Beyond the Harvest

If harvesting is not possible due to the weather, repairs and cleanup work are done and everything is prepared to start as soon as the weather is good. Of course, a lot of work has been done, but there was also a lot of fun.

A few weeks ago, we were at the German club's Oktoberfest in Regina (2 hours drive). The Oktoberfest could have been in Munich as well. The visitors wore dirndls and lederhosen, there was Schweinshaxe, Käsespätzle, Klöße, sauerkraut, etc., a large part of the music was German, German beer was drunk, and even a group of Schuhplattler from the German club performed. Most of the members of the club are not Germans, but they celebrate togetherness and a part of the German (Bavarian) culture. However, the club was founded by German immigrants. Aaron also became Mr. Oktoberfest, which is why we spontaneously stayed for the second evening. The party was good and a lot of fun.

In the evenings, we also occasionally sit together, eat, and drink a beer. The rounds are always very entertaining and you feel comfortable and well taken care of. Henri, as is appropriate for a North American, has a gun license and owns all kinds of weapons. Shooting is fun, but shooting at animals is not for me, even though the wild goose left for us by the hunters tasted very good. That's why we built a small shooting range and shot at it.

In the field, you often come across animals. This is very interesting because these are mostly animals that do not exist in Germany. Unfortunately, I don't always have the camera with me. However, the stopover of the migratory birds was particularly spectacular. Tens of thousands of them made a rest on the fields and made a lot of noise. I was also allowed to see a Whooping crane, of which there are only a few left. They are very beautiful white birds (picture will follow).

Jake and Trudy live on a yard that belongs to the farm and have been part of the Friday Farm crew since 2015. They come from a German community in Mexico. Their children are being raised almost trilingual. However, they speak 'Low German' and also write that way, but they can also speak a little High German. I have uploaded a picture with 'Low German'. If you have ever spoken Plattdeutsch with your grandparents, you might recognize some things.

I left the farm yesterday. Danita took me to the airport in Regina. The almost six weeks went by in a flash. I had a very nice time with great experiences and was able to contribute well to the work and the group. It's crazy how quickly you can make friends on the other side of the world. Now I am a bit sad, but also looking forward to traveling in the coming weeks. The travel fund is well filled and can be plundered ;) Nick picked me up at the airport in Calgary yesterday afternoon. From his apartment, you can already see the Rockies, which I will visit for the first time today...