Hutterite Diaries Spinoff

It's true, one never knows what will happen once you get something published; the same is true when you answer the phone. Case in point, I got a rather unexpected call just before Christmas. I didn't know the person on the other end, and his name, Peter Slobodzian didn't ring a bell either. He told me that he and his family own and operate Q Lake Lodge here in Manitoba and that some of our guys, including my brother had fished there some time ago. As you can imagine, while he was telling me all this, I was wondering how I fit into any of it. Sure, I wouldn't mind spending time at a nice lake, but I don't care about fishing at all.

 "I'm also a substitute teacher and sometimes teach at Treherne School," he continued. "One day, while I was filling in for one of their teachers, I visited the library and found your book, Hutterite Diaries. Intrigued, I quickly read a few stories and liked what I read. Would you be interested in submitting articles for our Rural Outdoors magazine?"

A lovely surprise, for sure! In any case, I found my voice and asked him to tell me more about this magazine, since I'd never heard of it. Rural Outdoors is a publication he and his family publish a few times a year, as part of their Q Lake Lodge promotion. After chatting a few more minutes, we decided to meet for further discussions sometime after the holidays. After that meeting, I sent him a few of my stories for him to look at and decide if they'd be a good fit for his magazine. He was clearly excited about featuring a story written by a Hutterite, since he does business with some of the colonies.

Thus, the most recent edition on Rural Outdoors has one of my stories in it. It's one you've most likely read, if you've been following this blog for a while.  You can read an early version of it here. Or perhaps some of you, especially if you live in Manitoba, will get a chance to see it in Rural Outdoors. 

Feel free to share any of your own out-of-the-blue lovely surprises.

Frog Musicians at the Park

As part of our school fieldtrip we went to the Natures Playground at the Assinaboine Park in Winnipeg. This is a wonderful place for children to play, with neat swings, climbing and jumping structures. Needless to say, our students had a blast!
What fascinated me the most was this unique display of frog musicians. I chuckled as I walked among them - frogs don't have much of a voice for singing, but maybe they're more suited for playing musical instruments. It must have taken a tremendous amount of work to create this interesting display. Would love to see them when they're in full bloom.

And then there's this shaggy beast and it too is covered with some kind of plant.

(: Don't think there'll be too much blogging for me next week. I'll be in Sioux Falls, South Dakota attending a Jill Eggleton Summer Institute, but will also have a chance to tour, shop and visit. So, hey, if you know the area, tell me about the main attractions, the best shops, restaurants... I'm really looking forward to this! :)

Sights and Scents of Spring

It's this wonderful time of year when the world is turning into various shades of lush green. Gardeners are itching to get their hands dirty in black gold - otherwise known as rich soil. Pretty perennials are smiling in all their glory after their long winter sleep. Lilacs not only add a rich violet to the landscape but perfume the air as well. Floral fragrances are especially appreciated on a farm where an array of animal smells usually swirl in the breeze. And no amount of hearing 'smells like money' makes you appreciate these pungent scents more. To a degree, one gets used to it, but oh, lilac and lilies delight the senses so much more! But I guess, I shouldn't complain, as it comes with the territory and because I do know that pigs will one day be tasty porkchops and turkeys turn into mouth-watering cutlets. Hmmm, how did this turn into a barnyard beef, when I started out with beautiful bouquets? Oh well, enough said, you get the picture... in case you don't, here are some of our early bloomers. Enjoy! Sorry, the scents can't be sent.

I'm always amazed by this plant, with different colour blossoms.

pansies - my favourite flowers

iris

iris

lilac - Can't you just smell them?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field,

how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. Matthew 6:28


(And on a tasty note, I've added rhubarb recipes to the Recipe page.)

Prairie Gems

There's something about deserted old buildings that fascinates me. A few years ago I started photographing some that I happened to see when traveling in my home province, Manitoba. Now I have this a little collection, which I'm hoping to make into a set of cards one day.

Desolate

Some seem haunted, others sort of sad and tired, and all have this rustic beauty about them, that seems to tell stories of another era. As my eyes linger on these prairie gems, I can't help but wonder what memories these walls hold, where the people are who once lived there. Or why they abandoned the place.

Standing Guard

Rustic 

I love the colours in this old barn. It would make a gorgeous backdrop for 'pioneer pictures'.

Leaning

I traveled past this little leaning shack many times and never had a camera with me - and then one day, after one wind too many, it was gone. Fortunately a friend had some pictures that she was willing to share.

Rhubarb Hut

Prairie Shanty

Still Sturdy

Weary Threesome





Are there any 'abandoned jewels' in your area? Or maybe you recognise one of these. Perhaps you've lived in a house that now holds nothing but memories. Care to share?

I'll leave you with this Wheely Tired one.

Snapshots of my Manitoba

Some trips are clearly more about the drive than the destination... especially if the destination happens to be shopping. With beautiful scenes rolling past my bus window none-stop, who needs a mall? Add to that tranquil places to visit and feast your eyes on...it just doesn't get better than this!

 harvest scenes

 glistening lakes

hilly pastures

golden canola fields



rolling hills



breath-taking valleys

lush forests



ribbons of highway



wide open spaces



winding roads



steep embankments



smiling sunflowers







lonely barn

and glorious sunsets!


My Manitoba -- diverse, scenic, fertile!

'Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!'