Greetings from Yuma, Arizona as I have been here since the middle of February and am returning home shortly.
I have neighbours who tell me tidbits of news and I pass it on to everyone.
Please mark your calendars for Sunday, April 17 as Mayfair鈥檚 Save a Third World Child Club is hosting a large event. Yes, the internationally well-know cowboy (girl) poetist Phyllis Rathwell, along with her retired Montana rancher husband Larry Miller from Elkwater, Alta (near Medicine Hat) will be performing. She is truly a gem, as I have heard previously a couple of times. She will have the audience rolling in laughter and sometimes in tears as she recites her very own poems. Extra excellent entertainment is former retired Whitkow farmer Norman Woytowich who is well-known for his accordion playing skills, along with Darlene Hupaelo, a retired Blaine Lake guitar player and singer. Norman has played with the Ukrainian Dance Connection band and a few other bands.
Norman and his wife Sally are looking forward to seeing the local residents again. A delicious hot meal will be served at 1 p.m. and the entertainment will follow. Tickets are only $25 each, call Margaret Adams at 306-824-4923, Faye Liebaert at 306-246-4386 or myself Elaine Woloshyn at 306-445-9992. There is a bus coming from North Battleford for anyone not wanting to drive so far. For information call Lorna Lavallee at 306-445-0651. Come dressed western style if you please, with cowboy hats and the whole-nine yards!
I had the pleasure of having an old acquittance over for lunch and reminiscing for almost six hours! Charlotte Herle and Elaine Gregoire attended COCJ for four years of high school many decades ago. I never knew that she has been making her home in sunny Yuma for the past 17 years. She is married to a wonderful man, Rod Tande, originally from Montana, who plays three different types of guitar and loves to entertain at the many jam sessions in this area. Charlotte is the one who recognized me at her trailer park at their musical entertainment night and was I ever glad she started talking. Gordon and Carol Gregoire from Ontario live next door to Rod and Charlotte (her nickname is Charle). Paul and Madeleine from North Battleford are Gordon鈥檚 parents. She brought many COCJ year books so we remembered many faces and it was surprising how much we filled in one another about our old school mates. Anyone wanting to email Charlotte, her email address is [email protected] and she would certainly love to hear from you. There are about 70 people from the Battlefords area who stop in to visit them every winter.
I鈥檝e run into many individuals also from the area who still live there or have moved away many years ago but still have either family and/or friends in Saskatchewan. Some last names are Bru, Cross, Cubbon, Krahn, Tebay, Baraniski, Bryan, Fehr, Miller (Ewald and Marion from Rabbit Lake have been coming for years to Araby Acres where I am renting a unit), Jensen, Maze, Stewart and the list is even longer. Apparently, Yuma does not shrink when all of the snowbirds disappear because military come from all of their training in the desert starting in May. Yuma is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the 鈥渟unniest place on earth鈥� with 339 bright days a year and less than three inches of rain annually. It is also the country鈥檚 highest producer of winter vegetables, especially lettuce. In fact I purchased two large heads of iceberg lettuce for 98 cents. Incredible! There are more species of hummingbirds than anywhere else in North America in Arizona. Do I love been here? I think I do not have to answer this question. In fact next winter might be sounding pretty good, but anything can happen before then.
When the water was gushing over the road near Van Nortwick鈥檚 farm, a vehicle went off into the cold water and luckily the driver got out safely. This, of course, happened a week and a half ago when the temperatures got warmer, but as I am writing this, it is very windy and snowing a lot. Good spring moisture is always a blessing.
Get well wishes to Ronald Van Nortwick as he had surgery a few weeks ago. Not such a great time for it is calving season and farmers are extremely busy.
Some Mayfair folks took in a great musical concert which included Brett and Tyler Martens and Shelly and Al Laughlin鈥檚 son originally from Rabbit Lake. They were amongst a group called 鈥淎 Bunch of Guys鈥� from Saskatoon who performed in Rabbit Lake. Brett and Tyler are Debbie and Al Martens' two oldest sons.
Officially spring has arrived and we are experiencing an extra early Easter this year. Safe travels for people going a distance to be with their loved ones for this special holiday. Happy Easter聽聽and hope the school students enjoy their time off in either snow or mud.
