The long weekend is just days away, the anticipation is reaching a fever pitch.
It鈥檚 been an enjoyable summer.聽 Granted, a much more different one than usual considering what鈥檚 going on in the world right now, but one of my best qualities is the ability to adapt, so I鈥檝e made the best of the situation.
The days have been hot, the nights have been just right.聽 The odd rainy day here and there keeps things clean and green, just the right kind of balance you want out of a combined spring and summer season.聽 Farmers are happy, which means we鈥檙e all happy.
I look back on events that should have unfolded over the past few months and shake my head.聽 Damn virus.聽 No full-fledged Canada Day celebrations anywhere, no rodeo down in Elbow, no first-ever Potato Festival in Outlook, no Saskatoon Exhibition.聽 These are things that should have happened for people to enjoy.
But I smile because if there鈥檚 anything that this pandemic has taught us, it鈥檚 that you can鈥檛 keep peoples鈥� spirits down for long.聽 No Canada Day community bash?聽 Celebrate at home wearing some red and white and light some sparklers in your backyard.聽 No Potato Festival?聽 Cook up a meal of nothing but spuds and tag your local producers in a social media post.聽 No Saskatoon Ex?聽 Well, I guess you could fill your kids鈥� bellies full of junk food, grab them by the arms and whip them around in a makeshift 鈥渞ide鈥� until they get sick, simulating some small corner of the Exhibition grounds every August.
(nothing will replace the taste of those Spudnuts, though 鈥� can鈥檛 duplicate those)
No, we couldn鈥檛 do a lot of the things we all hoped to this summer, but we made it work one way or another.聽 Businesses have been there for us.聽 Those on the front lines of this thing 鈥� medical workers, emergency personnel, care aids, police, firefighters, media 鈥� have kept the people in good health, made safety a priority, and kept them informed of all the latest happenings.
I鈥檝e managed to make the summer work for me, too.聽 I鈥檓 driving a lot, taking little road trips here and there.聽 I keep my new camera gear with me at all times because you never know when or where inspiration is going to strike.聽 I鈥檝e been east, west, north and south, capturing this, that and anything else along the way.聽 I鈥檝e enjoyed seeing new points around the province while at the same time respecting social distancing guidelines.聽 If I鈥檓 somewhere new and there are people around, I鈥檓 glopping on some hand sanitizer as soon as I鈥檓 back in my SUV.聽 Better safe than sorry, right?
I鈥檝e enjoyed the summer, even if it鈥檚 been something of a modified one for all of us.聽 I guess in some ways, 2020 will be 鈥淭he Year that Got Away鈥�.聽 Still, I鈥檓 anticipating the Labor Day long weekend that鈥檚 arriving in just a few days, and I鈥檓 busy writing all my news articles and copy for the next edition of the paper so that I鈥檓 not worrying about it.
This is something I鈥檝e been looking forward to since I made the reservation back in February.聽 Of course, things changed and scheduled changed in the time since, but now it鈥檚 really happening.
I鈥檓 headed up to Candle Lake to spend the long weekend at a cabin I booked.聽 It happens to be the same one in which my family spent Christmas two years ago.聽 To say I鈥檓 excited would be an understatement.
My friends are actually joining me for this trip.聽 I finally have a chance to show them the place that鈥檚 meant the world to me since I was a kid.聽 We鈥檒l swim, we鈥檒l fish, we鈥檒l golf, we鈥檒l hike, we鈥檒l enjoy nightly bonfires, and we鈥檒l enjoy each other鈥檚 company as we catch up and evaluate just what a crazy year it鈥檚 been for everyone in the midst of a formidable opponent in the virus.
Of course, what I鈥檝e described here has yet to happen, and in the end, it may not unfold as I鈥檝e written.聽 It鈥檚 true though, I have a cabin booked up at the lake for the Labor Day long weekend; my original trip itinerary called for the last weekend in May, but that sure wasn鈥檛 a smart idea to keep, was it?聽 Instead, I moved some things around and I鈥檝e got it for the long weekend months later.聽 Hey, no one has any idea where this pandemic could be in three months and change, but for now, I鈥檝e got a cabin at one of my favorite places on Earth.聽 Things can always be cancelled and refunded, but I hope that doesn鈥檛 end up 小蓝视频 the case.
I hope my friends will still be able to join me, but again, that鈥檚 months down the road and anything can change in the meantime.聽 Still, I remain optimistic.
In my eyes, September can鈥檛 come soon enough.
For this week, that鈥檚 been the Ruttle Report.
