The Squamidian Report – Mar. 4 / 17
Issue #771
Including:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
I drove down to Horseshoe Bay on Tuesday afternoon to meet up with my
riding friends. But you probably knew that because thats what I've been
doing on most Tuesday afternoons for the last several years. Obviously
neither I nor any of them were riding. This is the winter that just
won't let go. I encountered rain showers and snow flurries on the way
there. By the time I was heading for home the shower out at the coast
had turned to a steady rain. By the time I was half way up the Sound
the rain had become snow. The further I drove, the harder it snowed.
From about Porteau on it was snowing so hard that visibility was almost
nonexistent. Most drivers heading up the highway, including myself, had
slowed down to about 60 k and were keeping over in the right hand lane.
However, and totally predictably, there were other drivers who were
just flying up the left hand lane, passing us like we were standing
still. I have no idea how they could see were they were going. I have
no idea how they managed to not end up sideways into a rock face or
over a cliff somewhere. It was down right scary. It doesn't seem to
matter how bad the driving conditions are or the situation is, some
morons just don't clue in to how dangerous those conditions are or how
dangerous said morons are. They just don't get it.
Have you watched any of those reality tow truck shows on TV? I shudder
when I see the traffic screaming past the emergency crews and recovery
crews as they respond to the crash situations, most of which have been
caused by said morons. No one slows down, no one gets 'over' to make it
at least a bit less dangerous. Did you know its the law in most if not
all provinces to slow down to 60 k and if possible, pull into the
further lane when there is an emergency situation at the side of the
road, including when its 'just' a tow truck. There was no emergencies
to deal with on my drive home but the driving conditions had created a
dangerous situation that could very easily have become pretty bad. Yet,
all that some can think about is getting there faster, or ahead of
everyone else, regardless of what effect or consequences it may have on
others. Perhaps its time 'attitude' was included in drivers license
testing. Just at thought.
Oh, that snow was to have accumulated to about half a foot but shortly
after I got home it turned to rain. Well, rain down in the valley and
up at our elevation. Up higher it was a good half foot of new snow with
more on the way. Like I said, there is no end in sight. This is the
winter that won't quit and this being the first week of March it should
be riding season again, which its definitely NOT.
The up-side is that I get to go snow-showing pretty well every day,
under pristine alpine winter wonderland conditions. Can't beat that.
*
The well has been dry for quite a while. Since last spring to be exact.
I simply have not been able to come up with any more original music.
But, for what its worth, I think I know why. Firstly, one must be 'in
the zone' and thats a hard place to get to. Secondly, one must be able
to put all the 'other' music aside, out of their head, in order to work
with a clean slate. At least I have to and I'm the one that 'one' is
referring to. In order to keep all my current material plus all the
stuff I do that was created by others fresh in my head there is no room
or opportunity to write any new material. In order to write new
material I must put all the music I do on a regular basis out of my
head and that becomes a problem if I need that music to be available. A
dilemma for sure. Anyway, I've had a tune in my head for quite a while
now but have not been able to put lyrics to it. I couldn't get into
that illusive zone. I've been trying all along with no luck at all. I
found a few days this past week where I could give the problem some
attention as I don't play agin until next weekend and as long as I've
got most of next week to get my head back into that mode, well, I could
play around with that tune and see if anything would come together. I
have found that once I have a tune worked out in my head, I can't seem
to move on from it to anther new tune until I've finished it. But I've
been working on it for a long time and have not been able to come up
with lyrics. The ones that finally started to come to me were not
what I'd normally write, not my style or topic tendency. Oh well. It
seemed to want to come regardless of what I wanted so, here is my
latest endeavor. For better or worse. Have fun, give it a listen and
don't be too critical.
http://www.thedougsite.net/Songs/Lyrics/Come%20On%20Baby.mp3
doug
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THE ONTARION REPORT
Hello everyone!
Well, we are back into the cold weather that is usual for this time of
year so I guess February was just a quirky one this year. We kind of
got spoiled by that nice month in the middle of winter so now we have
to get used to the cold for another month or so I guess. I was talking
to a fellow the other day who was in Lake Geneva Wisconsin and he said
they had a day last weekend that actually hit 70 degrees F. He said the
whole lower half of the state was in shock by this happening in
February. Since they are located not that far north of Chicago Illinois
they are pretty much on the same parallel as KW is in Ontario. Their
weather should be quite similar to ours if I’m not mistaken!
Wisconsin pretty much takes up the upper ¾ of the western shoreline of
lake Michigan and their winters are cold and snowy like those of
Southern Ontario. I guess 70 F would indeed be a shocker in February!
With the sudden reversion back to “winter” weather here in KW those
shots of kids playing basketball on outdoor courts won’t be in the news
again for at least a couple of months! Before that warm snap hit here
last month, I saw three young guys, likely in their mid teens walking
up McGarry Dr in Kitchener with knee length shorts on under their
“light” winter coats that hung open to the elements and they were also
not wearing anything on their heads! What the heck are these kids
thinking anyway? Don’t their parents see what they leave home wearing
as they head out for school in the mornings? Sheesh! When we were kids
and teenagers, we were most certainly bundled up properly to handle the
winter walks to school. I remember arriving at both ends of my walk to
and from school with the bottom 10” of my flannel lined Levi’s frozen
stiff from the slush and snow! I wouldn’t have dared venture out
wearing shorts! Oh well, I guess the parents of today aren’t as
controlling as our folks were or we were with our kids. Most kids these
days seem to just do as they please when it comes to what they wear and
when they wear it! It’s not unusual to see kids with their coats wide
open and not wearing hats in winter. It’s no wonder there is so much
absenteeism from school these days. They wonder why half the school is
out with the flu or coughing and sneezing all day when the kids do make
it to class!
*
Speaking of sneezing and
coughing and other ailments, I was saddened to read in the RECORD the
other day that the doctor that looked after my health for more than 35
years had passed away. When I first started on the Fire Dept I had my
first visit with Dr Bob Ballantyne. He was a new physician just
starting his practice on King St in Waterloo and I was brand new on the
Fire Dept. Over the years I got to know him pretty well, although not
as well as he knew me, if you know what I mean! LOL! Our paths crossed
both professionally for him as well as professionally for me. He
attended my medical needs whenever I had a problem or needed my annual
checkup and I attended his office several times over the course of my
career to assist at his office with a patient that had suddenly taken a
turn for the worse while in his care. Bob was a well-respected
physician and I liked the way he cared for my needs over the many
years. He retired about 10 years ago and shortly after his retirement
he took ill with a rare neurological disease that depleted his health
steadily over the last 5 or 6 years of his life. He had been healthy
most of his life and was an avid outdoorsman and canoeist during his
lifetime. From what I had heard from his staff after his retirement, he
took ill quite quickly after retiring and never recovered. He was only
six years my senior and it’s upsetting to hear of someone so close to
my own age passing away at what I consider to be a quite livable age to
surpass! I read about his passing too late to attend the memorial
service for him but my thoughts are with his family. He looked after
both me and Adam for many years and it’s sad to have him gone. I
imagine there would have been a great many people attending his
memorial as someone in his profession has a great deal of people pass
through his office doors. RIP Dr Ballantyne!
Life goes on for the rest of us and unfortunately as we age, we tend to
read the obituaries first when we pick up the daily paper! I look at it
this way, if I’m the one reading the obits and not starring in them,
things are good for another day!
That’s all for this week folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion Report!
Bye for now … Greg
PS: Something To Think About>
What is the world’s most populated city?
I’ll give you a hint; it’s Shanghai China, with a population of 24,150,000 permanent inhabitants.
Shanghai is the only city that is home to over 24 million people!
****
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.
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