Twilight Drive-In a TRADITION

I just got home from a night with the family at the Twilite Drive-In. As tradition would have it, I was greeted at the gate by a smiling Zaba. Nowadays it is Reanne, Don and Debbie's youngest who is perched at the gate. Her smile and happy attitude made me feel welcomed and glad I made the choice to go to the show with my family.

The movie was "Cars" and it was super, a real hit with the kids and just enough big person humour to keep us chuckling. And the price was right, only $13 for the entire carload and a free bag of popcorn is included in the price!
In the concession stand there is a neat history of the Drive-In that Reanne put together for the Heritage Fair.

The Twilite Drive-In is truly a part of the fabric of Wolseley History and it is commendable that the Zaba family continue to operate one of the last remaining Drive-In theaters.

By-the-way, I heard the Hammond family from Calgary (originally Indian Head) are fired up to attend an upcoming show. I'm certain they won't be disappointed!

Tennis Court Road HOCKEY

Summer afternoons and road hockey are a great mix. The game is made even better when played on a tennis court so you don't have to run after an out-of-play ball.
Yesterday, Trevor Baran's sons Nick, Carter and Tanner, along with my son Thomas and a few other boys had robust game on the court beside the high school. As I watched them chasing the ball around I began reminiscing about countless hours of road hockey I played in Wolseley.
In my childhood, most road hockey games were organized and promoted by Mark Schramm. Mark lived a couple of doors down from us and he was always in the center of finding ways to have fun.
Sometimes people wonder what there is to do in a small town. Well, when you are a boy, and you've got a hockey stick and a ball, there is ALWAYS something to do.

Two weeks in SWIFT Current

I haven't posted much over the past couple of weeks as my work with Pharmasave had me in Swift Current. The store moved to a big, bright new location and we worked many hours getting set-up and stock moved.

But now I am back in good-ole eastern Saskatchewan and I'll be posting more regularly again.

By-the-way, the photo on this post was taken from the parking lot of the Comfort Inn in Swift Current.
And another thing, if you are ever in Swift Current check out the Akropol restaurant. The decor is awesome, the service is spot-on and the food is GREAT!

Wolseley Dam DAYS.....& nights!

The schedule of events is out and judging by the list of activities the upcoming "Dam Days" will be full of Fun, Food and Frivolity!

On Friday
the Beverage tent will be rocking as locals will strut their stuff on the Karaoke stage.

Saturday
will begin with the Knights of Columbus, pancake breakfast. A kids parade will follow and books will be on sale at the library. The afternoon will be jam-packed with Street hockey organized by street hockey veteran, Dean Fortin. Randy Clarke is the go-to guy for the Beach Volleyball. Children's activities will abound at the Dr. Isman School grounds and a Dunk Tank will be running for those who need a cool dip. A bit more sedate fun in the form of Cribbage will be in full force at the Wolf Creek Friendship Center. The famous Lions Club Beef BBQ will feed thecrowd and the evening will be wrapped up with a Cabaret featuring my wife Carla Taylor with the Electric Outlaws.

Sunday
morning be sure to attend one the churches in town. The afternoon will see Canoe Races and more Beach Volleyball. There will be music on the deck of the Lakeside Nursing Home. And again the local stars will shine on the Karoke stage in the ubiquitous
Beverage Tent. The evening will draw to a close with the awesome Community Choir presenting a "Memories of Wolseley" concert.

Hope to see you here on August 4th, 5th & 6th !

FLOWER Gardens a Gem

Across the street from our house at the west end of Fairly Lake are absolutely beautiful flower gardens.
The horticulture society take great care and pride in maintaining this spot and their attentiveness shows. I often see people wandering through the gardens or slowing down as they drive by obviously admiring the wonderful beds of flowers.
No visitor to Wolseley should miss this gem of a place.

Wolseley WINNER Award - Elvira Schneider!

Last night I had a short chat with Elvira Schneider at Weird Willies. As usual I was struck by her upbeat attitude, ready laugh and her constant promotion of Wolseley.

She told me she had directed about 100 people to the Swinging Bridge yesterday. And judging by the traffic on the bridge I think all100 crossed that landmark.

Elvira acknowledged Daisley Anderson (Tubman) and the late Phyliss Garden as great examples of how to promote Wolseley.

Wolseley WINNER Award

A new column on this site will be the Wolseley WINNER award.

From time to time, I'll feature people who have a positive impact on our community. These folks will be the Wolseley WINNER!

There is a long list of people who devote time, labour, money and ideas to the development of Wolseley. While all deserve recognition, we feel it is appropriate to acknowledge some of the stars.

So make a point to thank the ALL the folks in our town who work to make our lives richer!

The MAYOR in his Court

On Sunday morning, Wolseley's hardworking Mayor Larry Hilderman and councilor Keith Ennis combined their considerable construction skills to begin building the beach volleyball courts.

Located just south of the beach the courts will be an awesome addition to the town.
Of course during the "Dam Days" on August 4,5 &6, they are sure to rocking with good times.

Road Scenes - DANCELAND at Manitou Beach

A few weeks ago Carla and I spent a weekend at The Manitou Hotel and Spa. The hotel was fine, Carla enjoyed the waters of the pool, the brunch on Sunday was nice, and the food at a restaurant in Watrous called "Paul's Place" was really good!

However, the highlight was DANCELAND. They were hosting a square dancing weekend and we sat on the balconey watching for a while. The view of the dancers twirlingaround the floor was awesome. More than the Danceland floor was rocking as hundreds of square dancers filled the hotel. Restaurants and shops around the village were doing a brisk business. And hundreds of people (including us) left to spread the good news about Danceland and Manitou.

The schedule for the summer at DANCELAND is packed with entertainment.
It is wonderful to see that this landmark historical building generates so much revenue for Manitou and Watrous!

Glendive, MONTANA on the 4th

As a family, one of the best traditions we have is heading the the United States each 4th of July. We became citizens of that great country during our years in Tennessee and all four children are dual citizens.
Typically, we pack the minivan up and head to some town in Montana or North Dakota on the 3rd. We spend a couple of night in a hotel which thrills the kids. And on the 4th take in the Independence Day Celebrations.
The fireworks are always awesome, generally beginning in backyards mid-afternoon and wrapping up with an official ceremony in around10:00pm.
This year we went to a "Bump n' Run" car race in Glendive. The race is part smash-up derby, part regular race and is quite exciting. We had near seen a car race before so this was a totally new experience.
On the 5th we ventured into the Makoshika State Park which literally runs up to the town of Glendive. Incredible badlands, fantastic hiking trails and awe inspiring vistas are the norm in this park.
For you Saskatchewan readers, Glendive is only about 5.5 hrs south of Regina and well worth the trip.

Graham Taylor's FUNERAL lunch

Friends and family gathered at the Taylor farm north of Wolseley to celebrate what Dad had billed as his funeral lunch.

In actual fact, it was his 70th birthday party. As Master of Ceremonies I had the pleasure of giving some of my perspective on Dad's 70 years and introduce others integral in Dad's life. His sister Jeanette Bohonos and sister-in-law Marie Taylor shared stories about Dad. Katherine, although ill, rallied enough to talk about Dad and tell a funny joke. And Mum spoke poignantly about Dad.

Family and friends like Max Graham and Ileen Brennen traveled from Winnipeg. Diane Munro and Dale Taylor were in from Calgary. Ken Christoffel and daughter Jenny from Regina and Grant Taylor from Kenosee.

The day was perfect, the friends were many, the extended family like was present and the funeral lunch/birthday party was...well unique.

PANCAKES for History

The sweet smell of pancakes and sausages wafted over downtown Wolseley on Saturday morning.
The great food and beautiful weather were the recipe of success for the Wolseley and District Museum committee. A number of people were bustling about meeting the needs of the good crowd. Roy Taylor looked like he was a master mixer of pancakes, Diane Banbury manned the till and Bob Campbell seemed to be in the thick of the pancake cooking action.

I was able to chat with Tracey Coueslan, Mark Cieckiewicz and a few other folks. And I got a nice photo of Evie Smith and Jean Schramm sharing a laugh.

Wolseley needs YOU for more of THIS

Make plans to come to Wolseley on the August long weekend!

A full listing of events will be out soon, but I'm sure the whole weekend will be FUN. There will be a cabaret with music provided by my wife Carla. She will be backed by the Electric Outlaws whose members include a former bandmate from the Red Hot Burritos and another from Against the Grain.

The community is focused on raising money to Bring Back the Wolseley Beach. We want to see more young guys tubing around the Lake and the beach once again buzzing with activity.

MUSEUM gets spiffed up

Joey Theriault is a busy man these days. At 6:00 pm this evening I saw Joey working hard painting the south side of the Wolseley Museum.
I got this shot of the camera shy Theriault before he was able to scramble to the ground.

Joey has also done some great work on the Town Hall / Opera House and a number of fantastic renovations around town.

Seasoned Citizens SECURE in Wolseley

An almost daily occurrence for me is seeing Frank Hoffman drive by our home smiling and waving from the drivers seat of his brown station wagon. Mr. Hoffman is around 90 years old but he is still able to safely drive around town.
Another oldtimer who pilots a vehicle down our streets is Gordon Dunn. At 97 Mr. Dunn carries out his errands in his minivan in our small town free from multiple lanes of whizzing traffic.
Mrs. Kydd is in her early 90's. She was my grade 5 teacher and is still in her own home close to Dr. Isman School. Several times on my walks I have stopped and chatted with her as she putters about her yard.
And the other day, I saw Sherry Polk (Manners) in town. Now living in Melville, Sherry was at visiting at her mother Jean Manners place after a birthday party for her Grandmother, Mrs. Fraser who lived in her own home until she was 100 years old.
It is evident that Wolseley provides a secure place for seniors to age gracefully. And for this I am grateful.

Katepwa was a BLAST

Canada Day ended with a bang on the beach at Katepwa Beach last night. The weather was perfect as hundreds of people gathered on the Beach to view the fireworks show. We traveled down the valley with Larry Tittle and family. We also met up with the Bill and Tanis Kerr (Havelange) and their kids. The fireworks were great as they exploded virtually right above our heads.

LEMBERG sings

The Lemberg Performing Arts Center hosted a fun afternoon of singing in the park yesterday. Entertainment rang out across downtown Lemberg all afternoon as various entertainers hit the stage to share the gift of song with those gathered.

My wife Carla closed out the afternoon as the featured "out-of-town" guest. For the last few numbers she was joined on stage by Joey Theriault on bass and Mike Schachtel on mandolin. They cranked out a few bluegrass songs and the crowd's applause was evidence of the appreciation.

For me it was an opportunity to see some folks I hadn't seen in years. And it must be mentioned quite a number of the crowd were the members of Leniczek family. I was friends with their siblings and uncle and aunts back in high school days of the 1970's and 80's.

"It's like living at a RESORT"

Those are the words Joe Linnell said to me as he and Joan glided out into the lake on Tuesday evening. I have to agree with his sentiments. Sometimes it is hard to believe that Wolseley has such recreation opportunities available on our doorsteps.
The Linnell's have moved off the farm and now live a couple of houses down from the swinging bridge. Joe and Joan can regularly be seen walking around the town. They set a great example for those of us who could always use more exercise.

Road Scenes - The LOWWAY to Katepwa

Yes, I know it should be the highway.

However, the corner of the so-called "highway" on the north east end of Katepwa is absolutely brutal.

On my way to Fort Qu'Appelle the other day took some photos. It had rained before I returned so I had to get some more shots of the enormous potholes.

It's been said that "the worst Saskatchewan roads, lead to the best places", I have to agree in this case.

GRADUATION - 2006

Congratulations to ; Huguetta Bella, Laura Boehme, Renee Cloclough, Brenna Dureault, Jakob Hummelan, Kyla Krenbrink, Mitchell Lyke, Pamela Paulgaard, Chans Perra, Mandy Mercer, Stephanie Nash and Orry Taylor... the Class of 2006.

On Saturday night they celebrated their Graduation Ceremonies at the Town Hall / Opera House. The students enjoyed a fabulous meal, a meaningful program and a great dance.

My dad, Graham Taylor, was the guest speaker. I wasn't there, but I hear he did a wonderful job!

The young people graduating obviously never had the pleasure of having him teach them. However, some of the parents like Ed Dureault, Ron Lyke, Brent and Grace Taylor, Darcy Perra, Heather Krenbrink and Connie MacDougall all had the pleasure (to varying degrees) of having Dad as their teacher.

Bring back the BEACH!

When I was a boy in the 1960's and 70's summer in Wolseley centered around the Beach.

For youngsters, it was THE place to be. Little ones spent hours leaping form the pier. Older kids hurled themselves from the diving board. And accomplished swimmers could make it to the hospital shore and back.
Sadly, the Beach no longer rings with the laughter of children. The pier and the diving board are gone, as is the change house.

Like some other folks in Wolseley I believe it is time to Bring Back the Beach!

So come to the Celebration on August 4,5,6th, enjoy yourself and play a part in rejuvenating the Beach.

The Day of the TURTLE

Saturday evening, around 9:00pm, I heard my son Thomas in the yard excitedly hollering "Dad, Dad, you've got to get out here and see what I've got"
So I headed across the house and out onto the front veranda where Thomas had in his strong 10 year old hands firmly holding a Painted Turtle.
I asked Thomas where he found the creature and he said "I was riding past the Nursing Home and I saw something in the grass...and this is it!" Quickly, we found a plastic tub, put some water and grass in and decided to house the turtle overnight.
The next day the turtle became the focus of neighborhood kids and the Gagne cousins down for a visit on Father's Day. The whole experience was even heightened for the kids as the turtle laid an egg in the night. We set her free in the creek running through our yard that evening.

Class of 1981 - 25 year REUNION

Time does fly. This year will be 25 years since the class of 1981 graduated from the Wolseley High School. And after some correspondence initiated by this blog Sherry Polk (Manners), I began discussing the need to have a class of 1981 REUNION!

Our goal is to have it coincide with the Wolseley August long weekend celebrations.

So if any readers have contact details for people from our class, or some who left, moved etc., but were part of that year please forward to me at: wolseleytowncountry@hotmail.com

And the fans wore...PINK

Some of the littlest but most exuberant fans at the track meet were, my daughter Audrey (on the left) and her friend and classmate, McKenna Bieber.

These two girls cheered on their big siblings and played with gusto in the school playground. It has also been reported that they collected quite a few cans, which they redeemed for twizzlers, gummi bears and other sugary delights.

McKenna and Audrey are fixtures at many Wolseley events and they ALWAYS have big smiles to share with everyone.

The DISTRICTS

Another day, another track meet.

Many Dr. Isman students participated in the North Valley School District Track and Field meet on Friday. Our school school hosted the event, with students from Grenfell, Montmarte, Glenavon, Balcarres, Lemberg and Neudorf also running, jumping and throwing.
The teachers and volunteers did a great job of herding thekids to their events on time. The canteen workers did a brisk business and several parents reported sore throats from cheering on the little athletes.

Road Scenes - The PIPESTONE valley

Last week while driving to Kipling I took the road south from Oakshella. After a couple of miles I turned left off the main road and headed down another that meanders eastward through the Pipestone Valley.
It was beautiful! The valley is lush and green, there are some great places to stop and look out over the valley. The many turns in the road make this route so different from a typical a drive in southern Saskathewan.
While we Wolseleyites are generally partial to the Qu'Appelle Valley, this road through the Pipestone is a real gem.

Dr. Isman Elementary TRACK and FIELD Day

As I walked over to the school on Monday morning I could hear the starters pistol ringing out. With each step, I hurried just a little more as I didn't want to miss one of my children's races.

When I rounded the corner on the south end of the school I saw a hundred plus excited children, very organized teachers, dedicated volunteers and cheering parents spread out over the school grounds. The weather was perfect a few clouds and just enough sun to get a bit of a tan. And the lack of wind ensured records would fall.

Having been out of school for 25 years and living away for most of those I was amazed to see the same family names popping up in the winners circle a generation later.

Tim Taylor and the entire staff of the Dr. Isman Public school deserve a big thanks for keeping the tradition of track and field healthy in Wolseley.

Pemmican PEARL becomes Opera House OPAL

My wife Carla Taylor has wrapped up two years as Regina's Buffalo Days ambassador Pemmican Pearl. Last Thursday she appeared at the Tourism Awareness event at the Town Hall / Opera House.

Carla had been wracking her brain for a new performing handle to use when she appears in her turn of the century period costumes. After a bit of deliberation she determined, Opera House OPAL to be the name for Wolseley appearances.
She was introduced as this on Thursday and judging by the crowds reaction the new name was well received.

Wolseley SHINES as rain threatened

The rain that has fallen all weekend held off just long enough for Wolseley to host a very successful Tourism Awareness week event. Over 150 people stopped by the front steps of the Town Hall / Opera House to hear speeches and enjoy a burger and a drink for a buck.

Natural Valley Farms supplied the meat, Doug Lemcke at Ag Foods made the burgers and the Wolseley and District Museum Committee cooked, served and received the proceeds.

Speakers included Wolseley ambassador extraordinare Dennis Fjestad, MLA Don Toth, former Minister of Tourism and lifelong Wolseley area resident Graham Taylor, Mayor Larry Hilderman and Kurt Koetler from Tourism Saskatchewan.

Road Scenes - How HIGH'S the Water?

I got this shot on the highway between Esterhazy and Churchbridge. They've had a great deal of rain in the area lately.
However, I'm not sure that even that can explain how this shed got in the dugout.

The SWINGING BRIDGE featured on CBC radio

Today the CBC featured the world famous Wolseley Swinging Bridge on "Out and About" segment of the Dan Reynish weekend show. Dan came out to Wolseley and was toured around by one our many great ambassadors Dennis Fjestad. In addition to Dennis he interviewed my Mum, Isabel Taylor, who gave a great outline about how she and Dad participated in raising the money for the reconstruction. In the report you will also hear Tanis Kerr (Havelange), Mrs. Deseutels, Mrs. Banbury and others talking about the bridge.

To hear the report go to this link, then scroll down to the June 4th, "Out and About" segment.

http://www.cbc.ca/saskweekend/audio.html

Wolseley - as FRIENDLY as it is Pretty!

Wolseley displayed it's friendliness in full force last night. At 5:30 my Mum was running errands when she met two young girls from Quebec who were looking for a restaurant in downtown Wolseley. Mum told them about the Canada Cafe, and in the course of the conversation she discovered they were also looking for a place to camp away from the highway. My Mum told them she was certain they could camp in our, (Carla and my) big yard. The girls said they may stop by, and headed off to eat at the Cafe.

Later, I was visiting with my sister Katherine on our veranda. Around the corner from the Home came those girls with Dwight and Madeline Dunn. Madeline was conversing in French, but one girls English was good (better than my French) so we chatted for a while on the street. The girls (Anne Marie and Claudia) told me they had decided to camp in our yard.

The girls experienced another act of friendliness while dining at the cafe. Apparently, Wolseley resident befriended them and offered to buy their dinner! And a little later, I was helping them choose a spot in my yard to pitch their tent. In no time, they got the tent set up. Then, at Dwight and Madeline's invitation, headed off on their bikes to the Dunn's for a shower.

This morning, my wife invited the girls into the house to freshen up. We had a coffee and shared a few stories with them before they hit the road.

Their goal for this evening was getting to Moose Jaw. The final destination is B.C. where they'll pick fruit for the summer. So if you are headed down the #1 highway and you see a couple of young girls on bikes, it just may be the newest friends of Wolseley, Anne Marie and Claudia!

Wolseley Focus for TOURISM Awareness week

At 11:30 on June 8th the Wolseley Town Hall / Opera House will be front and center during Tourism Awareness week in this area.
A program at noon will feature a BBQ to support the Wolseley Museum followed by a tour of the Original Beaver Lumber office.
So come on out enjoy a burger and learn a bit more about tourism in our area.

Summer FUN is on the Way

Did you attend the Homecoming last year? I did and it was great! And this August long weekend there will be some of the same type of events as last year. Lynn Keating infoms me that a committee of hardworking folks are putting together a program that sounds like it is going to be another FUN time.
I'll have more information coming over the next several weeks.

The Baran FAMILY album

My wife Carla and I were walking home from a dinner out at the Banbury House tonight. As we strolled along Front street we could not help but notice that the Baran children had been drawing chalk art on the sidewalk.

Their drawings were so cute I knew I had to share them with all the readers of this blog.

Road Scenes - Oh DEER

I traveled to Balcarres yesterday afternoon. And given that I am a scenic route kind of guy, I went through the Qu'Appelle valley. As I rounded a corner on the coulee road I was heading up I came face to face with a Mule deer doe. I grabbed my camera and got this shot as she sauntered up the hill.
On the way back, taking another scenic route, I saw a brilliant Bluebird about 50 yards north of the Ellisboro bridge.
I suppose that seeing these animals confirmed why I take the roads less traveled.

Spring RAIN

The rain clouds in the distance soon let loose with deluge of rain as I was out for my evening walk. It happened about 10 minutes after I took this photo of the coulee behind our house. I was on my cell phone with my cousin at the time and I told him I felt like one of those reporters on TV broadcasting from some awesome storm center.
And wouldn't you know it, 10 minutes later the sun was shining!

LILACS

At the risk of appearing to be TOO into flowers, I've must say that LILACS have got to be one of the nicest flowers around. This time of year Wolseley is filled with the beautiful scented bushes.
The other night I went for a walk and the entire way I enjoyed the LILAC fragrance. When I got home I set my computer up on the dining room table to do a little work and to my delight my wife had set a bouquet of Lilacs on the table. Such a simple but awesome pleasure.