Shigawake Agricultural Fair, Bonaventure, August 15-18, 2013

The Bonaventure Agricultural Society Division “A” Fair 

is in its 105th year. How long has the LA County Fair 

been going? Only 89 years.

And among the herds of goats at the fair, a First 

and Second for Fran and Marie, Paul & Ted's goats.

The author of The Alford Saga at the fair...

...has won, with his cousin Ted, fourteen 

prizes for vegetables!

Paul’s goddaughter Cassie Scott 

and partner Helene Vosters....  

...showing the arrangement they did.

Famous Canadian Poet and author 

of many books Pete Dale Scott visiting Paul.

Ted brought Fran and Marie in the back of his car.

Marie was really surprised to get a first prize. "Who, me?"

The Yak Farm, Saint-Elzéar, Gaspésie, August 2013

To buy meat for dinner with Professor Danielle Cyr, 

my translator of The Alford Saga into French. we visited 

a yak farm far back in the woods.

Yak has less saturated fat (3%) than beef, or even 

chicken. And 40% more protein (by weight) than beef.

What fat they do have contains omega 3.

Jean-Guy Duchesne and Guylaine Babin say they have 

the only Yak farm in all of Canada.

 

 

They worked in the Arctic, saved up, and only ten years 

ago came to the Gaspe Coast, cleared land, built barns, 

and bought yaks.

They built their house.

A yak bull costs $50,000. It weighs 1700 lbs. 

They have three.

A yak cow costs $3,000. She weighs only 600 lbs, 

and I was surprised to find her rather small, 

about four feet high. They have 90 head.

Yaks consume about 1/3 as much as beef, and eat 

only grass or hay. How ecologically sound!

Yak tastes like moose and deer, but more delicate. 

It must be cooked RARE! They only butcher males.

Danielle Cyr confessed she loved yak meat.

The Winter's Wood, July 2013

Cousin Ted ordered huge piles of wood. 

Fisherman and sage Jeffery Vautier obliged.

Jeff got his aged trailer to tip up and dump the wood.

He and Ted gossiped, of course.

Cousin Glen came along to help.

Ted has his work cut out for him.  

Imagine cutting all this for a stove!

A lot of work! Ted will use the splitter...

...going...

...going...

...gone!