I’m not ready for the summer to be over.
I suppose we’re all thinking that, and you’ll probably agree that it seems like the summer always has a way of jetting by before we even notice that it’s out the door.
And I mean, honestly, just WHERE did the summer of 2018 go? It feels like Canada Day was just yesterday, and really, I’d say that it almost feels like that entire month of July didn’t even happen.
I guess it’s that old adage of ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’, although I’d paraphrase it by simply saying, ‘Time flies when you’re really freaking busy’. Whether it was work-related or “me time” related, this past summer sure seemed keen on sticking around for a short period.
Last week I spoke specifically about my two weeks off from the office, but I’d like to expand on that this week and really talk about the summer of 2018 as a whole, as well as touch on a few things I’m looking forward to over the next few weeks.
June 15: This one does happen to be work-related, but it was also a blast. On this night, the Outlook Fire Department was honored with a special banquet where a number of them received awards for their long time of service. It was a lot of work, and there was a big fear leading up to it that the event would be a bust as far as ticket sales went, but in that tried and true ‘Outlook tradition’, there was a surge of sales in the final few days and the Civic Centre was a sell-out. It was cool to see the crew being bagpiped in, and guest speaker Ernie Louttit – a former Saskatoon city cop – was a great storyteller who spoke about working alongside firefighters and their vital role in any community.
July 1: Canada Day in the area was very enjoyable, even if it originally looked like the weather wasn’t going to be. It rained until about noon before allowing some sun to shine through and try to dry things up. From there, the parade was a blast and it’s always something that draws a crowd, while the multicultural fair going on at the Rec Plex grounds was a unique addition to the yearly celebrations, with all sorts of games from all sorts of countries. One of the things that seemed to be a draw at the fair was people standing under the flag poles for selfies and group portraits, and to me that spoke volumes about the inclusiveness we have in this area for people that come from all manner of nationalities and cultures. In addition to the goings-on in Outlook, I ducked out later in the afternoon to head down to Elbow for their annual fish fry at the rink, which drew upwards of 800 people; and that’s considered ‘low’ compared to years prior. As well, the outdoor dance held on Elbow’s main street was very well done, and I liked how every business on the block stayed open during the festivities. It had a whole “midnight madness” vibe that I’d love to see adopted in Outlook more often.
August 5: This one was actually during my two weeks off, but I didn’t touch on it much in last week’s column. Remember my column on food a little while ago, and the memories that may come flooding back with certain dishes? Well, I spent this day in Rosetown with my mother and brother, where we played mini golf before stopping in at The Right Spot bar and grill for a bite to eat. I ordered the lasagna, and upon my first bite after its arrival, I was instantly taken back to Christmas shopping with my dad. It turns out that the owner of this particular restaurant had also been the previous owner of the former restaurant in Rosetown known as The Hood, and I just never made the connection before. I remember taking that first bite and tasting that sauce and looking at my mom, whose facial expression wondered if something was horribly wrong with my lasagna. On the contrary; everything was wonderfully right about it because it made me think of my dad. I’m still kicking myself today for not making that restaurant owner connection before, and I think the lasagna may become my go-to dish whenever I go back there again.
Those were a few things I wanted to touch on about this summer, and while it’s sad to see it go, I like to think that there’s still maybe a good week or two left of those warm temperatures. Fingers crossed on that one.
But in the meantime, school is around the corner for kids in these parts, and it’ll be time to cover things like high school football, which I love doing.
Still, I’d love just *one more* beach day.
For this week, that’s been the Ruttle Report.
