March 12 Snow Blowing

The calendar says March but yesterday's strong winds blew my driveway full of snow again worse than January. At least I had a nice sunny morning to work at clearing it. Maybe for the last time this winter?

Sod Breaking in Sask.

Something a little different this time. A John Deere 4440 pulling a breaking disk turning the sod in an old farm yard. First time this prairie had been broken. It grew some good crops in the following years.
I video taped this on a fine April day in 1993.

Lipton Parade 95.

Summer time parade in small town Sask. A nice change from the -30 C wind chill we are having today.

Flax 1999

A home video from 1999 showing how we harvested flax. My Dad driving his favourite old tractor at the end piling the straw for burning.

More Interesting Times

Listening to or watching the news lately I am constantly reminded of the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times". We are certainly doing that now. Middle east instability has driven our canola and other grains prices down and our fuel prices up in the past week and worse is yet to come according to some analysts.
Highest snowfall levels in 40 some years on top of the muddiest field conditions ever last fall are going to make it a "high fuel use" spring if we are able to get into the saturated fields.
The grain saved in our bins waiting for the anticapated higher prices has now dropped in value significantly. I'm not going to try and figure how much,don't really want to know.
Meanwhile we are 20 degrees below "normal " temperatures here today and most of the week. Thats -35F this morning which really takes away my enthusiasm for working on machinery out in the unheated sheds.
Back in high school years ago a teacher had a theory about the constant turmoil in the middle east could be related to their high temperatures being closer to the equator. He may have something there. I would think that if they had to deal with snow, and life threatening wind chill factors they might have less unrest and fighting. I really would like to send some of this weather over there.
On the upside, I've finally broken down and spent the money on 4 new winter tires for my Blazer. All the good things they say about 4 winter tires is true. Handling and traction on ice are way way better.
Plus,installing winter tires at this time of year will probably cause all the snow to disappear next week.
Its a hard winter on deer too.

White tails

Anna and Milovan - St. James Infirmary Blues

Just a version of an old classic that I really liked. Amazing the things you find on youtube.

Groundhog Day

February 2, Groundhog day. Supposedly the day when the groundhog emerges from his hibernation to see if he casts a shadow thus predicting how soon we can expect spring. I've never given it much credibility especially since we don't have groundhogs in Sask. Any ground dwelling creatures that do live here are deep underground (and snow) until spring truly arrives.
Its not just groundhog day, Feb 2 was my great Uncle Alf's birthday. I guess he would have been about 140 years old today but he died in January of 42. I've blogged details about him here before. He homesteaded here in Sask. in April of 1903 and farmed the rest of his life, nearly 40 years. It sounds like a long time but actually I've been farming the same land for as long myself.
Heres a short video I shot this winter driving across Alf's homestead quarter on my way to town on my winter road
Alf never got to town very often in the winter, understandable considering a 12 mile trip with horses and sleigh in these conditions. I have it a little more comfortable with a heated 4 wheel drive vehicle to get me there and back but still only get to town once a week.

This was a birthday card that Alf received from one of his sister's that still lived in England.