The Squamidian Report – Jan. 2 / 16
 
Issue #710

Including:
The Ontarion

Hi All,

Well now, we've enjoyed a picture perfect postcard white Christmas and then, almost like flipping a switch, the sun came out and we've got picture perfect New Years with cold sunny weather. How do you beat that? You can't. Now that they have the time and opportunity, I just wish the local municipality would send their snow clearing equipment out to clean up the streets but of course they can't because of all the vehicles that are parked haphazardly all over the place. For reasons that are beyond me, this town is infested with people who won't shovel their own driveways. They simply leave their cars on the road, blocking any attempt to properly clear the roads. And the muni has never bothered to enforce any sort of parking rules so even if there is a bylaw or two on the books, it just gets ignored. Boggles the mind. Hey look at that, 2 days into the new year and I'm already in a grumpy mood but you would be too if you could barely maneuver up your street between the cars in the way while driveways sit empty. Yes, it makes me steam but one of the perks of getting old is that you can permit yourself the luxury of expressing your thoughts. You no longer need to comply with all the insanity and bull crap that goes on. You no longer need to be politically correct. And when people do comment on your attitude, well, its just passed off as being a grumpy old man. So there you go, let yourself rage at the stupidity around you. Its good for you, you will feel better. You have my permission.

Apparently I've run off topic again because I started out writing about our incredibly beautiful white Christmas. The city didn't get one, winter starts at about Porteau and from there on it just gets more wintery as you go inland or up in elevation. We are both. I'm not all that used to minus 10 at night anymore but that cold makes for some pretty spectacular starry nights. And mornings. If you've got clear skis check out the Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Saturn all in a row. Saturn may be a bit hard to spot, low in the east, but if you are lucky, you can see Saturn just before the morning gets too bright but its still pretty low in the east so your timing need to be right, just before the sun comes fully up. See, I'm off topic again so I think I'll just stay off topic.

You've probably heard that the west coast was rattled by an earthquake. I heard about it too but didn't feel anything. Willow apparently did because she woke me from a nice sound sleep at about 11:45pm Tuesday night, wanting attention. She normally sleeps all night in her closet but for reasons I didn't know about until I listened to the news the next morning, she was upset. There was no local damage from the quake that I know of but it effected different areas differently because the shock passes through different materials differently. Areas like out the Fraser Valley or even here in the Squamish Valley felt the quake like a wave passing through. Here on solid rock it was more like a quick but light jolt. 'The Wife' was in Maple Ridge helping out with the kids and the quake woke her and practically knocked her out of bed. Anyway, it gave lots of people lots of stuff to talk about. Perhaps I'll feel the next one. You just never know.

Here's something cool... I was riding down from the top in a gondola the other day, Wednesday I think, and had the car all to myself. Thats cool too but not where I'm going with this. When I'm alone in one of those cars I like to stand facing the forward window because it gives a very real sensation of flying. Not the airplane kind, but the bird kind of flying. Anyway, while silently 'flying' downward I noticed a small airplane approaching below, from the south, headed for Olsen Valley. Thats the valley that separates the mountain that the gondola is on from the Chief. Olsen Creek drains from that valley. The plane approached in a banked attitude, so it was therefore turning toward the Chief rather than flying straight up the valley. The banked turn continued as the plane got closer to the Chief. Now lots of small planes fly through that narrow valley just for the fun of it. Heck, I've been in my neighbor's plane when we've done that very thing although we had approached from the other direction after coming over Indian Arm Pass. Anyway, this sure had my attention because this plane was quickly running out of maneuvering room and it was quite low in the valley with granite walls all around. At the last moment the pilot pulled up and flew through the relatively small gap between the first and second peaks of the Chief. Now thats hotdogging it. That would have been a very fun ride and like I said, cool.

And one last thing. We seem to have set a new tradition. Last year for New Years Eve we watched the sunset from the gondola lodge deck. It was a clear, cold, starry night. Well, we did the same thing again this year and again is was a clear cold starry night. The only difference was this year we had Kyra with us and therefore could not stay as long as I'd have liked but it was still a pretty good way to do it.
doug
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THE ONTARION REPORT

Hello and Happy New Year Everyone!

Here we are in the New Year and we’ve only had to shovel or blow the snow once this winter. That puts the New Year off to a good start. Let’s hope the rest of the winter is mild too. Sounds like the rest of Canada has been making up for our mild weather by having lots of snow and quite cold temperatures. The Maritimes got buried in snow on Christmas Day and their still digging out. Oh well, they usually do get hit quite badly with snow in the winter months so I’m not surprised. Anyway, fear not, spring is only three months away and with any luck we’ll be rid of our snow by early March! Lets keep our fingers crossed!

     In the past when we’ve been snowed in by old man winter the plows were nowhere in site. Earlier this week when I had about 4” of very heavy slush to remove from our driveway I got the blower out. The shovel was useless with the weight of the slush! The blower managed to handle it quite well. My neighbour was out with his 10hp Sears snow blower and it wasn’t doing the job at all, the chute would just plug with the wet slush and he spent more time clearing out the chute than he did clearing the sidewalk. Luckily the TORO performed as usual and tossed even the heavy stuff almost across the street to the far curb. I had no sooner cleared the driveway when a huge dump truck from the city with a massive plow on it came by and pushed half the roadway of snow and slop onto the driveway ramp at my feet. I understand that they have a job to do but couldn’t he wait until I had at least had a chance to catch my breath? LOL!  The bottom of the ramp and the first four feet of the roadway out front had been thick with about 6” of slop and the TORO cleared that by tossing it like a fire hose across the road. It was actually nothing but water by the time it cleared my chute. So, after the plow passed I had to do it all over again. Oh well, that’s just the way it goes. I guess I’d be complaining if the plow hadn’t come by at all. It’s just too bad the drivers of the plows have to have that smart assed smirk on their face as they dump their efforts into our nicely cleared driveways.  I wasn’t too pleased but then I thought about the snowless weather we’d had up until that day and the displeasure passed! The outlook for our weather over the next week isn’t that bad with nothing but the odd day with a few flurries in the forecast. Guess I can handle that!

     This time of year is always busy with special occasions around our house. Carole’s birthday is on December 11th, then we have Christmas.  With that passed, New Years is the next event and shortly after New Years is my birthday on the 11th of January. It’s getting to be old hat counting my birthdays but that’s what happens when you are approaching number 67! I guess I should just be happy I’m able to celebrate another year from the green side of the grass! I figure once you’re past the 60 mark the years start to fly by and it’s a bonus just to be here to keep on counting them as they happen. It’s when people have to refer to your age with such terms as “He would have been _ _  years old this month” that I’d be bothered by that comment. At least I’m still around to here what people have to say about my age and that’s a bonus!

Anyway, here’s wishing you all a safe, healthy and prosperous 2016!
I’ll leave off here for this week. Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion Report!
Bye for now… Greg

PS: Something To Think About>
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit “The Target”!
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Have a good one..
the doug
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