We recently planted our saskatoon berry trees. I am sure those of you who live in Saskatchewan know exactly what I am talking about. For the 99.99999% of Internet readers who have never even heard of Saskatchewan, let alone of saskatoon berries, allow me to explain.
Saskatoon is the name of one of the two big cities in Saskatchewan. In this case, "big" is a relative word. But Saskatoon is big enough to have a food named after it, which puts it in the same league as Hamburg (hamburgers), France (French fries) and Iceland (ice).
Saskatchewan is a small Canadian province. Small in that its population can comfortably fit onto the deck of a luxury cruise liner ... except who would want to do that in the middle of the bone-dry Canadian prairies? In land area, Saskatchewan is actually almost as big as Texas, although most of their hats are well short of ten-gallons.
That leaves plenty of room for trees to grow. But Saskatchewan is not known for trees. It is known for its prairies. In fact, there are jokes about Saskatchewan and trees.
"How many people does it take to plant a tree in Saskatchewan?" "Are you kidding? Even God couldn't do that?"
"What do you call a tree in Saskatchewan?" "Wishful thinking."
"If you run off the road in northern Saskatchewan, would you hit a tree?" "No, the tree is in the south."
Which brings us to the saskatoon berry trees we just planted. Apparently, trees DO grow in Saskatchewan. Well, almost. I read the seed package. "Grows three to 12 feet high." A three-foot tall tree? Can you really call that a tree? What if I mow right over it?
So before even planting them, the saskatoon berry trees were proving to be an adventure. We were planting seeds for a tree too small to be a tree from a place that supposedly does not grow trees. But adventure is fun.
The package instructions said to plant the seeds while it is still cold outside - when your fingers can become good and numb. We put on our parkas and rounded up our dogsleds and stepped out from our igloo. OK, it was not quite that cold.
The instructions said to plant the seeds about the depth of one-to-two times the length of the seed. I measured the seed. Actually, the seed was too small to measure. Just a touch larger than a celery seed. The package must have erred. According to my measurements, I would burry the seeds with even a couple grains of sand on top.
I did my best.
Little Lady, our always-eager-to-be-helpful toddler, placed the markers to remind us where we planted the seeds. We used short sticks with plastic glow-in-the-dark stars on top. These were, in fact, made for sticking in the snow to line the driveway at Christmastime, but they seemed fitting markers for such bizarre plants.
The phone rang that evening. "Did you plant something really strange today?" our neighbor asked. "You have stars on sticks poking out of the ground. And they are glowing in the dark. Did you buy the seeds near the nuclear power plant?"
We explained that the glow-in-the dark sticks were just to mark where we planted our saskatoon berry trees. "Ooh, what do saskatoon berries taste like?" She asked. I had no idea. I had tasted them in jam many years ago on a business trip to Saskatchewan, but I do not even remember if I liked them. The seeds were actually a gift from a friend.
But life is an adventure, and three years from now I can tell you what the berries taste like. Can't you just taste a good adventure?
About The Author
David Leonhardt is the Happy Guy, author of "Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness". Sign up for your free "Daily Dose of Happiness" at http://thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html, or visit him at http://thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html,.
http://thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html,
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareThere's nothing that will quicken the interest of RVers like... Read More
Costa Rica is a small country - just 75 mi/120... Read More
It was the end of my first year as a... Read More
Ask me which Pacific island has the most to offer... Read More
There are two types of used inflatable boats for sale... Read More
Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was... Read More
The Northern Circuit is probably Africa's most dramatic wildlife area.... Read More
My river-rafting adventure started on a bicycle. The small daypack... Read More
Thousands of golfers flock to the Carolinas each spring and... Read More
We think that Cape Town has some of the best... Read More
Packing in general can be a hassle. But when going... Read More
Camping mixed with outdoor activity is a great way to... Read More
Mount Rainier National Park is the most popular park in... Read More
When it comes to birding, Acadia National Park is a... Read More
Mt. Washington Valley Trails & Mt Washington - NHThe highest... Read More
The Cairns Fishing Adventure A Great Australia Road TripYou love... Read More
Sun, Sand and Surf ? an apt description for Goa?... Read More
Going on a gorilla safari must rank as one of... Read More
Bryce Whitmore designed the modern whitewater inflatable pontoon boat, and... Read More
The Kuan Yin Shrine in Bangkok is in an old... Read More
Magnetic declination is an essential principle to understand when navigating... Read More
Dude Ranches first gained popularity in the 1920s, in large... Read More
TENT CAREYou should seal all floor seams and those seams... Read More
Croatia has quickly become Europe's hottest destination, and for good... Read More
Backpacking is a great way to escape the rat race... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..Dude Ranches first gained popularity in the 1920s, in large... Read More
"The good news is that there is no reason to... Read More
No one can truly say... Read More
White Water on the Comal river in Central Texas is... Read More
Pictures of a massive dead Great White shark on the... Read More
Generally speaking, Greek drivers are not the best in Europe,... Read More
In The city of Arcadia California, right next door to... Read More
A wonderful way to invest in your families' treasure trove... Read More
Organized river rafting trips are a good idea for novices... Read More
For the fortunate few, life isn't complete without a backpacking... Read More
Mt. Washington Valley Trails & Mt Washington - NHThe highest... Read More
Prevention is your best protection against lightning. Be sure to... Read More
Have you ever seen an authentic Japanese garden? Well, I... Read More
Six different islands in Hawaii are open to tourism. Most... Read More
The beautiful Salmon River stretches through over 400 miles of... Read More
Are your kids begging you to take them camping, but... Read More
If you love the thrill and adventure of kayak travel,... Read More
How to get discount lift tickets for popular ski resorts... Read More
New experiences make me nervous, and I assume that holds... Read More
The dictionary defines a tent as 'a portable shelter usually... Read More
Why should you use hiking poles is perhaps the first... Read More
The climb up the glaciers to the summit of Mount... Read More
This truly beautiful country at the southern tip of dark... Read More
Camping for fun is a great way to enjoy the... Read More
Rafting through the Grand Canyon is the experience of a... Read More
Outdoors |