Shadow House Concerts, Wadena, SK

It's an easy drive today. Just me and the big Saskatchewan sky, goasts of old homesteads leaning like clutching fingers along the road. For a place that has had so much rain and flood damage this year it seems dry and dusty. Clouds drift up along the road, chasing pick-up trucks, chasing the wind, teasing around the sun. And things are burning. Out there in the distant fields there is smoke hanging like fog, slow-moving toward the road.

Wetter than it looks. There are mud covered guys drinking coffee at the gas station. They've had a long day pulling farm equipment out of the ruts and boggy fields. Tough folks, toughing out another year.

Not long until I hit the crossroads. Here's the turn north to Wadena, SK. The Lincoln has been sucking back gas again today. It's the wind, I think. I hope. The wind. I break the town line with a leap over the tracks. My phone no longer has service. It's a Rogers service this year. Virgin had no service the year before. Sasktel has plenty of service up here. It's just plain stupidity and greed that Canadians can't have cellular service in pretty much all points of this country. The companies, which are government licensed to control all the available bandwidths, should be compelled— by the same government that grants these licenses— to cooperate and complete reciprocal service agreements so that Canadians can communicate from coast to coast. These agreements should also allow users to communicate at a reasonable expense. Reasonable for the users. People in rural Africa and India use their cellular phones to do banking and business over vast territories. Canadians and Canadian businesses would be well served by having the same advantages third world countries now take for granted. In Canada it's all about the profit margins for the shareholders of these communications firms. National interest takes a back seat while these specialized interests pick our pockets. So I stop and use the town's only pay phone to call my host for the evenings show.

This young man was the one who invited me back to Wadena. I could have gone elsewhere, but I promised Emil I would come back this year. He's a big music fan, and it is great to have him up in the front row again, cheering me on. I can tell I'm going to have competition in the beard department! Thanks, Emil!

The venue is a wonderful, wooden church. It sounds great. No PA is needed in here. Needless to say soundcheck is over quickly! An amazing room to sing and play in. This is my view from the driver's seat— unobstructed by mics and speakers.

We get a pretty good crowd out for this early show. Downstairs we have tea and cookies between sets. These folks are good listeners and are very quiet while I play. I like this, but I can't help but wonder what a glass or two of wine might do to this place!

Here's the lucky Tourjacket winner! Congrats!

And before I know it I've shaken the last hand, said goodnite to Don, Emil, Kate, and I'm back to my little motel room. The TV buzzes and hums, so I unplug it. Dead quiet outside. Stars. Frost. Frost on the Prairie.