Issue #940
Including:

From Rosemary
The Ontarion

Hi All,

We had the granddaughters last weekend and returned them on Tuesday. Obviously, now that it’s open, we all headed up the gondola each morning they were here. Starting Monday morning the opening time changed to 9am from 9:30 so we headed out with the intent on getting there for 9. The weather was not very nice, socked in with fog and rain but oh well. When we got there the lift was not running. That’s not unusual as once they have up-loaded staff they then do their daily start-stop and brake checks. When we got to the loading area one of the girls asked why it wasn’t running, and was told they were waiting for us to start it for them. Well now, that sure caught the granddaughters’ attention. So, into the control booth we went and they were shown which button to push first to sound the start-up alarm, and then which one to push to start up the system. They pushed the buttons and away it went. That kind of made our day. And, while too wet at the top to do the trails that morning, Olivia and I did the bridge a few time. She’s always like the bridge whereas Kyra is now a bit older and a bit more aloof to such things. And because of the need for social distancing, the foot bridge is currently designated as one-way and must be approached from the Spirit Trial side. However, due to the fact that we were the only ones around, and we were at the exit end on the deck, we decided to be ‘rebels’ and do it in both directions. Live on the edge as they say, who ever ‘they’ are.

I had suggested a few days earlier that the gondola needed to open up some limited indoor seating as many older people could not be up there in bad weather if they couldn’t be inside the chalet. To that end there is now indoor seating for about a dozen people on a first come first serve basis. That works out well for us as we are always among the first up and we have friends who do need to sit inside under most conditions. The whole thing is a learning situation often involving trial and error, but it’s getting there.

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I’ve actually had a chance to put together another cover of one of the ‘good old songs’. It’s taken a few weeks of trying for those illusive quiet moments when I can record a track or two. This one is one of the John Denver standards, ‘Back Home Again’. Fairly basic but fun. So, follow the link if you want a musical diversion.

Back Home Again

doug

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The granddaughters were here as stated above, and they realized I was working on finishing up a recording and of course, as usual, wanted to do their own again. So, I’ve included links to their latest creative endeavors.

Kyra’s Musical Contribution.

Olivia’s Musical Contribution.

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From Rosemary

In the May 16 issue, Russel started out, well, whining, about his decreased mobility. But he quickly listed the ways he WAS able to get around. Then he became morose again because the lockdown restrictions are preventing him from getting treatment on his sore feet. He said, "I wallow in self-pity until I look around me and see a man confined to a wheelchair. He has no legs. There, but for the grace of God, go I."

There was something very familiar about that statement. I went straight to my childhood autograph book (remember them?) and looked up an entry. There it was. A message from my Auntie Emma, Russel's mom, who wrote almost the same thing. It was certainly the same sentiment and it had always stayed with me.

So I've attached that autograph entry from 1959 when I was 9 years old and eager to have friends and family write in my book. Auntie Emma very kindly wrote on another page too, much to my delight. That is also attached. As I was flipping through that little book, I found one by Doug's mom, Vivyan. As Lorne was my cousin, I guess Vivyan would have been my cousin-in-law.

I thought that since Emma and Vivyan were either mom, grandma, aunt, etc. to many of you, you might be interested in seeing what they wrote in a 9 year old's autograph book.

Russel, belated Happy Birthday. I hope very much that your chiropodist will soon be back at work, making your feet smile again. Have a good week, everyone.

Rosemary

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THE ONTARION REPORT

Hello everyone!

Hope you’ve all been keeping well this past week and will continue to do so for the upcoming weeks and months!

This world around us has been getting crazier and crazier each day! I was out to do some grocery shopping for Carole the other day and witnessed an incident that kind of shocked me at the local Food Basics on Highland Rd. I was in that store to specifically pick up some fresh oranges that were on sale. When I entered the store and walked up to the produce counter where they were located, I had two fellows in line at the oranges before me. The first one was an Indian or maybe South American gentleman ( however I hesitate to call him a gentleman) after the incident. As I stood there watching, I observed him picking up virtually every orange on the display and squeezing each one then tossing them back to the top of the display. The gentleman in front of me looked amazed at this man’s actions and he then asked abruptly “Excuse me! Have you managed to touch every orange on the display yet?” and the first and offending man (without wearing gloves or a face mask) turned to the questioning man and said in a loud voice “I’ll touch whatever the F_ _ _ k I want and then turned back to the counter and proceeded to touch several more of the oranges! He then laughed, turned and walked away! The fellow that asked him about his actions said to me that he was going to tell the manager what had happened and immediately walked to the front of the store in search of the manager. There was another employee nearby that said to me not to take any of the oranges and that the manager would immediately discard the entire display of oranges! I didn’t stick around to see what happened in the end but I did NOT take any of the oranges from that display and left the store to drive to a different Food Basics up on Fischer-Hallman Rd. Upon my arrival at that store I was happy to have arrived in the store just in time to see the produce worker loading up the counter with a fresh box of the oranges I was shopping for! I told him what had happened at the other Highland Rd store and he was in total shock but said they’d had similar incidents of such a careless act at their store in the past weeks. I’m shocked at the total disregard for other people’s health that some people have during this serious pandemic! I think any person committing such a careless act should be charged by the store through the police with “Disregard for human life!” It’s disgusting to think that anybody would do such an intentional thing during these times or any time!

Not to belabour the subject but Carole and I witnessed another incident just this week when we were waiting in line at the clinic where we have our blood tested for our doctor’s requirements. We had both registered at the clinic and were asked to wait out in the hallway of the clinic so we could social distance properly. While standing there with about half a dozen other patients a woman walked up the hallway to join our line up. While standing there, one of the people in line mentioned the strange feeling having to stand in line for such things as this and entering most stores while wearing gloves and a mask too boot! Then the last woman that had joined our line and coincidently was not wearing either a mask or gloves piped up and said “These so called outbreaks in Senior’s Residence homes are overblown! She went on to say “I work in a senior’s complex and when we had a so called “outbreak” there was only one man who had the virus and he had brought it in from when he was transferred to us from a hospital! I’d hardly call that an outbreak! She went on to say that the wearing of gloves isn’t necessary and actually does no good to protect the wearer! Carole asked her where she worked and she said “At a senior’s complex in Doon.” Carole then asked her if she had any regard for the threat of passing the virus on to more vulnerable people such as us seniors out in public and she didn’t answer the question. Then I said “You could be a carrier of the virus!” To which she said “I’ve been tested and am clean and negative!” She didn’t say any more after that! She’s exactly the kind of person that in making comments such as she did that causes the ignorant people in our society to spread falsehoods about the importance of hand washing, wearing a mask and staying home that will protect all of us from the spread of this horrible virus in the months to come! I didn’t want to make my column all about the Covid 19 again this week but I couldn’t help passing on these two incidents from our personal experiences!

One would think that someone who actually works in the health care and personal care work environment would know better than to take their health and that of others for granted during these desperate times! I just felt like giving her a good slap in the face! But wouldn’t have wanted to get that close to her, knowing her piss poor attitude!

I do know that there are many people that due to physical handicaps and other legitimate reasons can’t wear masks or gloves and I understand that, I don’t want you to think I’m critical of all those not wearing masks but would like to see more of those who are able bodied and have no medical reason not to, to wear the safety accessories that are available to them! May God protect us all!

I’m not a religious person but pray that this pandemic will end sooner that expected for the sake of the world in general!*

We’ve been staying home and inside for almost three months now and it is getting a tad boring for sure. I was out in the garage yesterday and suddenly there was a horn honk from a nice looking red Mustang convertible in our driveway. At first I didn’t recognize the people in the car and said as the woman in the passenger side got out and shouted “Hi Greg! I replied to her Gesture “Hi but I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you!” She laughed and quickly lifted her mask from her face to reveal that she was Barb along with her husband John. They are very old friends of ours and I was surprised to see that they were in our drive since we hadn’t seen each other in over a year! We all wore masks as Carole came out to the drive to join us in a half hour conversation! It was great to see them even having to wear our protective gear and keep a good distance from one another! They had just been out to Costco for some grocery shopping and to take their new Mustang for a short spin and they had decided to drive by our house to see if we were out and available for a distance chat! Having not had any contact with friends for many weeks, it was very good to see old friends for a change. We chatted for a while and congratulated them on their 50th anniversary which was yesterday! We vowed to get together as soon as possible after things settle down and it’s safe to do so for a real visit! We’ve been friends for about 40 years and their short impromptu visit yesterday was a heart warming happening indeed!

That little bit of human contact was much appreciated and it makes us yearn for more of it but we’ll all just have to be patient and wait for the end of this difficult pandemic!

That’s about all I have for this week folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next time in The Ontarion Report!

Bye for now… Greg

PS: Something To Think About>
Tact is the unsaid part of what you think!

PPS: I would appreciate it if every Squid member will join myself and Carole in wishing our wonderful son "ADAM" a VERY HAPPY 44th birthday this Sunday May 31st!

Thank you all!... Greg.

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