Manitoba winters are long and cold, so when summer finally arrives you have to seize the beautiful days. This year we also had a cool, rainy spring, leaving many of us wondering what Mother Nature had in store for us for the summer. I’m happy to report that so far July has brought warm, sometimes hot, temperatures.
This past weekend we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and spend lots of time outside. On Saturday my mom and I went strawberry picking at a farm near Morden, Manitoba. The plentiful berries were bright red and juicy. I love fresh strawberries – a sign of summer on the Prairies! My mom freezes a lot of the berries to be enjoyed during the winter months, and also makes delicious strawberry jam. Of course we also enjoy them fresh with ice cream, in desserts, or on waffles and pancakes.
After strawberry picking, we enjoyed another favorite summer activity – baseball. We joined my dad and watched two of my nephew Kyle’s baseball games in Morden. I have three nephews – Kyle, Ethan and Beckett. This year Kyle tried out and made the AA Pee Wee league baseball team. He pitches and plays third base. And my brother Greg is one of the team’s coaches. I grew up playing softball and watching my brothers play hardball so watching my nephews is a treat.
On Sunday we took a drive across the border to Walhalla, North Dakota to watch the musical, Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, at the Frostfire Outdoor Summer Theatre located in the beautiful Pembina River Gorge. Big River is based on the novel by Mark Twain (one of my favorite writers). The action takes place along the Mississippi River Valley in the 1840s. The river is a representation of freedom. The bluegrass and country-style music of the play exemplifies its Americana themes. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend it.
- Part of the Big River cast.
What summer activities do you enjoy? Please share below. Thanks for reading!
Rural Route Ramblings 
Mmmm…fresh strawberries. We enjoy watching our nephew play ball too. Other than baseball, I love quadding. That’s something my whole family does together. My parents even have matching quads. And something I would like to do more of is just having a bonfire with friends. Can’t beat that.
I too enjoy driving the quad in the summer. Or as we call it in my neck of the woods, the 4-wheeler. That’s so cute that your parents have matching quads! I also like bonfires with friends/family but don’t seem to have time to do it that much. The summer goes by way too quickly. Thanks for commenting!