7/20/17 Small treasures
Another prairie day greeted us with smoke hazed skies. A complete circle on the city ring finally shooed us out of Saskatoon and back into the prairie. Huge corporate silos edged the road as the crop changed from canola to cattle.
In Saskatoon, suspendered farmers and polo shirted sales-types flooded the hotel and restaurant. Here for an auction? A cattle sale? We created stories until on the road, we saw the reality. Just out of the city, a huge farm trade show was taking place, in the open. Only the third year since inception, Ag in Motion has become a major event and dust covered pickups lined the mud road leading to the exhibition. Rascal strained at the bit to turn in, and even though her master was also yearning to be part of the tractor and farm innovation happening here, he knew that our wheels were only two and couldn't navigate the terrain. So he reigned himself and the bike in and rode on.
An inauspicious crossing of provincial borders took us by surprise in Lloydminster. Straddling two provinces, the city remains as one. The logistics of governance boggle my mind, but suddenly, at a stop light, we were in Alberta.
The highlight of the day came after many miles of prairie. The surprise of Vegreville was a pleasant one. We were greeted by what is touted as the world's largest Pisanki Egg. Again, the Ukrainian influence made itself known and in a bit of local conversation, we learned that Canada has the third largest Ukrainian population, next to the Ukraine and Russia. Canada welcomed these immigrants to farm the Plains and their heritage is evident everywhere.
Another cultural encounter occurred as we checked into our motel and the extremely friendly Korean owner of this small, rough on the exterior but elegant inside, motel exchanged life stories with us. Then we walked across the street (lane?) to dinner at Leonel's Place, although the only sign on the outside read "Restaurant". Québécois owners cooked and served all the food from scratch, "except for the condiments" as the wife, waitress, entertainer told us. There were about ten tables, no other diners and gourmet food that you wouldn't find in even the trendiest restaurant. Our waitress filled us in on all things we should know in life and more, speaking excellent English that she taught herself because she wanted to travel out of her province. All tolled, this off-the-chart village delighted us more than any metropolis ever could.
On the road, you never know when the best part of the day will happen. It could be an amazing sunrise, as you ride out early to beat the heat of the day, or a road that takes you 10,000 feet into the sky, only to unravel in breathtaking downward curves. Today it was where we landed and the small encounters with ordinary people in a very unique place. No map has ever been drawn that can predict what impact your place in time will have, so we head out on a whim, our hearts and minds open, collecting all the intricacies of life that we can.
In Saskatoon, suspendered farmers and polo shirted sales-types flooded the hotel and restaurant. Here for an auction? A cattle sale? We created stories until on the road, we saw the reality. Just out of the city, a huge farm trade show was taking place, in the open. Only the third year since inception, Ag in Motion has become a major event and dust covered pickups lined the mud road leading to the exhibition. Rascal strained at the bit to turn in, and even though her master was also yearning to be part of the tractor and farm innovation happening here, he knew that our wheels were only two and couldn't navigate the terrain. So he reigned himself and the bike in and rode on.
An inauspicious crossing of provincial borders took us by surprise in Lloydminster. Straddling two provinces, the city remains as one. The logistics of governance boggle my mind, but suddenly, at a stop light, we were in Alberta.
The highlight of the day came after many miles of prairie. The surprise of Vegreville was a pleasant one. We were greeted by what is touted as the world's largest Pisanki Egg. Again, the Ukrainian influence made itself known and in a bit of local conversation, we learned that Canada has the third largest Ukrainian population, next to the Ukraine and Russia. Canada welcomed these immigrants to farm the Plains and their heritage is evident everywhere.
Another cultural encounter occurred as we checked into our motel and the extremely friendly Korean owner of this small, rough on the exterior but elegant inside, motel exchanged life stories with us. Then we walked across the street (lane?) to dinner at Leonel's Place, although the only sign on the outside read "Restaurant". Québécois owners cooked and served all the food from scratch, "except for the condiments" as the wife, waitress, entertainer told us. There were about ten tables, no other diners and gourmet food that you wouldn't find in even the trendiest restaurant. Our waitress filled us in on all things we should know in life and more, speaking excellent English that she taught herself because she wanted to travel out of her province. All tolled, this off-the-chart village delighted us more than any metropolis ever could.
On the road, you never know when the best part of the day will happen. It could be an amazing sunrise, as you ride out early to beat the heat of the day, or a road that takes you 10,000 feet into the sky, only to unravel in breathtaking downward curves. Today it was where we landed and the small encounters with ordinary people in a very unique place. No map has ever been drawn that can predict what impact your place in time will have, so we head out on a whim, our hearts and minds open, collecting all the intricacies of life that we can.
One of the smaller silo complexes
Cattle replace canola- see the smoky haze
Ag in Motion
Entering Alberta
A Mountie!
Our first view of the world's largest Pisanki Egg
The closeup view
Welcome to Vegreville
At dinner
A place to remember
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