The Squamidian Report – Apr. 21 / 07
Issue #256
Also in this issue:
A Little Humor – Sent In By Russ & Barb
The Ontarion
Hi All,
We finally got out for a dirt bike run. There simply had not been any nice weekends when we were available until now. But one did come along so Warren and I headed out. We had intended to slip past the gate barring the entrance to the road up and over the Indian Arm Pass but it turned out that several large rocks had been placed right were we would squeeze by. So we’ll try that one again when we feel like lifting the bikes over. Word is that there have been some major slides up there again and it would have been interesting to have a look.
So we headed on up the Mamquam Main instead. Funny, but out at the highway it was definitely springtime, with the leaves coming out and wild flowers blooming and that kind of thing. As we proceeded along, it was like traveling back in time, with spring reversing into late winter. The Main follows the river and climbs its way into the Mamquam drainage basin under the ice fields. The almost freezing water sucks any warmth out of the air and the elevation climbs adding to the chill. We ran into about 2 feet of snow on the road at mile 15. On the way back out we headed up a side spur at mile 11 by the second bridge. It was only a click or so up there that we ran into snow again. There was an incredible amount of snowfall in the mountains this winter and it will be a while before it melts. But the riding was good, we enjoyed it.
Took some pictures, nothing special but enough to document our outing. They can be seen at:
http://www.thedougsite.net/Mamquam2/mamquam.htm
And speaking of snow in the mountains, it is still snowing on the hills around here. The other afternoon as I was driving home from work I could see storms passing over the high terrain to the east. The valley was enjoying warm sunshine but the mountains weren’t. Snow squalls were falling from the clouds and as I watched I could see the trees turn white as far down as the freeze / thaw level. Kind of cool actually. But the last thing we need is more snow up there. With snow loads at about 150% of normal and very little of it melting so far, there is a lot of concern about flooding in June or July when it starts to warm up way up there in the alpine regions.
There is a lot of concern in the Greater Vancouver area. The lower Fraser River and its tributaries flow though low flood prone lands with cities and towns all over the place. The province has been madly shoring up the dykes in hopes of controlling the expected rush of snowmelt. Could be interesting.
And speaking of floods, I hit a water line the other day. Couldn’t help it, no one knew it was even there. And for that matter it shouldn’t have been there. We were following along over a water main as we were installing a duct bank for hydro and phone wires. We reached a point where a vault needed to be set which meant going a couple of feet deeper. That would put us right on top of the main which is no problem, except, right there where is shouldn’t be was a 2-inch service to nowhere. Because it goose-necked up I severed it with the excavator bucket. Quite an incredible amount of water can shoot out of a 2-inch line when backed by the pressure in a main. So I had to sit there bailing with the excavator bucket until the crew could get a pump set up and until the valves could be found to shut the water off.
Neither our foreman, or the site engineer, or the town water department could figure out why the line was there. An abandoned line was indicated about 100 ft further down the road that would have serviced a lot across the road at one time, but it was supposed to have been removed at the main, not left underground. So we figure it was in the wrong place and whoever should have removed the line years ago simply plugged it off on the other side, taking the easy way out. Anyway, we got it all fixed up and continued on with our project after a wet couple of hours.
doug
****
**
Sign over a Gynecologist's Office:
"Dr. Jones, at your cervix."
**
In a Podiatrist's office:
"Time wounds all heels."
**
On a Septic Tank Truck in Oregon:
"Yesterday's Meals on Wheels"
**
On a Septic Tank Truck:
"We're #1 in the #2 business."
**
At a Proctologist's door:
"To expedite your visit please back in."
**
On a Plumber's truck:
"We repair what your husband fixed."
**
On a Plumber's truck:
"Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.."
**
Pizza Sh op Slogan:
"7 days without pizza makes one weak."
**
At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee:
"Invite us to your next blowout."
**
On a Plastic Surgeon's Office door:
"Hello. Can we pick your nose?"
**
At a Towing company:
"We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows."
**
On an Electrician's truck:
"Let us remove your shorts."
**
In a Nonsmoking Area:
"If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."
**
On a Maternity Room door:
"Push. Push. Push."
**
At an Optometrist's Office:
"If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."
**
On a Taxidermist's window:
"We really know our stuff."
**
On a Fence:
"Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive."
**
At a Car Dealership:
"The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."
**
Outside a Muffler Shop:
"No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."
**
In a Veterinarian's waiting room:
"Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"
**
At the Electric Company:
"We would be delighted if you send in your payment.
However, if you don't, you will be."
**
In a Restaurant window:
"Don't stand there and be hungry, Come on in and get fed up."
**
In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
"Drive carefully. We'll wait."
**
At a Propane Filling Station,
"Thank heaven for little grills."
**
And don't forget the sign at a Chicago Radiator Shop:
"Best place in town to take a leak."
****
Hello
Everyone!
I hope
every one of you is enjoying this Spring weather as much as I am. Finally,
we’re into something that actually feels like Spring. In fact, Adam and I
actually took the motorcycles out for a first toot of the season this evening.
With a temperature of approximately 22c degrees, the ride was very enjoyable
indeed! I look forward to many more days on the bikes this year. This weekend
is supposed to be warm and sunny and hopefully it’ll continue into and beyond
next week.
*
We all
know the world was stunned by what happened at Virginia Tech this past week. I
know anyone with a heart must feel very strongly for the deceased and their
families and friends. I certainly do and my prayers are with all of them. What
a terrible thoughtless act of violence this young person perpetrated on his
fellow students. It’s certainly terrible to see the video bites that were shown
of the dead and wounded students as authorities tried to make sense of what
happened. I understand that it’s a gigantic news item and must be shared.
However, I do not agree that the press and news networks should show any of the
horrid video clips that were created by the shooter to make his point known to
the world. It’s my opinion that the more they show these clips and the more
publicity they pump out about this individual the more they encourage others to
act out their frustrations rather than seeking therapy to help them cope with
their problems. I for one don’t want to see others trying to “top” the number
of people killed in this horrific act. The media seem to glorify the acts of
such killers and of course that sells papers and brings up the ratings of the
video media and that generates money in the network’s pockets. Giving the
killer even 2 minutes of fame takes away 1 hour of praise and respect for the
victims of this disaster. Let’s concentrate on the victims and not the killer
please!
*
I got a
nice surprise the other night when I attended the Waterloo Fire Departments
annual retirement banquet. My old friend Lorne Huber with whom I worked for
many years was there. He walked up and said hello and as I shook his hand he
said how much he enjoyed the “Chicken Farm” fire story I told in the Squamidian
a couple of weeks ago. I can’t remember exactly what date I wrote that story
but apparently it made my friend Lorne’s day when he read it. I have to thank
Ed Monsz for passing that one on to Lorne. Lorne was on my shift at the time of
the Chicken Farm fire but he was off on vacation the night that one occurred.
We must have laughed for 15 minutes
when we talked about it on Wednesday. It’s always good to see the guys I worked
with even if it is only once a year. Lorne was a lot of fun to work with and he
taught us all a great deal about fighting fires. The 24 guys that started with
me were under Lorne’s wing for a lot of our training. He is one fellow
firefighter I’ll always treasure knowing. We had a lot of laughs together and
faced a lot of danger together. I always felt secure when I had Lorne with me
at a call and I thank him for being part of my life as a firefighter. I think
the fellow firefighters that were on the job with us are a large part of the
memories we carry with us when it’s all over as a career.
*
Well,
that’s it for this week. Thanks for tuning in and I look forward to talking to
you all again next time in The Ontarion Report.
Bye for now… Greg.
PS: Something To Think About>
Man who
run in front of car soon get tired!
****
The Family and the Squamidian sites:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b/ and http://www.thedougsite.ca
Have a good one..
the
doug
The Fine Print!
The articles in these issues are the sole property of the persons writing them and should be respected as such.