Fall Foray

After a couple of weeks of sunny September days in Sidney, it was time to set off for my second annual Fall Foray to New England, to spend time with dear friend, Sue Dierks - most recently of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island.

Bright sunny weather greeted my arrival early last week, and that was the norm, until Sunday. Making the most of the sunshine, though, we spent lots of time outside. Thursday was the day for a trip up into Vermont, where the fall colours were much more in evidence than here, so with all those tree-covered hills and mountains, we were constantly turning our heads this way and that, to appreciate the wonderful variety of shades, and subtleties of colour, all around us. The Woodstock Inn, in Woodstock, VT, was our lunch destination. The Inn was built on a grand scale, with an impressive front entrance leading into a lobby with an enormous fireplace. The logs stacked beside it were each several feet long, and it was easy to imagine a blazing fire in the grate, with skiers toasting their toes after an energetic day on the slopes!  Of course, the day we were there was a warm and sunny fall day, and we were able to enjoy the colourful flowers in the gardens, and to explore the town of Woodstock itself.

Quechee Gorge - described as Vermont's little Grand Canyon - was the next stop along the way.We were cautioned not to go down to the bottom of the gorge, but I did take a little walk along the edge, as far as the dam, marvelling at the depth of the canyon. 

A demonstration of glass-blowing, at the Simon Pearce glass factory, was most interesting - and hot, too! Apparently most of the glass-blowers working there had never done any glass-blowing before they came to work at the factory, but became proficient at the art in a matter of just a few years.

Just a few yards from the property on which Sue's condo is situated, there is a wonderful rail trail, primarily for biking , but also for walkers. As the weather has been so beautiful, I have been able to get out quite a bit on the trail, even pedalling a couple of times to Curves, in Northampton, just over 6 miles in each direction. As we are heading off to Cape Cod to spend a few days there, I am planning to get in some more biking, as I have heard that there are some very good trails there. Sue's neighbour, Trudi, has very kindly invited us to use her cottage, in Chatham, on Cape Cod, so we are definitely looking forward to that. We are optimistic that the weather will be sunnyToday for our Cape capers! 

Today's adventure - in the rain! - was to walk into the centre of Amherst to watch the big parade in honour of the town's 250th anniversary. We  took along the 'granny cart',  loaded with folding chairs, umbrellas and  our lunch, and made our way into town along the rail trail. We found ourselves a prime spot in the town centre, set up our chairs and umbrellas, and proceeded to enjoy our lunch, in the rain, as we awaited the start of the parade. The parade had hardly begun, when the rain eased off, and it remained dry for the next two hours, as the various floats, bands, vehicles and animals wended their way past us. There were several marching bands, the most impressive of which, for sheer numbers alone, was the University of Massachusetts (UMass) band. It seemed as though there were several hundred musicians and singers, but that is probably a gross exaggeration! The UMass campus is just a few minutes away from where Sue lives.

In addition to the marching bands, there were floats depicting the history of Amherst, local clubs and associations, such as 4H, Skating Club. Swim Club, Pony Club, Shriners and Rotary. As is traditional at such events, there was much tossing of candy etc., by the parade participants, into the crowds of spectators. Of course, the candy is primarily for the kids, but I did make a rather spectacular catch of a donut (in plastic bag) tho' I do say so myself!

Coming soon - an account of our Cape Capers!! 

Saskatchewan in September

September began with a visit to Saskatchewan....by way of the Okanagan, my home during the seventies and early eighties. The purpose of that whistle stop visit was to attend the memorial service for Rose Shingler, a friend and former teaching colleague. It was a beautiful service of remembrance, and there were a number of friends from years gone by who were there in Oliver to pay tribute to Rose, and to support Les and family in their loss.

Thanks to Nell and Gerhard, who picked me up at Kelowna airport, then delivered me back there afterwards, I was still able to make it to Oliver, despite the flight out of Victoria being delayed in the morning. By the time I arrived back at the Kelowna airport, my day was far from over; I still had two more flights to take, before I arrived in Saskatoon, just before midnight. I was so thankful to be met by friend Phyllis, who so kindly came to meet me, despite the late hour...

My time in Saskatoon was a whirlwind of activity, with warm sunny weather, apparently some of the best of the summer! Much time was enjoyed on the scenic riverbank with various friends - Phyllis, Eileen, Eleanor and Helen - with even a trip on the 'Meewasin Queen' in the late afternoon sunshine. Another evening there was a spectacular display of fireworks, set off on the historic iron bridge, in honour of Labour Day weekend. 

I was blessed with more sunshine as I drove out to Macklin, on the Saskatchewan - Alberta border, where I spent time with Bill's sister, Clara, and his brother, Jim. It was good to see them, plus various other younger members of the family, and to catch up on the news.

My return journey to Saskatoon was very enjoyable - and literally took an unexpected turn! Earlier last month I had been looking through some old papers of my pioneering grandparents, who had come to Canada in March, 1906 to settle in the west. Their first place of residence, after they had made their way by train following disembarkation in Quebec, was Fielding, Saskatchewan. In all my years of living on the prairies, I had never taken this detour, but when I turned off the Yellowhead highway, at the sign indicating Fielding, I was hard-pressed to even find the community! I came across a number of abandoned buildings, without much sign of life at all, and I was trying hard to imagine, through the eyes of the newly-weds from England, what the place must have looked like during the early 1900s....

Rounding the corner of the dusty road that led to the Fielding Memorial Hall, all of a sudden I noticed several signs of life - smoke curling out of a stove pipe in a cluster of trees, a small black and white dog dashing out towards me - barking furiously! - then, finally, a little old lady emerged, curious to know what all the commotion was about! This proved to be a most interesting encounter.

Although it turned out that my new acquaintance was not a genuine 'old-timer' of Fielding, having lived most of her life elsewhere in Saskatchewan,  she was able to fill in a number of details for me. Whatever the population had been in 1906, the current population is just 7! I should imagine that it must have dwindled considerably, as young people born and raised in the community moved away to find work in the city, where they often married and settled down.... Katerina told me that she herself was married - for the second time - in the Memorial Hall I had been busy photographing, and she was sad to see that it had become so neglected after having provided a focal point for the community for so long.

Katerina was obviously very happy to have company, and she showed me all around her property. She had created several memorials to various family members, no longer living, and she told me about each one. She also showed me all around her summer kitchen - from whence the smoke was drifting up the stove pipe - .as well as her summer dining room, summer living room, and summer bedroom, all nestled in the trees, ready to be enjoyed by Katerina and her guests during the summer months.

Short though my visit to Saskatchewan was, it was good to see so many friends in Saskatoon, as well as Bill's family out in Macklin, and to get caught up on the latest news.  Special thanks to Phyllis for her wonderful hospitality, and to Barry and Eileen for the generous loan of their Pathfinder wheels to drive to and from Macklin.