers a belated thanks to provincial crop producers and shares musings on his Saskatchewan bucket list, from small towns to wildlife encounters.
First off, a belated thanks to provincial crop producers, those people that make things work in Saskatchewan.
It was the Thanksgiving weekend, and as usual, some of you sat down to a turkey meal, pumpkin pie, or an extra cup of coffee because it was Thanksgiving and we didn't really give much thought to the actual reason behind this holiday.
So let's remember: it's supposed to be about giving thanks for a harvest that brings food and good graces to general, massive populations, without fear or favour, as the legal system would say.
Now, on to bucket list manipulations.
Last week I came to the realization I am not qualified to ever serve as the official Saskatchawanderer. In fact, I'm not even sure I spelt it correctly.
As we should all know, this is a person who is hired by government (I assume) to wander around the province, pointing out various highlights and, yes, some silliness and strangeness to be found in Saskatchewan. He or she takes more than a few months to view, record, participate in local events, and visit some of our scenic vistas, or not-so-scenic, but definitely interesting locations that the average motorist, tourist, or even local resident should visit.
I view it as a fun job, but realize it has demands, schedules, and probably a lot of unexpected activities that keep the wanderer transfixed in the Saskatchewan environment.
So why do I not qualify?
Well, for one thing, I've never been to the town of Assiniboia, another difficult-to-spell location that is just down the road from where I reside. That's shameful.
I've never been to the Cypress Hills either, so I bow my head and prepare for the 20 lashes for neglecting these provincial sites, among others.
Without going into great detail regarding long-time bucket lists that we might have, or might have had in years past, I am now re-making my list and crafting it more modestly and realistically.
I would simply like to visit more of Saskatchewan.
At one time, I dreamt of communing with elephants in their natural environment, not in a circus ring, zoo, or wild animal park. I would have liked to have observed a beluga whale in ocean action.
The bride has witnessed some of these events, and even without photographic evidence, her description of special moments, such as viewing a mother cheetah hauling two cubs to a safer location, was a thrill.
And hey, I got to visit with a herd of camels in a natural setting, so I am not bereft of special experiences with animals, wild or otherwise. I mean, what's more fun than playing with a regular canine?
My cousin befriended a wolf from the wild when he was around 12 years old, living on a ranch. Grant was a wonderful horse, dog, wolf whisperer before that ever became a thing. He just knew how to commune with the animal world and didn't make a big deal out of it since he grew up around horses and wildlife.
So instead of heading to jungles, caves, oceans, or mountain peaks, I'm hoping to someday visit Assiniboia.
A modest bucket list is now in my repertoire.
I lived in Prince Albert for the better part of one year, so I visited Waskesiu but didn't get to La Ronge. I've been to all of Saskatchewan's cities and a lot of our larger towns, but I'm sure there are a number of villages or hamlets in our crazy province that should be visited, not for any major happening, but just to take a look around. Does it have a grocery or convenience store, a service station, a post office (nope, not going to submit an opinion on that topic), or some type of general store or restaurant?
I drive by long-forgotten farm homes and recall stories I heard about early farming days in Saskatchewan, when a quarter or half-section was enough to provide a living and an occasional profit.
Now we have corporate farms, some still operated by families, usually containing a vastness of crops. Or, as one veteran farmer once told me during a visit: "We used to have neighbours right over there, less than a quarter-mile away, and another just down the road, and we could visit."
He is retired, so one more crumbling farm home and shed will be added to the Saskatchewan vista.
Reality means sometimes a foreign or unknown Canadian company owns the bulk of our land, but that doesn't mean the crops suffer.
I will continue to tour the Saskatchewan farmlands and marvel at the way the agriculture world has adopted and adapted to diverse crops, techniques, and larger synchronized equipment. I will keep those road trips on my bucket list.
I mean, why not stop in at the village café or town's service station, grab a soft drink or coffee, have a quick chat, and make a few circuits of the streets before heading back out on the highway? I can give myself an additional 12 minutes, can't I?
I won't run across any elephants, but might see a coyote, fox, deer, or moose if I'm lucky. That can stir the heart probably as much as an elephant's bleating roar.
I once watched a coyote trying to chase down a rabbit in a fallow field. I exited my vehicle and viewed the chase with my camera. The coyote spotted me in mid-chase, and immediately sat down, ever alert, and simply stared at me for about a minute from about five metres away before loping away. To me, that Saskatchewan experience could be just as thrilling as watching a whale surface.
I guess it's just how we acknowledge and interpret our special events that should never be taken for granted. Let's enjoy them.