Walking in the valley bottom of the Qu'Appelle valley this past summer was one of my greatest past times. Seeing the change in habitat grabbed my attention & wouldn't let it go. Watching the fields come to life right next to trees along the valley was a delight to my eyes. The wildflowers that came into bloom in the valley were sparkle of delight on the landscape. As they came into bloom it was interesting to watch all the different flowers, & styles of the flowers. Some are simple in their beauty, like the rose, & others are interesting in their beauty, like the Bergamot. All the sights & sounds of the summer were the things that woke me up on the inside. It was my inspiration, & I turned that inspiriation into many hours daydreaming this summer. I can only hope that these daydreams will turn into something more...
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Today is World Food Day, this month is Agriculture Month in Saskatchewan, & this year is the International Year of Family Farming. To celebrate today a social media campaign was put out to #toastafarmer. This entry is my toast. Without all the amazing people who choose to make thier life in agriculture I wouldn't have all the stunning photographic opporunities that I am blessed with. To those who choose work before play, land & animal needs before their own Thank You Dreams Come True
Wildflower chasing is probably one of my favorite past times. I am addicted to their fragile color & the urgency in which they need to be captured since their color only lasts a short time as they bloom. My spring & summer are divided into their own special "seasons" that revolve around the blooming & the colors of these flowers. I am now in the height of the peak of the wildflower bloom, & am transitioning into the final blooms. Seed pods are showing on the early bloomers, & starting to show on mid bloomers. The last colors are springing forth each time I travel down back roads. My time spent wandering down back roads to find these flowers, usually greets me with some other fun faces to enjoy. One of my favorite places to wander is my Grandparents farm, which always comes with a golden, smiley, & excited walking partner. The farm also provides time spent with the farm feline family, which sometimes gives me an opportunity to catch great "family" photos. Seeing all these faces, plus all the green & the plants, is one of the great gifts that summer brings me. This year was a great year as some, that had not previously bloomed for a very long time, decided to show their face. Sometimes wildflowers can stay in seed form for years waiting for appropriate growing conditions to spring forth in. One of those characters I got to see this year is the beautifully pink Red Paintbrush flower. This has to be one of my favorite wildflowers as it is uniquely beautiful, but also so incredibly soft to the touch it is hard to believe it is indeed a wildflower.
I am so lucky to live a life in which I get to experience all this natural beauty that Mother Nature has to offer in this great province. Some people ask me why I don't leave much on holiday's in the summer, & truth be told it is because I don't want to miss this beauty. I should however, maybe add a few holiday days in in which I just send myself out to random locations to go chase wildflowers. Maybe next summer... Maybe next summer. This summer though I am going to take time to appreciate my new home. Over the last couple months I have had the pleasure of taking in multiple events that span over the many different ways people can have a relationship with horses & cattle. I took in a reining horse show, a multiple discipline horse show, a calf branding, & a couple rodeos. Since it is "Western Wednesday" I thought would take some time to reflect on all these disciplines. In May I took in a Reining horse show. Reining is defined* as: " Reining is a judged event designed to show the athletic ability of a ranch type horse within the confines of a show arena." A reining horse is defined* as: “To rein a horse is not only to guide him, but also to control his every movement. The best reined horse should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely. Any movement on his own must be considered a lack of control…” *as defined by the National Reining Horse Association This is what you see being displayed in the first two photographs above. Specifically, you're seeing the "big finish" slide that is the pride of the reining pattern. It is an amazing site behold, & shows just how strong, along with talented, both horse & rider are. In the third photograph you see the horse I spend my Monday's learning to ride properly. The final end game of my education however is not to learn reining, but instead to learn how to work cattle. One area of this I am currently learning about is cutting horse work. Cutting is defined as: "During the two and a half minutes of work, a rider demonstrates the ability of his horse to out-think the cow with terrific short bursts of speed, the ability of turns in mid-air, fabulous foot work and coordination between horse and rider that is unexcelled in any other arena event." " It then becomes the objective of the contestant to quietly pick from the herd an animal that will give him maximum play and sustained action to test and show the ability of his cutting horse. Along with action goes the risk of penalties; out of position, reining, and many others, not to mention a severe penalty if a cow is lost back into the herd." * as defined by Canadian Cutting Horse Association As you can see the two different styles of working a similar horse in a similar area can be quite different. One is about control of horse through reining abilities, & the other actually has reining listed as a penalty. Too be good in both styles it takes great equitation skills, & lots of time to improve these skills, along with the allotted skills needed for each style. The remaining pictures above, including the top picture, display yet two more different events in which on can participate in. The two styles above would be a Tail class & an example of an English event class. A definition of both can be found on the American Quarter Horse Association website, along with the many different competition classes one can participate in. The horse competition world is varied, & each type comes with its own history that connects it to the working world it developed from. All share one thing in common that the people & horses that participate in it work hard to be able to display their talents with pride. There is something for every type of person out there, & there is tons of knowledge to learn. I am looking forward to spending much of my life learning all I can about the various styles out there. This past month I got to also take in branding (without the iron brand). It was a very interesting day as I got to see just how hard of work ranching activities can be. I got to enjoy the faces of many young calves, & watch how they interacted with all the people that worked with them. The people there worked through all kinds of weather, & it was an interesting, along with enjoyable, experience to say the least. I will forever value the things I had a learned while out there. Finally, in the last couple weeks I got to take in one my favorite sporting events, Rodeo. As I watched from the side lines I enjoyed the power I seen out of all the animals & the skills that I had seen displayed. I thought back to everything I had experienced in the past months, from the horse shows & to the branding. I could not then, nor now, understand how one is allowed to share challenging activities in such varied ways in one area but not another. There are some out there that say rodeo is not based on anything, but from my time out the branding it was made very apparent that rodeo is in fact based on a ranching history.
I won't argue that doesn't look different, because in fact what happens in a rodeo area looks different than what happens in a cattle pen. However, the difference to me seems t0 be the same amount there is between each of the varied horse competition events. It has the same amount of difference that each of those events shares with the history they are based on. Rodeo also shares in common the drive to be best in the skill sets it takes to accomplish each event. I have yet to meet a rodeo person who doesn't show respect for the animals they work with, or take any easy way to do their event that would harm the animals they work with. They show the same amount dedication to their sport, event, & teammates that I have seen displayed at horse shows. I will admit I fell in love with rodeo because it doesn't look as "pretty" as the other events. There is no doubt that rodeo is rough around the edges. However, the part that wins my heart is the way that the "rough around the edges" personality of the animals is allowed to run free in that rodeo arena. Every animal is bred, trained, & encouraged to do their best to deter the rodeo contestant from completing their job (exceptions to this would be the working horses, barrel racing & chuckwagoon/chariot racing). The sense of pride felt from the stock contractors & from the contestants can be felt everywhere around the rodeo arena. Pride in themselves, but most importantly the pride in the animals. There are people in society that think when rodeo personal discuss their animals that by calling them "animal athletes" this somehow belittles the animals. Where this thought process came from I will never understand, since I have seen nothing but empowerment come from that way of seeing the animals. By using this term they put the animals they work with equal to themselves, even the calves. This respect for equality & acceptance of the rougher side is what won my heart over, & over again. It has allowed animals to be truly what they are, & take pride in it. If you ever had the pleasure of watching cattle in a rodeo I hope you made note of the pride displayed in every animal that did it's job well. I have seen many bulls, steers, & even calves, prance around the arena as the contestant sat in the dust. The horses are always busting out of themselves with excitement to get the job done that it takes great handlers to be able to rein that horse in until it is time to be unleashed. I am very proud to be supporter of the sport of rodeo & because of this you will find me, with every opportunity life allows, up against the fence capturing the event with my camera. I was very proud in the last few months to be able to take in & capture all the events, in their various forms, that I did. I am glad to share this world that many don't get to see, & hopefully be able to tie people back to a past that wasn't long ago apart of many people's day-to-day lives. On June 21st in the wee hours of the day we welcomed in the new season of Summer. It is officially here, & everyone is excited for all the summer memories they know they are about to make. As we approach on the end of July I can't help to think how much of that summer is already past. I reflect back to how I enjoyed that first glorious day of the warm summer under a rainbow sky. I took a little drive, & had myself a little walk. I took in the beautiful golden hour as it washed over the Qu'Appelle Valley. I took in the warm tones & animal surprises Mother Nature had in store for me. The beauty of the Saskatchewan Skies & the Qu'Appelle River Valley to this day do not cease to amaze me. The tones & colors, so vibrant & rich, that decorate a unique landscape always make me catch my breath. I am very thankful that as each time I ask Mother Nature for the chance to experience the amazing views that can be experienced in this valley she is kind enough to oblige. That night I was extremely lucky as I not only caught a glimpse of two Moose calves, but I also got to catch the site of my first elk in the valley.
I ended my adventure that evening as the last of the setting sun closed on the valley by taking in a common scene in the valley, cattle in a pasture. I love watching the calves of the year explore their world. They are truly some of the most adorable creatures that I know. I count the days till when I will get to have this experience with cattle are indeed my own. Till then I will enjoy the faces I get to watch through the fences. Today is Earth Day, and that means two things: 1) Time again for another big #FarmVoices day, and 2) it is Earth day. This year I am very excited that I got to actually spend my time really appreciating some natural beauty that I am in love with. The beautiful Qu'Appelle River & Valley. Today I got wander along the banks, with a friend, explore, and leave my prints next to where those of who have been there before me left theirs. It was an amazing afternoon down by the river. This past year has been a year of big change for me. Last year I kicked off this blog with the #FarmVoices movement, and so much has happened since then. I have watched the seasons change, I have been a part of watching things grow and be harvested, and I have watched the landscape of my life change before my eyes as I moved from one place to another. I went from one small town on the northern hills of my watershed, and now I enjoy the valley & the river. It is amazing how our lives can change, and just how that change can occur. Last year while on the FarmOn website I came upon a talk from a Gregory Schroeder about Seasons in our life. It is amazing how right he was when he discussed each Season of life, and how we will experience many different "planting years" within our life. Our life will only change, & grow, as fast as it can for the season it is in. If last year was a Season I would say last year was Winter. Nothing I worked on really came to bare full fruit, but lots of planning for upcoming year occurred. Lots of things that needing tending & repairing got the TLC they needed. I researched, planned, and attempted to figure out where I needed to be for when the new season came upon me. And come upon me Spring did. Somewhere in the last month Spring blew into my life with its warmth embrace, waking up me & my life. All that planning, repairing, and preparing I did is finally being put to good use. Things are starting to roll ahead for me. I may not be living on my farm yet, but I have a home that lets me hear birds sing, frogs croak, and watch sunsets over a hay field every night. I may not have my farm yet, but I am learning skills now I will need to work with the many animals I want to work with. I may not be a farmer yet, but each day I know I am getting closer. Each day, I talk with more and more people who love doing what I want to be doing. I get the benefit of slowly becoming part of the agricultural community I dreamed of. One day I will have my farm, and I will be able to be a true agvocate by putting words in to practice. My story is just beginning, but my love for agriculture, & stewardship, will be written on every page. This past year was a year of waiting, planning, learning, and preparing. Now is my time to start planting all the seeds I have picked that will bear the fruit of my life. I am incredibly blessed to be doing that somewhere I feel so free, and encouraged. I am blessed to work a job that keeps in the community I want to be a part of. This year was a big one for me. I found my way back home, and repaired myself there. I found my way back home, and found a way to start again on the path that I want to try. I will finish this blog by saying, don't rush your season. Accept your season for all the beauty, and purpose, it holds. The right season is coming, I promise. Please take a moment to enjoy some of my favorite shots from this past year. I hope that you can see my love for agriculture in every one. This is the story I want to tell the world. This is what I want to share. I hope you will enjoy hearing it.
Well February, as much as I was inspired in January, was a very frozen month. My creativity, and personal life, was as frozen as the outdoors. My February was spent in a state that can share a great resemblance to the emotion shown on my beautiful kitty's face above. Oh well, it gave me the time I needed to make the major upgrades I did on this website. So, like they say, every cloud has a silver lining. March blew in nicely, and brought warm weather with it... along with a very good promise of a coming spring. I took advantage of this beautiful weather by heading out to the farm. It was a great day had at one of my favorite places. My furry partner in crime was out exploring with me all day at the farm. The snow was deep for both of us, but the weather good so we were still in good spirits. The farm looked amazing dressed in the snow with the warming sun. I took in the full view as much as I could that day and spent a lot of time planning up the upcoming spring & summer to-do lists. Doesn't seem to matter the size of the operation, there always seems to be something that needs to be done on the farm. I can't wait for it though in all utter honesty. I can't wait to get out and get my hands dirty and to spend time out there with family & furry critters. Each day the sun feels warmer, I find a bit more mud every time I take walk down the dirt roads out of town, and I can only hope that means the beginning of spring is really here. I can't wait for things to come into bloom, and I can't wait to get my hands dirty in the garden. Here's to spring that is slowly creeping its way through this land of snow & ice. Over the weekend I got to spend some time at my favorite place on earth... the farm. It was a very nice winter day, with the temperature actually being above -25*C!!! I was so excited to get out and finally enjoy winter. The farm did not disappoint with its snowy surroundings. It was absolutely beautiful out there with all the snow covering the landscape. It was sure windy that day, and I fell through some snowbanks, but that only made the day feel more amazing. I felt like a kid again playing in the snow, and enjoying the winter cold as it caused my nose & cheeks to turn red & tingle. I felt so much like a kid again... that I had to have some fun making a snow angel! It was so much fun to lay down and play in the snow. It is amazing how doing something so simple, and letting your inner child flourish just for the fun of it, can relax you enough to feel like everything is all right in the world again. The day at the farm would not have been without a visit to my favorite farm animals. They were in their winter best, and were enjoying the nice change in weather. It had gotten pretty cold in the previous weeks [-50*C cold], and now that the sun was out & everything was warm they were pretty happy. My lady girl looked like she was enjoying it so much she looked like she was dancing as she walked. The day ended with a perfect sunset, and a beautiful moon. It was the perfect way to end such an amazing day out at my favorite place. If winter is filled with more days like this then the passing of this season should be pretty fast as we come into spring. But for now, I am back to hibernating until a new warmer day makes me want to explore that beautiful white stuff that is all over. And so in the middle of November in comes the last big event of the year for me... Canadian Western Agribtion & the Candian Cowboys Assoication Finals! Agribtion is an amazing time for anyone that loves livestock agriculture. There is trade shows, auctions, and demonstrations that fill up the entire Evraz Place. Building after building, from corner to corner, there is no lack of things to see when it comes to livestock agriculture. The demonstrations range from working cow horse, to milking, to dog shows, and it gives an excellent opportunity for those who can't see these interactions in their life to be able to see it. It is evident by the large amount of inner city school tours that participate with the Agribition that there is a large audience for this education. It is an amazing experience, and not one I would miss any year if I can. Every year this is a new piece that I want to see. This year's included a colt starting program, and the dog agility show [I have never watched dog agility before, and it was sure neat to see]. I also had a great giggle at the sheep riding competition, which was sponsored by Cabela's. The fact that non-agricultural direct sponsors are apart of Canadian Western Agribiton gives a true hint to just how big, and important, the whole week is to the city. The rodeo that followed every night after the daily events was an amazing show every night. This year it was extra special being the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Cowboys Association. The opening ceremonies were even more special as a history of the association was shown on the big screen, and the whole arena buzzed with an extra energy. The announcers did an amazing job that night keeping everyone in a good party mood, with the help from the amazing rodeo clown of course. On Saturday, the closing day, it was family day and you could see the pride of those in the arena as they had their kids join them. In a display like that it is very apparent the importance, and respect, that family really has in the rodeo world. This being a major final event, I once again did not bring my camera to capture the event. I worked hard to challenge myself to catch what I could with my iPhone camera along with just sitting back to take in the event. All three days I took in the rodeo were amazing. This was due not only to great talent that was on display, or due to it being a finals competition, but also because the amazing energy that came from the crowd. Each day the arena showed a great attendance, and from regions all over the world. The entertainment throughout the entire night keep everyone upbeat, and excited for more. The clown did an amazing job as always providing hilarious jabs to keep the audience entertained as those working behind the scenes did their best to keep everything rolling smoothly, and quickly. The charity portion of the night with the football toss was also very entertaining to watch, along with seeing all the great support that came out for the cause with all the balls thrown. The 50/50 showed great numbers, and I am sure the high school rodeo association was happy with the funds they raised through it. My favorite part of the intermission shows was the wild pony race challenge that took place. Watching the kids work so hard to ride the ponies was thoroughly entertaining. I have seen wild horse races, which never disappoint in giving a great show, but there is something extra special watching the kids work the ponies the same way I have watched grown men and women work horses. And as always the night ended with the big display of bull riding. On the Thursday night performance there was also a bull fighter's challenge. It was amazing to watch as each bull fighter took on each bull in an attempt to show off their skills. And boy, skills do these guys have. It was amazing to just sit and watch them do their thing, without the extra distractions that usually go along with their job. It is awesome to see some special attention paid to these excellent people that help keep the cowboys safe. The bulls every night gave an excellent show of their talent, along with the people that ride them. It was definitely a great performance to watch, and send out my year of rodeo chasing with. Those beautiful animals never disappointment me, but it is great to know I will have great memories of the event to hold me over to next season. There were some rough rides for some of the cowboys, but thankfully they got out of the situation safely thanks to the great efforts of everyone on the ground. No one was majorly hurt, and thankfully the paramedics didn't have to work too hard [or at least not in arena]. The Canadian Cowboys Association Finals at the Canadian Western Agribition are always a great time. If after reading all my blogs of this past summer you decided you only want to go to one event, these finals definitely should be at the top of your list. It gives an excellent show not only from the amazing talent, but along with all the great light, along with fire, shows. There is no lack of big city entertainment in at these finals. The energy you feel while sitting in the crowd is at high, and will keep you enthralled with everything the night through. I have made the Canadian Cowboys Association Finals a family event, and it is the one time a year I bring out my entire family to come enjoy the sporting event that holds my heart. They are never disappointed when they come for their once a year rodeo intake, and I am sure you won't be either! So I encourage you to mark your calendars in November to take it in, along with all the other great things you can see while also taking time to enjoy the Canadian Western Agribition during the day. There is no doubt something for everyone to enjoy between the two great shows. |
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