Secrets of the Crooked Bush

A few months ago, Mom showed us an article on the famous "crooked bush" of Hafford. Since we were passing nearby on our recent trip to P.A. we decided to give it a look. You follow a gravel road 16 km. north of Hwy 40, near Speers and then 2.5 km. east. Keep a keen eye out as it is not well marked.

After a couple of diversions, we finally come upon the "crooked bush". This poplar bluff is perhaps 75 meters long by 50 meters wide, right beside the grid road and with another small road circling it. And it is exactly as advertised. Poplar trees of all ages twist and bend along all sorts of angles and shapes. They are a bit smaller than normal poplar trees, some perhaps 25 feet tall, but normal in every other way except for the way their trunks meander from the normal. Other trees not 50 meters away look completely normal. Young poplars on the edge of the bluff also exhibit the twisting growth of the larger ones, but no other ones that we saw that day were anything but normal.

Mom on the boardwalk

A community group has built a short boardwalk to minimize damage from the curious. There is a sign with a brief history, stating that it is one of the "54 wonders of Canada" as selected by the CBC program 'Morningside". Here is a link to some much better photographs, taken on a cloudy day: http://www.pbase.com/sjvucko/crooked

Evidently, cattle avoid the place, even without a fence around it, and some people have reported dizziness and light-headedness while walking amongst the trees.

Many theories abound as to what would cause such a prominent distortion in such tiny confines. They include radioactive soil, a genetic cause, a former landing spot of a UFO, a lightning strike that changed the soil chemistry, and others. The truth, however, is even more fantastic.

Apparently a UFO was observed hovering over the area. Since that time, men have reported problems with, how shall I put this, ..... the Man Downstairs, ... the old bush-whacker,.... that one-eyed trouser snake, .... Dr. Wang,.... Uncle Throbby,.... the bald avenger. I'm sure you get the idea. Of great significance however, is that these problems occur not with the men that visit the crooked bush, but with their siblings! Isn't that amazing?

So, Lenore and Colleen, if your man is experiencing any signs of "E.D.", you should get in touch with me as the cure was posted on a sign there as well. I'll be happy to pass along that information. Just send me an email briefly describing the problem and circumstances and I'll get you fixed up right smartly.

A Visit to Birch Hills

Yesterday Roni, Grandma Clara and I drove from N.B. to Birch Hills, via Crooked Bush, Blaine Lake and Prince Albert (more on Crooked Bush at another time). We visited Aunt Caroline, one of the world's nicest people. She received us in the Sr. Citizens Home at Birch Hills, and treated us to tea and a cookie, and a wonderful visit. She recently celebrated her 90th birthday and is looking great. Here's a photo of us in the dining/visiting room in Birch Hills.