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The
Squamidian Report – May 1 / 21
Online Versions Of This And Past Issues (Choose the year and then the date for the online issue you want) Issue
#988 From BC Sue From RussFrom Karl in Australia
The Ontarion is Unavailable
Hi All, These days everything is frustrating, needlessly frustrating. No matter what you try to do, there are unnecessary road blocks slammed in your face. Case in point, I’m still waiting for that new Harley I’ve bought (well, put a deposit on) because the dealer is still waiting for some of the add-on parts I had them include in the deal, mainly the saddle bags. Its like every company and business these days is using the pandemic as an excuse to do as little as possible. Next case in point, SiriusXM. Both our vehicles came with a 6 month trial subscription to the satellite radio system. Sue’s car still has another 3 months left on hers. My trucks subscription ran out last summer and I then stupidly paid for an extension, mostly because I couldn’t get through to the ‘live person’ that you have to talk to in order to be disconnected from their dubious service. Their system is set up so that you can not close your account on line, you must endure their menus and run-arounds over a phone. The subscription extension just ran out and I got an email from them telling me that unless I updated my billing info, I’d be running up a charge. (My credit card number had been changed and I purposely did not update it on my Sirius account). Now I must point out that we almost NEVER listen to the radio in either the car or truck. Too distracting. We occasionally turn on the AM traffic report station in Vancouver, but thats about it, and of course we have the good old fashion AM and FM stations available. We do have our own choice of music on a USB stick that we can play if we want (these vehicles don’t have CD players, they have USB outlets), and we do occasionally listen to music that way. I had tried twice before to cancel my truck subscription. The first time, after navigating voice menus and run-arounds, I got someone who spoke so quietly and muffled that I could not hear or understand them. I got nowhere trying to talk to that person. I tried again this week and after enduring several people who I could not hear or understand, finally got to the person who could actually cancel the truck account. They tried their darnedest to talk me into re-subscribing, offering big discounts and so on. They either couldn’t or wouldn’t except that I simply was not interested in renewing. And, I had to continually ask them to speak slower and louder and clearer. Eventually I got it through to him that I did NOT want to continue and DID want to cancel and eventually he excepted that. My truck’s Sirius subscription is now over and done with and I won’t even notice. But why does it have to be so hard? In fact, if it were easier to deal with them I may have decided to keep it for another few month at the reduced rate he had offered but I simple don’t want to go through that again, except that I will have to when the car’s trial subscription ends. Bummer. * As promised, or at least as hinted at, I’ve got two versions of the same song for this week’s entertainment, The song is the old Everly Brothers standby that everyone should recognize called ‘Bye Bye Love’. The first version is the audio recording with all my extra voices and instrumental parts. The second one is the bare-bones video, one-take is what you get live and in person type version. I was able to do both as we were having some rather nice early summer weather and that meant ‘The Wife’ spent quite a bit of time out side working in her flower beds which of course meant I could find some quiet time in the house to work on these recordings. And if you are wondering why I’d choose to spend time inside when it was pretending to be early summer out side, well, its also pollen season out side so inside is currently much more comfortable for me. So, listen to the audio version, watch the video version and that way you will have killed a few more minutes of this endless pandemic. And sing along if you want, its a fun song. See how thoughtful I am. Multi-part
Audio
Version Bare
Bones
Video Version doug ****
From BC Sue
Baking for neighbours: We have a great friend and neighbour down the street, who is a single guy whose dog always thought she was our old dog “Willow’s” puppy. When Neil’s brown lab named Zoe gets loose, he just yells, “go see Doug and Sue” and she runs to our place and bangs on the front door with her paws. We let her in where she hangs out until Neil comes for her. We also have neighbours next door who work long hours and do not have much time for themselves. Since the lockdowns have begun, I have been busy working in the kitchen a lot but needless to say, Doug and I could not possibly eat everything that I make. So, I have adopted both them and Neil and regularly supply them with a variety of things. In addition to the fudge and peanut brittle that I make at Christmas time, I make fruit cocktail consisting of peeled grapefruit, oranges and Clementines, with some orange juice and maraschino cherries, thrown in. I also make orange cranberry muffins, apple pie and strawberry rhubarb pie that I gladly share. Our next door neighbours’ husband would and has eaten everything that I supply in one sitting so I need to ensure that his wife is home when I take stuff over as he would and has eaten it all by himself if she isn’t home to stop him, including a whole pie in one sitting! This keeps me busy! Currently, it is cherry blossom time here in Squamish. Blossom season starts much earlier in Vancouver and Victoria, but everything is in full bloom here now. Here are a couple of pictures we took while enjoying a coffee the other morning.
Sue **** From Russ Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh...…. Took the Cub Cadet out for a spin the other day. Found myself stopped in the cemetery, looking at my late wife’s grave. Carved in granite is the date she died. Carved in granite is the day I was born. Two dates missing. Today, the words of my “Subject” keep running through my mind: Now the day is over, Night is drawing nigh, Shadows of the evening Steal across the sky. Having Googled it, I learn these are the words of a Hymn frequently sung at funerals. It goes on; Now the darkness gathers, Stars begin to peep. Birds and beasts and flowers Soon will be asleep. It got me thinking about “mortality”. Referencing my 1973 dictionary: Mortal nature; the state of being sure to die sometime(hmm). A loss of life on a large scale(COVID- 19?) The death rate; number of deaths per thousand cases of a disease, or per thousand persons in the population(World Pandemic?) Due to the high costs of funerals, caskets, burial plots and perpetual care of a regular cemetery, most of us are opting for cremation. Not me. I’ve selected a beautiful, light-coloured, Oak casket in which I’ll look nice and comfortable as I’m ‘on display’ in the Funeral Home. You’ll say, “He looks so natural”. All the while I’m thinking; how can you say this? Have you ever before seen me lying on my back, wearing my best suit, in a padded box? This is “natural?” Let’s be honest! I look like a corpse! I’m dead! And why all the expensive flowers? I’ll neither see nor smell them. And you are crying and blowing your respective noses – are you sad or just allergic to fresh flowers? Why are regular funerals so regrettable? So tearful? So ‘final”? Are we “non-believers”? We often here someone say, “He’s gone to a better place”. Do they honestly believe what they’re saying? We are taught by ‘men/women of-the-cloth’ that “death” is not the ‘end’ – but a ‘new beginning’. Believe it or not. But, if we truly believe it- then death should be accepted, welcomed, and celebrated! This whole philosophy leaves me with some burning questions: Will I be wearing the same suit I was buried in when I ‘rise’? Will I be the same age as when I died? (Sure hope not) Will my wife berate me for burying her in a United Church plot? If I change my mind and choose cremation will I still be punished with “eternal fire” if I go to Hell?
I don’t recommend posing these questions to your priest, minister, or rabbi. Uncle Russ. **** From Karl Hi everyone THANK you ALL for a great read I do love reading about life in Canada I'm glad Russ is feeling better and hope Greg is getting better also and hope ALL you guys are staying safe ,Well here in Australia and Melbourne we seem to be back to normal you only need to wear a mask when travailing on public transport but we still must stay vigil they have stopped arrivals from India and other hot spots but there is always some one getting covid in Isolation “Hotel quarantine” through airborne infections which is a worry but life goes on ,I just want to thank you guys and hope we all can keep the Squamidian going, I will post some photos from my latest walkabout and hope you like it.
Karl **** From the shores of Lake Huron – Port Elgin
Greetings everyone hopefully everyone has had a great week. A little more history about my adventures. I have came from Kitchener to Port Elgin since 1969 and had a trailer in the town park since then until 2006. Lived in Alpine Village in Kitchener until the big move north permanently . It took a bit more than year to build the house I am in now started in the first week of July of 2005. and moved in totally at the end of October 2006, just worked basically weekends until the spring of 2006 then more and more through the week until I moved up to the trailer about the middle of Sept 2006 then vowed I would not move in unless all the main floor was fully completed. I had a dead line as the camp closed on the thirty first of October. Three days prior to that the last piece if trim was completed. Well those of you that have ever stayed in a house trailer in a busy park area know that there is always noise of some sort which you get used to hearing and sleep right through it unless it is really major. So the first night in the house I am laying in bed , it was so quiet you could have heard a mouse pass gas, therefore little sleep was gotten that night. So for the next week i turned on the radio in the kitchen gradually turning down the volume a little each night until it was no longer needed. Who would have thought about that silence being a problem for sleeping. I was in my element a couple of miles out of town and living the dream up here. I had all I needed a nice 40 x 80 shop area , my boat for fishing and a number of new friends I had met over the pervious years spent here.
I am an avid lake fisherman and spend a lot of time on the water , but anyone who knows anything about Lake Huron knows full well it can be extremely rough when the winds get strong. Over all the years fishing I have learned a few tricks about telling how rough it is by looking at the horizon. Most time I can tell from the house but occasionally I go down with boat in tow and check it out. Many times I and a number of other fisherman friends are checking it out. I have a 26 ft. boat that will take pretty rough water and in my younger years would probably have gone out on some of the rough days , but my old body tells me now that you will be sore for a day or so after. I have learned to listen to its warnings. Us guys will get a chuckle when some green horn comes down with their 18 ft. open boat , backs up to the launch ramp and proceeds to prepare to go out, not even wondering why all the guys are standing around chatting and looking at the lake. I have gone over many times and said hello and it looks like your going out, Yep they say , well see that 26 ft. boat over there it is not going today. Looking puzzled at me and they say the water looks pretty flat. Our harbour in in about 2 miles from The McGregor Point provincial park which is south from the harbour. So I calmly say well take a look at the horizon and what do you see. After a brief look they say Oh I can see waves and I comment and say well if you can see them from here they likely at least 3 to 4 feet. well most of them agree but there are the odd one that says can’t be that bad and head out any ways. after about a mile and three quarters out 99 percent turn around and head back in . we usually wait to see the sheepish look on their face , and give them a huge grin. Well folk that's enough boring you for this week everyone stay safe and have a great week. Brian **** Take
Care
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