MAYFAIR — We’ve hardly had any mosquitoes this year, but after the abundance of rainfall, they will certainly be everywhere. But since we are in the middle of August, this could be short-lived. Tick season is to have ended a few weeks ago, so the worry is over for another year. I’ve noticed even at the family cabin in Chitek Lake, horseflies have been at a minimum this summer.
Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Festival is scheduled for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This popular festival is held at Ness Creek near Big River. There is dancing and lots of good times to be had.
Rabbit Lake Day is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 16, with garage sales, library book sale, silent auction and Bunnock tournament. There is a $50 registration fee with four players per team. Co-ed teams need at least one player of the opposite gender on each team. Please contact Joan at 306-230-8296.
Lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs is available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Senior Sunrise Circle centre, followed by a pulled pork supper sponsored by the local community hall. Admission for supper is $20, $10 for 12 and with preschoolers free. A good day to bring in many local people before harvest season starts, but individuals from other communities like to attend. Nothing like small community bonding.
Glenburn Day is the big celebration replacing Canada Day in Glenburn Regional Park near Maymont on this Saturday, Aug. 16. One of the attractions is a slo-pitch ball tournament. Please contact Randy Foulston at 306-480-1465 for more information. A pancake breakfast at the concession will be a big hit. Many children’s activities are planned, including a reptile education exhibit and petting zoo noon to 5 p.m.; bouncy castle and obstacle course 1 to 4 p.m.; slip ‘n’ slide from 1 to 4 p.m., Balloon Man from 1 to 4 p.m., with a few more kiddie attractions. A live band called “The Original Covers” will be blasting out tunes from 3 to 7 p.m. A reverse dunk tank will operate 1 to 3 p.m. Beer gardens seem to be a big attraction at most events, so it’s open from noon to 11 p.m. This fantastic day will end with fireworks. Come out and show your support, as the local people are great volunteers in every event that’s held in the area.
Vacation Bible School is also popular in many villages on the prairies. “Discover God’s Bigness” is the headline for fun and learning program in Glenbush Mennonite Church, Aug. 25 to 27. Monday and Tuesday, the time is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and kids ages five to 12 years old are all welcome, no matter what faith. Please bring their own bagged lunch. Wednesday, the time is 9 to 11:30 a.m., including a closing program for parents to come and watch. For more information, call Vanessa at 306-883-2662. I recall when my children were younger, there was a program held in Hatherleigh old school house and many looked forward to attending. Back then, Ms. Millar would drive around the countryside picking up the kids, which was a bonus. The closing ceremony was entertaining, with ages varying from four to 13 years. Parents were encouraged to attend. A small donation towards the travelling Bible school was gratefully accepted. Yes, those were the days when kids did not have electronic devices. How society has changed.
When driving in the country, I see farmers have plowed under many shelter belts that were encouraged way back in the 1930s and following decades. There was a government program advertised for landowners to order different varieties of trees to establish shelterbelts. Over the years, equipment has become larger, so the planted trees of many years have been destroyed, thus making it much more accessible when doing field work. Another reason is the price of land is high, so some farmers could use this land by cropping. I came across a poster for a program called “ Tree Canada” encouraging trees to be planted at no charge on the property of farmers and ranchers. It states a diverse selection of species to help improve soil quality. It will also improve unused land suited for future forests. Contact Quentin Ede at 306-262-5322 or email address is [email protected]
All Saints Parish congregation in Mayfair welcomed Father Passe this past Sunday. Mass schedule is still 9 a.m. until the end of September. The priest's living quarters have been in the church rectory in Hafford for many years.
There are no events planned for the Mayfair district, so no mail distribution of monthly calendars in case locals have wondered why we didn’t receive one.
The Saskatoon Exhibition crowd was down by 25 per cent, but when I attended Tuesday evening to see the musical entertainment, there seemed to be an abundance of people. Country western singer/songwriter Corb Lund was the grandstand headliner, while in the beer gardens after the grandstand was Washboard Union. Originally from Alberta, Lund had close connections with Ian Tyson and paid tribute by singing a couple of Tyson’s songs. An evening well spent before a big rainstorm the next day.
