My Dad grew up in Northern Sask; a place called Sand-something; maybe Sandbeach. His dad moved there in the Early Thirties, when Dad was still in diapers.
Eventually, they abandoned that hard to survive place and moved South, and then East after WWII, into the RedRiver Valley. I was born in Winnipeg,Manitoba. Grandpa sired 15 children, two of which did not make it to adulthood/times were tough. About half of whom stayed in Sask, but they are all deceased now. I got about a small-town's worth of cousins still living out there.
Since the old-ones are all gone now, I doubt I will be seeing them again on the sunny side. Gatherings used to be the highlight of our lives.
My Saskatchewan cousins are spread out all over the place, and I think I have a few relatives in every town/city so far mentioned.
Butchaknow, my Dad was born in 1927, the middle of the pack, so, many of my older First-cousins are now dropping. I got/had a few cousins older than Uncles. My youngest Uncle was only ten years older than me, but he died in his early 60s.
What a hard life they had.
What an easy life I was having until covid showed up.
Even tho I don't get sick, it's been a crap-life ever since.
The pilgrimages we made, (as a member of my Dad's Family; as a co-driver; and to visit friends by myself as an adult), made to various places in Sask, are slowly fading; not unlike a summer sun on the plains.