June 23, 2019
The sky is overcast today but it promises to be a sunnier day today. We had made arrangements to meet with Bob and Eleanor today. We had met up with them earlier last month in Pincher Creek, but Saskatoon is their hometown and we wanted to meet up again.
Debbie was not feeling well today and felt that she should stay home and rest. Bob and Eleanor came to the house to pick me up for a brunch. It was nice to see them again.
We drove out to Berry Barn, a Saskatoon berry farm/nursery and market, south of the city. They have a quaint restaurant on the grounds, featuring meals and desserts using the unique Saskatoon berry.
The Saskatoon berry grows on large shrubs and the farm harvests the berries. The berry is similar to a blue berry however, is sweeter with a slight almond taste. I enjoyed a Saskatoon berry scone and yogurt – delicious.
The farm not only grows and harvests Saskatoon berries, but is also a wedding destination site, and has several large greenhouses selling flowers and beautiful hanging baskets. The farm is situated on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River and we enjoyed walking around the grounds after breakfast.
Bob and Eleanor dropped me off at the house and I said goodbye to good friends. Danny had returned from Waskesiu and wanted to show me the weir on the South Saskatchewan River. The weir is part of the water control on the river to keep water flowing in the river during the dry spells. We drove downtown and climbed the high steel stairs to the lookout attached to the railroad bridge crossing the river. While we were on the lookout, a very long freight train pulling tank cars rumbled by, a few feet beside us, as it crossed the river.
The South Saskatchewan River flows from the foothills of the Rockies, meets the North Saskatchewan and empties into Lake Winnipeg. It is the main source of irrigation to the farms of the southern Alberta area. The Gardiner dam that supplies hydro electricity, dams the river, about 150 miles south of Saskatoon. This dam holds back the water that is now Diefenbaker Lake. The South Saskatchewan River has been labeled as an endangered river and a lot of effort and attention is put into the river to keep it as a vibrant source of water and recreation.
We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, lounged in the hot tub, told stories, and enjoyed a Chinese take out meal.
Tomorrow, if Debbie is feeling better, we will be exploring the historic sites of Batoche and Duck Lake.
Quilting in a Kayak 