Berry Barn

To satisfy my occasional craving for Saskatoon Berry Pie I headed out to the old Berry Barn were these decadent desserts are on the menu.

Never heard of a Saskatoon berry?

The berry is native to the Canadian prairies and the berries grow on trees that reach heights of 15 feet.

Known for their Saskatoon “MUST HAVES” when visiting, these delectable berries are grown in this area and known world wide for their sweet and distinct flavor.

Tucked away on Valley Road, and located on the beautiful banks of the South Saskatchewan River, this must see destination presents most breathtaking views in the area. Accentuated by its brilliantly landscaped grounds and carefully manicured berry orchards, the Berry Barn is an ideal location to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy everything wonderful that this province has to offer.

Here is a picture of a little “make shift church’ in the Berry Patch were weddings take place.

The Berry Barn grounds play host to a 28 acre Saskatoon berry orchard the oldest in Saskatchewan. It is here that thousands of pounds of these distinctly flavored berries grow, waiting to be used in various desserts and preserves that are made right on site.

In the past I used to enjoy an afternoon of picking my own berries in the U-pick area to make my own preserves.

I am drawn to this area and the river for its historic beauty, its old fashioned hospitality and colorful countryside, were Canola blooms a brilliant yellow in high summer and golden barley shimmers in the sun.

I’ve learned the hard way that one should take photos while you can. Here is a picture of the old barn before the new renovation.

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Wanuskewin

I treated myself to an afternoon at Wanuskewin, an incredibly beautiful unspoiled natural prairie landscape, to relive the stories and lifestyles of the Northern Plains Indians who have gathered at this one meeting place for over 6.000 years – a place where the original North Americans met newcomers to the continent in a spirit of sharing and hospitality.

In the first Nations community it is remembered as a resting place – a place of spiritual renewal were you can find peace of mind.

I walked in places were hunters once stampeded massive buffaloes over cliffs, and stood on the lower grounds were hunters waited to kill the survivors of the fall. I walked on trails were archaeologists found and still unearth a treasure trove of artifacts from 5.000 year old arrowheads to 3.000 year old bison bones that all speak of the history of this valley and make this region the longest running archaeological site in Canada.

  

There is evidence that many generations used this place. Ring of stones show that once tipis stood there. These tipi stones are “tent pegs” of the past used to hold down the edges of their conical skin tents or tipis.

The Medicine Wheel, a sacred hoop, is one of the most mysterious remains of the nomadic tribes who roamed here. Set amid the prairie grassland on a plateau overlooking the South Saskatchewan River, the wheel is a circular boulder alignment that sits at the end of the circle of the Harmony Trail. It’s one of the last 70 medicine wheels scattered over North America and no two are alike. Some are made up of a single ring, some have double rings, and some are shaped like stars. The wheel is a cairn in the center of a ring of lichen-encrusted limestone boulders, most likely used to conduct ceremonies. The elders believe this is one of the most sacred sites of the northern plains tribes still intact.

 

A walk of discovery through the visitor center will answer many questions about the way First Nations people lived and worked and how their way of life focused on respect for the land, animals and other people.

I surrounded myself with first nations art, music and collected works in the fine art gallery, where creations of master artisans with skills attained by tradition and age-old practices, are exhibited.

This painting is in honor of Metis women’s connection to the horse nation. Historically many Metis woman worked with horses and they were a significant part of Metis culturally life on the prairies. The beautiful pink flower represents Metis woman and the two dancing snakes represent the musical rhythm that the horse nation hooves bring to the earth and all the beings that have the honor of listening to this musical cadence.

I sat in the Amphitheatre were a female dancer in full regalia performed native dances.  The circular layout of the theater gave the event the intimacy of a room and offered the open sky as a ceiling. It overlooks the valley in a beautiful setting.

To day you can take advantage and plan an overnight stay and sleep in one of the tipis in the Opimihaw valley - sit around the fire and listen to traditional stories and learn about first nations traditional living, enjoy a traditional meal of bison stew and bannock, muskeg tea and Saskatoon berry tarts, and take part in the many cultural programs according to once specific interest.

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Summer

New summer design for Summerlove Shelties

Flooding & A Prairie Road Trip

Wildfires, droughts and floods were once seen as freak conditions. But the environmental disasters now striking the province are shocking signs of “global weirding.”

Welcome to the climate roller coaster or what is being coined the “new normal” of weather. Our province is caught between fire and water these days. In the north we have forest fires due to drought, and the south seems to be inundated with water overkill. We in the center of the province are managing reasonably well, although the river is very high and very fast due to the upstream overflow. A typical summer flow rate of the river as it passes through the city is 150 cubic meters per second. I read in the local paper that this week it was estimated to be 1,300 cubic meters per second expecting to rise to 2000 cubic meters in some areas. It has created a warning to all residence to be extra diligent when being close to the river. River lookouts are closed to the public and ferries have stopped their service. According to city officials the water treatment plant is experiencing major problems with their filters and mandatory water restrictions have been put into place for the city. Further south, Regina and Moose Jaws water treatment plant has been shut down completely. All due to the high sand loads from the river water resulting in reduced output and major equipment failure.

The Saskatchewan river as seen at the Berry Barn in Saskatoon. 

Last week I ventured on a road trip to Manitoba to visit my good friend Gail. I traveled on highway 16 as far as Shoal Lake and then headed south. Numerous roads had been damaged and closed as a result of flooding caused by spring run-offs and detours where necessary. Farmers and landowners will continue to be threatened by flooding do to the water release at Gardiner Dam and rising river levels. What crop had been planted might all be lost. I can foresee a rise in the price of wheat and other foods.

Ducks sit atop a round hay bail in a flooded farmers field.

I traveled through a migration corridor were over 390 species of birds have been recorded and 287 known to nest. Over 70% of North American waterfowl originate our Canadian Prairies. A late spring has not stopped ducks and geese from arriving in this region, where excellent breeding conditions are predicted. Habitat conditions remain favorable primarily because of the excellent wetland conditions due to the open waters in the marshes.

A nesting basket for Mallard ducks

On my way home I stopped at Foam Lake Heritage center managed by Ducks Unlimited Canada for a nature watch and walk. The town of Foam Lake has developed three self-guided areas around the marsh that are great for spotting wildlife. There are boardwalks and viewing mounds that make it a satisfying experience. The boardwalk takes you through a marsh bog and offers resting spots and a chance to enjoy the diversity of nature. A great trail for bird watchers and enthusiasts of both flora and fauna with some spectacular views of the lake along the way.

Unfortunately the trail was kind of wet and due to the endless bombarding of barn swallows my walk had to be cut short. Here is a picture of Lynda Haverstock receiving a mallard-nesting basket by Foam Lake’s mayor, as seen at the tourist information center.

For a Timmy’s coffee and a gas fill I stopped at Russell and then headed north for a side trip. I stopped at Inglis for its interesting history of the area and with its restored Five-Grain Elevators, which is a national historic site. Some of these old structures vanish rather suddenly, sort of here to day and gone tomorrow and replaced with new buildings build of cement and steel. Once there were many of these old landmarks in the prairies, it’s sad to see the beauty of these old prairie elevators gone forever.

The restored elevators in Inglis are one of the last examples known left standing and are an enduring symbol of the prairies agriculture and a way of life once common, but now increasingly difficult to find anymore.

On my return home the dogs were happy to see me, as I am sure my faithful dog sitters had temporarily changed their usual routine.

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Spring Clean Ups

It’s that time again – the time when confusion reigns and it doesn’t look as if everything will possibly get sorted out in time for the real garden season.

I welcome spring with mixed feelings. I am pleased to see the end of the snow and the cold, but the first few weeks of the season are always related to a lot of work. So much work in fact that it doesn’t seem possible to even contemplate it all. As soon as the snow has melted and it is dry enough in the garden you just want to get out and get your hands dirty. There are a few jobs that need attending and I am trying to convince myself that I actually enjoy them. I imagine how nice the garden will look.

As I sit on the patio with grand visions of my yard, these thoughts of conquering and beautifying my yard quickly begin to fade as I think of the days I need to accomplish the task. Perhaps I could split the garden up into manageable sections and did a task each day, it wouldn’t be so bad. The lawn needs attending first as leaves and branches fallen during the winter storms need to be removed. Spring also reveals a horrific scene of unwanted weeds from last year that need sending to the trash Trimming back plants and shrubs to prepare them for the new season would follow. The garden however, who is easily ignored until seemingly over night the perennials are peeking through the soil and begin to push their green selves into the air for another year. Sights of tulips and daffodils pushing up like periscopes from the muddy depths are greeting me with fresh vibrant new growth peeking up through the ruins of last year.

Then of course there are the dogs who always want to lend a hand with digging in the soil and pulling out the plants They are quite vocal too and have a lot to say, so much in fact, that I better leave them in the house should I get enough energy to actually making my fantasy of a beautiful garden reality.

So the timing has not been quite right yet, my fantasy that I would putter in my garden has not materialized yet. How easy it could be to keep up with it all! Who am I kidding! It won’t happen. I’ll put it off until I am having people over for coffee, then I’ll fly into a frenzy and get busy attempting to give the impression that my garden is always easy to look after. Or maybe I should just call the gardener to do the task for me, but then again I could not brag that my garden is my labor of my love. I probably wouldn’t have calluses and an aching back and a deep feeling of satisfaction.

I carry on this procrastination as long as possible and finally cave mostly because I cannot stand the sight of it any longer.

ASSA 2011

This years ASSA National was in Grey Summit west of St Louis Missouri.

 

The beautiful banner of the 2011 ASSA National

We arrived Tuesday and the plan was to pick up our rental car at the airport, which is a 30 minutes drive from our hotel, only to find out that all rental cars were leased out. We were quite disappointed and agreed to take a cab that charged us an astronomical price.

Our hotel was beautiful. Build in the early 1800 with its 36 inches thick limestone walls offering genuine midwestern hospitality, made for a comfortable stay. We even had a choice of firm or soft pillows, a first for me and a nice touch.

The event was at the new Purina Farms Event Center, a perfect location with a new state of the art indoor facility. Bright and large with cushioned flooring for the big ring and lots of grooming space. The surrounding areas of the center had plenty of grassland with picturess scenery.

We did our shopping right away, as the evening was set-aside for the visiting hour. Many beautiful dogs caught my eyes, especially the young puppies that placed so well in their classes and the top quality dogs I had admired from afar.

Here is a noteworthy, beautiful display.

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Wednesday was the judging of the boys. For the evening we were lucky to scalp tickets for the BBQ. Our tablemates were from New York State, Manitoba and Missouri. An impromptu educational question and answer hour led by Rick Thompson followed. Many knowledgeable “Old Timers” participated in giving answers. Overall an enjoyable evening.

The remaining week was spent watching our beautiful shelties being judged, socializing, making new friends and visiting with old acquaintances. It was a treat to be on a little holiday.

I would have loved to see padded chairs or bleachers all around the ring. Negotiating getting up and down on them and sitting for hours was not easy to take. Many spectators had bought crate pads to sit on which alleviated the uncomfortable seating arrangement.

People working the show worked so very hard and all appreciated it. At the restaurant I had some great meals and of course the cake celebrating the 100-year birthday…was delicious.

It was good to sit at ringside to relax, no stress, following the dogs in the catalogue enjoying the beautiful shelties of the day and to pick my winners. The best part of the show was to see so many friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was nice to catch up.

Congratulation to all the winners!

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It would be remiss of me not to write about my Friday Adventure to the Harrah’s Casino. Initially we had planned to take a riverboat cruise down the Mississippi river that evening, but as faith would have it, it wasn’t meant to be. Instead we joined a group who was headed to the casino.

I am not a gambler and my $20.00 had to last the whole evening. Lady Luck was on my side and I was on a roll when all of a sudden my one arm bandit froze and I could no longer place a bet I could only see a black screen. – No time to think and worry in what to do next. – No time to cash out, as I couldn’t anyway. - No time to place my chair in a tipped position indicating that this place was reserved. – At the same time I saw security personnel rushing into a certain direction when all of a sudden sirens screeched in a loud demanding call making you pay attention. Loudspeakers ordered us to proceed into a secure area of the casino. By this time word had got around that a tornado had touched down. Quickly and orderly we were evacuated into an interior, windowless area of the casino. An elderly man next to me was sitting under a table and by this time my brain was functioning again and I realized the magnitude a tornado could have. I was frightened worrying about my safety. I breathed a sigh of relief as I welcomed the call of the loudspeaker ten minutes later announcing the “ALL CLEAR”.

I returned to my one arm bandit were I had left a substantial amount of money earlier only to find a woman in my seat playing with my money. I cautioned her that she was playing with my money and that I wanted it back. Well… I got a nasty look and an even nastier reply. I am not the arguing type and I wasn’t about to argue with the woman who was twice my size. I motioned a supervisor explaining my mishap. He was more than helpful re-acquiring my lost money and then some that by the way was later spend in the casino anyway.

I want to congratulate the casino staff on their efficiency in handling this situation. It could have been a different outcome but all was well.

Our drive back to the hotel took a little longer than usual as many highways were closed because of the devastation the tornado had caused. Our GPS had to re-calculate numerous times!!!!

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This National will be remembered for the devastating storm that spawned tornadoes across the region as St Louis and area took a big hit from a tornado that destroyed many homes and damaged many others. The best news was that there was no loss of life as a result of the heavy storms that moved through the area. As we were driving to the airport on Sunday we could see the devastation. Unbelievable to see first hand the power of a tornado as anything in its way was flattened or destroyed. Lambert Airport took a big hit as well and the airport was closed indefinitely as the status of the airport was unknown. The C concourse, which was heavily damaged, remained closed, and people were making other travel arrangements, but by Sunday the airport had returned to normal capacity levels. Airlines flew nearly 70% of scheduled flights and I was happy that we were one of the lucky once leaving.

There is no place like home!