Peering Through a Porthole

Eating Out With Adam and Family

2012-02-10T11:08:00.001-05:00

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

2012-02-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

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.

B'DAY Special

2012-02-06T17:35:00.001-05:00

In our family we always celebrate birthdays but this one 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 (girl) 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 into my head 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.

Caterpiller,Without A Heart.

2012-02-05T10:19:00.000-05:00

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

2012-02-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

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

2012-02-03T08:18:00.000-05:00

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 Feburary 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 sno-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 becomming 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 photoghaphing the Arctic animals like the muskoxen and polar bear.

Timing Is Everything

2012-02-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had the misfortune to accidentally brake 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 hallowe'en 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.

Winter Wonderland

2012-01-31T14:29:00.000-05:00

After a winter of summer like weather we arrive in February with a little change. Last night we were blessed with a snow to the tune of about 10 cms. This morning everyone on our street were out pushing the light snow from our driveways and sidewalks. What a difference in attitude when we finally felt we were in a Canadian winter.

The temperature this morning was above zero and by noon 8 degrees above freezing. Our snow will last for a few hours but for a short time we were happy. I never saw too many small animals this last while but with the snow we saw many tracks and the rabbits and other little animals are on the move. We in Oakville are in a very active area for coyotes. There have been contacts with the animals during the past few months. These animals are one of the most adaptable in Canada and here they are mixed up with the wolves and are slightly larger. They are normally a social animal and do not impact our lives but we are taking over so much of their habitat that contact is inevitable.

In my spring garden I observed my garlic growing at a fast rate and now covered with snow it may survive.I shall be going to Florida in a few weeks but I am so happy to have the opportunity of seeing some of the white stuff before I get used to the sun and warm weather.

This week I received news that one of our old friends from the Ottawa Valley has left the hospital after surgery and I know he will love to see the white landscape in one of Canada's most beautiful areas to help him get well . Get well quickly European Les.

Flashback To 1948

2012-01-30T17:33:00.000-05:00

1948 was a year of important events in my life. Our home in Cape Breton was in shock as the coal miners went on strike.Freeman Jenkins was the president of umw district 26 when men were working for less than a living wage and decided to go on strike. For us in our family it was a year of celebration because our oldest and smartest up to that time graduated from high school and headed to Provincial Normal School in Truro. Grace was the first of many in our family who followed and gave us a real chance to make our mark in life.

One memory that I still remember as funny was the impact that Grace had on our life. On one of her visits home she thought the kitchen floor was drab and because she took block printing at college she mobilized us in a project of painting shapes on our floor. The result was amazing and gave us a real treat and brightened up our kitchen.

With the men on strike there were many people who suffered poverty and real hardship. The Red Cross fed the children at school with a jam sandwich and a little jar of white milk every morning. On Friday we were fed a jam and peanut butter sandwich and the milk was chocolate.

Our churches went into action in our towns and helped the very poor with food and clothing. I remember with great clarity seeing the face of despair on the faces of fellow students. We as a family were better off than most as we had a great potato patch and kitchen garden and Dad worked wherever he could and with his horse and cart hauled boot leg coal and shore coal to help.

Our mother was an amazing example with knitting, sewing and making something out of nothing. One item of clothing she made me and I still talk about it when I get in that mood of remembering when. It was a yellow shirt with a broad coll er. Mom made it special by stitching a yellow yarn type of thread in the coller and button holes.

That same year some of our family received a New Testament from Carman United Church for perfect attendance. I still have mine and treasure it and keep it in my collection of special books.

The strike lasted for a long time and as the men were making about $8.00 per day they ended going back to work months later for around $9.00 datal pay. This all seems so long ago but these thoughts came to mind as I looked at a old family picture with all the kids in their uniforms representing their church groups.

Memories are wonderful mind pictures which keep us in touch with our past. I loved my early life and when I get a flashback I treat it as a gift.

Final Three

2012-01-29T10:33:00.001-05:00

We are fortunate to have eight healthy and intelligent grandchildren.At this time of the year important decisions are being made. We have two 17 year old's who ,at this time are making decisions about which path to follow after their graduation in June.Both are seeking further education ,but where and in what field. Seventeen is a very young age to make life altering decisions such as career choices. Fortunately there are guidelines and counsellors to aid in the decisions but it really comes down to them.

When we graduated sixty years ago the list of occupations were listed in a guidance book and numbered in the hundreds. Today there are thousands of opportunities just in the high teck field. Social sciences always played a huge role in our family and most of the decisions are found in fields where interaction with people needs and found.

Because most young people have not made up their mind about the future, the general BA serves the need to have a educational experience and mature so a more realistic decision is made. From my observations young people are usually staying in university for many years and the costs go up and our young scholars are left with a huge debt after graduation. With all the bursaries, scholarships, OSAP and part time work available the choice to further your education is still the best alternative. Every year of education opens up the opportunities for a wider range of choices and greater financial rewards for their contribution.

We need to encourage our young people to study hard and be prepared to take their place in society.

More Promises

2012-01-26T10:36:00.000-05:00

The big new start to better times for our First Nations people ended just where it started several hundreds of years ago.Treaties were written and approved by the First Nations and Britain with the idea they would be honoured by both parties. In most cases these treaties were never expected to be acted upon as the basic reality was that the native peoples would either be assimilated or in such small numbers that they would never challenge the treaties.

Here we are in 2012 and these First Nations are still for the most part treated as second class citizens and we as a Country are or should be ashamed or embarrassed for the conditions under which these people are supposed to live.

This conference could have decided in a matter of hours that the education, health needs and housing with clean water would be addressed immediately. More promises and studies only means that a million of our citizens will live in conditions that can only be classified as being as bad as most third world countries. The Kelowno accord was to give the First Nations $5,ooo,ooo,ooo to begin to build proper houses, clean water and schools as well as address the health issues of these Canadians. This government cancelled this accord and things have remained the same.

The problems and issues with the First Nations are basically with the outdated and totally useless Indian Act. This legislation does not address the needs of 2012 and will need to be changed. Everyone who has been working with the First Nations is very familiar with the lack of proper funding for programs like education and housing on the reserves.Underfunded programs make it impossible for the children and young people to get a proper education so we are left with thousand of Canadians who are unable to compete for jobs in our society.

All the other issues are the same, studied to death, underfunded, poorly managed and the losers are the people who depend on these programs. There is plenty of blame to go around. But surely after all these years the problems are known and now we need solutions not more promises.

I listened to the grand chief of all the First Nations and he gave the finest speech I have listened to in many years. It was factual, emotional ,and laid out the situation in a helpful way but the Prime Minister and 11 cabinet ministers were there to listen and learn and tell the First Nations that things would change in small and steady ways. Meanwhile we have people who have no schools, clean water or health services. When we had natural disasters in our country or in foreign lands the Canadian People were most generous in helping to solve the problem. When Haiti was hit with the terrible earthquake our resources were used to help and are still being used. Why can we not use this same energetic approach to our own people.

The result could be welcoming over a million bright and talented people to our workforce and their contribution would help our economy. I have been hearing about this issue for over fifty years and I feel that it is just as bad as it was then and maybe even worse. I hope this time we get it right and our First Nations can take their place in Canadian society with dignity and not second class citizens.

Happy Times

2012-01-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

Coming right after Xmas birthdays seemed to be pushed to the back corner but not in our family. Many if not most of our immediate family have birthdays in the first three months of the year. As a child who had a birthday on Jan.5th it was so close to the Xmas celebrations that it was almost forgotten. Maybe a cake was on tap but that seemed to be the ordinary. Today our family use every event to get together and celebrate. On one date Feb.9th we have no less than three of our family celebrating a B`day.

With our grand children growing into adulthood we realize that dates are more important than ever as it will be increasingly more difficult to get the gang together.Yesterday we had a birthday for our 23 year old granddaughter. Her mother had a spaghetti dinner and a home made cake. Megs loves chicken wings so we brought some for appetizers and they were enjoyed by the group. There are little touches that are special to each of our family and being rich and dedicated to traditions you better make sure that we carry on in the proper way.

During the year we have about twenty family days related to B`days and because of the date or geography the number of attending family members varies but the celebration is held anyway. I hope that this tradition is passed on to the next generation.It is very rewarding for us to sit back and observe the close relationship that exists among the members of our family as a direct result of these gatherings.

Years ago when we were younger families pretty well stayed together in a more restricted geographic zone so this type of social interaction was normal and expected. With the shrinking of the world because of the need for families to be spread all over the country ands indeed the world we have to work at keeping the family spirit alive and benefit from these Happy Times.

Surprise

2012-01-23T09:35:00.000-05:00

I recently had a birthday and every time this date comes up, my oldest daughter writes a blog to celebrate the occasion.She is a sentimental creature and writes the most beautiful tributes every year. I am amazed she is able to come up with so many thoughtful comments and I am always happy to realize that someone sees the good in this old fellow who shares her feelings in so many ways. This year Lyn put together all the blogs and writings she had scripted over the years and published them as a book called a tribute to her father.

To say the least I am pleased and was surprised to receive this book a few days after my 75th B'day. It came in the mail and made my day. I only wish more people could not receive a tribute such as this and share the love we have as a father-daughter relationship.

Unfinished Business

2012-01-20T14:31:00.001-05:00

I read the paper every morning first thing and get a little annoyed if it is not delivered by the 5am time. This morning I had to put out the recyclables and noticed the paper had missed the step when the man threw it from the sidewalk. It was an omen because the minute I started to read the front section, back to front no less I became aware of the amount of work that had to be done to keep our City, Province and Country working.
The one article that came screaming at me was the prediction that our government was going to lay off many people from the environmental department. Several hundred food inspectors were on the block and with all the trouble we have had with our food supply this is criminal. We need more not less regulation and control as we have experienced huge problems with our food supply and to abandon this role would give the food suppliers a free hand in self regulation..Another area of concern is the Arctic environmental watchdogs who oversee the water quality around the tar sands and mining developments. This would give those multi national oil companies free reign to rip the guts out of the pristine north and leave a legacy of abandoned land and sick water and soil resources. Do not believe the slick adds of how the oil companies are leaving the area after rich tar sand extraction. Scientists say and the claim is not disputed that less than 5 % is returned to a reasonable state.

We can never permit for profit companies to do the right thing without regulations. Look at the well blowup in the Gulf. To save money they bypassed procedures. Only a small portion of the oil has been recovered and the rest lay at the bottom of the Gulf. In Cape Breton there is a place known well by me where by Dosco, a steel company got rid of its poisons by dumping them in a pond adjoining the Sydney Harbour. The company is long gone and this poison pond had sickened hundreds of people living near this pond. It will take over a $1,000,000,000 to clean up the mess. Who pays for this? We the taxpayers and who suffers are the folks living in the area.

Provincially we have Port Hope where during the war poisons were dumped int the ground. This was not ordinary poison bur radio active waste and again it will take a billion to clean it up. Attempts were made over the years and huge amounts were hauled up to Chalk River but the problem still exists.

City budgets, provincial budgets, federal budgets are all being finalized this time of the year. Watch the priority list. Federal MP pensions are huge, F35 fighters are not necessary as these are only offensive weapons and we have no enemies. More prisons are to be built even though our crime rate is at a 25 year low and still going down, huge monetary grants are given to oil interests even though they are filthy rich and have huge surpluses of cash.

One F35 less could give our first Nations people clean water. Stop the billion dollar expansions to prisons and the same people could have a home to live in and a school for their children. I don't mean to be cynical but this is madness and I wonder if people even care anymore because they feel so out of the circle of power.

There is always hope because we live in a vastly wealthy country filled with assets that the world needs and we are selling them off at bargain prices for short term gain. Lets hope that more sense will prevail and people will come first in the governments priorities of the future.

Mediterranian Nightmare

2012-01-19T17:42:00.000-05:00

We have been on cruises where everything went off like clockwork and we enjoyed our time without incident. We did however have an extremely bad situation where on the first 30 hours we suffered the worst weather imaginable with 26 foot waves and we were on a smaller cruise ship with only 500 passengers. That cruise left port when I thought we should have stayed on shore. I looked at the weather and the wind was growing by the minute and as we left port we were all told that because of the weather we were to stay below.

Theresa ,Doris and I had adjoining cabins and as the ship was tossed to and frow so was the stomachs of the passengers and crew. We were heading for Barbados over open seas and we lost our stabilizers hours after leaving and within a short time the ship was a mess. Tables, dishes and everything that was not nailed down was moving about. Since it was an all inclusive cruise I must say that we three never missed a meal and at breakfast we were among only a few to use the service. One funny thing happened when the large table holding mounds of dishes and silverware went sliding across the floor with two waiters holding on for dear life. When the ship tipped the other way they came flying by again.

We were a day late getting to Barbados but the rest of the cruise was wonderful. When we saw the tragic circumstances around the Mediterranean Mess we were thankful we had a competent crew and captain. From what is understood there are more mishaps on cruises than reported and with some of the ships having as many as 7500 people on board there could be a major tragic event if there was a breach of security on incompetent crew.

This winter Theresa and I planned a cruise but maybe I will have to use some coaxing to get her to take another cruise. It seems that more and more we have to be aware of the risks when travelling and be mindful of the responsibility we have for taking care of ourselves. We should research out of country travel and specially if you are going to use domestic flights during your experience. Security and maintenance levels differ from country to country so be careful.
Travel is one of the most rewarding of our life experiences and we must never let ourselves be intimated into just staying at home. We must aware of the risks and weigh the value of our travel against the negatives.

First Nations

2012-01-18T08:21:00.000-05:00

From the first time white people or Europeans set foot on American soil the object was to declare the land in the name of a king of a country back home. Never was the thought that maybe ,just maybe the people they encountered might have some value and could be a people who could contribute to new visitors. The visitors never came as visitors but as conquers. Never for a moment did the Europeans look at the new land and people and see it as anything but a new possession to use as they saw fit to enhance and enrich the homeland.

The first nations throughout the North and South Americas were worthy of greater respect as they had very advanced social and economic status. The conquerors saw gold and riches, furs and fish but never a beautiful culture to be studied and accepted. This simple and first impression however became the norm and as the Europeans stormed over the land taking what they wished, vanishing any type of resistance by extermination and laying waste to cultures and peoples who held their land for thousands of years.

The beauty and simplicity of their culture and spirituality was all but whiped out and instead European religious practices were imposed on the locals. What evolved was a mess and over the first 400 years was the elimination of most of the first nations and in some cases the policy was to rid the world of these peoples altogether.

However many of the first nations did hang on and today our governments are having to work and deal with these peoples.Although small in numbers they are the fastest growing people as a group and in the near future will be a force to be reckoned with. In western Canada some of our major cities will become heavily populated by our indigenous people. This is an opportunity for our governments to right the wrongs of past times and introduce these first nations people into our society as equals. The over a million Canadian first nations people are by large held in utter disdain by our government leaders. Below third world conditions on reserves, second rate health and education facilities and a feeling that these people are not worthy of the effort to bring them into the mainstream of Canadian society.

I have lived with these people and recognize the value they could have if given a chance. Our Minister of Health was just a girl living in Nunavut when I was working there and with hard work and motivation she has in a few years become a Canadian leader and holding a high position in our Government. Our immigration policy is one of the most generous in the world and people coming to Canada are helped to the point that they are able to take their place in Canadian society, often within a generation. It is obvious that the same treatment of our first nations people would erase a huge scar from our miserable history and enrich our country in so many ways were these nations to become productive,proud and valuable citizens as they wish to be.

Take time to examine the plight of our first nations people and judge whether we have been fair and equal in our relations with them over the years. Throwing money their way is not the answer. A comprehensive program involving their leadership could go a long way of righting the wrongs of the past.

Confusion

2012-01-17T18:08:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up to spring like weather and all the snow was gone. The grass is green and the trees are really having a difficult time. I know I have mentioned this a number of times but even the birds are at a loss to know what to do. Today we had hundreds of Robins landing in our front yard and eating the berries off of the holly bushes. They should have been gone long ago. Later in the day we had an infusion of juncos. They were flocking and are a regular visitor during the winter but it was surprising.

Our rivers and lakes are open and there are many ski hills still waiting for their first snow. Dealers in snow machines, snow plows and anything to do with winter are really in trouble. I wish those people who don't believe in climate change would take a good hard look at what is occurring.

Some of my friends in the Arctic said that although the winter came late to the north it is extremely cold there at this time. Extremes are one of the results of the climate change so we should be preparing. Every year we have a international bird count near Xmas.It will be interesting to see this years results as some counts are really out of the ordinary.

It will take years to feel the full effect of the global warming but we should all keep an open mind to the possible effect it could have on us. Canada being a northern country may fare quite well with our more northern areas being capable of growing crops and holding populations. Southern countries like the USA may find that large southern areas may become wasteland as our water resources will be unable to sustain agriculture and weather will be extreme and not foster normal growth.

Our scientists are not fear mongering but are frustrated that governments are not taking this very seriously.I feel that education and knowledge will make us more aware as extremes become more impacting on the individual.

Good Report

2012-01-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

Today Theresa and I went for my 2 month checkup with our neurosurgeon. He spoke little but what he did say was all good. I am now free to exercise using small weights, use the stationary bike, drive my van and do a little more stretching and bending. I am still linked to the large belt to remind me I still have a way to go. Dr. feels I am doing fine and Florida is OK if my other Dr. finds everything healing at the same rate. Although there could be some improvements in my legs and hips over the next six months he feels the surgery was a unqualified success.

I have had no pain for the past six weeks and I have no need for medications. The years of taking drugs to offset the pain of arthritis seems to be over and I have not had any discomfort since surgery. The whole process was well worth the effort and I can say that it was not nearly as difficult or painful as presented by the medical staff. I owe a great deal to the whole team who are making it possible for me to enjoy my senior years and will be eternally grateful for their expertise and caring.

Winter At Last

2012-01-14T10:48:00.000-05:00

Friday the 13th did not let us down but brought our desire of snow right up front. We went to bed with summer like temperatures and woke up to chilly weather and a beautiful snowfall. The whole landscape changed and we were required to go out and clear our driveway. From our view from the front room of our home we could see the drivers coming down the hill too fast and having to make some fancy maneuvers to avoid a crash into the light pole or the home on the corner.

Everyone knew about the first snow and were well aware of the problems on our overcrowded highways but the police were being called every minute for yet another crash. Fortunately there were no deaths bur huge damage to hundreds of cars. Our youngest daughter was the victim of a rear ender and spoiled her day. Fortunately she was not seriously injured.

Suddenly our area was transformed from a dull landscape to a virtual fairyland with the soft snow adorning the tree branches and all the evidence of fall gone until spring.Somehow everything seems warmer when mother nature places that white blanket over the barren earth and we prepare for the months of winter. All the folks who depend on snow for their economic well being rejoice as they plow the driveways, work on the ski hills and sand and salt our roads. Yes winter came to us on Jan.the 13th. I wish it came sooner.

Post Xmas Let Down

2012-01-12T09:25:00.001-05:00

Every year is the same, there is a rush to commercialize Xmas as businesses receive a huge percentage of their revenue over the month of deficit buying. Immediately after Xmas there is a rush to close marginal profit shops and with the new year there is tax and budget concerns - so the big let down. Only this week we saw huge layoffs of municipal workers, lockouts at plants, closures of call centers and rumours of massive unemployment because of the need for balanced budgets.

I am not sure that the world is as bad as it appears in the press but the Fifth Estate seems to seek and print every negative aspect of our society. There is a war on unions and the working people who depend on these institutions to defend themselves against big business are being ignored by the government who today sees these unions as the enemy.

Only a couple of decades ago one could expect to be hired by a company that provided reasonable living conditions and a pension at the end of service, but today unless you are hired by one level of government or another you are probably fresh out of luck. It is rather peculiar that government that today are not protecting the working people of the country have set up some of the very best safety nets for themselves and their workers. Conservatives here and in the USA will do everything to protect big business and even offer huge subsidies to big oil and international companies, and leave the middle class to fend for themselves. Just watch and see how our government will react to the pipelines and watch how these multi-national, foreign owned companies will get legislation to aid them in their bid to transport oil over sensitive environmentally pristine land, to provide oil for China.

The government should be right out there protecting the rights of the people who live in these areas. Why is the government always on the side of big business? Because there is the notion that these powerful companies provide large numbers of employment. Big business only employ people when it is profitable and the moment that any aspect of the business reflects on the bottom profit line they are gone. Interesting that many, if not most, of the multi-nationals pay little or no taxes to Canada. Most have off-shore offices in tax sheltered jurisdictions.

I watched one labour story in London Ontario where Caterpillar International has locked out its hundreds of workers. This plant operated as a profitable Canadian firm for years building excellent locomotives under a branch of GE. The workers were skilled and made nearly $30 an hour with benefits. The CAT Co. bought this Canadian company and locked out the workers because the union would not accept a cut in wages and salaries, benefits and pensions earned and won over the years. They were offered one half their origional package in a take it or leave it offer. Watch what happens and observe who our government will support in this mess.

Canada is losing its middle class and unions and other workers organizations deserve our consideration, as they were the ones who fought for and gained the standard of living we used to have. I was an educator for many years and our federation gave us respect and living conditions from which we now benefit. Let us hope that 2012 will be a year for the working class and the ordinary people of America. (Canada-USA).

Quiet New Year

2012-01-10T13:14:00.001-05:00

After the hectic days leading up to Xmas, New Year's Day was a welcome retreat whereby we were able to lay back and enjoy doing very little. We did manage a few phone calls and had some of the kids drop by but in large we vegged out.

Theresa managed to have a little project started when she mentioned the storage room in the basement. It was not long before this project involved the front room, stairs, my pool room and the entire storage area. We are fortunate in so much as we have ample storage for everything we own but the area needs a little care every so often. Doris got in the act and attacked the sun room with a fury and would have stripped it of any Xmas symbols had we not intervened.

So the quiet day came to an end and we had to settle down and plan our work. We did manage to complete a task which should have been done years ago. So much for a quiet day .

New Project

2012-01-10T13:12:00.001-05:00

I have about a month before to Florida so a project was needed to keep me busy. I am not able to bend, twist, reach or lift so the only project I could see was right in front of my eyes. In my den downstairs I have been planning to get rid of an old piece of furniture which holds my TV, stereo and old records as well as numerous items or treasures from the past.

I have drafted a plan and with careful measurements I will be able to build a suitable wall unit which will take the place of the eyesore and be home to all the treasures. I will build it from floor to ceiling and save about 13 square feet of floor space. I will have to have some help with the actual lifting and so on but Theresa will be able to help there. There comes a time when you look around and realize that the clutter has to to be managed. My stuff is not clutter but looks that way because I need good shelves to display the good number of items from the Arctic and the past.

This afternoon I will pay a visit to Home Depot and see just how much cutting I can squeeze out of the man who runs the wall saw. If all goes well he will co-operate and much of the rough work will be done there. I costed out the project and was shocked to find the good plywood sells for over $60 a sheet. All in all the project will be well worth the effort and cost.

Weather Conditions

2012-01-10T08:07:00.001-05:00

With 10 days into January and not a speak of snow there are problems brewing. We had a few cold days but my Swiss chard is still edible and the fish ponds are only partly frozen and the fruit trees are about to bud. We have had years like this before and the confusion caused the weather to ruin the cycle of the fruit trees. Close examination of the garden soil shows frost only inches down and earthworms and other life is still flourishing in the compost boxes.

I plan to spray the oil and sulfur on my fruit trees this week if we have a warm day. I usually do this much later but it seems like a good plan to get an early start before the trees actually bud. On one of the colder days we experienced a infusion of robins which I guess were heading south. It seemed a little late as most of their food source is gone. Flocks of other birds were also seen mainly slate juncos but they did not stay.

My small fish ponds have had a cover of ice several times and the fish went to the bottom but this week they are free of ice again and the fish are lively. confused and thinking it is spring. With such a late onset of winter we are probably seeing a new pattern of climate change. The ski hill operators as experiencing horrid conditions and their main income time is over as the Xmas break used to be the chief financial start of the season.

We can observe, talk about and predict the weather but in the final analysis we are helpless as mother nature has a mind of her own.

Fun Day

2012-01-09T08:36:00.002-05:00

Our family had a fun day on Saturday. We all got together to celebrate my 75th birthday and it was just what I wished for: a low key day with some food and lots of conversation. Everyone joined in and added to the fun . Instead of cooking this time we decided to order in Chinese food. We had enough to feed twice as many so my diet for the next while will be rice and something. I asked that there be no gifts at this get together but I did receive the best gift of all: the family all in one room gathered and presenting me with beautiful cards with well wishes, and words of just how I connected with them in years past.

I always make a point of writing on a card and not just signing my name and it seems to have influenced them to do the same. All these cards will end up in the memory box or boxes as we have filled one up already. It is a beautiful thing to take time and look back through a picture album or a memory box and read or look at the past. As time goes on you are able to appreciate the development of the family and smile to yourself when one of the group mention something that they feel is significant when at the time you were just being yourself. It reminds you that little ones pick up on your demeanour and record it on their minds eye. We are ever being watched and imitated so be aware of your duty as a role model.

Theresa added a special gift in her card when she slipped in a picture of a tropical beach and a cruise line ship in the foreground. It looks like a cruise may be in the future this winter. We love the cruises but the on shore visits are best. Maybe this year we will go through the Panama Canal. People say it is worth the effort.With the summer weather we are having and will continue to have for a few more weeks Theresa and I have been taking advantage of the conditions to walk several times a day and we will get a good report from our Dr. and we will get to Florida in February.

I must say that the last days of attention from friends and family have been wonderful and I appreciate it and realize just how fortunate we are to have such a network of good people. Thank you ever so much.

Day After 75

2012-01-06T21:58:00.001-05:00

I have been asked by a few if it feels different to be over 75. The answer is yes. I realize that from this day I have a numbered amount of time to do all the things I have planned. I realize that three quarters of my life is over and I have to hurry to fill the next quarter with useful, interesting and adventurous times. I have thought of the cruel thing called time and I welcome the challenge to race foreword and fill every day with some measure of useful and constructive energy.

Theresa and I have so many plans and any reality check would say we will be hard pressed to complete our whole list but the challenge will be to fill our time without regret. Yes life will be different in the next 25 years but different is not a negative term but a positive signal that I had better get to work and start filling those fleeting moments with happy times.

So I Am 75

2012-01-05T09:16:00.002-05:00

When I was a young person I thought 75 was the age of an old person. This morning I realize how ridiculous I was in my youthful judgement. The physical body maybe could use a tune up. I am slower crossing the street, take longer in the bathroom, eat mainly what I want and not what I need and spend too much time in front of the TV.

For all that I still feel great and look forward to the next 25 years. Some advice my Dad gave me when I was a young man leaving my home in Cape Breton back in the early fifties didn't pan out all that badly. He told me to pick my friends slowly and carefully. Trust those who meet your scrutiny and always watch your back.When it comes to women he said be aware of girls who cannot dance; you would never be happy with them. There is no job too big or too small so make sure you always have one. For protection in Montreal, he said to carry a sock half full of sand -it makes a wonderful weapon and is not illegal. Lastly, remember your family and real friends; in the end they are the only ones you can truly trust.

This might seem like funny advice but it worked. I have many friends with whom I started school and still maintain close ties. During my venture into life I have done nearly every job imaginable, from garbage collector, tobacco primer, teacher, coroner, mayor, store clerk, farm work, father, horseman, JP, and many others. I never was too proud to do my best at every one of these chores. The money I received from this work supported myself and my family.

Throughout my years I have been selfish insofar as I used many of the family resources to get ahead in life. I did not portion my time fairly and too often neglected my family and used their time for my personal interests. This is my greatest regret. The time I shared with my family and friends was indeed golden and made the moments all the more memorable.

Public service was always a part of my makeup and I saw need everywhere. I picked my spots to make a difference and along the way circumstances made it possible to meet many people and situations which enriched my life. Always I was, and still am, aware of the influence of my wife and family and the acid test for my actions was if they be proud of what I accomplished.

Every life has high and low points and I am a person who has experienced both. As an emotional person who tears up at weddings, at hearing our national anthem, and family gatherings, I have over the years tended to stay out of the limelight and delegate others to carry the load. As a young person I was given two afflictions which framed much of my public life. I had a terrible stutter and lisp from birth. This caused me to have a struggle every time I had to read aloud or speak publicly. This was worse as a young person and I became extremely shy. A number of teachers aided me and some pushed me into a hellish place where I was ready to drop out. The good prevailed and I persisted and in a way was challenged. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson had a lisp and on graduation day in 1964 he presented me with my university sheepskin and we smiled during our brief conversation as we lisped together at that moment.

There are many things that make me happy...watching the sun come up in the morning... seeing my family all together and getting along... driving to Florida with a great partner to share all the wonder on that 2300 km drive... gardening... attracting birds to our houses in the back yard... phone calls to friends and family.. . just being alive at 75, and looking forward to every day.

A few things which depress me... world hunger... aboriginal living conditions... women's rights... governments who don't govern honestly... religious groups who want to change the world, and bullies throughout the world, be it in school or in the UN... wars over oil.... and our environment.

Cold Day In Ikaluktutiak

2011-12-31T09:13:00.000-05:00

I was looking in my notebook for a spelling check and noted a item which brought back some fond memories. It was on December 18th and the weather forecast was for a storm moving in to our community within the day. At 5.30am it was hard for me to get excited but the weather was always important as I had responsibilities. First that cup of hot chocolate to help me wake up to the total black landscape and howling wind at 30 kms with a temperature hovering around minus 40.

My mind was on travelling home to see my family and I was counting the days and if all went well I would be on my way on the 20th. With the storm I was somewhat worried. I pushed open the outside door and managed to shovel the hard snow from my step. A whistle brought Buck, my dog out of his sleep under the snow and he stood stiff and tall and shock himself several times to clear his brain and fur of snow. He bounded up the stairs to the landing and after a pat and he always stood up and placed his paws on my shoulders and tried to lick my face. I hated this and let him know but rewarded him with a hind leg of a muskoxen. He retreated to the ground and began his meal.

I closed the door and realized that the barometer had dropped out of sight and maybe we were in for a big one. Still droopy I opened the fridge door and was greeted by a half Arctic Char left over from supper and began to eat it with home made corn bread and molasses. I felt better. I radioed the weather station two miles away and received the news I dreaded. Definite major storm and we were to take maximum defensive positions. Dispite the hour I called off the water and sewage trucks for the time being but made sure water was added to the hotels, nursing center and airport. It now read minus 65 wind chill.

Our radio station now broadcast warnings for the public and a snow day for the school and all non essential workers. I donned my heavy clothes and went by snow machine to hamlet office. The foreman of each dept. knew the drill better than I and prepared for a several day blizzard. Three of our people were out on the land and could not be reached by radio and this concerned us. The RCMP were on alert and together we made a quick check around the hamlet to make sure there were no tracks leaving the area.

Everything seemed to be set but I always felt responsible and worried a little. I left the hamlet office and went home but all radios and telephones were kept open. By 10.30 am the wind was a brisk 60 km and wind chill hovered around 8o below. At this temperature we did not want anyone outside. We patrolled and found that to be the case.A aircraft heading to Arctic Bay sought to land at our airport and as the visibility was fairly clear the 737 made a perfect landing on the snow covered strip. Eleven miners were on board and were put up in the co.op hotel. We closed our airport.

Without water delivery it was important that everyone conserve water for at least two days. People knew the drill and everyone was OK. Since this was my first emergency I took great comfort from having my 2ic there to aid me.The snow blew into banks that were as hard as ice and up to the eves of the houses.Reports came in with problems with furnaces and water freezing but this was covered by workmen. All day
and that night the storm raged. The sound was
horrific and sounded like a huge animal bellowing as it tried to tear away the walls of the houses. Objects flew by in the wind and caused a danger but with no or limited light nobody stepped outside. By next morning the storm broke and when the wind slowed down everyone in the hamlet went outside and viewed the results. Loud chatter and calling to neighbours about how they managed the storm took place and it added a degree of excitement. Shovels, front end loaders,tractors and graders were fired up to open the streets and the road to the airport. With only a dim light from the sun lights were everywhere and it was an eary sight to view the activity being carried out by everyone in the hamlet.

I made a radio broadcast saying that a feast and games would be held at the rec center at 3pm and everyone was invited.Food was prepared and rec staff had music and games ready as a steady stream of people flooded the rec center. Musical chairs, step dancing and arctic games prevailed and musk oxen burgers, biffy and dried meat was produced and eaten by the people. A few seals and two caribou were cut up for the elders who enjoyed the raw meat and shared with the young ones.

We closed up the rec center at 10pm and everyone went home full of country food and happy for the experience. Inuit take adversity as a challenge and an opportunity. This was a lesson learned by me while there up north in the High Arctic.

Year 2011

2011-12-30T10:47:00.000-05:00

I never measure my life in years, months or days but rather by events. This year was filled with events which caused me to consider my very future.One event close to home involving Doris shocked Theresa and I into the reality that she was aging and no longer capable of keeping up to our life of travel and adventure. What appeared to be a minor problem while in Florida resulted in a rather lengthy stay in hospital where tests showed some difficulties in her health. Being 94 and of excellent health except for a few minor issues never the less causes us to make arrangements for her stay at a residence when we travel from now on. This was to say the least a challenge as she has been our constant travelling companion for 12 years. We are fortunate to have found a beautiful accommodation here in Oakville where she will be able to continue her active and happy stay with seniors who enjoy independent living in a grand style.

Our next event was also a health issue involving me with necessary surgery on my spinal column to offset the ravages of arthritis. The period of time was about a year and after some setbacks we received a gift of an excellent procedure which leaves me pain free and ready to begin my new life in an active fashion. Theresa and I planned our year around this event and are looking foreword to our continued life in our home in Florida beginning in February.

Grandchildren graduating from university, more beginning or planning for further education and all growing into adulthood leaves us excited. A first grand child announcing marriage causes us to dust off those formal clothes because although this is the first there are seven more right behind. The dynamics of a family causes Theresa and I to just enjoy the activity created and treasure the opportunity be part of the family scene.

Our four children are the core of our family and they and their children make up a lively ever changing group and we see the challenges of raising and nurturing children vastly different than years gone by. We do our best to keep up but every time we get together we watch in wonder to see the world of youth today first hand and we smile and wonder how we would make out in this crazy, wonderful society.

Theresa and I have been talking about our five and ten year plan for the future and will no doubt make major changes . We plan to live to the fullest and to try to stuff as many of our bucket lists items to the forefront. I would say that travel and adventure will be the core of our life in the next five years and of course family. Always our goal will be to keep our clan safe and strong. 2012 is in sight and I just see it as a big bucket full of opportunities and I trust we will dip deeply and enjoy much.

Soulmate and Mentor

2011-12-29T12:09:00.001-05:00

As we walk through life and manage to accumulate so many ideas and thoughts about where we fit into the grand scheme of things, we sometimes meet a person who by association aids in our search for the ultimate answer; we tend to find our comfort zone while in their company. One such person was Dr. J.W.E. Newbery. Maybe it was coincidence, but this United Church minister also married my wife's parents early in his ministry in Sudbury.

Years later when I decided to return to University full time, the first person I met when I went to register was Rev. Newbery. He was welcoming the students to the young university and although he was the principal of Huntington College he was right there in the mix of students, boxes and books. A shock of white hair and a smile a mile wide put you at ease and when he heard I was majoring in Philosophy and Religious Studies he gave me some special attention.

He was the head of the Philosophy Dept and Religious Studies and immediately made me feel at home when he said there was a $300 bursary that was available if I applied. That got my attention as I was married with a family and needed every penny. I hadn't set up a home at this point but he helped and after we had tea with his family I left with a list of good places to live, $300 bursary and a box of required reading for the philosophy courses.

From the very beginning Dr. Newbery and I became bonded. There was something special about this man's demeanour when he talked about religion. I connected when he told me he was working on a new curriculum involving spirituality derived from aboriginal peoples' beliefs. I had just returned from Northern Ontario where I shared two summers with Cree Indians and I was keenly into their culture. Our class was 10 people and we were able to share feelings and personal beliefs with the Dr. However we did much listening as this man espoused a type of new philosophy with a balanced mixture of bible, great works, native cultures of the world, and Christianity, with universal currency.

The four years I studied under Dr. Newbery were life changing. They brought the best of me to the forefront and convinced me to stay with education and forget about working for the church as my type of spirituality would make it be too confining. Dr, Newbery challenged me by giving me assignments to preach at various churches in Ontario who required a minister for special occasions or special subjects. I loved the work and the pay was good but I finally realized I was not speaking from conviction and refused further work. It was at this time I began to have a free and open discussion with Dr. Newbery about what I had accepted as my guide to life and the acceptance of the natural order of things as a reasonable alternative to organized church with all the rules, myths and dogma. I basically found peace and Dr. Newbery openly said that he had a similar experience and still found comfort in the organized church and I might find that to be true later in life.

Dr. Newbery lived to be 96 and when he passed away a great scholar was lost to the academic fellowship of the university. His legacy was building bridges between faith communities. He developed native studies programs for universities and was awarded citations for his work with native communities within the penal system. A life long member of Amnesty International and human rights commissions earned him the Order Of Canada. For work in recognition of Native Spirituality he was awarded the standing of Honorary Elder a gift he treasured.

Dr. Newbery was close to the David Suzuki Foundation and supported it until his death. He wrote a short poem which I suppose summarises his beliefs.

O God around me,
Your spirit is the great wind
and the quiet breath of every creature.
Everything is alive in You
and towards You all things are moving.

E. Newbery

What If

2011-12-28T10:32:00.001-05:00

As we move on past all the hype of Xmas and the good feelings we conjured up about the brotherhood of man and all that stuff I began to think what if.

Out leaders could go to work for us and do there job as a team and try to solve the challenges of running our wonderful country. If the leaders in power would lead and represent all the people and not the 20% who elected them. If they would take ideas from every source and see if it might be good and make life better for all.

All levels of government who have an interest in our aboriginal peoples would stop blaming each other for the condition these first Canadians find themselves in and develop a long term, sustainable strategy to bring about results which will bring them into the Canadian Mosaic. This is one of our untapped resources. Over one million people left out of the mainstream of our society is a cruel shame on Canada.

Canada could once again become a peace keeper in the world and forget about the billions of dollars to be spent on weapons which are clearly not for peace but aggressive actions. Think of the good we could do with that money in our own country with purchases of material to do peaceful deeds. The challenges in the future of fire, flood and weather related events which will be caused by climate change.

All the countries of the world could truly embrace the United Nations as the one world organization which could sort out problems in house before they become world events. All the world powers work outside the UN and degrade the potential good of the organization.

The Tradition Lives On

2011-12-26T19:54:00.002-05:00

Xmas Eve at our place with quiet times of special food and drink. Off to bed to be fresh for the morning of fellowship and sharing of gifts and Lynda's Xmas breakfast. A few hours of intense social interaction and then the breakaway for a couple of hours of family quietness and preparations for the family feast. Turkey of course and all the trimmings with more sweets to follow and finally everyone is mellow and beginning to talk about the great day we had. It is over in a twinkle of an eye but the seeds are already sown for the next year. The kids are sorting out who will be here and who will not and so on.

These days are so important for the life of the family and the bonding that takes place. Even though we are a tight knit family we depend on these days to help us hold on to that special something which I call the family brand. To say I am proud of our family ties would be a true statement but I see something unique happening here as the family grows and reaches out to the extended families represented around our table.I sit in wonder to see the happy faces and the verbage expressed by the young ones and I think that this family is in good hands now and in the future.

I realized that the family tried to make this year special for Theresa and I because of the challenges we faced over the past months and they did just that.How can you thank a family for this expression of love except by being the best that you can in the days ahead.

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T08:23:00.001-05:00

Every Christmas is special. This year I am doubly blessed because of my desire to be well and on my way to a new life with walking and physical capabilities. My wish was granted and my objective of walking free without cane or walker became a reality. Last eve we gathered in the sun room and played music and ate goodies and drank our favourite drinks until midnight . Seeing a full day ahead we wisely went to bed only to wake up at 7am and Begin our Xmas rituals all over.

I love Xmas and this being my 75th has special significance. Our family gathering will be robust, noisy and loving as usual but there is a certain change in the family. We are all adults so we are waiting for the new surge of energy to come from the next generation to make the picture complete.With Doris holding her 94 years in check we have four generations around the table. It is a wonderful feeling to be part of a family who share common goals and values and get excited about the simple things in life.

So MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone and remember the true meaning and do something unselfish to make the world a better place in which to live.

Time To Go South

2011-12-21T19:00:00.000-05:00

With the warm weather continuing to keep our area in a summer like condition the birds are confused. First they flock and appear to head south and the they reappear again in numbers. The geese are seen in the open ponds and lakes in great numbers and every once in a while we see those flocks high in the sky swooping down and staying instead of going south to a warmer climate.

We have a holly tree in our front yard which is always heavily laden with red berries and captures the attention of robins and cardinals who live close by. This year we have been watching these birds to see when they make their move to leave. They seem to say they will leave when the last berry is enjoyed.

A View From The Past

2011-12-21T18:39:00.001-05:00

Our little family were about to sit down for supper when our doorbell rang. I was down in the office so Doris answered the door and much to her surprise our neighbours were there with hands full of Xmas goodies and smiles a mile wide. As neighbours we have been close friends for the whole time we lived at this address.

Both my neighbour and myself have been having health issues for the past year and much time was used in a recovery mode. We have not really been able to socialize for some time and with the cold weather we were living indoors.

Today we were able to erase that void and in our hallway , in ten minutes we were able to reconnect and feel the camaraderie that we missed for some time. Xmas does that to neighbours. We have been sharing our home made wine, preserves and jams for years and I was so happy to see the tradition remain intact that I realized we have to get our Xmas box ready in the next few days.

This sharing of friendship between neighbours is one tradition that I felt so strongly while living in the Ottawa Valley where friends dropped in without an invitation and people naturally shared their home made goodies because it was the proper thing to do. It is good that this spirit is still alive here in Oakville and it reminds me of a little view from the past.

Our Founding Citizens

2011-12-20T12:06:00.012-05:00

Anyone who has known me will attest to the fact that I have a genuine interest in our First Nations people. History paints a ugly picture of how we messed up our many opportunities to bring these valuable people into the Canadian fold. Without attaching blame to the historic facts of just how we attempted to eliminate our aboriginal people let me be clear; governments, churches and the military have in their own turn caused massive destruction to a proud and valuable people.

Maybe through ignorance, maybe through policy, the past 400 years have not been kind to the First Nations. Dreadful, short term policies have turned proud people into third world economic and social wasteland. Most Canadians have only heard or seen pictures of our native people. They rely on the snippets of information given through the movies or newspapers who paint an inglorious picture of our fellow Canadians.

Picture yourself as a free spirited, independent and totally free group suddenly overwhelmed by the movement of thousands of Europeans who stormed across Canada taking what they thought was valuable land, and leaving in tatters a bunch of now homeless people to fend for themselves without resources. Most were killed when they tried to defend their homeland and the rest were herded on to reserves of worthless land and expected to gain the Canadian Dream living in shacks without even the most basic needs attended to.

In 2011 our First Nations people for the most part are no better off than most developing world peoples. There are exceptions where some of the First Nations found themselves on resource-laden lands and did well. The Inuit are fairing a little better in most cases but the Canadian Indians in our cold northern areas are suffering.

Every time the First Nations sign a treaty with the Federal Government the plan falls short. and once again we do not fund at a proper level to enable our young people to be able to cope with the modern complexities of Canadian society.

There are over two million First Nations people in Canada and they could become a valuable resource for our starved labour economy and take their place in the multi-faceted job market instead of lingering outside the Canadian dream "world of plenty". One of my hopes for the year will be a new wave of conscientiousness towards our forgotten people and a new dawn of hope on the horizon.

Time Is Flying

2011-12-18T19:13:00.001-05:00

Today being the 18th I realize that a week from now most of our Xmas festivities will be over. The last few days Theresa has taken me out shopping with my cane or walker and I could not believe the courtesy shown me while making my way to elevators or doors. I was impressed and I wondered if this showing of good will was because of the Xmas spirit or the actual good feeling in humanity. I chose to think it is the latter.

While we were in the mall everyone was busy shopping and moving about with a agenda clearly written on their face. Stores are very busy and the outlook is for a successful business holiday season. In spite of the crowds and hurrying about there was one place front and center that caught our eye. It was Santa who had a mile long lineup of young faces whose eyes were straining to get a glimpse of the jolly old fellow. The marvel of just how Innocent young children are can be seen a mile away. We were the same many years ago and it is marvelous that the same magic still prevails today.

My task of getting in touch with all family and friends by phone is nearly complete and what a great task I have. Phone visits are so good for me and I feel a real connection after talking to people with whom I have had little association for a time. So time is flying and I better get to work and make a few more this evening.

Special Time

2011-12-18T18:53:00.001-05:00

With eight grandchildren I am over blessed indeed. The nice problem is that I never have enough time to share personal one on one time with all of them. Because of the closeness to a few I see them often but the far away ones are not able to be with me close ,often enough for my liking. Today is an exception. Theresa and Doris are out for the afternoon with my oldest daughter for girl time and I have my two granddaughters all to myself for three hours or more.

These are the ones who are editing my children's stories and adding value to my starved vocabulary. When we get together we talk about world issues, women issues and the environment and we manage to solve every problem in our head.Time seems to pass so quickly and the little grandchildren have become mature ladies and you realize that the next generation is right around the corner. The happiness you reap at this time is the result of the times and efforts given to help make sure these people had every opportunity to grow up in a loving and nurturing society.

As you age there is no greater feeling than the one you get when in the presence of your family and you can say, what a wonderful bunch of people kids we belong to.

Empathy Days

2011-12-16T10:15:00.001-05:00

During the years I was in politics I was called upon to participate in many projects to help highlight human conditions which impacted lives of many invisible minorities. I always took the challenge and was a good sport about living in a wheel chair for twelve hours, walking with a walker for some time and using a walking cane. As a public figure I recognized the need for open access to buildings, curbs that could be mounted by wheelchairs and elevators to otherwise in accessible public areas. The public reacted and slowly the small city progressed and all recent contracts made access a part of all contracts.

For the last three weeks I have been required to use a walker and cane to make my way about. This is a small requirement when you consider that thousands of Canadians live in a wheel chair or other means of travel and deal with the discomfort and inconvenience of such an arrangement. During these weeks of my semi confinement I have been thinking of ways to make life better for these folks. Times have been kinder and progress made with technology. A few days ago Theresa and I were stopped at a red light in downtown Oakville and we could not help but remark when we observed motorized wheelchairs at every intersection.

I was issued a handicapped parking card and it really is a good thing but all too often the spaces are taken up by people who do not need to use them.One of my Xmas wishes is that people will be aware of people who are dealing daily with mobility issues and to be courteous and make someone smile and say thanks to you for helping in any way to make life a little easier. I know they will appreciate it and you will be able to do a good turn.

What a Joke

2011-12-15T11:20:00.001-05:00

I always thought that to show leadership you presented your best foot forward to show your commitment to the project. If it is finance you have a person who understands the financial issues and is able to lead. If it is transportation you find someone who can lead in the field to show your commitment to the position. In the world today there is no greater issue than the environment. Every country in the world is concerned and willing to become involved in a solution.

In Canada we are not the worst polluter but for decades we have been a leader in pushing the green house gas agenda and offering world class leadership in the field. We have world recognized advocates who have made the world environment their life,s mission. For the last ten years we have become a catalyst for emerging nations to cling to the hope that a solution was available. We were a beacon of sober judgement on our own wasteful and dangerous contribution to the problem. Our rush to use our natural resources in the tar sands to float the economy of Alberta and the huge oil interests has clouded the federal policies to the degree that they have taken the retro step in dropping out of the one solid program called Kyoto.

Many observers have come to the conclusion that our governments dropout was motivated to cover up the lack of progress in meeting their expected goals set out in the treaty.

Our government positioned a cabinet minister who knows how to read scripted notes to frustrate parliament when the environment is going to hell in a hand basket. Instead of having a world class person leading the way for the world and shouting from the mountain tops of the need we have appointed a good, well respected person to this task and immediately turned him into a puppet. How sad to see Peter fumbling for his scripted papers when asked a question. Freed to be open and aggressive for his mandate he could be a tower of strength and could return Canada to its place in the world as a positive force rather than a eunuch when it comes to our environment.

There are people and groups who are watching this charade in parliament and will not be silenced. My new year's wish for the environment is that individuals in Canada will carry the torch and become greener in their own life and aid and abet such projects that further our move to a cleaner and more sensitive society and hope that some sense will come to our leadership and tip the scales in favour of our Canada.

Dreaming Of A White Xmas

2011-12-14T12:06:00.002-05:00

The weather outside is warm and the grass is greener than some times in the summer but I am dreaming of a white Xmas. I don't mean snow and all that but the kind of Xmas when everyone gets together and it is like old times. This year our whole family are fortunate to share our time under one roof and recharge those family connections. We are always close and get together many times during the year but from the very beginning our immediate family were so much into the closeness that for years all four of our children slept in the same bed on Xmas eve.

There is something special about the festive season and even with all the commercialism and hype for spending there remains that strong bright desire to reach for a higher meaning of Xmas. We manage to share gifts, food and drinks but there is the bond as seen when I sit back and watch the interaction among the eight grandchildren. It is as clear as crystal that they share something special being part of a larger family and the giggles and chatter fills the room with love and sacred markings which say we are family.

Theresa and I are so fortunate to have healthy children and grandchildren with whom we are able to share our lives and I often think how lonesome it would be to find yourself without family. At Xmas we should attempt to connect with friends and family and bring a little cheer into the lives of folks who may not be as fortunate as we. So when I say I am dreaming of a white Xmas I mean that I am ready to open my mind to sharing with all who surround us and to add a spark of love and comfort into their lives.

Final Words On Hospital Life before Xmas.

2011-12-11T11:15:00.000-05:00

Fifteen days in a mans life may not seem like a long time but what occured during that time can mean everything. I will give a few facts and figures which will tell much of the story. I was attended to by two chief Dr's. who performed the surgery.Twelve other Dr's. had a hand in the process as well as in the recovery. I was housed in three different rooms in two different departments. The spinal unit kept me for one week and then I was in re-hab for another week.

The re-hab week was a bonus because I had a small blood clot. I was taught how to dress myself, wash myself, get up and down without flexing my spine and how to walk with a walker and a cane. Managing steps was very important and was supervised every time by at least one if not two people. I was cleared after every session with a test and a colored sticker was placed on my walker. Since you walk on the day after your surgery it is important that you protect the gift you just received.

I walked 4500 meters during the days I was there and climbed 580 steps. I was attended to by no less than 14 different nurses and every one was just great. I never had a slice of bread nor and egg during the entire time I was there but the food was good for hospital food.

I kept these facts to keep me focused but in the end the fact that stands out is that not a cent was passed and I received world class medical attention from a system that cares for we Canadians. I am proud of the way I was cared for and thankful for the opportunity of a life changer.

Home Again

2011-12-09T17:22:00.001-05:00

Fifteen days away from home and blogging. Today just before noon I walked through my front door on my own under the watchful eye of Theresa May. I was greeted by Doris who missed me. I had a look around and everything was the same. What a wonderful feeling to return home.....there is no place like it.

After hospital food for 15 days I began to immediately make a real stew. Theresa got the meat from the freezer and I started with the veggies. I realized that you can't have a stew without a turnip so I asked Theresa to buy one coming home from the pharmacy. With that task completed I was herded down to the recreation room and seated in front of the fireplace. With the TV clicker in one hand and apple juice and pretzels in the other and a blanket covering my legs , the welcome home treatment was complete.

I kind of had to shake my head to see if it was real. The last few days I saw many things that turned out to be imaginative things. Well this time it is real and I really am home again.

Guest Post: Notes from the Ward

2011-12-02T22:44:00.003-05:00

I think the gold star treatment he has been getting on the spinal ward must be pretty good, because Pops seems to be really comfortable in his surroundings. He calls his nurses by name and they are barely out the door before he can tell you where they live, their educational background and other personal tidbits about them. I shouldn't be surprised; he is a people person after all.

Tonight when I walked into the room I saw my good old dad smiling back at me. He no longer looked like a vulnerable patient, although I know he still needs lots of help reaching for things. That leads me to the two "grabbers" he has tucked in close beside him that he uses to pull up his blankets and pick up things. They look like formidable weapons!

I asked him if he had any message for this guest post and he smiled and said, "write that in the beginning the concern was all about spines and nerves and now it is all about bladders and bowels!".

And on that note, I'll close by saying how proud I am of his progress. He is weeks ahead of where he expected to be and is a superstar yet again. Nite Pops. Don't let the bed bugs bite!

Lyn

Hey - no hanky panky: he can't bend, reach or lift for 3 months!

Guest Post: Upwardly Mobile

2011-11-28T21:00:00.001-05:00

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday pain was like a cling-on pal who couldn't take hint. Pain was his bedfellow and it was evident in his restlessness, in the creases lining his face and most of all his eyes. He put up a good front but he was clearly agitated. I felt a little downhearted when I left him meditating the pain away.

But today it is a whole different story. Mama T tipped me off that he was in a better space with the pain under control and being up and around a little more. I popped in after work to see it for myself and I am glad I did. He was beaming, sitting up in his bed (30 degrees) having just polished off a delicious (yup - his words) chicken dinner. I scanned the tray and it was seriously licked clean! He chatted happily with Mama T by his bedside and boasted about the fact that he had gone 5 hours without pain meds. He actually did some stairs today and had lots of walking in. Mama T and I think he looks taller ... they say this operation can do that to a person (take note all you shorties out there).

Best of all (thankfully) he finally had a shower!

His talk is all about his recovery and his plans to make it as speedy and successful as possible. When I kissed his stubbly cheek (he hasn't shaved) and walked away, I couldn't help but marvel at his progress and fortitude, and what a difference a day can make.

Lyn

Guest Post: Walk On

2011-11-25T17:45:00.001-05:00

When we stepped off the elevator first thing this morning, there he was ... leaning heavily on a very tall walker, and walking (albeit tentatively). Standing tall, sitting pretty and clutching the button for his morphine pump, his eyes showed the breadth and depth of his pain. But he swears that it is exactly what he expected. No complaints; just grit and determination.

The road in front of you will get easier with each passing day. Walk on Pops!

Lyn

Guest Post: Onward and Upward

2011-11-25T01:04:00.039-05:00

So after months of delay, dismay, regrouping, strategizing and preparation -- he underwent his surgery and came through the other side in fine form. He was rocking an off the shoulder, paisley cotton hospital-issued gown with bright blue paper slippers. I hear they are all the rage this year. His hair was swept in an up-do, off his face to accentuate volume and texture.

He emerged from his procedure humbled blue paper slippers will do that for you, relieved, elated, focused - and of course, in great pain. The surgeon assured the congregated clan that the procedure was a success and that he will be on the mend and vertical in no time.

Dad is grateful that the surgery is behind him and is focused intently on his recovery. He outlined the next steps as he saw them and assured us that he would be up when we went to see him tomorrow.

As we left him to his self administering morphine pump and visions of a long night ahead he has no illusions, his sweet good night and smile were like elixirs for worried hearts.

Good night Pops. Rest well, for tomorrow. the real work begins. Onward and upward and that will probably involve stairs!

Lyn

People Do Care

2011-11-23T22:00:00.001-05:00

Today I was making last minute preparations for my surgery tomorrow. From early in the morning until when I closed the phone at 9:50, there has been a steady stream of well wishers. My children and grand children are concerned of course; and my neighbours came over to offer support and make me feel good. Friends who for years have supported me in my many endeavours called or emailed me. I was wishing I was back in politics again because with this outburst of concern, I could have won every time.

What I am really trying to say is that I am overwhelmed with kindness and it makes me feel so grateful and humble, that I had to express these feelings. I always knew this to be true, but this time there is written and verbal proof. I shall try to be worthy of these sentiments and in turn do my part to add to the pool of well-being and kindness expressed by you to me today.

Thank you.

Christmas Tree

2011-11-22T10:12:00.002-05:00

For the past number of years Theresa and I arrive home from Florida in time to set up a small tree and a few decorations to make the house look like a home ready for Christmas. This year with us being here for the whole holiday time and more we thought we should get in the spirit of things and get with the Xmas charm. We gave away our large tree some years ago knowing that we would never use it again. Well here we are needing a tree. Our daughter Glenda has a card for Costco and informed us that they had some good deals on trees.

We met her at the front door an immediately went for the two items we needed. One was the tree and the other was a new flat screen TV to help me recover while spending more time in bed. The purchasing of these items took all of ten minutes. The ladies suggested I load these items in the van and return with an empty cart for the other items they wished to buy. It seemed rather strange that the shopping cart only went in one direction, over to the sweets and treats.

We managed to get through the crowd and make our way to the checkout. We all seemed happy with our purchases and started to feel the Xmas spirit. I couldn't wait to go home and set up the tree to see how it looked. This was a record as we never ever put up the tree until a week before Xmas. As we opened the box and passed by the instructions I reminded Theresa that I had put up many trees and they were basically the same. The tree was put together but what about all these wires?? Since the tree was pre-wired for lights the spaghetti like handful of wires did have some meaning.

I quickly joined some wires with success but since there were six sections a problem arose. One light group would come on and another one went off. After a while Theresa read the instructions and before long all the lights were on and the tree looked beautiful.

Next came the TV. Would we mount it on the wall, or on the dresser top? After reading the instructions we decided on the temporary placement of the TV be on the dresser.We are now in Xmas mode and planning a great family gathering to celebrate all the blessings which unfolded this year. With the news of a wedding and other family events, we shall enjoy our holiday season even more and Christmas will be just perfect as it always is.

Third Time is a Charm

2011-11-21T17:10:00.002-05:00

During the last two months I have been participating in the Great Canadian Medical Plan. I am not joking about our system, but I am really showing the universal benefit of such a system. It is not perfect and I am sure that some people fall through the cracks, but it suits me just fine. Since my failed attempt to have a serious spinal procedure some months ago, followed up with a second attempt which ended with a no go, I have had numerous tests by specialists to find out the safest way to get me well.

I must say that the manner I was treated and the care shown by all staff made me feel confident that this time I will have my surgery in the most timely fashion. Yes, I lack the courage of some, and suffer those twinges of fear as my memory of the past is not completely erased. Recent visits to Sunnybrook and and our regional hospital had put me more at ease because I feel that I will receive the best possible care.

My pre-op which was a few days ago cleared my mind as I was treated to the final tests by a senior Dr who took special interest in my case as it was only the second time in thirty five years that she was called upon to work this procedure. Theresa and I listened intently as she described every detail of our upcoming event.We left completely satisfied with our Thursday surgery procedure and are thankful that every care is being taken for my benefit.

If all goes according to plans I should be back on my feet in two or three months and our Florida trip will not be completely missed. Theresa will miss Black Friday the biggest shopping day of the year in the USA but happy that we will be given a great American Thanksgiving at Trillium Hospital. It is very gratifying to receive the support from my family and friends and look forward to getting back to normal and sharing in the workload here at home.

Happiness Comes In Many Forms

2011-11-14T14:26:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I attended a birthday party for three members of my family. All was going well and when the time for gift giving came I received a great surprise. My daughter and her family - through my son-in law Eddie - presented me with a pair of books outlining both my father's and mother's heritage. The sight of these two books overwhelmed me as I have been working towards this end for years. Every page opened up memories; dear memories of my family and stories of some who have long departed this earth.

Last evening I began to read until I fell asleep, enjoying and savouring every word of this precious document. I continued this morning and had to phone my sister Jeannie and shares some of the little snippets of previously unknown information. Some pictures were included and as I moved from one part of the family to another, Jeannie and I covered a hundred years. She felt she had to have a copy so I am going to try to get one for her. She is the matriarch of our family and she should hold the secrets of the family.

In any case it took a person who was seeking some distant relatives and came across the name, Vickers that triggered his interest and after seeking more information established a link between our families.What a neat happening. I am grateful for this unique experience and realize that happiness comes in many forms. Today I am very happy.

Canada's Changing Role In The World

2011-11-12T12:19:00.001-05:00

Canada has been one of the world's greatest peace keepers during the period beginning at the end of the Korean War until its active role in Afghanistan. As a UN member and its peace keeping responsibilities Canada was recognized as a country that could participate and lead in missions around the world. Our Prime Minister at the time, The Honourable Lester B Pearson received the highest honour possible for his work in establishing peace missions on behalf of the UN.

During the last number of years we have become a country which moved away from its traditional role and has become entwined with the USA as an active, aggressive partner in war. Our armed forces took on the new role and have had a splendid record for their work on the battlefield. Their role also gained recognition for their reconstructive role and have built schools, hospitals and roads as well as stabilizing areas under their control.

This change in our international standing has brought a new face to our military. For years we were the most trusted to bring peace to troubled areas but when you actively carry out combat missions in a foreign land you are seen as something else. People who have lost family because of collateral damage see us as aggressors and no matter how much good we do there will be a lingering hatred for years to come.

It is a personal feeling but shared by many that Canada's stature was greater as a peace maker than it will be as a combat force probably getting involved in disputes outside the UN jurisdiction. I feel very proud of our people in the armed forces and their achievements over the past decades and desire to feel the same way in the future. Our armed forces do not decide their tasks but rather our leaders place them in harms way and we hope it meets the litmus test of being in the national interest and not protecting big business in the oil industry or some other similar situation.

All over America and I include Canada there is a wave of distrust of our financial intuitions and this spontaneous civil and so far peaceful revolution has captured a large body of our population. It is not because we see successful businesses but rather the great divide between the rich and the poor. America's strength has always been the great , strong and numerous middle class. Today the middle class is shrinking and the few very rich are getting richer at the expense of the others. If the figures are correct some few percent of the very rich own, control or use some ninety nine percent of the wealth of the world.

Many individuals have larger budgets than many countries. With this disproportionate division of wealth there is room for society to rebel and desire change.. Normally this change is done by governments making sure the people under its responsibility are taken care of. In Canada this is done quite well but in many countries this is a huge problem.

Hopefully over the next while there will be peaceful change and the world will be a better place. I am proud to be Canadian and I desire our leaders in government and business work out a solution to the very complex and necessary changes to make our country even better.

11.11.11

2011-11-11T13:32:00.001-05:00

While I lived in the High Arctic I became friends with many Inuit. One of my little friends was a young girl who lived two doors down from me. She had a younger sister who was about a year and a half and she used to carry her on her back everywhere they went. Girls from an early age used to carry younger members of their family as it was difficult for very young children to walk through the snow and ice during the travels from house to house or even further. This little one had a very interesting family.

Her mother was one of twelve children. Eleven girls and one boy. Her grandmother was also a member of a family with eleven girls and one boy. In each family the boy was the youngest and each died early in life due to suicide. The grandmother was able to communicate in a small way in English but was known as a wonderful story teller in her native Inuit language. This language was spoken by Inuit in a region along the North West Passage. I used to get her telling stories about early life and my little friend used to translate.

Some times when a particular humorous part would be told laughter would break out from those listening and again when the story was translated. This grandmother preferred to live on the land and for eight months of the year she moved to her little abode some 5 miles from town. She had great knowledge of the Inuit culture and I tried to get her to explain the significance of the little people which was believed by all the Inuit people. These little people along with Shamans held the magic which was part of the spiritual heritage of the Inuit. She was reluctant to engage in a conversation because years before she was laughed at and scorned when she told these stories at a hamlet gathering attended by white people . The white people were there to try to get the Inuit to leave their nomadic life style and move to settlements. She never told a white person these valuable stories again until I gained her confidence.

One very interesting aspect of her life was doing puzzles. I gave her puzzles one Xmas and ever since she looked foreword to my Xmas present which always contained puzzles. I bought one puzzle which , when completed showed a scene of wolves chasing a caribou. It had 2000 small pieces and I thought she would never finish it. Not long after I answered the door and some of her family were there to invite me to grandma's house to celebrate her birthday. When I arrived I was greeted by her whole family except her dead son. There was the puzzle all finished and glued to a board and hanging on the wall with her other art pieces.

She told us that night she had special powers as her grandmother and mother had shaman powers because they were the oldest of twelve, three generations in a row. She told us wonderful stories of the old days and since I was there we all heard it twice. It was a wonderful evening with a feast of dried muskoxen, caribou and Arctic Char. Memories like these keep me loving the people and their land Nunavut. I wonder how many stories will be told about 11.11.11.. I will never forget the one about 12.12.12.

Weekend Reunion

2011-11-11T09:10:00.000-05:00

With perfect fall weather and a visit from friends what more could you ask for? Well, this weekend was just that with a couple of days under perfect conditions to catch up on all the news from the Valley. We had planned to get together over there but we were unable to make that connection so we reversed the plans and they came here.

Most of our ideas about all the things we were going to do flew out the window and we used most of our time just talking. We ate well by enjoying a turkey dinner which stimulated our memories and across the table we shared memories of people here and long departed. It is rewarding to have time to look at pictures and try to remember all the people in the back row and have a inward smile about so and so who at one time or another had a brief encounter which you still remember.

Visits cause you to think of the past and share moments which are or were important to you. Doors are opened and conversations jump from one event to another without a thought . With friends your guard is down and you feel free to be honest and open. Laughter becomes spontaneous as we relive those shared happy and sometimes humorous moments. Laughter turns to instant sadness as names of people pop up and we realize they are no longer with us. However these changing moods and moments continue until you realize that the time you planned to play that game of euchre was long gone.

You go for a walk, linger over a beautiful tree with leaves at their peak of beauty and move on making the connection about how fleeting our lives really are. Without words we see each other as we wish to and feel good about the bond that has been established where everything is beautiful in its own way. I loved that song. Evening comes and after a dinner at a local restaurant we return to the warmth of home and sitting in a comfortable chair with a small glass of Baileys make a toast to friendship and friends and plan to get together again in the near future.

The beauty of life in general is your ability to mesh with the natural order of things and to relate to friends and family. When you are out of kilter with either of these truths than your are missing the real joy of life. Personally I have always believed that happiness and joy can be achieved with little dependency on things if we have the spiritual strength to become one with nature and its natural causes.

Harvesting Brussel Sprout

2011-11-10T10:08:00.000-05:00

We had our first hard frost the other night so I thought it was time to harvest our crop of brussel sprouts. We plant only three but in a good year that is plenty for us. These vegetables are really small cabbages with a stronger flavour. They are easy to grow and freeze well for winter use. This year we had a good crop as the end result was small firm sprouts. Some years the sprouts become large and split thus making them not so good for keeping. We shall eat them tonight for supper and see if they taste as good as they look.

Remembrance Day

2011-11-10T09:57:00.004-05:00

November 11th has always been an important day for me. From earliest days during our school life there was a special emphasis given to this day. It was a declared holiday for many years but now it is celebrated without the holiday. As youngsters we were treated to veterans coming to our classes and sharing their stories with us. It was interesting that rarely was there a long speech about the actual war but rather what the war meant to the world and we in particular.

Later when I was involved in education we had students competing for the honour of representing our area in public speaking and essay writing. I felt that the little services held in a class or a school were very meaningful when attended to by a Legion Member. The children wore poppies and recited the poem,In Flanders Fields and there were tears from the older members of the gathering as so many were affected by the war.

I have personal feelings about this most important day as many of my immediate family were members of the Canadian Armed Forces during the first and second war.My father was a second world volunteer and went off to war only to find out that he was not suitable due to physical requirements and was sent home after basic training. He was given a volunteers badge which I still treasure and is a main part of my collection. Dad's wedgie is still in my possession and along with my own hold a respectful place in my room of memorabilia.

In a way I feel fortunate to live in a time and place where I never was called upon to serve my country. I did serve as an officer in the Canadian Militia for years in a Scottish Regiment as did my Dad but I was too young for the Korean war and too old now to serve.

There are many ways to honour the memory of the men and women who served and died for our freedom. November 11th is a symbolic date. Every day there are opportunities to remember. Be positive and supportive when our people come home from war torn countries and suffer physical and mental disabilities. Support legislation that gives our vets a proper support pension and medical facilities. Be vocal in your support and let people know you care about those who have served on our behalf and most of all try to make Canada's foreign policy one of peace and caring for the oppressed and needy.

Believe It Or Not

2011-11-03T09:04:00.000-04:00

One of the big questions being discussed around the world today is Global Warming or Climate Change. From the very outset there were many schools of thought. The subject has been talked about, written about, lied about and used as a tool to protect global industry and financial institutions.

One side of the question was taken from a scientific approach whereby scholars massed data to prove that it was a reality and predicted the outcome if we as earthlings did not change our ways, we were in big trouble in the near future. They produced facts to back up their case.

Another point of view was that the changes were cyclic and we had little to to with the problem. Cleaning up the production of carbon spewing into our atmosphere had little to do with the mess. Industry, specially oil interests loved this point of view.

The more that the scientists produced and preached in the way of facts, the more the other side laughed it off. Today surveys show that the ordinary person is confused and does not really have a handle on the problem. In Canada we have some of the worlds experts on this subject as we have been observing and recording data about the Arctic. These experts are frantic as they feel that they are not being heard or not being taken seriously by agencies who could make a difference.Our government has been cutting the budgets of environmental watchdogs when we should be stepping up our programs to monitor and check changes.

One only has to look at the Canadian Arctic to see just how quickly the changes are being made. Only a few years ago Arctic summers were counted in weeks and now in months. The North West Passage could be navigated by by ice breakers and now pleasure craft regularly cruise along during a much longer and ice free summer. Pictures taken by satellite show the decrease in ice fields that used to be thought as permanent and they no longer exist. Birds have moved further north every year and robins are now settling in the Arctic region. I could go on and on to make a case for the changes being experienced but the question really is it man made ,a natural phenom or a combination and what are we going to do about it.

Because the public debate is confusing there appears to be no real, long range planning to help make the needed adjustments to protect our vital interests.

What Are We Trying To Do?

2011-11-02T10:51:00.001-04:00

Every day the papers and television are covering stories coming out of Ottawa that must make people very confused. The government use at every turn of the road the excuse that they are empowered to do as they wish because they won the election.They claim that because they made promises to change things that proper debate needs not to take place because they have the power. Several promises they made were supported by some thirty five percent of the folks that supported the Conservatives.

My concern became close to outrage when the changes to the criminal code were announced without proper consultation. The next move was to build more prisons to hold the new found criminals. The sentences were to be longer with less opportunity for parole. The gun legislation followed with less restrictions on lethal weapons such as machine guns and self loading long guns.

The resulting actions would result in the closing of the long gun registration against the wishes of a majority of Canadians. This move will make the NRA very happy and the criminal element feeling safer from precaution. Law enforcement agencies used this registration on numerous occasions to carry out their duties every day.

The table is now set for laws to incarcerate more people longer, more jails to keep these people under lock and key all at a huge cost to the Canadian taxpayers. This in spite of the fact that crimes have decreased every year in Canada for the last ten years. It boggles my mind that this government was elected to try to solve our problem of unemployment. I suppose we an assume that this is their program to solve the serious issue of jobs, jobs and jobs.

The right wing conservative movement is sweeping the Northern Hemisphere. It is very dangerous as it is aggressive and seems to walk over reasonable thinking. Ideology takes precedence over facts and a more liberal approach. Canada has been a country of reasonable, conservative law abiding citizens. We do not need to have the right wingers moving our perceptions too far to the right.

Hopefully parliament will bring some balance to the scene and hold the powers of the Prime Minister in check and put democracy back into the system. My faith is with the people but there has been less emphasis on the House of Commons and more on the shoulders of the PM and his cronies. What are we trying to do?

Time To Talk

2011-10-31T15:40:00.002-04:00

Theresa and I just returned from a three week quick trip to our home in Florida.We drove Theresa's little touring car.I thought it might be a tad small for such a long trip but the nearly 5000 kms went bye very well. In fact we made our fastest and cheapest trip of all time. The mountains of West Virginia were no challenge for this four cylinder car and on the open road it handled well at 120 kms.

On these long drives Theresa and I have many hours of uninterrupted time to converse. It is at these times we are able to make plans for the future, examine what we have done in the past and generally enjoy the time together. We both love nature and point out birds and animals that come into our view. This trip was no exception as we try to be the first to spot deer. In Ohio Theresa spotted two deer leaping through a corn field. The corn was very tall and the only time you saw the deer was at the top of their leap. It was a unique vision and so different from other sightings.

On the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania we saw a black cloud which turned out to be swallows, thousands of them going through their ritual flying dance. Some years ago we experienced a similar event but it was Monarch Butterflies. That flock was huge and appeared as a black cloud until we were right on top of it. It was an incredible sight. On this trip we were entertained by the changing colours of the leaves. Although beautiful they paled in comparison to the Canadian Maples.

Being alone for such a long time gives us the time to assess our relationship and the relationships of our family and friends. We are able to understand just how intertwined our lives have become. Although we do not always agree on solutions we do have the chance to put forth a point of view and time to discuss with the eventual consensus resolution. At times we actually write down lists of things we would like to do and when to do it. This trip we planned a possible adventure to the South West of the USA. We both have experience in that region but not together. Another adventure in our future is the British Columbia trip. We must make this a priority. We want to see the coast and Vancouver Island but also the interior.

These planning times are useful and we recognize that anticipation is half the journey. We value our alone time when we have time to talk and create plans for an exciting life.

Dogs

2011-10-30T10:29:00.001-04:00

Owning and caring for a dog must be an inherited trait. My oldest daughter has a crazy little dog who was the attention seeker for years before her three daughters became dog owners this year. Fritz ruled the home with his loud barking and greetings whenever anyone entered the home. As of late this little bundle of energy has calmed down somewhat and is better behaved. Fritz did fill an empty space in this home when the three daughters moved out on their own.

The first daughter to become a dog owner bought a springer spaniel and named her Luna. A dog who loves the water and has taught a sense of responsibility to her owners is calmer than Fritz and gets along well with sharing the limelight. As this daughter is planning marriage in the near future this will be a good lesson in just how challenging it will be when and if they become parents. Today with the cost of raising a pet dog and the care involved it almost mirrors the raising of a child. Luna has given her masters hours of attention and joy but has caused the owners to realize the responsibility of ownership in caring for Luna in a proper manner.

The next daughter to become a dog owner chose a small, very young breed that she could take to work and care for in her third floor condo. She named this eight week old beauty Runyon. On a visit to our home this little fellow entertained us for hours. Cute, demandingm and open to years of training and love from his owner this dog is lucky to have a dedicated master. I have observed just how this young lady studied her responsibility and will provide proper training to make this shared relationship a happy one.

The youngest of the three daughters to become a pet dog owner has taken a different route to ownership. Instead of purchasing an animal she has begun to foster a guide dog. Since this young lady is a student at university this large Black Lab will be with her constantly. Part of the training involves strict social behaviours on behalf of the dog and owner. Both will learn and grow together and by the time the dog is to return for final training I am sure that they will be able to make a decision on ownership. This contract is a very responsible undertaking on behalf of this second year student and I am proud she has accepted this responsibility.

Runyon

Buck

You can just imagine what the scene will be on Christmas morning with the four dogs and nearly twenty people all seeking attention. I am sure that the joys received in dog ownership will be just as rewarding as the other gifts they receive on that special day.

Halloween

2011-10-27T12:13:00.001-04:00

Halloween was a special day when I was a kid some years ago. We looked forward to this day and planned tricks on our friends and neighbours. Back in those days some of the so called jokes went way beyond and caused damage and outright vandalism. Some towns were known for their outrageous stunts and were widely reported. As young people we were less exciting but managed to have fun without being over the top.

For days ahead we planned our costumes and in a family of nine it was difficult to find props to make yourself less known to your neighbours. There was never a thought of a store bought costume. It was find some old clothes and become a tramp for a few hours or an old army outfit making you a brave warrior or whatever you could muster up. Every year there were movies which caused the majority of young girls to become a Hollywood personality for the evening.

We would soap windows or some silly thing or pull the old rope game where two people would stand on opposite sides of the road and when a car came by pretend you were holding a rope and make the driver come to a stop. Moving from house to house was the main attraction where by the neighbours would try to guess the goblins who crowded their door. Everyone had fun and most of the neighbours got in the act. Apples, home made fudge, candy coated apples for special goblins and suckers were the main treats. At Ma Vickers' place there was the special treat of home made taffy. Granddad Vickers was always given the credit for this delicious treat but in fact we found out years later that he had nothing to do with it.

Those days were ended in our home with a time when we all had to be in the house and a sharing of our pillow case full of goodies was traded and admired. Mom always warned us about eating too much candy by using the tooth cavity scare but it never worked. Finally we would go to bed with our treasures neatly tucked away under the bed or other secret place. It was a fun time and was for the children and parents who shared this special day. Next day the pumpkins were turned into pies and the decorations either taken down or re-cycled.

Today our young people miss the wonderful fun time because of the changes in society. It is not safe for your kids to go door to door, home made treats are rejected because of fear of the contents, they carry UNICEF boxes asking for money for the world's needy and how much is really turned over to the needy. Parents fear for their children and fun pranks are no longer acceptable..This magical day from the past has become another commercial grab as huge stores open for the season and sell China made costumes at ridiculous prices. Tiny toddlers come to your door with bag wide open for the treats and the guessing game is lost. What was a community social event has become much less.

For my part I always carve a pumpkin and welcome the handful of kids from the neighbourhood. Today you are lucky if you get a handful of goblins at your door. Adults buy store treats that they themselves like as they will not have to give many out to the public. We are a few days away from Halloween and I hope this year all the kids have a safe evening and maybe, just maybe the adults could tell them about the days when this was a very special day.

Fishing On The Gulf

2011-10-25T14:49:00.002-04:00

Among my friends in Florida there is a man who loves fishing as much as I do. Carl lives nearby and has several boats but for going out on the Gulf he owns a 30 ft. twin hull fishing boat. It is very stable and makes a good platform for fishing. We play golf and when he heard I was only down for a few weeks he invited me out on the opening day of Gag Grouper fishing. The size for keepers was 22 inches and you are entitled to keep two. Red Grouper are available as well with the same restrictions.

We had a perfect weather forecast with light winds and clear sky. Carl was going to go out about 40 miles. At seven in the morning the sun rose red and the clear skies made a beautiful setting as we made our way through the barrier islands and reached open sea. As we moved off shore the wind freshened and we faced a four foot chop.Carl decided to start fishing about 32 miles out. As the wind and current made it difficult to anchor we decided to drift.

Carl gave me one of his grouper rods and on the first try in 65 feet of water I caught a keeper grouper. From there on we caught fish after fish. Forty one to be exact but we were limited to two each. Although it was rough water we never noticed as the fishing was special. Comments from the group indicated that they never caught grouper that big in water so shallow. We had a perfect day which ended too soon as we had our limit. Carl had us reel in and we made for shore with the water becoming less rough so we were comfortable and talked of the fish we caught and the big ones that got away.

As we arrived at Carl's dock we cleaned up the boat as Carl did an expert job of cleaning the fish. He divided the fish equally and for my part I had 9 beautiful fillets. We departed with fish in hand and a whole lot of good memories. Theresa and I had several meals of some of the best eating fish anywhere. I cannot think of a better way of sharing time with friends than fishing.

Looking Down The Barrel of a Gun

2011-10-25T14:24:00.001-04:00

Theresa and I arrived at our home in Florida and had to do all the routine things to open our house. It is up to Theresa to open the door and get to the alarm system before it actuates and brings the police. This has never been a problem but this time Theresa opened the door and instead of going directly to the alarm box she yelled to me to turn on the lights. It was dark inside because of the shutters were still on but there was enough light for her to navigate carefully. She never made it and all hell broke loose. The siren made such a noise but she quickly turned it off. Too late as it turns out.

I went about my business of turning on the power, the hot water tank, the water and started to take off shutters covering the pool side door. I was working and making a lot of noise so never heard the police car pull up. The policeman saw our garage door open and yelled but we never heard him. He walked around the back of the house and saw some shutters off but never saw me. He then went completely around the house and entered the pool cage with gun drawn. I never heard or saw him until he yelled to me. I was deep in focus and as I turned I was startled as I was holding a drill which resembled a gun. I use it to turn the screws holding the shutters. I jumped and he turned his weapon down. We were both surprised but it could have been worse. We talked a bit and he made his report. It seems that there was a group of thieves who were ran sacking homes that were not being lived in and as he was alone he drew his gun.

Theresa came out and we had a laugh as we had proof that the security system actually works.She was a little upset as she rarely makes mistakes like this one, specially when it costs $25 for a false alarm. The officer departed after a good visit and we went about our business of getting settled in. The next day we went to the police station to pay our fine and we were met by a volunteer at the desk. As she heard Theresa making her appeal she wrote off the fine. It seems that the police are in negotiations and being lax with misdemeanors. We learned a lesson and we hope to do better in the future and I hope never to look down the barrel of a gun again.

A New Month

2011-10-03T08:32:00.002-04:00

October offers so much promise for me as my schedule is filled with so much good activity. It started well with a family gathering yesterday. We planned to have the family get together earlier in the week but everyone was busy. Sunday comes along and so does the rain. Suddenly the plans that were made were undone and every one of the immediate family was available. Theresa and I cooked a turkey and over supper were had a great discussion about world and family affairs.The missing ones dropped in earlier so after roll call all were accounted for.

Theresa and I are travelling to Florida for a few weeks and we really wished to see everyone before we left. A good surprise was the visit from our university girl who dropped in for a few minutes before moving on the her university in Guelph. The few minutes lasted just over an hour and it was rewarding to share time with her and listen to her aspirations. She is studying political science and world affairs. I love to hear of her dreams and strong feelings about making a contribution to the world. She is passionate about her calling and her enthusiasm is infectious.

Yesterday was supposed to be a day when I transplant flowers to fill empty spaces which I prepared last week. My neighbour is sharing her many perennials with me and I am taking this opportunity to move to a small upkeep landscaping scheme.With the rainy weather it is a perfect time to do just that.

We are driving to Florida this time in our small car as we are not carrying anything heavy {except me}. One road we have not taken on our numerous journeys south is a mountain top highway along the Blue Ridge Mountains. We are always too busy to take this road but with the fall weather and the beautiful leaves we plan to make the effort this year. It travels from a point in Virginia across country to Tennessee.

On returning to Ontario I have a series of tests at Sunnybrook before my surgery. October is filled with a variety of adventures and I am excited just thinking about them. While I am away I will not be publishing blogs but writing last minute entries for my book. This project has become a family affair and has made me realize just how important family really is in your travels along life's pathway.

Election Fever

2011-09-30T15:18:00.002-04:00

The advance pole for the provincial election was held this week and today was the last day to get your say before election day on Thursday. The ladies of the house went to vote a couple of days ago and their names were not on the list. They had to go through that song and dance to vote but they did. Today I was greeted with the same message, my name was not on the list. Normally I would have given them a hard time but it was not their fault but the people who are in charge of the enumeration. It would seem like a simple job but apparently not as there were pages of people who had to register at the voting station.

This election is a very close one as the three parties have each a defined niche and the NDP is on the upside of the surge after the death of their very popular Federal leader Jack Layton. The Grits and Tories are in a dead heat or so the poles say but this week will be the clincher when the sober thoughts of the electorate will cause them to polarize. Once the voters feel there is a winner the people will rush to that side and we still could have a majority.

Normally elections are exciting but figures show that apathy leads only some of us to use our vote. Statistics show that we as a nation have turnouts of between 55% and 65% on a good day. Maybe this year we will do better and fool the experts. The issues are many but many of the real bread and butter issues are not being discussed. Care for our mentally ill citizens, the environment, aging populations and all the economic ramifications are barely touched on because everyone is concerned about the economy and jobs.

There is a real divide in the North American political picture. The right wing conservative movement is growing here and in the USA and the left wing liberal and social parties are being smothered. Less than 25% of workers are protected by some form of a union and legislation is being developed and passed which will take away any teeth or power they have to protect the workers. The divide between the rich and poor is becoming greater every year. There is less sharing of the wealth of the country as the middle class is shrinking at a devastating pace. The very guts of a country is not Bay Street or Wall Street but the little entrepreneur who works for himself and the worker who produces the goods and services.

There is something wrong when CEO's are making up to 300 times the salary of a worker. There is something wrong when CEO's get bonuses worth millions when the company lost money and workers are asked to take a lesser wage and loss of benefits. This election will not solve all these problems but my wish is for everyone to be heard and when the dust settles we send people to the government which will represent our needs and hopes for a better Ontario.

Sunnybrook Health Center

2011-09-29T11:45:00.001-04:00

I had the good fortune to pass a day at the Sunny Brook health center. I was there for a series of tests to determine whether I was allergic to penicillin. After fighting traffic to get there on time there was not one empty space at the many parking lots. Finally I spotted a car leaving so drove very fast to capture this prize. Several other people had the same idea so it was a race. Happily I was there first and entered the $23 for all day parking. Trying to hurry back to my car with the ticket to display it on the dashboard I realized that I had but two minutes to make my entrance at the reception desk.

Theresa was not with me so I had to put all my organizational skills to the test. It is so much easier when you have a partner to do the thinking for you and to find your way in these large institutions. I came ready to share my day with the hundreds of people milling around. I was lucky as all the serious work for me was done in one location this time. After getting the many needles I had ti settle in for a 2 and then four hour wait.

I decided to look around and consulted a large map on the wall. This place is huge and home to thousands of workers. I wandered through corridors and a dozen waiting rooms and while taking a break struck up a conversation with an elderly couple. They happened to have a cottage on Trout Lake near Barrys Bay and their neighbour was from Pembroke. We had many mutual friends so an hour of the wait was shared with good company.

We departed and I found myself in the area where people with copd were being treated. Gasping for air, coughing and some choking gave me the idea that young smokers should see this and they may think more clearly before taking that first puff. Many people there were not smokers but the majority were but the end result was the same. My empathy was building and I moved on. The next area was concerned with people who required limbs and other devices to aid their ability to cope with life.

I have been in hospitals before and observed sick patients but here at Sunny Brook the sheer number of people with problems overwhelmed me. The variety of malfunctions being treated was stunning and you could not be a visitor there without realizing the tremendous responsibility placed on our medical system .Probably because of the election there is a focus on the costs associated with this service and it not difficult to see why many people are upset. We here in Southern Ontario are right in the middle of one of the most modern and up to date systems but many who live away from the hub have less than satisfactory medical attention.

My mind wanders for the last hours of waiting time and I people watch. Every nationality is represented in this group and the many languages spoken makes you realize just how multi-cultured we really are. IT is fascinating to live in this complex society where a visit to a hospital forces you to see the real Canada. My hours at this health center gave me a healthy respect for the work being done by our care givers and my wandering about makes me a strong supporter of our health system.

Me To We

2011-09-26T10:59:00.002-04:00

I had never heard about this exciting program until my grand daughter Darcy became involved with the movement. She embraced the Me to We program and became a believer to the point where she attended a leadership academy one summer and spirited her school chums to become involved in building a school in Costa Rica. She was so enthusiastic that her feelings motivated many with whom she connected. She travelled to Costa Rica and was involved in the actual construction of the school.

Her mother was struck with the same magic as this movement is contagious arising from a humble beginning with two Canadian boys - Craig and Marc Kielburger - who had an idea to create change - to world recognition within a few years.This movement is a young people's thing with raw commitment to become leaders, agents of change and contribute to society by being a citizen of the world. It appears to be a youth thing at first sight but becomes a people thing where everyone has value and helping people to reach their own potential is important. Started 15 years ago as Free the Children by 12 year old Craig, the offshoot program Me to We has caught on to the extent that it now has world recognition.

Every year there is a We Day event held in cities across Canada and now spreading to the U.S. Thousands of young people and their teachers fill the Air Canada Center and are inspired by celebrities, social justice speakers and musical performers and reaffirm their commitment to "be the change". My daughter was an early believer and travelled to Kenya with Darcy to volunteer, school build and learn about the challenges faced by the people there. She is committed and preaches the word when possible. It has become a family thing and another of my grand daughters went to the Free the Children leadership academy this summer and claims it was a moving program and a life changer. Darcy interned for We to Me this summer and will always be a follower of this movement.

I have been brain washed and have written about this youth movement on occasion. Oprah W. had the Kielburgers on her program and they were a big hit; she strongly endorsed their work by sponsoring a program with FTC. While in Kenya my family members were inspired by the women who were being empowered with the help of FTC and saw great potential in raising the level of education and life in general. I mentioned that women in particular were empowered because their skills were a source of economic value because the structure was put in place to sell their beautiful handmade artisan products in Canada and the USA.

If I were a young person this movement would seriously challenge me to help make this world a better place. It captured my family's interest and I believe everyone who discovers this movement will be equally impressed. So Tuesday is We Day, do something that makes that Me a We by sharing yourself with others.

Darcy learning the art to spackling at the Kisaruni Girls' School build in Kenya

Working on Kisaruni, first girls' residential secondary school in the Mara region.

Masaai women teaching their intricate beading techniques

Fall Cleanup

2011-09-25T12:07:00.002-04:00

With fall only a few days old and our planning a short Florida holiday I thought it was time to get busy. Cutting the Lillie's and other early flowers before they turn brown is risky but I have to prepare for planting some more perennials. My neighbour has an overgrown backyard. She offered me as many flowers as I need and I took her up on the offer.

It is a little early for transplanting but time is of the essence. We have moved from annuals except for a few and have filled the space with easy to care for perennials. Our vegetable garden does not want to quit as the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and Russel sprouts along with the Swiss chard keep on producing. We had such a dry summer that when the rain came the gardens took off and we now have the growth that normally comes in June and July.

Regardless of this situation we are trying to get everything completed for winter.The last few rains we experienced were greatly appreciated as the trees were showing major stress and warnings were given to home owners to water their trees before winter. With climate changes we probably will have to make some major adjustments to our gardening habits in the future.

We who live along the 49th parallel will not be affected as much as the people in the sun belt or further north. The sun belt will experience long periods of drought and extreme heat for long periods of time. This will become a major concern in the next few years. The people further north will be granted a gift of a longer growing season and a widening of the growing area. This could be a financial benefit to the world as agriculture could be balanced between land lost to land gained.

An interesting observance this year was the move north of the bird populations. People are reporting sightings of birds which traditionally summer over further south, much further north. Animals and insects are also making similar changes in their habitat.

Well I will be making my regular migration south but could be convinced to come north earlier if climate changes dictate an earlier spring.

Shore Coal In Cape Breton

2011-09-23T10:51:00.001-04:00

Probably one of the few places in the world coal can be dipped with a net from the sea was Sydney Mines, Cape Breton. The Princess Colliery was a submarine coal mine which operated continually for over a hundred years and,washed the coal before exporting. This washing process involved dumping many tons of coal in a huge washer and after the washing it was loaded into coal hoppers and exported. This washing process was not very efficient and for every 100 tons of coal washed many tons were lost. The lost coal and water was dumped into the nearby Sydney Harbour adjacent to the washplant.

With millions of tons mined yearly you can imagine the amount of coal which ended up in the harbour water.After years the coal, being lighter than the sand in the harbour water became stratified and formed a layer of pure coal near the mine site. When a storm blew in the harbour the coal would move and settle in the coves in the harbour. This layer of fine coal would be exposed at low tide and my father and I ,along with several other owners of horses would load the coal on waggons hauled by horses and piled on the shore above the tidal line.

On a good day our mare Lady, would pull fifteen or twenty half loads up from the water to our coal pile. We used dump carts or Red River carts which were very useful when working in water and sand. When the tide came in and covered the coal we used dip nets to load the coal on to our carts. This was very hard work and when it was in the winter very cold. My father had a trick to keep our hands warm while they were wet. Before we started to work and while our hands were warm we would dip them in the water. They acted like a wet suit for diving. This only worked with knitted wool mits.

We used to sell this coal to regular customers but often large trucks would buy the coal there on the beach. One particular day we sold almost ten tons to a truck driver and after helping to load the coal by hand we received $20. That was an excellent days pay . When we delivered the coal to houses a couple of miles away we charged $2 per dump cart full. When I was older, around 14, Dad would permit me to go alone to make some money. I loved to work with our old horse Charlie. He was old but strong and steady.

The mine has been closed for years and there is no more coal in the water but for many years it gave us a chance to earn extra cash. One quality this fine coal had was being covered with a salt from the sea it kept the chimneys clear and clean. There was no dust and was clean to the touch. At our home we used this shore coal for many years.The good old days they say but I always think of them as the difficult days when good things happened.

September 22,1995

2011-09-22T08:43:00.002-04:00

It was a old day in Ikaluktutiak ,Nunavut that day when I decided to do a little exploring. The ground was hard and cold. The rivers and lakes were frozen but the elders told me to be careful and watch for black ice. I never had my snow machine prepared so decided to use my ATV to travel to my fishing and hunting camp site some 11 miles out of town. The weather looked alright but at this time of year changes very quickly. I just acquired my new travelling partner Buck who was a half wolf and half malamute dog. Large by dog standards and wary of me as his new owner but prepared to take a chance and ride on the back of my ATV.

I made sure I had extra gas but only planning to be gone for a couple of hours broke my own rule by not taking my emergency kit. This kit contained everything you needed to survive 10 days on the tundra. The kit in my case was kept in a waterproof box and was quite large. Normally it sat on the wooden extra seat on my ATV but with Buck coming I took it off and took Buck instead. I was properly dressed for the occasion and started up my machine and as I lived on the north edge of the hamlet was soon out on the tundra.

The road I was following was hilly and slippery so I travelled at a reasonable speed.The occasional snowdrift was crashed and snow would fly in all directions. I was enjoying this outing and began to speed in reckless abandon. I stopped here and there just to take in the scenery. Days were getting shorter and the sun was well below the horizon and before long it was pitch dark. I arrived at my campsite and let Buck run for a while as I tidied up around the campsite. Lumber had to be sorted and stacked for the winter. The door and windows which I had covered with a tarp were now exposed to the elements so I really had more to do than expected. A rule in the Arctic is to work but do not break a sweat. This is dangerous as exposure to the elements when sweating can lower your core temperature quickly.

I tried to be careful but in my anxious moments to get everything done I became overheated and then felt the cold creep into my bones. I stopped work and immediately lit a fire. I had loads of wood and a few boards with a tarp gave me shelter from the wind which seemed to pick up. I called for Buck being anxious to get home but there was no response. Since I had a sense of fear I talked to myself and admonished myself saying I would never fall into this situation again.

I warmed up but no Buck so I prepared for a longer stay. Snow began to fall so I covered my ATV with a tarp and hoped it would start when called upon. I had a store of military meals and began to eat but there was a certain uneasiness about the situation. I got up and started the ATV and called again for Buck. If necessary I would leave him as he would find his way home. Further fear crept in when the wind began to cause the snow to blow . Now I was worried so I sped off towards the hamlet. We had a very bright beacon in town as there was a Lauren tower there. The road became part of the landscape and I never knew if I was on the road or not.

The snow deepened and I was having difficulty with steering but I only hoped the machine would keep running. After what seemed like an hour I passed by the graveyard and the hamlet lights came into view. As I drove into my yard there was Buck chewing on a muskoxen bone and quite unconcerned. For me I had a life lesson, not really that bad but up there a small situation can be fatal. I vowed to be more careful and this was one rule I kept for the whole time I lived in that wonderful but cruel world. My diary entry that night was circled in red and I read it often as a reminder to be prepared every time you left the safety of your hamlet.

Protecting The Arctic Or Plundering??

2011-09-20T10:16:00.002-04:00

I have been hearing a great deal about our desire to protect the environment of the fragile Arctic lands. Because of climate change and global warming the possibility of economic development of resources is now on the table. Our government spent a summer complete with photo ops of our recent concern for the Far North. Yes there are huge natural resources to be found or developed in that area which makes up to 30% of our geographic foot print.

Now that the North West Passage is available for several months of the year, economic benefits are available. Huge or vast reserves of oil and gas can be found in the waters surrounding Nunavut. Hungry eyes and greedy oil companies see the money to be made and our government is awakening to the fact that pressure will be made to make these resources available.

The time to act to protect these Canadian benefits was years ago but that being said we still have time. The first thing that should be done to keep the faith is to protect the people who have lived there for 10,000 years and give them the same right to a life with clean drinking water and a health plan that meets Canadian standards. Education and training for the local populations must be a priority for the new found jobs or they will be left behind once more. These people know how to live in that harsh climate and is the greatest natural resource for that country in the future.

Legislation must be put in place to protect the fragile environment. Oil will be the great gift but the most dangerous element in the north where ice covers the water and land for many months of the year. There are three things that must be done to make sure we do not have a tragedy like the one suffered in the Gulf of Mexico.

Every well to be bored over water must have a relief bore hole at the same time as the producing bore hole. The relief bore hole would be made so as to be made operational within one day of a blowout. Next there has to be a cleanup plan to be completed before freeze up. What a tragedy if this was not done. Look to Russian problems caused by not doing this very thing. The third one is to make sure the permitting system protects and demands that every possible environmental condition can be verified and inspected on a regular basis. Recent cutbacks just recently withdrew the water quality inspectors leaving us with a system of self regulation. Crap..we all know the record of international capitalism; it must be regulated with service performance bonds. Oil companies will cry about the costs but they have plenty of money and make huge profits.

The tar sands have been developed before regulations have been put in place and regardless of what the oil company add say they are not sufficient. Less than 2% of the water used by these oil companies is returned into the water system in proper condition. The are trying but in many cases it is too late. Go to Fort McMurray and witness the mess. This can be avoided if we take care of business now.

The True North Strong and Free is part of our national anthem and should be part of our commitment to that part of Canada which has so much promise.

Niagara Falls Visit With Friends

2011-09-19T09:57:00.002-04:00

Theresa and I have friends { relatives} from New Brunswick for a week. One place that they talked about was the falls . On a perfect day we drove the 100 kms to Niagara Falls City and enjoyed the sights along the way. The perfect vineyards with their trimmed foliage made a great impression on the folks from out of town. There was just a hint of fall as some of the trees were turning colour but the vivid blue and green of the Niagara River was a perfect backdrop to one of the wonders of the world.

Living so close to this magnificent wonder and visiting there rarely surprises me as I get the greatest satisfaction at watching that water tumble down to the gorge below. The thousands of people ho were there this day were treated to a perfect day and even the wet spray rearranging perfect hair doos could not curb the joy of just being there and listening to the power of the water. The folks we was entertaining were elderly in most cases but this venue perked up their gait and gave them a new vitality.

Walking along the mile or so of viewing area you had to be impressed with the international flavour of the people who were there. I am sure most countries of the world were represented. It is interesting that this wonder is shared by Canada and the USA. Looking across the gorge is New York State and they have crowds just as large and excited as w have here in Canada. The Horseshoe Fall in Canada is most spectacular but the American falls is beautiful in its own right. While there everyone can see both falls at the same time.

Our guests loved the visit and I am sure it will be the highlight of their visit.The visit was completed by a drive along the Niagara Gorge and passing through one of Canada's most beautiful communities, Niagara On The Lake. The comments by our travelling group was summed up in one word, awesome.

A New Beginning

2011-09-17T11:59:00.003-04:00

During your life there are markers that tell of a new status in your journey through life. It was exciting when you got married and at the birth of your children new doors opened. You watched them grow and develop into adults. You were proud of their achievements and told anyone of just how wonderful they were. They became the center of your life and as a family you became a tight little society. You hoped it would never change but it did. Your children became adults and found partners who would be added to the clan. The outcome was an ever expanding and changing group with new dynamics and vitality.

Next came the grand children and with this event your whole life became a new adventure. You are swept away by the new vigor you feel and become so much more mellow. Grand children make you feel the way you should have felt when you had your children but this is different. You let your guard down and because you only have them for snippets of time you make every second count. They become your new children and you have a second chance to be what you always wanted to be but couldn't with your children. We all feel that change that is the reward for becoming grand parents.

These are the years when time is on your side. You have time to indulge and enjoy the grandchildren because you are relaxed and should be free from the stresses you had as young parents. The stage of children rearing comes at a cost. You are faced with just developing your career, buying your home, trying to maintain economic stability and sharing your life with your partner. Any of these challenges is difficult but at this time you have to muster enough energy to do all and well. Your very existence is dependent on how well you juggle your time and love to be successful

Next the grand children find friends and partners and somehow become less visible. If you are fortunate, your children will be close enough to stay in the family but your grand children probably will be ushered into different geographic zones to make a living or satisfy a partner or a dozen other reasons. When they have children you might have the good fortune to be available to enjoy their life and share in some of their adventures. This life cycle is reality and so far I personally have been blessed in having the best of all worlds.I have my family intact, grandchildren I see frequently and reasons to be a proud parent and grand parent.

With the announcement of an engagement and and future marriage of one of my granddaughters I feel the excitement which comes from the close relationship I have had with this valued person over the years. I have watched her grow from an independent, self directed child to a mature loving adult with much to offer the world. At this moment my excitement and emotional high ushers me into the next dimension of my life. I as all of our family are so happy that her journey which is just beginning adds another block in our extended family and strengthens the family connection in a wonderful manner.

Women and Girls

2011-09-16T09:42:00.000-04:00

For years I have been reading about how our money is used to help rising countries meet their needs and grow with limited resources. There has been a fear that our foreign aid was used by men to strengthen their military or line their pockets. In some cases this has bee true but studies show that private or institutional funds from groups like Feed The Children or Kiva have a tremendous impact on the betterment of life in the communities in which they live.

It has been shown that resources given or investments made in the younger women in a community will raise the living standard by a whole lot. Women and girls are the hidden resource in every society as they set the standard of behaviour and ccivility in countries where the female gender in not recognized and their worth beyond work is marginalized. In countries where investments in education of the girls is considered important a vast change in the quality of life is realized. These girls become nurses, teachers and leaders and their mindset is universally recognizeded as a power for good.

Because the women of the world are the chief agent of influence in the raising of the children, it would reasonably be expected that helping them become more educated and respected would be cause boys to be more compassionate as men. In countries where boy soldiers are taken away from their parents at a young age there is a terrible loss of respect and value of females by these people. This is one of the main causes of the slaughter and brutality shown to the females of these societies.

I have expressed on many occasions the true value in having more world leaders be women. In a world dominated by men in most of the third world countries our hope is that emphasis be given in our foreign policies for equal rights for men and women and educational opportunities will lead to a more civil society.I have personally seen the change in life in the far north where women have become pro-active in the community dynamics and are making a change for the better.

Rich countries like Saudi Arabia are seeing the need for the recognition of equal rights for women and are feeling the pressure of the world on their suppressive regime towards the females of their country. What a waste of potential when we do not utilize everyone in our society and take advantage of the total population to make a better world.

Simple Words Can Mean A Lot

2011-09-15T08:20:00.001-04:00

There are a thousand ways of expressing your feelings. A smile, a greeting to a stranger, a thank you when someone does a kind deed or saying nothing when you were about to show your negative self. Yesterday I was enjoying my green tea and the Toronto Star at 7.27am. The phone rang and I was sort of annoyed because we had house guests and I did not wish them to be disturbed. I answered the phone and it was Troy. Hi Papa...I missed my ride and could you drive me to school? Yes .I replied and added. Be outside at 8.am sharp.

I took my tea and went to our small car and had to adjust the seat, mirrors and spilled some tea on my clean T shirt. I muttered something and pulled out the driveway. My neighbour Grace waved as she was walking her dogs and I waved back. I drove down the street and counted 7 liberal sign and was becoming even happier. As I drove into the parking area where Troy was to be ready, he was there. He got in the car and filled the air with gushes of news and things that were happening in his life, mostly football.

I listened and as we arrived at the school I asked why he called me and not his father. His reply made my day. I haven't see you in a while and just wanted to see you and say hello. He shut the door and left me without words. You see simple words do mean a lot. I was happy.

Back To University

2011-09-14T10:27:00.002-04:00

In 1960 I was to have a dream fulfilled; I was going to university full time. I had attended Teachers College and taught for six years, five of those as a principal. During these days I managed to get married, fathered a child and saved a few dollars. It was always my dream to attend full time but with a wife and child to support I could only do just that; dream. Circumstances changed quickly as I was invited to attend Olympic tryouts for the half-mile. At the same time, I was offered a full time position as a teacher in a new federal program called Program 10. I would work evening shifts at the local secondary school between the hours of 5pm and 11pm. This was a well paying job and I had to make up my mind in a hurry.

In your life there are times when a decision will have a tremendous impact on your future. This was one for me as I always dreamed both about the Olympics and university. But this decision would clearly cut one of these options out. After discussing this dilemma with my wife I had to make the decision to go back to university with a stable position and a definite future. The truth of the matter was that even though I was invited to the Olympic trials I would never have made the team. My times were poorer than three others that I ran against in the past so it wasn't a matter of giving up a podium finish.

I had only a matter of days before I had to report to Laurentian University and work for the Sudbury School Board. Because we lived in Northern Ontario we decided to sell our worldly goods, and this was difficult, and purchase new items when we found a place to live.

This decision was possibly one of my best ones as we moved to Sudbury and I achieved two main goals. One was returning to university and the other was being able to support my family during the process. We found a small apartment and settled in and I prepared for my tasks. I was so nervous the first day of university with the registration and coping with the new surroundings. Laurentain was a new bilingual school with a small enrolment and you quickly got to know most of the fellow students. Small classes were a definite advantage and as I was taking philosophy and religious studies I was surrounded by books, books and more books. My problem was time to read all these.

My new teaching position was something else as my assignment was new to me. Mechanical drafting and science so I had to keep one step ahead of the adult students. It was fun and a challenge.Within two months I was asked to be the on site principal and this gave me a little more money and some freedom as I had one less class to teach.

During this new year of adventures I discovered that education was indeed my niche and philosophy my passion.We as a family grew to realize this arrangement came at a cost. I was too busy and this placed a great deal of responsibility on my wife and family. This would be my fate for the next thirty years until I retired.

As I look back I still wonder if I could have won that race in Saskatoon and what would have been but the moment is temporary and I never regretted for a moment going back to university.

Global Village

2011-09-13T10:37:00.001-04:00

When I was a young person living down the lane in Sydney Mines my world was only as large as what I could see. The dozen or so houses and my relatives who lived there made up my world. All this changed when we began to travel and listen to the radio and hear about places like Wheeling West Virginia. We could only imagine what it was like in those far off places. One Sunday we had a missionary speak at our church and this lady opened eyes and stirred our imagination with her word pictures. I personally hung on every word and something inside me was stirred up and from that day I could never satisfy my hunger to know about the other places in our world.

My oldest sister bought a set of books and they were like gold. The Book of Knowledge became my outlet for some of my wonders.At school we had a poor library and we were permitted to take a book or two home for a week. Often I would take more and Miss Smith turned her eyes as I pushed my luck to the limit. We used to have a belt to carry our books as backpacks were still not known. I couldn't get enough books to read. I might add that I rarely carried my school texts but the library books were my school books. My village was now becoming much larger. Our movie theatre called the Strand became my new found library and every Saturday we kids lined up and waited for the doors to open.

On the big screen we saw wondrous things. Western movies with Roy Rogers and the three stooges became our entertainment. Then in 1948 TV appeared in its crude form. Black and white and relatively expensive, it found its way into our homes. Our world changed as we became bombarded with news and stories from around the world. Pretty soon our world expanded to the point where we were learning more from the TV than in school. Much of what we learned was not so good but we did engage in much that was as we had quick reporting of what was happening around the globe.

With the space program making technical advances nearly everyone had a cell phone or a device that could become a camera, telephone,TV, radio, dictionary and a host of other processes which produced information instantly. Our sphere of knowledge became global and our village became the whole world. I see tiny tots going to school with huge backpacks and texting or using the cell phone .These changes over the past 70 years has made the world and its people much more open and available for help in times of natural disasters. When evil things are happening the world knows immediately and we truly are a global village.

Our earth is our global village but consider that our earth is but a dust particle in the big picture of our universe.We came so far but we have only begun to understand our place and role in the universe. I am sure in the next 70 years we will have new norms for religion, governments and nearly every institution which basis its role on knowledge and truth. While studying philosophy there was one statement that stays with me. There is no absolute truth but varying shades according to circumstances. This will throw some of our beliefs in a tailspin in the future as we begin to live in a universal village.

Canada's New Shift In Foreign Policy

2011-09-11T14:27:00.000-04:00

I must be getting grumpy when it comes to Canadian political matters or I was not hearing well when I heard a quick shift to the right last eve when our Prime Minister was interviewed. It appears that the question about Canada's status in the world has been greatly enhanced because we were becoming a military power. Yes we did take a role in the fight against terrorism and have spent some ninety billion dollars equipping our forces with modern tools for warfare. Our soldiers should have the very best when our governments puts them in harms way.

The question that really hit home for me was why our status has been raised. Is it because we like the American armed forces have power because of their mighty war machine or because we are recognized for our contribution to world peace. Back a few years ago we as Canadians could travel anywhere on the globe and be recognized for our peace keeping ability. we were loved for our contributions to world health and green policies.

Since we have moved to the right we have given up our place in breaking our agreements in regards to green house gases and are berated for our policies on the exporting of death dealing asbestos. We are even being considered for sancions by some countries because of these policies. How far we have travelled because of our leaders giving way and accepting the copy cat foreign policies of America.

We have become a much more powerful military country but at what cost. The cost of the war alone could have given every young Canadian a free university education. These young, educated people could lead the world in technology and we would be recognized for our ability to out perform or at least compete with the rest of the the world. I guess I just liked it when I knew being Canadian meant something more than being part of that power struggle which garnishes you hate and danger from the third world. We do so much good as a country and should carve our reputation built on being a peace loving nation and a Stewart of our environment.

Provincial Election 2011

2011-09-10T15:45:00.001-04:00

Every four years we are treated to a election to decide who will be making decisions on behalf of the electorate.This year we are faced with a situation as all places are where there is too little money and far too much to do. The needs of the ordinary person were never more clear and because of the deficits that governments built over the years they stare us in the face . Decisions have to be made. All the talk is about cutting services and downsizing government but since this means laying off staff there is a human outcry.

We have been so used to having the government look after us that the thought of taking care of yourself hardly enters the picture.Many people are wholly dependent on one level of government or another. The burden of providing these services become critical when fewer and fewer people pay to support this responsibility. Seniors are becoming more numerous and it seems that they live longer so the cost of health services becomes the major expense .Providing health, police, fire protection and education sends the costs through the roof. This is without mentioning the costs of our roads, armed forces and the many social services required to meet the needs of our citizens.

There is a strong right wing movement sweeping across North America and with talks of expanding the penal system and building more prisons it seems to fly in the face of good research and common sense. Our air force is demanding new war planes which will cost 35 billion dollars over the next ten years also does not make sense. These planes are strictly a offensive weapon and will do little to keep our country safe as I don't see any enemy threatening Canada.

This move is one which has bothered me for some time as Canada has always been a peace keeping people and buying these weapons make little sense. Better to use this money to improve our ability to

A Hint of Coolness

2011-09-06T10:30:00.004-04:00

My friend Don came out with this expression some time ago and we all laughed because it sounded so poetic. This morning when I went out to pick up my paper there was more than a hint of coolness as a brisk breeze with 10 degree temperatures gave me the signal that fall was really here. It was rather refreshing to wear a T shirt and a light sweater. When Theresa and I went for our evening walk around our block we noticed signs of fall. The most remarkable was the white oak dropping its acorns. This tree hangs over the sidewalk and is prolific in its ability to cover the walk every year with the biggest acorns. Four black squirrels were filling their pouches and scampering off to their winter storage hid away.

Other signs of fall creeping up is the yellow buses are on the road again, slowing up traffic and causing people to get frustrated because they never counted on the extra ten minutes it takes to get to work on time. A sure sign is our neighbour leaving her house with orange jacket and signs of her job, she is a crossing guard. At nearly eighty years of age she never missed a day on the job and loves her time on the street regardless of the weather.

Golf rates go down a little and with falling leaves it is harder to keep your eye on the ball and some time is spent looking for elusive or stray golf shots. It is also the best time of the year for golfers as the courses are not crowded and kids are in school. As the leaves turn colour and the days become even shorter there is a sort of urgency to get in as much golf as possible before you have to put your clubs away.

Fall ushers in a small migration to the universities. This year again two of our grandchildren go off to get new and wonderful experiences at places of higher learning. With eight grandchildren there has been a succession of our kids leaving. This enriches the discussions we have at family gatherings. With five of the eight already in the process the other three are about to move on as their cousins did and I can just imagine what a great time we will have when politics or religion is on the discussion paper. There is no sadness when these young people move on as they have the privilege of contributing to their own better life. We miss them when they leave for short times but love their return with new and exciting ideas.

Yesterday I rotor tilled the small garden where cucumbers, potatoes and carrots grew. The Swiss chard will last until heavy frost. It was a dry year and as I tilled the soil I could see how the dryness had a negative effect on our gardens and wish for a rainy fall. The trees especially need moisture before the winter and there have been warnings this year that many of our trees have been stressed and could be damaged during the dry winter months.

Yes there is a coolness in the air but with a provincial election coming up we could see some heat generated and the temperature rising.

Labour Day

2011-09-05T09:04:00.000-04:00

I was born into a large family in Cape Breton. My Father was a coal Miner and a union man.His union was UMW District 26 and supported the many miners who worked in the dangerous coal mines in that area. In 1948 there were thousands of miners working for less than $10 a day. The president of the union called the men out on strike supported by John L. Lewis who was the international president of the UMW. This was the year that my oldest sister attended Normal School in Truro , Nova Scotia. You can imagine the problems that this strike had on our family.

My Mother and Father were very resourceful. We had a piece of land where we grew potatoes and vegetables. Mom looked after chickens and we had a cow and horse. Relatively speaking we were well off as we always had food.Many people were less fortunate and poverty became epidemic and my school mates suffered greatly. The Red Cross gave we children a jam sandwich and a half pint of milk daily and on Friday we received a sandwich made of jam and peanut butter and chocolate milk. This was a godsend for many and is a lasting memory.

The union fought for the men and after months the talks resumed and the men went back to work with little or no compensation for their trouble.In those days unions played a great part in getting better working conditions and a safer work place. Money was important but the workers rights became the most important issue. As a result miners and other workers advanced their status and families benefited greatly. There were other strikes as well for the same reason and slowly life for the miners and others improved but the need for coal almost vanished with the railways moving away from steam power and the shutting down of our steel mills. Imported coal from the USA was cheaper to produce and cleaner to use in the coal fired energy plants so the coal miners lost their jobs

Today there is hardly a coal mine in the Maritimes and none at all in Sydney Mines which was the coal capitol of the east. The unions were a necessary part of society during those days and every year they were celebrated by Labour Day holidays across the nation.Today there are less than 25% of workers protected by labour unions and governments find ways to take the teeth from those that do exist by anti-union legislation. During the past year we have seen the government legislate unions back to work and denied their right to strike. I am not saying that this is good or bad but the matter still stands that there is a strong anti-union message shown by our governments. Unions are under attack and this will reflect the working conditions and safety factors for our working people.

Labour Day and Unions should be celebrated for their struggles in the past and there still is a role for them to play in the future. We live in a changing world where most of our manufacturing is done in countries where workers are not protected by some form of a union and we know the drastic effect it has on our ability to compete on a level playing field. Time will tell whether unions will make a comeback in these other nations and workers will be represented by fair unions to fight for their rights to a proper work place and fair wages.

On this Labour Day I shall think back to the contributions made by unions for working people.

Construction Record

2011-09-02T10:57:00.001-04:00

Our city has a schedule for road paving which was to include us during the month of June. Testing proved that more than paving was required so a complete overhaul was ordered. This involved curbs, storm sewer basins and sidewalks were to be undertaken. On Tuesday we were awakened at 6 am to the sound of construction equipment moving into our area.

By the end of the day huge machines were digging up the top 8 inches of our roadway and hauled away. In one day this was completed without interruption to our access. Wednesday curbs were cleaned and repaired where necessary and the next day new gravel was spread over the surface. The roadway was compacted and today ,Friday the paving was started and will be completed by evening.

For me this was a record. Usually we are left with a dusty road for weeks and everyone is grumpy because of the delays in completing the task. For once I saw a construction company move in a positive way and made all the residents very happy. If only every job could be done so well and quickly.

Birthday Party For Doris

2011-09-01T11:58:00.001-04:00

The years just seem to fly by and Doris never changes. She will be celebrating her 94th tomorrow. Most people look their age or older but Doris seems to have that quality which keeps her eternally young looking. We are having her birthday party a day early so as to accommodate her well wishers who have plans for the long weekend. As Theresa and I were preparing for the family and friends gathering, Doris would not be denied the fun of helping with the food and organizing and was there right in the middle of the mix. She even helped herself to the cake pan and licked the last little bit of batter as she did when her mother baked cakes for the family.

There is no putting on airs with Doris as she reminisces about her life back in Coot Hill, N.B. Her memory of those early days are filled with the happy moments and are missing those times which must have been trying for everyone who lived through the depression years. Being the only girl in a family of six brothers gave her special status and has fond memories of her father and mother and admits she was her father's favourite.

Doris is a great traveller and has been to many places during her later life and even in her nineties she drove to Florida with us every year and never slept a moment because she never wanted to miss anything. Her love of trees is amazing and as we travelled through the American countryside she always comments about the trees. Her love of nature probably comes from her early life in beautiful rural New Brunswick.

Doris is an inspiration to our family and has had this role as grand old lady down pat but never wishes to be thought of as old. In Florida she loves to swim every day and take walks in the neighbourhood with us or alone. There is a major re-construction job here where we live and she gives adequate supervision to see the job is properly carried out. I have written about Doris on every birthday for the past 13 years and my wish is that this tradition will continue for many more. So Happy Birthday Doris and many more to come.

Feels Like Fall

2011-08-30T10:52:00.001-04:00

This morning when I retrieved my Toronto Star paper I felt a hint of coolness in the air. Yesterday I dug my ten hills of potatoes and picked the apples off the young tree as the birds were interested in taking bites from them. It seemed early but it was time. We have already made our spaghetti sauce for the next year and although we do not get as ambitious as we used to we have effectively completed these little tasks before September.

This makes it possible to enjoy the beautiful fall weather and get some serious biking and outdoor activities going. We prefer this season for golf as well because when school begins the courses are not crowded and the price drops a little.Ontario has such a variety of deciduous hardwoods that the colours make our countryside some of the most beautiful found anywhere.

I prefer to prepare my garden beds early in the fall and do a double tilling to rid them of weeds. This year I was bothered for the second year with peach curl. This deadly disease ruined the nectarine crop and I cannot get rid of it. I followed the instructions but with no avail. Because of the dryness of July and August all the fruit seem smaller and I would not consider this a good year overall. My water bill reflected my need to keep everything damp but tap water is not rain and I feel the chemicals in the tap water a hindrance to growth.

One thing that comes to mind when mother nature warns us of cooler weather is the call to the south. We begin to think about and plan for our migration to Florida.This is just a reminder now but on each cooler day we start to talk about our place there and wonder how everything is after six months of neglect. One more little distraction is that hurricane season is with us and we keep our fingers crossed to ward off any real bad storms.

A Message For Canada

2011-08-28T12:23:00.001-04:00

Stephen Lewis took advantage of the golden opportunity to give Canada a message of hope, civility and love. Hope for a better Canada, civility in relations with each other and love of country were stated so eloquently over and over again by Canada,s best speaker. The language used by Stephen was blended so well as to make everyone aware of the importance of the message. It was as if he was talking to the Prime Minister and advising him of the way things should be done in Ottawa.

He challenged everyone to take Jack as an example of how to relate to people of all stripes and to always be civil while doing so. There is so much distrust and anger against our leaders whether they be political, economic or even religious because of their actions reported through the media. The social media has opened up the world to practically everyone instantly, and has caused a a social revolution.

People are just sick and tired of the way our country is being managed and feel helpless but Jack changed all that with a picture perfect campaign during the last election. He used honesty, humour and a message of hope to convince we the people that we can become agents of change. He said we must work together and make things happen. This message resonated through Stephen's entire speech and brought everyone to their feet on any occasion where he spoke of civility and co-operation in making our country a better place in which to live.

He praised Canada for being a great country but emphasized the challenge of making it an even better country by sharing the wealth and being inclusive so everyone in Canada could feel welcome and could share its bounty. Jack and Stephen were great friends and shared the same ideals and convictions. Stephen works on a world stage and uses his skills to provide basic needs for people whose country is not doing so. His bond with Jack is that he has being the same work at the people level. If there was a social cause Jack was in the lead and if there was a balanced argument required Jack was not adverse to taking the often unpopular stand to make that argument.

Together they make a formidable team for good here in Canada and have thrown out the challenge for us to do the same. The message was for Canada but we as individuals are Canada and can make a difference.

Dark Age Thinking

2011-08-26T10:46:00.001-04:00

The good news is that many countries in North Africa and vicinity are throwing off the shackles of repressive governments and searching for freedom. We on the other hand in Canada are going in the opposite direction. Recent policies by our federal government are causing concerns for our labour force, health care and legal systems.

Justice Minister Nicholson's forthcoming legislation on crime casts a police state like pall over our country. As a society we are finally beginning to address the mental health needs and challenges in our legal system. Many people who are held in our prison system are ones who should have been given care in our health system. Many of the homeless walking our streets used to have a place in our mental health system. Recently two of our young people were placed in our prison system only to die because they never received the care that was promised.

All this is known but still Nicholson is about to bring forth a one policy for all legislation that will be non-negotiable and with mandatory sentencing we will see our Prime Minister's new jails filled to capacity with many people who should be elsewhere.

With the government's eye directed at unions and pension schemes in the public sector, the same governing body appointed Tony Clement as president of the treasury board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario - the same Conservative who was responsible for squandering millions in backroom negotiations for projects in his riding with unjustifiable connections to the G20.

These are a few of the issues we will be watching during the next session and from the looks of it there will be many more changes in the making that will make our country less civil and more difficult for the people who have needs in the health and legal systems, as well as for the union worker who has his rights taken away by a right wing government.

Nature's Lightning Show

2011-08-25T09:59:00.002-04:00

All day the weather reporters were warning everyone to be aware of the oncoming storm. Red warnings were cast at the bottom of our TV screens advising us of the power of the storm. It was to be a cold front moving through a hot, humid stationary system which meant thunder and lightning with the possibility of some tornadoes. In the evening as predicted the storm rolled in with a show of power. For us it was not the hail, wind or rain but the lightning which held us spellbound.

For over an hour we were treated to numerous flashes of brilliant light from all directions. At any given moment there were many flashes and as I sat in our sun room upstairs I marvelled at the power and beauty of this magical show. This week Mother Nature reminded us of the destructive power of wind as a 300 km wind gust in the form of a tornado destroyed the main center of one of our most beautiful small towns, Goderich, and left it in shambles.

This past year was a special year for disasters caused by natural occurrences. Earthquakes, volcanoes, drought, and wind storms remind us of the potential for destructive events, but lightning storms can be beautiful and deadly. I personally love the sight of this showy performance and sit in awe of the power and deadly force. Man has been able to control many things in this world but when nature bares it's teeth and displays its tremendous power we are helpless.

My respect for nature and natural occurrences makes me a strong believer in the natural order of things and the tiny role man plays in the big picture.A recent documentary tried to explain the size of space in relation to our universe. Numbers could not express the huge expanse in a meaningful way so the person said that our solar system is like a grain of sand on a beach. All of these natural happenings make up a small part of the whole and make us wonder. This wonder caused man to devise systems to control society and to help explain the unknown. Every society has its own way of trying to understand this supreme power through the formation of religions, and fall short of getting the job done. It would be so much simpler to try to harmonize oneself with nature and become a child of the universe.

Jack

2011-08-23T10:06:00.001-04:00

Canada mourns the death of a man who during his life touched the imagination of everyone because he gave a glimmer of hope that politicians could be true to their words. Jack as he was known to the public for his life style and convictions walked the walk. My oldest daughter told me years ago when she was a student at Ryerson that there was a professor who rode to work every day on his bicycle. She said he was a green activist and was a person who wanted to make a difference in the way politics worked.

He acted the same in public life as he did in private and became beloved by the people who connected with him. His love for Toronto was shown when he was elected to city council and gave straight solutions for the problems facing Canada's largest city. He spoke his mind often but without anger or malice and sought compromise to bring people together.

He lived in an area of Toronto which had a very diverse ethnic matrix and loved to walk the streets of his district and talk to the people who gravitated to his personal touch and friendly demeanor. He became the face of the common people and carried the torch for those people who lacked a voice and championed ideas and causes that were important to those who cared about the quality of life in the big city.

There are words spoken now about this man who passed away so quickly after he became the beacon of hope for his political party and a shinning example of how to conduct yourself in public life. Hours before his death he met with his close staff and wrote a letter to the people to express his wish for the future of Canada. He will be remembered for his achievements but his greatest legacy will be the manner in which he achieved these goals. Jack was a person whose life might influence people who wish to make their mark in public life and to do so with grace and conviction. Jack Layton was a reminder that there are good people out there who really care about their fellow man and Canada and were prepared to do something about it.

Treasures and Secrets From The Past

2011-08-22T10:11:00.002-04:00

Yesterday being a day I set aside for de-cluttering in my garage and basement became a day of discovery. I stained a small table I found the other day and thought it would make a perfect flower stand. After cleaning and sanding I was surprised to find it was of solid cherry and walnut construction; a good find and a recycled treasure. Seeing the amount of work still to be completed in the garage area I went to my favourite place in the basement of our home.

This area of the house is often referred to as my cave as I store my personal treasure in every nook of this room. It is a large room and is the place I have my polar bear hide and art treasures from the Arctic. It also houses my pool table and comfortable chair from which I watch sports and programming that would not interest other folks. Here is where the remains of my documented life lies in boxes and folders. Pictures and news clippings saved from the past fill storage areas and are mostly neglected until now. I am determined to bring order to this heterogeneous conglomeration of personal history once and for all.

The pool table looked like a good place to start. To hold the material that is, as I began dragging everything from the storage closets and placing the boxes and containers in loose groupings on its surface. The table is not large enough so I extend the area to cover the floor and another table. Now I have an an idea of the scope of my task. I begin with my LP records and music tapes which date back to the fifties. There are hundreds of them and as I examine some of them I turn on the record player and listen to the Seekers. Every song becomes a memory and there is not enough time to listen to even a small portion of our collection. I go to the garage and dig out my old Sony tape recorder and place a tape in the slot hoping that it still works. It did and my mind again pulled me back to those carefree days when Ann Murray sang songs that you still hear in the Walmarts in Florida.

I move to the picture boxes and began to race through the scores of family pictures. I smile at the brilliance of youth which shines from the black and white photos of yesteryears when we were young and follow the trail of the children growing up and registered on these little pictures. A little sadness when you cross faces that are no longer with us but a inward smile with memories re kindled by markers of time. Hours went by and I just got started. All day I stayed the course and after supper, continued. The clutter was still piled up on the pool table and I seemed no further ahead with the cleanup but I was walking through the past and it gives one a good picture of the future.

I decided to organize the pictures and give as many as possible to people who would benefit from their story and help to give the same warm feeling I got when viewing them. I am just starting with my task but I realize that this basement storage house was not clutter but family history. All it needs is a system to help people to access it. I have the outline of my plan and now I have to go and get it done. At the rate I went forward today I guess I will have a long journey but a pleasant one. Somehow I feel that when the work is complete, all I will have is well organized clutter.

Clutter Day

2011-08-20T10:29:00.001-04:00

Every few years I have to admit to the fact that I am a collector. I see something and my mind immediately sees a use for that thing. I pack it away and after a couple of years I wonder why I am keeping it. To be honest, the majority of objects that catch my eye are put into good use. For example the neighbours next door threw a solid oak cupboard out for the garbage collector. I saw this as a treasure as it was put together by screw nails and contained over $150 in good solid oak boards to say nothing about the box of inch and a half screws. You see my problem. I like to recycle.

However yesterday I started my cleanup and got as far as clearing my work bench. Every item I picked up to assess and throw caused me some pain as there was value in the product. I made a rule that anything I had for over three years deserved to be tossed. Mostly I tossed but some particular items survived. I have 8 hammers. 9 handsaws and fifty screwdrivers. It is hard to toss them when they are in perfect shape. We decided to offer all the discards to family and then they go to the Salvation Army Store.

Items that the girls throw from the confines of the house sometimes survive for a while in the garage as I might have use for them. Electronic items like boom boxes and old record players along with hand controls for TVs which we no longer use and cables by the dozen will make it to the recycle boxes at our landfill this year.

As much as I am on a roll there comes into play the careful checking from my wife to see I don't throw away anything good. In my mind everything is good but we just don't need it. I am inspired by that horrible TV show called hoarding. Most of us have just a touch of that disease but time and space control it.We have quite a bit of space and I have time so I must use willpower to control the urge to see treasure in trash.

It will take me several days to complete my task with the eventual reward of seeing the garage floor and painting it with a clean coat of grey paint. Time is wasting so I must get to work. Perhaps a picture will convince me to make this a yearly ritual.

Annual Reunion Of Classmates From NSTC

2011-08-19T09:01:00.001-04:00

Our class reunion from Nova Scotia Normal School is being held this weekend in Truro. Theresa and I are missing it because of circumstances which we thought were beyond our control. The truth is we could have attended as my surgery was cancelled. This year it was special as our class were having the couple of days before the formal reunion in St. Peters, Cape Breton.

The get together is being hosted by one of our retirees, Eva, who was the first appointed school inspector in N.S. who just happened to be a lady as well. Our class have been in the habit of making the annual reunion a special event with a gathering somewhere for a few days of social interaction. Our class is the only one which has had such a bond and as we are in our 56th year it is quite a record.

There are a few dedicated people who keep the group alive and vibrant and maintain good communication. This reunion is more than a gathering of old teachers, but also a group which has embraced family and friends as well. We are getting older with an average age of just about 75 but when we get together we are all 18 again.

There is something special about our group which resonates every time one of us is experiencing a turn in our lives; we receive warm and meaningful support. Our networking seems to work and we all benefit from this ring of a supporting cast. Yes we do gossip at our gatherings, catch up on the latest information about those who are not there to defend themselves and remember those who are no longer with us. Most of have been in the position where we lost loved ones and friends but the group stays strong because the collective energy of the members is stronger than any individual.

I don't know where the next meeting of our class will meet but I know that we will meet and I intend to be there to share a few days with colleagues and friends.I am sure as well that this blog will be analyzed for spelling and syntax as we will always be teachers at heart.

Sounds of the Night

2011-08-17T10:16:00.001-04:00

Last evening was a perfect time to listen for the sounds of the night. There was a small moon presence so the sky was dark except for stars that stood out because of the low humidity. The sound that dominated the air was the crickets. It seemed like every cricket was chirping and there were plenty. In the early evening the cicada's gave up there singing and closed out a day where their voices dominated the neighbourhood. Every few years these large insects come in numbers and for a few weeks they make their presence known. This was one of those days.

As the sun went down the day birds gave their last tweets and became silent. We have some song sparrows which persist right up to sunset and they do have a lovely song. Our cardinals call out with their loud demanding voice and answering calls keep them in contact with their brood.The noisiest of our local birds and probably one of the most beautiful is the Blue Jay. We have many and this time of the year they seem to come in flocks or at least in numbers as they begin to call in the morning and you can trace their location long after they leave by their shrill calls. This evening they were absent from our immediate area but I could hear a few off in the distance.

The local bus and a few motorcycles interrupt the tranquility of our back yard but only for a moment. Some chickadees were fluttering in the apple tree and were selfish with their few weak tweets. Usually as night falls we hear them in the still air.

Everything seems to go quiet at the same time as with a signal that says it is time to go o bed. We have these vines that grow out of control along our fence line and on the sides of our home. They become home to birds who come for the berries which the vines produce and a safe place to roost for the night. This evening all is still except for the sound of the berries dropping from the vines caused by the roosting birds. The sounds of the night return to reality and the cars and trucks travelling on the QEW take over and provide us with that white sound we no longer head. Mosquito's buzz and make us realize it is time for we to take cover in the comfort of our home.

Responsibility

2011-08-16T08:29:00.000-04:00

Rarely do we see a more responsible reaction to the economic difficulties facing the USA than revealed last night. The third richest man in the world declared to the world that he is prepared to pay more taxes and so should the other rich people in America. The right wing conservative movement across the world seem to think that protecting the rich is a good thing. Warren Buffet and some of his good friends have been thinking about where they have gained their wealth. They have set up trust funds to specific goals and are preparing to give most of their wealth on death to better the world.

Warren Buffet and friends realize that their wealth came from good business practise and some luck. They are the stewards of fortunes and can be the prime movers in helping to make the world a better place in which to live. He and his friends are aware that they do not pay their share of the burden as he stated his taxes this year were 17 % and his total a small amount considering his total wealth.

In America the increased taxes that would be collected with a modest increase would go a long way in helping stabilize the debt of America. What a wonderful , responsible way to help their country and bring it back to a place where needed programs for the less fortunate could remain in place. Toronto, Canada could do the same thing with a small increase in taxes. To cut every program would be devastating to many and the impact would be felt by unrest among the needy.

The quality of life in any country or community is judged by the way it treats its very old and most needy. For many the arts,health care and social programs is all that enriches the lives of many. The more fortunate or rich are able to buy their happiness but the less fortunate depend on society to provide services. Young people and children benefit from social programs and for every dollar invested in them at a young age reflects in the cost of more expensive programs when they are older.

Good for Warren Buffet and those who choose to meet their responsibility. Now let us hear our governments take the same stand and make this world a better place for all society.

Fly Away

2011-08-15T08:07:00.001-04:00

This year we have been fortunate with our wildlife in our backyard. Five families of birds nested and had their brood fly away without major problems. We have the luxury of time and this year we were able to capture those last days when mom bird has had enough and decides it is time for the chicks to leave the nest.

If birds could talk I know what they would say.After sitting on the eggs for between 18-21 days the parents are ready for a busy feeding schedule. In the case of our birds both parents share the burden. Every day they make numerous trips away only to return with beaks loaded with food. Soon wide open mouths appear at the door opening and all call me, me and try to reach out to the food.

Some babies are more aggressive and seem to get most of the food but the parents usually share. As the days turn into weeks the babies begin flapping their wings in the safety of their house but become more inquisitive and poke their little heads further out of the door opening. The daily ritual of cleaning the house is ongoing and the parents take the soiled bedding away from the house and clean their beaks on branches of nearby trees.

Feathers appear and mother begins to try to lure the babies out of the nest. This usually takes several days and some shy babies have to be dragged out and pushed off the birdhouse in order to make them independent. This time the babies left the nest one at a time. The last one was left without feeding for half a day. It finally came to the door and out on the rest. Suddenly the mother appeared and just as fast flew off. With encouraging chirps the mother enticed the baby to follow. It did and flew right through our apple tree and landed on the ground safe and sound. Theresa and I followed and the baby flew to a nearby ladder and up on the fence. We then saw the parents and three babies on the neighbours roof.

This scene is so much the same as people where some children have to be almost pushed out of the home to make a life for themselves. Nature has a way of making us all realize that we are in this world together and the same rules apply to man and beast unless we break them. This will probably be the last little family we harbour this year but we are content just to see them fly away.

Cutbacks Everywhere

2011-08-14T11:30:00.001-04:00

All over the world countries are having a crunch time with their budgets and lack of control over deficits. In Canada we appear to be in a better position than most but it concerns me where we are cutting to reach our goals. I recently wrote a blog about the lack of control for our safety in the production of food products from, chickens, pigs and cows. This week we see the federal government cutting the food inspectors who check the major producers in western Canada. Now 14 of the slaughter houses will have no government controls or checks and the industry will self regulate. This is letting the fox in the chicken house.

Recently three noted scientists from Canada released a study outlining the effects of the use of hormones [growth], antibiotics and other enhancing products in our food chain. Their study was accepted world wide and when it was released in Canada to make the government aware of the dangers from the use of these products they we fired from their government posts.The food lobby did not agree with their findings which proved that super bugs were being generated as a result of the indiscriminate use of these products. After nearly three years of hearings these men were fired and legislation was passed permitting the use of these products.

The difficulty of permitting self regulation is apparent as more and more we are finding that outbreaks of various types of super bugs originate in our meat products. There are few or no new control drugs for the containment of these super bugs. The same degree of indifference can be seen with the overuse of antibiotics in humans as they put us at risk again and hospitals are having to deal with super bugs like C.difficle.

When we make cuts as we must there should be some assurance that they do not put we the public at risk with health issues. Governments are lobbyed all the time and the result is not always productive for we the people. The profit motive often drives the direction of the legislation. Sad.

Another Twist In The Road

2011-08-13T09:35:00.000-04:00

Friday was to be my day in the Trillium Hospital receiving some needed help for my back. This has been a year long journey and we were so close to having the procedure when everything went off the tracks. An allergic attack caused my procedure to be aborted and we had to wait for six weeks. With everything proceeding well for the operation on the 12th the doctor felt that more tests were required in order to be confident about my safety.

I was disappointed to be sure but appreciative of the concern shown by the doctors. I will be having some tests soon at Sunnybrook to make sure everything is safe to proceed. I could be angry but negative energy is wasted energy so we have to be patient.

We have everything ready for the special day and the improvements to our home will come in handy for all of us as we age. Installing new toilets, doubling up the handrails on the stairs and grab bars in needed places kept us busy while waiting. Special equipment like a walker was loaned to me by a neighbour and we purchased a back brace and small items to make my recovery easier. These conveniences will have to wait for a while unless there is another twist in the road .

Cool Breezes Blowing

2011-08-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

For the first night since early May the cool evening breeze made sleep with an open window a pleasure and bonus. Every year there is a crossover from real summer to that time when you know fall is just around the corner. We have experienced one of the hottest and driest June -July in history. Trees are stressed and crops effected but Mother Nature took care of that during the last three days with ample rainfall and a light show to make us all aware of her power.

We talk of climate change all the time and this year we have been given the evidence as we watch the world reports of extremes. Floods here, drought there and extremes nearly everywhere. The Sun Belt of the USA is experiencing temperatures which caused concern as rivers dried up, lakes are at dangerous levels and no relief in sight.

Before we left Florida in May we were in the middle of a 80 year drought which threatened agriculture and every phase of life. Difficulties have become the engine of creativity. Since 40 percent of the water we use domestically is caused by the use of toilets the companies have now a multitude of these necessary instruments which use little and in some cases no water. Green power production using the sun and wind are helping and will become more efficient and widely used.

People will come up with answers to our needs and new industries will rise from the chronic need for newer and better solutions to our problems.In the meantime I personally love the weather when it offers warm days and cool evenings with a cool breeze.

Disgusted and Angry

2011-08-10T09:11:00.001-04:00

With the blackout for the Jays game last night I decided to surf the channels. I was immediately stopped with the sight of a rural scene and a farmer feeding chickens. Unfortunately this was just the lead up to a full length documentary on the chicken and beef industry in America. As disturbing as the pictures were I could not take my eyes off the screen. The facts presented and the coldness of the owners and leaders in the production caused me to get very angry.

This documentary produced with the use of hidden cameras showed the brutal manner of the industry in having chickens produced in dark rooms in 39 days from egg to table by Prime and Purdue producers. Beef cattle treated in a similar manner and the type of food and drugs given these creatures would make you think about being a vegetarian. The workers involved in the industry are marginalized and are treated like the animals they work with. Third world workers and illegals are the main source of manpower and the average wage is around $18,000 per year.

Hogs were the third group of animals studied and they fared a little better up to shipping time. The methods of slaughtering the animals meets some standard but the manner in which all these animals are treated during the process of getting them ready for market are questionable. Deadly outbreaks of deadly coli frequently pass unnoticed and recalls are frequent. This food production used to be protected by the FDA but now most of the monitoring of the food is self regulated. The number of food inspectors has been diminished by budget cuts and only a small number of people actually inspect and regulate.

At one time if something bad was discovered the inspectors had the power to shut down the operation but now being self regulated there are few shutdowns until someone or many get sick or die from the contamination. Sanitation is addressed in the slaughter houses and packing plants but because of the food sources of the animals and the hygiene of the feed lots it is impossible to be completely safe.

Animal rights people have for some time been aware of the problems connected with the food industry but the food lobby is so powerful little will be done. Most remember the contamination caused by bad hamburger in a fast food chain called Jack In the Box which resulted in deaths and giant recalls. This is and will be repeated over and over until there are tighter regulations on a food industry which is profit driven.

Canadian regulations are much more controlling but we still get outbreaks such as the one at Maple Leaf Foods a few years ago. I wish that everyone could have seen this documentary as there would be considerable pressure from you the public to bring about needed changes in the way we deal with our food production.

Making Hay

2011-08-08T08:50:00.000-04:00

In 1957 I was living in a beautiful little hamlet in Muskoka called Magnetawan. A village with a recorded population of 298 souls. It hadn't changed for years and because it relied on the summer tourist trade it kind of folded up in winter and went to sleep.In this year I planned to attend summer school to receive my PhEd diploma from Western University. It was a three year program and I was very interested in this summer's curriculum as it was mainly track and field events.

Money was not plentiful so I was always looking to find ways to supplement my income. A local farmer Bob needed some help to take hay off his mothers farm. He was a school board member and a good man so I decided to help.As a youngster I was familiar with the process and gladly took the job. Bob stated that it would be $10 a day and meals. That was OK with me so we set out on this little adventure. An adventure it was as the farm had not been kept up and the equipment was stored outside and needed some TLC.

I did not realize that Bob would not be working with me all the time so I was thrust down on this farm completely unfamiliar with the task. He showed me the old mower and the tractor in the machine shed and stayed until we had the tractor running and the mower released from the weeds which covered it. He was surprised with the deterioration from two years of growth. We oiled the moving parts and applied grease to the cutting blade and hitched up the old mower to give it a try.

When Bob saw that it worked he left me to fend for myself. When we cut hay in Cape Breton we used horses and and hand raked the fields. We turned the hay and placed it in wind rolls by hand. At times most of our family were involved. Girls and boys pitched in and we all helped. Being cautious I walked the hay fields to clear the way of any obstacles that could damage the mower. I found a few a well as some holes in the ground which could be a problem.

Before I started this elderly lady came from the house with a huge jug of lime juice. She greeted me and said that dinner was to be at 12pm sharp and Bob would join us. I did not realize it at the time but she was legally blind. I started the old Massey- Ferguson and began to cut the hay. It was good hay with a mixture of Timothy and clover and for old machinery it worked well. I worked at a rather slow pace not being familiar with some of the hand controls but speeded up when I had a flat section.

Being back working on this farm gave me ideas and I loved the connection with the land. I had the field nearly finished when I heard the gong and stopped the tractor and walked to the old house. There was no running water nor bathroom but facilities for washing consisted of a wash basin and a large cake of sunlight soap and a hard towel. I entered the rather dark kitchen and was greeted by the best smell in the world, fried chicken. Boiled potatoes with the skins on and Swiss chard for a veggie made a perfect dinner.The lady said grace and told Bob and I to dig in.To top off the dinner rhubarb pie was made that morning and still warm ,covered with chetter cheese completed the feast.

Dinner was over and we talked some about the weather and the state of the old homestead. She was to move into town some years ago but came to the farm for the summer. She was 87 years old and except for her sight loss was as spry as a youngster.We had to get to work and she refilled the lime juice jug and with a kind word said thank you for coming to help her with the haying. I finished that field and moved on to seven more over the next two days. The weather held and with the machine rake I was able to get everything ready for taking in the hay.

Bob came with a large truck and we loaded the hay on the truck box and hauled it to the hay barn. She still had the old hay forks for moving the hay to the hay mow. It was fun to see this gear functioning and to complete the job we sprinkled some salt on the hay in the mow for good luck.

Five days of good work,12 hours a day and the reward was fifty dollars paid in five dollar bills. I had such a good time money was insignificant but the experience of helping this elderly lady, eating her great food and just relating to her and nature made it all worth while. The lady left the farm that year never to go back but she left her old home tidy and ready for some person to move in and start a new life. When I got married a year later she and some other ladies made a quilt and gave it to us for a wedding gift.

Keeping In Touch

2011-08-08T07:58:00.001-04:00

Over the years many people impacted my life. In fact everyone with whom you interact makes a difference. That communication becomes part of you . I have been fortunate to have quite a few people enter my life and contribute in a positive manner to my collective success.I have been in a pensive mode as of late as I make plans to use my recovery period of several months in a meaningful way. One of my plans is to complete some writings which have stalled. Another is to sort out the thousands of pictures I collected over the years and put them in the hands of people who could benefit from them. My next plan is to seek out and communicate with people from my past that I owe some sort of thought.

In part of a book I am writing I have a section which I could call, people I met and liked. Some of these people played a small but significant role in my life and some played a major role in my life. In writing about these people I have a emotional reaction akin to actually meeting them. Many of these people are long gone but I am determined to keep their memory strong by sharing my thoughts about them to friends and family. I never realized how strong memory can be until I began this task. When I close my eyes and picture these people I am able to hear their voice and see their smile and record that most prominent feature of our relationship.

One such person was a lady with whom I shared the best part of twenty five years. A working partner, a friend, a advisor and above all else a positive influence. I have always admired energy in people and getting the task done in a proper manner. A person who had ideas and opinions and wished to share these with you. Someone who told you the truth as they saw it and not what you wanted to hear necessarily. A person you could trust with your inner thoughts and not fear that they would be shared with other people. This is the description I would give to anyone who wished to acknowledge my working partner Betty.

When I began to list the people who had the greatest influence it became apparent that many people shared that role and is really the story of your life because your life is a succession of interactions not events and it is the personal touches that come from these interactions that really count. I am going to have a good time with this project and I am sure that the end result will be a enriching exercise.

There are so many goals to reach during these next months that I probably will get frustrated. Frustration can result in redefining my personal goals and setting my sights on a fewer and more focused tasks. In any case I am having fun with the planning and look forward to meeting many old and some not so old friends as I meet and greet each one.

Sunshine.The Wonder Pony

2011-08-06T06:51:00.000-04:00

Some years ago when we lived in Pembroke and Carol and Richard had the farm, I had the opportunity to buy a pony. The pony was a beauty which came complete with saddle and all the necessary harness. We kept Sunshine out on the farm. This pony was trained as a barrel racer and was very fast. Our kids loved the pony to pet and play with but were a little afraid of her because of her speed.

One day were were gathered at the farm and the kids were taking turns with Sunshine going for rides in the back paths of the large farm. Darlene had long legs and could really hold on when Sunshine took off very quickly. This one time Darlene was ready for her turn to ride and mounted Sunshine. Just as Sunshine took off at a fast clip the saddle turned and Darlene ended up under the pony still holding on for dear life. Sunshine knew something was wrong and stopped.

Darlene was still holding on until we extracted her from the upside down saddle. She was shaken but not hurt so we all laughed and had smiling moment. Dar was not so pleased but managed to climb back on and complete her turn. Sunshine was getting old but was a safe and loyal pony for the kids for a few years. It was great to live in the city but have the joy of some of the benefits of life in the country. I loved those happy moments from the past.