jeromemartin.ca

Interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates

The D5 Conference interview with these two extraordinary people is fascinating.
This site contains a summary of the interview plus the entire discussion. You may have to scroll past other D5 interviews to find the several sections of this discussion – but it's worth the effort.

The Cypress Hills: One of Canada's Seven Wonders

The CBC needs our help in selecting The Seven Wonders of Canada. They have selected a short-list of 52 and are now asking us to vote for our top seven.
Today Sheila Rogers chatted with Guy Vanderhaeghe about the Cypress Hills and why he feels that they are one of Canada's Seven Wonders. His book The Englishman's Boy is set primarily in the Cypress Hills in 1873. He discussed the unique geographical and botanical features of the Hills and how they were a centre of activity for native people, the Northwest Mounted Police, whiskey traders and many other groups.
I was born in Maple Creek, on the edge of the Cypress Hills.
As a child I lived on a farm north of Maple Creek and, later, in Golden Prairie – always in sight of the Cypress Hills. On summer weekends we would leave the hot plains and drive up and into 'the Hills' which have the same elevation as the town of Banff. My father's 1950 Ford would periodically have a vapour lock as we climbed the last few miles into Cypress Hills Park and he would have to pour cold water on the fuel pump to correct the problem.
The Hills were a cool, peaceful refuge from the heat and from the week's work. We fished the lakes and streams for trout, splashed in the swimming pool and visited with friends.
The Cypress Hills have always been a spiritual place for native people and for the rest of us. I too think they are one of Canada's Seven Wonders, and, as soon as I post this blog entry, I will vote on the CBC site. We only have until May 31 to cast our electronic ballots.
I hope you'll vote too: and I'd be delighted if you voted for the Cypress Hills – and for prairie skies as well. That leaves five other votes for the rest of Canada, which seems fair and appropriate.

Eight More Miles...

The complete line from Kieren Kane's song is 'Eight more miles and I'll be home...'
We're far more than eight miles from home, but considering that we've driven more than 4000 km in the last 10 days – and attended a conference – a few hours of driving seems like eight miles (13 km).
We arrived in Saskatoon last night and will enjoy seeing the river valley and visiting my alma mater, the University of Saskatchewan, before we leave. It's cool and rainy in Saskatchewan: good weather for the crops. I love this city, and the great Bessborough Hotel, which is now the Delta Bessborough.
When I was a student here in the early 1960s we had many of our formal dances here at 'the Bess.' I doubt if there are many such events now. The ballroom where they were held has been converted for other uses in the hotel. But this elegant hotel has survived, prospered and improved in so many ways.
It's been a wonderful road trip. I'm anxious to get home, but am looking forward to the next excursion.

Road Trip Music

Road trips require great driving music. The following songs are particularly appropriate for driving the freeways and back roads of the Great Plains.

• Saskatoon Moon – Connie Kaldor and Roy Forbes
• Eight More Miles – Kieran Kane and Kevin Welch
• Navajo Rug – Ian Tyson
• The Last Saskatchewan Pirate – Captain Tractor
• Dallas – The Flatlanders
• Texas Trilogy: Daybreak – Lyle Lovett
• The Mary Ellen Carter – Stan Rogers
• Crazy Old Moon – Roy Forbes
• Barrett's Privateers – Stan Rogers
• Alberta Bound – Gordon Lightfoot
• Christmas in Washington – Steve Earle
• Summer Wages – Ian Tyson
• Sis Draper – Guy Clark

Storms in the Dakotas

We had a pleasant drive from Pierre, South Dakota, to Minot, North Dakota, today, with a bit of excitement in the last hour.
The weather yesterday and today has been hot (85-90 degrees F) and a bit more humid than one would expect for this time of year. We spent some time walking along the north bank of the Missouri this morning before we left, and stopped to photograph periodically. This amazing thunderhead that we photographed early in the afternoon was interesting visually but it became one of the storms that developed later.

We stopped for gas at Grimley's Fuels, Underwood, ND, about 65 miles south of Minot. As I was filling the tank a local fellow asked me where we were heading. He then told me that there was a severe storm in Minot and, looking south, said that there were two other storms that would likely hit the area we were in. 'It's going to be an interesting night', he said, as he drove away.
I phoned the Marriott in Minot and was told that the storm had already passed through the city. I glanced at the dark clouds south of us and drove north fast enough to outrun most weather systems.
We saw what appeared to be mist as we approached the city. It was water vapour resulting from very cold rain and hail meeting the hot fields and roads. The air is still cold here in Minot and there is the chance of more thunderstorms tonight: but we hope that the tornadoes will stay away.
In the meantime we have a fine hotel room, cable TV and free wireless internet: and we're not leaving here until the weather is clear.
Stay tuned for another exciting episode in Driving the Great Plains. We're enjoying every minute of it.

Back to South Dakota

We left Lincoln just after noon and drove west on I-80 to Grand Island, then north on Highway 281 to O'Neill, and Spencer, crossed the border into South Dakota, northwest on Highway 18 through small towns including Burke, Dallas (with a population of 144, according to the sign), Colome, and Winner. Then north on 183, dodging pheasants (and one wild turkey) on the way to Presho.
Most of the towns looked prosperous and well maintained. We saw three drive-in theaters, two of which appeared to be relatively new and viable. There are at least seven drive-ins operating in South Dakota.
West on I-90, then north through the Fort Pierre National Grassland. Clouds were gathering in the west and one could almost smell rain.

Shortly after we arrived at Pierre (pronounced Peer), the capital of South Dakota, lightning, thunder and rain began, but it has since blown through. We haven't seen any rain since we left, which is unfortunate since this part of the plains could use some moisture now that the corn is up and the winter wheat is growing rapidly.
Pierre is located near the wide Missouri and the Best Western Ramkota (where we're staying tonight) is on the edge of the river. Tomorrow we'll walk along the river before breakfast. We'll then drive to Minot, North Dakota.
I love these plains States, but I'm also looking forward to returning home.

Leaving Lincoln

We've had a great time in Lincoln, NE: but it's time to head north to Pierre, SD, then to Minot, ND and home after that.
Nebraska is a special place and I'm always reluctant to leave it.
Our symposium this year gave us different perspectives with respect to homesteading and living on the Great Plains. I'll discuss these in more detail later.
Thanks to those who organized the symposium and to those who presented papers.

Golden Prairie: A New E- Book

Tomorrow at the Homesteading Revisited symposium I will launch my new e-book Golden Prairie, a photographic history of Golden Prairie, Saskatchewan, with text and audio. It's in PDF and is now available as a free download from Spotted Cow Press.
I'll discuss the book and the response to it tomorrow. I'll also review the key themes from the symposium.

Back to Nebraska

We arrived in Lincoln this afternoon and booked into the Marriott Cornhusker – one of my favourite hotels – where we have an excellent view of the Nebraska State Capitol.

I'm here to participate in a symposium entitled Homesteading Revisited sponsored by the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. I'll discuss my presentation tomorrow in this blog and will give it on Saturday morning.
Tonight Frances Kaye, Professor of English at UNL, gave the keynote presentation: Privatizing the Public Domain: The Homestead Act in an Incongruous Thought System. The government homestead Acts in the USA and Canada were, she said, about creating capital, not about creating homes.
I look forward to tomorrow's presentations and discussions.

Pronghorns, Eagles and Open Spaces

'How are you this morning?' I asked our waitress at the Holiday Inn.
'Darned good!', she replied. That's also the way I feel about this part of the USA and its people. Everyone we have dealt with has been enthusiastic, kind and helpful.
We left Billings, Montana, this morning about 10:30 and arrived in Cheyenne, Wyoming, at 7:00 PM, after several stops along the way. We passed the exits for the Little Big Horn and Yellowstone on I-50, knowing that we did not have time on this trip for extra excursions, then entered Wyoming and travelled from its northern border to almost the southern end of the State.

Wyoming is wide-open, rolling country. One could pull off the road almost anywhere (although that's not recommended on Interstate Highways) and photograph for an hour or two. It's big and beautiful.
I saw more Pronghorns and eagles today than I've ever seen in a day. The Pronghorn lives on open plains, from Wyoming to Alberta and Saskatchewan. We call them antelope, but that's a misnomer. They're Pronghorns: unique to the western plains: the fastest animals on earth.
My wife Merle photographed these Pronghorns from the car near sunset.

Wyoming and Montana remind me that in spite of the gloom and doom stories of urban sprawl and crowded cities there are still parts of this world that are wild, open and relatively untouched by people. Furthermore, these lands are likely to stay the way they are, home to Pronghorns, sheep and Black Angus cattle.

Tomorrow: Nebraska.