Greenwater Report for July 23, 2001

Hon Kin Trew cuts Ribbon for Park's administration building

The Greenwater Report for July 23, 2001

Greenwater Provincial Park - Monday, July 23, 2001 - by: Gerald Crawford

about
4/10ths
July 22nd, 2001: Finally, we got some rain! Last Monday it drove me in from where I was picking saskatoons; it came down quite heavily for a few minutes, then settled down to a light but steady rain for a couple of hours, leaving about 4/10ths in our gauge. The night before, there had been very heavy clouds to the south, with some lightning and thunder. We didn't get any rain at all out of it, but a strip near Perigord got from three to four inches, depending on whom you talk to, and Riel Bosse told me there was some hail with it. I doubt if that did the crops any good. A few hot days, then today we got a bit more rain and some high winds.

Grand
Opening
On Wednesday, there were Grand Opening ceremonies for the Park's new Administration Building, and for Greenhills Golf Course. The background of dark, ominous skies, and the continuous grumble of distant thunder providing background music might have kept some people away, but it did wonders for the speeches! Hon. Kim Trew, Minister of Labour, was standing in for Hon. Belanger, Minister in charge of our Parks. He spoke at both openings, for about two minutes each time, and the other speakers followed his pattern. The ribbon-cutting didn't take long and we were able to get right down to the nitty gritty the cake and coffee. We didn't actually get rained on at the Administration Building.

Hazel Gaudreau and Clayton Marshall cut the ribbon at the golf course

Greenhills
Golf & Country Club
A bit later, we went out to the Greenhills Golf & Country Club. We parked at the overflow campground, and Darrell Zenuk took us up to the Clubhouse in Dave Farber's bus a good idea as there just wasn't room for many cars up there. There was a much bigger crowd there, likely over a hundred. I think the high spot of the ceremony was the introduction of Clayton Marshall, one of the original spark plugs when Quilly Willy Golf Club took over the golf course from the Park. Clayton got a standing ovation! His health is very poor; he and Mrs. Marshall came out in a golf cart and he had to be supported at the podium. By then it was raining, and the sound system quit, so not many could hear him.

Jens Nerlien

Saskatchewan Express

The golf course (and the original Fisherman's Cove, then called Nerlien's Shell) was started by Jens Nerlien, who died in 1968. His widow, Hazel Gaudreau, assisted Clayton in cutting the ribbon, and his son, Hubert Nerlien, spoke briefly. By then, it was raining quite steadily, so we ran for the cake and coffee, and made friends with anyone who had an umbrella.

On Friday, it was Saskatchewan Express, down on the beach. The rec workers tell me there were over 1,400 people there, down somewhat from previous years, possibly because of the heat. They put on a good show, but for my taste, it is about a half hour too long. For that last half hour, all the yahoos that came to visit rather than enjoy the show start yammering non-stop, and the little kids are getting restless and noisy. A one-hour show would be just right.

Amber Armitage

crows
For weeks now we have been serenaded by a family of crows, not the most musical of birds. Last Thursday evening, I sat on the deck and watched the parents coaxing the young ones out of the nest. One flew quite a distance, then returned to the nest tree, making the round trip twice; another flew a lesser distance, and a couple more just stumbled around in their spruce tree, complaining. By the time it got too dark to see what they were doing, they still hadn't got their nerve up. The nestlings were almost as big as their parents; the only way I could tell the kids from their parents was by their clumsiness. I was a bit surprised that the parents would be coaxing them out so late in the day wouldn't it be better to start early in the day? Maybe they couldn't stand the little brats any longer! Anyway, they are still sticking close to home, and making an awful racket.

berries
My gloomy estimate of the saskatoon crop couldn't have been more wrong they just kept getting better and better! I believe we have enough now to carry us over a poor year, and we have already feasted on saskatoon berry pie. We aren't much for pincherries, mostly because they are such a drag to pick, but we love pincherry jelly. Last week, we came upon a patch that was great picking. We got all we wanted in about a half hour, and the ripeness was just about right for making jelly. It looks as if the chokecherry and cranberry picking will be as good, too.

pontoon
boat
We are now members of the boating fraternity. John Davis, of Jaddco Marine at Hudson Bay, delivered our pontoon boat last Thursday. He makes them with plastic pontoons, which I believe might be more rugged than the aluminum variety. There is seating for six adults, plus padded benches for four more. It is no speedboat (top speed 9 mph), but what a lovely, comfortable way to cruise the lake! Yesterday, Doreen caught a nice little walleye while we were puddling along, then we got caught in a sudden windstorm, severe enough that we had to head for the lee shore and take the top down. It handled the waves beautifully; the design is such that we didn't even get splashed. Lots of trouble docking, too, mostly due to my inexperience. We are going to have a lot of fun with that toy!

Gerald B. Crawford
Box 100, Chelan, SK S0E 0N0 (306) 278-3423 Check out my Webpage: http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/crawg


Hon Kin Trew cuts Ribbon for Park's administration building
The Greenwater Report for July 23, 2001
Greenwater Provincial Park - Monday, July 23, 2001 - by: Gerald Crawford
about 4/10ths	July 22nd, 2001: Finally, we got some rain! Last Monday it drove me in from where I was picking saskatoons; it came down quite heavily for a few minutes, then settled down to a light but steady rain for a couple of hours, leaving about 4/10ths in our gauge. The night before, there had been very heavy clouds to the south, with some lightning and thunder. We didn't get any rain at all out of it, but a strip near Perigord got from three to four inches, depending on whom you talk to, and Riel Bosse told me there was some hail with it. I doubt if that did the crops any good. A few hot days, then today we got a bit more rain and some high winds.

Grand Opening	On Wednesday, there were Grand Opening ceremonies for the Park's new Administration Building, and for Greenhills Golf Course. The background of dark, ominous skies, and the continuous grumble of distant thunder providing background music might have kept some people away, but it did wonders for the speeches! Hon. Kim Trew, Minister of Labour, was standing in for Hon. Belanger, Minister in charge of our Parks. He spoke at both openings, for about two minutes each time, and the other speakers followed his pattern. The ribbon-cutting didn't take long and we were able to get right down to the nitty gritty the cake and coffee. We didn't actually get rained on at the Administration Building.


Hazel Gaudreau and Clayton Marshall cut the ribbon at the golf course

Greenhills Golf & Country Club	A bit later, we went out to the Greenhills Golf & Country Club. We parked at the overflow campground, and Darrell Zenuk took us up to the Clubhouse in Dave Farber's bus a good idea as there just wasn't room for many cars up there. There was a much bigger crowd there, likely over a hundred. I think the high spot of the ceremony was the introduction of Clayton Marshall, one of the original spark plugs when Quilly Willy Golf Club took over the golf course from the Park. Clayton got a standing ovation! His health is very poor; he and Mrs. Marshall came out in a golf cart and he had to be supported at the podium. By then it was raining, and the sound system quit, so not many could hear him.

Jens Nerlien Saskatchewan Express	The golf course (and the original Fisherman's Cove, then called Nerlien's Shell) was started by Jens Nerlien, who died in 1968. His widow, Hazel Gaudreau, assisted Clayton in cutting the ribbon, and his son, Hubert Nerlien, spoke briefly. By then, it was raining quite steadily, so we ran for the cake and coffee, and made friends with anyone who had an umbrella. On Friday, it was Saskatchewan Express, down on the beach. The rec workers tell me there were over 1,400 people there, down somewhat from previous years, possibly because of the heat. They put on a good show, but for my taste, it is about a half hour too long. For that last half hour, all the yahoos that came to visit rather than enjoy the show start yammering non-stop, and the little kids are getting restless and noisy. A one-hour show would be just right.
	Amber Armitage

crows	For weeks now we have been serenaded by a family of crows, not the most musical of birds. Last Thursday evening, I sat on the deck and watched the parents coaxing the young ones out of the nest. One flew quite a distance, then returned to the nest tree, making the round trip twice; another flew a lesser distance, and a couple more just stumbled around in their spruce tree, complaining. By the time it got too dark to see what they were doing, they still hadn't got their nerve up. The nestlings were almost as big as their parents; the only way I could tell the kids from their parents was by their clumsiness. I was a bit surprised that the parents would be coaxing them out so late in the day wouldn't it be better to start early in the day? Maybe they couldn't stand the little brats any longer! Anyway, they are still sticking close to home, and making an awful racket.

berries	My gloomy estimate of the saskatoon crop couldn't have been more wrong they just kept getting better and better! I believe we have enough now to carry us over a poor year, and we have already feasted on saskatoon berry pie. We aren't much for pincherries, mostly because they are such a drag to pick, but we love pincherry jelly. Last week, we came upon a patch that was great picking. We got all we wanted in about a half hour, and the ripeness was just about right for making jelly. It looks as if the chokecherry and cranberry picking will be as good, too.

pontoon boat	We are now members of the boating fraternity. John Davis, of *Jaddco Marine* at Hudson Bay, delivered our pontoon boat last Thursday. He makes them with plastic pontoons, which I believe might be more rugged than the aluminum variety. There is seating for six adults, plus padded benches for four more. It is no speedboat (top speed 9 mph), but what a lovely, comfortable way to cruise the lake! Yesterday, Doreen caught a nice little walleye while we were puddling along, then we got caught in a sudden windstorm, severe enough that we had to head for the lee shore and take the top down. It handled the waves beautifully; the design is such that we didn't even get splashed. Lots of trouble docking, too, mostly due to my inexperience. We are going to have a lot of fun with that toy!

	Gerald B. Crawford Box 100, Chelan, SK S0E 0N0 (306) 278-3423 Check out my Webpage: http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/crawg