The Squamidian Report – Mar. 19 / 05
Also in this issue:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
Well, it had been a pretty good old Chev mini-van but the time has come to replace the Yogi-mobile. It had earned that name because our old dog Yogi tended to see it as his personal transportation. Many of you will remember Yogi and how he liked people treats and amenities. The van was his ticket to those things as well as his way of seeing the world without having to put out too much physical effort. With a couple of seats taken out there was actually enough room in it for him.
That van has a lot of history. It taught Ryan how to drive. It fetched tons of groceries over the years. It carried both of the old dogs, Ryan and myself all the way to here from back home along with a full load of stuff we didn’t or couldn’t send out on the moving truck. It was a very useful and practical vehicle for most of its time with us. However, all things change eventually and it is time for a new vehicle that will be better suited to our life here.
I’ve trading it in on a new 4X4 pickup. It will carry the kind of things we mow need to carry much better, it will go some interesting placed we may wish to go much better. It will have new tires, brakes, everything. The old van is just reaching the point where it will need everything.
You know, the old van really only let us down once, on the causeway approach to the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. This was the first spring out here and I had just picked Sue up at the airport as she returned from an audit in who-knows-where. As we entered the park and onto the causeway I felt it hesitate a bit. Then it simply quit, right there is all that traffic. It re-started and quit again just as we reached the last emergency pull off before you start over the bridge. I managed to coast far enough into the pull off to be clear of the rush hour traffic. After some cell phone calls and a long roadside wait we ended up riding all the way home in the tow truck that was hauling the van to a local repair shop where a new fuel pump was installed.
So the old van is gone, in it’s place sitting in our garage in a shiny new truck. The problem now is that just like I hate to wear new shoes or new shirts because I don’t want to get them dirty or scuffed up, I don’t want to use the truck incase it gets dirty or scuffed up. Silly me, life would have been so much simpler if I’d stayed with the van.
*
There won’t be any dirt bike trips up into the mountains this weekend. We are having some badly needed rain, which is of course snow up at the high elevations. But we had another great motorcycle ride up into the backcountry last Sunday. It was one of those warm summer like days that get everyone out doing things. There were a lot of other bikers starting out from the drop off point at the head of the Mamquam Main. Many of these were father / son groups with little kids on little bikes, big kids on big bikes and so on. Because there are so many choices of side spurs to take once you got away from the parking area you pretty well had your trail to yourself. Just follow this link for details and pictures. Or don’t bother if you’d rather not.
http://www.thedougsite.ca/Pictures/Mamquam%20Main/glacier.htm
Enjoy.
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MARCH
19, 2005
Hello everyone!
I think we’re about to see
the beginnings of Spring here in KW. It’s actually been sunny and on a couple
of occasions, above 0c on the thermometer.
In fact, it’s sunny out at this very moment (Thursday March 17th).
I guess the weatherman decided to give Lorne a break and let the sun shine on
him for his special day. I gather it’s been a tossup as to what to celebrate
first on this day every year for Lorne and his family. I’d say get drunk on
this date and you’ve covered both occasions Lorne! LOL! Being I’m married to a
woman of Irish origin we celebrate the occasion with a traditional Irish meal
of her choice and production every year on this date. I believe we are going to
enjoy corned beef and the trimmings this evening. Of course Adam being a vegetarian
he won’t be partaking of the meat portion. He’ll just have to settle for the
potatoes and veggies Carole cooks up to fill the plates. I guess potatoes are
an Irish tradition and certainly a vegetable. Every year I offer to take her
out to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in a restaurant of her choice and every year
she says she would rather stay home and cook a lovely Irish meal for the
occasion. No complaints from me or Adam on that one. I’m looking forward to
tonight’s meal and I’m only sorry every one of my fellow Squamidian’s can’t be
here to share it with us. I guess you’ll all just have to fend for yourselves,
maybe next year! LOL! I’m sure none of you will have reason to complain about
what you’re eating tonight. Surely the Squamidian group is full of excellent
cooks! From what I’ve experienced on the occasions when Carole and I have been
over to Vivyan and Lorne’s home for Brubacher gatherings, there is no shortage
of good food on the table! Hmmmmmmmm….
Brubacher???? How Irish is
that name??? LOL! Oh well, they say everyone has a little Irish in them, if not
in their genes, at least in their hearts!
*
The change in the weather will be a welcome thing.
For many years we would pack our belongings and head for Florida or Myrtle
Beach South Carolina for the spring break. Invariably we would return home only
to have friends of ours tell us that the weather was sunny and warm here while
we were away. Once Adam was old enough that he didn’t want to go south with us
anymore we started staying home during the spring break. We quickly found out
that even if the sun was shining up here, it was still a heck of a lot warmer
in the southern states. I guess putting up with the snow and chilly temps until
into the month of April will only make us appreciate the hot weather more once
it does arrive. I really don’t think I’d like the sunshine and hot temps all
year round. As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side of the
fence. Having four definite seasons is still the best way to have it. It would
be boring to have the same old same old all the time.
*
Well, that’s about all for this week folks. Thanks
again for tuning in and I’ll see you all again next week in The Ontarion
Report.
Bye for now……..GREG.
PS: Happy Birthday Lorne!
PPS: Something to Think About>
They think too little who talk too much.
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The Family and the Squamidian sites:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b/ and http://www.thedougsite.ca
Have a good one..
the
doug
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