A heckuva coupla days
Well! Have I got stuff to tell you.
So there we were, last Thursday. We started the day with breakfast with Karim, 'brown brother' to Bjorn and me. We had a really nice time catching up after three years. We surmise that he is well and happy, which in turn makes us happy.
James then headed off to work and Karim to Calgary, so Mom and I were left to our own devices. We hopped on the highway to Moose Jaw, where we enjoyed free parking thanks to our out-of-province license plate. We went on the excellent tour of the tunnels (character interpretation at its best, as well as its most mediocre, but the tunnels alone are enough to keep you grinning in disbelief. Plus, it's sooo nice and cool underground.) We tried our best to experience the Friendly City, but the heat was absolutely deadly. In the end, we managed to get to a classic small-town cafe before running away from that fiery furnace.
We arrived in Regina just minutes after Murray and Natalie had also arrived. Mom relaxed in air conditioned comfort at home while we did the same at our local Houston Pizza.
Hard to believe they'll be gone for an entire year... Who will we have rousing games of Things with now? Sigh. But we did have some pretty wicked pizza.
Friday our tourism continued. We began the day with the RCMP museum, which was amazingly informative and requiring of more time than we had to devote. I'll definitely be bringing Jimmy there to see the spy gear and Sitting Bull's tobacco pouch. At precisely 12:50 the Sergeant's Parade or Drill or whatever it was began out on the parade square. The cadets marched and marched and stood and stamped and counted off while the cadet band tried to play in time (and even sometimes in tune).
Mom and I giggled and made snide comments as the future members of our venerable RCMP fell out of step, tripped over their own shoes, and generally sucked at turning corners in formation. But they did their darndest, and I didn't envy them one bit as they filed past us, enduring constant reprimands from a seriously intimidating officer.
Go, cadets, go! One day you will earn your red serge.
Then we were on the road towards Saskatchewan's Dirt Hills (sounds appealing, no?) and the Claybank Brick Plant national historic site. It's an old brick factory, built near the beginning of the last century and in active production until 1989. We had a very Markervillian lunch (including delicious, classic Saskatoon berry pie....oh man!) and took the tour guided by a local high school student. I admit to my horrible prejudice, assuming that her tour would be half-assed, but this girl knew her stuff. She joked and chatted with us, and clearly cared very much about the upkeep of the brick plant. We learned about the brickmaking process and about the horrible labour conditions endured by the poor dudes who sweated in its intense heat (maintained to keep the bricks dry). Apparently the layoff - rehire cycle was so frequent that when it was announced that the plant was closing, the workers collectively said "yeah, right" and left most of their effects intact. As such, the place is a ghost town, with jackets still hanging on hooks and tea kettles sitting out. There were even metal filings on one machine, looking like they'd only been there since closing time.
From the smokestacks to the kilns to the rail cars, the whole place had a disconcerting, Holocaust feel to it. But we enjoyed ourselves very much; now, when we see pictures of the Chateau Frontenac, we will know that its central tower is faced with Claybank Tee Pee Moka brick.
On our way back to town, we watched farmers out on their combines kicking up a fine golden dust, and we even had to slam on the brakes to let an antelope cross the road. So very Saskatchewan!
Mom's flight left at a horrific hour the next morning, so she and I went off to the airport at 4:00. Even with the milk-tasting and juice-confiscating restrictions in place, she made it home with no problems.
So that was mom's trip to Paskatchewan--a nice vacation for all of us. But my tourist odyssey continues... you just might have to wait a few days to hear about it. Ohhhh, the suspense!
So there we were, last Thursday. We started the day with breakfast with Karim, 'brown brother' to Bjorn and me. We had a really nice time catching up after three years. We surmise that he is well and happy, which in turn makes us happy.
James then headed off to work and Karim to Calgary, so Mom and I were left to our own devices. We hopped on the highway to Moose Jaw, where we enjoyed free parking thanks to our out-of-province license plate. We went on the excellent tour of the tunnels (character interpretation at its best, as well as its most mediocre, but the tunnels alone are enough to keep you grinning in disbelief. Plus, it's sooo nice and cool underground.) We tried our best to experience the Friendly City, but the heat was absolutely deadly. In the end, we managed to get to a classic small-town cafe before running away from that fiery furnace.
We arrived in Regina just minutes after Murray and Natalie had also arrived. Mom relaxed in air conditioned comfort at home while we did the same at our local Houston Pizza.
Hard to believe they'll be gone for an entire year... Who will we have rousing games of Things with now? Sigh. But we did have some pretty wicked pizza.
Friday our tourism continued. We began the day with the RCMP museum, which was amazingly informative and requiring of more time than we had to devote. I'll definitely be bringing Jimmy there to see the spy gear and Sitting Bull's tobacco pouch. At precisely 12:50 the Sergeant's Parade or Drill or whatever it was began out on the parade square. The cadets marched and marched and stood and stamped and counted off while the cadet band tried to play in time (and even sometimes in tune).
Mom and I giggled and made snide comments as the future members of our venerable RCMP fell out of step, tripped over their own shoes, and generally sucked at turning corners in formation. But they did their darndest, and I didn't envy them one bit as they filed past us, enduring constant reprimands from a seriously intimidating officer.
Go, cadets, go! One day you will earn your red serge.
Then we were on the road towards Saskatchewan's Dirt Hills (sounds appealing, no?) and the Claybank Brick Plant national historic site. It's an old brick factory, built near the beginning of the last century and in active production until 1989. We had a very Markervillian lunch (including delicious, classic Saskatoon berry pie....oh man!) and took the tour guided by a local high school student. I admit to my horrible prejudice, assuming that her tour would be half-assed, but this girl knew her stuff. She joked and chatted with us, and clearly cared very much about the upkeep of the brick plant. We learned about the brickmaking process and about the horrible labour conditions endured by the poor dudes who sweated in its intense heat (maintained to keep the bricks dry). Apparently the layoff - rehire cycle was so frequent that when it was announced that the plant was closing, the workers collectively said "yeah, right" and left most of their effects intact. As such, the place is a ghost town, with jackets still hanging on hooks and tea kettles sitting out. There were even metal filings on one machine, looking like they'd only been there since closing time.
From the smokestacks to the kilns to the rail cars, the whole place had a disconcerting, Holocaust feel to it. But we enjoyed ourselves very much; now, when we see pictures of the Chateau Frontenac, we will know that its central tower is faced with Claybank Tee Pee Moka brick.
On our way back to town, we watched farmers out on their combines kicking up a fine golden dust, and we even had to slam on the brakes to let an antelope cross the road. So very Saskatchewan!
Mom's flight left at a horrific hour the next morning, so she and I went off to the airport at 4:00. Even with the milk-tasting and juice-confiscating restrictions in place, she made it home with no problems.
So that was mom's trip to Paskatchewan--a nice vacation for all of us. But my tourist odyssey continues... you just might have to wait a few days to hear about it. Ohhhh, the suspense!
posted by kari-o at
10:45 p.m.
2 Comments:
Sounds like you're taking in all the tourist-y stuff. What's next on the list? We're in Chigago right now, but didn't have a chance to see anything but the tollboths.
By
nat, at 9:14 a.m.
Chicago is the land of dreams! I want to be where you are, and I don't even know you! WHEEEEEEE! hi kari, love the blogging updates. milton in tree equals adore-able.
By
Anonymous, at 1:03 p.m.
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