Enroute, May 18/08

I always get a kick out of the airline announcement about using the life jackets that are located under your seat cushion. Does anyone actually believe that “in the unlikely event of a landing in the water” that it will make the least bit of difference if I have my life jacket on or not? Come on… tell the truth now. The only reason for us to be wearing those bright yellow vests is to make it easier to fish out the pieces later. I say pieces because if this Airbus 321 touches the water even at something approaching a normal landing speed (let alone the more likely 400+kph) that’s all that will be left of most.

Now, what’s the main reason for fishing us out? Why, so the sharks won’t choke on us and die of course. So therefore by my powers of deductive reasoning it has become obvious to me that the manufacturer of all those tens of thousands of little yellow pieces of plastic is owned or controlled by Greenpeace. Yup, not only are they saving the predators of the deep they are making a tidy profit off it at the same time.

Wow, my reasoning amazes even myself sometimes. Must be the thin air at this altitude as at the moment I’m scribbling these notes I am near the end of my third flight of the day, almost 9 hours in the air so far. I was up at 5:00am to get to Sudbury for the first leg of the journey to Toronto on Air Canada Jazz (about 1¼ hours) then another flight of just over 5 hours to Vancouver and then onto this flight of another 2½ hours up to Whitehorse where I will spend the night. Tomorrow will be another 4½ hours from Whitehorse to Dawson to Inuvik and finally landing in Old Crow in the early afternoon.

I wonder what conspiracies I’ll think up during that flight! Maybe I’ll work out a plot for the next X-Files movie… wait, who’s that guy coming over holding the funny white jacket? Stay back or I’ll hit you with my yellow plastic vest! No, wait, get away….. aarrgggghhhh!

See you tomorrow! (If they let me out)

Where to next?

OK, it’s now official that the next trip is to Old Crow, Yukon. I’m looking forward to it as it’s one of the places I’ve always wanted to visit and it’s our only store in the Yukon Territory. Old Crow is located on the banks of the Porcupine River, is part of the Vuntut Gwitchin (People of the Lakes) First Nation and has a population of about 300. It is named after a chief named Deetru’ K’avihdik (Crow May I Walk) who died in 1870. The town is accessible only by aircraft and is the most northern community in the territory.

Travel route will be Sudbury – Toronto – Vancouver – Whitehorse – Dawson – Inuvik – Old Crow with an overnight in Whitehorse. I’m also hoping to spend a day or so in Dawson on my way out to visit this old gold rush town and some of the historical sites such as Jack London’s cabin, the Robert Service cabin and the Berton House. I’d also like to check out some of the Paddlewheeler’s and hopefully there is still at least one running that I can take a tour on. If not I know I’ll still have a great day walking around the community and maybe I’ll even have a drink or two in one of the local establishments… maybe even the world famous “Sourtoe Cocktail” at the Downtown Hotel.

I’ll keep you all posted!

Solved one problem...

There, solved one problem. I've deleted my "Bingo" game. Now maybe I can get some yard work done.



Or maybe not... "PuzzleBee" anyone?

Hello, my name is Murray and I’m a Facebookaholic…

So recently I’ve become addicted to a couple “educational tools” on Facebook. I absolutely, positively HAVE to play my “Roll Up The Brim” every four hours and I’m now up to almost 3,000 brims rolled with nothing to show for it yet but a sore index finger.






I also have to play every hour “My Facebook House” plus answer 20 challenges on top of that every day as well.





Yesterday I discovered “McNopoly” and I’ve got three quarters of my game board filled in that already.










NOW I’ve discovered a “Bingo” game that will play automatically for you so you don’t have to take time away from anything else to watch the board.


Sigh… when am I supposed to find any time for my “Pirate” battles?

And anther one...

This isn't a new visitor for us but it's the first time we've seen them this year. What's going on? Do the Orioles and Goldfinch families travel together?

Photo is under a Creative Commons license from the Carplips Family. Thanks!

Some day I just have to upgrade my own digital camera system. The one I'm using now is a Polaroid I bought about four years ago in Churchill. Of course I'll also have to grow some patience so I can wait for these guys to get into position for me.

New visitor this morning...

This is the first time we've had this fellow around the house. He has been spending the morning feasting on assorted insects by picking them off the screen door and deck chairs. Hope he stays around a while... I wonder if it's the new bird bath that attracted him?

This photo is under Creative Commons license off ricmcarthur's photostream. Thanks, and now I've got to go start looking for this guys nest.

Great trip coming up!

Just got an e-mail from Winnipeg and they sure knew what would entice me to make another trip for them. If it goes through it will be a visit to one of the locations I’ve always wanted to see and a place that there is a line up to go to. I’ll just post the photo for now and make you guess a little bit. What? You want a hint? OK, it’s above the Arctic Circle and that long winding river in the Google Earth photo should also give you a clue. Watch for more news coming soon!

Now arriving...

I know I’m a week late is checking out the ferry for this year but I happened to be in the South Baymouth area yesterday making some Watkins deliveries when it came in. “Going to see the ferry” seems to be a regular pastime for me and I enjoy heading out there several times through the summer just to watch it come and go, and get some great Farquahar’s ice cream from one of the local stands at the same time. When you come to visit make sure you try the Hawberry flavor as it’s one of the best and of course the Hawberry is native to Manitoulin so you can say you’ve visited the island unless you’ve tasted the Hawberry in some form or other!

Of the highlights of the summer for us is taking the Sunset Dinner Cruise that the Chi-Cheemaun offers. The cost is very reasonable and includes your walk-on return trip, a great meal and of course some of the best scenery in the world. For sure we’ll be out there at least once again this summer and perhaps you can join us for an evening or two. We look forward to seeing you on board!

Blue, Blue, Blue...

Why do some people become such idiots when they drink? I'm probably no better of course and correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I become an obnoxious rectum after 4 beer. I was recently on an aircraft for a 3 hour flight where two ladies had to be cut off by the stewardess because of (I think) their excessive noise. To me the last barley sandwich had to either just bring out their natural immature personality or betray a defect in their DNA which forced them to believe that it was their divine right to be the center of attention at all times. Personally my completely ignorant and untrained mind says that they were very insecure and had to bolster their ego by trying to make the rest of us think they were important.

Naturally I'm a mature drinker myself and have NEVER offended anyone while imbibing, right? Stop giggling out there, I know, I know... another round barkeep!

One last time...

I can't stop watching out my window at the land passing beneath us. Although Northern would like me to stay on the relief circuit for at least a few more months, what if this is my last flight... ever. What if that ice field south of Inukjuak is the last one? What if that maze of caribou trails between Kuujjuarapik and LG-2 is my last hint of the herd? What if I never again feel the glory of rising above a cloud layer into the rays of the setting sun? I want to experience and feel it all over again and all at once.

A strange and morbid thought has just come to mind and I can't help but wonder if this is what my death bed will be like. I can almost hear myself saying... "Please, let me see it all again, just one more time."

Sleep, hah!

OK, should have known that I wouldn't be able to sleep right away. Call me crazy if you want but I always have the exact same feeling every time I leave a community... I could have done more.

I could have finished just one more task, one more file, and one more shelf. I could have had more patience, been more of a listener, more of a teacher and coach. I could have spent more time with the new guy and maybe could have understood if his bearing was one of arrogance, confidence or just a feeling of being overwhelmed at accepting his biggest assignment to date. I could have thought back to when I was put into a similar position and tried my best for days to hide my uncertainty, fear and panic.

I could have done more...

Withdrawal...

I was once told that I was addicted to adrenalin. This seemed ridiculous at the time but it almost seems to be true on occasions such as today. At the time of writing this note I'm sitting at the Inukjuak airport struggling to keep my eyes open.

Leaving the store about an hour ago started the process. I had checked in my suitcase late this morning and then was dropped off myself by the Meat Department Manager on his way home for lunch. As soon as he left I sat myself down in the corner to wait the arrival of the Dash-8 that will take me to Montreal and at that point the rush and energy necessary to manage a large store left me.



The only way I can describe it is a draining of power or being. Sure, the new Store Manager got here a couple days ago and I handed over the keys and safe combinations to him, but I was still there as the resident expert up until this point in time. It's hard to put into words but it's just the feeling of relief with a long, hard job being finally over.

Time to board the aircraft now and I'll probably sleep all the way to Montreal. See 'ya! ZZZZzzzz....

I don't know what to say...

Another grandson was born a few days ago, seen here in the photo with his grandmother. Eight plus pounds and everyone fine. What to say... what to do... how to feel... what to say to my son. Are you ready? I wasn't. Such a huge, great and wonderful responsibility. What words to explain my thoughts and actions... or lack thereof. How fortunate I am to have such a great friend and partner in life as my wife is. She knows instinctively how to feel and act when I am confused and tongue-tied. It's not lack of feeling and emotion that is my problem... it's a lack of the ability to express it.

All I can say is... Way to go Shmitty!