So Saskatchewan isn't that beautiful according to those who responded to some national survey that focused on Canada's most beautiful and hot spots. The rectangular province came in last.
I'm convinced that if the national highways and railroad people hadn't been so lazy, we wouldn't be last on the "beauty" poll. They chose the easiest route and that, of course made full use of our astonishing prairie landscape, and not much else. Why build a road or rail line that dips in and out of valleys and rocks and through tree lines when you have plenty of nothing but good dirt on flat plains?
Well, plenty of nothing is good for me.
Saskatchewan wasn't too plain for me two weeks ago when I sauntered out into a shimmering golden field of canola. I enjoyed that foray into a little bit of awesome. Those who voted no to Saskatchewan, probably have no idea what canola is and what it looks like in a Saskatchewan sunset.
Last year's raging flood waters attracted some attention, didn't they? As devastating as they were, there was something magnificent about this temper tantrum that Mother Nature had last summer.
I won't even dwell on our superior sunrises and sunsets. They are well documented by artists and poets even if they are ignored by those who respond to online polls. Those are surveys usually filled out by people who are too absorbed with apps or tweets to lift their heads to look around. These are the folks who would probably prefer to sit in the car playing online games than view Niagara Falls, so whatcha gonna do with them guys? These are the people who sit in the stands at football games and spend their time absorbed in text or talking on cellphones, choosing not to be in the moment.
By the way, a Roughrider home game? How spectacular is that? Well, last year, kinda ugly. This year, pretty much beautiful. Take that pollsters!
Panoramic badlands and sweeping Cypress Hills, huge and deadly northern waterfalls ... deserts, sculptured snowdrifts and all kinds of valleys and yes, you can get out of control on skis, snowboards and toboggans in this province.
Oh, the people are pretty impressive too ... most of them anyway.
So I say to the pollsters and those who voted Saskatchewan as most ugly ... I defend your right to put us at the bottom of the beauty list, even though 70 per cent of you have never been here or have only travelled through on the lazy man's highway or have accepted the word of mouth opinion of someone else who may have spent a half-hour in the Regina airport and thereby feels they are an expert on the subject.
This place is mine and yep, I have the right and privilege to marvel at its beauty because I pay taxes here.
Some sovereign power gave me this place, and I'm not giving it back.
OK, there will be one January morning when I wake up and look out the window and say "oh no" but then Ma Nature kicks me in the shins and says "oh ya ... deal with it bucko, it's yours."
So I embrace it then, and I embrace it when it's at its finest.
I like it that you can't take Saskatchewan away from me. You tried before and failed.
And if you think we live in ugly, then you really don't know squat about good lookin'.
As far as I'm concerned, no one steps on Saskatchewan's toes and gets away with it. So polls be gone ... I choose the reality and the true natural beauty of my home province, the place I choose to be.
Now if you care to take your hand off your heart and get back to work, that would be nice. My patriotic message is over.
