Saturday, August 06, 2016
Friday, August 05, 2016
Gophers galore
So on my list of things to do with the kids, like forever, has been a visit to the "World Famous Gopher Museum" in Torrington, AB. Yup! It is the World Famous Gopher Museum, it says so on the side of the building.
Years ago when I lived in Olds, the reporter at the newspaper I worked at returned one day from a visit. He was doing a little piece about it. I could not believe my ears and ever since then I was determined to one day go to this little spectacle in the country. So this summer the kids and Grandma Joan and I braved this great adventure.
Well, it did not disappoint. I mean, how could it. Its about gophers. Gophers are among the most highly prized and loved wildlife in Canada. Along with Magpies and squirrels, oh and hares that eat your carrots!!
I was, I must admit smaller than I had anticipated and I really had not anticipated anything large. The girls thought it was supper cool. They had all these little dioramas with gophers dressed up in people clothes. All lovingly painted and every details, down to a toilet paper roll (that's what Mari called it, I'm pretty sure it was meant to be paper towel roll, but potato-potatah). It was really pretty carefully done and pretty cute, if (and I mean a big if here) you can get past the GOPHERS!!
It took me back to a time where I found myself driving from point A to point B in Saskatchewan with Stan Barnard of Estevan Sask fame. We were chatting away whiling away the very flat miles when suddenly to my horror we were headed swiftly and aggressively towards the ditch. My foot pressed hard against the imaginary passenger side break and my life flashed before my eyes (it was then I decided I needed to get out more). And just as suddenly we corrected and were back on the road, driving along safely as though nothing had happened.
I turned to Stan, trying to figure out whether or not he had just had a seizure.
He turned to me and said sharply, "gopher!"
Oh, I see. This attempt on my life was for the sole purpose of violently squishing one of the world finest rodents. Such love!
So, as you see the irony of the situation standing in this museum devoted to such a wonderful creature was a bit too much for me. I did however hold it together. It wasn't until much later when explaining our day to my husband that I fell apart. I was telling him how the lovely old lady who was manning the museum very proudly showed off their rare... wait for it... albino gopher. I mean, can you blame me for almost peeing my pants.
Bronwyn found this very exciting too, but when telling her best friend couldn't remember the right word so she called it the "bi-polar gopher." Again I held it together until bed time. See how mature I am becoming!!
The day was filled with amazing scenery, bright yellow canola fields dotting the horizon and we found a wonderful arboretum (say that three times) in Trochu, really a find worth revisiting.
As for the gopher museum, if you are ever in the area give it a try! Let me know how you get on.
Years ago when I lived in Olds, the reporter at the newspaper I worked at returned one day from a visit. He was doing a little piece about it. I could not believe my ears and ever since then I was determined to one day go to this little spectacle in the country. So this summer the kids and Grandma Joan and I braved this great adventure.
Well, it did not disappoint. I mean, how could it. Its about gophers. Gophers are among the most highly prized and loved wildlife in Canada. Along with Magpies and squirrels, oh and hares that eat your carrots!!
I was, I must admit smaller than I had anticipated and I really had not anticipated anything large. The girls thought it was supper cool. They had all these little dioramas with gophers dressed up in people clothes. All lovingly painted and every details, down to a toilet paper roll (that's what Mari called it, I'm pretty sure it was meant to be paper towel roll, but potato-potatah). It was really pretty carefully done and pretty cute, if (and I mean a big if here) you can get past the GOPHERS!!
It took me back to a time where I found myself driving from point A to point B in Saskatchewan with Stan Barnard of Estevan Sask fame. We were chatting away whiling away the very flat miles when suddenly to my horror we were headed swiftly and aggressively towards the ditch. My foot pressed hard against the imaginary passenger side break and my life flashed before my eyes (it was then I decided I needed to get out more). And just as suddenly we corrected and were back on the road, driving along safely as though nothing had happened.
I turned to Stan, trying to figure out whether or not he had just had a seizure.
He turned to me and said sharply, "gopher!"
Oh, I see. This attempt on my life was for the sole purpose of violently squishing one of the world finest rodents. Such love!
So, as you see the irony of the situation standing in this museum devoted to such a wonderful creature was a bit too much for me. I did however hold it together. It wasn't until much later when explaining our day to my husband that I fell apart. I was telling him how the lovely old lady who was manning the museum very proudly showed off their rare... wait for it... albino gopher. I mean, can you blame me for almost peeing my pants.
Bronwyn found this very exciting too, but when telling her best friend couldn't remember the right word so she called it the "bi-polar gopher." Again I held it together until bed time. See how mature I am becoming!!
The day was filled with amazing scenery, bright yellow canola fields dotting the horizon and we found a wonderful arboretum (say that three times) in Trochu, really a find worth revisiting.
As for the gopher museum, if you are ever in the area give it a try! Let me know how you get on.
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