The Squamidian Report – April 25 / 09
Issue #361
Including:
North Nova News
Carol & Al’s Train Trip
The Ontarion
Hi All,
Something that is both interesting and funny is watching the tourists and the people from the city as they head for Whistler. Many of them stop at our local and very poorly run Horton’s for their ‘on the road’ breakfast or for a coffee or whatever. Many are already wearing their snowsuits, bundled up from head to toe. Problem is, it may be quite warm out down here and they still have an hour ride ahead. They must be roasting in their ski ware. But perhaps fashion is more important than comfort.
To each his own, I guess.
*
And speaking of Whistler, that’s where we have been working for a while now and will continue to be working well into the summer. We are installing a concrete encased hydro duct bank along the side of the only highway that runs through the area, good old narrow and winding #99. There is about 6 kilometers of duct bank to go in and every inch of the way involves dealing with the never-ending traffic as it heads into and out of the village.
We are basically taking up the ditch area and the equivalent of one full lane width of the highway. The traffic control people get to the site before us and set up delineators to divide up whats left of the road into two narrow lanes. Either a vertical rock wall or a steep drop off usually limits the ditch width. Ether way, there is no room to spread out in that direction. The only way we can gain working space is to encroach further into the traveling lanes. So at times we much reduce the traffic to single lane, alternating movement. They don’t like that very much and some drives get quite angry with the controllers. There are and will always be jerk drives. Oh well.
With never ending bumper-to-bumper traffic zooming by at speeds much higher than the posted construction zone speed we must excavate the trench, install the duct bank pipes and then crib and concrete the whole thing. Then the cribbing must be stripped and the trench backfilled in several lifts, each lift being fully compacted. Our trucks must work continually in and out of the traffic, backing across the lanes to dump material for backfill, pulling out into the traffic after being loaded with the material that is removed. We are continually running into solid bedrock that must be broken out with a hydraulic breaker, or blasted out with dynamite. It all takes time and by the end of each day we are all pretty well beat and ready to head home.
One funny thing about the traffic passing between our lane markers, most of the large commercial trucks have no problem at all squeezing between the orange plastic cones but many of the small cars can’t seem to negotiate the narrow lanes without hitting and knocking over at least a few cones. Many of these are the same people I mentioned in my opening paragraph.
doug
****
Hi everyone,
Last week was the year of the big 60 for me and my birthday did last all week!
My sister, Michelle, surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers that arrived on my birthday at the shop!!! I had a wonderful day at work. Our substitute esthetician, Heidi, baked a wonderful lemon cake, put candles on it and everyone sang Happy Birthday to me. Then early that morning before I got to work, Teri, put a sign outside saying Happy Birthday to Sue so of course everyone knew to say something to me as they came in the door. The wind began to blow too hard so that had to come down around noon. She also, with her kids, made some posters for the shop with all sorts of drawings and sayings on them. I think they had a lot of fun doing it. I got earrings from Teri, and from Rebecca, our massage therapist, a beautiful china travel mug. And then the flowers started to arrive. First from Michelle and then two more bouquets, one for me and one for Teri. I joked with Teri about why she should be getting flowers on MY birthday and she said that was between her and her husband and none of my business! The other bouquet didn't say who it was from so I joked it might be from her husband to ME and she said it was!!! So that was quite a surprise. I left him a message thanking him for his thoughtful gift. Then I went upstairs and had my massage which put me in an amazing state. I still had two clients at the end of the day but that was easy since I was so relaxed and having so much fun. I didn't want the day to end!
That night Peter cooked supper and gave me a card with a Winners gift certificate card that had no amount on it. So I had no idea how much it was for. Can't wait to get to Winners!! I am looking forward to our trip to Halifax for dining and music. By the way everyone was surprised I was sixty, including myself!!
We had a wonderful weekend and the weather was beautiful. We left Saturday morning for Halifax without having to rush for a change. I packed very lightly (very unusual for me but I never wear all I pack anyway) and we were off. The day was gorgeous, just a little cool but we had a very pleasant drive playing our favourite CD's and looking at the scenery. Getting out on the highway felt good!! At Elmsdale we stopped into a used bookstore and picked up some of my favourite authors and some wine and crackers for later. We were too early to check in to our room so we drove around by Bedford and stopped for a lunch. I was surprised as we drove through Halifax how quiet it was for a Saturday but it was great for getting around. We arrived at the Waverly Inn just 5 minutes after two (check in time). The Inn is gorgeous with antiques everywhere and so grand!!! Our room had a 4 poster bed with netting over the top to dress it up. The bed was so high off the floor they had a little wooden step at the foot of the bed so you could get up on it. Also the bedding was white with a big down comforter and lots of pillows. Very comfy!!
It was still early so we went out for a trek around downtown for a couple of hours. Halifax is a great city to tour and its all up or down. We stopped into a couple of shops and then stopped for a beer in an Irish pub. I'm not normally a beer drinker but I like a brown ale once in while and it sure tasted good after our walk.
Our friends Kris, John and their son, Cameron met us at our room before dinner.
We took our wine and appetizers down to the front room of the lobby where the staff helped us serve it by providing wine glasses and a tray. They were so great and treated us like kings and queens. The restaurant was only a ten minute walk from the hotel so we reluctantly left the great room and headed out. Our dinner at the Niche was amazing. A jazz band played while we dined. Our friend, Emma, met us there and along with many of Kris and John's Halifax friends we became a party of twelve.
I didn't know most of them but that didn't matter. I think they are up for any celebration even if they don't know who it is for. After dinner we walked around town dropping into a few bars with more jazz and some blues bands. It was a great evening and when it was time to retire we decided that Sunday morning we would meet and walk through Point Pleasant Park. We wanted to see the damage left behind from Hurricane Juan a few years back.
Our walk was great and with most of the trees down the view was beautiful. They had cleaned up the park well and there were tons of people out walking their dogs or jogging. It must be a Sunday morning tradition. Later we met Emma for coffee and then we hit the road for home. It was a wonderful weekend and we must do this more often and get away from home on an adventure. We felt refreshed and relaxed.
I found out through Amber (at Winners) how much my gift card, that Peter gave me, is worth. Two Hundred dollars!!! I was shocked and elated. I haven't spent a dime yet but I want to plan it out and get clothes that match and I will be happy with. It's been a terrific week, one I will remember for a long time. I know there are a few of you turning 60 this year so do it up big, its a big number so it deserves some serious celebrating!!
Soooo you see turning 60 is great!!!! It's only the number that is scary.
****
As most of you are aware, Al and I are enjoying a visit to Doug & Sue’s home after making the journey by train, in fact I am sitting here at the holy shrine, “Squamidean Central” sitting in Doug’s chair as I type this. Traveling across Canada by train is something everyone should do if the opportunity ever arises. We shared the trip with people from all over the world; Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Germany and the US; all of whom were taking their dream trip of Canada.
Our trip started on a Tuesday morning when the parents delivered us to the train station in Kitchener – that was the only time the train was late, but it didn’t matter as the “Canadian” doesn’t pull out of Toronto until evening. We checked our baggage at Union Station for pickup latter and then went off, by subway, with our friend Evelyn, who had met us at the station. We spent the afternoon at ROM, I hadn’t been there in years while Al & Evelyn had never taken the opportunity to explore that wonderful museum before. We took the subway back down town and just walked around the CN tower area before finding a place to eat and heading back to the station. The first class treatment of traveling “Blue & Silver” class starts at Union Station with our own private waiting room, stocked with complimentary coffee, tea, juice, pop cookies, etc. Newspapers were supplied also desks with free internet connections. The seats were comfortable and everyone waiting was in a sociable talkative mood. They checked our tickets and arranged our meal sitting times for the next day as we sat there. We were given early, escorted boarding to our sleeper cars. Al and I were in one of the only 4 rooms in the Park car. Our room was unbelievably tiny but did have a private sink and toilet and the towels were large and soft with everything needed, like shampoo, lotion and ear plugs. The beds were down and made up for sleeping with our nightly chocolate on the pillow. The beds were more comfortable then I expected them to be and we slept well being rocked to sleep each night by the swaying of the train. We dropped off our luggage and headed out to the back of our Park car. This is the center of entertainment. The bar, card & game room is under the glassed in observation dome. A lounge area where coffee, hot water for tea, hot chocolate, ice water and fruit was always available is located at the end of the Park car. Our porter served welcome aboard complimentary champagne and canapés. We sat in the observation dome, Al sipping champagne, as we pulled out of Union Station.
The meals on the train were all superb. Breakfast was served between 6:30 and 9:00 on a first come first serve basis (but we never had to wait). There was a different type of omelet offered each morning plus cereal, fruit, eggs, ham, yogurt etc. – something for any appetite. Lunch and dinner were at assigned seatings. We were given 4 choices at every meal; a poultry, fish, red meat or vegetarian offering plus a choice of 2 desserts and soup or salad. Never was the same dish offered twice and never were we disappointed in our choices - Dad would envy me all the fish I enjoyed. I asked to see the kitchen and was amazed at how they could create such wonderful gourmet dining in such a confined space – they even hand wash all the dishes and there wasn’t a microwave. Tables were for 4 persons and we met many wonderful, interesting travelers as they sit you with different people each meal.
I was up at dawn every morning and went to the back of our car to make myself a tea, still just dressed in my housecoat, and enjoyed watching the day light up as I sat in the observation car. We were able to get out and walk at stops along the way each day. The warmest and sunniest stop on the whole trip was Hornepayne in northern Ontario. We had a long stop in Winnepeg and were able to see for ourselves the flooding. As we left Winnepeg we went past miles and miles of flooded fields. We didn’t run down to our room to get the camera because we kept expecting the flooded fields to end and didn’t realize we could have made it down and back long before the floodwaters ended. Actually we didn’t take many pictures because we were too busy looking and enjoying. We have been across country before and the scenery wasn’t new to us but the perspective of the train window and the different path traveled by the train added so much to this trip. I was disappointed that the sky was overcast crossing the prairies as there is nothing as glorious as a prairie sunset – but I did get to watch the sun rise as we entered Edmonton and that was gorgeous. Our English friends were blown away by the Rockies – as is everyone who sees it for the first time. The train carried about 1/3 the number of cars as it has in the high season so we became a close knit community on wheels. Not one person said they were disappointed with the experience, at least none who traveled in first class. I would not have enjoyed the experience of traveling for days sitting up in a chair with only a snack car for meals and even having to pay for water. Given the chance we would travel again this way – across the entire country if we could. Next week Al will write about our R & R time here on the west coast.
****
Hello
everyone!
Well,
it’s spring cleanup time again! With spring appearing so early here in Ontario
this year it’s moving everything up about a month. Everyone around our
neighbourhood is starting their yard work now instead of on the May 24 weekend
as usual. It’s hard to believe after the heavy winter we had that spring came
this early. Our lawn is greening up and even some of Carole’s flowers are
blooming in the gardens. I think I’m going to go rent a dethatcher today and
get the lawns in shape. We haven’t done any dethatching in about 7 or 8 years
so it’ll do the lawn good to have it done this year. Then within the next
couple of weeks I’ll get the pond in shape nice and early. Last year at the end
of the season I had a person tell me at one of the pool places that there is a
chemical that will take the place of liquid algaecide and clearifier and it’s
simpler than adding both to the pond. I still had a large container of liquid
left when I found this out so I told her I’d be back this year to start with
the other type of treatment. I hope it’ll make for much less fiddling with the
pond water this year. Since we started treating it like a swimming pool rather
than a fish pond it’s been a breeze to keep the water in shape. Of course the
new “pool” style pump and sand filter make a lot of difference too. No more
dinking round with those tiny pond pumps systems that move so little water it’s
not worth having them at all. Things should come together very quickly this
year and we’ll have a great summer to enjoy the results of our hard work in the
yard.
We have
finished the flooring in the bedrooms upstairs and the hallway and stairway and
the house now looks like new inside. We’ve wanted to get rid of that old
carpeting for a few years now and with the hardwood, the house looks so modern
and up to date. Funny how hardwood flooring which has been used for many many
years can make a house look “up to date”! LOL! When I think back to my parents
house where we all grew up and how they had hardwood on the floors it didn’t
seem at all like what we have just installed in our house this past few weeks!
Oh well, I guess when it’s NEW, it looks a lot more stylish and modern.
That’s
about it for this week folks!
Thanks
for tuning in and I look forward to talking to you all again next week in The
Ontarion Report!
Bye for now.. GREG
PS:
Something To Think About>
It’s
impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
****
Have a good one..
the doug
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