Weather Warning #club100

It is really, really cold out, and there is a blizzard going on out there. This is life in Siberia--wait, no, not Siberia. I mean Saskatchewan.

Here is a photo from one of my bedroom windows. The snow gives a feeling of isolation that must be experienced to truly understand. It is not truly that far to get to the next house, but to do so would be a considerable production. Thick socks, warm boots, sweaters, parkas, scarves, hats and mittens. No skin should be exposed to the howling winds that somehow manage to blow right through your bones.

It takes a lot to convince people to go outside in this weather.

I wonder what people used to do before we were able to so efficiently entertain ourselves in our homes? These days we have hundreds of television channels, high speed internet, and no shortage of electronic devices to waste away the time with. It wasn't always this way.

Even in my own youth, rural living meant almost no television. We had just three channels. CBC (like BBC, but for Canada), CTV, and CBC en Francais, What that truly meant was we had hockey, the other hockey game, and hockey in French.

We had books too. Not so many books, because books were expensive, although it was possible to share books and get used books. Anyone that liked to read would have a library card. We could also listen to the radio. At the very least we could tune into the CBC or some local radio station. We had a lot of time to get our homework done.

Now I wonder how the early white settlers to Saskatchewan spent their winters? I think of them huddled in their sod house, or clinging to the rope they stretched from their door to the barn, just so they wouldn't get lost on their way to feed the livestock.

What did they do? They had no television or radio, or even many books. I suppose they made their own music. They likely worked on crafts. The winter months might be a good time to sew clothes. A time to repair and sharpen their tools. It was a much simpler life than what we lead today.

I am happy that I have a nice warm house to live inside. Not everyone is so lucky.

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