Easy to Draw, Hard to Spell

Has anyone out there ever lived in Saskatchewan? Can anyone spell it?

Many years ago The Mr. and I spent 11 years in Saskatchewan, living in 3 different cities. I suppose that was the pre-requisite we needed to get an invite to a "Saskatchewan or Bust" party by these two cool cats:

The party was tons of fun. We played "Jeopardy" with Saskatchewan-themed categories, ate food that reminded us of Saskatchewan, and reminisced and joked about people, places, tv shows, and catch-phrases that reminded us of Saskatchewan. Here are a few of the things that came up that made me smile:

1. Mount Black Strap -- a man-made mountain, turning an old garbage dump into a ski hill. You've gotta give them props for thinking outside the box.
2. Scramble Corner -- an intersection in downtown Saskatoon where all the traffic is stopped at the same time, and the pedestrians can "scramble" whichever direction they want.
3. The Great Sand Hills -- if you drive far enough down a gravelled country road, in the middle of nowhere, you will come upon humongous sand dunes that are perfect for sliding down on pieces of cardboard.
4. Population 1,000,000 -- In 1982 the locals were thrilled to discover their province had reached one million people. That number steadily decreased until just a few years ago when Saskatchewan once again reached a million people.
5. Vi-Co -- a brand of chocolate milk introduced in the 1950's. It became so popular that no one ever referred to it as "chocolate milk". It was always "Vi-Co".
6. "Size Small" -- a children's tv show produced in Saskatoon featuring "Miss Helen" and her two teenage/adult (?) children.
7. Saskatchewan sayings -- as if the locals were trying to defend any criticism pointed toward their province.

• "Saskatchewan's not THAT flat!"
• "Yeah, but it's a dry kind of cold."
• "It's easy to draw, but hard to spell"

Notice the saying on my friend's shirt?

The party has gotten me thinking about our years spent in that wonderful province. We met wonderful people who were hard-working, friendly and down-to-earth. We had wonderful experiences including going to Law School, serving in various leadership positions in our church, and the birth of our last four children. I was able to get to know many relatives with whom I would otherwise have probably lost contact had I not lived there. I'm so grateful for my time spent there.

So, for anyone who dares, feel free to take this short trivia quiz about Saskatchewan (answers located in the comments section).

1. Which of the following first names is NOT a town in Saskatchewan: Bruno, Denzil, Ebenezer, Gerald, Kendal, Robert, Scott?
2. Name two Saskatchewan towns that have the same name as a body part.
3. How many times has Queen Elizabeth visited Saskatchewan?
4. Where was our family living when the Queen visited our children's elementary school?
5. Which city has underground tunnels that were used by smugglers and gangsters in the late 1800's?

I'd love to hear about your favorite Saskatchewan moments.

Dixie