Prairie Girls

Catherine, Me and Miranda roasting something over our open bonfire--Langham acreage, Saskatchewan circa late 1970s. I had so much fun hanging with my sisters and exploring the land.

Catherine and I-- Langham acreage, Saskatchewan circa late 1970s. Note my snazzy sandals--no matter what the occasion, or place, I always had to be stylishly dressed. Also I was always the kid who had to make a stupid face for the camera :P
I remember, Catherine and I would always play this really ridiculous game when ever we hung out around the bon fire. We'd say, "Let's play drunks." We'd stumble around slurring our words, acting so crazy.

I am editing my first Novel. The setting takes place on an acreage in Saskatchewan. When my family lived in Saskatoon my dad worked for the University commission. We lived in the city in a beautiful character home on a street that crept along the South Saskatchewan river bank. We owned (and would visit on weekends) two acreages on opposite sides of the South Saskatchewan River. My dad built a house on each acreage for our family.

My favorite acreage was the Langham acreage pictured above. It had good karma. We were so happy on that land. The other acreage was near the town of Aberdeen, Saskatchewan. It had bad karma. My novel takes place on this acreage (the bad karma one)--very near the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, relatively close to the North West Rebellion battles of one hundred years earlier than when my novel takes place. At one time, much later, my family was to return to Saskatchewan and live on this acreage full time for two-three years. That particularly dark time for my family is the setting for my first novel Queen of the Godforsaken.

Writing about the prairies brings back childhood memories. My family moved around Canada a lot. I always say my dad is a rolling stone (not the Rock Band). As a child, I lived in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. These pics are a small ode to my wonderful memories of the prairies. Memories filled with visions of galloping horses, hot prairie sun and endless blue sky; smells of wolf willow, wild sage and horse buns; sounds of evening crickets and morning meadow larks; tastes of wild strawberries, tart Saskatoon berries and my mom's famous pizza.
Thank-you Mom and Dad, my darling sisters and dear pets for those incredible memories.