Issue #921
Including:

From Russ
From Sue
The Ontarion

Hi All,

Lets see now, where do I start….. we flew out a week ago Wednesday for a visit to Ontarion. Up until we actually left for the airport we didn’t even know which vehicle we would be using as the car was in the shop for a repair and the needed part had not turned up. Due to the very early departure time and the fact that the west coast was having torrential rain we wanted to head in, in the evening before, get a motel, and go from there. We ended up going in my little old truck which proved to be the best choice on several levels. It sits higher than the car, and has better headlights, and has four wheel drive. We would need that to get home.

The obvious reason for the trip was to visit with Lorne, which we did. We also visited with anyone else that was interested. The visits were at the hospital until he was sent home, then they were there, rather obviously.

There was a bit of a get-together out at the homestead on the Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed doing some music and harmony with Beth. Also had a chance to do some music with brother Tim on the Sunday afternoon. Found ourselves driving through some rather heavy rain on the Saturday, in a rental car, but that worked out ok. The car was a hybrid. Interesting. Never drove one of those before. You’d be driving along and the engine would turn off and not come back on until you needed more power. When we picked it up at KW airport I couldn’t figure out how to start it because it doesn’t actually start until power is needed.

The real adventure was the trip home, and it included several levels of stress just to make it even more interesting. Leaving KW was sort of fine. We had dropped off the rental car at the airport which is certainly convenient, and then waited until we could check in. Once checked in customers must go through the security system. I went through without a hitch. However and for no apparent reason at all, Sue set off the warning lights and she was directed to go into the little scanner machine where she failed twice. Then a stern person with a hand held scanner checked her over. Said person could find nothing at all. Embarrassingly, they called off the swat teams and she was told she could go on through.

The flight was to Calgary where we would have a tiring 2 hr wait for our connection on to Vancouver. Calgary was having some problems due to the fact that it was minus 30 out and getting colder. We had lots of time to grab something to eat and then relax at our departure gate. At departure time there was no sign of our plane. It was coming in from Vancouver and because YVR was having all sorts of winter weather related problems, it was late. When it finally docked, unloaded etc, we were boarded. Then, we sat there for who knows how long before we began to move. We moved, all the way over to the de-icing area where we waited some more. By now we were running 3 hours behind but it occurred to me that running that late was actually a good thing. You see, I’d been watching the weather and road reports for Vancouver and the west coast. They were having blizzard conditions and the later we got in meant the less traffic we’d have to deal with. When we finally landed at YVR we waited again before a gate was available, planes and flights were all bunged up because of the snow. Eventually we docked and got off. Sitting all bunched up in a tiny little seat on an over crowded plane is not fun. Down at the luggage area it was crowded with people waiting for their luggage from other flights. Our’s however came tumbling down the shoot after a reasonable amount of time.

Then came the issue of how to get to our truck which was parked at the Jestsky parking lot. The whole front of the airport is torn up for construction and ALL arriving and departing is taking place on the same level, drop offs – pickups etc. We did eventually find the shuttle bus that took us to the parking lot and even managed to retrieve our keys. Then, we had to find the truck. It was parked near by but so buried in snow that it was hard to recognize. A lot of scraping and brushing later we were under way. A truck that pulled out just ahead of us had not bother to clear off its roof and we had to hold back because the snow blowing off the top made visibility zero.

Because of the weather and warnings, we had decided to find a motel and shelter for what was left of the night in the city, it now being after midnight. Once we were headed up Granville St we realized that we didn’t want to be in Vancouver in the morning. The streets were covered in deep snow and ice. Morning would fill the streets with Vancouver drivers. We had the streets to ourselves and while driving was bad, it wasn’t a problem. Put those drivers on those streets and it would be a nightmare. So, we decided to get through Vancouver and over the Lion’s Gate bridge and perhaps find a motel in North Van. Once over the bridge we figured we may as well see how the Upper Levels highway was. It was snow covered but there was no traffic, we had that highway to ourselves so we pushed on. We could always check the motel in Horseshoe Bay if necessary. (That wouldn’t have worked because all the ferries were cancelled so that motel would have been full). We rounded the curve above Horseshoe Bay and headed up the Sea to Sky. The wind was blasting, rocking the truck and snow was flying all around but we had the road to ourselves. Putting along at about 60 k was no problem at all. I found the highway had lots of very icy sections and the truck tended to fishtail a bit if I wasn’t careful but it was working out. The only time I went faster than that 60 k was when I accelerated to take a run at the Furry Creek hill. I hit the bottom somewhat faster than 80 or so and held the speed going up. The poor little truck bucked a bit as it hit the snow drifts but we made it up. The switchback down into Britannia were slippery but we just took our time. Again, we had the highway to ourselves and that made all the difference in the world. The weather was getting worse, the blizzard picking up again and visibility was dropping but eventually we could see the lights of Squamish. There were a few other vehicles on the highway in Squamish but no one was in a hurry.

I was glad to turn off the highway at Mamquam Rd, headed for home. The snow here was deeper. When we turned onto the street that takes us up into the Highlands I needed that 4-wheel drive. Without it the hill would have been impassable. Needed the 4-wheel drive all the way to our house and up our driveway. As we approached we opened the garage door with our remote and drove in. The snow was deep enough on the driveway that we pushed a wall of snow ahead of us as we drove into the garage. We were both very happy to be home. We had made the right choice by driving home during the middle of the night. At no time were we at risk from the frantic traffic that would have been on the streets and highway, and we simply enjoyed the adventure.

Our bed sure felt good and we were out like a light, so to speak. Next morning, (Thursday), I fired up the snowblower for the first time this winter and spent quite a long time clearing 3-ft of snow, as well as helping a few neighbors with their driveways. Sue spent a lot of time working on the walkways and deck. But we got it all done, just in time for the next storm. By the way, this was the first time this part of the country has had a blizzard in memory.

Thursday afternoon, once the plow had gone by, we headed to the car repair shop to check on the car. It was ready but was sitting out back, buried under a massive amount of snow. I borrowed a broom from the shop and with the scraper from the truck we eventually got it dug out. Then, as in now, we could finally relax and enjoy the winter wonderland around us.

doug

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From Russ

First of all, we are thankful that our little brother Wayne pulled through his major operation with ‘flying colours’ – but who thought he wouldn’t? Certainly not Wayne! And now comes the tedious recovery and rehab. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are still with you Wayne.

I just got off the phone with your Dad and I’d like to add what I learned from talking to him to my short Squamidian column today.

He’s still in a hospital bed but the bed is in his own bedroom at home!

I asked him how he’s feeling and he replied he’s having a lot of pain from arthritis in his hips. He said, “I need a lot of help”. He’s on pain killers, but they don’t kill the pain sufficiently. He’s very pleased with his ‘rented’ hospital bed, as it raises and lowers to fit his needs i.e. getting from bed to his walker. He said, “Once I’m up, I can walk and stand OK”.

He said he was very tired and didn’t want to talk very long – and we can understand that.

We wish you well, and those of us who still believe are keeping you in our prayers.

We are sorry to learn another famous landmark is closing. The Harmony Lunch in Waterloo has been around for 90 years (according to CTV News) Lots of restaurants sell hamburgers, but if you wanted the very best you went to the Harmony Lunch! The present owner, Nick Benninger, said now that the restaurant is closing forever, he’s going to release his ‘secret’ ingredients to the public. Closing will be at the end of this month; And Nick said the main reason for closing is “all the construction that’s been going on for too long”. We guess he’s referring to the LRT.

PS We think his ‘secret’ was that he fried a huge batch of onions each day, and the aroma spread throughout Waterloo where I did many electrical jobs as a young buck. I often had a hamburger with fried onions instead of my boring cold sandwiches which came from home. (funny – I think I smell those fried onions right now while typing my weekly story for you.)

Uncle Russ.

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From Sue

As some of you may know, we have 3 resident male hummingbirds at our house, as these guys stay to protect their territory all year round. Two are Anna hummingbirds and the other one is a Rufus. In the good weather starting in the spring, their lady friends return to join them for the good weather and abundant blooms to feed on, as well as the fast food at the feeders.

We have a feeder on the front balcony of the living room and a feeder hanging under the roof of our back deck.

Last winter when I went back to Ontario for a visit, Doug stayed home and had to change the feeders frequently during daylight hours to ensure the food did not turn to slush. It had been very bitter cold and the poor birds were so cold that they barely had enough energy to fly to the feeders to feed enough to keep them alive. The birds hunker down as soon as it gets dark and do not show up again until daylight.

Although the weather forecast was promising with mild weather for the week we would be in Ontario, I arranged for my friend and neighbor Lisa, to check the feeders daily to monitor the sugar water in them.

When we got to Ontario, the BC weather forecast had changed to include blizzard conditions on the Sea to Sky. This has never happened before in the 17 years that we have lived here. Doug followed the weather back in BC on his phone, watching the temperature drop daily. Snow started falling in copious amounts along with the decreasing temperatures and Doug and I were sure that we would come home to no more hummers and we even told people we were sure the three had died due to the cold and blowing snow.

We returned on Thursday, very early in the morning (1:30am) and resigned to the fact that there would be no birds left.

I talked to my neighbour who was out shoveling snow bright and early as a copious amount had fallen over the last few days. She told me that the 3 boys were still showing up daily. She also advised that she had worked from home (ours) a couple of the days so that she could swap out feeders as soon as they started to freeze up and brought them in overnight to unthaw. I was amazed that they were still around and she pointed at the front feeder and said there’s one now. She said she’s learned a lot about Hummers in the last week.

Doug and I are so grateful for all her hard work.

Sue

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THE ONTARION REPORT

Hello everyone!

It’s good to be back in the saddle again!

Doug and Sue were, as you know here for a week and were very busy visiting Lorne and doing whatever else they had to do but Doug and I managed to get out for one morning. We had a breakfast at a quiet (or should I say less noisy) restaurant on Lancaster St in Kitchener. It’s called Kipreos and is a Greek place. I’ve had breakfast there a few times before but never with Doug. We had always gone to The Country Boy on Manitou Dr but found it to be so noisy we couldn’t even hear ourselves think let alone hear each other talk the last couple of times we ate there. So, it was time for a change! Carole and Sue were going to join us this time for breakfast but that didn’t work out so again, it was just Doug and I. We had a good breakfast and then decided to just cruise through a few local car lots and look at trucks, as guys like to do. We mostly just shot the breeze and enjoyed a couple of hours of guy talk. It’s always nice to get out for that few hours when we haven’t been able to talk face to face for over a year. There’s always the Internet but that just doesn’t seem to be the same. Besides, it’s good to see Doug’s fuzzy face once in a while! LOL! It’s hard to imagine how he’d look without that beard. I’m sure he even forgets what he looks like without it! I haven’t had a beard since I was 50 years old and even then I pretty much shaved it off after only a month or so. Just don’t like to grow anything for very long. Other than my mustache, which I’ve, had since I was 19 years old and working for Zehr’s Markets in refrigeration. I guess that all started so my upper lip would be warmer while working in the huge walk in coolers that I had to repair every day. LOL! I have shaved the mustache off twice since then but grew it back immediately after doing so. I just didn’t look like myself once it was gone and besides, Carole refused to be seen in public with me when it wasn’t there in the usual spot! LOL! I looked like a 12-year-old bald guy when it was shaved off! Strange how you get used to seeing someone with facial growth and how different they look without it! I couldn’t imagine Santa without his beard, could you?

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Well, it’s time for the Conservative Party to elect another leader since the last dork failed to do anything significant during the last election. I’m hoping that Peter McKay will get that position this time since he’s a seasoned veteran on Parliament Hill! Maybe he’ll be able to unseat Justin in the next election since there was nobody strong enough leading the PC’s last year! I thought it was a downright shame that the wimpy public reelected Trudeau this time and he’s still making a mess of things. The only thing Justin seems to be able to do right is grow a decent goatee! He actually looks good with half his face covered! LOL! I actually think that’s the only reason he got back in as PM, because the girls of this country think he’s cute! Oh well, there’s no accounting for taste!

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So far this winter, we’ve had very little snow, I think I’ve only used the Toro a few times to clear the inch or so we’ve gotten most times when it did snow. Since I’m writing this on Thursday evening I can’t be sure if the weekend will be snowy or not. The weather girl on CTV Kitchener said that we’re supposed to be in for about a 15cm blast this Saturday but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how that turns out! This afternoon went from a nice sunny winter day to a blast of snow that we could barely see across the street because of! Then after about 15 minutes it cleared up again and the sun came back out. It’s been a strange winter for sure so far and it’s almost hard to remember what a normal Canadian winter looks like! Almost! When you look at the weather map during the TV broadcast it’s a shocker to see BC with temperatures and snow that is most common to Ontario. They are sitting under about 20cm of snow and their roads are a real mess! They are usually bragging about their blossoming plants and flowers by this time of year but not this time, they’re scrambling to find enough snow shovels to handle the snow load on their walkways and driveways. I suppose that Doug is making good use of his Toro blower this week if Squamish received anywhere near the snow that Vancouver did!

I’m sure he’ll be clearing snow and smiling at the same time now that they’ve announced the reopening of the Gondola for February 14th. (I think that’s the date) I’m wondering if the Mounties have made any headway when it comes to finding the culprits that vandalized the Gondola last year? Oh well, as long as they don’t repeat the same criminal act once it’s reopened! I’m sure the owners of the system will have improved their security program after the last time.

The only other item of interest in the news of late is the downing of the commercial flight over Iran. It’s a shame that so many people had to die needlessly! I’m sure that Trump’s decision to take out the Iranian general was the right thing to do but it seems to be the reason that the airliner was shot down by their military. Of course Trump won’t admit to being the cause of the situation but can you imagine what would be left of Iran if the plane had been filled with American passengers? Trump would be bombing the Hell out of that dust bowl and there’d be nothing left but a crater in the desert!

They keep calling the incident an “accident” when they talk about it in the News. Why they are afraid to call it what it was and lay blame in the proper place is beyond me! It was no accident and Iran should be blown off the map as far as I’m concerned. That missile strike was not an accident, as far as I can see, it was an act of war and should be responded to as such! If the Canadians or anybody else think they’ll be allowed to determine the truth with the help of the Iranian government, they are sadly mistaken! I’m sure every country involved knows the truth but will never be able to prove it without access to the actual voice recordings from the plane. The heartless bastards that run that country will think nothing of executing a few of their own military personnel to cover the incident up and to show the world that they are making things right by doing so!

On a more personal note, I’m sure we are all thinking of Lorne and Wayne as they are both going though their medical experiences. Life has a way of bringing everybody back down to earth just when things are looking up and nobody’s expecting problems beyond their control. It’s just the way things go!

Let’s keep them both in our thoughts and prayers!

That’s about all I have on my mind 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>
SPRING!

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