Friends We Met On Our Bike Ride Today

On our bike ride today we had many good things to see. Firstly there is this elderly couple who live on a corner and we always call in when we bike in that direction. They are in there nineties and live independently. He loves softball and five years ago they cut him from the team because they thought he was too old. He offered me his glove and told me to take his place on the field. They are surrounded by challenges because their families have economic difficulties and some of their grandchildren  have medical problems.They tell us all their troubles in about three minutes and then they are OK.

Our eagles came through again with two young ones and they are about to leave the nest. This will be # 17  &; 18 for this couple.The mother is one of few who ever broke a wing and was returned to freedom. She is a big star as there has been a camera on her and her partner for nine years.We will visit them every day.

This little turtle was hit by a car but will live. She was catching her breath when we came along. For a turtle she is shiny and quite beautiful. Theresa and I have purchased  new camera with an optical zoom of 36. We hope to improve our picture taking in the future.

Something Wrong About This Apology

I must be living in another world when I see the actions of the USA regarding the burning of some Islamic literature.  Since this is a mistake in the first place with no insult meant and the men who were carrying out their work orders were Innocent of any evil doing I am appalled that every level of military and political leadership bent over back words to appease the Islamic radicals.

In my view there was a problem of taking care of these books. There was a better way but the reaction by the radical Islamic people was way of of order. Rioting causing death to soldiers, world wide reaction and hatred towards the American people who are there to help keep the peace and ridiculous statements made in the press would cause me to tell them to go to hell. They are the ones who should apologize for the deaths and destruction by their people and the USA should look at the image they portray when the world watches this nonsense. In America there is such a high regard for their flag and country but when something goes wrong abroad they have to suffer the indignity of seeing their flag burned and all sorts of anger shown to their country.

There is something wrong here when the world stands in fear of causing the least insult to this radical group and caters to their whole way of life. We even provide special food to those we keep in jail for acts of terrorism, we give them their holy book and treat them with dignity. We should expect no less.

Take Your Time

When I was cleared to continue with my life after surgery I was told that it would take up to five times more to complete simple tasks. I smiled and nodded my head just happy to be released from the bondage of in activity. I am finding out that the Dr was correct in many ways and indeed it does take much longer to perform the simple tasks like dressing and working in the garden.

Today I was cleaning up a part of the garden where I covered the soil so weeds would not take over. Trying to bend and perform this task was difficult and took so long. In fact I only completed part of the job. I tire easily and have to rest every hour or so. It was a little frustrating at first but since I have all the time in the world I am adjusting.. Thinking that I have another three months was a shock at first but as time goes on and I see some improvement every week I am just thankful to have this opportunity.

Just as the price of housing had to make an adjustment I suppose this is my adjustment. Tomorrow will be the first time I will play golf with my pals. My adjustment will be to play without a driver or any heavy iron clubs. I must use the old senior wooden clubs and play my ball off the ground as I cannot reach to use a golf tee. My score will be higher and my effort made without much extra energy but I will be playing . I will not share the rewards from the money pot but it will be fun. I will be embarrassed if I hold up the foursome so I will have to pick up some time if I fall behind.

So take your time and enjoy and be thankful you can play at all.

Race To Be President

We are in the middle of the weirdest nomination process I ever saw. What started out as a group of about a dozen men and women has ended up with four. A group which does not look very presidential and as for their skills at debating, well just terrible. These men seem to be without a team of advisers. Every person has made crucial mistakes and the leader changes with the next mistake.

It would appear that the two front runners will eventually spar for the prize. The old lad who has not got a chance of winning  will stay till the end and then transfer his votes to the leader. This person, Mr. Paul, is intelligent and humorous and a crowd pleaser but very few people take him seriously. He  is also tied to Mitt Romney as his son was set up in business by Romney. Paul never criticizes Romney and I am sure they will be a team.

Santorum came right out of nowhere and is the person to watch. He had little money at first and few followers but his work on the debates changed all that. He would be a dangerous person to be president with his values. He is extreme right wing conservative and his religion is worn on his sleeve. He is anti union which undermines women's rights but appeals to the tea party.

Religion and moral issues are up front. Two of the four are RC, one is Mormon and the other is Baptist. All the  issues are on points unrelated to what people have on their minds; jobs and the economy. As the race goes on there is almost a sense that the Republicans will field a weak possible President. I sense that many of the people are just so turned off by the negative advertisement that they just don't care. Personally I love to watch the race but this one is like no other and we could possibility be in for a new candidate entering the race. Whatever happens America is in need of sound leadership and I hope the  election solves that problem.

Market Day

Every Saturday we love to go to the market. This am it was so crowded that parking was hard to find. We did manage to get what we wanted and the produce was really fresh. The market here in Cape Coral has caught on and the number of people attending is in the thousands. It has been a real winner.

We had many chores to do this week and today we made many calls to get the business done. In our town everything is close together and you can accomplish much in a short time. Theresa has been helping me with the heavy lifting with items like the chlorine, bags of salt (60lbs) and compost (50 lbs). It is frustrating for me to get help as l know I could lift them but I cannot take a chance.

We are cleaning up the back yard and cutting away all the old growth from the summer. It is amazing just how much trees and shrubs grow in a few months. I planted beans and lettuce on Monday and they were up on Thursday.I have been trying to get some exercise routines in the pool and find that it is most satisfying to use the warm water as a medium.

The economy has definitely taken a turn for the better and there is an air of expectation among the local crackers.Some building has started and even houses and businesses are being constructed. If the local market is any indication then things are looking up.

Three Months Later

It has been three months since I had my surgery and what a difference it makes in my life. I have no pain, drug free and able to walk, bike and work in the garden. I am by no means completely back to normal as that will take several more months. The slow process causes me to take frequent breaks when working and careful thought when bending , twisting or reaching.

Theresa is my task master and warns me of over zealous actions that could hurt the curing. The most significant change is the lack of pain. After many years enduring pain nearly all the time, there was a tremendous impact on your whole life. The day after the operation that pain connected to the nerve damage was over. The small amount of pain connected to the healing process is so minimal there is no impact what so ever.

My challenge is to keep my patience in check and not expect unrealistic results. All this takes time. In one area I am going to take exception and that is in the game of golf. Dr said I could try to play but no using the driver. I cannot bend to put the tee in place so will play everything off the ground. A light wood (#4) will be my long club and I will have to be content to score poorly for a while.

Throughout this three months I have sung the praises of these Dr's who have given me a second chance at life and of course to Theresa who was with me every step of the way. The process will help both of us to live a more active life and share our  dreams of more adventures and travels which require a person to be mobile.

The three months flew bye and I am sure life will do the same so we have to fill our time with all those things we talked about when we were waiting for this cure. I am able to think like all the people who are waiting for their own miracle and hope they receive one like me.

Spring in Florida

The spring weather has come to Florida with little possibility of any more cool weather. The trees are in flower and the crops from here are being sold at the market. Strawberries are great this year as there was no frost or bad weather. Our yard wintered well with the good care of our neighbors.

While the temperatures are above eighty every day the evenings and night  are about sixty. This makes for comfortable living. The boys of summer (baseball players) have returned and the two teams who train here are drawing people by the thousands. The community here built a new training stadium for the Boston Red Sox at a cost of $84,000,000. The official opening was this week and the whole project came in on time, on budget and appears better than expected. It was built exactly like Fenway Park except the capacity is only 11,000. It will be filled for all 16 games.

There is a general feeling of optimism here in the south west as the economy is getting better and signs of activity are evident.  This spring comes none too late as we have had five years of record downturns in the tourist based economy.

There are birds a plenty here in our neighborhood and our own Mocking Birds are once more building a nest in one of our trees. They have such a great selection of sounds it is no wonder it is the Florida State Bird. I have no sightings of our two families of eagles as yet.but hope to be surprised in the near future.

Settling Down In Paradise

Theresa and I usually take a week or more to get back to normal when we make the transition from home to Florida. This year with Henry Jr we were able to settle in quite well in  a few days. There is always more to do but for me the priority was to get the small garden planted.  I went the Home Depot and checked through the tomatoes and found four with double stems so that is all I purchased. Along with lettuce and beans will make up my efforts this winter.

Our other trees and doing well but because of watering problems our orange and grapefruit trees are in for a fight to survive. They are however doing well with new leaves popping out all over. We have to wait for the bananas to start new shoots before we will have a crop like we had this year. There is excellent weather with the temp around the eighties and that is good for growth as it is not too hot.

Seems a little strange with the absence of Doris but we talk to her often and she is doing well in her new surroundings. We can settle in now and begin to meet our old friends and enjoy the couple of months of healing and enjoyment of our winter home. Of course we have to get back to golf as well.

China Is In the News

China is in the news nearly every day for some reason or another but this time is because our oldest daughter and her hubby are going there for a couple of weeks to clear up the mess that exists with their forging ahead too quickly. This country of over a billion people has the potential to become in a short time the most powerful country in the world. I don't think that  that daughter will change much while she is there but the personal knowledge she picks up will give her fuel for her blogs for a long time. Her new camera will take many pics and I am sure they will turn up in her blogs in the near future.

Few people are fortunate enough to be able to visit that mysterious country but Lynda jumped at the chance and our whole family will benefit. I wish I was going as well but I am less energetic than she and the Great Wall might do me in.

Have a good trip and return full of rice and wonderful experiences to share with us in the coming months.

Bananas

We arrived at our home in Florida and were greeted to a display of fruit from our trees that demanded immediate attention. Five bunches of this small variety ,apple bananas were in need of attention. Bananas only bring one crop to the table and when the fruit, although green in colour,  matures, the tree dies.

The trees do not really die because another tree grows in its place. We had a good crop this year in spite of the fact that they did not benefit from the daily watering. For some reason the water system  did not respond to that zone. Everything else was OK.

We will be eating bananas, having banana milkshakes and banana bread for a while. Ain't nature grand.

Best Trip South I Ever Shared With Henry

Shared is the word as I had a helper this year for the Journey to our Florida home. Henry came along and carried the load by driving with skill and speed. !438 kms the first day and only 800 the second day. We try to average 100 kms an hour and we did. It was a great help to have the young lad along not only for his driving but a new audience  for the stories about laces and things we experienced during the previous years.

The weather was perfect and we were able to see the seasons pass before our eyes as we sped through New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia and finally Florida. A highlight was a herd of deer with a count of about thirty spotted by Theresa. We took advantage of the HOV lanes where possible and they give relief to any traveller wishing to navigate through a strange area.

 I had a cramp in my foot and attempted to take off my running shoe while driving. My bending ability is impaired so I had difficulty trying to pull the bow out of the laces. I kicked off the running shoe but it ended up under the brake and gas pedal. Trying to clear up this mess came to Henry's attention and the erratic way I was driving caused him some concern. I tried to act cool but I was beginning to worry as I couldn't reach the shoe. Finally I made contact with it and tried to pull it back with my other foot. Again my driving became erratic but I did get control. I will not try to describe how I put it back on but you get the picture. Never try to change shoes while driving your car.

Arriving home in Florida always makes me feel real good and with the extra help we were able to get off the shutters, put on the water and do all the little things that make our place a livable place.We picked oranges and bananas and prepared to relax but there were other chores to do. Henry made them look easy so we settled in quite nice  and look foreword to sharing a short visit with Henry.

Feeling Great And On My Way To Florida

Yesterday Theresa and I went for our last major Dr appointment to see if I was fit enough to finally get away to Florida. Dr was surprised but happy that I had a perfect recovery from my surgery. During the viewing of the X-rays of the carpenter work he performed, he said I had a perfect work and my recovery entitled me to be free of any conditions. I can even play golf (carefully). I happen to have a large spine and very hard bones so all the nuts and bolts and devices held very well.

I was absolutely happy and after he gave me a letter to enable me to go through customs at the airport we shook hands and I was returned to the real world in 2 and a half months. Hardly 4 to 6 as he predicted. I praise and thank my whole medical staff for work well done and promise to never do anything to dishonour their work by doing something foolish.

Medical science has given me a second chance to be a whole and healthy person and even promised that I might be able to run again in six to eight months, I have zero pain and as I make up my little pill box routine there is no pain control medicine their in.All this work was done for me by doctors who work within the Canadian Medical Association at no cost to me. I was relieved of the burden of economic ruin because of our health plan.

Tomorrow morning at 4 am we will leave and head to our home in Cape Coral. Our family will take care of our home and try to keep our flowers alive while we vacation and recuperate under the sun. Life is good and I appreciate the second chance to contribute to the world around us.

Eating Out With Adam and Family

Since we are rarely at home for B'days during the winter months it was a treat to be invited to eat out with Adam and his family at a local restaurant. Theresa and I do not eat at restaurants very often so it is a real great way to celebrate another family B'day. Adam turned 25 and is a student at university. It is convenient to study, work and live all within a mile. 

We as a family are fortunate to have healthy grand children who like to further their education. As a former educator I see a high co-oralation between young people who are active in school activities and future desire for success. School sports,music and leadership roles seem to motivate young people to continue these activities after secondary school.

Ethics and Politics

When we think of the basic principals of Conservatism we should think of free trade and personal freedom in making our way in life. Little government involvement as possible and certainly no taxpayers money aiding or interfering in the free enterprise system. Well here we are with the Prime Minister, a hand full of cabinet ministers and forty business people travelling to China to beg for business. The business people incidentally are the oil , lumber and commodities, folks who have the Canadian resources at their disposal.

Already our government gives huge tax breaks to these companies which are for the most part foreign owned. The oil companies have huge cash reserves and show profits unheard of in most circles except maybe the financial business which control much of the economic energy of our country.

Our government cries foul if you mention socialism in any form except their own. We live in a time where big business is often larger and more powerful than their political masters and have the ability to bully governments into decisions which are not always in the interests of the ordinary citizen.

I have stated on numerous occasions that big business have one objective and that is their bottom line. Profit is their motivation and ethics have little to do with their decision making. A case in point is this trip to China where we are dealing with a country which has numerous civil liberty violations and a record of turning a deaf ear to the western worlds concerns. Their behaviour along with that of Russia is causing the rest of the world to be held hostage in regard to the Syrian question. Here is one example where we as a country could be more forceful in our outrage about the slaughter of innocent peace seeking people wishing to have the same freedoms that we enjoy. We instead , with full knowledge of the Chinese stand in this regard seek more trading deals for our big business.

I wonder what our stand would be regarding China's behaviour if we were not seeking  financial benefits through trade agreements. Should we even be trading with China or any country which does not meet the standard of international civility as laid out in the United Nations constitution? These considerations are very difficult to work around and we hope that our leadership shows the correct posture so we are a shinning beacon of correctness rather than a nation only seeking to protect our economic base and powerful multinational companies.

Perhaps some of the answers are found in  the decisions currently being considered at home. The new laws regarding minimum sentencing, more prisons and the ending of the long gun registry, less emphasis on the environment, more emphasis on offensive weapons for our peace  keeping armed forces ( fighter jets) and a much more closed house of commons  are but a few of major changes in our Canadian sensibility. I feel it and so do many more and my wish is that the new conservative goals for our country leave it in a state where we can be proud to say on the world stage that we are Canadian.

Birthday Special

In our family we always celebrate birthdays, but this date is special because three members of our clan have the same birthday. February is a big month as we celebrated two of the clan had milestone numbers as 20 and 25 are quite special when you are a university student.Normally Theresa and I are in Florida for these special days but this year we were happy to be present.

Although this B'day was for  Darcy,  the others will have their celebration at a later date with family. Our birthday girl is in second year university studying to be a world leader and has so far been involved in making a difference for less fortunate people. She is a traveller and comes back with wonderful stories about far off places and makes us all motivated to do the same. This year to be involved she has taken a dog to be socialized for the guide dog program which is centered in Oakville. I just wonder what that young dog will learn by attending class or more particularly during the off hours.

This will be the second last family gathering before we leave for Florida so it was a great occasion for picture  taking and getting caught up on all the latest news. For Darcy on her 20th, it brought memories flooding back as I had the good fortune of having shared many times with her as a very young child. I have to say she was special but spoiled then, and special today but less spoiled because she has definite goals to achieve and so much to do.

Caterpillar, Without A Heart.

It was only a few weeks ago when I wrote a blog about the problem in London, Ontario and its dealing with Caterpillar. This company bought the GE plant where diesel-electric locomotives are built. Over 500 men worked there. When Caterpillar bought the plant it had a plan. Firstly they offered the workers a contract whereby their wages would be cut in half. There was little opportunity for the men to discuss this radical offer. It was rejected and the company locked out the workers.

Some weeks later the company closed the plant and announced that the work would be done in a plant in the USA. The company had no notion of using the Canadian plant but wanted to get their hands on the equipment upgraded by money from the Canadian Government to make it a world class operation. The intellectual property connected to this plant was worth billions and now it all goes away and the workers are left with no hope for the plant to be operational ......ever.

Where Canadian Taxpayers money is used in supporting industries to become competitive on the world stage there should be some terms for security of the intellectual property and jobs created as a result of same. I feel for the workers but see this happening again as it did with Nortel where valuable intellectual property through patents wee sold for a fraction of their true value. We lost not only a major company but the world class patents to our competitors.

Watch for the next big sellout to the internationals who will soon control the tremendous Canadian resource ,the Oil Patch. Our government is not protecting our interests. The short term gain for long term pain will be the call in the near future. Watch China, India and Asian money soon control much of our natural resources. The pipeline debate is just starting the big shift to the internationals and we all know who will benefit that. It will not be the Canadian People in the long run.

Our Prime Minister is now in China for a photo op and will leave that country with secret commitments which will place the oil market in a position where we the local consumers will pay more while we begin our give aways to the very rich multinationals.

It is time for Canada and the USA to stop their expensive support for the already rich oil companies and consider their own taxpayers and needed services for a better life of our middle and low income families.

What A Difference a Day Makes

Here it is the 5th of February and people here are still waiting for winter. We had a few flurries but snow never stayed on the ground for more than a day. My garlic has started to grow and many of the trees and bushes are starting to bud. My small fish ponds have frozen over several times but the fish are still active and that is a first. Theresa took a few pictures when we had our only snowfall and we actually cleared our driveway. However the temperature went up to 10 degrees and next day there was no sign of snow. We took another picture 24 hours later and it was back to summer. What a difference a day makes when it comes to weather.

My Favourite Arctic Animals

While living in the high Arctic I discovered pure joy in my relation with the animals. When I arrived in Akaluktutiak to be interviewed it was in February and the temperature was near 50 below zero. The only wildlife in the hamlet were the numerous dogs. I found out however that the land was actually full of wildlife.During the week I shared with the people there I was given an opportunity to look around and was provided with a snow-machine to get about.

On my first excursion I headed out of town to see Mount Pelly. It looked about a couple of miles away but actually it was about15 miles distance from the Hamlet. I followed a well travelled trail and encountered numerous Arctic hares. Large for a rabbit and stood nearly three feet when standing ion it's hind legs.

About a mile out I encountered some Peary Caribou and this was the first time I ever saw these smaller Caribou native to this area and becoming endangered due to heavy hunting. They were not too afraid so I watched them for a while.

Next came the biggest surprise, the snowy owl. This year was one which produced many lemmings so there were many owls. I got within a few feet of the owl before it flew off. I discovered it was eating a lemming. On my first day out on the tundra I saw four of natures creatures and it made my day.I did not photograph these animals as I had no working camera because of the cold.

My week ended and I returned home with the great enthusiasm of returning and getting the opportunity of actually seeing and photographing the Arctic animals like the muskoxen and polar bear.

Timing Is Everything

Yesterday I had the misfortune to accidentally break off one of my front teeth. If you have ever had this happen you know it amounts to a tragedy. When I looked in the mirror all I could think of was Halloween and the pumpkin teeth. When Theresa saw it she tried to hold back her laughter but with no avail. Similar reactions from everyone. Lucky for me I have time to get it repaired  before travelling to Florida.

A root canal has been completed and I was supposed to go right over for a temporary tooth but my dentist decided to wait until Thursday. Then the fitting for a new tooth. I had the old one but he says I have to get a new on. For one little accident the cost will be $1500. The cost will be partially paid for by insurance but I have to be in hiding until this is all over.

Timing is everything in cases like this. I once broke off two teeth while travelling in the Arctic and I had to live with that for over a month, so this time I got off lucky.