Two more days left in March and no storm in sight for the “going out like a lion part.” We don’t mind, Big Guy, if you didn’t impose that law on us. I like spring!
At latest count, I think we have had three crow snows and are awaiting two more. We will see.
My wife Bev and I went for a drive in my hills last week and there was only one gopher brave enough to be out that particular day. It was overcast with a chill in the wind. Gophers like it to be warm out when they do their running around. A couple of years ago a bit after spring had actually arrived we got our usual big dump of snow and those darn little gophers were running around all over the place. Those brown little critters were sure easy to spot through the scope of the .22 and I think we got more than our quota that day.
I am amazed how the crows arrive every spring at a time when there appears to be not a lot to eat except for road kill and a few grubs and insects that might be out.
Saturday we made the portage down to the Baldwinton Hall for the 29th (again) for Laura Fairley. I saw many of my old friends as I used to rent land down there. It was a great evening of visiting and reminiscing. Jake and Laura have three daughters, so there is a pile of grandchildren mostly all under three feet tall. They had great fun running, jumping and chasing balloons. It would appear a great time was had by all, young and old.
On the home front, son Ron has been sick. I hired Dakota Hinks and he and Ron cleaned the wheat out of two bin butts in the annex. The wheat is now in an overhead bin in the main elevator waiting for a truck and an elevator agent willing to take it. At this time of year the elevator agents are trying to clean up the contracts they signed in January and February delivery, so they are not too keen on taking my small bit of wheat. And you wonder why I used to like loading producer cars.
This past weekend sons Ron and Todd and their friend Allan got together and made deer sausage. They had the deer cut up and frozen. They have their own special recipes that they put together. This year they were phoning Grandma Ada to get Grandpa Bob’s recipe since he used brown sugar as part of his special blend.
They add pork and some other spices to make a delicious sausage. I can honestly say that since we had some of this year’s version for lunch today. Years ago when my father-in-law Bob Polinsky was smoking sausage he used two 45-gallon barrels with wood in the bottom barrel. He got the fire going good in the bottom barrel, the top barrel had a tarp over it to keep the smoke mostly there. When it was smoldering just right he added the sausage coils. My grandfather Karl Hult had a four-foot by six-foot building with no chimney, just a small door to get in and out to tend the fire and add the meat. He kept a low fire in there and all was well. Ada was telling us her sister-in-law Elsie Ponto would hang the sausage coils down the chimney. That was after she got them on top of the roof of the house to start with. She had a system to hold the sausage coils in the chimney where they got smoked for two days. In this modern day, Allan has an actual smoker to make the weekend process a lot easier.
In the Saskatchewan election, I have been doing some phoning and the people are very positive. I worry about the three new ridings. Expect more NDP will get elected. The Wall government has to answer for the use of government planes and a land deal by Regina. Everybody get out and vote. No votie, no bitchie.
