Former Photo Guy

Happy 80th!

2011-05-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

Friends, relatives and lots of sunshine descended upon the Flying G ranch today as Uncle Ed celebrated his 80th.

Big sister Clara was on hand to offer congratulations.

Sr. Ping provided a great musical tribute.

Best wishes from all of us Uncle Ed, and for many more to come!

Given the Boot!

2011-05-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

I dare say that most of Raymondo's friends and acquaintances would not readily associate my behaviour as that which would get me thrown out of bars.

Guess what's coming?

An opportunity for bonding with my granddaughter turned out badly yesterday, as we both got tossed from Tony Roma's lounge. Not having been caught with underage women in bars for a few years has evidently dulled my sense of precaution and adventure.

I was to meet a friend of mine for lunch in our usual watering hole. Giving no thought to Alberta's outdated liquor laws, I invited my 11 year old granddaughter, Alliye to join us. We arrived first and seated ourselves only to be approached by a somewhat anxious server who informed us we absolutely could not remain there any longer and must leave forthwith. (That's not exactly the word she used, but her meaning was unmistakable).

So, not wanting you to hear any worrisome rumours of some depraved grandfather corrupting young Lloydminster women, I make a full confession here. At least, Alliye and I will be able to have some future chuckles about our "bonding" experience!

Prodigal Son?

2011-05-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

After wandering in the desert for so many weeks, it was not Moses who returned to visit his Mom but Sr. Ping! We enjoyed the delights of Pasta Tuesday at Boston Pizza in NB on, you guessed it, Tuesday!

They Are Back!

2010-10-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Our backyard was once again graced by dozens of robins this morning. They were drinking from the water fountain and the fish pond, enjoying some (slightly) fermented crab apples, and just generally horsing around. If you look back at my blogs from earlier this year you will see where they came through our yard in a springtime snowfall on their way north. Now they are headed back on their southward migration.

If you look carefully, I'm pretty sure that this guy on the bottom is the SAME ONE that was in the mountain ash tree in April! He has the same white eye ring, yellow beak, and stripes on the throat. He does have a few more gray feathers, but that is what one gets after raising a family.

The New Fence gets a final coat!

2010-10-03T21:30:00.001-07:00

The weather has been holding nicely so Roni and I recently ventured back to N.B. to give the new fence a final coat of paint. Ted, Colleen, Wanda, Roni and I built the fence on the July 1st weekend.

I hope everyone likes it as well as we do.

A New Fence!

2010-07-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend saw some furious activity at Grandma C's house. In between golf and card games, a new fence rose from the ashes of the old. Thanks to Ted, Colleen, Wanda, Roni and Ray, the southern boundary of 1292 is now more defined. All decked out in 'Rider green, this new fence is sure to turn heads! One more coat of paint should do it .... maybe with gold posts?

Grandma C admires her new fence.

Thank Goodness for Mothers and Brothers.

2010-05-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for mothers!

Almost every time we visit North Battleford we bring a few little extras back home with us. Last time, it was a bread bag partially filled with Grandma Clara's sugar cookies. The time before, it was some freshly baked buns. We've also enjoyed Nanking cherries, rhubarb, loaves of porridge bread, and, well, you get the idea. More often than not, when I've forgotten to make a dessert on my cooking days, I'll check the freezer and pull out a few of those cookies and presto, dessert is served! Thank goodness for mothers!

Thank goodness for brothers too. As I sit here this a.m., enjoying a fresh coffee and admiring a bouquet of our tulips, I am clad in a pair of brother Doug's short pants and a new Tortilla Flats t-shirt! Upstairs, I also have two more pairs of shorts, and two more t-shirts. Seems that some sizes fit me better than he, and so I am the lucky benefactor. I figure that I'm pretty much set for the summer season, clothing wise. Thank goodness for brothers!

Actually, in somewhat of a reversal, perhaps this is what may have occurred many years ago when we were kids. When the older brother outgrew his clothes they were passed along to the younger ones. I doubt that my hand-me-downs were in as good shape as those that I have most recently inherited though.

As an aside, I wonder if there are any other items out there that may not fit anymore? I'm running a bit short on casual shirts these days. As you can see from my previous blog, my "new" shirt is now at least three years old. Jackets are always good too.... leftover liquor,...... old gold......!

It's Deja Vu All Over Again ....

2010-05-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Faithful readers of this blog will recall that I shamelessly took advantage of my youngest brother's largesse almost exactly three years ago, on Mother's Day, 2007. It seems that Ted has sent his mother a bouquet of flowers, the card signed only "From the Good Looking One". As Roni and I were visiting her that day, Mom naturally assumed that I was the sender. Not wanting to spoil a good thing, I simply said something like "Well, I sure hope you like the flowers, Mom. I love you too!".

Well, guess what?

Yes, it happened again! In an almost lightning-like stroke of doubly good fortune, Mom received another bouquet from the "good looking one" this Mother's Day when I happened to be visiting. Once again, I modestly mumbled something and said "I love you too, Mom".

If you look back, I am even wearing the same shirt!!!

2010-04-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

So last weekend, we had 80 km. per hour winds along with a few centimeters of snow for a truly delightful prairie blizzard! It was mostly gone in a few days, however yesterday and the day prior, a second storm arrived, sans the wind, thank goodness! It was a very wet snowfall, mid-calf deep.

The robins seemed not to mind however. Around a dozen or so congregated in our crabapple tree to sample last fall's delights, which are no doubt somewhat fermented by now. You can see him contemplating one more apple for the road (in the upper right hand corner).

Another even tried out the berries on the mountain ash. Nice color coordination, don't you think?

We farmers don't mind the extra moisture though. Spring should be back by the weekend.

Another One off the Bucket List

2010-02-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Rising long before dawn one day last week, Roni and I found ourselves out in the desert north of Phoenix. The occasion was our first hot-air balloon ride.

Regular fans half inflated the balloon before the propane burners did the rest (note that the hot air is in the balloon behind us).

Along with nine other souls and our pilot, the lift off was surprisingly uneventful - no sudden surge, or pop to free us from earth's gravity; nor any music from the Fifth Dimension. Just a sense that things on the ground were getting smaller.

Traveling along with the slight breeze, there was no sense of speed, nor any wind either, of course. The only real noise was that of the propane burners which the pilot would ignite for about 5 seconds to control our ascent/descent. When the burners were off, you could hear sounds drifting up from the ground - bird songs, traffic, construction noises, and so on. A little like being in the middle of a quiet lake in a canoe. We rose to about 3000 feet above ground level.

Roni discussing landing techniques with our pilot.

Another balloon from the same company launched nearby at the same time as we did, so we had a bit of company during our ride.

After about an hour aloft, our pilot brought us down in an open area about 3 or 4 miles away. We had to hop over some low bushes before finally settling down.

Awaiting us was a gourmet champagne breakfast, apparently a tradition for first-time balloonists like us!

The Balloonist's Prayer
"The winds have welcomed you with softness. The sun has blessed you with his warm hands. You have flown so well and so high, that God has joined you in your laughter and set you gently back again into the loving arms of Mother Earth."

WHAT THE .......?????!!!!

2010-01-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, it certainly looks like the Edmonton Oilers to me....!

Scottsdale's Fashion Square Mall

2010-01-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

The weather forecast for this week is for lots of rain and cloud, beginning Monday. We decided to make the best of our Sunday by visiting the Desert Botanical Garden at Scottsdale, just north-east of Phoenix. Heading out from the Village, we headed west on Main Street, through Tempe and the university district, right smack into the Phoenix marathon. Only a few blocks from our destination, we were told that you can't get there from here - try going back onto the freeway, switch to another freeway and make your entrance from the north - it might be open there.

OK. We do all that and end up in Scottsdale, only to be told that you can't get there from here. Maybe try another route, but it doesn't look good.

Well, folks our age can only do so much after consuming a small (16 oz.) coffee without finding a washroom. We zip into a couple of likely places only to find that they are closed on Sundays. OK. We find a mall and there, like a beacon from above is a Starbucks - hallelujah! And I'm not referring to the prospect of a coffee grande.

Mission accomplished, we wander back outside and note that this Starbucks is located in Scottsdale's Fashion Square Mall, and parked near our car is one of Scottsdale's finest, a policeman in his patrol car.

"May I ask you a question sir" I inquire politely?

"Sure" he says as he takes time out from crime-fighting. "What do you need to know?"

"How can I get to the Desert Botanical Garden with this marathon on," I ask?

"That would be real tough" he says. "Not at least until three o'clock".

"Shoot" I say! "No, just kidding! Darn it, I mean."

"That's all right", he says. "Why don't you just do what all the other white folks in Scottsdale do on a Sunday afternoon and go shopping?" (The officer in question is black.)

"You're standing outside one of the ritziest malls in the country right now. You could take your little missus in to Tiffany and Co. for a Valentine's bracelet, and pick up a new outfit for each of you at Hugo Boss. Cartier has a great spring sunglasses collection this year, and you should replace that old watch of yours at Bvlgari's. What man wouldn't like a set of BeoLab5 loudspeakers from Bang and Oulafsson? Seeing as how you are from out-of-state, you both probably need a new set of luggage from Louis Vuitton. I know Jimmy Choo has some great new 4" heel sandals that the wife might like, and you look like you could use a new belt and shoes from Gucci, sir," he says.

"If you still have some time after that, drop by Neiman Marcus and pick up one of those cute Bugatti Veyron model cars. And I don't mind saying that your wife would look darned cute in an Emilio Pucci swimsuit" he says with a wink.

Well, after being so helpful, what could we do but follow his advice? I sure wished Megan and Lenore had been along to help us find all those stores though. Where are the pros when you need them? And wouldn't it have been nice to have Laurel's counsel on choosing just the right sizes and styles? I probably picked the wrong colours on half these things. Oh well, the sales clerks did say I could always return anything as long as it hasn't been taken out of the wrapper and the Oilers win 20 consecutive games in 2010. No worries!

Raymondo on his quest of fulfilling the officer's suggestions.

Raymondo takes time out to mix with the locals.

By the way, we did make it to the Desert Botannical Gardens around three o'clock that afternoon, although with the car's trunk almost dragging on the ground. We passed up the Ferrari and Lamborghini dealerships, figuring we might well have to sell Doug and Lenore's RV just to make the minimum VISA payment next month.

You think A-Rod has it tough?

2010-01-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have been following my athletic endeavors have no doubt been concerned about my recovery from those two red road rashes on my knees. To disbelief and sometimes outright laughter I've been telling people that they are rug burns. But I digress. You'll be relieved to learn that they have nearly stopped bleeding and are healing nicely; nicely enough that on Tuesday I was out on the ball diamond again with the team.

Hopes were high as the mighty Val Vista Villagers were mightily stoked to take on the Apache Wells Warriors. The day previously, we even took practice at our batting-cage facility! We each had about three sets of 20 swings at the pitching machine's offerings. If I do say so myself, my last set would have yielded about 10-15 hits.... not too bad for a guy who didn't really make the big impression he hoped the last time out.

I took my usual yoga stretching exercises, then catching warm-ups followed by fielding practice. At my first opportunity to chase down a fly ball, something rather weird happened - I couldn't run! What the heck?? I tried again, but one would never confuse me with the guy whose nickname used to be the "gazelle"!

Seems I must have overdone my warm-ups a tad and pulled a groin muscle.

Rather sheepishly, I quietly advised my manager Dale that I'd not be a position to help the team much today. His response seemed to be a mixture of disbelief and outright laughter (Dale is 75 and his brother, the pitcher, is 80).

Let me tell you, when I looked at the inside of my thigh the next day and saw the angry purple color from my knee all the way up to my ...... groin, my response was also disbelief, but certainly not laughter!

After a couple of days of very slowly hobbling around, my thoughts were that perhaps I should take a month's leave from the rigours of slow-pitch and take up something less strenuous, like kick-boxing or running marathons. I mean, I'm not 25 any more. If I were, say, like Allan, I would fully expect to recover by lunchtime. But I'm not. I might not fully recover until March!

A League of His Own?

2010-01-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

I hadn't yet finished unpacking the trunk of the car on Sunday when a neighbour at the Val Vista RV park approached and invited me to participate in a slow-pitch game (these guys don't waste any time). "What the heck", I thought, it's not like my dance card was filled up yet. "OK" I said, where and when?

A couple of days later, Dale and his brother Roy picked me up and stopped off at the batting cage on the way to the park - "just for a few practice swings" they said. I got the distinct impression that, despite an apparent recommendation from a now-absent snowbird, they were wondering about just what they had invited on to their team. Well after about 20 pitches and a couple of hits (hey, it has been a few years since I last swung a bat in anger) we were off to Apache Wells and the diamond. These guys were 15 or 20 years older than me so what's to worry about?

Actually, I may have been the youngest player on either team and definitely the best-looking.

The sun was warm with clear skies and little wind. Everyone was friendly and laid-back, greeting each other after the Christmas and New Year's break. Most of that cameraderie evaporated rather quickly with the first disputed play. "Oh, these guys take their ball seriously" I thought. And one could certainly see that in years gone by, these players were probably all better than I had been.

Well, after a few at-bats, I managed a couple of hits, an RBI or two and a face plant between first and second base. Seems my legs were not working in sync with my visualizations.... Oh well, wiped off the blood (an initiation of sorts, I figure) and carried on. Arriving back at the RV, Dale presented me with a grapefruit right off his tree and invited me back next Tuesday. I'll see. This morning, this body is definitely feeling the effects of swinging a bat and a long layoff from almost any type of running, never mind base-running. Those guys are tough!!!

Raymondo with the proffered grapefruit (yes I know it's called a "cactus league" in Arizona, but close enough), and a smile. Notice the two skinned knees.

A Visit to Grandma's House

2009-07-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

There are few things more pleasant than a visit to Grandma's house. We made that stop on our way back home after a recent visit to eastern Saskatchewan.

Much to our delight, we weren't the only ones with that thought. More than doubling up on the pleasure, we got to visit her with Doug and Lenore, as well as Paul and Kim and their delightful crew.

Naturally, the art gallery picked up a few new acquisitions. The gallery also witnessed an enthusiastic game of hide-and-seek.

Some of the contributing artists in a photo op with Grandma C.

Grandma also had time to show off some of her newly refreshed interior decor.

The back entry is a bit brighter these days...

.... as are the front rooms.

Good neighbour Ron S. stopped in while walking his dog and we were all proudly introduced. Commenting on how nice it was to have a good portion of the family for a visit, including two of her three sons, Grandma Clara said with a sigh, “If only Ted were here it would be perfect. Oh well, I suppose two out of three is better than nothing”.

Love you Grandma! We'll visit again soon!

Last Day in Oz

2009-04-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

In less than 24 hours, we will be on our way back home. I thought I'd leave you with a few images of our last day spent in Palm Cove and environs.

Palm Cove's uncrowded beach

The Nunu Restaurant

This one's for Laurel ... the upscale Nunu Restaurant's logo.

This one's for Ted

Didgeredoo Player and Dancer

Ray's Retro look

A Rainbow lorikeet on our table, a "Breakfast with the Birds" guest

Kookaburra

Anyone need a new battery?

2009-04-07T02:59:00.000-07:00

We went on a tropical wet rainforest boat ride along the Daintree River yesterday. Saw a couple of salt water crocs, a few birds and lots of different types of tropical trees. We had expected to see a few of those big bats - flying foxes they call them here. They have a wingspan of around a meter and bear a strong resemblance to small foxes with wings. They are usually active around dusk when they go searching for their favourite food, fruits like papayas, grapes, melons etc. Unfortunately there were no flying foxes to be seen on our cruise.

Driving home later, we found out why there were none along the banks of the Daintree River. They were all hanging out beside the golf course at Port Douglas!

One of several trees with "batteries"

These guys were making an awful fuss, screeching and fighting with each other, and constantly moving to new perches. They paid little attention to this Canadian who was pretty fascinated to see several hundred of these big boys in one spot.

Uncropped flying fox image just above a telephone line

For those of you who are perhaps a bit skittish about sharing your space with bats this size, well, just think of how many fewer flying insects there are around thanks to these guys and their cousins. Altogether not a bad trade off, no?

Palm Cove - a little slice of heaven ...

2009-04-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

We are staying at a community north of Cairns called Palm Cove. It more than lives up to it's name. The beach is fairly narrow, maybe 50 meters wide, and runs for kilometers in both directions. The edge of the beach is fringed with coconut palms, and a variety of other tropical pines and broad-leafed trees. This band of trees is shallow, maybe 30 meters wide and borders the Esplandade, Palm Cove's main street.

Palm Cove beachfront

This two lane street is cobblestone/brick, and a vehicle passes along maybe once every 30 seconds. You can usually find a place to park wherever you like.

The Esplanade walkway

On the other side of the street are restaurants, shops, apartments, hotels, bars, and even a few detatched homes; none are low end and a few are quite high end. None of them are taller than four stories, by local by-law. You have to actually walk in to them to see how lovely some are. It's clean, uncrowded and safe.

Ray out for a stroll

We love it here. As Roni described it, “tranquil with a casual sophistication”. I'm heading out right now to sit under those trees in the top photo and to do some reading.

No Barriers On Great Reef Experience

2009-04-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we stroked a couple of items off the bucket list.

Seastar Reef Cruises took Roni and I from Cairns to Michalmas Cay and Hastings Reef on the outer Great Barrier Reef. The fast catamaran took about one hour to make the trip. Before we even had the anchor down, a green sea turtle cruised by. The 20 or so guests on board donned snorkeling gear and dove right in.

I think this might be Nemo, the clown fish....

Now, Roni and I have snorkeled in some lovely places, but none could remotely compare to this. It was amazing! Something to lie awake at night and recall with wonder. Every few feet brought a new variety of coral or a new type of fish. Reds, greens, yellows, blues, whites, oranges and so on through the spectrum. All sizes and shapes. It's an unfair assault on the senses. No wonder it's a world heritage site.

The water was warm, around 28C, the surface was calm, winds were light, skies clear – idyllic. Visibility underwater was maybe 100 feet or more. Probably more. We were so lucky to experience this. Wow!

The second item on the list was that I got to try SCUBA diving! Yes, even an old goat like me can still float well enough to try new things. I hope Ted and Colleen are proud of me.

In we go!

....and out again!

A lot of my energies and attentions were taken up in clearing my mask, and trying to maintain proper buoyancy, but in between those challenges, I got to touch a giant clam and swim through schools of fish and someone's bubbles. With practice, one would surely be able to spend more time on the experience, and less on the process.

Camels and Koalas

2009-03-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

After enjoying the fruits of the Hunter Valley and a few of its delightful vineyards, our next stop was the coastal town of Port Macquarie. A cople of hours drive north of Sydney, it is a resort town with miles and miles of beaches. Roni and I explored a few, stopping at various viewpoints such as lighthouses, headlands, and cliffs. Along one particular stretch a tour operator was offering camel rides along the beach. How could I refuse?

Raymondo on his new ride, Obama!

Let me tell you about this big boy. Over six feet tall, you can clearly see that he is truly U-G-L-Y! With stained and protruding teeth, gangly legs, and bony joints, his temperament is no better. Ornery to the point of exasperation, stubborn, and grouchy, he is quite a handful even for the most skilled of handlers. He's foul-breathed, and often farts and burps simultaneously, giving forth thunderous and obnoxious belches! It's no wonder people want to stay upwind of him.

But what about the camel, you ask? Obama was aquired just a few weeks ago, thus his name, and was once a wild camel. Apparently there are over a million wild dromedaries in this country, the only place where one-humped (dromedary) camels still run free. He's actually quite well trained, although the guides keep a close watch on him. After our half-hour ride, we had become quite good friends. So now I can claim to have ridden a camel. Next up, an elephant, although not likely on this trip.

Port Macquarie is also home to Australia's Koala Hospital. Apparently these sweet little guys sometimes run afoul of cars, dogs, falls, and disease and most don't survive these challenges. A group of volunteers have formed this organization to assist by nursing these animals back to health whenever possible and then releasing them back into the wild. Koalas spend most of their time high up in eucalyptus trees, feeding on the leaves. Quite a few live in urban areas, where most of the hazards they face exist.

Roni and I watched this little girl being hand-fed. She loves having her tummy rubbed and her back scratched. She's obviously very cute and cuddly, with a sweet and gentle disposition. Just like Roni.

Goodbye Sydney, Hello Blue Mountains

2009-03-19T03:20:00.000-07:00

On March 18th, after celebrating St. Patrick's Day with a brew or two in Paddy's Market, we picked up our rental car and headed to the hills. In this case, they are called the Blue Mountains, which aren't really mountains, nor hills, but eroded tablelands. They get their "blue" moniker by virtue of the oils given off by the dominant eucalyptus trees which appear as a blue haze. Some of the blue haze is also caused by bushfires and coal-fired electrical stations, but it is more politically correct to credit the eucalypts.

First though, allow me to share the excitement of driving on the left side of the road. Every time I turn on the signal lights, the windshield wipers come on! Is that cool or what? Those Aussies and their sense of humour! They also look pretty funny when a Canadian approaches them head on in their own driving lane! What a laugh! I only did it twice though - don't want to wear our welcome for all the Canucks yet to come. There are other drivers like me. Yesterday afternoon I noticed another bloke signaling with his wipers - a dead giveaway that you are from North America!

We are driving a Mazda Tiida. I didn't recognize it either.

You may recognize this though. Not exactly Alberta's Castle Mountain (formerly known as Mt. Eisenhower), but at least you can look down on it. Near Katoomba, the "Three Sisters" is illuminated at night. The lights attract insects, which attract bats, so it's a really good place to watch bats at night too. Note the blue haze in the distance, caused, of course, by the oils given off by the many eucalyptus trees.

This morning, we departed Katoomba for a tour of the caves at Jenolan. Now these are really impressive caves. Too many stalactites and stalagmites to count. This particular photos shows a cavern room perhaps 20 meters in height with a variety of cave formations. Those spelunkers amongst you will recognize many. These particular caves are thought to be a couple hundred million years old, although I think the electric lighting is a more recent development. All in all, a good experience.

This last little beauty pictured above is a "flat white". Ordering coffee in Australia is a bit more complicated than saying "double double to go". Here, most cafes make you choose between a long black, a short black, a cappuccino, a cafe latte, a macchiato, mocha, and of course, a flat white (coffee with some milk and frothy stuff on top). If you want sugar with your flat white, you add it yourself later. You'll note the flat white even comes with a little heart.... awwwwh.

Matt, if you are reading this, order one of each and put it on your dad's Visa card. Each one will set you back about AUD4.00. Call it "educational expenses for comparative cultural investigations".

Speaking of Matt, we were thinking of him as we left Sydney. We know you didn't come all the way to Oz to visit with your Auntie and Uncle, so hope your mum booked you into one of those backpacker hostels in King's Cross. There are lots of people your age there.

Speaking of wildlife, we've not seen any live kangaroos yet, but a few dead ones along the road, so we know they are about. We've also seen some wombat and red fox roadkill. Looking forward to actually seeing some live ones.....

Tomorrow, we are off to the Hunter Valley, the center of Australia's wine growing district. Apparently there are lots of wine tasting tours to be had, and with luck, we may see some pink elephants too! After that it's Port Macquarrie, (if you're following along), Coffs Harbour, and then Surfer's Paradise. Cheers!

Thunder from DownUnder

2009-03-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

As you can see, we made it! This doesn't seem anything like the weather we were experiencing last week. I have to keep looking at the image of me on the Skidoo to remind myself what it was like just a short time ago.

Thanks to Lenore for suggesting this postings' title. We did have a bit of a light shower today, but no thunder.

Upon our arrival in Sydney, we bought a travel pass, so since then we've been riding the trains, busses and ferries to dozens of places. Tonite we ended up at the Sydney Rowing Club for drinks and dinner. We did have to make out a membership card though. Seems they've had a couple of dozen Olympians come out of that club in the past few years..... As owners of a conveyance that requires rowing (well, paddling anyway) we felt welcome and quite at home.

Roni says my red face is the result of too much sun and not enough sunscreen. I see things somewhat differently. My theory is that since we're "down under", that redness is just the result of the blood running to my head.

We're looking forward to more good days like the last few.

Next Week things might be different....

2009-03-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Roni and I went snowmobiling at Sandy Beach. It was a great day, -5C, little wind, and we only tipped over once! The trail gates were open so we were able to visit a couple of surrounding lakes and bushland. A half-dozen white-tailed deer watched us carefully but nobody got too excited. Returning to the cabin, we had lunch on the deck and watched the chickadees, blue jays and magpies visit the suet feeder.

Here's Raymondo on the Skidoo at the cabin

The snow drifts this year are as big as I can remember them.

Two days later is a different story. The wind picked up overnight to near-gale force, the temperature dropped to -15C on the way down to -25C tonight, and the highway is no place for man nor beast with the falling and drifting snow. We're hoping that in a week's time, and some 10,000 miles from here, we'll be buried in sand on one of Sydney's beaches. Stay tuned.

What do you make of this?

2008-12-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

On the way home from a truly delightful "Bailey Christmas" in Eatonia yesterday, we came across a rather bizarre and unexpected sight. About ten km. south of Unity, we saw what we first thought was an Eagle on Hwy. 21. Upon closer inspection, it was a turkey vulture! On the road was the subject of his attention, a newly deceased jackrabbit. A couple of magpies were trying to share in the bonanza as well.

This was a juvenile turkey vulture, and like his kin all over the world, was evidently unaware that his continued presence in a hostile environment may have less than desirable consequences for his health. Nevertheless, he did seem delighted with his lagomorphaic discovery.

We troubled him no further, but I couldn't help but ponder whether there was a prophetic message in such an unusual encounter. After all, this is Saskatchewan in mid-winter (-18C), and this fellow is far from his normal roosting spot at this time of year. Perhaps a reader of this blog might offer an opinion or insight?

What a Show!

2008-11-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have heard reports of the meteor sighting over the prairies last night. I'm pleased to report that, not only did it miss us, but we had a great view of the whole show!

We were driving westward on 44th Street, just opposite the Lloydmall at 5:26 p.m. when the whole sky lit up. There was still a bit of twilight to the west, but this flash changed the sky to a grey-white, mostly white. Our first thought was that an electric transformer had shorted out directly overhead. Thoughts of recent stock market behaviours, and the Eskimo's last game against the 'Riders also danced through my head. Looking south over the Lloydmall, I saw the last second or so of the meteor as it descended, breaking into three or four pieces just before it winked out. It was a yellow in color, kind of like the end of a fireworks shot. We've seen lots of meteorites in the skies but nothing remotely comparable to this. It was like the night launch of the space shuttle!

Apparently people in Medicine Hat, Calgary, Vulcan, Edmonton, Cold Lake, Beauval, The Pas, Brandon, and Saskatoon (to name a few) also observed it. It looked like the thing may have landed a few kilometers away, but apparently it is very difficult to judge distances of meteors as there is no way of knowing how bright or big these things are at the time. People figure that it probably landed somewhere near the Sask-Alta border, south of Lloydminster, but north of Alsask. I figure, maybe Vulcan.

What Would Bambi's Mother Say?

2008-11-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

Bambi's mother would say "Winter has come to the meadow"

With the first snowfall of the season worthy of getting out the snow shovel, we awoke this morning to the sweet, sweet sound of the neighbour's snow blower moving up and down the sidewalk of the whole block. Now that's when one really appreciates the good neighbours we have here. Thank you Ernie!

Actually, this image is for Doug and Lenore to enjoy. I'll be putting out the bird feeder tomorrow Doug.

Oktoberfest in Lloydminster

2008-10-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last nite mein frau and I enjoyed Lloydminster's Oktoberfest for the first time.
Here are a few of the delightful new friends we met last nite. Everyone seemed so friendly and happy, we decided we must go back again next year!

Although not quite as famous as the Munich Oktoberfest, I thought you might like to knows some of the essential facts concerning the two celebrations.

First Oktoberfest celebration .... 1810 in Munich (1992 in Lloydminster)
Length of Festival .... 16-17 days (5 1/2 hours)
Record attendance .... 7.1 million (458)
Record beer consumption .... 6.7 million litres (9.5 kegs)
Record # of chickens consumed .... 807,710 (0)
Record # of bratwurst consumed .... 721,468 (480)
Number of oxen consumed .... 104 (0)
Number of times cancelled .... 24 (NEVER!!)

Finally, a useful phrase should you ever find yourself amongst the crowd pictured above - "Hol mir ein Bier, bitte!" (get me a beer, please!).

Secrets of the Crooked Bush

2008-07-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-27T15:30:00.001-07:00

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.

Its "Name That Tune" Time!

2008-05-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about traveling is the opportunity to experience different cultures and participate in local customs. Faithful readers of this blog will recall my experiences with little old ladies in Mississippi, our adventures with alligators, my dancing with snakes at Sanibel Island, and our revelry on Bourbon Street, among others. Here are a couple of our recent activities for you to name that may challenge your skills.

Photo Number 1. If you look carefully, you can just barely make out Ray and Roni on the left side, about three rows back. What is the occasion?

Photo Number 2. Not many people can make me feel small. Who is Ray's new found friend? Hint - he was born in Kinshasa.

Louisiana to Lloydminster

2008-05-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Natchez was delightful. Lots of antebellum mansions to view and a magnificent view of the Mississippi from the elevated eastern bank, all in a small-town atmosphere. For those literary types, Natchez boasts an excellent fiction author - Greg Isles. I've read a couple of his novels and am on my third. Contemporary mysteries, mostly set in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Across the wide Mississippi we go and northward through Louisiana cotton country and into the rich soils of southern and eastern Arkansas. We tried to look up Bill and Hillary in Little Rock but it seems they are elsewhere occupied. We carried on nevertheless, through the Ozarks and into Missouri. Somewhat surprisingly, we ended up in Branson, Missouri. Surprisingly, I say, because it seems everyone else on the planet has heard of Branson except us. Think Las Vegas for country folk, and without the casinos. There's a four mile long "strip" loaded with concert halls featuring all the country music stars you hoped you'd forgotten about years ago! Apparently this is where they all end up. So we take in a show, and guess what - it was fun!

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Center

A scene from "A Country Jamboree"

Carrying on northward and westward, we pass Kansas City, Nebraska, Sioux City, and Iowa ending up headed west across South Dakota. Wonderful grasslands and big skies. We even pass Laura Ingalls Wilder's hometown (remember "Little House on the Prairie")? We visit the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D. see four presidents at Mt. Rushmore, and end up in Deadwood, S.D. Deadwood - think Las Vegas in the mountains with gunfights on the street each day...... and sometimes snowstorms overnight.

An overnight snowstorm in Deadwood

We make it back into Montana and finally cross the border into Canada. For no apparent reason other than only 2 guys on duty (out of the six booths) we waited 90 minutes to cross. Reunited with our daughter, cat, brother's family, friends, and the Bailey NHL Hockey Pool trophy, things feel good. Even the two-day blizzard fails to dampen our spirits as we make quick stops in Innisfail and Edmonton.

The QE2 Highway welcomes us home.

Finally, it is back to our Lloydminster home after two months away. Nothing much has changed - I shovel the driveway the next morning. But it is good to be home!

From Alvin to Elvis

2008-04-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

Upon arriving at Tupelo, Mississippi from Birmingham, Alabama we found that Elvis' birthplace was much better marked than Alvin's. It's a good thing too, as I'd hate to think of all those thousands of Elvis fans blindly swarming around the neighbourhood trying to find His birthplace!

The two room "shotgun" house
where Elvis was born in 1935.

It's called a "shotgun house" because the front and back doors are aligned to improve ventilation. A side benefit is that, if you-all are lucky, a shotgun blast can pass right through both doors without hitting anything. I suspect that the house where Alvin was born was an earlier model of this.

After all this genealogical research we were ready for some relaxation time so we drove the Natchez Trace. This is a 50 mph scenic road from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi. It parallels the original wagon train route (trace) between the same two settlements in the 1700's and 1800's, and is the definition of "taking the scenic route" - no trucks, no billboards, no hurry. We picked it up in Tupelo and headed south.

Overhanging branches along the Natchez Trace

We saw this "crimson clover"....
over and over......

Arriving in Natchez, a Mississippi River town in southern Mississippi, we toured a few of the antebellum (pre-civil war) homes. They've still got a lot of them there. It was good to be rich in those days. Not so good to be poor, and especially poor and black. Most of the owners of these homes had several hundred, or even several thousand slaves to tend their cotton plantations across the river in Louisiana. At one count, there were 250 millionaires in Natchez pre-war. Post war there were probably none.

Longwood Plantation House

Now I know why bus drivers have that plexiglass behind them....

After an afternoon of antebellum viewing, it was off to the Riverboat Casino, conveniently located down the hill from our hotel. We took the hotel shuttle, one of those 30 or 40 passenger buses. At one of the stops, an elegant-looking woman got on. She was, oh, in her 70's or so, alone, and dressed rather formally in a full-length black skirt and using a walking cane. She had to put her purse on the first step of the bus to make it up the three or four stairs with her cane, but managed OK after a bit of a struggle on the first step. She even politely said "hello" to a woman in front who, in actuality, was saying "hello" to someone else on her cellphone. No matter. She sat down in the first row, right behind the driver.

When we reached the casino, yours truly, being a good boy-scout, figured that if I got off first, I could offer her my assistance as she disembarked. I waited at the foot of the stairs with my hand ready. She dropped her cane,but it was thoughtfully picked up by the cellphone woman and returned to her with a smile. She seemed to be having a bit of difficulty getting to her feet. The remaining passengers waited patiently. She got a couple of inches off the seat and then dropped back down. This was followed almost immediately by horizontal projectile vomit. Not once, but twice.

I chose the discrete part of valour and went off to alert security.

Now I know why bus drivers have that plexiglass screen thing behind their seats.

(Sorry, no photo)

Following in Grandpa Al's footsteps.

2008-04-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

For the past two days, we have been following up the available facts we have regarding Dad's childhood in Birmingham and Montgomery. I'm very pleased to say that we have found out quite a bit! I can't wait to share it with Doug, Ted, and the rest of the family.

For the time being, here are a few photos.

From the age of 9, dad lived in the Masonic Home of Alabama (an orphanage) in Montgomery, Alabama. Although the original building has been removed and a nursing home constructed, now even the nursing home has been demolished. Some of the land had been sold to a school, and some to a church, but the majority of the land is an open field, with a couple of workshops. Beside the workshops are a few of the original cornerstones of the Masonic Home of Alabama. There were a few other relevant items as well that I photographed.

Dad attended the Cloverdale High School after finishing his elementary school at the Masonic Home. We found the original Cloverdale School about a half mile west of the Masonic Home. Surprisingly, it is still in much the same condition as it would have been in the 1930's when dad attended. It is now owned by Huntington College and is used as a sports extension of the college. You can still see the "Cloverdale School" above the door, as well as in several other places.

Prior to the move to Montgomery, dad lived in Birmingham. He states on a document that he was born on "Cottage Hill Road, Cottage Hill, Jefferson County, Alabama". As I suspected, Cottage Hill has been renamed Pleasant Grove, and Cottage Hill Road is now Pleasant Grove Road. We have no address for his original home, nor could I locate one in the Pleasant Grove archives, however we can say that we drove up his street!

This church "may" be where he attended school in grades 1to 3. The church's exterior has been redone in brick in the 1970's, but it did host a one room school in the early 1900's, and was the original "Frog Pond" church. Dad states that he attended Frog Pond School from grade 1 to 3.

In other news, today we visited Tupelo, Mississippi and the home where Elvis was born.

Memories of Sanibel Island

2008-04-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

Just off the Gulf coast of Florida, near Ft. Meyers, is the lovely low-lying key of Sanibel. Half of it is a wildlife sanctuary mostly comprised of mangroves and tidal flats - a bird and fish magnet. We took a four mile driving tour and saw lots of the expected water birds and fish species.

After this tour, and in the 29C heat, we were ready to sample one of the several gulf beaches of Sanibel. This state seems to have an unlimited supply of superb beaches. This one had the usual fine sand but with lots of finely crumbled shells mixed in. Lots of shells under the waves too, but mostly firm clean sand.

After my swim I showered off and was waiting in the sun by a picnic table to dry off a bit before changing as I had not brought along a towel. It's been about six weeks since my last haircut, so I was fluffing it out in the sun to dry a bit quicker, half bending over when I heard a rustling of nearby dry leaves. Simultaneously, out of the corner of my eye, I saw this quick movement. Out of these leaves about two meters away a snake darted out and became entangled in my legs! Suddenly I was back-pedaling like mad, giving off primitive animal-like noises, flailing my arms and kicking out my legs like a crazy man possessed! Have you ever had your heart-rate go from 70 to 150 in two seconds flat? I nearly landed on my back, but just caught my balance in time. The whole episode only lasted maybe three or four seconds, but in that time I did see that it was a small black snake, maybe a meter or so long, but only about as thick as my little finger. Judging my my reaction, it seemed to be 5 meters long and as thick as my arm! Whoa, I haven't been that startled since Milt Stegall caught his famous touchdown! Somehow I managed to kick it off my leg. Where it ended up, I have no idea. Probably in the top of one of the nearby palm trees if the enthusiasm of my kicks are any indication!

A fellow nearby was looking at me as if I was about to turn into a demon. I said "It was a black snake - are they harmless?" He said "Yes, if they are black, they are". I said "Good. It scared the hell out of me!" He said, supressing a smile, "I thought it might have been a bee after you". I said, "I don't suppose you got a video of that, did you? That would have been pretty funny". "No, sorry" he said. And I definitely sensed that he was truly sorry that he hadn't. Me too.

Anyway, along comes Roni just about then, to catch the last of the conversation. "What's this about a snake?" she says. I wasn't going to tell her about this experience as my reaction to snakes would have seemed like an afternoon nap compared to hers. But, after explaining, even she could see the humour of what just happened.

Sanibel Island - you will remain in my memory forever.

Life at the Beach

2008-03-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

The last few days we've been exploring a few of the many beaches on the Gulf coast, near Tampa.

As you know, we enjoy our own beach at Sandy Beach, SK.

These are nothing like that.

These beaches are from 200 to 500 meters wide and run for kilometers.

We first went to Fort DeSoto Park, just south of St. Petersburg. This is located on a small "key", an offshore strip of land that usually runs parallel with the mainland shore. It is your postcard palm beach with fine white sand, gentle waves and light breezes. There is a sign claiming that this beach was rated the number one beach in the USA in 2004. Hard to argue. After enjoying a picnic lunch, we waded along the shoreline, being too chicken to swim in the cool waters. By "cool" , I mean about 69F or 70F. Most people did the same. I'm guessing that in the summer, the water temps are around 80F or higher.

Fort DeSoto beach.

Our next beach was at Treasure Island, just to the west side of St. Petersburg. this was a wide beach, around 500 meters wide. Wide enough for me to fly my kite without fear of it hitting anyone. A nice seabreeze held the kite up real well. There were also quite a number of blue wind/sun shelters that one could sit under to get away from the elements. Drinks and dinner at Sloppy Joes followed.

Kite flying on Treasure Island beach.

A sand sculpture at Treasure Island Beach

Yesterday we had lunch at Clearwater Beach, just west of, yes, Clearwater, which is just to the north of St. Petersburg. Another beautiful white sand beach that seemed to attract a lot more people. No kite-flying there! But lots of people, birds (pelicans, cormorants, gulls, terns, etc.), and boats to watch. It is spring break for a lot of students in this area, so parking spaces were hard to find.

Clearwater Beach

We took a leisurely drive northward along the coastline to Tarpon Springs - fishing village that was originally settled by Greek sponge divers. There is a little Greek village devoted to selling the tourists reminders of that era, and we were no exception. Drinks and dinner by the waterfront (literally one foot away) where we saw more birds and even a single dolphin that splashed around briefly. Lots of small fishing boats, and one huge private yacht that towered over us as it left port. Hmmmmm.

Roni and a friend at Tarpon Springs. Is this her entry
for that hottie bartender contest?

We do plan to visit a beach or two around Ft. Meyers on the way back from the Keys. Bro' Doug says they are worth seeing. Stay tuned!

Oranges, Oranges Everywhere

2008-03-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Central Florida is noted for its oranges. In our travels, we've seen several orange processing plants, big mesh-sided trucks full of oranges, and of course, lots of orange trees. One can't go a mile without seeing orange groves (orchards?).

The dark green trees are usually about 15 feet high, planted about 20 feet apart, some are filled with oranges, and some not, and some are even blooming with small white flowers. Yesterday we were around the Winter Haven area and into a particularly nice spot where the fragrance of the orange blossoms was just lovely. Kind of like climbing up a apple tree at blooming time, if you know what that is like.

Well, we have been looking at these oranges with some longing lately, stopping to photograph a few, wanting to appropriate some, but fearful of ending up as a cellmate of Conrad Black should we be caught "orange-handed" so to speak (Lord Conrad, by the way, seems to be settling in quite well in his medium security surroundings here in central Florida, according to media reports). We really should be neighborly and stop in to see him one of these days.

But I digress. How to sample some of these orange delights without actually buying them, and remaining free? Well, it seems our prayers were answered. We were driving through this particularly lovely orange grove with trees tight on both sides when up ahead, on the road, were about a hundred oranges. Some were squashed, some split, but most of them just lying right there at the edge of the road, wondering what had happened to them. Obviously, they had fallen off one of the open topped orange trucks when it hit a bump on the road.

Like manna from heaven.

Of course we stopped. Salvager's rights we figured. We looked around furtively just in case, dusted a few off, tossed them in the back seat, and laughed all the way home.

Roni with a tree that has both ripened oranges
and new blossoms.

The USAC Sears Auto Center 200 Hooters Procup

2008-03-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, that's where we ended up on Saturday in Lakeland, FL. At the stock car races. 200 times around the track. Hooters girls and all.

It was all Roni's idea. I just went along to keep her company.

We were there with about three or four thousand other folks. Anyone from rural North Carolina would not feel out of place. I bought a ticket on a Harley Davidson raffle. Two Buds were $5.00. Lots of us wore earplugs. No one was in a hurry for anything, except for the drivers - they were in a big hurry. About 26 of the 32 that started thr race actually got around the track 200 times. Not bad.

Yes, there were a few fender-benders but nothing serious - some scrapes along the wall, a few nose to rear bumps, a couple of 360's in the turns, a blown motor or two, stuff like that. But no fires of rollovers. Quite civilized, actually.

I did learn some new uses for duct tape. Seems the guy I was cheering for (a rookie out of Mongomery, Alabama) nearly separated his right front fender from the rest of his vehicle. No problem. Head for the pits with the fender flapping and get out the duct tape! A half-dozen strips and 13 seconds later he is back in the race!! Who knew?? And to think of all the $$ we've spent in the past few years (since Kelly got her driver's licence) and all we really needed was a few rolls of duct tape!!

Here's my guy with the right front fender all
duct-taped back on.

A closer look!

The eventual winner does his traditional tire-smoking spins in front of the grandstand, wow-ing the crowd, collects his champagne and kisses and off he goes.

And as for us - hey, it was fun!

At Disney Hollywood

2008-03-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

The last Disney park on our tour was Disney Hollywood - as the name suggests, all things movie-related. The architecture is well-done, with streets like New York Street, Hollywood Boulevard, and San Francisco Avenue done up like their namesakes, as well as representative restaurants. There is a souvenir shop on NY street named "Youse Guys Moichandyse".

We saw a couple of stunt shows with car and motorcycle chases, shoot-em-ups and big explosions. Went on a few rides and saw a few shows.

The best show however, is "Fantasmic!" . . . rated as the best of its kind in Florida. "Combining music, lasers, fan-fountain projection, animation and a cast of over a hundred actors and dancers. Fantasmic! manages to choreograph the entire event with split second accuracy to music, fireworks and lighting. Illuminated boats, flying floats and a lake which bursts into flames are but some features of this enchanting event which plays to audiences of 10,000 per showing."

Unfortunately rain started to fall about 6:00. Fantasmic! was scheduled for 8:30, but not wanting to miss it, we went to the venue in hopes that the rain would subside.

Here is Ray, wrapped in a plastic raincoat,
Mickey Mouse popcorn in hand, waiting for
Fantasmic!, and hoping the rain
will soon stop.

It did not. But it was a warm rain. And the show went ahead anyway!! It was great.

Disney-Mania

2008-03-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

There are so many things to do in the Orlando area. Having already seen some pretty fair aquariums and zoos, and not really interested in monster waterparks, and also not much interested in being thrown 500 feet in the air on a rope, we decided that of the many area theme parks, we would choose to visit the Disney ones. Disney has four main parks here - The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. We bought a 7 day pass, which allows 7 visits to any of the above parks within a 14 day period - a good value if you are here for 14 days.

So far we've visited the first three, and will go to Hollywood Studios tomorrow.

All of them are a lot of fun, even without our children!!

We've met some interesting characters ..............

....... walked down Main Street to Cinderella's castle......

........had lunch with an ibis at a Mexican cantina......

......... seen several awesome 3D movies .............

........ visited Canada at Epcot...........

...... chatted with a lowland gorilla.......

....... and even participated in several parades.......

Maybe after visiting Disney - MGM Hollywood, we'll even be in the movies somewhere! Can you suggest a name for our first movie??

SST123 Endeavour Launch

2008-03-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more observations on the Space Shuttle launch last night.

We viewed the launch from the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex along with several thousand other enthusiasts. This is the closest that a visitor can view a launch, and it is still six miles away from the actual launching pad. During the wait, all the exhibits at the KSCVC are open so we took in a 3D IMAX film of US and Russian launches and the creation of the International Space Station. It was great! We also strolled the rocket garden of previous booster rockets and spacecraft as well as other displays.

The Rocket Garden

As the countdown proceeded on a big outdoor screen, we could see the pre-launch steps as they led closer to the launch time of 2:28 a.m. As the last few critical sequences passed, people would expectantly applaud as it became obvious that the mission was a "go", myself among them.

Keep in mind that I was a 10 year old kid when the "space age" began. To actually see a real spaceship blast off into orbit - this was going to be incredible! It didn't disappoint.

We could see the live image on the TV screen as the massive rocket engines ignited, literally turning night into day. It was several seconds before the sound of those engines reached us. By that time, the shuttle had cleared the tree line and we could see Endeavour rising straight up at an ever increasing speed, followed by a huge vapour trail. If anything, the light from the huge tail of fire increased. There was a cloud layer at, I'm guessing, 6 - 8,000 feet that reflected the light downwards and outwards. As the shuttle passed through this cloud layer, the light intensity dropped, but it was still lighting up the clouds from above. Unfortuately, that was the last we could see of the shuttle, as the layer was pretty solid. As the light faded, so did the sound, which was more like a deep crackling booming than a constant roll.

Endeavour as it leaves the launch pad.

Passing through the cloud layer as only the vapour trail remains.

What an awesome experience! It took us three hours in mostly bumper to bumper traffic to get home, but I'd do it again in a second. Just to contemplate the complexities of such an accomplishment; to appreciate that our great grandparents could never have imagined such a feat, and to have actually witnessed it still fills me with awe and wonder.

Wow!

2008-03-11T02:53:00.000-07:00

We just got "home" from the shuttle Endeavour night launch. The launch was exactly on time at 2:28 a.m., and we got home (roughly 60 miles from Cape Canaveral) at 5:45 a.m. Ironically, the shuttle had made two circuits of the earth by the time we got here. More details tomorrow.

Spring Training

2008-03-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

The scene - Chain of Lakes Stadium, Winterhaven, Fla. The occasion - Grapefruit League Baseball. The combatants - the mighty Cleveland Indians and the mighty Atlanta Braves. Two fans, Ray and Roni at their first pro baseball game.

Both managers were very liberal in their substitutions, each pitcher getting three innings, regardless of his effectiveness. The remainder of the players got 4 or 5 innings in before giving way to someone else.

Well, the Indians' bats didn't get working until the 9th inning, but it was too little, too late by then. Final score: Atlanta 5, Cleveland 1.

For Ray and Roni, it was a pleasant two and a half hours in the gentle sunshine, two Buds in plastic bottles, some peanuts and Cracker Jack, and a great way to spend an afternoon.

Can't forget Abigail.....!!!

2008-03-08T18:14:00.004-08:00

As we were walking the streets of New Orleans recently, we came across this neat store sign. Of course, we thought of our little "Abbie". Now, I don't know about the "dinky dogs" part, but I'll bet they have some really cool Mardi Gras outfits that would fit!

Bailey Birthdays

2008-03-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

March 8th - birthdays for Roni and Ted. Happy birthday to both.

As for Roni, here she is at the Restaurant Marrakesh at Epcot Center, celebrating her birthday with her sweetie. Between us we had roast lamb, beef shish kebab, pickled vegetables, couscous, spiced olives and a flaked pastry dessert. All this was washed down with Moroccan red wine and French white, as we soaked up the atmosphere of a Moroccan band and belly dancer.

Ain't She Sweet?

2008-03-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

I was talking to brother Ted the other day about holiday homes. Little get-aways, tropical oases, a place in the sun. You know, the kind of place where you can kick back, relax, and smell the coffee while enjoying the little luxuries that a life of labour should bring.

Ted mentioned that Doug and I should buy such a place, thinking, no doubt, that by the time he and Colleen are ready for it, both Doug and I would be in care-homes. "Just pass the keys over brothers", he would say, "I'll take good care of it for you"

Now, most of you know me as a man of action, and when opportunity knocks, I am there to answer the door. Just yesterday, I came across a little beach house that caught more than mere attention. Listen to this - beachfront, oversized lot, quiet neighbours, surrounded by unspoiled nature, flow through ventilation, and .....Ted, I know Colleen will like this, diving right off the front deck!

Yes, I thought "absolutely perfect" best describes this too! So I bought it!

Don't worry Doug, I used Ted's credit card. Just 200 little payments of $1,000.00 and the title will be his, free and clear.

Home Away From Home

2008-03-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

Davenport, Florida - our home for the next 30 days or so.

We had a great road trip, visiting or passing through Edmonton, Innisfail, Calgary, Great Falls, Sheridan (Wyoming), Colorado Springs, New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo, San Antonio, Napoleanville (Louisiana), New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama, the Swannee River, and finally Davenport. Only took us 9 days.

On the 10th day, we rested.

Today, we saw a couple of alligators, and a few other swamp creatures (but not Roger Clemens). Tomorrow, we see the Atlanta Braves in a spring training baseball game play the Cleveland Indians down the road in Winter Haven. Two tickets cost all of $11.00 each (plus tax, agency fee, and facilitation fee) so even if we do happen to see Roger Clemens, it's still a bargain.

We'll try to catch a Blue Jays game when we travel to the Tampa Bay area (an hour's drive west). I don't know any players on their roster either.

All My Bags are Packed ....

2008-02-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

I'm ready to go...... finally. I think.

Yes, just after bro' Doug, sis' Lenore, and Auntie Abbey flew the coop, we are eager to follow. Ted and C'leen had no hesitation. Even daughter Lor. On the road tomorrow with a pit stop in Calgary, then head for the sun (that reminds me, take the Uncle Remus Chronicles....).

So, how much stuff do you need, really, when you go off on an extended vacation? I'm thinking, what I forget, I can just buy, or maybe I really don't need it after all. Here's hoping.

So, stop by occasionally and I'll try and update you on our adventures.

The only regret about leaving for so long - that I won't get to watch the Oilers playoff run this year.

A Great Birthday!

2007-12-03T14:03:00.000-08:00

I want to thank everyone for their kind birthday wishes yesterday. I got calls from both my brothers as well as Mom, Laurel, Kelly, Gus, Alex, and even Donna H. and Allan! Thank you so much. It’s great to know people are thinking about you.

I relayed most of this story to Doug and Ted, but thought others might appreciate it too. When Mom phoned, she told me that when I was born, Dad made quite the scene at our apartment in Washington D.C. You might remember that Dad was a D.C. cop back then. It seems that he was on duty that morning when around 9 a.m. mom felt the first signs that this might be my birth day. Mom said “I made the mistake of phoning your father too soon”. He and his police partner came screaming up the street in their cruiser with lights flashing and siren wailing. Running into the house, they found Mom calmly tidying up the kitchen a bit. “We've come to take you to the hospital” Dad yelled!

Mom thought that perhaps a phone call to her doctor was in order before rushing off. They found him at the lake. He asked if she was experiencing any labour pains yet. “Well, no, not really” said Mom. “Call me later, when your pains start” said her doctor. “You’ll know.” So, around 4 o’clock in the afternoon they made the trip to the hospital (complete with police escort) and I was born a few hours later.

Mom and I (a tired little guy!) in a late winter outing at the upscale Rockcliffe Park in Washington, D.C.

Dad holding me in our Washington D.C. apartment

With Dad, Uncle Mark and Aunt Claire at the reflecting pool in front of the Washington Monument in 1950

Now when Doug was born, circumstances were a bit different. As with all new parents, the thrill and excitement of one’s first child doesn’t always translate into equal enthusiasm for the second. We were living in Cloan at the time and the nearest hospital was in Wilkie. Being mid-December, and being 1951, travel was a problem in the winter as country roads would usually be blown in by snowstorms and pretty-much impassable by car. Snowploughs weren’t a common sight in the Cloan district. Somehow Dad got word to Grandpa Gendall who dutifully showed up with his team of horses and freight wagon. In those days, one replaced the wagon’s wheels with skis in the winter. Off went Mom and Dad with Grandpa Gendall standing in the front of the wagon holding the horses’ reins. A couple of Grandpa’s dogs, Laddie and Lassie followed.

Grandpa Gendall with his team of horses near Cloan

Well, fourteen miles and three hours later the little caravan arrived at the Wilkie Hospital. I’m told it was quite a sight with the horses, wagon, passengers and dogs in tow. After dropping Mom at the hospital, Dad and Grandpa immediately adjourned to the Wilkie Hotel for a few drinks before heading back to Cloan with the team. Mom followed a few days later with Doug, but was able to take the train. The twice weekly railroad ran between Wilkie and Cloan and carried passengers as well as freight.

We think this is a photograph of Doug with someone at Grandpa Gendall’s house.

Five years later, along came Ted.

I remember that day very well. I was 8 years old at the time and we were still living in our Cloan house. Mom was washing some clothes in the kitchen. I’m not sure where Dad was. He was no longer farming and was away somewhere I guess. I know that he once had a job with the Fuller Brush Company as a travelling salesman so perhaps he was out on calls. At any rate, Mom was using one of those corrugated metal washboard things that you use to wash clothes. It sits in a big tub of soapy water and you rub the wet clothes up and down on it to get the dirt out. Obviously, we weren’t too well off in those days. She would scrub an article of clothing and then squeeze the water out and plunk it down on the table beside her, making a big pile to later hang out on the line. There she was, in her dress and apron, her hair falling over her face as she leaned over this big tub of laundry, scrubbing the clothes on the washboard.

I was in the living room, looking after Doug. He was five at the time and still in diapers. You had to watch him closely because he liked to pull his diaper off and play with whatever he found in there. It got real messy sometimes. Anyway, I heard this big “thump” from the kitchen so went to look. There was Mom, still leaning over the laundry tub with both hands in the water. I thought she had dropped a big pair of jeans on the floor between her feet, but lo and behold, there was Ted! Mom looked down at the floor and said “Could you get that for me, Ray?”

So, I quickly ran over, picked up the newborn Theodore, swished him off in the rinse tub and wrapped him up in some dry clothes until Mom finished the wash and could attend to him. It wasn’t wise to leave Doug alone for too long, as I explained earlier.

Doug and I with the newly-arrived Ted a few days later.

This last photo was taken in Cloan in 1960

I hope you enjoyed my sharing these recollections with you and thanks again for your phone calls.

Tagged, Eh?

2007-11-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't played tag since grade 8 (not counting that time in Las Vegas a few years ago). It's a good way to get us to update our blogs though.

Lets see, ...... The rules: Each player lists 8 random facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

OK....
1. One reason I am doing this is I don't think I could stand the embarrassment of having Allen actually update his blog before I do mine.

2. Megan is my favourite niece.

3. I have no addictions. If I did, cookies would be at the top of the list.

4. I actually know a lot more than people think I do. That makes me really good at Trivial Pursuit games, although I am admittedly weak in the cartoon-book-character category.

5. I get upset at drivers that straddle two lanes at stop signs.

6. I believe that mankind will save itself from disease, war, pestilence, and country music in a series of small steps rather than the "magic bullet" theorists.

7. Most of today's strong chewing gum flavours make me sneeze - a lot.

8. "Raymondo" comes from the first time I ever lied. At Disneyland, my two young daughters were horrified when they heard me give my name to the Latino operator of the ET ride as "Raymondo". "Dad, you lied!". Guilty. But at the end of the ride, ET said "Goodbye Raymondo". It was worth it.

As I don't know anyone else with their own blog aside from the ones Snowflake and Laurel already tagged, I'll have to pass on the tag to just Allan. Go for it Big Al!!

What's that Sound???!!!

2007-10-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

The time is drawing near when even the most devoted of us Eskimo fans must admit to the realities of the situation - things are not looking too good these days. Stuck in the basement of the CFL West, we blew another game yesterday, and the Stamps win today. Those "pesky 'Riders are still hanging around even though August is long gone. How has it come to this?

One would think that after having not missed the playoffs for 35 years, my presence as a season ticket holder the last two years would have inspired the lads to even more dizzying heights. But no, both last year and this, just the opposite happens.

It's getting a bit tough to make the trip every couple of weeks only to have my spirits crushed once again. Anyone want to go halfs with me on my season tickets next year?

Oh, Those 'Riders!!

2007-08-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Fresh off an annihilation of the hated Edmonton Eskimos a week earlier (54-14 for those with short memories), the Green and White took it to the undefeated BC Lions last nite. Kerry Joseph looked like Joe Montana, Matt Dominigez looked like Jerry Rice, and Wes Cates looked like O.J. Simpson as he sliced through the BC defense.

21-9 winners, the 'Riders are now 4-2, solidly in second place in the CFL West division, and are no doubt looking for their next victim as the steamroller builds up momentum.

If only the Grey Cup were contested in August.

Darn Varmints!

2007-06-08T17:28:00.001-07:00

The other day the Alberta Rat Patrol actually used shotguns to take out a colony of Norwegian Rats that had moved across the Saskatchewan border into Alberta near Alsask.

In today's Edmonton Journal, the results of an on-line poll were published. The question posed was: "Alberta has exterminated an infestation of Norway rats that came from Saskatchewan. Which possible Saskatchewan invader should we fear the most?"

4% of respondents identified gophers, 14% identified grasshoppers, 34% chose rats, and a full 48% identified Rider fans!

Have you any Grey Poupon ....?

2007-05-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Lloydminster's "Arts Without Borders" festival plays all this week. As Director of Protocol I will be meeting most of the cultural elite that pass this way. My table mate tomorrow for the Lt. Governor's Gala Banquet is Dr. Lynda Haverstock (have you any Grey-Poupon?), and her husband, amongst others.

Now, I know some of you are used to this, but for me it is a bit novel. Tonight, I will be meeting the six finalists for the Lt. Governor's Alberta Arts Awards. Bob Baker – artistic director of Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre; Greg Hollingshead – Edmonton author and professor emeritus at the University of Alberta; Sharon Pollock – Calgary author and playwright; One Yellow Rabbit Ensemble – an ensemble of Calgary theatre artists; Tom and Isobel Rolston – husband and wife musicians and administrators at The Banff Centre; and Rudy Wiebe – Edmonton writer and editor, have all been nominated. Three of them will be taking home a cheque for $30,000.00 each. I will also be attending three receptions with His Honour, Norman Kwong over the next three days.

Megan probably has most of the people on her speed-dial, but we folks in Lloydminster are all a-twitter. Did I mention that I just had a little chat with Fil Fraser in the bookstore at the mall? Oh, and do pass the Grey Poupon....

What's With Jason???

2007-05-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

So I'm having a coffee whilst digesting the NHL Playoffs Leader board stats this morning and who sits atop the pack with 6 goals and 12 assists? None other than our friend Jason Spezza!

What's with Jason? Is this not the Jason that our inaugural NHL Underachiever Award is named after? Can this be true? Have I unfairly impugned poor Jason? Allan, what's happening here?

Mother's Day Surprise!

2007-05-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

Roni, Kel and I visited Mom in NB on Sunday. She looks and feels good. Her garden is growing like a garden is supposed to grow in the spring with lots of flowers and blossoms on the fruit trees.

She was particularly delighted with a bouquet of cut flowers that had been delivered a day or two before. "Oh Ray, thank you so much for the lovely flowers" she said.

I looked at the card which read something like:

"From the good-looking one.....
the one that lives in Calgary......
the one that you last gave birth to .....
to the best Mom in the World .......
Happy Mother's day!"

"Didn't you read the card yet" I asked?

"Only the first line. I didn't have to read the rest, because I just knew it had to be from you", she said.

Well, what could I do?

"Happy Mother's Day Mom", I said. "You're the best Mom in the whole world"!

It Was A Great Day ........!

2007-05-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

As "Badger Bob" Johnson once said, "It's a great day for hockey". . . . and so it was in Calgary as the hardware for the 2006-07 Bailey NHL Hockey Pool was handed out May 1st.

Media interest was intense as a crowd gathered in a SW Calgary neighbourhood watering hole for the presentations. Last year's winner, "HerKelly's" was unable to attend (due to having four wisdom teeth extracted) but was ably represented by her famous and youthful-looking father Raymondo.

With the backdrop of the Canucks-Ducks game, first up was the newly-anointed winner, Theodopolis! Ted was nearly lost for words (unusual for him) as he tearfully accepted the trophy (and a $20.00 cash award). "I've reserved a special place for this special trophy" said Bailey, as he placed the cup on a shelf above his newly minted HD TV. The cash award quickly disappeared into his wallet.

Matthew Bailey, youngest of the entrants showed up big-time this year, pulling down a cool $8.00 for his third-place finish and a share of the prize money. The assembled photographers and media reps were temporarily blinded by the flash of his white smile.

Second-place finisher, Douglas W. Bailey, was unfortunately unable to attend to collect his $12.00, but his older brother kindly offered to hold it for him until the next family golf game can be arranged.

This year's festivities also featured a new award, won handily by Laurel Bailey. The "Jason Spezza Underachievement Award", commemorating the last-place finisher in the Bailey Pool was presented amid much fanfare. "There was no question who deserved this award", said Raymondo as he presented the lucide prize. "This 'laurel' could only go to 'Laurel' as she set an all-time record for being so far behind the next-lowest contestant, let alone the winner", said the senior Bailey. Even sidekick Copper showed more than his usual excitement as he nearly swallowed the prize before Matt put him in a double-fisted headlock to save the award for next year's presentations.

The evening's festivities continued with drinks all around, and the recognition that every day truly is "a great day for hockey"!

Is there Life after the Oilers?

2007-04-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Even though we still have snowdrifts in the backyard, check out what I found growing in the flower bed this afternoon!

Update on the "Change" thing, and a contest!

2007-04-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well, you can see that the glaciers are indeed moving, and, I pray, receding. This image was taken April 11th. At this rate, we may see actual new growth by.......... ???

Now for some fun! Who will be the FIRST to identify the following image? Think real hard now. All of you have seen this object. What is it, and where is it? Tick tock, tick tock....

Change

2007-04-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

To those of you that think things always stay the same, I have news for you. To those that say change is too slow, sit up and pay attention.

Observe, if you will the two images below.

Now, these two images clearly record the same backyard (mine, in fact). Yet there are obvious differences. The top one has more snow on the branches of the trees, more snow on the rooftops of the neighbouring houses, while the bottom image clearly, clearly shows that there has been some retreat of the snowdrifts in our yard. True, there is snow falling in the bottom photograph, so that point may soon be moot, however, the fact remains that at one time in the near past, there was actually old grass showing through the snowpack. This is kind of like "spot the differences" isn't it?

Now, here's the really amazing part. The bottom photo was taken yesterday, April 4th, while the top one was taken on November 15th, 2006 - hardly 5 months ago! See! Change does happen!

Thank You Meg, or Lenore, or maybe Rachel...

2007-03-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

One of the privileges of being retired is the time to do something when you suddenly get an idea. I remember asking for a good pasta recipe a few months ago and either Meg or Lenore responded with the "You Won't Be Single Long Vodka Cream Pasta" recipe from Rachel Ray. So, tonite was the time to try it and it was great! I made it with butter-garlic shrimp and a green salad (had to look up what a shallot was). And wine. And some more wine....

It was so good that I'm really going to have to use the spell check after I finish this post, as my typing has gone all to h-e-double hockey sticks. Thanks Meg and Lenore.

First Day of Spring

2007-03-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

So, just when does spring arrive in this part of the country? Most would say that spring is officially here on the vernal equinox (March 21st this year). If you said that, you'd be wrong. Others say spring coincides with the end of MLB's spring training, or the weekend of the Final Four in NCAA basketball. Wrong again.

My daughters know very well that not too much (aside from Ground Hog Day) excites their father and heralds the "official" arrival of spring than the heart-warming sight of the first crow of the season.

Yes, this morning around 11:41, there they were,two harbingers of spring, perched on the roof of LCHS, raising all manner of ruckus.

We did have a couple of false alarms. Yesterday, I chased after what I thought was a congregation of the rascals, only to discover that it was a flock of ravens, not a murder of crows.

There were even a couple of untimely photos in the entertainment section of yesterday's newspaper to refute.

So, Raymondo says you can now take it to the bank. Spring is here!

Gone and Done It!

2007-03-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

I think that's the name of that Shania Twain song isn't it - "Gone and Done It"? As I have three of her CD's I could probably look it up. And yes, it might also surprise some of you to know that I admire more about Shania than just her lovely voice.

To get on with my story, it's tough being a sports fan in northern Alberta these days. The Oilers have just racked up eight straight losses, Kevin Martin lost out in the Brier, Singor Mobeley got released, and so on.

Well, one can seek remedies in rum, comfort in crying, solace in screaming, but that only lasts so long. At some point, one has to actually do something constructive.

A couple of month ago I told the nice lady from the Eskimos Football Club that I would not be renewing my season tickets unless I could get substantially better seating than my eagle's aerie in row 263. "Sorry", she said, "no can do. We're all sold out down there where the good seats are".

"Okee-dokee" or something like that sez me. "It's been great watching the Eskimos perform this year. Call me if you have something better to offer".

Well, damned if they didn't! This morning I renewed, but for two tickets in the lower bowl, covered seating, 35 yd line! Touchdown!! If the the Esks perform half as well as their ticket office staff, we should have another Grey Cup on the shelf come this November.

Which brings me to the next point. I expect that the Stamps and Riders will be fighting it out to see which one crosses over to the East playoffs this year. The Eskimo pass defense was their Achille's heel last year, so I figure all we have to do is go out and sign everyone else's best DB's and we'll be back in the game.

So, if there are any particular games that you would like to see, I've got two tickets. Give me a call.

Move along.... nothing to see.

2007-03-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Even after driving a stretch of Saskatchewan's Highway 16 for the umpteenth time, one can still be caught unawares. Returning home after visiting Grandma C in NB, somewhere about 20 km short of Lloyd, we ran across Saskatchewan Tourism's latest attempt at attracting the tourist dollar with their new roadside "comfort stations". With it's lovely coral hues and retro design, not to mention a great view, it proved too much for me to resist. As Grandma C would say, "What next?"

Speaking of our NB visit, Mom is well. She was recently awarded a lifetime membership (no dues to pay) in the NB Sr. Citizens Society. She is still playing bridge twice weekly, doing lots of reading, and busy watching the Briar. We helped clean up a few things and had a good visit, bringing her up to date on the doings of her children and grandchildren.

One thing that needs some attention is the roof on her house. The past couple of summers have seen leaks develop along the upstairs dormers leading to moisture damage in the living room and kitchen ceilings and walls. A tradesperson has been contacted to repair that first thing in the spring. The walls and ceilings need to be replastered and repainted, but first the water leaks have to be stopped. Right now there are large blisters in the ceiling and on the walls so it doesn't look so good. Plans are to repaint the kitchen, living room and front room as well as replastering the ceilings on all three rooms. Once completed, I'm sure it will be a much cheerier place for her to live.

Grandma C send a big "hi" to everyone.

Like Lambs to the Slaughter

2007-03-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

Arriving home after a glorious month of a driving holiday, a nasty surprise awaits. Not only has Ryan Smyth (in my opinion, the ultimate hockey warrior) been traded to the backwater NY Islanders, but half of the remaining roster is unknown to me! Has not the Eskimos missing the playoffs been sufficient punishment for any misdeeds of the faithful? Apparently not. It is painfully obvious that the self-styled "City of Champions" will witness both their professional teams sitting out the post-season this year.

As the Oilers play out the string, last night they met the Anaheim Ducks. Now, more than a few of us have picked the Ducks to be Stanley Cup finalists this year. There would, however, be some small measure of redemption if the Oilers could upset these said Ducks. After all, anchoring their defense is the mighty Chris Pronger - the Oilers best hope for a repeat of last years Cup challenge, had he not fled the North Country for the charms of southern California. Alas, stud Chris is out with a broken ankle, so no consolation victory is even available there.

Doesn't matter. In addition to underperforming all season, five of the Oilers seven starting defensemen are in the injury bay, along with an additional five forwards. So, with 10 rookies in the lineup (you call that a lineup??) the chances for an upset are about as remote as all your kids remembering your birthday.

Sure enough, after watching episode 2 of season 5 of 24, (Sorry Meg - but everyone gets killed in this episode), I check in on the game, just in case.......

Like lambs to the slaughter, its 4-1 Ducks in the third. Ends up 5-1.

Sigh. But maybe there's hope for next year. I hear that the Oilers will be signing Joe Thornton, Alex Ovechkin, Jerome Iginla, Sidney Crosby, David Beckham and the Sedin Twins for next season.

Home Again

2007-03-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

So ..... after 5 weeks of wandering southern climes, we're back home. And you know what - it's good to be home! Twice now, in two years, we've taken a holiday in excess of four weeks. After that amount of time, our enthusiasm and sense of adventure, discovery (call it what you will) is not the same as during the first week. I guess you could say that our attention span is 4 weeks.

Now, we're very aware that there are hundreds of awesome places just waiting to be discovered by us. Marvellous, exciting, beautiful places! And we'll hit as many as we can, just not all in one year. We're already looking forward to our next trip; the time and place yet to be determined.

Everyone tells us that we picked a good month to be away, as the weather here has been cold and snowy. Feels like spring today though with temperatures in the +5 to +10 range. Better get the Skidoo out or it will be too late.

We returned home to a small mountain of mail, and postponed jobs. Takes a lot of time to get through all that stuff! Good thing I'm no longer gainfully employed or I'd really be snowed under. As it is, we had time to watch episode 1 of season 5 of 24 last night. What..... David and Michelle both dead!!!! Man! What a shocker!

We're off to North Battleford tomorrow for a visit with mom. I'm the only son not in Mexico right now. At one point last week, all three of us were out of the country. How's that for planning?

Roni met this cultured gentleman on the streets of Cabo San Lucas, while Ray is much amused by this towel-puppy in our ships stateroom.

Enough for today. I'll add more soon. Check back later.

Showing Some Love .....

2007-01-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

So, I took Senor Ping's advice and gave that whirlybird ventilator some hugs. There I was, up on the roof (thinking about the Drifters for some reason) giving my love to an out-of-round noisy ventilator. Well, I succeeded in quieting it down a little, but not enough. As soon as the wind picked up, the old complaints started anew. There my sweet baboo was, thirty feet below, just waiting for her chance to catch me should the wind push me off. Well, after two more trips up to the roof and one to the local Home Hardware for a new ventilator, the deed was done. Love may conquer all, but this cost an additional $54.00.

Let me tell you, even for us battle-hardened Canadians, it was COLD up there! The temperature was actually quite mild (-6C), the sun was shining brightly, but that wind made working with bare fingers very unpleasant. I'm so glad I didn't take Dad's advice and become a roof shingler.

That thing on the roof...

2007-01-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

We seem to have survived the blizzard of the past couple of days without too much harm. Luckily we have a guardian angel living in the house down the street. Yesterday morning, after the driveway and sidewalk had drifted in with foot-deep snowdrifts, I heard the sweet sound of a snow-blower. Yes! It was in OUR driveway! Thank god for Ernie and his snow-blower. I must take him a tin of popcorn balls!
Another sound I heard was the grinding and rattling of that whirlybird thing on the roof that is supposed to keep your attic cool in summers. Apparently the bearings on the wind-driven rotating shaft don't last forever and now someone must get up on the roof to change the little sucker. I'm thinking that with six inches of snow on the roof and a temperature of -26C out today, that tomorrow (or maybe next week) must be a better time to do that. I'm also looking for some advice as to how I might convince my sweet baboo (aka Roni) to get up there and change that ventilator.

Phone your Mom/Grandma!

2007-01-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

In case anyone has forgotten, your Mom's birthday is on Saturday. As our two students need to go back to school Saturday, we're heading to N.B. tomorrow afternoon to celebrate the big "85"!!

Christmas Popcorn

2006-12-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

When in Maui earlier this year, Roni and I stopped at a roadside stand and bought what I can only describe as the best popcorn ever! It was in a plastic bag and had some sort of sugary coating, all sorts of mixed nuts, salty stuff and was so good I felt guilty just eating it. I want to bring down some popcorn creation to Calgary for Xmas. If any of you have a killer recipe, please send it to me. I'll try it and bring lots to share.

Angry Cats

2006-12-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

Has anyone ever had difficulty trimming the claws on their cat? Our little Meeko, rather timid most days, dons her evil feline persona any time I approach with the claw trimmers.

Some tips ........ I've found that if you can get your knees right in the middle of her back, her feet kind of splay outwards and a guy can get most of those offending razor-sharp claws. Using the kitchen floor helps as there isn't a lot of traction for her. Easier to wipe up the blood afterwards too.

A Little Exercise in .....?

2006-11-23T20:36:00.000-08:00

To those of us who are newly retired, there is one greeting we can predict with almost 100% accuracy - "So, how do you like retirement?" or some close variation. Friends, former collegues, and near strangers - they all ask "how's your retirement going?". Not to complain - because any attention is better than no attention - but sometimes I think I know how Neil Armstrong feels. "So, what was it like to walk on the moon Neil?" The next question is usually something like..... "so what are you keeping yourself busy at?"

Well, yesterday I actually did try something new. As a retirement gift, Eric (yes, the same guy that has his name on our Bailey NHL trophy three times) gave me a one month membership to our new Lloydminster Multiplex. It does have an awesome exercise area, and since I've been looking at the certificate since February, decided to give it a go before the credit expires.

In we go. What a place! There are machines for exercising the biceps, triceps, gluts, quads, and about fifty other places I didn't know I had. There are treadmills, a running track, a couple of dozen stations just for weight lifting, yoga balls and mats. The music is loud. Some of this stuff will start automatically, or you can program your own regimen. It will tell you how fast you are going, how far you have gone, and when you should expect to arrive, and probably what you'll look like when you get there. It records your heart rate and I think, even your breathing rate (mine was "Whoa, slow down there old fella!") There are machines whose function totally eludes me except that it looks like it might hurt. There is even a "hip abductor" machine, whatever the hell that is! Some people have electronic gadgets attached to their wrists or waists that they periodically refer to - no doubt some type of progress record. Or maybe that was just their iPod. Some people look like they may even have purchased dedicated exercise clothing.

Now, I did recently notice that my two brothers both had some type of exercise equipment in their own basements, so no doubt this is old news to them. I expect both spend so much time on their equipment that their older brother's shock and awe over all this stuff is a source of great amusement. Well, go ahead and laugh. I'm OK with that. I tried out a few of those exercise machines and even though I'm pretty sure I was sitting backwards on a couple, it actually felt kind of good.

If I still feel OK tomorrow, I might just risk a return. Two things that I know for sure though, is that I don't like to sweat, and nobody abducted my hips.

Hey, this thing might even work!

2006-11-21T21:36:00.001-08:00

How about that! I start this "blog" (still haven't got used to that word yet) one day and I get 5 responses before 24 hours is out! I'll bet that never happens again!

So, I'm waiting at the hair shop to get my hair cut today and am reading some jokes to pass the time till I get to sit in the big chair. By the way, does anyone else ever wonder if you should ask for a different hairstyle this time? I mean, these people are supposed to know what will make me look better/younger/thinner/tougher/sexier/ aren't they? But no, I reply " just like the last time please, just a bit shorter". Maybe some day I'll get the courage to say "I want to look like my nephews, except with better judgement. They are all Stamps fans, you see".

So, this guy is lost in the forest. Lost for 2 days. Hungry and desperate. So, he manages to whack a bald eagle on the head with a rock and sets about eating him. Just then the Park Ranger finds and rescues him, but is also forced to charge him with killing an endangered species.

The judge asks him what he has to say for himself. He says "your honour, I was lost for two days in the forest with nothing to eat! I was starving! I had to eat something to survive!"

The judge sympathizes with him and says "well, I guess you really had no choice, so I am going to dismiss the charges. But, I'm curious. What did the eagle taste like"

"Well," the man says " kind of like a cross between a whooping crane and a spotted owl".

There's a first time for Everything

2006-11-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

You may have heard of that new book "So, We Sold the House and Ran Away to the South Pacific". I think it is written by a Calgary couple. It conjours up visions of chucking it all and trying something new.

Well, for me to have my own "blog" is something like that. I didn't even really know what a blog was until Laurel patiently explained to me. So, here goes. I've always found that if you want to educate yourself on something, the best way is to immerse yourself and learn as you go.

Actually, that is not the best way to educate yourself. I once decided that I needed to know more about mortgage mutual funds, so I eagerly rushed right out into a rising interest market and bought some. Within a few short weeks, I learned that a rising market is NOT the best time to buy that stuff. I did, however, learn lots.

So, hopefully this thing will work out. I certainly have enjoyed reading about "snowflake" and her buddies, and must credit her example as an inspiration.

Now I just have to figure out how to let people know about this blog.....