Roll On, Roll On Saskatchewan

Location: Whitewood, Saskatchewan, Canada
Address: Saskota Flyway
Date: October 2014
Website: http://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com

  When we told people we were going to drive from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Regina, Saskatchewan they all seemed to have the same response.  "That will be a boring drive".  After driving to Regina and back, we disagree with that statement.

  Saskatchewan has a reputation for being flat.  While most of the province is quite flat, the Cypress Hills in the south west are higher than any point in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI or Ontario.  The photo above is a camera trick to make things look a little more "hilly".

  Being flat makes everything else stand out.  We saw a certain beauty in the way the fields went on forever until a tree or a barn or a silo stood out against the horizon.

  We saw lots of barns and silos.

And more silos.

And more barns.

  There was something beautiful about the colour of the fields and the colour of the sky.  Whenever there was water in a field beside the roadway it was a bright blue as it reflected the sky above.

  In some spots it looked as if there was too much water and perhaps there had been some flooding.  We are not grain growing experts so possibly this was some farming technique?

  Another farming technique that may be shocking to some travellers is the burning of straw.  It is not uncommon for farmers to burn extra straw in their fields after harvest.  This fire above looked pretty intense, but we trusted that they knew what they were doing.

  Another fire of sorts that we encountered was the setting of the sun as we drove westward towards Regina.  The sunset seemed to last for hours and the whole sky changed different shades of yellow, orange and red as the sun sunk ever so slowly beneath the horizon.

  The next morning we were treated to a sunrise that turned the sky shades of pink and purple.

  Some of the tallest things you will see as you drive across Saskatchewan are the grain elevators.  Almost ever town still has one whether it is in use or not.

  We also noticed this tall tower.  It looked to us that at the top it may have a sprinkler system that sprayed over the crops.  Other possible uses for this tower might be to watch over the crops for pesky birds or to look westward and catch a glimpse of the Rockies.

  Another thing we were not used to seeing is huge farming equipment working the fields.

  Even more shocking was huge farming equipment coming towards us on the Trans-Canada Highway..

  We drove our return trip to Winnipeg past rolls of golden hay.  As we drove, we thought to ourselves that even though Saskatchewan may be flat, the experience really stands out.

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Map of Our World
Saskatchewan

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Post # 190

Rock On Rock Retires

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 100 Princes' Blvd.
Date: September 2017
Website: www.rockonrock.ca

  One of the highlights of the Canadian National Exhibition for the past 18 years has been the amazing skill of Darryl Maddeaux.  Somehow he manages to take rocks of varying sizes and shapes and form them into the towers you see above.

  He performs in front of large crowds during the C.N.E.  He selects a rock, feels its weight and lifts it to the top of one of the towers.  He holds it in place making minor adjustments until he is satisfied with his placement.  He pulls his hands away and the rock balances there defying gravity.

  The towers of rock, sometimes as high as 10 rocks, can stay standing for hours.  We have watched Darryl many times through the years and we have never once seen a rock fall.  Sadly, this year he has chosen to retire.  We will miss his magic.

  We chatted with Darryl and he told us a story. He said that when he was young he played guitar and put out an album of music. Shortly after that he put out a second album of music. He said he then attended a concert featuring four young men with mop top haircuts from England. After seeing The Beatles he declared, "This is what I want to do. I want to be a rock star." He turned and pointed to the perfectly balanced rocks behind him and stated. "I just wasn't specific enough."

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Map of Our World
Direct Energy Centre

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Post # 189

The Polar Express

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  210 Princes' Blvd.
Date: August 2014
Website: theex.com

  Do you wanna go faster ?   YEAHHH !!

  The Polar Express has been a part of the Canadian National Exhibition midway for as long as we can remember.  The ride spins backwards as the riders are pulled away from the center of the spin by centrifugal force.  A ride operator blasts music and asks the all important question.  Even if you don't want to go faster no one will hear your screams of protest.

   We had not been on the ride for many years when we decided to give it another go.  We had forgotten a few of the basic rules of riding the Polar Express.  Each car holds several people in one big seat.  The first rule is that the bigger people should sit on the outside edge of the car.  Once the ride starts to spin, everyone gets pulled towards that outer edge and small riders could find themselves getting crushed by their seat mates.

  Another important rule is that you should not bring items onto the ride with you.  They also risk being crushed as the ride spins faster and faster.  This particular year at the CNE, Coca-Cola was printing special cans with your name on it.  We had our cans printed and then put them in a bag right before lining up for the Polar Express.  Next we proceeded to sit on the ride with the smaller person on the outside and our bag in between us.  The music pumped away and the ride picked up speed.  Soon we found ourselves pulled against the far wall of the car with big person pushing on Coke bag against little person.  We feared that now not only did the Coke cans have our name on them, but so did the contents inside.  This ride is always a blast.

Do you wanna go faster ?   Always !!

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Map of Our World
CNE Midway

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Post # 188