TRIP TO FRONTIER

This was the view as I drove west of Salem church on Friday morning, heading to meet Laurel and Ashley in Weyburn.  These pumps are about four miles west of the church, more than a dozen of them in just a mile or so.  Our prairie landscape has certainly changed with pumps and flares in every direction from the farm.

I met Laurel at Sidetrack and Ashley's car seat was moved from one vehicle to the other and we were off, heading west to Frontier.  Our first stop was in Assinibia to visit Art and Doreen Drewitz.  Doreen and I met years ago through ELW.  Our sons, Orlo and Clare, were buddies at the U of S in Saskatoon, both in Commerce.  They are still good friends and it meant so much when Orlo joined us two years ago for Howard's funeral.  Howard and Art enjoyed visiting too.  We drove through pouring rain east of Assiniboia but it had cleared when we filled up with gas and headed west again.

We arrived in Frontier around 6:30, just as Sandra was heading home after finishing up janitor jobs at Frontier School where she works half time.  Soon we were enjoying a supper that included roast beef and delicious twice baked potatoes with søt suppe for dessert.

Saturday morning was a busy one as three batches of lefse and one of flatbread were made.  Most of the lefse was for the Syttende Mai lunch that afternoon at two.  Sandra was the emcee and had found some good Norwegian jokes as well as information about the bunads to share with the crowd of over sixty.  One group played several Norsk tunes, a group of ladies sang the Norsk national anthem and other folk songs.  A German couple contributed a duet, "Thank You".  

The program was followed by what Sandra called "the best part" - a real smorgasbord of Norwegian baking.  I won't make your mouth water by listing them and I didn't take pictures this year, but if you have a favourite, they likely had it.  (No lutefisk though as it was lunch, not a meal!) Here are some pictures of Sandra and the "Norsk kids" - Sandra's grandchildren - Rhett, Katie and Blaine with Ashley.
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Ashley was excited to get to a "real" farm with cows, calves and hay bales to jump on.  She was especially fascinated with the gophers and their little ones, something she doesn't see around Milestone. She would have liked to take some live gophers home with her!  She was so happy when Uncle Merle took her to the barn to see a new calf and in the tractor to move bales for the cows.  Here's a picture of Ashley and Blaine in their farm overalls.  They are both in kindergarten and got along very well.

Sandra, Ashley and I went to church at Bethel on Sunday morning.  Ashley was glad to take part in children's church during the sermon by former Frontier resident, Curtis Nestegaard.  She made some new friends and ate lunch with them after the service. 

 I enjoyed a tour of "The Gilbertson House" with Sandra, thanks to Donna Hernberg.  It is now a bread and breakfast and has been awarded certificates for being one of the top ten B and B's in Saskatchewan.  I remember going to Sunday School in that house, having a class in  the den with Leon Gilbertson as the teacher. I was always fascinated by features of that house built in 1929 that weren't found in most houses of that day.  It had a large enclosed porch on the east side, a den which had shelves full of books like a library, a sliding door between the living-room and hallway and a dumbwaiter in the kitchen! (only the dumbwaiter is no longer there) The house has not seen many renovations over the years so has the original hardwood floors, woodwork and windows.  Sometimes it is good not to have the money to make changes!  A few windows have been replaced, but with the same styles as the original.  Bathrooms have been added, one upstairs and one in the basement with improvements to the one on the main floor, all in keeping with the style of the house.  I am hoping to stay there on a future trip to Frontier.  See it at www.gilbertsonguesthouse.com 

On our way back to the farm, we stopped at Bethel Cemetery where five generations of our family are laid to rest.  Here's a picture of Ashley beside Mom and Dad's graves.  Sandra put up a new spring garden flag and that's what Ashley is standing behind.

The headstone below is for my great grandparents.  Mathilda (Munter) was born in Gestad, Sweden.  Peder, and his twin Anna, were born in Sogn, Norway and came to the USA at the age of two.  Todd won't be far from that area when they move to Førde for his new job at a Christian folk school. Førde is in the county of Sogn og Fjordane.  That county has Norway's longest fjord, the Sognefjord, Europe's largest glacier - Jostedalsbreen and its deepest lake - Hornindalsvatnet at 514 meters deep.  (Now you have had your geography lesson for the day!) It sounds like a beautiful area and I look forward to visiting there in the near future.

Here we are back at the Sanford farm.  Rhett is busy matching coloured plastic bugs to the patterns on these cards.  His wounds from the dog bites are healing, but the right side of his face is quite scarred.  He is doing well, but has to be restrained from some activities so those wounds won't get opened up again.

Ashley and I spent Monday afternoon and overnight with my brother, Alan and Judy, at their cosy home in Frontier. Their grandson, Draven Erickson, is staying with them and taking grade ten at Frontier School.  He is the first of that generation of Erickson's to get his driver's license. Here's a picture of his first vehicle, a 1999 model.

 We enjoyed bird watching from their deck with lots of yellow finches busy at the feeders.  Ashley found friends to play with across the alley. She especially enjoyed a bath in their big oval bathtub that she called a pool!

The days went by quickly and soon it was Tuesday morning and time to head for home.  I drove by the house in Shaunavon where I had stayed for two years during my time of teaching grade one students at Shaunavon Public School from 1961 to 1963.  That school has been replaced so no picture of it.  The house was then owned my Mr. and Mrs. Whipple.  It has been remodelled with round windows to the east and new windows on the north as well.

Dorothy and I always slept on the top floor, summer and winter, even though it was not heated.  We put hot water bottles in the beds before we headed upstairs and didn't have any sick days for those two years!

Ashley and I had a picnic lunch at Cadillac.  She loved the little muffins that Marion baked and sent with us!  She was also happy to find dandelions to pick for Grandma.  Then we spent a few minutes at the neat playground in the school yard.

She slept for an hour after our quick stop in Assiniboia and was excited to meet her mom at the DQ in Weyburn.  I headed home to the farm and was here by 6:30. I was happy to find a four cheese macaroni salad and a big container of Stonemill Kitchens potato salad from Costco in the fridge.  (It would be great to serve at one of our reunion meals in July!)

.  Here's a picture taken with a half litre of milk to show you the size of the container.

With that, I better end this post and see about some yard work.  Clare is here, but no seeding today as the rain on Monday night has delayed that operation for another day or two.  There was over an inch on the land farther east so that will be waiting for awhile yet.  See you later!