#42 Jul 2014 Family - Salt of the Earth!

When we headed west from Winnipeg we had so many memories and impressions from our visiting and exploring that we felt connected to friends and family who have become friends.

Sunday, July 6th we headed out to visit my cousins on farms near Hodgeville, SK. The drive was a trip down memory lane but we arrived at Dan and Marie’s home and were lost. They live on the farm that I remember as a small house, a garden, a few outbuildings with cows to milk etc., and NO trees. They have transformed the grounds with so many trees and shrubs that their new house is invisible from the road. What a lovely oasis.

Ruth and Helmut were already there and we all started to talk, talk and talk. What a pleasure to meet some of the next 2 generations of their families. We shared new and old stories from our growing up years and started to catch up with our lives now. As kids we spent time with cousins near our own age but now age doesn’t matter. Family connections do.

We enjoyed our drive across Southern Saskatchewan and Alberta seeing the diversity of our country and our people.

Straight flat roads

Buffalo

Rolling grassland

Brilliant canola fields (previously known as rape seed)

Inland grain terminals

Dramatic weather with faces and dragons

In the small community of Chaplin we explored salt in Saskatchewan – lakes and rivers of salt from gravel deposited by glaciers. Remember, this is July - this is salt not snow.

The sodium sulphate has been mined here since 1948 and is used in detergents, carpet deodorizers, modified corn starch, textile dyeing, glass making, kraft paper and mineral feeds for livestock. The variety of uses for many natural products always amazes us.

Chapin Lake area is also a stopover spot, or “staging area” during migration for over 20 kinds of shorebirds. The viewing station gives a great view of the lake and bird habitat.

In Alberta we stopped in Medicine Hat to see the “World’s Largest Teepee” which is dedicated to the preservation of North American Native Culture.

In 2006 Ralph and I went to Lethbridge to join the celebration of Lily and Jerry’s 50th Wedding Anniversary. That was a trip back into my history as I realized I have known them for 48 of those years. Now we visited Lily and family as they worked through the very difficult process of mourning Jerry and moving Lily into a condo.

This was a very personal reminder that life and time are precious. Ralph and I treasure our retirement and do not take life for granted.

The railway trestle is a landmark in Lethbridge.

The town of Vulcan has a model of the Star Trek starship Enterprise.

There is also information and a model showing the potential of solar energy. There are so many ideas about the energy of the future. What will replace oil? Wait and see.

The town of Black Diamond has its signature model – if only it could be real!