June 19

Today marks the end of a busy week.  Last Friday, I traveled to Regina.  I had not been together with Deb since March 15 when the lockdown began.  We had great plans of golfing and kayaking, but the 60-80 km winds prevented those plans.  We settled for long walks in White City along the older streets in town that have massive trees providing much needed shelter.  Thankfully, Regina finally received some rainfall on Sunday.  I returned home on Monday in time to do my haying.  The yard is looking great after all the rainfall we have been receiving. On Monday night, I got to see my Luv Bug for the usual ritual of playing, bathing, snuggles, singing lullabies, and bedtime stories.  On Tuesday, I traveled to Tisdale to see my mom.  I had made arrangements with Mom's dear friend of 70+ years, Jenny Fritshaw, to meet for lunch.  Both ladies had been cooped up too much over the last three months so they were missing one another badly.  Jenny is also 92 and still living on the family farm north of Tisdale.  Our family has been friends with the Fritshaws for many years.  Visiting Jenny and sitting at the same table where I enjoyed many delicious meals and good conversation since I was knee high to a grasshopper is always a wonderful experience.  Jenny let me help serve the meal and do a bit to the clean up, then I went for a long walk while the two old friends had a visit.  Jenny has a pet squirrel who visits her in her garden.  The squirrel will crawl on top of your head if he thinks there is a peanut to be had.  I declined the opportunity to have the squirrel use my head as a dining room table.  After Tisdale, I drove to Lesley Beach on the south side of Fishing Lake near Foam Lake.  My brother, Vince, and his wife, Loretta, were camping there for the week with another couple.  I took my guitar and song books so we had a sing song until the rain pouring off the tarps soaked my song book and dripped down the neck of my guitar.  We had a great time and had lots of laughs.  My Aunt Shirley and Uncle Gerry were also at the sing song/barbecue.  I left Lesley Beach after 9 pm and traveled to a farm south of Kelvington where I stayed the night with Lorne and Dianne Rennie.  They let me stay in their camper that was situated in their farm yard.  I had a great visit with the Rennies catching up on Kelvington news and people.  Lorne and Dianne live just three miles south of the farm where I grew up.  After leaving the Rennies on Wednesday morning, I stopped by the farm where I lived from the time I was a baby until I was five years old.  Approaching the yard, I came upon a cow moose munching on caragana twigs.  I took pictures of the old buildings and took a piece of the old barn.  Evidently, I took more than a piece of barn.  When I got into Kelvington, I brushed a wood tick off my ear.  Then I brushed another dozen ticks off my arms and legs and head.  I visited old friends who allowed me to use their washroom to do a complete body scan.  I bagged the clothes I was wearing and put on a change of clothes that I had fortunately brought along.  Before leaving Kelvington, I bought some tick repellent and sprayed my whole body.  Driving back to Saskatoon, I combed two more ticks out of my hair.  Sheesh!  The first order of business upon returning home was to wash all my clothes and dry them on the hot cycle.  In other news, I have almost 700 kilometres on my E Bike.  In the absence of playing slow pitch this spring, I have certainly been getting my exercise biking.  There is a rumour that slow pitch may be starting in July.  Tomorrow, Mary and Luv Bug are going to the lake with me.  I will be spending the next two days with my girls for Father's Day.  I've already made rhubarb crisp for tomorrow night.  Until next time, Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there.