The Squamidian Report – Jan. 17 / 04
Also in this issue:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
Now that our cold part of winter is over and things have warmed up a bit, we are experiencing another neat thing. There are loud, booming sounds, very similar to thunder that echo across the valley. As near as I can figure, it is the sound of massive ice sheets that are pasted to the sides of the rock cliffs breaking loose. There are cliffs around here that are thousands of feet high that had been covered with ice and snow. When the ice lets go, it’s like an explosion. Some of the booms are loud enough and close enough to wake you up at night; others further away have a more distant ring. There’s always something to catch my attention. (Yes, I know, it doesn’t take much).
Sue was in Calgary this week. They do so many audits there that she knows that city as well as she knows Vancouver. That is pretty cool, she is familiar with more cities and towns across the country than most of use could even name. She is a master at getting to and around in airports. One thing that really throws me is that while most of use would pack for a trip about 3 days in advance and then re-pack several times, she packs about 15 minutes after it would be time to leave for the airport. Most of use would check and re-check our ticket or E-printout, she just strolls right in.
Apparently it’s time I got off my butt and did some more painting around here so I’ve now done the master bedroom. Did I mention that I don’t really like to paint? It wouldn’t be so bad if there were no corners, edges, borders or trim to deal with. But there are so it is. There is one very useful trick I learned a long time ago. You don’t need to clean your brush and rollers at the end of the day if you are going to need them again within the next day or so. Just put them in the freezer. They will keep for several days without drying out. All you need to do is let them thaw and away you go. Wrap them first with plastic film like you would your lunch sandwich and they will be fine for a very long time. When you know you are done with them, throw them out because it’s cheaper to buy new ones than to waste your time with old ones that could never be washed well enough to use with a different color anyway.
As most of you know, we have a bird feeder out off our deck. We go to great measures to make sure the local birds don’t starve, in fact, we make sure they have the best of feed, seed and suet. Well, these little ungrateful loudmouths never miss a chance to heap abuse and lewd remarks on us. We are subjected to all sorts of verbal belittlement. As if that isn’t enough, there is a pair of flickers that have become regulars. Unfortunately, the males of that member of the woodpecker family like to drum on things to announce their territory. Well, he is drumming on our stucco siding and that woodpecker beak of his is punching holes into it. I’ve had to chase him away several times. I’ve hung a rag just out from the wall where he clings in hopes of discouraging him. If that doesn’t work, I’ll look for a good recipe that calls for woodpecker meat.
By this issue’s normal publication time, I’ll be visiting friends and family in Kitchener. Sue is doing a Vancouver audit the week I’m there so she will be able to tend to Yogi’s needs. Sue has volunteered to send out this issue for us. If any of you have an article for the Jan. 24th issue, send it to Greg. He will be handling the publication duties for that one.
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THE ONTARION REPORT
Well hello again everyone!
It’s Thursday night, 24 hrs before Doug lands in civilization once again. I
know I’m looking forward to seeing his smiling face. Geeze, it’s like Christmas
all over again but we don’t have to unwrap him when he gets here! LOL! I hope
he thinks to bring along his winter duds. I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten to check
our weather report before packing his suitcase. Today is exceptionally cold. I
went out in the jeep and ran some errands this afternoon. The thermometer on
the overhead consul showed –18 when I pulled out of the garage and by the time
I was a block away from home, it was at –21c. Brrrrrrr! Sure am glad they put
heaters in cars in Canada.
Speaking of warm things, I had my heart warmed again this week with an article published in the KW Record. One of the roving reporters saw fit to write an article on the Re formed Preston Scout House Band. I’m sure all of you must have heard of this famous group of musicians. It is a Drum and Bugle Corps that was originally a Boy Scout troupe. The band started in Preston back in 1938 I believe. It was started by a druggist from Preston by the name of Wilf Blum. From a scout troupe it became a marching band and eventually broke away from the Boy Scout movement and dedicated itself to performing in parades and Drum Corps competitions across North America. I had the good fortune to be a member of this great band from 1964 to 1967. My brother had been a member for about 3 years before I joined. He started as a glockenspiel player and then moved up to playing a tenor drum. I’m sure Hugh will know all about this organization. In fact, maybe he played in it as well. I’ll have to ask him sometime. I played first baritone bugle in the horn line. The first year I was in the band, was the last year that Paul Bauer was drum major.
Paul was a very handsome guy
and at one time, had a fan club with more members than that of Elvis Presley.
That is a fact not a tall tale! I traveled from Shawinigan Falls Quebec to
Stillwater Minnesota and many points in between with the corps and have many
great memories from these trips. It’s been many years since I played with the
band but the experience will never leave my heart. For the last 3 years I was
in the band, my cousin Jim Esbaugh was drum major. We were for many years prior
to my joining Canadian and North American Junior A champions. My first year was
the last year we achieved that status. I’m not sure if that tells you something
or not! Hahahaha…! Oh well, we still had many a great show and played for
hundreds of thousands of people. My most memorable show was in Bridgeport
Connecticut where we were the guest band in a Senior competition. The stadium
there held something like 38,000 people and it was packed to the rafters. The
bands that competed were amazing senior corps such as New York Skyliners and
the Hawthorne (NJ) Cabaleros. Forgive my spelling on that one! They put on
amazing performances and then it was our turn. We did an absolutely flawless
field show even though we were all scared shittless with the huge crowd! At the
end of the show when we were all standing on the finish line, the crowd gave us
a full standing ovation. None of the senior performers that night got a
standing ovation. It was the thrill of a lifetime to say the least.
Well, to get back to the point, I could yack on all night about the shows we were in and the cities we visited but I don’t want to overdo it this time. Sufficed to say the Scout House experience will always rank as one of my most memorable!
In 1994 I got a phone call from a former member of the band telling me that they had formed an alumni for Scout House and that they had been given membership in the Senior Drum Corps of North America alumni. Scout house was to host that years convention of the alumni in Galt Cambridge. He asked me if I would be interested in attending. I jumped at the chance! We attended and had a ball meeting all the old boys again after 28 years or so. They put together a small colour guard for the event as kind of a humorous event for after dinner. Well, with the old record of Scout House playing and the 4 pudgy guys in makeshift uniforms marching around the banquet hall the thought of rekindling the band came to being. From that point on, Tom Weiler from Preston took the bull by the horns and started calling former members and got the band going again. Carole and I traveled with the alumni to New Jersey and New York that summer and had a great time. I attended a display of some of the old instruments in the former Scout House building in Preston before they turned the building over to a new owner. The display contained my baritone horn. I pointed it out to my cousin Jim Esbaugh that day. About a week later he called me and asked to see me for lunch. I went to pick him up at his place and upon my arrival there were 2 other former members there and they surprised me by presenting me with “my” horn. I was totally choked up and honoured by the presentation. I have the bugle standing in my living room to this day. I’ll never part with it! The band continued to grow and they continued to call me and bug me to join the new Scout House but after much consideration, I decided not to try to relive my teenage past. Making that sort of commitment at this stage of my life just wasn’t in the cards.
Looking forward to retirement was something I wanted to leave entirely uncommitted. The article in the KW Record this week brought back all those memories and they are certainly good ones! I’ve heard and seen the Scout House of today play and they sound as good or better than ever. I wish them all well and much success but, alas I have no desire to join them. I’ll just enjoy their performances and page through the fond memories I have of the 4 years I spent with the band in the 60’s.
I have been known to wet the lips and try to play Waltzing Matilda on my baritone when nobody is around to hear but to play in public, I’m afraid those days are behind me forever. I do however still have a picture of myself in uniform on the front of a Christmas Card that the band members sent out one year. If I can locate it, I’ll maybe treat you all to a peek at yesteryear! Hahahaha, thinking back on all this, the horn I’ll still embrace but to try to see myself in that uniform and those black short shorts……….well, let’s just leave well enough alone!
I should get this off to Doug so he can line it up for Sue to send on Saturday. Thanks for tuning in once again and I look forward to the rest of this weeks Squamidian and others!
Talk to you all next week!
Bye
for now…GREG.
Something to Think About>
WC Fields once said “I dated a blond once! She drove me to drink! It’s the one thing I’ll always be indebted to her for!
****
Note from the “ghost”editor… Doug has arrived safely in Ontario complete with parka, toque in a fashionable safety orange and gloves ……. Unlike me Doug packed early in the week and his bag & mandolin were waiting at the door on Thursday night when I got in. In my defense, the reason that I pack so easily is that I never completely unpack.
Hope this works……..
For low speed dial-up connections, just the basics:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b2/
For high-speed connections, a little more fancy:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b/
Have a good one..
the
doug
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