The Squamidian Report – Jan. 1 / 05
Also in this issue:
A Note From Ewan
The Ontarion
Hi All,
Hey, look at that, it’s next year already! So Happy New Years everyone. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think New Years happened yesterday down there in Karin Land but happy new years anyway. I know the tragedies in Asia have touched everyone but it is human nature to carry on and move into the New Year with optimism.
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We were out and about and stopped down by the river where the ‘official’ eagle-viewing place is. Took some pictures and posted them to one of my web sites. Unfortunately, to make the pictures web-friendly I’ve had to shrink them down quite a bit in size so the eagle don’t show up all that well but you can get an idea. At one point we counted about 60 of the birds. Some in the trees, some on the riverbank looking for fish or bullying the seagulls.
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b/Pictures/eagles1.htm
I use the word ‘official’ because there is a section on the dyke along the Squamish River where there are viewing platforms and a roofed shelter. That section of the dyke overlooks a stretch of river where the shoreline on the far side is wide and sandy and is backed by thick trees. When the weather is poor the eagles congregate in the trees and on the shore. When the weather is clear they disperse out of the valley and can be seen soaring very high over the mountain ridges. In actuality, they can be seen from pretty well anywhere around here.
And speaking of ‘out and about’, we have a service here in town that is very useful and is done very well. That in itself is unusual as the west coast is full of incompetence to the point of being hilarious. While we have weekly door-to-door garbage pickup we do not have door-to-door recycling pickup. There are recycle drop-off spots around town where there are designated bins for each type of material. Whenever you have enough stuff collected to warrant disposal, you simply stop by one of the spots and deposit the items into the appropriate bins. Mind you, people being what they are there are always louts that will dump garbage there or miss-use the site in other ways but generally speaking this approach to recycling works out very well.
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I continually enjoy telling any and all about life on the west coast. Even with Pacific storms that can dump massive amounts of rain or snow, our winters are so very gentle compared to most of the country. A nice example of that is the fact that some of the Japanese Plum trees at the shopping mall in West Van have blossoms. Even here at our house there are tiny pansy type flowers that are in bloom and our mountain heather plants are blooming. Our grass stays green most of the year. The exception would be during the hot dry summer when it tends to go dormant and brown out.
But it would be fun to read about the winter storms in the east as one example, or the adventures of others spread all over the place. So as we enter the New Year I again invite you to sit down at your computer whenever you feel inspired and send in your story. You need never feel your writing is inadequate or uninteresting. Just look at me, I’m barely literate!
And I’ve got an announcement to make here. This issue marks Greg’s 98th episode of the Ontarion. That means in two weeks on the 15th will be his 100th composition. Believe me, it is not easy to come up with articles for 100 consecutive weeks. It is however a very enjoyable challenge.
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Hello all, happy new year!
On the 23rd of December I turned 31. Most of the day was spent taking care of small chores so that I could leave town for a few days with a reasonably clear conscience. This all started late in the morning because I was up past midnight at work, taking care of other chores so that I could leave for a few days with a reasonably clear conscience. It really snowed that day. I'm not sure how much we got, but it was enough to slow everyone down a fair bit.
My friend Mark had taken almost three hours to get to work in Toronto from his home in Kitchener that morning. He left work early and we actually shared a Greyhound back to Kitchener. It was nice to have a chance to get caught up. His plan was to take the bus to work in the morning and home again in the afternoon, eat at my birthday party in Kitchener, drive back to Toronto to play a late hockey game, and drive home again to Kitchener, then get up early to take the bus back to work on the 24th (as usual). The snow made all that impossible, but he still actually played hockey, and worked from home on the 24th. I slept in.
We took the 407 (toll route) to avoid some
unpleasantness on the 401 near the airport. We saw what looked like the
semi-cleaned up remains of an accident involving several full size transport
trucks. I called and told them I'd be a little late. Some people had the
sense to stay home, but quite a few were willing to have a go at getting to my
Mom's place to celebrate. They saw Ev & Ed go by, and then keep driving.
They were surprised when they showed up a while later, having parked down the
hill on a clearer street. I missed the traditional pushing of the cars, but
made it in time for supper. I carried my big suit case through all the snow for
the last block. I should have installed skis instead of those little wheels.
Beth almost made it, full points for effort. Grandma & Grandpa got stuck,
but everything turned out okay. Carol & Al asked some people if they could
park in their cleared driveway. Later she brought cake for them, a good deal
all around (smart!). Getting there was definitely part of the fun. Sometimes I
think people have a good time in situations like that because once you're
there, you might as well enjoy
yourself!
It was a great way to start off the holidays. Five big meals in a row. A little drinking, a lot of eating. Lots of family, a few friends. Long late nights and sleeping in. Ahhh. The snow was still there on the evening of the 27th. I capped off the whole thing by doing something that I haven't had the chance to enjoy for a few years: tobogganing! Actually it was mostly inner tubing for me. I think Mary felt bad for me because I was having trouble drumming up people to come along. So she went for a few runs herself! She actually has one of those old fashioned style toboggans, a classic. I inflated the old truck inner tube my Mom gave Jamie and I when we were in school. Finally we went to Mt. Trashmore. For those of you who don't know, Mt. Trashmore is a big hill in Kitchener that was made of garbage. Once it was covered over it became more than a giant eyesore with blue flames coming out of the top, more than an insidious environmental embarrassment, it became a really good spot to hurl one's self across the snow and ice. If you haven't been in a while, and your bones can take a little rattling, I highly recommend it.
Wisely, Mary went from the middle instead of the top. Wisely, we both avoided the aggressively angled jump that the snow boarders had built. The natural rolls were still enough to send me in to the air for a second at a time. The inner tube is a great ride for anyone past their indestructible school years. It's very cushioned. I always go down head first and steer with my feet. After briefly leaving the ground I came down with my arm inside the hole, which was a little scary. The next little bump gave me the chance to correct it before being injured. I can see how these things happen though. Most of the others who were up there in the middle of the night looked about 18. The most ridiculous thing was that I was wearing my big, long trench coat! It worked well, although I don't see it becoming the next trend in Alpine wear.
Winter has been conquered, and the cold won't bother me much for the rest of the winter. Stupid fun things are not just for teenagers. I hope you had as good a time as I did this year!
All the best in the New Year, Ewan
P.S. the snowboarders were a friendly, considerate bunch. I know they get a bad rep. They were much more interested in having fun than being stupid.
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THE ONTARION REPORT
HAPPY
NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
It’s a fun time most years when this event rolls around. When I think back over the years there are a few that stand out in my mind. One memorable New Years Eve was when I was 15. It was 1964 and technically I was still 14 because my birthday is on January 11th. I had a friend that I had gone through public school with by the name of Bob Baier. He father owned Baier Fuel Oil Ltd and another company called Ontario Culvert. They lived on a court called Sunset Pl that runs off Union St across from the entrance to Breithaupt Park in Kitchener. Being his family was one of the more well to do families in the area, he used to hold the New Years parties when his folks were out for the evening. Of course we used to take advantage of his father’s well stocked bar. Oops, I guess I just admitted to drinking alcohol at a tender age! Oh well, what can I say, it was there and we were all curious back then. At that time, I was a member of a drum corps called The Preston Scout House Band. We were world famous at the time and it was a thrill to be in such an organization. However, that’s a source for stories at another time. For now, I’ll stick to the one at hand. Bob had asked me to bring my bugle to the New Years party and we’d have some fun with it. I guess he thought he could get a rise out of the neighbourhood by having me play Auld Lang Sine on the bugle at midnight. He was right we had most of the residents of Sunset Pl out on their porches when the 30 kids at Bob’s party started following me around the circle as I played in the New Year. The bugle isn’t a very subtle instrument to play at a late hour but we sure had fun that night. We marched out of Sunset, crossed Union St and made the trip up to the top of Maplewood Pl. All the kids were singing along with the bugle. By the time I was at the top of Maplewood Pl, my lips were ready to fall off from the cold. I figured as long as I kept blowing they’d stay warm enough not to stick to the metal mouthpiece. After we arrived back at Bob’s place, we settled back into tasting the different bottles in his dad’s cabinet. Luckily none of us was old enough to drive so we didn’t have to worry about that aspect of New Years drinking and driving home. I must say that only about 5 or 6 kids had enough to drink to make them inebriated. The rest of us just pretended we’d had too much to make the evening a success as well as something to brag about at school when the holiday was over. I also remember that “Rubber Soul” was the big new album release by the Beatles that year and seemed to be the only music on the stereo all night. Everybody loved the Beatles music back then and most of us had gotten that album for Christmas. The party broke up when Bob’s mum and dad arrived home at around 2am. Most of us just streamed past their Lincoln as it pulled into the drive. It was like the parting of the red sea as we moved aside to let Mr Baier pull into the garage. We didn’t want to stick around for the inevitable fireworks that would surely follow their entry into the house. Bob called on me the next day and said he had run away from home because his folks had grounded him for a month. I gather that a few parents had received phone calls from Mr Baier the following day. I was one of the lucky one’s that slipped through the cracks. When my folks asked how the party had gone, I simply replied “Oh, it was fun”! Nuff said!
When I think back on some of the other parties I attended in High School I’m amazed that we didn’t wind up in more doo doo than we did.
I hope you all had a wonderful New Years Eve and that 2005 brings you all health and prosperity. Carole and I wish each and every one of you all the best in the coming year.
I thank you all for tuning in all year long. I also appreciate the input that some of you have taken the time to write in response. Please keep up the involvement in the coming year. I look forward to an interesting 2005 in The Ontarion Report!
Bye for now…..GREG.
PS: Something to Think About>
Make the most of the best and the least of the worst!
PPS: I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Doug for starting the Squamidian in the first place and also for allowing me to be a regular part of the weekly. Thanks Doug and keep up the good work!
GREG.
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The family site:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b/
The Squamidian Site:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b2/
Have a good one..
the
doug