text/image posts from Cath Thompson
10.12.11
8.10.11
footsteps
my horse has the best feet of the entire herd
he can run on grass and stone
and snow
blood pumping with each step
blood flowing through his body
each mark he makes on the ground
is an entire world
that says
here I am
try to stop me
there is no stopping him
he says
I need no machine to propel me
on my way
and everything
to me
is enough
he says
that everything
that the earth gives
to me
is enough
he can run on grass and stone
and snow
blood pumping with each step
blood flowing through his body
each mark he makes on the ground
is an entire world
that says
here I am
try to stop me
there is no stopping him
he says
I need no machine to propel me
on my way
and everything
to me
is enough
he says
that everything
that the earth gives
to me
is enough
25.8.11
Update from Pincher
A slight shift in horse living. Na’anni as well as Dakota has come back with me to my friends, David and Heidi’s place at Windy Coulee. It ended up being not possible for Naha to stay over in Wideview and fate being what it always is, there is a couple that would like to adopt Na’anni. She will be in a good place there I feel, a challenge to her new people. All good. Dakota is here at Windy Coulee Ranch with Heidi’s bunch of Canadian horses until I head out again in the spring. An exceptional home for him. Lots of native grass where he’ll be able to graze upon through the fall and winter.
I am staying here until the end of September, helping out with hoof trimming and other things. David and some of his friends and I will have a concert at the end of my stay at the lovely nearby Spring Point Hall. I will then head up to Banff and the music department of the Banff Centre to work on new material inspired by my adventures.
Banff for a couple months and then off to Thailand, Compeung’s 5 anniversary exhibit in early December and then all willing, a residency there later in the winter for a month or so. Then also, all willing, insh’allah, etc etc back to the high plains to prepare for stage two of the Sun and the Wind long ride epic.
I was recently high in the Rocky Mountain foothills surrounded by forest. How wonderful it was to be there. I love the open plains and yet have so often, during my ride, dreamed of being back in forested lands again. There is a part of me that feels that with the coming times a forest may be better than the open. Not so sure, when I really think about it, though if that is smart thinking. Many deer in the prairie, many edible plants too. Of course, winter in the open Canadian plains is truly sobering but around here in SW Alberta you get some wonderful chinook winds coming through to ease things up. Of course many people live here already, in solid homes, with heat, petroleum, electricity coal, oil. In the old past the people would migrate to treed areas with great groves of cottonwoods near rivers for shelter, water. Where with spring floods you can pack up in a few hours and move to higher ground.
So much to learn from our ancestors. I’m just reading about the idea that resilience is the opposite to efficiency. That the more efficient something becomes the more susceptible to breakdown it also becomes (thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com). It’s the specialist theme … one definition of specialization being that the specialist becomes more and more specialised until they know everything there is to know about nothing.
As current systems (I hate that bloody word 'systems') collapse the technology that people will gravitate towards may be the earlier incarnations that we consider our ‘primitive’, never to be seen again past: Microchips to transistors to tubes to sitting around a winter fire conjuring fantastical stories, internal combustion engines to steam (maybe) to horse to walking, computer word processors to typewriters to movable type presses to hand writing to … speaking.
The natural pro/re/ag/gression being to find ourselves finally back using stone age technologies and finally see a possibility of living on this earth in something resembling sustainability. Stone age agriculture … perhaps … for a time, but truly I dream at this point to a planet capable of sustaining us as hunters, as gatherers. The memory of seven billion people a distant warning passed on through the ages to all tellers of stories and myth and song. This is where we are going and it would behoove us all to start moving there asap. Well, that’s what I think anyway … but then most folks reading this blog already know this about me.
More to come. Hope all is well withal!
Cath
I am staying here until the end of September, helping out with hoof trimming and other things. David and some of his friends and I will have a concert at the end of my stay at the lovely nearby Spring Point Hall. I will then head up to Banff and the music department of the Banff Centre to work on new material inspired by my adventures.
Banff for a couple months and then off to Thailand, Compeung’s 5 anniversary exhibit in early December and then all willing, a residency there later in the winter for a month or so. Then also, all willing, insh’allah, etc etc back to the high plains to prepare for stage two of the Sun and the Wind long ride epic.
I was recently high in the Rocky Mountain foothills surrounded by forest. How wonderful it was to be there. I love the open plains and yet have so often, during my ride, dreamed of being back in forested lands again. There is a part of me that feels that with the coming times a forest may be better than the open. Not so sure, when I really think about it, though if that is smart thinking. Many deer in the prairie, many edible plants too. Of course, winter in the open Canadian plains is truly sobering but around here in SW Alberta you get some wonderful chinook winds coming through to ease things up. Of course many people live here already, in solid homes, with heat, petroleum, electricity coal, oil. In the old past the people would migrate to treed areas with great groves of cottonwoods near rivers for shelter, water. Where with spring floods you can pack up in a few hours and move to higher ground.
So much to learn from our ancestors. I’m just reading about the idea that resilience is the opposite to efficiency. That the more efficient something becomes the more susceptible to breakdown it also becomes (thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com). It’s the specialist theme … one definition of specialization being that the specialist becomes more and more specialised until they know everything there is to know about nothing.
As current systems (I hate that bloody word 'systems') collapse the technology that people will gravitate towards may be the earlier incarnations that we consider our ‘primitive’, never to be seen again past: Microchips to transistors to tubes to sitting around a winter fire conjuring fantastical stories, internal combustion engines to steam (maybe) to horse to walking, computer word processors to typewriters to movable type presses to hand writing to … speaking.
The natural pro/re/ag/gression being to find ourselves finally back using stone age technologies and finally see a possibility of living on this earth in something resembling sustainability. Stone age agriculture … perhaps … for a time, but truly I dream at this point to a planet capable of sustaining us as hunters, as gatherers. The memory of seven billion people a distant warning passed on through the ages to all tellers of stories and myth and song. This is where we are going and it would behoove us all to start moving there asap. Well, that’s what I think anyway … but then most folks reading this blog already know this about me.
More to come. Hope all is well withal!
Cath
28.7.11
we ain't in the missouri couteau no more, dorothy
Well, here I am waiting at the Medicine Hat bus terminal
which is closed 'cause it's bloody 3 o'clock in the morning. I have my 3 bags and one cora on a cart and have rigged it so that I can lie down in it.
Pretty comfortable actually. I have to say that it is a little on the grim side. I have a 4 and a half hour wait to catch the bus
that will take me to Pincher Creek and my friends Heidi and David.
I managed to get my stuff from Trails End on Tuesday. Most of it is still at Kyla's and I'll go back in a week or two to pick that stuff up as well as m'horse.
If you think that I look tired in the first photo, it's because I am. The nasty lights aren't helping things either. And to top it all off I forgot to put on makeup today... which is just as well since my main face paint for the last while has been cooking pot soot, mixed with horse sweat, mixed with equine pin tar bug dope, mixed with nasty slough algae.
I feel qualified to say that riding a bus has nothing of the nobility of riding a horse. Especially the crowded bus that crosses the country every day. I am already looking forward to getting back on the slow traveling dignified trail again!
Apparently the adventures are not quite over with! Not yet.
which is closed 'cause it's bloody 3 o'clock in the morning. I have my 3 bags and one cora on a cart and have rigged it so that I can lie down in it.
Pretty comfortable actually. I have to say that it is a little on the grim side. I have a 4 and a half hour wait to catch the bus
that will take me to Pincher Creek and my friends Heidi and David.
I managed to get my stuff from Trails End on Tuesday. Most of it is still at Kyla's and I'll go back in a week or two to pick that stuff up as well as m'horse.
If you think that I look tired in the first photo, it's because I am. The nasty lights aren't helping things either. And to top it all off I forgot to put on makeup today... which is just as well since my main face paint for the last while has been cooking pot soot, mixed with horse sweat, mixed with equine pin tar bug dope, mixed with nasty slough algae.
I feel qualified to say that riding a bus has nothing of the nobility of riding a horse. Especially the crowded bus that crosses the country every day. I am already looking forward to getting back on the slow traveling dignified trail again!
Apparently the adventures are not quite over with! Not yet.
22.7.11
Skuld Stories - the deer, the taking, the leaving, the sharing
Leaving Anaíl, an Caonach and Uisce where I had left them during the still hunt (a short ways away in a coulee to the south east), I came back to the deer.
My custom is to be with the deer in the early stage of it's passing, but then once that is done, I respectfully leave it be for its final stages. I walked away to join my companions for a time. Depending on the circumstances, I will either continue where the kill lies or after basic gutting will carry, or rather, an Caonach will carry (she is the only one of my companions that can tolerate a dead animal on its back) our kill to a camp that we have been based at.
This time, because we were in the midst of traveling, I decided to stay where we were and set up a camp for enough time to prepare the deer to travel with us.
This means that we would need to stay for 5 or 6 days. It was dry and warm. Enough to dry the meat in time before it could spoil. In another time when the conditions were not so, I would take what I thought would last and share the rest with those around us. Though I myself, didn't always take or use everything from a kill, I knew that what I left would be happily eaten up by my fellow animals around and about. The coyote, fox, wolf, wolverine, marten, fisher, raven, crow, puma, the many many other birds, the millions of tiny insects, the billions of even tinier bacteria. Truly, nothing is ever wasted.
Since there were no trees about to hang the carcass which was now a shell, spirit gone on. I did the butchering on the ground. I dragged the body so that its head lay higher than the the tail. This being so that when I pulled out the innards they would flow downhill and away from where I was working. I cut the legs off at the knee, setting those aside so that I could take the hoofs and dewclaws off later on. I had promised a hoof rattle to a friend that I knew that we would see within the month. I also kept 2 of the leg bones to make a small flute out of for my friends' children.
Taking my leaf bladed small knife, I then started to cut the hide starting near the genitals all the way up to just below the jaw. I would gather the skin in one hand in a little fold and start my cut there and on. I did not want to cut into the abdominal cavity and spill the guts at this point. Once this long incision was made, I extended the cut out towards each leg.
Taking my hand mostly, pushing and pulling and occasionally carefully using my knife, I started to peel the deer skin off the carcass. Starting in the middle and spreading out from there until the skin was pulled completely away from the body. I let the skin lay flat on the ground so that I could continue on without bits of things from the ground getting onto the rest of the carcass.
I carefully cut into the abdominal cavity and then with more pressure cut into the area between the ribs up as far as I could. I spread open the ribs. I carefully cut around the ass and throat. This would allow all the innards to be easily pulled out without contaminating any of the meat.
The first thing I reached for was the heart and this I took a few big bites out of right away. For some reason I do not like to eat heart cooked but do so raw on a fresh kill only. This heart I would eat as I worked and it would feed me for the day. It had been awhile since my last kill and I could feel a great energy pass through my body as I ate it. I took out then the liver and kidneys to save for the following day. The stomach I saved to make a new water bag out of. My last one became torn on the last new moon during a fight and then flight that we became entangled within. I will tell this story soon enough.
I then pulled out the intestines and other bits and lay then aside for the others to eat. I will carry them a good distance from our camp.
The inside of the now empty cavity I cleaned with some dried grass and then moved on to take care of the meat.
I cut the meat into long strips to dry. I will take thin strips of the rawhide with the hair scraped off and make a rack out of bits of wood to hang the strips of meat. The smaller bits of meat, I saved to eat while we were encamped over the days to come. The tender meat along each side of the backbone I made sure to put aside so as not to get mixed-up with the rest. It is the tenderest part and makes the best meat dried and as well I could quickly cook fresh slices over a fire, the thought of which makes my mouth water.
Before cutting the tender back meat out I pulled off the long strips of sinew above it with the back of my knife. This sinew makes the best thread for clothing, bowstrings and a multitude of other essential uses. I always take this sinew to save, but the shorter thicker sinew that connects the legs I don't unless I have a specific need for it.
I spent the afternoon and early evening at this. Work difficult, focused but unhurried. When I was done, I dragged the now mostly stripped skeleton up the hill a ways. The hide, I folded up and put in safe place a little in the air in a small bushy berry tree about the hight of my head. Six feet or so. I dragged the skeleton with the intestines laid within the ribs up the hill and a good 100 yards from the kill site. I know that that evening and most likely the days and evenings to fallow would be alive with the sound of coyotes yipping and howling with the delight of their newfound meal. So many times I had wished to be able to shift into a coyote so that I could experience this unparalleed party. Most likely when I went up there to have a look at the end of our stay, all I would find in some tufts of hair and a few bits of bone laying about. The rest would have been eaten or dragged away for later.
20.7.11
in suspension
Well, it seems official now. I am calling a halt to my journey for the time being. I shall hope to continue next year but I think that for now I will shift to parallel but different adventures.
Na'anni rear right leg is injured and that is the main reason for my decision. I have also been quite tired lately though at this very moment I feel well rested thanks to Kyla's wonderful hospitality.
Na'anni is going to stay with Kyla. I will either sell her or trade for one of the mares in her small herd. I know that she will find a good and loving home here, so I feel really good about this decision.
It was yesterday that the realisation that it was time to call the trip came to me. I felt it deeply in my heart. I was so upset yesterday and had a number of moments of weeping throughout the day. Today, I feel good and calm with my decision. I feel it is best for the horses and best for me.
From Kyla's place, I will be going Pitcher Creek ways to dear friends Heidi and David to help them and enjoy their company. I will be there with other WWOOF volunteers as well so it will be good to meet new people.
I have applied to the autumn residency program at the Banff Centre. (Its been a busy 2 days organising this next stage) With hope I will spend some months there where I can work on new material inspired by my adventures over the last 6 weeks (which is probably more like 12 weeks if we include the training time I spent with my horses at Trails End ranch)
I will most likely be taking Dakota with me to Pincher Creek. It would be hard to leave him behind, though I could do so if need be.
I think that a lot will come from this journey. I have many thoughts and visions to work with towards songs, stories and written work.
Though it feels sad to be writing this, I know that things happen as they happen and perhaps even for reasons not always clear in the moment. Following my heart has been a vital aspect of this journey and has kept me safe.
One thing that is ironic is that I am stopping just 1 day away from the area, the land that was a big part of the inspiration for the location of this journey in the first place. That area is Grasslands Nat'l Park. If you are ever in southern Saskatchewan, I urge you to come to visit this place. It is beautiful.
So. I have come around 430 kms, over 6 weeks, have experienced incredible things, met wonderful people, withstood (and otherwise!) heavy storms, rain thunder lightning winds. I have come to the edge of my abilities both physically and emotionally. I feel more fully myself.
I will keep posting here through the summer and especially will try to move towards creating more skuld stories woven within.
A la prochaine!
Cath
Na'anni rear right leg is injured and that is the main reason for my decision. I have also been quite tired lately though at this very moment I feel well rested thanks to Kyla's wonderful hospitality.
Na'anni is going to stay with Kyla. I will either sell her or trade for one of the mares in her small herd. I know that she will find a good and loving home here, so I feel really good about this decision.
It was yesterday that the realisation that it was time to call the trip came to me. I felt it deeply in my heart. I was so upset yesterday and had a number of moments of weeping throughout the day. Today, I feel good and calm with my decision. I feel it is best for the horses and best for me.
From Kyla's place, I will be going Pitcher Creek ways to dear friends Heidi and David to help them and enjoy their company. I will be there with other WWOOF volunteers as well so it will be good to meet new people.
I have applied to the autumn residency program at the Banff Centre. (Its been a busy 2 days organising this next stage) With hope I will spend some months there where I can work on new material inspired by my adventures over the last 6 weeks (which is probably more like 12 weeks if we include the training time I spent with my horses at Trails End ranch)
I will most likely be taking Dakota with me to Pincher Creek. It would be hard to leave him behind, though I could do so if need be.
I think that a lot will come from this journey. I have many thoughts and visions to work with towards songs, stories and written work.
Though it feels sad to be writing this, I know that things happen as they happen and perhaps even for reasons not always clear in the moment. Following my heart has been a vital aspect of this journey and has kept me safe.
One thing that is ironic is that I am stopping just 1 day away from the area, the land that was a big part of the inspiration for the location of this journey in the first place. That area is Grasslands Nat'l Park. If you are ever in southern Saskatchewan, I urge you to come to visit this place. It is beautiful.
So. I have come around 430 kms, over 6 weeks, have experienced incredible things, met wonderful people, withstood (and otherwise!) heavy storms, rain thunder lightning winds. I have come to the edge of my abilities both physically and emotionally. I feel more fully myself.
I will keep posting here through the summer and especially will try to move towards creating more skuld stories woven within.
A la prochaine!
Cath
18.7.11
Wideview and the Continental Divide and needed rest
After a good calm evening back at the wood river, we got going around 9 o'clock or so.
We were heading due south on a road that will take us part way towards Grasslands Nat'l Park.
By the time we got to about 15 kms it became clear that we needed to stop. I was feeling utterly exhausted and Na'anni was having some difficulty with her right rear leg. Limping a little. I headed towards a bunch of trees hoping that it might be an abandoned homestead so that we could rest up for the afternoon.
As it turned out it wasn't an abandoned homestead at all but a full on home and ranch well occupied. As we walked down the tree lined driveway and got in front of the house a young woman came out, I introduced myself to Kyla Davidson and asked if I could picket my horses and set up my tent. Kyla said that I was welcome to be there and that she had a extra guest bedroom and that I was welcome to stay in that as well. To that I said that I would be so grateful for the bed.
I got my stuff organised, the horses picketed and watered and then settled down into some nice rest. Kyla made steak for dinner we had good talk and I got myself to bed in a BED early.
Kyla asked me if I'd be into staying an extra day so that her friend Stacey could come by and have a look at my horses. That sounded fine to me. I had only been on the road for 2 days after Mankota but weariness was heavy on me. I welcomed the chance to rest some more.
Stacey Stengler came over the next day. She does holistic healing with horses. She pulled out her pendulum and used that to see where Na'anni was having pain. As she went down her leg both touching and letting her hand hover, the pendulum would go around in a bigger circle as she got closer to the trouble spots. It turns out that the pain is around the lower leg, just above the pastern. Stacey gave me some ointment for the strain, suggested some exercises to do with her and also gave me some ointment for the abrasions that both horses got from long days with the boot cuffs rubbing. I say 'gave' deliberately. She would not take money for her time or the medicines. Kyla also gave me a magnetic band and some solution to put on that to wrap around Naha's leg. Generosity of this sort has happened so many times on this journey and I have written before about it. The regular expression of this generosity has not diminished my appreciation and deep gratitude one bit. It is so truly moving.
Kyla asked Stacey to see if she could pick up anything off Dakota. I and others have wondered whether he had to deal with mistreatment in the years before he came to me. After a bit of time Stacey said that she thought that though he wasn't abused he suffered some neglect mostly through unawareness. She said that he was much happier hanging around with me and seemed also to be happy with the sort of traveling that we are doing.
I really can't do justice with my words about how moving this whole process was for me. When Stacey started talking about Dakota the tears started flowing. It was an amazing experience.
Stacey thought that it would be good to not travel for a few more days to let Na'anni rest some more. Kyla was fine with me staying on a little longer saying that she was enjoying my company. So as I write this I am on rest day 2, just had a bath and feel so so tired and grateful to be able to rest. I walked out a ways along the road this morning to get a cel signal and had a wonderful 40 minute chat with my Mom over in Bangkok. It is a good day and I think that I will even go down for a nap later this'aft.
I feel so good to be resting. My spirits are good yet, at this very moment, I also feel unsure if I can keep going. I know this feeling, it comes from weariness and I have had it a number of times before on this trip. I shall trust to time and healing and with hope will be back on the trail in a few days time to continue this adventure of mine. Kyla tells me that we are sitting on the continental divide here. To the south, water flows to the Mississippi and to the north Hudson's Bay.
The terrain that I am heading into as I get closer to Grasslands is stunning. I try to remember how much I love to out camping with my horses and my tent. The peace. The time to think.
We were heading due south on a road that will take us part way towards Grasslands Nat'l Park.
By the time we got to about 15 kms it became clear that we needed to stop. I was feeling utterly exhausted and Na'anni was having some difficulty with her right rear leg. Limping a little. I headed towards a bunch of trees hoping that it might be an abandoned homestead so that we could rest up for the afternoon.
As it turned out it wasn't an abandoned homestead at all but a full on home and ranch well occupied. As we walked down the tree lined driveway and got in front of the house a young woman came out, I introduced myself to Kyla Davidson and asked if I could picket my horses and set up my tent. Kyla said that I was welcome to be there and that she had a extra guest bedroom and that I was welcome to stay in that as well. To that I said that I would be so grateful for the bed.
I got my stuff organised, the horses picketed and watered and then settled down into some nice rest. Kyla made steak for dinner we had good talk and I got myself to bed in a BED early.
Kyla asked me if I'd be into staying an extra day so that her friend Stacey could come by and have a look at my horses. That sounded fine to me. I had only been on the road for 2 days after Mankota but weariness was heavy on me. I welcomed the chance to rest some more.
Stacey Stengler came over the next day. She does holistic healing with horses. She pulled out her pendulum and used that to see where Na'anni was having pain. As she went down her leg both touching and letting her hand hover, the pendulum would go around in a bigger circle as she got closer to the trouble spots. It turns out that the pain is around the lower leg, just above the pastern. Stacey gave me some ointment for the strain, suggested some exercises to do with her and also gave me some ointment for the abrasions that both horses got from long days with the boot cuffs rubbing. I say 'gave' deliberately. She would not take money for her time or the medicines. Kyla also gave me a magnetic band and some solution to put on that to wrap around Naha's leg. Generosity of this sort has happened so many times on this journey and I have written before about it. The regular expression of this generosity has not diminished my appreciation and deep gratitude one bit. It is so truly moving.
Kyla asked Stacey to see if she could pick up anything off Dakota. I and others have wondered whether he had to deal with mistreatment in the years before he came to me. After a bit of time Stacey said that she thought that though he wasn't abused he suffered some neglect mostly through unawareness. She said that he was much happier hanging around with me and seemed also to be happy with the sort of traveling that we are doing.
I really can't do justice with my words about how moving this whole process was for me. When Stacey started talking about Dakota the tears started flowing. It was an amazing experience.
Stacey thought that it would be good to not travel for a few more days to let Na'anni rest some more. Kyla was fine with me staying on a little longer saying that she was enjoying my company. So as I write this I am on rest day 2, just had a bath and feel so so tired and grateful to be able to rest. I walked out a ways along the road this morning to get a cel signal and had a wonderful 40 minute chat with my Mom over in Bangkok. It is a good day and I think that I will even go down for a nap later this'aft.
I feel so good to be resting. My spirits are good yet, at this very moment, I also feel unsure if I can keep going. I know this feeling, it comes from weariness and I have had it a number of times before on this trip. I shall trust to time and healing and with hope will be back on the trail in a few days time to continue this adventure of mine. Kyla tells me that we are sitting on the continental divide here. To the south, water flows to the Mississippi and to the north Hudson's Bay.
The terrain that I am heading into as I get closer to Grasslands is stunning. I try to remember how much I love to out camping with my horses and my tent. The peace. The time to think.
15.7.11
Wood river part 2
I forgot to mention that my tent is surrounded by big badger holes. I reckon I'll either be swarmed at night by the rogue badger contingent or disappear in one of their holes when I leave my tent to pee. Where no doubt unspeakable things will befall me. If you don't hear from me in a week or so you'll know what became of me.
C
C
2nd wood river camp
I have cel reception here so i thought i'd do a short post. Am camped by the wood river again. Day was good. Naha having trouble with her boots still rubbing her pasterns. Did fixup this aft. Hope better tomorrow. Have also ordered a size smaller to pick up with new friends in Eastend.
Here's where we are ..
and here's the wood river. note that those rocks are the road which has been washed away by the frequent rains.
Here's where we are ..
and here's the wood river. note that those rocks are the road which has been washed away by the frequent rains.
14.7.11
Skuld stories - The deer
My shot was a little short and a little too far to the right. My arrow had pierced both rear legs of the deer just around the knees. The deer, she couldn't run but was able to drag herself with her front legs and this is what she did as I approached her. As I got close enough for fear to make her forget the pain in her body that happened out of nowhere just minutes before.
As soon as she started to move I backed away enough so that she lay still once again. Angry with myself for taking such a long and risky shot, heartbroken I was. Yet there was more important things for me to do than to mourn for what I had inflicted. To end this for the deer as quickly and as quietly as I could.
I approached once again, retreated when she started to move, approached, retreated, approach, retreat. Gradually I found myself next to her, my hand stroking the side of her head. She had stopped trying to run away. She knew and I knew that she had let go. Accepted that her end was near. That her gift to me was her body to feed my body as I know and wait for the day when my body will give itself willingly to others.
With my left hand continuing to gently caress the side of her face, I took my knife in my right and quickly and deeply cut her throat. She shifted. A little. But settled right away again and I waited. I waited for her life to ebb in its time and then I waited some more. I waited to be sure that her spirit could find its way to where it surely must go. I waited until I knew. I waited.
And as always with the gift that a hunt brings I ate her body and every time I did I remembered that day, I remembered everything i remembered all and i gave my thanks.
As soon as she started to move I backed away enough so that she lay still once again. Angry with myself for taking such a long and risky shot, heartbroken I was. Yet there was more important things for me to do than to mourn for what I had inflicted. To end this for the deer as quickly and as quietly as I could.
I approached once again, retreated when she started to move, approached, retreated, approach, retreat. Gradually I found myself next to her, my hand stroking the side of her head. She had stopped trying to run away. She knew and I knew that she had let go. Accepted that her end was near. That her gift to me was her body to feed my body as I know and wait for the day when my body will give itself willingly to others.
With my left hand continuing to gently caress the side of her face, I took my knife in my right and quickly and deeply cut her throat. She shifted. A little. But settled right away again and I waited. I waited for her life to ebb in its time and then I waited some more. I waited to be sure that her spirit could find its way to where it surely must go. I waited until I knew. I waited.
And as always with the gift that a hunt brings I ate her body and every time I did I remembered that day, I remembered everything i remembered all and i gave my thanks.
Big storm part 2
Sitting at the grasslands inn eating breakfast, I had the chance to overhear some conversations about the storm. It looks like, depending on where you were there was between 2 & 5 inches of rain, trees blown down, some road problems.
Being in my tent for much of the storm (before I cut out to more solid shelter) I need to tell you about how that felt; about even though I thought the risk of getting struck by lightning was low (there being tall structures near to me), I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my body. As primal as primal can be I would say.
I could feel my heart beating in my chest, getting more thumpy with each lightning flash.
The long dark windy rainy walk to the house felt like forever and It truly seemed as though I was the last person on earth. To walk into the house and find the bed, a relief difficult to describe.
Now I am at the stockyards waiting for my gear to dry in the wonderful sunshine and light breeze. Here is a photo of my stuff all over the place.
I will stay in the house tonight I think to get some needed rest before I head out in the morning. Pack all my gear during the day today.
I talked to the grasslands office about heading into the park and all seems good water wise and I let them know my general route thoughts. Thanks to June at the visitor centre for the help with that.
Probably won't post over the next week or so as cel reception will most likely not exist where I am headed. A la prochaine!
Being in my tent for much of the storm (before I cut out to more solid shelter) I need to tell you about how that felt; about even though I thought the risk of getting struck by lightning was low (there being tall structures near to me), I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my body. As primal as primal can be I would say.
I could feel my heart beating in my chest, getting more thumpy with each lightning flash.
The long dark windy rainy walk to the house felt like forever and It truly seemed as though I was the last person on earth. To walk into the house and find the bed, a relief difficult to describe.
Now I am at the stockyards waiting for my gear to dry in the wonderful sunshine and light breeze. Here is a photo of my stuff all over the place.
I will stay in the house tonight I think to get some needed rest before I head out in the morning. Pack all my gear during the day today.
I talked to the grasslands office about heading into the park and all seems good water wise and I let them know my general route thoughts. Thanks to June at the visitor centre for the help with that.
Probably won't post over the next week or so as cel reception will most likely not exist where I am headed. A la prochaine!
equipment/stuff
I'm going to write about some of the stuff that I have been using on this trip. Probably through a couple of posts. Though this may well be of interest to non horse people, I specifically put it here for other long riders' information.
Saddles - I'm using a Malibaud Randonee saddle which has been fantastic. I'm using it in combination with one of Len Brown's Corrector saddle pads and Dakota has had no sign whatsoever of sores.
My Pack saddle is a steel adjustable version from Custom Pack Rigging out of B.C. Also using with a corrector pad. It has also been very good. Pack saddles are trickier I think than riding saddles because of having to deal with dead weight shifting around all day long. Still, no sores on Na'anni. There is a little bit of hair that gets kind of matted towards the rear. A little movement I suppose is causing that. It's not wearing the hair out though and no tenderness. So far so good.
In terms of cinches, on my Malibaud saddle I'm using a mohair cinch; I think 27 strand making a double layer if that makes sense. Excellent. It may have been once of those roller buckle cinches. I always take off the roller and the buckle tongue. I tie my cinches on both sides. No off billet.
On my pack saddle I have a neoprene cinch up front and a mohair string one at the back. The back cinch is tied further back on the belly than a usual sawbuck setup. It's what Stan Walchuk calls the northern method. It is working well for me.
My packboxes are also from Custom Pack Rigging. They are fantastic and pretty much indestructible. I wish they were a little lighter but you can't have both. Good to use to sit on and as a table and I often use them for a wind break when I'm cooking.
I have a duffel bag that I made from Nylon reinforced vinyl for my bed roll and clothes. That is my top pack which I tie across the boxes.
Gadgetry
I do have some gadgets of course. One of which, an iphone, I am writing this blog with. It has been great. I can update my website, write blogs, check the weather and talk with missed loved ones on Skype! Unfortunately, when I unlocked it when I was in Thailand last winter, I screwed up the gps and it is no longer accurate. That could have been useful for sure but I'm a good map reader and it is the prairies after all. How does the quote go that Ruth told me? ... ' Saskatchewan ... where you can watch your dog run away for 2 days'.
I have an apple bluetooth keyboard which is much nicer for lots of writing than using the iphone built in keyboard.
I have a solar panel to keep things charged. It works, takes time and sun and I make sure that I never go below 50% on the phone in case of emergencies.
If you are traveling in Saskatchewan, I highly recommend using Sasktel or a service that can access it. (Rogers doesn't) Given what the population and vastness of space that exists here, I am impressed with the coverage. It's not everywhere mind, but impressive non the less.
I ended up buying an Amazon Kindle with a cover that has a built in light. I am happy to have this thing. I have a number of different kinds of books and reference pdfs on it, the charge lasts a long time, it's easy on the eyes for reading.
That's about it for the gadgets. I wonder at times if having non of it would change my experience. It would most certainly. Would it be deeper. Maybe maybe. I don't know. I don't use the gadgets too much with power being a limiting factor so that helps with the addiction factor of the technology. Still it's there, always a personal contradiction and conundrum for me. Well, last night I made dinner, had some wine, cleaned up and then climbed the big stack of straw bales at the Mankota stockyards to get cel reception and watched the show Weeds.
wa'dayagonna'do??
Cook stove
I have this little wood burning stove called a littlebug. It is fantastic. It folds up small is very light and burn pieces of wood the size of your finger. For me it has been perfect. If i had a gas stove, I would have run out ages ago. Most stores I come across in the small towns wouldn't have anything to run it with.
Saddles - I'm using a Malibaud Randonee saddle which has been fantastic. I'm using it in combination with one of Len Brown's Corrector saddle pads and Dakota has had no sign whatsoever of sores.
My Pack saddle is a steel adjustable version from Custom Pack Rigging out of B.C. Also using with a corrector pad. It has also been very good. Pack saddles are trickier I think than riding saddles because of having to deal with dead weight shifting around all day long. Still, no sores on Na'anni. There is a little bit of hair that gets kind of matted towards the rear. A little movement I suppose is causing that. It's not wearing the hair out though and no tenderness. So far so good.
In terms of cinches, on my Malibaud saddle I'm using a mohair cinch; I think 27 strand making a double layer if that makes sense. Excellent. It may have been once of those roller buckle cinches. I always take off the roller and the buckle tongue. I tie my cinches on both sides. No off billet.
On my pack saddle I have a neoprene cinch up front and a mohair string one at the back. The back cinch is tied further back on the belly than a usual sawbuck setup. It's what Stan Walchuk calls the northern method. It is working well for me.
My packboxes are also from Custom Pack Rigging. They are fantastic and pretty much indestructible. I wish they were a little lighter but you can't have both. Good to use to sit on and as a table and I often use them for a wind break when I'm cooking.
I have a duffel bag that I made from Nylon reinforced vinyl for my bed roll and clothes. That is my top pack which I tie across the boxes.
Gadgetry
I do have some gadgets of course. One of which, an iphone, I am writing this blog with. It has been great. I can update my website, write blogs, check the weather and talk with missed loved ones on Skype! Unfortunately, when I unlocked it when I was in Thailand last winter, I screwed up the gps and it is no longer accurate. That could have been useful for sure but I'm a good map reader and it is the prairies after all. How does the quote go that Ruth told me? ... ' Saskatchewan ... where you can watch your dog run away for 2 days'.
I have an apple bluetooth keyboard which is much nicer for lots of writing than using the iphone built in keyboard.
I have a solar panel to keep things charged. It works, takes time and sun and I make sure that I never go below 50% on the phone in case of emergencies.
If you are traveling in Saskatchewan, I highly recommend using Sasktel or a service that can access it. (Rogers doesn't) Given what the population and vastness of space that exists here, I am impressed with the coverage. It's not everywhere mind, but impressive non the less.
I ended up buying an Amazon Kindle with a cover that has a built in light. I am happy to have this thing. I have a number of different kinds of books and reference pdfs on it, the charge lasts a long time, it's easy on the eyes for reading.
That's about it for the gadgets. I wonder at times if having non of it would change my experience. It would most certainly. Would it be deeper. Maybe maybe. I don't know. I don't use the gadgets too much with power being a limiting factor so that helps with the addiction factor of the technology. Still it's there, always a personal contradiction and conundrum for me. Well, last night I made dinner, had some wine, cleaned up and then climbed the big stack of straw bales at the Mankota stockyards to get cel reception and watched the show Weeds.
wa'dayagonna'do??
Cook stove
I have this little wood burning stove called a littlebug. It is fantastic. It folds up small is very light and burn pieces of wood the size of your finger. For me it has been perfect. If i had a gas stove, I would have run out ages ago. Most stores I come across in the small towns wouldn't have anything to run it with.
big storm night of july 13
Well, it turns out that it was one hellava thunder storm! I was doing ok. Rain was hard and heavy. Some water on ground around me but not much when suddenly the wind shifted from the northeast to the west and because I had oriented my shelter for the predicted east winds that spelled the start of real trouble. In spite of the hard ground, pegs started to pull free water really started to flood into the ground around me and I decided that it was a time for a new strategy. I stuffed my sleeping bag into my bedroll in hopes it might stay a little dry. I flattened the tent as I did a while ago during that big wind storm on soft ground. Pegged that down. And headed over to Margaret and Dave's extra place where I had had a shower the other day. They said that I could sleep there and now I am in a bed and typing this little diatribe out. There is now power as the storm knocked that out. But I have my headlamp so I could figure out where the bedrooms were. I noticed that they have a dryer and washer. I expect that I may be making use of that tomorrow as well!
Once again luck has been with me via the kindness and generosity of folks that I have met on my journey. It's about 1 o'clock in the morning and I shall finally try to get some sleep! Signing off, a tired but dry Cath.
13.7.11
Skuld stories - cutting fences
Note: skuld stories are fictional. I, Cath, am not cutting fences as we travel. Tempting as it may well be.
Uisce, Anail and I, Skuld, travel. We travel as we wish. Mostly. And as we must. At times. Likewise we stop. It seems that in these difficult and tumultuous days we travel more than we stop.
At times we find a place to be at rest. Often times we will be greeted with curiosity and smiles if we happen to be near a settlement. Often enough we will be greeted with distance and distrust. But always if we linger long enough it will become clear that it is time to move on. The settled become unnerved by the unsettled. The curiosity becoming distrust. The reflections of themselves in the mirror too clear. Grasping on to an idea long gone, these places so often bleak in their desperation; heartbreaking in their memories.
Sometimes we will find ourselves in the company of other movers, nomads, travelers. More often than not we will find ourselves welcomed if still on the outside. If our paths are in the same direction, the same envisioning, we will happily travel with them if allowed. We know we will have many chances to tell our stories, our songs, our tales of safe and unsafe places long into the evening. I will often hunt with them if there is game nearby willing to feed us.
Many of these groups that we come across are known to us and that is the most wonderful thing! Many times it will have been years between visits and there will be many tales to tell. We have moved with these friends at times for months and it always ends with sadness when it is time to part our ways. It always happens that we must part. My search is not theirs.
We travel through a scoured landscape long ago scraped clean by machines and poisons; from the mining of ore that no longer is of any use but leaves its mark never to be completely wiped clean.
Some old roads still leave a mark of the paths that they took. Linear. Grid. North South East West as though it were meant as a prayer to the Mother. Though of course they were a part of the impulse to destroy the Mother. I suppose that could be a prayer of sorts.
We follow roads at times but mostly these lines covered with holes and eroded edges are difficult going. Out on the open is our choice.
Fences. There are still fences. Here and there. Keeping nothing out or in. I cut them when ever I find them. They are mostly so rusted that one swipe from my blade cuts them clean. Cuts them through. One of many last remnants of the civilised that be encounter as we travel.
Uisce, Anail and I, Skuld, travel. We travel as we wish. Mostly. And as we must. At times. Likewise we stop. It seems that in these difficult and tumultuous days we travel more than we stop.
At times we find a place to be at rest. Often times we will be greeted with curiosity and smiles if we happen to be near a settlement. Often enough we will be greeted with distance and distrust. But always if we linger long enough it will become clear that it is time to move on. The settled become unnerved by the unsettled. The curiosity becoming distrust. The reflections of themselves in the mirror too clear. Grasping on to an idea long gone, these places so often bleak in their desperation; heartbreaking in their memories.
Sometimes we will find ourselves in the company of other movers, nomads, travelers. More often than not we will find ourselves welcomed if still on the outside. If our paths are in the same direction, the same envisioning, we will happily travel with them if allowed. We know we will have many chances to tell our stories, our songs, our tales of safe and unsafe places long into the evening. I will often hunt with them if there is game nearby willing to feed us.
Many of these groups that we come across are known to us and that is the most wonderful thing! Many times it will have been years between visits and there will be many tales to tell. We have moved with these friends at times for months and it always ends with sadness when it is time to part our ways. It always happens that we must part. My search is not theirs.
We travel through a scoured landscape long ago scraped clean by machines and poisons; from the mining of ore that no longer is of any use but leaves its mark never to be completely wiped clean.
Some old roads still leave a mark of the paths that they took. Linear. Grid. North South East West as though it were meant as a prayer to the Mother. Though of course they were a part of the impulse to destroy the Mother. I suppose that could be a prayer of sorts.
We follow roads at times but mostly these lines covered with holes and eroded edges are difficult going. Out on the open is our choice.
Fences. There are still fences. Here and there. Keeping nothing out or in. I cut them when ever I find them. They are mostly so rusted that one swipe from my blade cuts them clean. Cuts them through. One of many last remnants of the civilised that be encounter as we travel.
12.7.11
Mankota and what feels like the gateway to the plains
So
I'm camped in the Mankota stockyards. No permission of course. As the dear Geoff says, ' it's easier to beg forgiveness that to ask for permission'. Or something like that at any rate.
Well, there's not much happening at the stockyards right now so with hope it will be fine here.
I am going to stop for at least 2 days, maybe 3. Na'anni has some abrasion on her pasterns from the boot cuffs and they need to heal before we head out again. I think that the boots are a little too big and so are rubbing a little. I'm going to make a pad out of deerskin for the cuff so that they can tighten enough. Other than that the boots are working well especially when we hit the gravel. Yesterdays long long day (the longest yet. About 25 km. It wasn't supposed to be so long but I had to make a backtrack to find my canteen that blew off my saddle when Dakota went rodeo; got Naha's rope around his legs. Again. I wasn't on him!) and then I missed a trail that would have shaved 2 miles from our day. Merde. I apologised to the horses. I don't think they cared much for my apology.
I'm riding way more these days which also means that I have to let the ass fairies do their work on my, well, my ass, if you want to know the truth of the matter, I don't mind tellin' ya.
So
Where to next? I'm hoping to continue south into the grasslands national park area. My big concern has always been water down there. I'm going to call the park office today and see what the situation is. I may be in luck. The land is still really green and up to now I have not passed a day when I haven't been able to find water for the horses. Of course, I'm also heading into some of the driest parts of Canada.
I'm not sure if I will stay south or head up towards the Cypress Hills. They are beautiful for sure. I'll see. It's still a ways away. Grasslands is really a big reason for me doing this trip in the first place. To experience some last remnants of native prairie. We'll see if I have it in me to head north towards Cypress.
The land now is rolling plains. Lovely. Still dirt farms around but way more grazing land which makes me fell much better in my spirit.
If inch' allah, I make it to Pincher Creek, in the end, then I figure that I am a third of the way there at this moment. I'm not sure how far I have travelled to date. I might try to figure that out today. A nice restful activity!
The horses.
It always seems that after a long week of travel that when we stop the horses go as far away from me as possible! Well, it feels that way at least. I suppose that at some level we are tired of each other and need a little down time. I have my tent in the same space as the horses and because they generally like to have fun, I was expecting them to come and play around with my tent and other stuff but they have been at the other end of the large fenced in area we're in. Still, it's really nice to not be concerned that they are ok. Dakota came for a short visit this morning when I was making coffee.
A lovely woman named Melida has said I can use her outdoor tap for water. It's drinkable for me too though highly chlorinated. This seems really common with municipal water that I've come across. Maybe walkerton tainted water fears play a part in that.
Also, another lovely woman named Margaret that works at the Grasslands Inn said that I can use her shower in a small extra house that she has. She said that she'd just leave the door open and I can come and go as I wish.
Re: cleanliness, showers etc. Back when I was in Mortlach and visiting the school, the teacher called out to the kids to make sure that they wash their hands after touching the horses. I found this very amusing as I often go many many days without a shower or real washing. Touching the horses all day, soot and dirt on my hands, Stan Walchuks pine tar lard combo bug dope, cooking all the while. I'll dip my hands in a bucket of water to sort of wash them. Of course, more often than not it's the water that the horses have been drinking out of. Sometimes I'll just grab some dew wet grass and rub my hands in that. When I come across a bunch of sage, often I'll take a handful and rub it all over my face and neck and hands. Smells lovely.
Speaking of bug dope. For the last 2 days the mosquitoes have been pretty much nil. A few here and there but nothing to be concerned about. I'm sure that I could sleep fine without my netting. Yay for the high dry plains!
As I write this I am having breakfast at the motel. Coffee, bacon, eggs AND sausages. No toast, no potatoes.
For those into numbers (and who isn't, really!), I reckon I've travelled about 400 kms at this point. It's almost 5 weeks now.
On the straw bales to get Cel reception.
I'm camped in the Mankota stockyards. No permission of course. As the dear Geoff says, ' it's easier to beg forgiveness that to ask for permission'. Or something like that at any rate.
Well, there's not much happening at the stockyards right now so with hope it will be fine here.
I am going to stop for at least 2 days, maybe 3. Na'anni has some abrasion on her pasterns from the boot cuffs and they need to heal before we head out again. I think that the boots are a little too big and so are rubbing a little. I'm going to make a pad out of deerskin for the cuff so that they can tighten enough. Other than that the boots are working well especially when we hit the gravel. Yesterdays long long day (the longest yet. About 25 km. It wasn't supposed to be so long but I had to make a backtrack to find my canteen that blew off my saddle when Dakota went rodeo; got Naha's rope around his legs. Again. I wasn't on him!) and then I missed a trail that would have shaved 2 miles from our day. Merde. I apologised to the horses. I don't think they cared much for my apology.
I'm riding way more these days which also means that I have to let the ass fairies do their work on my, well, my ass, if you want to know the truth of the matter, I don't mind tellin' ya.
So
Where to next? I'm hoping to continue south into the grasslands national park area. My big concern has always been water down there. I'm going to call the park office today and see what the situation is. I may be in luck. The land is still really green and up to now I have not passed a day when I haven't been able to find water for the horses. Of course, I'm also heading into some of the driest parts of Canada.
I'm not sure if I will stay south or head up towards the Cypress Hills. They are beautiful for sure. I'll see. It's still a ways away. Grasslands is really a big reason for me doing this trip in the first place. To experience some last remnants of native prairie. We'll see if I have it in me to head north towards Cypress.
The land now is rolling plains. Lovely. Still dirt farms around but way more grazing land which makes me fell much better in my spirit.
If inch' allah, I make it to Pincher Creek, in the end, then I figure that I am a third of the way there at this moment. I'm not sure how far I have travelled to date. I might try to figure that out today. A nice restful activity!
The horses.
It always seems that after a long week of travel that when we stop the horses go as far away from me as possible! Well, it feels that way at least. I suppose that at some level we are tired of each other and need a little down time. I have my tent in the same space as the horses and because they generally like to have fun, I was expecting them to come and play around with my tent and other stuff but they have been at the other end of the large fenced in area we're in. Still, it's really nice to not be concerned that they are ok. Dakota came for a short visit this morning when I was making coffee.
A lovely woman named Melida has said I can use her outdoor tap for water. It's drinkable for me too though highly chlorinated. This seems really common with municipal water that I've come across. Maybe walkerton tainted water fears play a part in that.
Also, another lovely woman named Margaret that works at the Grasslands Inn said that I can use her shower in a small extra house that she has. She said that she'd just leave the door open and I can come and go as I wish.
Re: cleanliness, showers etc. Back when I was in Mortlach and visiting the school, the teacher called out to the kids to make sure that they wash their hands after touching the horses. I found this very amusing as I often go many many days without a shower or real washing. Touching the horses all day, soot and dirt on my hands, Stan Walchuks pine tar lard combo bug dope, cooking all the while. I'll dip my hands in a bucket of water to sort of wash them. Of course, more often than not it's the water that the horses have been drinking out of. Sometimes I'll just grab some dew wet grass and rub my hands in that. When I come across a bunch of sage, often I'll take a handful and rub it all over my face and neck and hands. Smells lovely.
Speaking of bug dope. For the last 2 days the mosquitoes have been pretty much nil. A few here and there but nothing to be concerned about. I'm sure that I could sleep fine without my netting. Yay for the high dry plains!
As I write this I am having breakfast at the motel. Coffee, bacon, eggs AND sausages. No toast, no potatoes.
For those into numbers (and who isn't, really!), I reckon I've travelled about 400 kms at this point. It's almost 5 weeks now.
On the straw bales to get Cel reception.
10.7.11
More wine thoughts
I forgot to mention that at the crusty blue crap slough camp, I was very low on water. This being mostly because I was unwilling to drink the slough water filtered or no. To conserve water I thought it a good idea to substitute wine for water. I have a special squeezable plastic container that's made to preserve wine, the bonus being that you don't have to carry glass bottles around. Of course the downside is that I then need to get rid of said bottle, now empty. There aren't garbage cans around most towns so twice I've gone up to someone, empty bottle in hand to see if I can dump it in their trash. Wino or what! And if course I always come up to them forgetting what I look like. Which is super tanned, somewhat disheveled, and I imagine a little crazed looking to a townie.
I suppose i drank half a bottle's worth that evening which is lot for me.
I really can't decide if that was a good idea or not.
I suppose i drank half a bottle's worth that evening which is lot for me.
I really can't decide if that was a good idea or not.
George's old home homestead
Here I am camped in an old homestead again. Just algae-y slough water. I've found a technique where I attach a rope to my vinyl water bucket, throw it far into the slough where the water is more open and then drag it back to shore with hopefully clearer water. You dump the first one as that throw makes a little channel through the green slime.
You cannot believe how much I long to be back in Killarney and around that beautiful canadian shield water! Every approach to water here involves getting into muck a foot deep just to get at the water. That is if you don't employ my throw the bucket on a rope technique.
So here I am as I said at an old homestead. George, who I met this morning suggested it as it is about halfway to Mankota which I hope to get to tomorrow.
All of the buildings are falling down. Crumbling. Except for the obligatory grain bin of course.
This is different here as I have a face to think of here. Someone that grew up here.
The really weird thing is that there is also an outdoor plug that still has power running to it. This trip keeps getting more and more surreal.
And this is George. 80 years young. He let me take his photo. Of course it included a hug which also included a quick ass grab. That's happened a few times here in Sask. Must be a thing. No harm. Easy to diffuse. Nip at bud toot sweet. I am also secure in the knowledge that numerous sharp bladed weapons are always near at hand and I have a good idea of how to use them. I have not had to resort to the use of any of them except for cutting wood. Xena fantasies notwithstanding.
George pointed out the one room building he was born in. It is really small!
Also he said that he and his brother slept in the grain building. No heat. They just had lots of blankets. Now just try to imagine that in a Saskatchewan winter!!!
I'm starting to think that this trip, this land is driving me to drink. I buy wine often when I get to a town. Now I like wine well enough, though I'm not really much of a drinker, but here at the end of a long day I love it and can't wait to get to a town to get another bottle! I can see clearly how those early pioneers either already were or quickly became a bunch of bloody alcoholics.
You cannot believe how much I long to be back in Killarney and around that beautiful canadian shield water! Every approach to water here involves getting into muck a foot deep just to get at the water. That is if you don't employ my throw the bucket on a rope technique.
So here I am as I said at an old homestead. George, who I met this morning suggested it as it is about halfway to Mankota which I hope to get to tomorrow.
All of the buildings are falling down. Crumbling. Except for the obligatory grain bin of course.
This is different here as I have a face to think of here. Someone that grew up here.
The really weird thing is that there is also an outdoor plug that still has power running to it. This trip keeps getting more and more surreal.
And this is George. 80 years young. He let me take his photo. Of course it included a hug which also included a quick ass grab. That's happened a few times here in Sask. Must be a thing. No harm. Easy to diffuse. Nip at bud toot sweet. I am also secure in the knowledge that numerous sharp bladed weapons are always near at hand and I have a good idea of how to use them. I have not had to resort to the use of any of them except for cutting wood. Xena fantasies notwithstanding.
George pointed out the one room building he was born in. It is really small!
Also he said that he and his brother slept in the grain building. No heat. They just had lots of blankets. Now just try to imagine that in a Saskatchewan winter!!!
I'm starting to think that this trip, this land is driving me to drink. I buy wine often when I get to a town. Now I like wine well enough, though I'm not really much of a drinker, but here at the end of a long day I love it and can't wait to get to a town to get another bottle! I can see clearly how those early pioneers either already were or quickly became a bunch of bloody alcoholics.
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