Just A Gal From Glidden: 37 communities flooded. We stopped for a Corner Gas photo.

By Kate Winquist

Since the start of the year, we’ve published 116 newspapers and 29 editions of The Weekly Bean. That's a lot of pages, a lot of deadlines and a lot of coffee. So forgive me if I don't feel much like travelling this year for our holidays.

It's funny how priorities change as you get older. There was a time when a vacation meant packing the trailer, loading up three kids, enough food to feed a hockey team, and hitting the highway. Of course, after all that work, you needed another holiday to recover from your holiday.

Dog River detour: Devin (left) and Kalen look absolutely delighted after their mother insisted they pose for a photo in the rain at Dog River (Rouleau), home of Corner Gas. Years later, they're probably still questioning my vacation planning. PHOTO BY KATE WINQUIST

One trip to Kenosee Lake still stands out.

The weather was gorgeous when we left Gull Lake. Blue skies. Sunshine. Not a cloud in sight.

There was just one tiny problem. I forgot to check the weather forecast.

By the time we pulled into Kenosee, the skies had opened up. It rained so hard we couldn't even get a fire going to roast weiners —microwaved hot dogs would suffice. So there we sat. Five people. One camper. Two adults questioning their life choices. Three kids with enough energy to power SaskPower.

Since we couldn't roast hot dogs, we decided it was the perfect time to teach the kids how to play Blackjack. Perhaps that wasn't our finest parenting moment, but at least everyone can count to 21.

We packed up early and headed home.

What we didn't know when we left Gull Lake was that we were driving straight into one of the worst flooding events in recent Saskatchewan history. It was Canada Day long weekend, July 1, 2014. Thirty-seven communities across southeastern Saskatchewan had declared states of emergency. Some areas received 200 millimetres of rain in a single weekend. Bridges were out. Roads were washed away. Farm families were stranded. The route home wasn't a choice so much as whatever was still passable. That's how we ended up in Dog River, which was the highlight of the trip. Dog River, better known as Rouleau, where Corner Gas was filmed. Naturally, I made the boys pose for a picture in the rain. As you can clearly see, they were thrilled. Nothing says family vacation quite like standing beside a muddy ditch while Mom insists this will be a great memory someday.

Those boys are now 24 and 22, and this picture still makes me laugh every time. Their younger sibling Jaidyn, who turns 20 this year, had the good sense to stay dry that day.

I'm pleased to report they still speak to me.

After the pace we've kept this year, a real break honestly sounds pretty close to perfect. Robert says he's going to whisk me away for a couple of days with no employees, no children, no animals and no responsibilities. Who says romance is dead?

Then again, maybe the perfect vacation is staying home, sleeping in, enjoying the air conditioning and watching the Rider games from the comfort of our own living room.

Either way, we'll come back refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the year. And next time, I'll check the weather forecast.