Submissions from the Urbanites

Thanks to Doe for this picture, I love all the Gary Larson (the Far Side) comics involving cows.

Happily we still know where the cows are, they're in with Lester's gang. Lester and his wife Bev and youngest son Jesse had us over for dinner last night, so it's nice to see that Dad has some nice neighbours. Very nice people, Jesse is a fiddler, Lester plays guitar and jigs/clogs and they both perform at festivals and competitions and such. Unfortunately I think Jesse was hoping I was about 21 years younger, there's not too many prospects for 14-year-old boys in Canwood.

Lester is an organic farmer out here; the cattle are all raised without hormones and with organic feed & hay, he doesn't use pesticides on any of his crops, and is even experimenting with a heritage grain called red fife. It hasn't been cultivated for decades, but there is a weekend called "Seedy Saturday" in Prince Albert where folks can bring whatever seeds they've saved, heirloom and heritage varieties, seeds from giant sunflowers or pumpkins, unusual beets or potatoes or whatnot, and trade or sell them. Lester got his red fife seeds from an old farmer at one of these swaps who was just saving them in a cigar tin for years, and they've been growing well in his fields. He not only grows it, but he threshes and mills the grain himself into flour, and then even bakes the bread. It's a different grain, he uses it whole-grain, and the bread is a rich light brown but still very light, and has a sweet taste to it. He does ship some to just a couple of artisan bakeries on Vancouver Island, but nothing on the mainland yet. I might have to get the new artisan bakery in Langley to give him a call and try it out, I want some of that bread!

We're heading off to Saskatoon in about an hour, Kathy has a couple of appointments before her flight to Vancouver at 4pm, then it's me & Dad for a week. I better get him to stop at Canadian Tire so I can get some gumboots in case I have to help with the rounding up of the steers.

I'm picking up some postcards while I'm in town today, so if you want a postcard, please email me or leave a comment with your address so I can make sure to send enough out. Some may be typical touristy postcards, but some of you may be lucky enough to get some painted postcards.... provided I'm ambitious enough :)

BTW, it's windy and cold. I brought a pair of shorts to wear if it were warmer - like we always think it is in summer on the prairies - but it's COLD! I wish I'd brought a second sweater, it's a bit chilly in here! Even the cats are all cuddled up in blankets. I may have to buy some more yarn and knit myself another sweater! Hmm.... that could work..... :)