Timeless Skies

 

Saskatchewan.  Our slogan has long been "Land of the Living Skies."  One of the things I was looking most forward to about being home for the summer is watching the ever changing skies, a canvas of light and color above endless prairie.  I was not disappointed -- the night I returned home I drove towards a stunning display of lightning....and into a summer storm of rain and hail so thick the visibility was near zero and I had to pull over.  The following days did not disappoint -- the spectacular Saskatchewan skies that amazed me as a child amaze me still....and I am sure they had the same effect on generations of Saskatchewanites before me.

 

This particular day dawned with skies of bright blue.  The tractor in the picture below was the workhorse of our farm when I was growing up.  She still runs, but this "horse" is basically out to pasture now in her later years....free to enjoy sitting under beautiful blue skies like this.

 

1981 Versatile 555or "Triple Nickel"

And to watch beautiful sunsets like the one that came on the eve of that same day. 

 

The 555 below a colorful Saskatchewan sky

Years before, John Deere tractors were the main beast that roamed the land.  This 1924 John Deere D has seen 90 years of sunrises and sunsets in Saskatchewan....built tough, she is still intact and could be ready to go with a bit of tuning I bet.  I am not sure we humans are still built tough enough to drive her all day, without the comforts of an air conditioned cab, and vibration resistant seat.

1924 John Deere D

The "cab" of the 1924 John Deere D -- metal seat, wheel, throttle.  No bells or whistles but she did the job well.

This 1955 John Deere D had some added features, like headlights which are jutting up onto the horizon.

1955 John Deere 70

Not all Saskatchewan horizon is filled with ancient monuments....there is a whole lot of unobstructed view of the skies here as well.  I have always said there is no more beautiful sunset than Saskatchewan....Bermuda, Belize, Vancouver...I always expected the ocean, or mountains to top the view from my simple Saskatchewan home, but they  ever did.  Take a moment to look at the colors below...the pinks and purples and oranges that sweep across the sky rather routinely here have seldom shown up anywhere else I have been.  These skies that were likely near mystic to the Sioux and Cree remain so today....and will long after I, and even these tractor sturdy old tractors have long gone.

 

 The next morning brought new skies over another some other old friends -- a 1928 John Deere that is still operational, rolling down the street on its metal wheels in the odd parade, and its mini-me...the ever busy lawnmower for the farm.

 

1928 John Deere C with a modern John Deere lawnmore at its side