Movie Vet

Dr. Dave Dempsey

I had the most tremendous luck today. The Veterinarian who is my mentor, and who is all that is wonderful in the profession, invited me to accompany him on a day of being a Movie/TV vet. The TV series is being filmed in the landscape that I have always considered the mecca - the Kananaskis. I didn't know the series (being completely TV illiterate), but I did know that it is critically well received and follows the settlement of the West by the railroad. It was by my estimation a well done production.  I was completely enamoured of the premise and found the filming very interesting. We were there to protect the horses. I haven't been around horses for years. But just being in close proximity made me yearn to have them in my life again.   For some reason one of the wagon horses took an incredible interest in David and put his muzzle and nostrils to Dave's hair as he walked by. Dave - so used to adoration by horses didn't even notice, but I did. The horses were brave and strong. The wrangler was very attentive to their well being. 

 It was amazing to watch them ford the river during the rivers' highest peak. Horses and riders were cautious and had all sorts of ways of navigating the strong current to assure the completion of task and safety of man and beast. The plot required the tipping of the wagon with the people and horses cast loose. Of course the horses just wanted to follow their human wrangler and get to the beach. The  stunt doubles were required to ride out the raging river to the satisfaction of the directors. This manoeuver  required multiple takes.

 I was amazed at the likeness of actors and stunt doubles, and of course while we were there (all horse scenes), the stunt doubles were the interesting ones. The perils in which they place themselves!!

 I've heard that movies are mostly standing around. It is true. The day was cold and wet and the standing around went on for hours, but you could keep yourself amused by just witnessing the personalities involved. The director was a very robust, large man in a grey hoody and shorts - depsite the weather being cold and torrential rains. ( I almost couldn't walk when we were finally done because the rain had dripped down from my jacket saturating my pants and made them completely inflexible, any leg movement pulled them down at the waist - it was horrific and cold). The assistant director was not in such a weird outfit for the weather and was unexplicabley jolly. The prop people were consumed with the whereabouts of a headband for the stunt double and how the revolver went missing when they fell in the river.

 The main actor was very handsome. I wish I had some understanding of the series before I witnessed the filming. I feel like I missed out on knowing how great and well received it is.  Despite physical hardships for the vets on site ( animals did way better than us), I enjoyed all aspects of the day and almost could see myself as a movie person. ( The intensity and purpose are quite addicting) But most of all it was wonderful to bask in the reflected light of my vet friend and imagine for a tiny time that I was as loved and respected as him.

Reunion Day

The "bowl" of my alma mater

 Descending on the university wasn't as hard as seeing the city for the first time. Maybe because it seems less changed and still teaming with the summer life I remember from working on campus every summer while I was at university. I could completely see me sitting on the grass with my friends watching other students walking by and feeling a sense of infinite possibility.

The bowl

 Retracing my daily steps was a little more disheartening. What used to be campus food courts are now all fast food courts. Was it not cost effective for the university to produce its own food for students? The central meeting place "Place Riel" is way more chopped up and less conducive to sitting and watching students stream by, but I guess that they are building some more elaborate meeting place - but I hope that they realize that the beauty of Place Riel is that most people had to move through there to get anywhere. That was the draw - you could always look like you were moving through and not some desperado parked there for no reason. Way easier to save face and just casually be "there."

Looking at the Thorvalson from Arts and Science

Illustrious WCVM

The vet college was even more of a challenge. It felt the same, the same smell, the same skeletons, the same statues, the same lighting. I definitely had to fight back tears - just remembering how hopeful and wonderful everything seemed. Meeting my classmates was very easy. Places may arrest in a certain time showing the distance between then and now- but people bring you to who you were instantly. Maybe because we are all evolving and aging - it makes you feel like time has stopped once you start talking and hugging.  We are the same, different but the same. I was mesmerized by how unchanged most people seemed - very little signs of aging or the trials of life marking them. I know from talking to them that life has been challenging for everyone - terrible losses and illness and injury for some - but somehow they were all outgoing and happy. Despite the challenges of the profession - ignominious for the highest suicide rate of any profession - most people were still in their chosen field and doing well. Some are thinking of retirement (imagine that!) Very few are single, most have children, many own their own practices - some even have veterinary progeny. We were all amazed at that! Imagine children becoming vets - what were they thinking. One guy in my class has 2 children in vet college.
Of course you think of your own life when you are confronted with theirs - I too have loved the career. I feel lucky that I probably love animals and medicine even more now than when I started. I have been way less lucky in love then the rest appear to be - but maybe most single people avoid reunions. Who knows. People's children were mostly the centre of their lives and the thing are most proud of and worried about. Everyone talked about their children. Few talked about their working lives.

Group of happy 25th reunioners.

More happy reunioning

I have spent quite a bit of time interviewing local people that I meet and quizzing them about the differences in the city that I notice. One of the things that has intrigued me is the vibrancy of the bar and nightclub scene. This is what I remember from my youth - it made me think I lived in the centre of the universe because going out at night was always exciting and it was always hard  to get into any club, they were so crowded. Apparently there was a change for several years and there was no nightlife scene but now it is back with a vengeance. That made me feel happy. 

I have also been quite concerned by the poor condition of the yards around town - the entire Nutana area is mostly derelict lawns - so dried out, no flowers. I wondered if it is worry about water - but no -  apparently just waiting for rain. Though I do notice that downtown trees have huge garbage bag things at their base that are for slowly watering the trees. Most of my old homes do not have flowers in the front yards. I am now completely convinced that flowers are necessary for giving a home a sense of pride and vitality. They look so unloved and forgotten compared to how they were when I lived in them. 

Reunioning is very hard on the constitution on many fronts. I am just glad to have a couple of days to compose myself before any new demands.

Good old Bate Crescent

City of Bridges

Broadway Bridge

I am visiting the city of my youth, where I went to University and the city where my son was born. It looms large in my life though I haven't lived here for almost 20 years. I was so confident that it is practically infused in my bones, that although I asked for a map at the car rental place ( because I'd heard the city had changed alot) I felt that I could just be guided by feeling,no need to consult the map. Well the feeling took me straight from the airport to Beaver Creek. Only those of you in the know will understand the lunacy of that travel - completely not where the city is. I almost couldn't stop laughing at my mistake. Most of today I was convinced that I had lost my license and would not be able to rent a car. The only thought that I had was that I wouldn't be able to go to Beaver Creek and smell the wolf willow. Beaver Creek was a nature reserve that I frequented when I lived here. The thoughts of not being able to get there was very upsetting. Luckily I found my license - but my subconscious must have been very determined to take me to Beaver Creek and completely bypassed the city itself. I am convinced that there is a new bridge that wasn't here before - on the far west side. Otherwise I could not have made such a mistake. 

Once I regained my bearings and actually drove into the city down Lorne Avenue and headed into downtown, I felt like I was getting off a plane in a tropical country where the humidity and heat hit you so fiercely that you can't breathe. Only this time it wasn't heat and humidity - it was the past. It was so thick I almost started crying. For some reason I have never felt the that time was linear. I have always felt that all time is happening all of the time. So for me looking around the city - I was still here, everyone was still here, doing what we were doing 20 years ago. I can't let go of that belief. So to be wandering around and seeing the changes it feels like someone is actually dying, that the world that I believe is happily going along actually is not. These ghosts are too painful.

Victoria bridge

5 corners

Little Pink Lady

House where we moved when Kyr was 5 months old. The oldest house in Saskatoon still fiercely clinging to her Paul Cunningham paint job that gave her such respect and prominence.

Broadway theatre and Calories

Amigos

Corner of 10th and Broadway

Buds Blues bar

My first house where we lived when Kyr was born

Me and my bridge

When my sisters and I were little and we first moved to the city, we each picked a bridge. This was my bridge. I feel like this bridge, somehow my connection to the city and the life I had here is gone- rudely ripped away by life going on.

My friend Gabriel Dumont who feels like I do.

I like to think that Gabriel is riding through town looking at the changes from when he frequented the place and feels as discombobulated as me.