A Dozen Days In The West
From July 26, 2017 to August 07, 2017 I vacationed in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The main course of my holiday-banquet was my sister's wedding, but there were plenty other appetizers and desserts along the way.
After flying from Halifax to Regina, my family and I arrived in Moosomin, Saskatchewan. Moosomin is the home of my sister, Kendra, and her husband, James. It is located near the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, in the Southeast corner of Canada's most rectilinear province.
Kendra and James planned several fun activities for us in Moosomin, starting with a visual scavenger hunt through the cute little town. We also enjoyed family karaoke, ear trivia, and plenty of board games.
In the centre of the picture on the left is my sister,Kendra. On the right is my brother's wife, Amy, and on the left is Kristine, who is now Kendra's sister-in-law.
This shot (On the left) of a truck's hood ornament was taken on awalk around the town.
Below is the Big Oilcan in Rocanville, Saskatchewan. James works at a Potash Minein Rocanville, and it was a key stop on our road trip to the site of the wedding.
We saw so many golden rapeseed fields, I felt compelled to drolly text my sister, "I canola see yellow!". They were not kidding when they called the Great Plains "Big Sky Country".
We crossed over the provincial border and settled at a hotel in Russell, Manitoba. My parents and I explored the picturesque town, and came across the park seen on the right. Russell is not far from the Asessippi Ski Resort, the location of the wedding ceremony and banquet.
Another stop on our travels was at The Acreage, the home of Teana and Adam, who are friends of Kendra and James. It is also the location of jam sessions for James' band, the Unaccompanied Miners. While we didn't get a concert, we did have a splendid picnic. Seen on the left are James, Kendra, Teana and her daughter Piper, and my Mom.
Approaching Asessippi, the ski hill looks like almost nothing, just a bump on the flat prairie. Turning around a bend, however, one sees a wide valley and the winding Assiniboine River. Kendra and James were married on the hillside, with the above vista as their gorgeous backdrop. A friend of Kendra'stook a video of the ceremony, it can be found at the end of this link.
On the right, we see my Mom and Dad sharing a laugh on the happy day.
Below is a photograph of the banquet venue, Asessippi's main ski lodge. The rooms where the feast took place are called the Sugar Shack, a befitting name for the sweet party they sheltered.
To keep their guests busy during their photos, Kendra and James created a crossword puzzle. Once that was done, the guests watched a video on a big screen in which the couple playfully reveal the correct answers. The scene on the left is the crowd watching. Here is a link to the video.
Above, we see Kendra and James thanking those who gave speeches, and all who attended the ceremony.
Dessert was served out on the deck, a fantastic move which enabled the tables to be cleared and gave everyone a chance to mingle. It also provided an opportunity for Kendra to play with Ivy, our niece, as seen on the right.
During the ceremony, Kendra and James poured sand into an hourglass. Over time, their individual contributions will merge into a unified entity, just as they become one unit as couple. During the banquet, guests were encouraged to write notes to the couple to be read on their fifth, twenty-fifth, and sixtieth anniversaries. The vignette on the left shows the hourglass, best-wishes bottles, and a Saskatchewan flag. The wedding's colours match the flag: Yellow and Green.
The wedding was complete, but things not stop even after most other guests departed. James' parents, my parents, Amy, Ivy, Adrian, and I all stayed on in Moosomin for the next week for more family fun.
Kendra and James were not the only ones to come up with all the fun activities. My Dad created a scavenger hunt. On the right, I pose with Kendra beside an old truck in Moosomin [Photo credit to my sister-in-law Amy].
One venue of that fun was Moosomin Lake Regional Park, seen on the left. While I never did try out the slide in the water, I did enjoy my first-ever game of disc golf. Below is my brother Adrian, aiming through the trees at one of the "Holes" - In this case, a numbered bucket on a pole.
Back in Moosomin, the fun and games continued. The image on the left shows James, Kendra, me, Adrian, and Amy playing Sheriff Of Nottingham [Photo credit to my Mother].
Above is Jim and Vicki Parrish, Adrian and Ivy, Mom and Dad, me, James and Kendra, and Amy.
The big draw in Wawota was not the parade, however, it was the rodeo. On the right is a photo from the opening ceremonies. Below is a shot from one of the events.
A group of us went down the road to Wawota, Saskatchewan. On the left is Dad, Mom, and Kendra as we explored the town.
Below, Kendra poses with a very Saskatchewanian mural we found.
We enjoyed watching to the Wawota Heritage Days parade. One of its many imaginative floats is pictured on the left. In addition to the usual floats, there was also some large and impressive farming equipment.
Our time on the prairies was coming to an end, but Kendra and James had one last surprise for us. We returned to Moosomin Lake and were treated to the Moosomin International Fireworks Competition. It was, I say, the best fireworks show I have ever seen.
I treasure the time I got to spend seeing where my sister and new brother-in-law live. It was a wonderful introduction to life in the Canadian West. While I have only just returned to Nova Scotia, I am already looking forward to visiting again someday.
