Monday, June 22nd, 2015
Today was a LONG day of driving. We cleared Manitoba in just a few short hours, but Ontario will be the real challenge…
Above is a short time lapse of the seemingly endless roads accompanied by trees which occupy seemingly all of Canada. We drive from sunrise, to sunset, to sunrise the next day..!
Sunset On The Road.
More driving tomorrow after a cozy night at a gas station/truck stop.
Logan
Sunday, June 21, 2015
After a long two and a half weeks, we were finally on our last day of shows here in Moose Jaw. After a day jam-packed with shows, lion cub photos, and camel rides, it was time to finally pack up a head out… The real question is, where are we heading out?
After much deliberation, it was decided that since we had an 18 day gap between shows, we would spend that time… BACK IN BOWMANVILLE! The thought of going home for a week was immensely exciting, especially because it gives me the opportunity to surprise a lot of people.
Lots of driving ahead (3 days worth), but the destination should be worth it..! If you’re wondering why this post is so late, it’s because I need to preserve my ruse that I have in place for those I am going to surprise at home!
Logan
Skootles the Camel is just as excited as us to be going home!
On this trip our animals have eaten very well. They’ve tasted beef, horse, and even elk, all freshly cut from a local butcher just last week. One thing I’ve notice on this job is that I often find the big cats and wolves eating better than me!
Uno the Sibeian Tiger on a walk with his trainer, Maddy.I’ve also discovered that, like my mother, I am a very impulsive grocery shopper. I probably spent my first weeks pay check on condiments… Without any further adieu, here is the secret recipe to “Logan’s On-the-Road Sandwhich”:
Ingredients
-2 Slices of Multigrain bread, or any other type of bread, or a bun, whatever you prefer, I won’t tell you how to live your life.
-Sriracha Hot Sauce.
-Jalapeño Havarti Cheese.
-Salami.
-Turkey Breast (thinly sliced).
-Guacamole.
-Yellow Mustard.
DIRECTIONS
1) Make a sandwhich with the aforementioned ingredients, and enjoy it while pretending you are surrounded by wild animals in the middle of Saskatchewan.
After my morning sandwhich we had 2 very successful shows, with the largest audiences we have seen yet! After my afternoon sandwhich, we had our final show, which proved to have great energy and an amazing audience. By the time my first nightly sandwhich rolled along, we had had a successful and tiring day here at the Moose Jaw fair.
Sunday, June 21st, 2015
I awoke this morning to a chill in my room, and a text on my phone from my mom saying:
“Don’t forget it’s father’s day .u should call your father when u get a chance”
Poor grammar aside, she was right..! I had completely forgotten that today was Father’s Day… In my defence, the time change here of a few hours can be quite disorienting..
I did end up calling my dad, although there are some things that are hard to say out loud, and since i know he’ll be reading this, I suppose now is as good a time as any to properly say a few things. While I like to “believe” I was an easy kid to raise/teen to live with, I’m fully aware just how bizarre and crazy I can be. Luckily I have an amazing father, who was able to help me focus my peculiarity and passion towards helping others, and accomplishing incredible things. Thank-you dad for picking me up at the GO station at 12am, for helping me throw a dinner party for nearly 20 people, being just as nerdy as me, believing in me, and providing me a role-model of a truly kind human who I can aspire to be like.
On a less sappy note, at the fair today I witnessed a cow grooming competition…
It consisted of a close judging of a dozen cows who were meticulously groomed earlier.. Just one of the crazy events happening here at a true western fair. Our last shows today, while in front of smaller crowds, were received very well. As soon as we finished though, we began packing up immediately, as we have a really unique and special next location. I can’t reveal any details about it just yet, but it is a long drive away, and something I’m very excited about! By midnight we had just finished, and I went to bed, at long last!
Driving all day tomorrow,
Logan
Today was opening day in Moose Jaw! After such a long break since our last show in Brandon, I was a little nervous about diving right back into it… I was also nervous because the forecast for the afternoon/evening mentioned things like “severe thunderstorms” and “torrential downpour”… While our first crowd was small, the second and third were both a decent size, with the third having the most uplifting and amazing energy..! Hosting a show for a tough crowd is no easy feat, so having the audience be engaged and loving every minute makes a HUGE difference.
Boots, the cat, and I also went on another lovely walk today, prompting the usual questions “is it a baby jaguar?” and “does he bite?!”.
I also experienced a very cold and not so cleanly shower, because once you have hundreds of Carnys using the same two showers, there can be.. Deterioration….
This Friday’s book recommendation is one I just started and finished earlier this weekend. It’s James Pattersons: “Zoo”. I couldn’t resist picking the book up at wal mart due to the title, and I was not dissapponted! It’s a very thrilling animal themed story, with incredibly short chapters (making it an easy and quick read).
Thursday, June 18th, 2015
The calm before the storm. A term referring to the apparent quiet and tranquility that often precedes chaos. Today was the calm before the storm, both literally and figuratively. This weekend has forecast thunderstorms and other dangerous weather conditions.. Perfect fair weather, right? Today was also a very relaxing day animal wise, spent setting up only little things before tomorrow’s shows.
One of the anxieties I had before leaving on this tour was the social aspect. Living in close quarters (literally some nights) with 3 very different people can lead to problems.. However, I love my 3 crazy co-workers/friends. So far we have worked very well together as a team, and have had a lot of fun! How many people can say they enjoy themselves this thoroughly at work??
Today we got in our heads that we could do a four person piggy-back… While that didn’t quite work, we were able to pull off three (talk about team-building):
I also learned what a big attraction we were at this fair (featured guests!):
Hopefully tomorrow’s shows have good numbers, despite the dire looking forecast..!
Logan
Wednesday, June 17th, 2015
Last night was magnificent. The incredibly friendly owners of the Owl Center next to us invited is over for a BBQ. They pulled out all the stops (and 100% didn’t serve owl). There was chicken, there was steaks, beans, potatoes, carrots, salad, and cheesecake to finish it off. My body nearly went into shock after consuming so much real food.
The other pleasant surprise of the evening came when we brought out little lion cub [who’s latest tentative name is “Maple”, because she smells like maple syrup..Its a long story, but, she really does] over to meet our dinner hosts, and their Irish Wolf-Hound, Clover. What happened when the two animals met was beyond anything I could’ve imagined.. Not only did they get along, Clover wouldn’t let the little lion out of her sight!
Now that we’ve caught up on last night, let’s move onto today! While it was our shortest move so far (about 50ft away), it still took A LOT of packing up, and setting up again. We also stopped to get a car wash, and lunch in a diner (more real food to tease my body). We were up late last night setting up in our new “horse arena”, which has a dirt floor. It’s a lot gentler than the concrete of the Curling Club, but also gets dirt everywhere.
Tuesday, June 16th, 2015
Finally. It’s properly and seasonally warm… It must mean rain.
This morning was the sunniest and most beautiful yet, made even better by a delicious breakfast (burritos with egg, bacon, and veggies) cooked by Dirk:
Delicious.
The animals were also in good spirits today, despite a small rain storm in the early afternoon. We also are going to a BBQ tonight with out owl neighbours (the humans who run it, probably not the Owls themselves)… As the days go by, the routine gets easier and easier… I can hardly believe I’m getting used to this crazy lifestyle.
In other news, we have officially finished the first season of LOST!
Logan
Monday, June 15th, 2015
First off, as promised, here is a photo of my unique new haircut:
Today the sun finally came out, and stayed long enough to make a difference! The day was peaceful and warm, the perfect temperature to check out our neighbouring owl counterparts!
The Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl centre is essentially just as the name suggests; a haven and education centre about a bird who is pretty hard to spot in the wild (although there holes/burrows still trip me frequently). There are a dozen or so birds who live at the centre which strives to educate the public to the struggles the Owls gave in the wild, especially habitat destruction, as well as how humans are impacting the rest of the natural landscape in the praries. It is an extremely well run centre, and I would recommend a visit if you should ever find yourself in Moose Jaw.
Speaking of holes in the ground, nobody has been having more troubles with them than our adorable little lion cub.
She’s not only getting larger, but also faster and better on her feet!
Hopefully more sun and warmth for tomorrow!
Logan
Sunday, June 14th, 2015
It is cold. It was cold when I woke up this morning. It was cold, cloudy, and windy all day. It is cold right now as I write this. It feels much more like January, than June.
Today was another really enjoyable and laid-back day, despite the chill in the air. I got a great photo-shoot of all the animals returning from their walks [like Ace & Kiki, the Olive Baboons, and Sydney & Kane, the Grey Wolves]:
After the animals were all set to go for the day, it was time for Maddy, Dirk, McKenzie and I to clean ourselves up a bit.. Haircut time!
I was a little sceptical, but Maddy & McKenzie’s clipping skills were on point. I’ll keep the photo of my “newdo” for tomorrow! The rest of the day continued in a similarly pleasant fashion, and I believe, set the tone for some fun days to come!
![Father’s Day [Cow Grooming 101]](https://loganrobins.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/d5c30-img_5664-1.jpg?w=1024)
She’s not only getting larger, but also faster and better on her feet! 
Logan Robins 