Memories - past and present (part 2)

Our second full day, started early as had the day prior. There was leftover bannock and bacon from the previous morning so that was what we ate. Eli was feeling much better after a decent night's sleep, so we headed to the playground to run off some energy before we hopped in the car. 

Our first planned stop was mural on Centre Street near the post office.

The artist recreated an old store front that existed well before I was born, and some of the individuals in the mural were locals he had asked permission to take photos of. One of those individuals is my dad; D and I wanted to have a photo of Eli walking with him. The artist captured Dad so well, that little half smile, and yes, he was that slim. I don't think he ever weighed more than 175 pounds and was six feet tall.

Our next stop was the Nipawin and Area Living Museum, a place where my Dad spent a lot of his time volunteering, after he and mom moved to town. We arrived just as the museum opened and were the only ones on the grounds for the hour or so we were there. I took a number of photos, but promise to share just a few favorites here. :)

There were many vehicles arranged around the back lot. I like this one in particular and we had Eli sit in the front seat. I don't know he'll ever ride a school bus, but I have many memories of doing so, though not on one as old as this one. (the sign indicates it would hold 25 passengers). 

This old log cabin was donated by the fellow who bought my parent's home quarter. The building was on the property when Dad purchased it around 1960, and was originally used as a chicken house or granary, but when we were young, it was our playhouse. Later it was used by Dad and the new owner for storage before it was moved to the museum site.

The museum has transformed it into a trapper's cabin. I remember the old cupboard on the back wall was in the cabin when we were kids, and the window to the left was our "take-out" window when we played drive-in restaurant. 

Next up was a visit to the Cherry Ridge School. None of use ever attended the school, as it was closed many years before, but the community held several events throughout the year. My favorites were the summer picnic, with games including the three-legged race, gunny sack races, and the adult's baseball games, and even better was the annual Christmas concert. After the concert, which consisted of whatever children could be coerced/convinced to sing or dance or recite a poem, and a skit written and put on by the Cherry Ridge ladies, Santa would arrive with a bag full of presents (marked girl or boy) and the ladies would hand out bags of candy too. 

Eli was fascinated by the typewriter at the back of the classroom. D and I wandered reading through a number of the exhibits. There were a few items that mentioned Mom and/or Dad as they were active in the community club and curling club.

A highlight of the museum for Eli was the train cars. Only one is currently accessible as the other has deteriorated since its installation.

I'm not certain where the cars came from but the train station was moved from, where else, Railway Avenue a number of years ago. After some convincing, we got Eli away from the train cars and through the station. There is an area where the station master might have lived, the public waiting room and ticket counter, and the telegraph office. In the latter, there is a display of various computers/computerized tills that various local businesses have donated. In the back of the station are other donated artifacts and a couple of buggies.

We made a brief stop at the church, a building my Dad fell from when painting it years ago. He was knocked unconscious from the fall and when he came to, he asked who the ambulance was for! He also told his fellow volunteers "don't tell Betty" as he knew mom would be upset to learn he'd been climbing ladders at his age (late 80's if I remember correctly). Of course she found out, and of course, she wasn't happy with him.

Finally we went through an old house - Eli was about done so we left him on the first floor looking at a display of typewriters, while D and I finished the tour.

Just outside the house was evidence of the storm damage. The volunteers had already been through and taken away the trunks and branches, but you can see how the tree roots were pulled up. There is a pile of cut wood by the one of the luckier trees.

We did a wander through the main building exhibits as well, and the worker took us to the back room where we saw a memorial to Dad on the wall. We learned that only one of the individuals who was part of his crew of volunteers is still alive and active. 

Our next stop was meant to be the local florist to pick up flowers for mom and dad's graves. However, it turned they were closed on Saturday! D was very disappointed, but we went ahead and drove out to visit their graves. We also found my Uncle Wilf's grave in the area for the World War vets. He served in WWII and was gassed in France, resulting in lifelong emphysema.

Back at the campground, we did some organizing for our trip home the next day, while Eli relaxed with his tablet. Later in the afternoon, he and I went to visit the barnyard zoo again, where he was able to feed the chickens and bunnies with some leftover lettuce. Dinner that evening was burgers and hotdogs, along with grilled corn on the cob for Eli, the remaining pasta salad for D, and raw veg and dip for me. Dessert was watermelon, and we tried s'mores over the campfire. Eli didn't like them, D didn't want any, so I ate one. Bedtime was even later than the two previous nights, and we were all ready for sleep.

The following morning we were awake early and enjoyed our last campfire before packing up the car, and turning our minds toward home. But we had to make one more trip to the playground and the barnyard before we left! A rousing game of tag, you're it, woke us all up. 

We stopped on our way out of town for fuel for the car, and breakfast for all of us. The drive went well, and we were at D and Eli's by lunchtime. Initially I had thought I would stay for a bit, before driving home, but I was not feeling well and made the decision to leave as soon as everything was out of the car.  Good thing, as I spent much of the late afternoon napping on the couch, before falling into bed by 7:30 p.m. I guess I needed the sleep.

This begs the question, would I go camping again? Well, I will say that sleeping on the ground, even on a thermarest wasn't the most comfortable. Worse still, was getting up in the night to use the facilities. (I'll leave it at that.) While I do enjoy being outdoors, and found being in among the evergreens and trees from my childhood was wonderful, I hate bugs. The mosquitos were thick, though lazy, and while I didn't get bitten often, poor Eli wasn't as lucky no matter how much bug spray his mother used. 

Despite the discomforts, I wouldn't have missed this trip for the world. It brought back so many happy memories, and some sad ones too, and gave me a chance to make more memories with my grandson and daughter. I do think, if there is a next time, I'll consider renting a nearby cabin instead with indoor plumbing, more comfortable beds, and a kitchen.

Thanks for joining me on this trip down memory lane.

Memories - past and present (part 1)

The drive to D's was the start of the parade of memories for me. I realized the last time I was in my hometown for any length of time it was September 2008, when my Dad passed away and we held his funeral. I'd been there once since, but only to attend my godfather's funeral and return the same day. We'd made a list of places and things we wanted to do/see, and I went through each in my mind as I drove.

But first there was much packing and last minute yard work to be done. It's a good thing that I enjoyed the game Tetris as it took a great deal of turning and shuffling of items to fit everything into the car's trunk and interior. (If I were do it again, I might rent a truck, seriously!) 

We were up early on Thursday morning, after a night of revolving beds. Eli and I started on the mattress on the floor, then I moved to the couch, he followed, I returned to the mattress, he followed, and so and so forth. The little stinker then slept on while his mom and I continued to packing of the coolers and dry goods. With everything finally packed and youngster awake and fed, we were on the road by about 9 a.m.

There wasn't a lot of traffic on the secondary highway and we made good time to Tisdale where we stopped for lunch. Eli had been wonderful, only asking once how long before we get there. I had seen a travel hack that suggested, for long road trips/flights, wrapping small gifts for the child to open every hour or so. Between watching the abandoned houses (it could be a shed or granary but they were all houses to Eli), a couple of airplanes, horses, cattle, and several birds, the small gifts did their magic.

After our brief stop, it was a short 35 minute drive to Nipawin. We past the spot where the memorial comprising 16 crosses for the Humboldt Bronco hockey team was set up about 5 years ago. Across the road, from an accident in 1997, there are six crosses for the family of three adults and three children who died at the same highway crossing.

We drove through town, agog at the damage that was done in a recent storm. Trees were uprooted on the boulevards and in the yards of many homes. One yard would have significant damage while the next had sustained none. 

Arriving at the regional park just after 1 p.m., we were able to check in and start the process of unloading the car and setting up the tent. Then it was off to explore the playground.

There were three areas of playground equipment: this newer area, a slightly older area in the background (the yellow apparatus was a hit - you'll see why shortly), and outside the frame and to the left the oldest area. In fact there was a piece of equipment that I remember playing on as a child! I remember how hot that metal slide would get in the summer heat. 

The hit of the playground was the zipline. D remembers playing on it when she was a child, visiting my parents over the summer. 

Look at that face! He was so intent on holding himself up. Although his feet should be on the ring he's holding onto, he wasn't tall enough to reach the handles above the foothold. This worked well enough and he enjoyed himself immensely.

Back at camp, we finished our set-up and started dinner; hamburgers and pasta salad for D and I, a hotdog and veg for Eli.  Later we had a fire and made popcorn before turning in for the night. We were all tired from the drive, and after a round of the tickle game, G'ma won the race to sleep. I wasn't feeling particularly well, as I'd managed to catch a cold a couple of days before we left. 

We were up bright and early the following morning, well before our neighbours. Our breakfast of french toast didn't happen, because I forgot to pack the egg mix D had put together. Instead, we cooked over the fire, bannock in a cast iron pan (D), and bacon on a griddle pan (me). After a visit to the playground, to run off some energy (and a few calories), we headed out towards town.

Our first stop was at the old Nipawin Bridge. Built in 1930, and opened to vehicular traffic in 1931, it is double deck bridge currently available only to train traffic. The lower deck was closed to traffic in 2021 due to deterioration. The newer bridge was built in 1973 north of this location, but when I was a child this was the only access to the west and north of Nipawin. We rode the bus daily across the bridge, and I can recall meeting traffic, such as a grain truck, where the vehicles would have to stop and pull in their mirrors. Later a set of stop lights were added on either side, and traffic was limited to one way.

Driving onto or off the bridge required one to slow down due to the bends, though based on the railings, it would appear not everyone did. I remember a friend's boyfriend trying to show off for us, and hitting the gas as he manuevered the curves. He wasn't her boyfriend for long.

Our next stop was the Woodlawn Cemetery where I was able to locate my grandparent's graves. D was quite impressed, as I still remembered where their graves were located, and found them relatively quickly. Sadly, I could not find the markers for my great-grandparents. There was some damage here too, with a few trees downed by the recent storm.

Eli hadn't slept well the night prior, so D and I decided a drive might give him a chance to nap (it didn't). We headed out of town and drove to the farm where I grew up. Along the way, I pointed out the farm yards, naming the families that I remember living there. There was the farm where I went after I rolled my car on the gravel road, one where we got the best Halloween treats, and another where the father had a wooden leg. I recall he used to tease us kids by asking us to "check his reflexes". We never remembered which leg was the good leg. :)

I didn't take any photos, as the property no longer is in the family. I can tell you, that D was shocked at the size of the yard; once seemingly huge to her young eyes, now appeared so small. I took the chance to travel a number of back roads for a short distance, one I often rode about 10 miles to reach my aunt's house in a small community nearby, and another that led past farmland my Dad farmed for so many years. There we saw the miles of trees that we planted (and weeded) as a wind break. On the way back we stopped at the former site of the Cherry Ridge school and the curling rink where our family spent a lot of time in the winter. My Dad was once the ice-maker there and both of our parents curled.

After a quick stop at the local Co-op for a few snacks, more vegetables and fruit for dinner, we headed back to the campground. Eli was not yet feeling well, so we gave him his tablet and he hung out in the tent while D and I relaxed in our chairs. I read and did a bit of knitting, while she played on her phone and posted some photos from the morning. After a late lunch, we decided to visit the barnyard petting zoo near the park gate.

There were several pens of chickens. Later in the trip, Eli and I discovered this rooster was hen-pecked.

There were two peacocks and a white fowl I didn't recognize. 

The domestic geese were very noisy, especially if anyone came near their cage.

In addition, there were two young calves and a couple of playful goats. At one point, they were playing with a large piece of a tree limb, and later started their head butting.

But the best part of the zoo for Eli were the bunnies! There were several cages, most with adults, one with three immature bunnies and one with babies. 

These three were nearly inseparable - every time we stopped by the cage they were napping together or feeding together.

While we saw a total of seven wee ones, we were later told there are actually eight babies. Aren't they cute?

After this visit, we headed back off to the playground where Eli played/tired his mother out on the zipline. I took a short walk, down the hill toward the river where I found the old swinging bridge - no longer safe to use and the lookout. To the right, one can see the new bridge that is currently used to cross the river. I remember it added another five or six miles to our trip to town. As a result, we continued to use the old bridge most of the time. 

Dinner that evening included grilled corn on the cob, grilled asparagus, a green salad with grilled chicken, and watermelon for dessert. We stayed up later that evening enjoying the campfire. I'd brought a couple of new-to-him books, so those were read after we all climbed into our sleeping bags. The neighbours were a little less quiet, so it took a bit of time before we all fell asleep. D heard the partiers later in the night, but Eli and I both slept through the noise.

At this point, I'll end today's post since there are more photos and lots to share. 

Wordy Wednesday

In a couple of hours, I'm off to my daughter's place for one night before we head to my home town for three days of camping. She has most of the camping gear, including the tent, camp stove, pots/pans, dishes (but only for two), and the infamous toilet bucket. The latter is something I hadn't even thought of, but on their last camping trip, a year ago, Eli showed a real aversion to using the outhouse. So D did some on-line searching and came up with the bucket idea. I haven't seen it yet, but I think it is an old cat litter tub. I picked a pool noodle that we'll cut to fit the edges to make the landing a little softer. She's providing garbage bags and toilet paper,  while I've got wet wipes. I suspect/hope we won't need to use it except at night as our campsite is just a few sites down from the public washroom. 

We both have the other necessities: sleeping bags, pillows, lawn chairs, and of course, I've borrowed the three Thermarest mats from my brother. Between D and I, we've come up with a menu plan and have split the groceries. I suspect she'll do most of the cooking, as she quite enjoys cooking over the fire. We'll pick up some wood for the fire at the park gate, as temperatures are expected to be moderate, so no fire ban likely. That's okay, I'll keep Eli entertained, and I'll almost certainly be the one to do the dishes. D is providing the dish tubs, along with the dish detergent, a scrubbie and dish cloths and drying towels. 

We've got lots planned including a trip to the cemeteries to visit my parent's, grandparent's, and great-grandparent's graves. We'll also visit the museum where my Dad spent a lot of time as a volunteer and the mural down-town that includes him striding along. Of course, we'll spend time at the park, that includes a barnyard petting zoo, a playground, mini-golf, and a swinging bridge. Years ago, there was a splash pool there, but I'm not sure it still exists. If not, we'll likely go into town to the pool one afternoon. I've also discovered there is a walking trail that I'd like check out. It's about 4.7 km. (2.9 miles). If we have time, we'll drive out the farm where I grew up, though it the old farm house burned down several years ago. 

I'm off to finish a few household chores before I fill the cooler and the grocery bag with the food I'm taking with me. I've got my camera, my knitting bag, my clothing and personal items, and a bag full of bits and pieces that I'm taking to D. The wrapping paper - I'll explain that later.

As I'll be away until Sunday or possibly Monday, there won't be a post until I return. I'm sure there will be lots of photos and fun moments to share with you when I return.

Take care everyone!