Today is the third day of showers. What happened? The weather was so hot a person hated to be outside and now we are getting showers. I am not complaining as this is just what I asked the Big Guy for, but usually he ignores me. The canola crops have gone from two feet tall with their tongues hanging out for rain to suddenly four feet high and full flower. Wow! Can Mother Nature ever turn things around when she wants.
On the home front, this week has been about painting the house. The truck clutch has been set aside. We can’t do the shop door until that truck gets done and out of the way. Since our crew dwindled down to just Ty, we decided he would start painting the house. I had bought an airless sprayer from a place in Lloydminster that shall remain nameless. We also bought a five-gallon pail of paint on the recommendation of a guy that was working there. When I think of him that old country tune comes in my head. You remember how it goes “May the bird of paradise fly up your nose: May an elephant caress you with its toes.” I don’t remember how the rest of the tune goes, but I remember how it started.
Anyway we started trying to paint. First the brand new paint sprayer would not work. It would just put out a big blast and then just a dribble. Something was drastically wrong!!! I took it back and told them make it work or give me my money back. Finally after a day or so they phoned and said it was fixed. My wife brought it home. It was exactly the same. I give up, its brand new, how much can be wrong with it? Someone somewhere knows what is wrong with it. Life is too short to deal with those idiots.
While we were waiting for the airless sprayer, we had this pail of paint. Ty got a roller out and he started painting. It was just like he was doing nothing. I accused him of not having any paint on the roller. It was hard to see where he had painted. I made him repaint what he had done. Not much better. Upon investigation we found we had water-based paint. That did not work on X-90 siding. Where is that bird of paradise, anyways?
I went to Home Hardware and with the help of Ken found a woman who worked there that had been painting for a living. She provided me with the right undercoat and two pails of right paint for the job. My back kills me if I am shopping so I sat on Art’s chair while the paint got shook up and Ken loaded the paint in my truck and I took it home. What a pleasure in places to deal with. Ty repainted over the water based stuff and what a difference. The color on the house is like it was when it was new, bright white. I am happy!! The house is just about done.
Of all the people who looked at it, I had only one critic. She wrinkled up her nose and said, “It should have been sanded first.” Lord love a Billy goat, after all that work, how do you sand X-90 siding, anyways? Some people will always find fault no matter what you do. I don’t care, I like it as it is.
Terry Crush has phoned me. He is concerned that the deadline is fast approaching for putting in submissions to the Review of the Foreign Ownership of Saskatchewan Farmlands Act. You can submit online before Aug. 10. I personally like what Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture Lyle Stewart said. He has no problem with people from foreign countries buying Saskatchewan farmland but after they buy it get their butts on the ground, get their kids on the school buses and support local businesses. I see no good coming from having pension funds and other money funds holding large blocks of Saskatchewan farmland. If that isn’t a community killer, I don’t know what is.
Other people having birthdays are Wally Polinsky celebrating 91 July 17, Marion Mcdougall July 21 will celebrate another 29th birthday, Bob Polinski will celebrate his 93rd birthday July 24. My old friend Dorothy has asked me to tell everyone the old cowboy Scotty Wiltermuth will celebrate 91 years young July 27. Scotty lives in his own house. He does his own cooking and cleaning and is as spry as a barnyard rooster on a sunny morning. Many more happy birthdays to everybody.
July 25, I am putting on my own birthday party in the Waseca Hall at 7 p.m. for happy hour and dancing starts at 8 p.m. I would ask everyone to consider coming and have a good time visiting neighbours and friends. This all started back in January when my wife and I were going to funerals every second or third day. Our friends were dying like flies and the only time we get to see each other is at funerals. I thought there could be a better system. So since I am going to be the big 70 this year, why not have a get together with everyone invited. Bring your wife or husband or significant other. Bring your kids or grandkids, everyone welcome. I have booked the Waseca Hall, I have the Yellowhead Ramblers playing music. Curtis Sutherland has agreed to look after the bar. There will be coffee and tea available for the teetotallers. There will be juice jugs for the kids and some door prizes. Let’s have some good visiting. We’re all going to have a good time.
Joke of the week: A couple were married for 50 years when the husband suddenly dies. The daughter was trying to console her mother and asked what happened. The mother said Sunday morning when the bell of St Joseph’s Cathedral are tolling, they found the bells were the perfect rhythm for sex. The woman wailing away said he would have lived if it wasn’t for that damn ice cream truck going by.
