The day could not have turned out any better. First of all we were blessed with great weather with lots of sunshine ( a bit too much for the painters on the sunny side of Salem!). It was a very warm day with a nice breeze that helped to keep the flies and mosquitoes away. The turnout was fantastic with over forty men and women (plus some kids and dogs!) from as far away as Vancouver Island, Alberta, three carloads from Regina, many people from Estevan, Weyburn, Oxbow, Outram, Bromhead and Torquay areas. Families represented were from the Berg, Fonstad, Grimsrud, Hanson, Johnson, Mossing and Tenold familes. It was a real "family reunion", all of us connected through loved ones who had gone before and are laid to rest at Salem cemetery.
The big project for today was to remove the cement covers from many of the graves. Many of those tops were sunken, cracked and overgrown with an orange lichen. Names were worn on many of them. Engraved plates were made and fastened to patio blocks, which will make mowing a much easier task.
Equipment showed up from many sources. The pictures will tell the story better than I can. I don't even know what to call many of those machines! After the cement tops were removed and hauled away, topsoil was added from a supply that had been hauled in ahead of time. Grass seed was raked in, then watered. The water truck was left there so the grass can be watered again if it doesn't rain in the next while.
Painting the doors and the trim around the windows was also a job on the agenda and that got done too. Every project needs a good boss and we had one! Patti (Mossing) Marcotte did a superb job of organizing the bee, getting supplies and finding a job for everyone who showed up.
Food is an important part of these gatherings and we had coffee (or water) breaks morning and afternoon with yummy cakes, cookies and tarts to go along with it. Noon lunch was an organized potluck with lots of extra food showing up too. No one went away hungry today! Cold water was likely the most welcome and most needed item on the menu. Working in the hot sun required lots of hydration. We were thankful that there were no accidents, injuries or heat strokes. Just being outside all day was a change for many of us.
I just finished downloading today's pictures so now to decide which ones to share with you. I'll start with Patti's list of jobs to be done today.
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| The "TO DO LIST" for the day |
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| Scraping away the loose paint |
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More scraping and sanding
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