The Squamidian Report – July 30 / 05
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Hi All,
I truly wish you could see the view from the construction site above Britannia Beach where the new subdivision is going in. Britannia is on the east side of Howe Sound. When you look straight across you see the mountains with sheer cliffs dropping down into the water. When you look out the Sound you see Anvil and Bowen Island plus several smaller ones. The water is glacier green. The green ice waters from the rivers tend to slide over top of the heavier salt water of the ocean. Depending on wind and tide, the division line where the different waters meet can be well out into the Straight or almost to Squamish at the head of the Sound.
There will often be a very sharp line between the two. At times the glacier water will stay to one side of the Sound and the salt to the other. Always different, always colourfull. I happened to look up at one point and say a pair of bright lights coming over Bowen Island, heading north up the Sound. As they drew near, the wings of the large plane could be seen. It was one of the search and rescue aircraft from CFB Comox heading inland. They often use this corridor when heading into the interior.
*
Some Geek Speak!
Greg had sent me a link to a page on the Google web site where a rather neat program could be found. It’s called Google Earth and is the most amazing map program I’ve ever seen. It is a free beta download of about 10 mg. It takes a high-end computer with a 3D graphics card and mega memory to run as well as a high-speed Internet connection. When you run the program you are in outer space looking down on the Earth. You can rotate the Earth, zoom in right down to seeing houses and cars. The data is compiled from satellite photos. When you zoom right in to a location, or do a search for an address and it zooms in for you, it is like traveling there in a very fast craft. You can then navigate around to your heart’s content, anywhere.
Now here is where it gets even more amazing. You can tilt the view from looking straight down to looking out over the horizon. That means you can swoop down over Squamish and then look at Garibaldi Mt and see Brohm Ridge, the lava flows, the Mamquam Ice Fields etc. Or you can swoop down into Vancouver and then look over at the North Shore Mts in splendid 3D relief. All made possible by it compiling the images by tapping into the database of satellite photos. But like I said, it needs a high-end computer running XP and a high-speed connection. Google Earth is so incredible and cool that it would be worth building a PC that can run it just so you can run it. Luckily for me, the one I build over a year ago still meets the requirements.
d
****
Despite the heat and
humidity it’s been quite a summer. It
started off great in May when we went to a folk music program where our
granddaughter, Beth did the opening half hour.
It was wonderful and we were really proud of Beth. Then, still in May, we went to another granddaughter,
Phoebe’s dance recital in Thornhill. It
was very interesting and energetic and Phoebe trained and organized the one
group that she teaches. She was on
stage a lot of the time (very energetic) and I was so glad we went. Keep it up Phoebe.
When we entered June of course everything went wild. How great it was to have both east and west at the same time. Most days all week we had some music and I loved it. I hated to see that week come to an end. Of course the main part came on the weekend and I will never forget it. Thanks everyone, what a lot of work you all put into it. I couldn’t get over all the old and new friends that were there, both Saturday and Sunday. I was sorry I didn’t have more time to visit with everyone. As family moves around it gets harder to get together but we always manage to keep in touch. We were more tired after then we realized but it was well worth it.
On July 2nd some of us headed up past Parry Sound to our friend’s cottage on Carling Bay which we had for the week. Talk about a coming and going – it was great fun. People came and went all week and I think there were 15 people but not all at the same time. My niece, Sandra Eidt came up on the Thursday and she and I left Friday morning and drove further north. We picked up my sister-in-law, Millie in Spanish and went on to my other sister-in-law Elsie’s place in Blind River. We stayed there until Monday morning and then took off again. We dropped Millie off then headed to North Bay and then south on Highway 11 to Jackie’s place in Fernglen. If any of you want a north country holiday Jackie has the perfect B & B for you to go to. By the time I got home on Tuesday I had driven just over 1400 km. And what a great holiday it was. Then on Wednesday this past week I went along with a car load from church to a retreat day at a lovely cottage at Point Clark. That was relaxing and completely different.
To finish off my summer I expect to get a new Sheltie puppy. He was just born on July 3rd so it will be a few weeks before I can bring him home. Nicky has been with me to see him and he is going to help me with him.
We went to a blueberry farm on Monday and picked a bunch of blueberries. It was fun, even in the heat. Our own raspberries are finished. They didn’t do very well this year and the tomatoes aren’t ready yet but should be soon. Lorne seems to be able to keep going, despite the heat but I seem to play out about noon, although with less humidity and a little cooler I hope to find my energy again, wherever it hid on me.
My son Tim expects to drop in on his way home from his motorcycle trip around Lake Superior. It makes my trip look like a day’s stroll. He will also be stopping at his daughter Tara’s place in Barrie. Good luck to Tara, Anton & Ella on their move to their new home in Barrie. Go to it kids! Greg and Carole have a great trip west, we’ll be looking forward to reading all about it.
****
Since we were discussing the topic of political correctness recently, I thought your readers might enjoy this. Andy Roony is, in my opinion, the guru of common sense.
Cheers!
Karin
**
I'm surprised CBS let him get away with this even though I think he is right.
AMEN ANDY ROONEY !
Right on, Andy Rooney!
Andy Rooney said on "60 Minutes" a few weeks back:
I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door. Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.
I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?
I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.
I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.
When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling, it is the Law of Probability.
I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!
My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.
I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry "behind" if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines.
I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.
We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.
I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor.
I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.
I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.
It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"
I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!
I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa ; so how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe .. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else
And if you don't like my point of view, tough...
****
Glorious! That word keeps running through
my head. That and the opening line to Country Roads. Corny? (who, me?) Maybe.
But it's true. This place IS almost heaven some days. The stifling humidity is
gone, leaving us wonderfully warm sunny days with the odd morning or evening
shower to keep things fresh. The nights are delightfully cool to the point of
needing long sleeves after dark. Makes for great sleeping. And--hallelujah--the
bugs are pretty much gone! There might be the odd deer fly during the day, and
the mosquitos are nasty at dusk, but during the day it's divine. We can sit on
the deck for three meals a day and not be pestered by anything. And for our
dining entertainment, the hummingbirds have been putting on a great show. We've
got about 5 or 6 regulars that dive-bomb each other, chirping madly as they try
to take control of the feeders. It's the coolest thing to watch these tiny
little tough guys.
We were tipped-off about another neat local spot to cool off. There's a great
little place on the Magnetewan river with some light rapids and a little
waterfall where we can go in swimming. We checked it out the other day as a
treat for ourselves after a busy spell. It's amazing! Big, flat, Canadian
Shield rock leading into a nice current and a stepped waterfall where we could
sit and let the water rush over us. There's a bigger waterfall further down,
but there were already people there so we'll go back another time. Sitting
there in "nature's jacuzzi", with the sun on my face and not much in
sight but trees, water and sky was...what else could I say but glorious.
Like being on vacation just 25 minutes from my house.
Another happy discovery: a huge patch of raspberry bushes just behind the
garage. I have a little patch in one of my flower beds and there are bushes
lining the Seguin trail, but none of it compares to what we found today. The
only problem with a patch of raspberries 16 feet across is trying to get to the
ones in the centre. Is there such a thing as "the siren call of the
raspberries"? I'm sure there is. Those big ripe berries just out of reach
were trying to lure me to my doom. I kept inching deeper into the thorny mass
and found out the hard way that the centre of the patch hides a steep ditch. I
managed to land on my feet and keep my balance--and save the berries I'd
already picked!--but I got some nasty scratches in the process. File this one
under "not so glorious". But now I've got a tub of berries and lots
more that still to ripen. Yum. I've also been out every few days picking wild
blueberries from along the trail. Sometimes I get enough to add to our guests'
fruit course. They always think it's so great when I tell them they're hand
picked from our own woods.
We had a few last-minute guests the previous week. Two ladies just dropped in
on Wednesday evening and asked if we had any rooms available for that night.
They were heading to Toronto airport after visiting somewhere way up north and
had seen our rack card at one of the general stores farther up on Hwy 11.
They're both university administrators in the southern states, and had to catch
a flight home the next day. So we set them up in a couple of rooms, showed them
around the property, and got the torches lit around the hot tub for them. The
next morning during breakfast, they asked if they could stay another night,
providing they could get their flight changed. They liked our place so much
they changed their flight to stay here! I thought that was a lovely compliment.
The one lady even said that "every traveller dreams of finding a place
like this, the right mix of character and amenities, gourmet food, perfectly
appointed rooms...even better because we stumbled across it by accident."
She actually said we fulfilled a fantasy for her! How rewarding is that? I
don't think in any of my previous jobs anyone ever thanked me for fulfilling a
fantasy. Although I'm sure there are, um, professions where that is par for the
course.
We also had another couple of ladies from Germany. They just stayed one night
as they're doing quite a road trip. They flew into Toronto, rented a car and
drove up to Tobermory, over to Manitoulin Island, up through Sudbury and North
Bay and after leaving us, they were going to visit Algonquin Park on their way
to Ottawa and then all the way to Cape Breton Island! Sus and Peter: I told
them to go sailing with you if they stop in Pictou!
All these guests one after the other, and go figure, it coincided with a visit
from Jim's parents and nephews. So it was a little more hectic than normal, but
no problem at all. Both boys--Felix is 10 and Jordan is 8--were willing
apprentices in the kitchen, and even wanted to help me clean the rooms after
our guests checked out. Even with guests, we managed to fit in an afternoon
swim at a local beach. Beautiful sandy beach, shallow water, shady birch trees,
floating dock perfect for cannonball dives. And less than 15 minutes away.
Ahhhh.
The boys had a good time with us but they are definitely city boys, although I
think we can fix that in time. One thing that really made me notice the
suburban-rural difference: when I asked Felix to open the door to let a breeze
in the house, he said "but what about the air conditioning?". I told
him we don't have air conditioning. "Then why's it cooler in the
house?". I told him that's the way it works when you live where there are
trees!
Well, I should wrap this up for today. We've got a young couple here tonight
that are leaving early to head into Algonquin for a camping trip. That means we
have to be up even earlier to get breakfast ready. I must say, it's getting a
lot easier already. Jim and I are getting into a rhythm for prepping, serving
and clean up. And--yay!--we finally got our updated website posted! If you have
any spare time (does anyone?), then please check out the site and let me know
what you think. We're looking for feedback on what people like and don't like
so we can make the site as appealing as possible. Thanks for any input.
www.ferngleninn.on.ca
Have a great long weekend everyone!
Jackie
****
Hello my
fellow Squamidians!
Right now
we are in the midst of the nicest weather we’ve had all summer. It’s in the
20’s to low 30’s and is sunny and dry. It’s perfect for enjoying any outdoor
activity. I spent the afternoon in a tire store on Belmont Ave. I decided to
have a new set of rubber installed on the Jeep before we head out to BC at the
end of August. I was thinking the tires that were on the Jeep would make the
trip but with a little advice from Al Stephenson, I decided it would be better
not to chance such a long drive on the original tires. I opted for a set of BFG
Long Trail Radial T/A’s. They are a tire that is designed for use on SUV’s. The
literature that promotes these beastly chunks of rubber even tells you that the
manufacturers of Ford F150 trucks and Jeeps of all models use these tires
direct from the factory. I know the ladies in the group aren’t interested in
such stuff but most guys appreciate the feel of a new set of Rubber under them
on the road. I couldn’t believe the difference in the ride and handling
compared to the old Goodyear’s. I guess there is something to be said for
having some tread on your tires! LOL! Having the new tires on the Jeep inspired
me to give the vehicle a complete wash and cleanup when I got it home. I even
went to the Auto Department of Wal Mart and bought some Turtle Wax black shine
spray on treatment for the sidewalls of the new tires. It makes them shine and
is supposed to treat the rubber to protect it from sun damage. Kinda like
putting a #30 UV skin lotion on your exposed areas when you’re out in the sun
yourself. It makes sense to me, if it prolongs the life of an investment like
these beauties. The problem with having larger tires on today’s vehicles is
that when you have to replace them, the price is also larger than in years gone
by. When we had 15” tires on the majority of vehicles, you could buy a good
tire for $100.00 or less but these days with tires ranging up to 20” on some
vehicles, the cost has skyrocketed. It’s not unusual to spend up to $1000.00
for a set of top of the line rubber. I got lucky with some advice from Al who
has worked for many years in the tire industry and I managed to secure a top
line set of T/A’s for a very decent price. The final tally was only $546.86 for
the set of 4. Thanks Al for the advice with regards to this major purchase.
Carole and I now feel much safer when out in the vehicle and will enjoy the
drive to BC at the end of August much more without having to worry about
blowing a tire in the middle of the Prairies or Mountains.
I’m not
sure what we’re up to this weekend but there is a Hot Air Balloon Festival in
London that we might take in. I’ve always like the thought of hot air
ballooning but haven’t taken a ride in one yet. Carole keeps telling me to go
ahead and do it but to make sure the insurance is paid up first! LOL! I wonder
what she means by that? Hmmmmmmmmm… !
We’ve
reached the mid way point in the summer and I can already feel a change in the
air each morning when I take Bailey out the back for a pee. Up until about a
week ago, the grass was dry at 6:15am, the usual time we’re out in the yard.
I’ve noticed heavy dew on the grass for the past week at that same time. I
guess with the night temperatures in the teens for that time period, the
moisture condenses on the grass with the warmth in the ground from the previous
days sunshine. I sometimes think I can even smell FALL in the air at that time
of day. Not YET Please!!!!
It’s
amazing how quickly time passes! We are looking forward to our drive to BC but
don’t want to wish away the rest of the summer just to get started on it. I
guess they say time flies when you’re having fun so we must be having fun.
*
We
settled down to watch a movie the other night and as it turned out, we watched
one of the best flicks we’ve seen in a long, long time! It was called “Million
Dollar Baby”. If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend it! I’ve liked
Clint Eastwood’s movies for many years but this one is especially well done and
was produced and directed by Clint himself. It was certainly deserving of the
Academy Awards that it won. You don’t see movies of this caliber very often
these days so it was nice to find one that wasn’t full of cursing and swearing
and sex in hopes that the audience wouldn’t realize there was no plot.
As Carole
has said many times, I could talk the leg off a stool, so before you all have
only 2 legs per stool, I’d better let you go. Thanks again for tuning in and I
look forward to seeing you all again next time in The Ontarion Report!
Bye for now………. GREG
PS:
Something To Think About>
Dying is
no big deal. The least of us will manage that. Living is the trick!
****
The Family and the Squamidian sites:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b/ and http://www.thedougsite.ca
Have a good one..
the
doug
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