One Eye On The Map And One On The Weather

Theresa and I decided to take a road trip instead of going to a resort r a cruise.The area we wish to explore is the Alabama Coast and the Panhandle. Friends of ours play a lot of golf and they say this area is perfect for the casual visitor. The district is not as popular or busy as Florida so there are few waiting times and the prices are a little better.

We have not been to that district except to drive through so we will be on our way to a new adventure. Bicycles loaded, golf bags filled and ready and enough clothes for an extended trip.I am glad we have a large van as just Theresa's shoes fill a large box. Actually with the weather being so unpredictable you have to be ready for everything.

The last few days have sen a tremendous lowering of the snow pack and we should see green grass in about a week. Some of our fruit trees are budding and i have to get busy and do my spraying. So much to do but it will have to wait as we are off for a while leaving all our worries behind except we have a cell phone, a tablet and a tv.All these devices keep us in touch with family.

Our Leaders Got It Wrong

From the very first our western leaders got the Ukrainian issue completely wrong. Obama and Harper,our western leaders saw political gain from jumping on the bandwagon ,speaking in harsh tones and making threats that everyone knew would not be followed up. Our diplomatic value is considered so low that Russia simply ignored the noise and worked his plan.
The reason Russia's plan worked was that he took a lesson from the USA when it jumped into similar situations  and used the might of it's military to correct a situation. Remember America and it's allies did similar things in the name of national interest. Russia saw the breakup of the  Ukraine in a similar manner.They saw a small part of the Ukraine needing help to protect the dominant Russian speaking people  The vote was fast and precise and the result was expected to make their claim concrete.

Had the western world wished to make it's presence known it should have done it in the first forty eight hours.Once the Russians occupied the area it would have taken a military action to get them out. The western world has not got the teeth for such an action. Look at European Nations and in particular Germany and France. They sat on their hands and waited satisfied that the small part of the Ukraine lost was no big deal to go to war over.What did they do when Georgia had a similar situation?

Now our western leaders look weak and as with Iran they will band together and make restrictions and provoke a new cold war. Russia can withstand a cold war but are we able to to carry out our threats when Europe needs Russian oil and can Europe cough up twenty five billion to help the Ukraine stabilize it's economy? The answer is no as Europe has problems of it's own. From the first I wrote that this is all about the money.Political posturing for the Ukraine vote is a sad commentary when diplomacy of value would have done the trick.

Our prime minister is going to the Ukraine for political reasons. It reminds me of the doctor who lost a patient but feels guilty so attends the funeral.

Shawna Lynn's B'day Brunch

Shawna Lynn is studying at Ryerson in Toronto. Her B'day is in a few days so we decided to have a get together on the weekend. Her Mom and Dad came over from Ottawa and we invited family to come and share some time with her. The usual fun and sharing of stories followed by some good food passed the time .With so many of our grandchildren in university there is plenty to talk about.

Futures were discussed and options pointed out but most of all there was that common bond of supporting each other in their choices.We adults take a back seat when the discussions get hot and heavy over the world issues and politics in general. For those who think our young people are not concerned and knowledgeable about the affairs of our nation and the world they should listen to our future leaders. There are concerns about our environment and the crisis in the many countries of the world. Our young people have a genuine concern and will make a difference.

Shawna is on her way to a good education as are the other grand children and I am confident that the future is bright for these young people and Canada will be a better place in which to live because of their contribution.

Friends Through The Net

More and more I rely on the computer to maintain and re-connect with old friends. After secondary school members of your inner circle of friends decide on further schooling, travelling or working but the result is the same. We move on and get separated one way or another with our own self interests and drift apart.We sometimes meet by accident and share phone numbers in past years but now we give email addresses or set up skype times to further the connection.

I have been able to keep many of my childhood friends over the years but some who were important to me escaped my view. After your family grows up and you are left mostly alone with your spouse you have time to find your old friends.One of my childhood friends who is also my cousin was one such person. Tom and I dreamed dreams together about wanting to be jet pilots and even skipped school to travel over to Sydney to see the super sabers landing and making a show for the people. We even sat in the cockpit of one of them and our dream was almost a reality until we graduated and never got into military college or secured our future in aviation

We remained friends and Tom became a RCMP helicopter pilot. I went into education and helped many young people achieve their goals. After thirty plus years we got together again and had a couple of shared experiences in Cape Breton. Now we communicate by skype and telephone.

The interesting and common factor in reconnecting is that if they are true friends you feel you were never apart when you meet . The time in between is not lost but just on hold for a while. Tom and I plan to meet this summer for a little visit and the stories about fishing will surely produce fish even larger than they were last year. This is another benefit of growing old gracefully.

Spring Storm

Yesterday it was the first day that the mercury went up to double digits, actually 10.9 when Mother Nature fools us again by presenting us with a spring storm. A little rain followed by a whole day of heavy snow with heavy winds.

The warm day was making a great impact on the huge snowbanks and water was ponding on the roads and it really looked like a perfect spring day. This morning we were reminded that there were a few more days of winter. The roads are a mess but at least we cannot see the numerous potholes that dotted our streets as a result of the worst winter in years.

The children did not get a snow day as they are on spring break but nature has provided the perfect medium for a fun day in the snow.This snow might add an extra week to the ski season as well. Personally I like the snow even when I have to clear it from our driveway but it is a reminder that no one controls the weather except Mother Nature.

Paralympics

To see some of these athletes performing I could never call them handicapped or crippled as they amaze everyone watching their performance. The people who work with these athletes and preparing them for the games have to be given huge credit for the dedication and expertise they exhibit. The number of venues that are offered are as diverse as the athletes themselves . Watching the visually impaired skiers fly down the giant course with the help of their coach is amazing.

There is a special bond among these athletes and although they compete with all their might they show a comradeship special to these Olympics. Who can forget the hundred meter dash  during the summer games when a runner fell and the leader stopped to help the fallen and continued to win the heat.Canadians can be proud of the manner in which we embrace our athletes and support those less fortunate due to injuries suffered from multiple causes.

There is a large number of our vets who never gave up after terrible injuries suffered in the service of our country and are now representing Canada in another peaceful challenge.All across countries we now have a structure that enables these athletes to train and develop during the years between Olympic years.It has been said that you can judge the heart of a country by the manner in which it treats its elders, young and needy. By the looks of things we do quite well in that department.

Womens Day

One would think that in the year 2014 that Canada would not have to be reminded about the need for a special day to recognize the accomplishments of women and the recognizing of the problems associated with women's causes.The UN has pointed out the shabby manner in which Canada treats it's aboriginal people and women in particular. Our government had a perfect opportunity to show it's concerns the other day in the House of Commons when they took the opposite role and killed the bill which would have set up a select committee to look into the horrendous situation with 800 aboriginal women killed or missing.

I observed first hand the situation in the north of the manner in which missing and murdered Inuit and first nations women were marginalized. Little do our government leaders understand that any way the role of women can be improved the resulting benefit is huge. This is probably one of the missed opportunities that will result in a rise of civic disobedience by our first nations people. Frustration and mistrust of our system of justice is seen on every face where neglect to address this problem is evident..

Women of the world are growing in influence and offer a level of leadership not found in the male leaders. If governments were set up to elect a man and a women in each riding to government we would have a more civil and objective government.There are so many jurisdictions in the world where women are given little or no consideration that it remains one of the causaulties of modern times.

Education is the answer to many of these terrible situations and it should begin right here in Canada.

Back To Yoga

It has been a month since I began my adventure with yoga. I can say that I am pleasantly surprised with the value of this activity for me.A person has to believe in the theory of yoga to benefit from it's teachings. Although looking rather passive I have ended every session feeling like I had a hard workout.

This form of body improvement is as much mental as it is physical and captures the natural desire of people to understand the connect of mind and body. I could add spirit but that would sound churchy and we don't want to interfere with a good thing.

I have gone through several sessions now without an embarrassing incident and hope to keep my record clean.

The Ukraine.It's All About The Money

As the dust settles over the situation in Ukraine it is clear that the money comes into play in so many ways.Russia has had a free hand in selling its oil to western countries for years and has had pipelines through the Ukraine. Some countries in the European common market are very quiet. Germany for instance receives 40% of its oil from Russia. Other European countries buy Russian gas and oil in a stable market. They are not about to lose their supply just yet.

Russia has been transporting it's oil through the Ukraine for years and has had it's warm water fleet of warships in the Ukraine for years as well. It is not about to lose these bases. The Black sea has huge reserves of oil and natural gas which is basically untouched so far.The Ukraine is a relatively young free nation having been under the domination of Russia forever.They have not tapped these oil reserves up until this time.

It would appear that the revolt in the Ukraine was successful in ridding itself of a powerful leader with ties to Russia. With him gone and safely tucked away in Russia and the country now moving to the European Block fear is struck in the minds of Russian leadership.Had the new government leaders had more time to work out some agreements with Russia regarding its interests in the Ukraine all this posturing and military threats could have been avoided.

Time was not on the Ukraine's side and the Crimean area was left unprotected and now is in the hands of the Russian military and they are not going away anytime soon. Diplomacy and pressure on the economy of Russia will have an effect but idle threats will not move Moscow. Putin is a hard nosed player and we need leadership to solve this difficult and dangerous situation.

Russia will demand concessions and will probably get them to solve this matter and because the west has drawn a line in the sand there seems like no turning back. We showed our hand too soon and it leaves little to discuss. I believe we will back down on some issues and it will make us look weak. Morally there is no question as to who is right but this is not just a moral issue.

Great Lakes Freezing At 94%

It has been a long time since we witnessed the Great Lakes being frozen over to the degree that they're this year.There have been times in the past that we had a similar situation. I worked with a man in the forestry at Pays Plat, Northern Ontario who was a guard at a prisoner of war detention center during the war.

He told me that the prisoner camps in  the north were not heavily guarded as there was nowhere to go. On one winter and I believe he said 1943 Lake Superior froze solid at least on the Ontario side.A small group of German POW's planned to get away from their camp by crossing the lake to escape through the USA.They gathered supplies over a time and had a sleigh made to use around the camp.

One evening as it got dark they left their barracks and loaded their sleigh and left the safety of their camp and started out across the lake. Superior was a huge lake but these prisoners were not discovered missing until late the next day and a  search was undertaken.They were not found on land and it was a few days before it was known that they left by the frozen lake.

It was thought that they made the trip and were picked up on the American side. This would have been a tremendous saga of strength, ingenuity and great direction. There was a story written about this feat in a German paper some time later. The story teller of this feat has since passed on but he told the story so many times with conviction I feel it had a ringing of the truth.

Political Postering

With the serious problems facing the Ukraine our federal government is using the situation for political means by making statements it will never have to follow up. Bringing home our Ambassador was stupid in every sense as we need to have the diplomat there where he or she can do the most good. These professional people have their ear to the ground and have links and connections developed over the years.Think of Ken Taylor when he was in Iran and how he helped to rescue American diplomats. He wasn't home in Ottawa.

Loud speeches by our foreign minister is so much hot air. We have lost so much credibility on the world stage that no one listens to us anymore. For our PM to be standing side by side with Obama on this matter scares me as we should be independent and making our own statements. I can just see our PM saying me to if Obama makes a strong statement. Chretien stood tall and strong when war was declared on Iraq because he felt it was a bad war for Canada. He was right and we were spared from that tragic war.

We as Canadians should have our own foreign policy and speak of the Ukraine situation in our terms and not posture against Russia with threats that are meaningless. Diplomacy is going to be the way this will be settled. War is not an option so maintain the open lines with Russia and Ukrainian diplomats.The Ukraine understands that we are with them as a country. Our Prime Minister should have held a special session of parliament so every member of the Commons could add it's voice to show the solidarity of our country and not just the conservatives in power. People would be able to see that we are united in our desire to aid and support the Ukraine in it's time of need, united,determined and strong in it's resolve.

Lost Opportunity

Some time ago Canada received the slap in the face by not receiving it's place on the UN security council. Today we have a delegation over in the Ukraine talking to the new government of that place. The delegation was no more than a Conservative photo op as the world is a different place during the past forty hours, The Russian Bear is growling and the United Nations is attempting to calm the waters.

The emergency meeting of the security council is the only international body with teeth to try to curb the damage and we could have made a difference were we part of this body. The conservatives have shown nothing but disrespect for the council so now they are toothless in this dispute. Years ago when we were respected by the world we could have been a calm voice in this ugly matter in the Ukraine.

Let us hope that this Canadian Government and the PM listen to reason and make sure that any move they make will be one to keep our Canadian Troops safe and out of that mess. Our foreign policy is so unclear and fragmented that we could end up making commitments that we are not able to carry out. We must be in the mainstream of the world and not in the domain of the right wing conservatives when it comes to foreign policy. Thank God this is not a problem in Israel or we would be all in with the prime minister's  love and support for that country.

The world will solve the mess in that area of the world with the help of cool heads and mature foreign policy  experts from world powers through the UN>