Saskatoon

Happy new year.

I saw in 2005 in the company of my favourite cousin (from Calgary) and her family, and some friends of theirs whom I know through her. FC has kindly adopted me, every time I come to Canada she arranges trips and gatherings and sporting events (cross-country skiing) at which I am included, so over the years I've come to know many of their friends.

FC and her husband and their buddies are keen hunters. I have eaten hand-slaughtered animals, birds and fish of all descriptions at their houses (ever tried bear meat?). They are always offering to take me with them, but I have always been otherwise engaged. I think I would have less trouble with the killing than with the slaughtering and butchering of the animals afterwards. The photos of them "handling" caribou on Baffin Island were pretty hard to take.

FC herself is a deer hunter of great skill. She's been out four times, and has "bagged" four deer, with a total expenditure of four bullets. This drives the guys crazy with envy, particularly as she doesn't boast or brag about it.

It's -22 degrees Celsius outside, with a stiff breeze to blow the snow around. Readers in warmer climes may not be aware of the importance that the wind makes in cold weather: Minus 30 with no wind is much more comfortable than -18 and windy. Of course, your fingers and nose are more likely to fall off at -30, but that's another matter.