I wasn't quick enough...

So I'm sitting here checking my emails and doing a little surfing and just happened to glance out the window. This is basically what I saw circling up the lake shore...


Unfortunately this isn't my photo as I wasn't quick enough to get out the door with my camera so I thank the photographer and you can find the original photo posted HERE under "Creative Commons" license at Flickr. Good thing the neighbors cats were under cover as one of them would have made a nice lunch for this fellow.

I haven't been pulled over in weeks...

And no, I don't mean for speeding (who, me?) or any other moving violation. Could it be that my Jeep is almost identical to some "vehicle of interest" to the local constabulary

Since the day I got it last summer I have been regularly followed by both cruisers and unmarked cars, sometimes for miles. Now tell me... if you are driving the speed limit and a police car comes up behind you how long does he stay there? As soon as you hit the first straight stretch he's gone around you right? These guys would ride my back for the longest time and you could almost hear then calling in the plate number to check me out. By the way, this never happened with my previous vehicle so I can only assume they are not looking for me personally. :-)

The other day I saw this cruiser with a motorcycle pulled over beside the road and the officer is just getting back into his vehicle. I slowed way down and moved over into the other lane as is required and the officer waved me by. A couple miles farther down the road I see him coming up behind me and yup, the lights come on. Law abiding citizen that I am I immediately put on my blinker and moved to the side of the road. The nice officer comes up to my window and says "Oh, just wondered who was driving because we couldn't see through the tinted windows." It seems to me that if they were looking for someone else then running the plate would tell them it's my Jeep and not some other persons. There could also be other differences like no cover on my spare tire on the back?

Anyway, it's nice to see that the local force is out there doing it's job and I'm sure I'll see them again and that we'll still be on friendly terms. Yes sir, I'd be happy to buy two tickets to the policeman's ball and thank you very much!

I've got to sell a lot of pepper...

It's been an expensive couple weeks. First there was putting the winter tires on the van for $72.00 Then the same for one of the SX2. Now I just put four new winter ones on the Jeep to the tune of $901.49 taxes, installation, balancing and the government imposed stewardship fee. At least I saved the $3.00 per tire disposal fee as I took them to our local tire dump instead for free. I could have gotten a better deal a week or two earlier but of course I left it just a couple days too long and the less expensive models were sold out.

Anyway, I’m sure it will be worth it as the summer tires that were on the Liberty when I bought it were getting pretty bald and lately I’ve been all over the place on the gravel road to the house. This new “Arctic Claw” rubber just refuses to spin or slide at all and they will for sure save me from a ditch or two or three that I would be in this winter without them.

No snow yet but most of the leaves are on the ground around the house and the bird population has changed. The Chickadees are staring in the window full time if I haven’t put the seed out yet. The Snowbirds are circling, a couple Sparrows I haven’t seen since last spring are back along with the Purple Finches, Juncos and a Cardinal spent the day today munching on the sunflower seed I put on the table out on the deck. Even "Woody" stopped by to see what I was offering!

Haven’t seen my families of Geese or Loons for a few weeks now… come to think of it I haven’t seen the Geese since hunting season. I miss my hunting days when I used to disappear after work or for entire weekends into the bush. Sometimes I’d hunt with the rifle or shotgun and sometimes just with the camera. I don’t even have a license anymore and it’s probably not worth the trouble of getting one again. A good “sakabaun” would be really great right now though and I can just see the fat dripping off the bird twirling on a string over the campfire. That’s it…. I’m hungry, guess I’ll settle for a peanut butter sandwich for now… sigh.

Time to let go you think?

I’ve now been retired for 1 year and 25 days and I still track the company aircraft on a daily basis, still keep in touch with former workmates, still say “we” when talking with pride about the people and stores… and still in my heart know that for a brief time (35 years, 10 days) I was a small part of this country’s history. I was an apprentice, a fur trader, carving buyer, manager, leader and a trainer of others in the oldest company in the country (dating back to May 2, 1670 to be exact)… and it’s still very hard to let go and move on.

Maybe it’s time I take down and burn that map that hangs above my desk serving as a reminder of it all… that map that I gaze at for a few minutes each day re-tracing the lines… remembering the sights and stories of each one of those communities…

Yes, I gave up many things when I headed north… but look at what I gained in return. From Mistassini and Chibougamau to Pangnirtung, Igloolik, Baker Lake, Old Crow, Yellowknife and dozens of others I’ve seen all three of Canada’s coasts many times, met thousands of people and learned a few words of Cree, Inuktitut, Dene and Odawa. I’m truly one lucky guy for having the life I’ve had and even with the occasional uncertainty, hassles and all that freight to move…I wouldn’t have traded one minute of it. Guess maybe it’s time to sit on the deck and get that book started…

Could it be a plot?

I don’t know about you but ever since grocery stores stopped giving out free bags at the checkout I’m shopping more often. I certainly don’t mind bringing my own bags and I admit that I always felt a little bit guilty about all the plastic I used and discarded before, but I can’t help but wonder if there is a hidden and secondary agenda to this growing practice.

Before now I would go to the store and fill up a cart with what we needed plus a couple of the special bargains and deals on display. We’d sail through the checkout and come out the other end with 10 or more bags and flimsy or not, they would still have a landfill, roadside or lakeside life of a thousand years or so. Now I go shopping with an idea of what I need to take us through the next couple days, trying to be careful to not pickup more than will fit into whatever cloth bags I have with me at the time. Of course I still check out and pick up a few of the extra sale items that we don’t necessarily need but are just priced too good to overlook.

There lies my suspicion… Before this I was only getting one or two sale items at a visit maybe once a week. Now that I am shopping every couple days I’m still picking up one or two sale items but you’ll note that it’s now maybe three times a week. So you’ll calculate that the two or three items we didn’t really need before have now become six or seven. It makes me wonder that since the stores know that we’re now shopping more frequently have they decided to take advantage of our thriftiness to tease us with all these extra sale items on display. It’s a plot, I tell you!

Seriously now… I don’t mind taking my own bags and I happy to not contribute to the landfills unnecessary plastic that will stay there just about forever. I also don’t truly think that the stores are in a conspiracy to push items on us that we don’t really need… or are they? 

PS: Ever start into the store and realize that you left your bags at home? Do the store managers giggle when they see shoppers enter without an armload of empty bags because they know we'll then have to add to their bottom line by purchasing even more? I wonder…

The news as I understood it this week...

The union that is on strike in Sudbury is accusing the company of stealing money from little old ladies.

As I understand the news reports... The company had very definite plans to double the xmas bonus to the widows of former workers. The company is now saying that they may not be able to do so because of lack of funds. They are NOT going to cancel or take away the existing bonus that has been paid for years which still stands and is guaranteed.

The reason that the company doesn't have the funds to help these people is that 3,000 workers went on strike (quit, if you ask me) and therefore there is not enough money coming into company coffers to pay out the additional bonus amount.

Doesn't it seem to you that it's the strikers and not the company that have caused the cash shortage? Do they expect the employer to just print out money whenever they need it like the Government does? If no funds are coming in how do they expect there to be anything to pay out? I wonder how they balance their personal cheque books with thinking like that? Perhaps if they don't want to do an honest days work they should go take a course in Accounting 101 and then maybe they'll understand cash flow a little bit better.

Yesterday the foolishness was continued... Since these strikers haven't gotten their way they have decided to act like spoiled brat children and not let anyone else play in their yard either. In other words they are now harassing workers of other local companies because these other companies are not helping the strikers hurt their employer and the entire community.

Grow up children! I bet you there's lots of people out there who would love to have a full time job. If you don't want to work get the hell out of the way of people that do.

Comments? I do love a good discussion...

My Political Comments, Continued...

I've had a suggestion that my recent Facebook entries be carried over to this blog so here goes, from the start...

ME: Political terms are supposed to be 4 years, right? I think anyone who wants to have an election at any other time in between should have to pay all the expenses for it themselves. How do these idiots think anything will ever get done when it all comes to a halt every few months? As long as there's nothing illegal going on let the term run it's course and stop whining.

MM: "likes this"

M: I asked my MP that years ago and was told I simply didn't understand partisan politics.

ME: So why does the 4 year term work in the US? If they want to play games they can use their own money to do it and not waste my tax dollars on their kids games. How about actually spending the cash on the people they are supposed to be serving and not on themselves. I think I'll continue this in my blog where I can rant properly. :-) Have a great day!

M: Did you ever ask a politician a question and get a sensible answer that wasn't loaded in their favor? Looking forward to reading your blog.

B: I hear ya, Murr! Apparently, politics is the 2nd-oldest profession in the history of man - and it closely resembles the 1st...

H: sorry but this will keep up until we get a majority gov. witch doesn't look likely this time. besides the other parties have a duty not to support a government that is not acting in the peoples best interests.

ME: Now how did I know I'd hear from you on this... great! :-) I agree that we need a majority under our present system but (as we've discussed before) we need a true Independent system where the elected can actually work for their areas and not have to grovel and follow direct orders of the head of the party who may not have the least idea (or care) what is happening anywhere but on Parliament Hill.

Now, to continue to try to get people riled up simply because I enjoy a good argument...

There is a great article in the National Post suggesting that at the recent meeting in Sudbury the mood was "near unanimous" AGAINST a fall election. It was even reported that one MP said "We might have well have stayed in bed" which implies to me that the leader wasn't the least bit interested in advice from those in the know but just wanted to get his name in the paper.

Just goes to prove my point that we'll never have an effective political system under a party system where the elected members are ordered to do, think and say whatever the head honcho orders under threat of expulsion. Who would dare try to do any good under those conditions.

By the way, did you see where the Conservatives are up 5 points in the polls since the Liberal leader announcement? Mr. Ignatieff... the people of Canada do NOT want an election at this time, especially not to blow close to $300 million in expenses to the taxpayers just to sooth your ego by making you feel important for a few weeks.

There... that's my rant for the day... I'll be the first to admit that I'm no political whiz kid but I hate to see taxpayer money that could better be used elsewhere wasted on childish games...comments are welcome everyone!

PS: I have to point out that if the party roles were reversed then I would still be saying the same thing. Let's not waste taxpayers money over and over again on the same ratings dog and pony show... It just seems like more outrageous reality TV with the same silly plots with the acting just as bad and I'm getting very tired of it.

I Am a Modern Day Gunslinger...

Along with a high percentage of the male population I carry my trusty cell phone on my belt. My own leather holster is suited for function more than quick draw and therefore fits my personality well.

Even back in my hunting days I very seldom made a snap shot as my preference was to properly identify my target, make certain of my surroundings (particularly the background) and only then ready the weapon for use. I always figured that if during those extra few seconds of contemplation the quarry disappeared then that was just the way it was meant to be and good luck to you my furred or feathery little buddy. (There was also that one time that Steve Day stood up suddenly in front of me in a goose blind and it would have been his own fault if I hadn't been double checking, right?)

Back to topic... do you remember the scene in Hook when Robin Williams is challenged by a co-worker to see who can get their cell phones out and fired up first? I enjoy this exchange of machismo as it conjures up thoughts and feelings of the "Battle" similar to Vinnie Barbarino (aka John Travolta) facing off against the bull in the movie Michael.

Anyway, in the absence of legitimate high noon type street duels this public display of cell phone use seems to keep civilized people content.

Hmmm... wonder how I can fit Bluetooth into this scenario?