Fauna of Saskatchewan

Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura

Location: My parents' garden.




Interesting facts:

- Up to 70 million doves shot a year as gamebirds in the United States (for sport and meat)
- Capable of flying 88 kilometres an hour
- Range of over 11 million square kilometres
- Closest relative of the extinct passenger pigeon
- North American fossils trace the mourning dove back 1.8 million years; very flexible to change

Extreme Waste: Home Edition

Sometimes I watch television shows to criticize them rather than to enjoy them. Case in point: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. While the program evokes emotions of sadness, and anguish, and empathy for most viewers, I am apathetic. Let me explain two beefs I have with the show: Some of the families have legitimate dilemmas and misfortunes which necessitate the need for a brand new home. (i.e.: mold problems or disabled children or parents) But do children who have leukemia all need a 2,500 square foot house? If my Dad lost his arm in a boating accident is my family entitled to a fancy house? How about families that have children (biological or adopted) and "need more space". I live in an apartment - if I adopt two children do I deserve a new home? I believe that a new home, in most cases, does not solve people's problems. The child still has cancer, the man still has one arm, and the death of a loved will not be alleviated by a new home. Any benefits provided by the house will be temporary. Most of these families need financial aid for sure, but not in the form of a house. What these families need is financial support along with psychological, spiritual, and emotional support.

My second complaint is the unnecessary waste the makeover involves. In the episodes I have seen, the team demolishes the family's entire "old" house - with no thought to salvaging any part of it. Houses maybe twenty years old are bulldozed without question. Windows, doors, plumbing (sinks, facets, toilets), wood, counters, electrical components and much more could be removed and reused. Surely in some cases renovations to the existing house could meet the family's needs and save money, time, and housing materials.

Let me know how you feel under comments.

Roots

Last weekend my brother Shawn and I headed out of Regina on a road trip with my Mom and Dad. My grandparents' farm where my Dad grew up was our destination, but we knew there would be several detours. Our first stop was Redvers for a short tour. My Dad attended high school there and my grandma moved to town after my grandpa passed away in 1987. Ten miles east we pulled into Antler where we were greeted by our cousin Harvey Bauche who runs the garage in town. He gave us a twenty minute account of current events in the area. Just down the street we grabbed a bite to eat at the Antler bar, owned by one of Dad's old friends.

After taking a few pictures around town we were southbound on the 6o0 towards Fertile. A few inhabited houses and a community centre are all that remain in Fertile. Dad described the elevators, churches, and school yard he remembers when he attended school in the town. Just southeast of the hamlet is the farm. I recall the farm being hidden by thirty foot tall poplar trees - the RM has since widened the road, and smaller trees now line the perimeter.

The farm itself is much like I remember - the old car beside the shed, the grain bins, the barn which collapsed years ago. The house has turned from green to grey as the paint wears off. The truck, tractor, and other machinery sit idle as they did when I was a kid. Gone are the gas barrels, the threshing machine, combine, and the metal granaries. After an hour of pictures and reminiscence we traveled west to Storthoaks, the town my grandparents lived in after retiring from farming. The rec centre, church, park, and hall - all landmarks from

my childhood are still there. Two miles north hidden in a grove of trees and surrounded by canola is St. Anthony's Cemetery and the graves of my Dad's parents. The experience was very serene and the area beautiful and quiet save the chirping of birds. Visit the cemetery and you will agree.
Upon reaching my grandma's parents' farm north of Alida, we were impressed with the condition of the house. Built at least ninety years ago, the house was sound enough for us to enter. None of us were brave enough to attempt the narrow stairway leading to the second floor.
This was probably for the better as
Dad and I later spotted a raccoon peaking out a hole in the roof. Dad also caught a glimpse of a moose a few hundred metres southwest of the granaries, but he failed to make an appearance for the rest of us.

The sun began to set as we rolled into our last stop, Cantal. It consists of an admirable stone church, an abandoned rectory and house, and a cemetery. The hamlet has been like this for at least the last twenty-five years, although the church is still in use. Open church doors allowed us a self-guided tour of the interior.

Night came upon us we left Cantal north on the gravel road towards highway 13. A stop in Carlyle for a late supper and a thrilling second half Riders game topped off our Saturday. The day had it all: great weather, pictures, memories, and family.

"What Do Children See...It's a Mystery to Me"

For the past six months I have been working as a teacher's assistant in a very active Montessori pre-primary classroom. My co-workers and the thirty-four children we work with have shared in a multitude of learning, laughs, surprises, disappointments, and revelations. The following are some of my favorite reminiscences of the year:

On Earth Day the teacher was explaining how we can recycle items to reduce waste. On child asked if we could recycle clothing. The teacher replied yes. Abruptly, Srujan (4.5 years old) declared that his father did not recycle his underpants.


It is not uncommon to hear Issy (4) break out into song. Her set list typically includes "Alouette", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", or cartoon theme songs. One day just before the other children arrived for group time, Issy was on the mat singing "Party in the USA".



While playing outside after school a few months ago, Christie (4.5) noticed that I walk home. Since then when I left school for the day Christie would regularly say to me, "Have a nice walk Mr. Nathan."



Just before heading to the spray park one June morning, Rowyn (3) was attempting to cram his towel, bug spray, and water bottle into his backpack. I came over to assist him when he declared, "No, it's too hard fur yu."




On May 26th, Willem (5) strutted into the classroom wearing a white dress shirt, black pants, and tie in celebration of his fifth birthday.






Our morning students were mediocre listeners at best. One day after reading a story to the class I asked a question regarding the book. To my delight Arianna (4.5) replied with a phrase verbatim from the story. It made my morning.





Several months ago I was supervising the afternoon class when Star (6) came up to me. Figuring I could be of assistance I asked, "Can I help you with something Star?" upon which she responded, "I just like you is all."




Around 4pm one afternoon the children in after school care came into the classroom from outside. The teacher teased Miya (3.5) with the old "I got your nose" trick, to which Miya replied, "That's not my nose, that's a booger." Teacher: "I'm going to wash my hands now."



A few children became known for their daily catch phrases: Saul (4.5) "Is snack ready yet?", Rowyn (3) "Good mornin' Mr. Nafan!", Ella (3.5) "I'm tired" then proceeding to lean on you no matter your current activity. I will also leave you with the best t-shirt phrase I've seen: "Be cute, don't pollute." Thanks Issy.

I would love to share a memory of every child I worked with but that I'm afraid that make for far too long a blog. Perhaps I'll entertain you with more stories in the fall. Thanks for the memories kids!

2010 CFL Season

Finally the CFL is back for another mind blowing season! It has been a long off-season for the Riders and their fans after the debacle of the 97th Grey Cup. Well it is now time to evaluate the teams' rosters, performance, and predict who will be the contenders in the Grey Cup. The numbers in parenthesis are standings from 2009 season.

The BC Lions (8-10) have finally released QB Buck "Concussion"Pierce now that they have Casey Printers back. They have added to their defense with Dave Sanchez and Keron Williams. Martell Mallett was replaced by Jamal Robertson at running back. The Lions have, however, lost a number of strong players in the off season: LB Lavy Glatt, WR Ryan Grice-Mullen, OL Jason Jimenez, RB Ian Smart, and LB JoJuan Armour.

I believe BC will have another mediocre year. Printers is a decent QB, but I'm not sure he is in the same form he was back in 2004. BC had rough time last year protecting against the run and had a league leading 59 turnovers. In a tough western division look for the Lions to be at the bottom.

Calgary Stampeders (10-7-1) will once again be a formidable team. They had the number one running back in the league with Joffery Reynolds racking up 1504 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. The Stampeders also have a solid receiving core and defensive line. As a result, they have made relatively few change during the off-season. Perhaps the most questionable was not re-signing kicker Sandro DeAngelis who made 85.7% of his field goals and accumulated 176 points for his team (second in the league). Calgary will finish first in the west.

The Edmonton Eskimos (9-9) fell short of my expectations last year. Although QB Ricky Ray finished the season first in yards passing he did not perform overly well. Despite averaging 286 pass yards/game the Eskimos often struggled to win games. Virtually every aspect of their team was inconsistent. Four of their nine wins were by three or less points. Most of their changes came at defense where DB Chris Thompson, LB Javier Glatt, and DB Lenny Walls will fill the places of Kelly Malveaux, Lenny Williams, and Reggie Hunt. Edmonton will finish third in the west.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-7-1) have made several changes over the past six months. On defense John Chick, Stevie Baggs, and Renauld Williams have departed for the NFL. Kicker Jamie Boreham was traded to Toronto for first overall draft pick, where we acquired DE Shomari Williams. Saskatchewan also signed QB Ryan Dinwiddie and Cole Bergquist. Originally I was somewhat skeptical of Dinwiddie; however he performed well against the Lions in pre-season action.

I believe Durant sums up the team's attitude best; "If you dwell on what happened in November, you won't be able to move forward." Centre Jeremy O'Day adds that "if anything is going to fuel this team...it's a game like that." The Riders have signed a few key players who will help. RB Dominique Dorsey will certainly improve the Riders special teams' worst kickoff return average in the league (18.6 yards). The green and white are also glad to have veteran receiver Prechae Rodriguez from Hamilton. Barrin Simpson also joins the team as a proven linebacker. The Riders will battle their way to second in the west.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-11) smartly fired coach Mike Kelly back in December. Kelly's attitude and demeanour let to the release of important players; QB Kevin Glenn, DE Barrin Simpson, and receivers Arjei Franklin and Romby Bryant; and a disgruntled fan base. New head coach Paul LaPolice was hired in February. QBs Steven Jyles and Buck Pierce should add some stability and amelioration to the team. However, the Bombers have also lost a number of key defensive players. Winnipeg will finish third in the east.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9-9) continue to strengthen their team in all facets. They will improve defensively with the addition of talented defensive backs. The precision of kicker Sandro DeAngelis on special teams will be of great significance. Wide receivers Maurice Mann from Edmonton and Adam Nicholson from Saskatchewan will augment Hamilton's receiving core. Despite this progress the Tiger-Cats still won't be able to overtake Montreal in the east. Hamilton will settle for second in the east.

The Toronto Argonauts (3-15) have hired a new head coach, Jim Barker. In addition, they have four new QBs. Dalton Bell, the only one with any CFL experience, looked the best in their first pre-season game. Receiver Jermaine Copeland was also acquired. However Toronto did lose valuable players in the off-season. SB Andre Talbot, WR P.K. Sam, kicker Justin Medlock (who connected on 87% of his field goals), and RB Jamal Robertson. Many changes were also made on defense. Toronto lacks a seasoned CFL QB and their new players will need time to gel together. Toronto will once again be in the basement of the east.

The Montreal Alouettes (15-3) had another banner year in 2009, boasting first in numerous CFL categories. On defense DL Keron Williams and DB Davis Sanchez left the Alouettes. More pressing was the retirement of OL Brian Chiu just before training camp. Regardless, Montreal will have one more dominating season before a few key players retire. Montreal will place first in the east.

Predictions:

West

Calgary 12 - 6 Saskatchewan 10 - 8 Edmonton 9 - 9 BC 8 - 10

East

Montreal 14 - 4 Hamilton 10 - 8 Winnipeg 7 - 11 Toronto 4 - 14

West Semi/Final

Saskatchewan/Edmonton = Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan/Calgary = Saskatchewan

East Semi/Final

Hamilton/BC = Hamilton
Montreal/Hamilton = Montreal

98th Grey Cup

Saskatchewan/Montreal = Saskatchewan

Nathan's 2009 season predictions: 44-27 (NateB3)

Travel Series #1 - Haida Gwaii

Welcome to the first of many travel series. In each edition I will inform you of a destination I would like to visit. First I would like to remind my readers that I shy away from popular beach and touristy locations. Warm weather and hype is no incentive for my holiday plans. I prefer taking in the area's history and culture.

My first destination takes us to Haida Gwaii; a group of islands off the coast of British Columbia, formerly known as the Queen Charlottle Islands. Haida Gwaii has been dubbed the "Canadian Galapagos" because of the unique plethora of flora and fauna living on the islands. Caribou, whales, otters, mosses, sea lions, star fish, martens, liverwort, porpoises, dolphins, tufted puffins, and bald eagles to name a few. It is home to at least 39 species of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. In January 2010 the Canadian government and the Council of the Haida Nation agreed to establish a National Marine Conservation Area. This would be the first and only "fully protected, vertical ecosystem in the world" from mountaintop to ocean floor.

Occupied by the Haida people for at least the last 10,000 years, the islands are rich in culture too. Resources from the forest and ocean sustained the Haida People, and their gratitude is reflected in their art. Carvings, paintings, woven baskets, hats, and totem poles have been ubiquitous on the islands for generations. Anthony Island, in the far south of Haida Gwaii, is an UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site. Most of Haida Gwaii's six hundred archaeological sites are on Anthony Island. These include the remains of Haida longhouses, villages,
totem and mortuary poles, and burial sites in their original locations.

Haida Gwaii has something for the active tourist as well. Set up your wilderness camp amongst the large cedars and cypress trees. Sail through the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. Hike woods, sandy beaches, and look over rocky cliffs. Paddle through inlets and coves around islands on a sea-kayaking trip. Why not try your hand at surfing or scuba diving? Finally, flightseeing and numerous boat and eco-tours will keep even the most restless traveler captivated.

Digital Detox Week Part Two

My week without technology was fairly easy I believe. I think this was due to the fact that a) I work six days a week and b) I don't use technology as much as the average person does in a day. My daily activities changed relatively little. I read, worked out, did laundry, phoned my mom, biked, went for coffee, baked, wrote letters for Amnesty and cleaned - a pretty standard week.

Nonetheless I did come to some realizations through out my tech-free time. I found that I used technology most at transition points in my day - after work, after supper, and prior to bed. Instead I had time to reflect on my day rather than be distracted by television or the computer. Radio also became a good friend during these times. I would listen to the community station while working out, then switched to CBC while eating supper. It reinforced my love for radio as a medium. It is very enjoyable and educational. The appeal of Facebook became a topic floating through my mind. Although it can serve as a great networking tool it can also be the cause of great procrastination. A few times during the week I wanted to check email and Facebook but I believe this was merely out of curiousity. Finally, I went to bed on time every single night.

I'm not sure I could have gone longer than a week. Not that I am a tech-hungry individual, but as with most of our society I have become accustomed to the freedom and convenience technology offers. However I believe it is important to strike a balance with technology. How much do you let technology control your life and how much are you in check with your use of technology? Or have you ever thought of it? It is simply a matter of willpower and what you want from life. Doing versus watching others. We watch actors on television "achieving" dreams or reading on Facebook of others' accomplishments. We should be keeping ourselves busy doing what is important to us and our goals.