Saskatchewan, naturally.

When we said we were going to Saskatchewan, most people asked, "Why? There's nothing to do there!" And although that may be true, that's part of its beauty!

We pulled up to the Saskatchewan border...er, house...er, customs??? Simple is the best way to describe our border experience in Saskatchewan. Pen and paper and off we go! Our first stop was Bengough, where we decided to camp in a completely empty campground in gail force winds! That didn't fly so we slept in the car....

Our entire purpose for visiting this part of Saskatchewan was because our Grandma was born in a little itty bitty place called Horizon. Although it was actually populated and busy when she lived there it has since been pretty much abandoned, but preserved as a community area. Right along the train tracks, there are grain elevators, church and a few random houses. But oddly enough, my Gram's house is still standing...beat to crap by the years and weather it's seen, but still standing.

We saw where her dad and brother were buried and where she was born. It's a bit surreal, like many other things on our journey, to sit and imagine what it would have been like in the 1930s in the middle of Saskatchewan without anything even remotely close to what we have now in the way of communications and electronics. Now that's another lifetime!

That morning we made friends with the owner of TK's at breakfast and were invited back for some home made 'authentic' fettuccine alfredo on the house. We don't ever pass up free food, so we hung out with the owner for a few hours, ate some amazing bread and pasta and watched some stuff in memory of Michael Jackson on the TV...we were a little late in finding out the news.

After that we pretty much headed up to Regina, hoping to get a call from our friends there, but no dice so we just kept going, just like the land in Saskatchewan. (haha) Through Saskatoon and into Alberta. We passed a place called 'Findlater'. We laughed pretty hard. Find-Later. Please tell me you got that :)

But really, had we not gone to Saskatchewan we would't be able to appreciate the quiet, the openness of the land and sky and the sheer magnificence of solitude that we do now. There have been many places that have been quiet and open, but something about Saskatchewan is a little homier, a little warmer and a little more soft.