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Mercedes Caraccioloa 500K

2012-01-23T17:10:00.000-08:00

What an absolute shame that a piece of automotive art such as this Mercedes is left to rot in a salvage yard. Actually it is quite hard to believe. Anyone out there with enough chutzpah to try to buy it from the salvage yard and restore it to its' former glory? I would, if I won the lottery.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/22/one-off-mercedes-550k-barn-find-discovered-in-south-central-la/

Canada for US President!!

2012-01-06T21:22:00.001-08:00

Ab Fab, season 6, episode 2!

2012-01-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

Absolutely Fabulous Season Six Episode 2 from ComedyFaerie on Vimeo.

New Ab Fab!

2012-01-02T17:29:00.000-08:00

Ab Fab, season 6, episode 1. Enjoy!

Absolutely Fabulous Season 6 Episode 1 from ComedyFaerie on Vimeo.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T17:43:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to all!

2011 was a year of stability in our house. I am hoping 2012 is at least the same.

Wishing you all peace, health and prosperity in the coming year! We all deserve nothing less than that.

Travel!

2011-12-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

Well, if this isn't on a global scale, then I don't know what is. I think this is a great way to inspire people to just get out there and travel the world. See the sights. Meet the people. I know many do not have the means, but if you do then get out there and do it!

2011-07-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

This has left me shocked, confused, speechless and ashamed. Ashamed that I complain about what now seem to be very trivial things in my life. The courage of this man can not be measured on any scale that the human race has devised.

Watch the trailer here.

Coming to a store near you?

2011-07-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe, but not too soon.

How Kraft's Face-Scanning Tech Will Tell You What You Like to Eat

Amazing thing in South Korea!

2011-07-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Now commuters can grocery shop while waiting on the subway platform for their ride! Tesco is testing this out and so far has had a good response. What next!!??

CLICK HERE to read the story and watch the demo video.

Global Small Farming.

2011-07-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Small Farm Canada, a national magazine in Canada to promote small farming as a viable endeavour, has gone digital!! Subscriptions are available through Zinio and can be read on PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone and Android powered devices. Even though it is based in Canada many of the articles can be applied to small farming around the planet. And with a digital subscription you can get instant access no matter where you are!

Click here to subscribe or order the current issue to see what it's all about.

Which Corporations Are The Biggest Freeloaders?

2011-03-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Which Corporations Are The Biggest Freeloaders?

REALLY??!! They have these kinds of profits yet aspects of the US are looking like a third world country.

Too funny to not share!

2011-03-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

Is Randy Hopper The Worst Wisconsin State Senator Ever?

Wow, the drama in WI just keeps building and building. Sounds more like some Hollywood movie or a really bad soap opera.

WI, OH, who is next...?

2011-02-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

Fighting the 5 fascisms in Wisconsin & Ohio
by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
February 21, 2011

The escalating confrontations in Wisconsin and Ohio are ultimately about preventing the United States from becoming a full-on fascist state.

The stakes could not be higher---or more clear.

As defined by its inventor, Benito Mussolini, fascism is "corporate control of the state." There are ways to beat around the Bush---Paul Krugman has recently written about "oligarchy"---but it's time to end all illusions and call what we now confront by its true name.

The fights in Wisconsin, Ohio, and in numerous other states are about saving the last shreds of American democracy. They burn down to five basic realities:

1) The bulwark of modern democracy is the trade union. This has been true since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. All social programs can trace their roots to union activism, as can the protection of our civil liberties.

The first Germans Hitler put in concentration camps were neither Jews nor gypsies---they were trade unionists.

The attacks on state workers in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere have nothing to do with balancing budgets. That could easily be done without destroying collective bargaining.

For the hard-right, this is about busting unions, the last organized force standing in the way of total corporate control of the United States by the rich and richer.

2) The material essence of fascism is the extreme separation of rich and poor, a massive transfer of wealth from those on the bottom to those on the top.

The unbalanced budgets in Ohio and Wisconsin are rooted in huge tax cuts given to the rich at the expense of the middle and lower classes. Widespread poverty among those who might otherwise rebel is essential to fascist control of a government.

A largely ignored aspect of this fight is the hundreds of billions of dollars currently locked up in union, government and Social Security pension funds. With unions destroyed, this huge cache of dollars will fall quickly into corporate hands. The additional "benefit" for the financial elite will be tens of millions of impoverished elders desperate for low-wage jobs in virtual slave labor situations.

3) The crisis crippling states everywhere is directly related to the massive destruction of social resources by war. Since the end of the New Deal and World War II, the American elite have engineered the biggest dump of material wealth by military means in human history.

The trillions of dollars of pure martial waste poured into the Cold War and those in Southeast Asia, central America, the Middle East, Southwest Asia and elsewhere could easily have clothed, housed, fed, educated, and provided otherwise decent lives for all human beings the world over.

Instead, poverty, desperation and stratification have been guaranteed.

The entire economic crisis now gripping the United States can be directly traced to the military budget, which exceeds the sum of what's being spent by all other nations combined. In a brilliant recent column, Robert Greenwald points out that the entire alleged shortfall in Wisconsin could be covered by bringing just 180 troops home from Afghanistan.

But the purpose of that deployment is to undermine national security, not to protect it. A frightened, impoverished, insecure nation is one dependent on its fascist elite.

Democracy demands and protects true material security among the people as a whole. That's what's really at stake in the battle to cut the military budget. The fights in Ohio and Wisconsin are surface manifestations of that bigger battle.

4) Mussolini also made it clear that corporate control of the media is essential to fascist rule. Whoever would seize power first took the radio stations, then the television stations. Now the internet is under attack. The free flow of information is fascism's ultimate enemy.

So the relentless Foxist portrayal of the battles in Wisconsin and Ohio as pitting "responsible, austerity-minded" governors versus "lazy, irresponsible state workers" is utterly predictable.

So is the appearance of the media-created Tea Party "movement" on the side of the corporations. It's standard corporate procedure to invent a faux "grassroots" to fight unions and working people. So finding phony corporate "populists" like Sarah Palin and New Jersey's Chris Christie in the right-wing media limelight is utterly predictable.

5) It is no accident that the "job loving" union-hating governors of Wisconsin and Ohio (along with Florida) have rejected billions in federal funds for re-building passenger rail service that would create thousands of jobs.

A corporate state relies on central control of energy. Rail service threatens the power of the oil and auto lobbies. Renewable energy would replace centralized "King Cong" (coal, oil, nukes & gas) sources with decentralized Solartopia photovoltaic panels, bio-fuels, windmills, increased efficiency and the like. The push for federal nuclear loan guarantees is central to the corporate state.

The anti-union governor of Ohio is strongly focused on killing not only train service but all incentives for renewable energy. His energy plan is for extreme right-wing nuke-based monopolies like FirstEnergy to run the show. Atomic power is the ultimate weapon against community control.

For decades the term "fascist" has been dismissed from use in this country, and perhaps rightly so. Corporations have been dominant in the US since the 1880s, but we have managed to maintain a modicum of democracy.

It's hard to see that happening if the remnants of the organized labor movement are crushed in Wisconsin and Ohio. Both states have long, important traditions of union activism.

In the wake of Citizens United, with the courts, media, Congress and presidency firmly in corporate control, we see no easy road to victory for working people.

"Vote the bastards out" has become a pipedream in the age of electronic voting machines. Especially in Ohio, a reliable electoral vote count is a thing of the past.

We also have a president who was elected with strong labor support and who is now genuflecting toward the unions. But US history is filled with Democrats who have betrayed their working-class backers, and this one may prove no exception.

So in the long run, we have only ourselves to rely on. The way to survival is not clear.

Ultimately, as Martin Luther King said, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."

But from time to time, it does break. If these uprisings in Wisconsin and Ohio fail, there will---literally---be hell to pay.

Somehow, we must find a way to make sure they don't.

--
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman have co-authored four books on election protection, which are at www.freepress.org, where Bob's FITRAKIS FILES also appear. HARVEY WASSERMAN'S HISTORY OF THE US is at www.harveywasserman.com, along with SOLARTOPIA! OUR GREEN-POWERED EARTH. Originally published by http://freepress.org.

Born This Way blog.

2011-01-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

In some of my recent travels around the internet I have stumbled on a rather interesting blog. At least I think so. Perhaps it is due to my sense of commonality to it, a kindred spirit if you'd like. Regardless of the reason I think it is one of the more interesting blogs I have come across. It speaks of struggle, acceptance, don't f--k with me attitude and happiness. Check it out and let me know what you think. If you like please pass the word - it's fabulous!

http://borngaybornthisway.blogspot.com/

New Ricky Martin video.

2011-01-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

See Ricky getting a bit personal and perhaps introspective now. I definitely like this one.

Shane Mack - "Lie to Me" music video

2011-01-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

One of our favourite movie soundtracks from one of our favourite gay movies, Shelter.

Mario Frangoulis.

2010-12-22T21:39:00.000-08:00

Belfast Giants - All I Want For Christmas Is You

2010-12-21T18:02:00.000-08:00

London building boom.

2010-12-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

London is in the midst of a building boom! Some of it is due to the Summer Olympics being held there in 2012 and some is to boost the city's available commercial and residential space. Whatever the reason the skyline of London is set to change dramatically over the next few years.

Eight new Skyscrapers are due for completion within two years, including what is soon to be London’s tallest building, the Shard, and the Pinnacle building. At least ten more have been proposed.

VeloPark for The 2012 Summer Olympics.

Aquatics Centre for The 2012 Summer Olympics.

Strata Tower.

The Pinnacle

The Shard.

What time is it in China?

2010-12-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

Well, technically, it is just one time all across the vast country. By political policy, China maintains a single time zone, which is eight hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+8). Before the Chinese Civil War in 1949 there were five time zones in China.

Although all jurisdictions within the region are placed under the same time zone, for historical and political reasons, different jurisdictions keep their own time standard with their own names.

* The People's Republic of China maintains the time standard called Beijing Time domestically but is commonly referred to as China Standard Time internationally.
* In Hong Kong, the standard is called Hong Kong Time.
* In Macau, the standard is called Macau Standard Time.
* In Taiwan, the standard is officially called National Standard Time but has been commonly referred to as Chungyuan Standard Time , Taipei Time , and since late 2000s Taiwan Standard Time.

24 Hours in... London

2010-12-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

I was there for a week a few years back and barely scratched the surface! Selfridges, Harrods, taxis, the Tube, museums...SO much to do!!

São Paulo!

2010-12-01T17:23:00.000-08:00

A city that absolutely amazes me and is on my To Visit SOON list! Enjoy.

Barcelona City Guide

2010-12-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have not yet been to Barcelona but this short video wants to make it happen sooner, not later.

Nissan Ellure Concept at 2010 LA Auto Show

2010-12-01T17:12:00.000-08:00

Pee in the Shower - w/english subtitles

2010-12-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

Brazil offers a unique way to save on your yearly water consumption!

Hmmm.....

2010-11-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Home sick for the past two days and ferociously trying to not get bored. One can do Facebook only so much, eh? So, that leads me to this thought....

I am looking for a new direction for this blog to go in. We've been in Canada three years now and are fairly well settled in. So well, in fact, that one of us (not me) is now retired from the job he got here! Imagine that, 2.5 years working and now retirement at age 55! I should be so lucky. I need to get over the age 50 hurdle first!

I am thinking of redirecting this blog to a location that will share news from a global perspective. I feel that so many people venture only so far out of their comfort zone that maybe I can bring some things from far off lands for others to read while they are in their comfort zone, namely the coziness of home. I spend hours trolling the internet in search of something new and I figure why not share that with others.

So, stay tuned for changes, as they are a-comin'!

Hooray!!

2010-10-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are just a wee bit adverse to change, perhaps this will help the transition...

Ursus americanus.

2010-10-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Well, after three years of living in a rather rural area of southern Vancouver Island we saw our first Black Bear. We've heard the stories of Black Bears and Cougars, from friends and neighbours, but have not had the 'pleasure' of seeing one in person.

That changed at 5:20pm today.

We were coming home from an afternoon meeting in town on what turned out to be a stupendous Fall day - gorgeous sunshine and cool Fall temps. We were driving up the private road to our house and as we were coming to the top of a rise in the road there he/she/it was, right in the middle of the road about 50 feet from our driveway. At first I thought it was the dog that the neighbour kid up the hill walks all the time. I quickly analyzed what I was seeing - nope, no tail and no brown fur, not the dog from up the hill - and just as my mind deduced that it was a bear I heard an exclamation from the driver - "WOW! That's a BEAR!". At that instant, as the car braked, the beast spun around, took a look at the approaching metal giant and bolted off road into the forest. In five seconds the encounter was over and we proceeded to our gate, which I opened quickly and closed even faster after the car passed through.

Suffice it to say that I have been instructed that the dog no longer goes out at night with just one of us in tow, the flashlights have all had new batteries installed and the can of Bear Spray has been resurrected from it's resting place beneath the kitchen sink to a post more readily accessible to all.

My thoughts? Well, we know there is a bear in the area, from the sightings we have heard about. Our lot has 1+ acres fenced and gated. There is no food supply within the yard, that I know of. No, I don't think it will plow through the fence and break into the greenhouse to snarf up what remains of the tomatoes and peppers. Perhaps it would have a fondness for the Dahlia about to bloom in the greenhouse? I doubt it. There is still plenty of food outside our yard for it to fatten up on, namely the blackberries that still litter the wild 6ft+ high bushes all over the dang place. So, I'm thinking the thing has been around for a while and not bothered us at all, it's just that now we have a face to put with the stories and it is a bit unsettling. Especially when we stand out on the front porch, in the dark, and listen carefully to the crunching sound moving from one side of the upper yard to the other, outside the fence. Sounds way bigger than a rabbit or raccoon.

(the picture above is a generic photo, not of the actual encounter)

Happy Anniversary!

2010-10-09T15:33:00.001-07:00

On this day, three years ago, we awoke in Bellingham, WA and took a deep breath! We knew that by the end of the day we would be landed immigrants in Canada and arriving in our new home on Vancouver Island. After a short drive to the border, and negotiating some construction on the US side, we were in the office at Canadian Customs going over our paperwork. The process, for us, took an hour but that was mostly due to our agent also handling another window and doing double duty. All the while we were inside we kept wondering how the dog and cat were faring in the car out in the parking lot. After our paperwork was completed and we were approved for entry we returned to the car to find the dog asleep on the back seat, no worse for the wear. Oddly enough we were never asked about the pets and their up-to-date vaccinations, which we were ready for. Nor did anyone ever go out and inspect the cars or ask to look at the contents of the U-haul. If I would have known that I would have packed that truck to the rafters and not left so much stuff behind at our house in the US! Oh well, live and learn.

After clearing Customs and Immigration it was a short drive to the car ferry. At the ferry dock I learned that the truck I had been driving, with my car on a trailer, was 56 feet long! I was worried about getting it onto the car ferry when the time came but the woman at the booth assured me that it was quite easy and that there were people on hand to help out, if needed. After a couple of hours wait time we boarded the ferry and she was right - so easy to drive on and park the beast. Dixon was able to park with me on the truck level of the car ferry so we were all in the same location. For the entire 1.5 hour sailing we just stayed in the car with the dog and cat, too anxious to arrive at our new home that we had no desire to go up on deck to enjoy the scenery as we sailed to Vancouver Island.

After we arrived on Vancouver Island we called our real estate agent and met him in Victoria, not only to pick up the house keys but to also drop off my car for the night so we could take the trailer to the local U-haul center instead of dragging it all the way out to the house, which was an hour away. After we were free of the trailer we made a quick stop at Wal-Mart (sorry, no other option) for pillows and blankets, then were off to the house. We arrived at our new house around 9pm. I can't begin to explain the level of excitement we both had when we got here, then, to top it off, were greeted with a Rogers Chocolates gift basket in the kitchen from our real estate agent! Even though I was thrilled with the chocolates I could not wait for daylight the next day to explore the yard and gardens.

In three years we have gotten used to the ride to and from the house, with all the twists and turns. We have had no problems, and actually quite like, the medical system. Finding a Dr. was a bit of a chore, as they are in short supply here, but we persevered and found a really good one. We did a lot of research before the move so there were not too many 'surprises'. Food can be pricier but you have to watch the sales every week and stock up when you can. Gasoline is quite a bit more and the cars get worse mileage due to all the twisty and hilly roads - no straight as an arrow freeways in our area any more. Electricity is about 2/3 the cost as back in WI but living out in the country we find that we are prone to occasional power outages, which we were prepared for. We find that our diet is much better here, we enjoy a lot of local seafood and have even gotten the pets onto an all natural food that is made in Canada.

After three years we still have conversations about what if we had done this or that differently. We don't dwell on that, just more like reminiscing. Would we have done a few things differently? Sure. Do we regret having made the move? Not on your life! Coming from the US there are some things that are done differently here but the culture shock was not extreme at all. We love our new life, have made some great new friends, deeply miss friends and family back in the US and are still thinking of ways we can reinvent ourselves in our new country.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving weekend!

Trevor Lifeline.

2010-10-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

To all the young people who are being bullied right now, you need to know that you are not alone. Call the Trevor Lifeline at 866 4-U-TREVOR, because there's always someone there who will listen and who can help.

It Gets Better - Ari Gold

2010-10-02T00:25:00.000-07:00

Yet another...

2010-10-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Raymond Chase, 19-Year-Old Sophomore From Johnson and Wales University, Has Also Committed Suicide

In what is now the fifth suicide in just a few weeks of a gay man, 19-year-old Raymond Chase has also taken his own life by reportedly hanging himself in his dormitory.

Details around the incident are scarce and unlike the Tyler Clementi story, it is not known at this time what the circumstances were leading up to Raymond Chase's death.

The Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Ronald Martel, Ph.D, sent an e-mail on Thursday to students about Chase's death.

An Important Message from Ellen About Bullying - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2010-09-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

An Important Message from Ellen About Bullying - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

We can't forget. We simply can't.

2010-09-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming, in October 1998. He was attacked on the night of October 6–7, and died at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, on October 12 from severe head injuries.

During the trial, witnesses stated that Shepard was targeted because he was homosexual. Shepard's murder brought national and international attention to the issue of hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels.

.....................................................................................

According to reports from several news outlets, Tyler Clementi, 18, leapt to his death from the George Washington Bridge near his New Jersey college campus after a roommate allegedly broadcast him in a same-sex encounter behind closed doors in his dorm room, and apparently invited others, via Twitter, to view it online. Regardless of his roommate’s alleged tweet, Tyler Clementi had apparently made no statement about his own sexual orientation.

.....................................................................................

Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old in Tehachapi, Calif., died Wednesday after 10 days on life support after he hanged himself last week. Police say he had been mercilessly taunted by fellow students over his perceived sexual orientation.

.....................................................................................

Billy Lucas, 15, hanged himself Sept. 9 at his Indiana home after years of reported harassment by students who judged him to be gay. Asher Brown, a 13-year-old in Harris, Texas, who had recently come out, shot himself in the head Sept. 23 after, his parents say, their efforts to alert school officials to ongoing bullying were not acted upon.

.....................................................................................

Many Americans also learned this week about Tyler Wilson, an 11-year-old boy in Ohio who decided to join a cheer-leading squad that had been all-female. As a gymnast, he was interested in the athletic elements of cheering. He was taunted with homophobic remarks and had his arm broken by two schoolmates who apparently assumed him to be gay. He told “Good Morning America” that since returning to school, he’s been threatened with having his other arm broken, too.

It really DOES get better.

2010-09-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Why??

2010-08-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

#1: THE WORST BURGER IN AMERICA
Denny’s Smokin’ Q Three Pack
2,020 calories
110 g fat (22 g saturated, 3 g trans)
3,570 mg sodium

To be fair, this plate is actually three burgers, but it's one meal—and, thus, fair game. Here's our question: Aren't sliders supposed to be a lower-calorie alternative to a full-size burger? Apparently, Denny's didn't get the memo. They top these mini mega-burgers with both bacon AND onion crispers, and serve them with a greasy pile of onion rings on the side. Those embellishments ensure that this meal obliterates every nutritional guideline in the book—that means excessive numbers for fat, sodium, and calories. Order this meal and the only thing likely to slide is your health.

UPDATE from Sonoma County, CA

2010-07-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

This is an update to the story I blogged about on April 20th. A bit of justice was served, but this can't undo the horrible wrong and disrespect that was done in the first place.

Sonoma County settles bias suit

Published 07/29/2010

by Lois Pearlman

Harold Scull and Clay Greene in an undated photo. Photo: Courtesy NCLR

Sonoma County officials have agreed to pay $650,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by an elderly gay man who claimed the county separated him from his longtime partner and auctioned off their belongings.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Clay Greene, will receive $275,000 from the county and an additional $53,000 from a co-defendant, Agua Caliente Villa, the nursing home where he lived after the county intervened in his life. Additionally, $25,000 will go to the estate of Greene's late partner, Harold Scull. The county agreed to pay $300,000 for attorneys' fees, according to a news release. The National Center for Lesbian Rights, which served as co-counsel, requested that it not receive any fees, spokesman Erik Olvera said.

County supervisors still need to accept the settlement at their next weekly meeting, August 3, but it appears to be a done deal.

Both sides in the case said they are satisfied with the conclusion to the suit that was filed nearly a year ago in Sonoma County Superior Court.

"It puts this tragic episode behind everyone in a way that gives Clay a measure of personal comfort," said Amy Todd-Gher, the lead attorney in the case for NCLR.

Greene, 78, is now living in a small assisted living home in bucolic Kenwood, surrounded by organic gardens and large wineries. Until the settlement he occupied a studio apartment in downtown Guerneville.

According to Gregory Spaulding, the private attorney representing the county, the settlement cost the county less than it would have spent on a trial. He estimated that "the attorneys' fees and costs for both sides going to trial would have exceeded $1 million."

But the settlement, coming less than a week before the lawsuit was scheduled for trial, leaves the public wondering what really happened, in a case that garnered national attention.

According to the lawsuit, Greene said his late partner, Harold Scull, 88, tumbled down the stairs, setting off a county response that ended with Scull dying alone in a nursing home and all of their possessions sold to pay for Scull's care.

But Spaulding said after interviewing over 50 witnesses, he was sure that Scull was the victim of domestic violence and satisfied that the county acted appropriately when it placed him in a nursing home. According to the county, Scull said he was afraid to go back to the house he had shared with Greene in rural Sebastopol and asked county officials to find him another place to live.

"I had plenty of evidence. I was confident that if I had tried the case I would have established that there was domestic violence," Spaulding said.

[Updated Thursday, July 29: NCLR pushed back against Spaulding's claims. In a statement issued today, Shannon Minter, legal director, accused the county of continuing to "make knowingly false and defamatory statements about Clay."

"The Sonoma County Sheriff's office closed its file on any domestic abuse allegations on April 28, 2008," Minter said in the statement. "The district attorney then closed its case, with no further investigation on May 19, 2008. Diana Gomez, assistant district attorney, has also stated, 'As far as we're concerned, it's a closed matter ... We rejected [the claim] two years ago.' Two of the people closest to Harold, Jannette Biggerstaff, his friend of 45 years, and Ron Preston, his attorney, have testified that Harold told them separately in the hospital after his fall that Clay did not cause his injuries and had not abused him."

Minter also said that during their depositions, "county officials have now testified that the domestic abuse allegations were 'unfounded,' and admitted that in the days and weeks following their separation, Harold asked to be placed with Clay again."

NCLR's initial press release on the settlement, dated July 23, did not include a reference to the domestic violence allegations. Minter said today that NCLR has stated "numerous times that the allegations are false."

"We did not feel the need to repeat that in a press release that was focused on reaching a positive settlement," Minter said. "The county has tried to use false allegations of domestic violence to divert attention from their unlawful conduct, which, in our view, is where the focus should be.

"What makes this story important and newsworthy is that the county engaged in grossly unlawful and inhumane conduct toward an elderly gay couple. We do not want the county to get away with using false allegations to divert attention from its misconduct," Minter added.]

Spaulding admitted that county's Public Guardian office violated state regulations by confiscating and selling off Scull's and Greene's possessions without seeking permission from the court.

According to state law, public conservatorship agencies can sell their clients' property and use the proceeds to pay for the clients' care, but they must get court approval for property worth more than $5,000. The contents of the couple's home brought more than $25,000 at public auction.

Spaulding said county officials didn't realize the value of the men's possessions because their house was "unkempt and in disarray" and many of their things were packed away in boxes. Friends of the men have said their house was filled with antiques and works of art from Scull's years in the film industry and as an artist.

Todd-Gher said the settlement sends a message that all elders must be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their sexual orientation.

"We urge every citizen in Sonoma County to demand more oversight of the Public Guardian's office. They need to be watched," she said.

However, attorneys on both sides agreed that legalizing same-sex marriage, and encouraging same-sex couples to file for domestic partnership until that happens, would help gay and lesbian couples retain control over their lives as they get older.

"It [the settlement] also highlights, in the absence of gay marriage rights, the benefits to couples to register as domestic partners," Spaulding said.

Greene and Scull had executed both mutual powers of attorney for medical and financial decisions and wills naming each other as beneficiaries.

Yet another crop update!

2010-05-12T18:31:00.001-07:00

HOLY COW!! Once these things started growing there was no stopping them! Makes me wonder if the soil is radioactive or something.

Anyways, the seeds were planted Feb 27th and they have been growing in the greenhouse, not outside. The greenhouse is unheated but warms up very nicely with all our sunshine, sometimes too warm! The one in the top picture was harvested for dinner salad tonight.

Let the games begin, albeit a bit ahead of the schedule we had in our heads!

Crop update.

2010-05-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Here are photos of the tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse. I swear some of the cukes will be ready to pick within a week. Amazing!!! Oh, had to toss in one of the dog from Sunday morning as we sat on the front porch having coffee and tea.

Volcano!

2010-04-23T21:49:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos I found of the volcano in Iceland and the surrounding area. Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with, for sure!

This can happen anywhere!

2010-04-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

This is yet another reason that I am no longer living in the US. To think that something like this can still happen, and in California, leaves me speechless. So much for CA being a progressive state.

A Devastating Loss: Clay and Harold and the Rights of LGBT Elders

California | Pending
Greene v. County of Sonoma et al.

Clay and his partner of 20 years, Harold, lived in California. As long-time partners, they had named each other beneficiaries of their respective estates, agents for medical decisions. As 2008 began, Harold was 88 years old and in deteriorating health. Clay, 11 years younger, was physically strong, but beginning to show signs of cognitive impairment. The two men lived in a country home with too many steps that required much work to keep up, but the men loved the views and being surrounded by nature and living a quiet life with each other and their cats. As Harold’s health declined, it became apparent that they would need assistance, but the men resisted outside help.

One spring day, as the men were preparing to go out, Harold fell down the front steps of their home. Clay immediately called the ambulance and Harold was taken to the hospital. There, the men’s nightmare began. First, county and health care workers refused to allow Clay to see Harold. Then, while Harold was hospitalized, Deputy Public Guardians went to the men’s home, took photographs, and commented on the desirability and quality of the furnishings, artwork, and collectibles that the men had collected over their lifetimes.

Ignoring Clay entirely, the County focused on Harold, going so far as to petition the Court for conservatorship of his estate. Outrageously referring to Clay only as a “roommate” and failing to disclose their true relationship, the County continued to treat Harold as if he had no family. The County sought immediate temporary authority to revoke Harold’s powers of attorney, to act without further notice, and to liquidate an investment account to pay for his care. Then, despite being granted only limited powers, and with undue haste, the County arranged for the sale of the men’s personal property, cleaned out their home, terminated their lease, confiscated their truck, and eventually disposed of all of the men’s worldly possessions, including family heirlooms, at a fraction of their value and without any proper inventory or determination of whose property was being sold.

Adding further insult to grave injury, the county removed Clay from their home and confined him to a nursing home against his will—a different placement from his partner. Clay was kept from seeing Harold during this time, and his telephone calls were limited. Three months after he was hospitalized, Harold died. Because of the county’s actions, Clay missed the final months he should have had with his partner of 20 years. Compounding this tragedy, Clay has literally nothing left of the home he had shared with Harold or the life he was living up until the day that Harold fell, because he has been unable to recover any of his property or his beloved cats—who are feared dead. The only memento Clay has is a photo album that Harold painstakingly put together for Clay during the last three months of his life.

With the help of a dedicated and persistent court-appointed attorney, Anne Dennis of Santa Rosa, Clay was finally released from the nursing home. Ms. Dennis, along with Stephen O’Neill and Margaret Flynn of Tarkington, O’Neill, Barrack & Chong, now have been retained to represent Clay and his partner's executor in a lawsuit against the County, the auction company, and the nursing home, with technical assistance from NCLR. A trial date has been set for July 16, 2010 in the Superior Court for the County of Sonoma.

Oy!

2010-04-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

An elderly Floridian called 911 on her cell phone to report that her car has been broken into. She is hysterical as she explains her situation: 'They've stolen the stereo, the steering wheel, the brake pedal and even the accelerator!' she cries.
The dispatcher tells her, 'Stay calm. An officer is on the way.'
A few minutes later, the officer radios in- 'Disregard.' He says.
'She got in the back-seat by mistake.'

The original.

2010-04-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

OK, the Chinese kid is OK, but NOBODY will do this song like Whitney did. I just had to post.

Enjoy.

Happenings.

2010-03-28T17:50:00.001-07:00

OK, I just had to post an updated photo with corrected spelling. I laughed so hard when I drove by and saw that they had fixed the sign!

We met a new neighbour who is renting the house on 30 acres next to us. Apparently it had been abandoned for two years and the new renter is a local tradesman. We heard all kinds of stories about the building and he is going to be rehabbing it and bringing it up to code. Oy, not a job I would want!

All seedlings are now in the greenhouse and doing quite well. The cukes and spinach are doing particularly well with the tomatoes holding their own, so to speak. Work continues in the yard and gardens - is it EVER done? Me thinks not. I got a great idea book from a company that grows perennials and I now have all kinds of ideas and visions swirling in my head!

We visited a local building centre, to order a new front door, and I was astonished at the fabulous new selection of floor and wall tiles that they have! It struck me as being very European in style and more ideas/visions are filling my head. I NEED to win the lottery!

Things are great at work with a new project starting that will keep me VERY busy for 3-4 weeks, at least. The only bad news at work was that one of the little lambs in the owner's herd was killed and partially eaten by a cougar. Poor little guy. The local wildlife trackers were brought in with their bloodhounds but I don't know if anything has happened over the weekend.

I've been getting a few inquiries lately from friends in the US, asking what Canadian health care is really like. Of course this all is the result of the giant health care debate raging in the US. My take on Canadian health care is that for what we have needed it for and used it for we have had no problems at all. In a lot of respects it is quite a bit easier to use than what we had in the US and I don't think it is any more expensive. I just think there is a lot of negative press and false stories going around the US media and that really is a shame. Sounds like politics as usual to me.

Couldn't resist.

2010-03-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

I saw this on the way to work and just had to snap a quick picture. Of course I smudged the phone number to protect their identity.

What used to be - update.

2010-03-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been on a bit of a mission lately looking up names from my past on Facebook. (yes, I am addicted to it) I found a couple of guys from High School and have reconnected with one. I also located two cousins who I have not seen in something like 35 years, maybe more! We are now connected on FB and exchanging messages to bring each other up to date. It's fun looking at their pictures and reading their reactions to mine. So far so good.

I've made up my mind that if someone does not want to reconnect then no big deal. I will not get all upset over it, figuring they have been out of my life for a while so maybe it is best to let a sleeping dogs lie, so to speak.

On another note we are still charged up from the Olympics and have been doing a lot of work in the gardens. We've also been making a point to get out on hikes on the weekends seeing that there are loads of trails within 15 minutes of home. We can explore the forest, walk on the beach or do a combination. Although I have not had the luck of finding wild asparagus like someone in Spain has been doing as of late.

That's all for now. Thanks for tuning in.

Can we revisit what used to be?

2010-02-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

I find myself in a bit of turmoil these days. I recently found a feature on Facebook that lets' one search for people from a school and also pick a graduating year. This got my interest/curiosity and I plugged in the year I graduated from High School. (no specific year will be divulged in this post) I found a few people but not very many. Now, part of this is, I am sure, because my particular age group may not really get into FB. Another reason is that in my sophomore year I was in a auto accident, missed a semester, and was then tossed into whatever classes had openings in January. I was not a happy camper but was at the mercy of the public school system. That Fall, instead of going into Junior classes I was set back a year, to catch up, so was in with all sophomores. Ya with me so far? Anyway, while on FB doing the search I plugged in the year that graduated after me, which were the kids I spent my last two years of High School with. Well, lo and behold, I uncovered quite a few names, some of which were in a group that I hung out with and, truth be told, turned out to be the best friends of my entire school experience. After graduating I went into the 'real world' and didn't have any contact with them. Me being an only child and a bit lacking in social skills, even for an 18yr old, didn't really know how to keep in touch, something I still have relapses of to this day.

My predicament, if you can call it that, revolves around the fact that I asked two of them to be my friend on FB. I find myself wondering which way that will end up and if I should have even bothered. I have fond memories of those school years quite a while ago and ask myself what I really expect to happen??? Can we really go home again, even if for a short visit? I think we can, if we don't analyze the crap out of it. Or is that a bit too simple minded in this complex day and age? Maybe the past needs to stay in the past, not be dragged into the present kicking and screaming against all common sense.

2010-02-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

Can Cold Water Clean Dishes?
This is for all the germ conscious folks
that worry about using cold water to clean.

John went to visit his 90 year old grandfather
in a very secluded, rural area of Saskatchewan

After spending a great evening chatting the night away,
the next morning John's grandfather prepared
breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.

However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate,
and questioned his grandfather asking,

'Are these plates clean?'

His grandfather replied,

'They're as clean as cold water can get em.
Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!'

For lunch the old man made hamburgers.

Again, John was concerned about the plates,
as his appeared to have tiny specks around
the edge that looked like dried egg and asked,

'Are you sure these plates are clean?'

Without looking up the old man said,

'I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as
clean as cold water can get them. Now don't you
fret, I don't want to hear another word about it!'

Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town
and as he was leaving, his grandfather's dog
started to growl, and wouldn't let him pass.

John yelled and said,
'Grandfather, your dog won't let me get to my car'.

Without diverting his attention from the football game
he was watching on TV, the old man shouted!

'Coldwater, go lay down now, yah hear me!'

Meet Coldwater !

Engineering amazement.

2010-01-22T18:20:00.000-08:00

Creeping closer inch by inch, 900 feet above the mighty Colorado River, the two sides of
a $160 million bridge at the Hoover Dam slowly take shape. The bridge will carry a new
section of US Route 93 past the bottleneck of the old road which can be seen twisting and
winding around and across the dam itself.

When complete, it will provide a new link between the states of Nevada and Arizona .
In an incredible feat of engineering, the road will be supported on the two massive
concrete arches which jut out of the rock face.

The arches are made up of 53 individual sections each 24 feet long which have been
cast on-site and are being lifted into place using an improvised high-wire crane strung
between temporary steel pylons.

The arches will eventually measure more than 1,000 feet across.
At the moment, the structure looks like a traditional suspension bridge.
But once the arches are complete, the suspending cables on each side will be removed.
Extra vertical columns will then be installed on the arches to carry the road.
The bridge has become known as the Hoover Dam bypass, although it is officially called
the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, after a former governor of Nevada
and an American Football player from Arizona who joined the US Army and was killed
in Afghanistan.
Work on the bridge started in 2005 and should finish next year. An estimated 17,000
cars and trucks will cross it every day.

The dam was started in 1931 and used enough concrete to build a road from New York
to San Francisco . The stretch of water it created, Lake Mead, is 110 miles long and
took six years to fill. The original road was opened at the same time as the famous dam in 1936.

An extra note: The top of the white band of rock in Lake Mead is the old waterline prior
to the drought and development in the Las Vegas area. It is over 100 feet above the
current water level.

Sade rockin' it.

2010-01-21T22:25:00.000-08:00

Spring? In January???

2010-01-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

Late afternoon sun on the water. Clouds have since moved in. And Darkness.

Anderson Cove, which I pass on the way to and from work.

A broader view of Anderson Cove.

Morning sun through the trees as seen from my office window.

I think it is El Nino that is confusing Mother Nature. And this blog that has reversed my pictures!

Progress a comin' to East Sooke, BC.

2010-01-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

Resort planned for East Sooke

B.C. helps band find investors

By Judith Lavoie, Times ColonistJanuary 19, 2010

The Beecher Bay First Nation wants to break ground by the end of the year on a new destination resort on its waterfront East Sooke property.

The band is also looking at expanding and upgrading its existing 365-berth Cheanuh Marina and adjacent 125-site RV park in a bid to become more economically self-sufficient, said Aaaron Reith, Beecher Bay economic development spokesman.

The band's 307 hectares of reserve land is adjacent to East Sooke Regional Park and overlooks Juan de Fuca Strait.

"It's an incredible situation and it's one of the last untouched marine basins on the south coast of Vancouver Island," Reith said.

However, like many First Nations hoping to start tourism businesses, the band needs help finding private investors and funding agencies. Beecher Bay has signed a memorandum of understanding with the province to steer it in the right direction.

The agreement won't provide money, but it will provide support, Reith said.

"It is very hard for First Nations to take on a large project like this without provincial help."

Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger said the pilot program, which started last year, is helping seven First Nations, including Beecher Bay, expand tourism and develop resort properties on Crown and reserve land.

"We would like to see First Nations people be able to capitalize economically on the demand and opportunities," he said

The market for aboriginal-run tourism is growing among domestic and international tourists partially because of First Nations' unique connection with the land and wildlife, Krueger said.

"There are lots of people eager to invest with First Nations and we will partner with them in any way that can be helpful," he said.

The provincial program connects First Nations with banks and lending institutes and is linked to federal and provincial programs that help with seed money, marketing and training for band members.

Beecher Bay Chief Russell Chipps said decisions on tourism development will be made by the entire band, not just chief and council, adding that the project is bringing band members together in an unprecedented way.

"We want jobs for our community members so they can have a sense of belonging to something. Not just a reserve in the middle of nowhere," he said. "We really need something for the young people. That's the whole purpose of this."

The resort would not include a casino and would have the highest environmental standards, Chipps said.

The aim is to appeal to tourists drawn by walking trails, fishing, horseback riding, canoeing and diving, he said.

Neighbouring Metchosin has signed an agreement with Beecher Bay, ensuring matters of mutual interest are discussed, and Mayor John Ranns said a resort development could be beneficial to both communities.

Metchosin's rural lifestyle offers interesting food and art destinations, which would mesh well with a Beecher Bay eco-resort, Ranns said.

"They are looking at ecotourism and that fits in with what Metchosin is trying to do. I think their objective and our objective could complement each other," he said.

How to stay healthy during old age: Keep moving - latimes.com

2010-01-19T15:50:00.001-08:00

How to stay healthy during old age: Keep moving - latimes.com

Posted using ShareThis

Modern Technology!

2010-01-11T22:32:00.000-08:00

Turning wood into bones

By Duncan Kennedy
BBC News, Rome

A novel - and natural - way of creating new bones for humans could be just a few years away.

Scientists in Italy have developed a way of turning rattan wood into bone that is almost identical to the human tissue.

At the Istec laboratory of bioceramics in Faenza near Bologna, a herd of sheep have already been implanted with the bones.

The process starts by cutting the long tubular rattan wood up into manageable pieces.

It is then snipped into even smaller chunks, ready for the complex chemical process to begin.

The pieces are put in a furnace and heated.

In simple terms, carbon and calcium are added.

The wood is then further heated under intense pressure in another oven-like machine and a phosphate solution is introduced.

'Very promising'

After about 10 days, the rattan wood has been transformed into the bone-like material.

The team is lead by Dr Anna Tampieri.
An X-ray of the new bone fusing with the old
Within months, the real and artificial bone will have fused

"It's proving very promising," she says. "This new bone material is strong, so it can take heavy loads that bodies will put on it.

"It is also durable, so, unlike existing bone substitutes, it won't need replacing."

Several types of wood were tested before they found rattan works best.

That is because of its structure and porous properties, which enable blood, nerves and other compounds to travel through it.

Dr Tampieri says it is the closest scientists have ever come to replicating the human bone because, she says: "It eventually fuses with real bone, so in time, you don't even see the join."

The new wood bone is being closely studied at the nearby Bologna University hospital.

That is where orthopaedic surgeons like Maurillo Marcacci are monitoring the sheep tests.

The X-rays of the sheep's legs show the progress they are making.

Surgeon Mr Marcacci
A strong, durable, load-bearing bone is really the holy grail for surgeons like me and for patients
Maurillo Marcacci

Particles from the sheep's own bones are migrating to the bone made from wood.

Within a few months, the real and the artificial bone will be like one continuous bone.

Mr Marcacci says that existing bone substitutes, like metal or ceramic, or bones from dead bodies, all have their drawbacks.

He says for people with major trauma accidents or cancer, the current range of alternatives can be weak and do not fuse with the existing bone.

The new wood bones, he says, could be a major step forward.

"A strong, durable, load-bearing bone is really the holy grail for surgeons like me and for patients," he says.

The new bone-from-wood programme is being funded by the European Union.

Implants into humans are about five years away.

But with no signs of rejection or infection in the sheep, there is real hope here that a natural, cheap and effective replacement for bones is now possible.

Bones from wood could soon be opening up a new branch of medical science.

One of life's surprises.

2009-12-27T17:48:00.000-08:00

OK, I just had to post this. The gentleman below is one of our neighbors! He and his wife are the absolute nicest people one could hope to meet. I knew he had extensive knowledge regarding geology but had NO idea he had this kind of background! His wife directed me to the website where I got this information. I sure hope I am as active as he is when I am 80+ years old!

FRED ROOTS, PhD
Polar Issues Expert & Science Advisor Emeritus

Fred Roots is Science Advisor Emeritus to Environment Canada. He graduated in geological engineering at the University of British Columbia, and received his PhD in geology from Princeton University. He was senior geologist in the first international scientific study of Antarctica, the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition, 1949-52: co-leader of Operation Franklin, the major study that established the petroleum potential of the Canadian arctic Islands in 1955; and leader of Operation Stikine 1956 and 1958, the first integrated geological study of the Canadian northern Cordillera. In 1958 he organized the Polar Continental Shelf Project and served as its coordinator until 1971. From 1968 he became involved in discussions of the environmental responsibilities of the Canadian government, which led to the organization of the Department of the Environment. In 1971 he was appointed Advisor, Environmental and Northern Programmes, Department of the Energy Mines and Resources, and in 1973 he became Science Advisor to the Department of the Environment, and served in that capacity until becoming Science Advisor Emeritus in 1989.

Fred has been active in a number of international and non-governmental scientific and environmental activities and researchers. He was a member of the Polar Research Board of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences 1970-83 and subsequently on several of its technical committees. From 1979 to 1983 he was President of the International Commission on Snow and ice, served on the Science Advisory Board of the Geophysical Institute University of Alaska 1976-88 (Chairman 1980-84). He was a founder of the International Arctic Science Committee and served as its first President (1991-94) and since 1983 has been chairman of the Northern Sciences Network of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. He is author of over 250 scientific papers and published reports on Polar, environmental and global change subjects. Dr. Roots has a mountain range in Antarctic named after him. His many awards include the Gold medal from the Royal Geographical Society.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin - The Result of Scott Walker's Milwaukee County Privatization

2009-12-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin - The Result of Scott Walker's Milwaukee County Privatization

Click on the link above. This is happening where I used to live, actually where I spent 90% of my life. Sure makes me glad, once again, to be living where I am living!

Home alarm advice.

2009-12-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

I got this in an e-mail and thought it interesting enough to pass along. Seems to make sense.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:
It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it.
It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain....
It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around.
After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.
And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem. Please pass this on even IF you've read it before.

A joke, for a change of pace.

2009-12-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

"The woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day.

One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, "You know what? "

"You have been with me all through the bad times. "

"When I got fired, you were there to support me."

"When my business failed, you were there."

"When I got shot, you were by my side."

"When we lost the house, you stayed right here."

"When my health started failing, you were still by my side. You know what?"

"What dear?" She gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.

"I think you're bad luck."

Am I missing out???

2009-12-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

I am in a web surfing kinda mood tonight. Don't know why, it just happens. But not like that other thing that 'just happens'.

Anyway, it got me to thinking...I am finding folks that travel the world, move from one country to another like it's moving across town. I'm finding people, women mostly, with the most humorous writing style, sort of like stand up comedy. I want to write like that. It seems part of the style is making fun of the husband - I can do that. Misadventures of children? I have a dog and a cat that I can probably work with. I just found one woman who lives in a beach cottage by the sea in Australia and shops at IKEA. Hey, I live at the Pacific Ocean and there are THREE IKEAs, maybe four, within striking distance. See, how difficult can it be???

OK, gotta go think of some funny husband stories and see what the kids are up to.

High end.

2009-12-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

This house is for sale out in our area, kind of the higher end of the market. In case anyone is interested in relocating to East Sooke, British Columbia.

Here are sunsets from OUR house, Dec 1 & 2. The mountains across the water are the Olympics in Washington state. The weather has been VERY nice lately. I've heard that November tends to be the rainy/stormy month, but that does not really explain last December when we received 14+ inches of snow in the two weeks leading up to Christmas. Then we had LOTS of rain and roads were flooded, so I suppose that shoots that rainy November theory all to hell.

December 1.

December 2.

Weekend.

2009-11-29T18:52:00.000-08:00

Initially the forecast called for yet more rain this weekend. I was dismayed when, as if right on schedule, I awoke Saturday to yet another rainy day. And Saturday we were supposed to venture into Victoria for a special, belated birthday lunch in my honor, at a place called Sauce, that we both have taken a shining to. Plus, to make matters worse, I woke up with a headache. Probably my own fault for sleeping until 9am and not having my usual morning cup of java by 5:30am. Oh well.

As the morning wore on, and my system built up some energy, the rain started to subside and I was thinking that maybe we could make it into town afterall for that lunch. With a glance out the window to nothing more than a medium mist falling from the sky we decided to go for it, umbrellas in hand (just in case).

Victoria was lovely - cloudy and misty but nothing even close to rain. The sidewalks were not crowded at all, something that amazed us, what with it being just four weeks until Christmas, and all the store windows were dressed in their finest holiday decor. Trees aglow in LED lights, sparkly bangles hanging everywhere, smiling faces on all the store clerks - it was truly magical. Even the horse drawn carriages were decorated for Christmas!

We had our lunch at Sauce then wandered around downtown and over to The Bay for some browsing. I have never seen so many bath robes in a Mens department in my life and a couple of them I just wanted to take home and snuggle up in! The only purchase I made was at the Hallmark Gold Crown store in the mall - ornament #19 in the Classic American Cars series. I have ALL of them and refuse to be deprived of each new release! Damn the budget or where they are made! (it's a 1963 Thunderbird roadster, in case you are wondering)

On the way home we stopped at the pet supply store, GNC, Best Buy and the grocery store. A VERY busy day indeed!

Sunday dawned with the promise of sunshine and by 11am or so we were basking in the warm glow that was coming through the windows. Absolutely spectacular! We managed to get some yard work done, take the dog for a leisurely walk and test fit the snow chains for the cars. The walk was great - just a short jaunt down the road to the park entrance at East Sooke Park but totally worth it. The forest is alive with a wonderful scent you get after a rain, greenery abounds in the treetops and the forest floor that is covered in ferns. There are little waterfalls coming down from Mt Maguire and spilling into the roadside ditches with the water going under the road and continuing its' journey to the ocean when it comes out the other side. Hummingbirds have returned to our feeder and we even have some new flowers blooming at home! Heath is ready to burst into bloom as is the Mahonia. We still have quite a few shrubs in the garden that are holding onto their colorful Fall foliage (see picture below) and I saw some daffodils poking up from the ground, which has me a bit confused. The worst part of last Winter was the two weeks right before Christmas so I am holding me breath, so to speak, and anxious to see what El Nino has in store for us here on the West Coast. Fingers crossed for warmth and snow-free!

Bohemian Rhapsody, ala Muppets

2009-11-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

Stuff

2009-11-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update on the haps here in Canada.

Fall weather is upon us for sure and the cars have the dirt to prove it. Rain falls most everyday and it is a joy when it is JUST the rain and no high winds off the ocean are thrown into the mix. Even with the rain I find such joy in the colors in the garden. Leaves are falling yet some shrubs still glow with remarkable colors of fiery red, golden yellow or a lovely maroon. Most of the flowering plants are done yet the Mahonia and Heath are just getting ready for their Winter show of blooms. The moisture clings to the greenery of everything else and brings out the most vibrant shades of greens/yellows in the largest assortment of foliage I have had the pleasure of having in a garden.

I am up to date with my H1N1 vaccination and I get to go for the seasonal flu shot on my birthday! Not exactly what I'd pick to give myself but what ya gonna do. I did have some reaction to the H1N1 shot in the form of a VERY stiff neck and sore muscles, which oddly popped up two days after I got the shot and hung around for another few days. All is well now and I am back up to as close to 100% that I can get, at this age.

We managed to find money in the holiday budget for some Christmas cards this year and we knocked those out today, figuring the ones going to the US will need a bit of extra time. I still can't send to everyone I used to, with it costing $1 per card for a stamp, but the ones I miss with a card I will get with a holiday e-mail.

One of my new indulgences is Cranberry Herbal Tea, which I am really enjoying! I have never been much of a tea drinker, the flavor seems most like hot water with a bit of flavor added, but this Cranberry tea really has me excited. I usually treat myself to a steaming hot cup of it in the evening as I am watching TV. I swear it helps me sleep too as it is decaffeinated.

As I am seeing more and more Christmas images, and smelling some wonderful holiday scents, I am gearing up for some holiday baking. I did a warm up last week with chocolate chip cookies, just to kind of get into the groove, and now I am ready for the real holiday stuff! It always helps to put on some classic Christmas music too, like Lena Horne, Doris Day, etc. I grew up with those holiday compilation records of the 60's from Firestone and Goodyear dealers, some of which I still have, and am finally able to appreciate some of the music my parents listened to. Mom was a HUGE Harry Belafonte fan and his jazz record from San Francisco is wonderful. Once in a while I'll put some vinyl on the turntable and just drift off into the past and relive some great times. I know you can't bring things back but ain't nothing wrong with holding on to memories reliving things in your mind when you need a feel good moment. Below is a picture of my mother and some of her sisters, that I used a few years ago to create my own retro holiday card.

This just in!!

2009-11-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

New guidelines now in effect to combat the spread of H1N1.

This HAS to make you feel good inside!

2009-11-03T22:25:00.000-08:00

I just found this, and you may have seen it, but it's new to me and I had to share. I get the most incredible feeling inside when I watch this. I think it is AMAZING!

Here is the info: More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of march 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of "The Sound of Music".

They make HOW MUCH???

2009-11-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

I found this a rather interesting article. It is a bit long but a good read, albeit a bit depressing.

How much our politicians get paid
by Rob Gerlsbeck, Canadian Business Online
Friday, October 30, 2009

During his 10 years on Parliament Hill, Pierre Pettigrew drew admiring stares for his elegant suits and swooping salt-and-pepper coiffure. But the Liberal politician didn’t just look like a million bucks. He also earned a million bucks. Actually, he did even better than that. As a cabinet minister between 1996 and 2006, he collected paycheques totalling more than $1.5 million.

Even after he lost his seat in the 2006 election, the money kept flowing in. Like all fired MPs, Pettigrew qualified for a severance package, estimated to be worth $49,000 by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. And that was just the down payment on a plush future. Three months after leaving Parliament, he celebrated his 55th birthday and could start collecting a parliamentary pension worth $76,000 a year. While it’s difficult to put an exact dollar figure on Pettigrew’s pension, it’s roughly equivalent to what a person of similar age could buy in the form of an annuity for $1.6-million.

Pettigrew’s total take from a decade in public service? Between salary, pension and benefits, the equivalent of at least $3 million.

He did absolutely nothing wrong to get that money. From all accounts, Pettigrew was hard-working, competent and scrupulously honest. He merely collected the standard pay and perks that our federal leaders have voted for themselves.

He serves as an example of what a politician can earn from a parliamentary career of reasonable, but not marathon, length. The total payoff, it turns out, is in the millions.

Surprised? Few Canadians know how well-paid our politicians are. There is a good reason for that ignorance: no one in power has a vested interest in publicizing how much they take home. Unlike politicians in the U.S. or Britain, our elected officials don’t have to publicize details of their expense accounts. Unlike U.S. senators or congressional representatives, they aren’t required to publicly disclose their approximate net worth or their sources of income. In researching this article, MoneySense asked Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton to provide us with a breakdown of how much they’re worth. Each of them declined.

Trying to research politicians’ compensation through official sources is time consuming. We spent weeks sorting through government documents to comprehend the various components of an MP’s compensation. The list begins with a six-figure salary, of course. Then there are expense accounts and a myriad of perks, such as free trips all over the world. Finally, there is the pension, a largely ignored payoff that can be worth seven figures by itself.

No matter how you add up this grab bag of goodies, it’s clear that our leaders in Ottawa have done a lot better over the past few years than the average taxpayer has. A decade ago our politicians earned salaries that were much in line with what middle-class workers take home. They now enjoy compensation packages that few of us can match. To get a sense of the widening gap between your wallet and Stephen Harper’s, join us as we take a guided tour into the personal finances of our highest elected officials.

Let’s begin on election night. If you’re a first-time candidate for Parliament, this is the evening that can change your life. Victory means that you will enter the House of Commons and help to shape the national debate. If you’re like most first-time candidates, victory also means that you will take a big jump up the income ladder.

“I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say that most MPs are doing better in office than they would in their careers in private life,” says Duff Conacher, co-ordinator at Democracy Watch, a government watchdog in Ottawa. Contrary to popular opinion, most MPs are not rich corporate lawyers. They’re not wealthy executives or doctors either. Many were mid-level managers and consultants. The single most common background among our current crop of parliamentarians is the classroom. A surprising 52 MPs taught in public schools, colleges and universities. Another 21 were farmers. A dozen were journalists; nearly as many worked for unions. Then there are more unusual cases. John Cummins, a Conservative MP from British Columbia, spent over 20 years as a commercial fisherman. Malcolm Allen, a New Democrat from Ontario, was an electrician.

For most MPs, election to Parliament has meant a very nice raise. Every MP earns at least $157,731 a year. The paycheque doesn’t vary by how long you’ve occupied your seat, or by your attendance in the Commons, or by your productivity. Each MP gets the same raise every year. The increase is based on the average hikes in pay negotiated by unions in the private sector. This year the raise was supposed to be 3.3%. But with the global economy imploding and the budget sinking back into deficit, MPs decided to cut their raise to 1.5%, or about an extra $2,000 a year per elected official.

MPs boost their income if they become party whip or caucus chairman. You get an especially large bump if you’re appointed to cabinet, where each minister is paid $233,000 a year. Of course, the best-paying job of all is prime minister. Stephen Harper will earn $315,462 this year, double what backbenchers make.

It’s fair to point out — and politicians do — that our MPs, cabinet ministers and even prime minister make far less than many CEOs or even Bay Street lawyers. On the other hand, the lowliest MP earns about four times what an average Canadian takes home.

This was not always the case. Just nine years ago the base pay for an MP was $68,200, pretty much in line with what a high school teacher or police officer might earn. Since then MPs’ salaries have more than doubled. They now sit in the top 2% of income earners, on a par, if not ahead, of most physicians, lawyers and dentists.

Our elected officials defend their apparent grab for cash. They point out that MPs used to enjoy a tax-free allowance of $22,500 a year. In 2001, Parliament scrapped that allowance. To offset it, MPs boosted their salaries, from $68,200 a year to $131,400.

So, all right: the surge in politicians’ incomes over the past decade isn’t quite as bad as it appears at first glance. But however you do the math on the allowance-for-pay swap, it appears that MPs wound up getting a nice raise. And, under the new arrangement, they’re still able to stick many of the costs of office onto the taxpayer’s tab. For instance, MPs who aren’t from the Ottawa region can expense rent and utilities on their accommodations in Ottawa, as well as meals, up to $25,468 a year. Add in free train travel, as well as up to 64 free round-trip air tickets a year from their riding to Ottawa, and our elected officials are doing just fine, thank you.

But the best perk of all comes when they leave office. MPs’ pensions have often been described as “gold-plated.” A more apt description is solid platinum with diamonds on top.

To qualify for a pension, you have to serve as a member of Parliament for a mere six years. A backbencher with six years on the job who retired at the end of this year would receive an annual pension of $27,213 once he or she turns 55. Once you hit the six-year mark, your pension rises at dizzying speed. If the MP sticks around for another four years, his or her pension hits $45,355 a year. For you or me to receive an equivalent payout in retirement we would have to put $80,000 into our RRSPs each year for 10 years.

Thanks to their king-sized pensions, veteran MPs have little to worry about. The average MP who is eligible to collect a parliamentary pension takes in a very comfortable $49,985 a year. In fact, there are 70 ex-MPs who each collect more than $70,000 a year. “That’s more than a lot of people in Canada make working for a living,” fumes Kevin Gaudet, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Gaudet points out that MPs contribute only a fraction of the cost of their own pensions; most of their retirement deal is paid for by taxpayers like you and me. We contribute $3.65 for every $1 the politicians put into their own pension pot.

Over time, MPs’ pensions turn into million-dollar paydays. The National Citizens Coalition estimates that Bill Blaikie, a 58-year-old NDPer who spent 29 years in the House before quitting politics last year, will receive a total payout of more than $2.6 million by the time he turns 75. Monte Solberg, a Conservative cabinet minister, who also quit politics last year after 15 years as an MP, is only 51, so he will have to wait four more years to collect his pension. But once he does, he’ll collect $2.3 million over 20 years.

MPs’ pensions represent an extraterrestrial level of luxury, unmatched by any deal in the private sector. Not only are payouts lush for only a few years of service, but unlike private pension plans, the payments are backed by the full power of the federal government, so they are completely safe. In addition, the payouts rise in line with inflation once a retired MP hits 60, so our former elected officials have no worries about seeing the buying power of their pensions decline in years to come. The bottom line? If you can make it through six years as an MP, you never have to fret again about the stock market. “When you look at the average person today and how their RRSPs have been kicked around, these guys don’t have that problem,” says Peter Coleman, president of the National Citizens Coalition.

MPs justify their pay by pointing out the long hours and constant travel their job demands. Parliament sits only 130 days a year on average, but MPs say they enjoy little time off. When the House isn’t in session, they’re typically studying legislation, hosting backyard fundraisers or handling questions from their constituents about everything from immigration problems to unemployment insurance.

“It’s an all-consuming, 24/7 job,” says Candice Hoeppner, a Conservative from Manitoba who was first elected last fall. Hoeppner, 44, used to work as an executive assistant at an investment firm. Now she shuttles between her home in Winkler, Man., and an apartment in Ottawa. Hoeppner can expense the rent on her apartment, which she shares with a roommate. But there’s no chauffeured limousine waiting to drive her to Parliament Hill every morning. She walks to work.

A typical week for Hoeppner starts late Sunday in Winkler. Saying goodbye to her three teenage kids and husband, she drives an hour and a half to the airport in Winnipeg. Then it’s two and a half hours on a plane to Ottawa. Most weekdays she’s on Parliament Hill by 8 a.m. and home by 10 at night. In between it’s a blur of committee meetings, house duty, Question Period, reports to read and phone calls from people in her riding. She also tries to squeeze in a half hour in her office to listen to CDs in French, which she’s trying to learn. On Thursday or Friday, depending on her schedule, it’s back on the plane to Manitoba.

Many MPs follow the same grueling schedule, says Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. “People watch snippets of Question Period on TV and they see a lot of empty seats. They think that’s it.” Wiseman doesn’t believe that MPs are overpaid. Rather, he says, they’re overworked.

He may have a point. In the 2008 election, 33 out of 304 MPs voluntarily stepped down. The high turnover suggests that politicians are not being paid so well that they want to cling to their posts until they die. Cabinet ministers, in particular, can often find better gigs in the private sector. Anne McLellan, deputy prime minister under Paul Martin, is a classic example. She now works at the law firm of Bennett Jones LLP, teaches at the University of Alberta, and sits on three corporate boards.

The transition can be tougher for backbenchers. Joe Jordan, who spent seven years as a Liberal MP from Ontario, was a community college teacher before entering politics and lost his seniority during his time away from teaching. When he was defeated in the 2004 election, he decided to stay in Ottawa and became a lobbyist. But few ex-MPs go that route. Most head back to their ridings, where many find that defeated politicians aren’t popular. “You’re like a fired employee,” says Jordan. “You’ve been kicked to the curb. The party hasn’t got a lot of use for you either. You’re no longer a bum in a chair with a vote in the House of Commons.” Fired MPs don’t leave empty-handed, however. Those too young to get a pension, are handed severance pay that’s equal to half their annual salary.

So are we paying our MPs too much or too little? In terms of similar jobs around the world, a Canadian MP’s salary sits smack in the middle. It’s more than the $100,000 or so that a British MP earns, but less than the roughly $190,000 a year that a U.S. Congressman takes in.

Perhaps the most practical test of whether we’re paying our MPs the right amount is to look at the people the pay attracts. Despite the six-figure salary, an MP’s compensation is not enough to consistently attract the best educated among us — only 66% of MPs have a university degree. Some observers think that we would improve the quality of governance if we gave the people at the very top of the political pyramid a significant hike in pay. Compared to executives in the private sector, cabinet ministers in particular are not making nearly enough, says Sean MacDonald, a professor at the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba. “It’s a joke,” says MacDonald, who specializes in compensation issues. “When you look at how vast a government department is, ministers are grossly underpaid.” MacDonald believes we should raise salaries to encourage more top executives to run for office.

On the other hand, the type of person who is likely to make a good MP or cabinet minister is probably not that motivated by money anyhow. Remember Pierre Pettigrew? As generous as his compensation may have seemed to many of us, he says he actually took a cut in pay to enter Parliament. Before his political career, he had been a highly paid international business consultant with the accounting firm Deloitte. He returned to the firm after leaving office, but never made up for the salary he passed up by going into politics. “I left a lot of money on the table by going into Parliament,” he says.

Pettigrew thinks that the obstacle that is stopping private-sector talent from running for office isn’t the lack of a big paycheque. It’s the lack of respect. “Here in Canada, we like government, but we don’t like members of government,” he says. In the U.S. it’s the other way around. “They’re skeptical of government, but they respect the individuals who serve.”

Fair enough. But if our MPs want respect, it’s difficult to understand why they seem so determined to arouse suspicion.

A Parliament that was serious about garnering respect could start by opening up its expense accounts to public scrutiny. KPMG, a private accounting firm, audits the account of each MP, but it is not allowed to release the results to the public. The last time the Auditor General was allowed to look at MPs’ spending was in 1991. If our politicians want to improve their reputations, they should open their books to prove they’ve got nothing to hide. A recent scandal in Britain revealed MPs to be expensing everything from moat cleaning to soft-core porn rentals. In the wake of those revelations, the silence from Canada’s Parliament is deafening.

An even bigger issue is pensions. At a time when many Canadians’ pensions are being whittled away, and the Canada Pension Plan is being fine-tuned to encourage more people to work until 70, it’s difficult to understand how MPs can continue to wallow in a system that gives them ultra-safe, inflation-protected pensions beginning at 55. “How are they going to deal with private-sector pension issues fairly when they have the most lucrative pensions of all?” asks Gaudet at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The biggest issue of all may be how MPs can maintain a sense of solidarity with ordinary Canadians. Over the past decade, MPs have seen their incomes soar and their lush pensions grow, undisturbed by market crashes or economic slowdowns. They should remember that their good fortune has not been shared by most Canadians.

Perhaps we should introduce a direct tie-in between the average person and the average elected official. The link could be something as simple as fixing MPs’ compensation at the level of the median Canadian salary, plus an inflation-adjusted $100,000 a year. Under such a system, the only way for elected officials to win a raise would be for them to improve life for the typical Canadian. That truly would be a pay-for-performance system — and a system that could give politicians the respect they crave.

Canada marks anniversary for gays in military - Canada - Canoe.ca

2009-10-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

Canada marks anniversary for gays in military - Canada - Canoe.ca

Recent sunsets.

2009-10-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

The sunsets this time of the year, here on Vancouver Island, are spectacular. There is MUCH more color than during the Summer, and don't even ask about GREY Winter sunsets.

Enjoy.

For a friend.

2009-10-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

A fellow blogger posted that she finally found the perfect pair of jeans! This post is for her. Enjoy. (I do)

I had to look this up...

2009-09-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

History and Origin of Canadian Thanksgiving

In Canada Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Unlike the American tradition of remembering Pilgrims and settling in the New World, Canadians give thanks for a successful harvest. The harvest season falls earlier in Canada compared to the United States due to the simple fact that Canada is further north.

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to an English explorer, Martin Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient. He did not succeed but he did establish a settlement in Northern America. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now called Newfoundland, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. This is considered the first Canadian Thanksgiving. Other settlers arrived and continued these ceremonies. He was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him - Frobisher Bay.

At the same time, French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, also held huge feasts of thanks. They even formed 'The Order of Good Cheer' and gladly shared their food with their Indian neighbours.

After the Seven Year's War ended in 1763, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving.

During the American Revolution, Americans who remained loyal to England moved to Canada where they brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada. There are many similarities between the two Thanksgivings such as the cornucopia and the pumpkin pie.

Eventually in 1879, Parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday. Over the years many dates were used for Thanksgiving, the most popular was the 3rd Monday in October. After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11th occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day.

Finally, on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed...

"A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.

Our nieghbourhood.

2009-09-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

I found this on a local realtor's website so thought I'd post, to give you an idea of where we live.

Sooke Neighbourhood: East Sooke

Jutting out into the Sooke Basin and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the peninsula of East Sooke is often called "Nature's Gallery".

You're never far from nature in East Sooke. Funky cabins, modest homes on large lots, relatively affordable waterfront, mountaintop estates with stunning vistas, and the largest park in the region, it's all there in East Sooke.

While some of East Sooke is part of the District of Sooke, most of it is an unincorporated area administered by the Capital Regional District, much like Otter Point.

Many people move to East Sooke to get away from the urban centres of the south Island, yet still be within a half-hour's drive to 'civilization.' East Sooke is peaceful, quiet, and beautiful.

With a long coastline, East Sooke has the most affordable waterfront properties on southern Vancouver Island. Mostly fronting on Sooke Basin, many have protected deep water access, perfect for your very own dock. Easy access to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to set out on your sailing adventure or to experience world-class salmon and halibut fishing.

Even if you're not living on the waterfront, there is plenty of public access to the water from regional parks such as Roche Cove or East Sooke Park. Launch your canoe or kayak for a peaceful paddle on the Basin or an adventurous float on the Strait.

East Sooke is very hilly and rocky, and as such a level, useable acreage is rare, but they do come up from time to time. Some of the rocky mountain-top homes have the most stunning views you'll ever see.

There is plenty of undeveloped land in East Sooke for sale, including affordable waterfront, ocean and mountain view lots. Experienced local builders are available to help turn your dream home into a reality.

One big bonus of living in East Sooke is that much of it is protected for posterity as East Sooke Regional Park. Almost all of the south and western coastline of the East Sooke peninsula is part of the park, ensuring local residents and visitors alike can experience the splendour of the coast in its natural state. Many properties border the park, with public access to this huge area at different points. There are approximately 50km of hiking trails in the park, with the 10km rugged Coast Trail, and several switch-backing mountain trails leading to gorgeous vistas. East Sooke Park is so large that even when the parking lot is full, it's not hard to "get lost" for a day and feel like you're the only one in the park.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

2009-08-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Taken through the telescope, which explains the poor quality. But, I digress...

Can ANYONE identify this make of sailboat??? It was fairly large and was moving at a pretty good clip, against the wind. I'd say 60-80 feet long? I've not been able to find any info, but then again I'm not a sailor, just a land lubber with really good taste!

Home.

2009-08-14T22:52:00.001-07:00

Herr Family Reunion, going strong.

The Steaming Cup coffee shop in downtown Waukesha, our old hangout.

Lunch with Janet, Matt and Linda.

I've been home for a few days now, back from a quick 5-day trip to the US for a family reunion. I had the chance to see some friends and family but visits were just way too short.

Quick observations:
(oh, I was in the Milwaukee, WI area)

Road construction EVERYWHERE!!
A lot of traffic and I forgot how fast people there drive.
So many still do not use turn signals.
Shopping strip malls popping up everywhere.
Saw a lot of rural farmland turned into strip malls and industrial parks.
I realized how much I miss Target stores. (mental memo to make trips to Seattle for long weekends of shopping)
Could not believe what I was seeing on the News, with regard to the town hall meetings about healthcare reform!

I had a wonderful time at our family reunion. Some new faces showed up, finally, from a long-lost portion of the family. They are adding to the family tree and will sending me the updates.

I had lunches and dinners with friends, and I got lots of good hugs. Someone even told me my teeth were really white!

Of course I had questions about the Canadian health care system, to which I replied that so far we like it just fine. And I'm guessing that a much higher percentage of the Canadian population is insured when compared to the US. (wink)

I've settled back into my routine, which is fine with me. I even got a surprise at home when I was directed to some new additions to the garden that were acquired while I was away - Black Eyed Susans, in full bloom, in the lower yard!

Now THIS is a cruise!

2009-07-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

All for the discounted price of $46,695.00 US.

ITINERARY

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART
Wed Sep 9 Vancouver, BC, Canada 5:00pm
Thu Sep 10 At Sea
Fri Sep 11 Ketchikan, AK 7:00am 5:00pm
Sat Sep 12 Tracy Arm Fjord, AK (Cruising) 7:00am 10:00am
Sat Sep 12 Juneau, AK 1:00pm 11:00pm
Sun Sep 13 Skagway, AK 7:00am 5:00pm
Mon Sep 14 Sitka, AK 8:00am 4:00pm
Tue Sep 15 Hubbard Glacier, AK (Cruising) 7:00am 11:00am
Wed Sep 16 Anchorage (Seward), AK 5:00am 6:00pm
Thu Sep 17 Kodiak, AK 8:00am 4:00pm
Fri Sep 18 At Sea
Sat Sep 19 Dutch Harbor, AK 7:00am 1:00pm
Sun Sep 20 At Sea
Mon Sep 21 Crossing the International Date Line
Tue Sep 22 At Sea
Wed Sep 23 Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, Russia 9:00am 7:00pm
Thu Sep 24 At Sea
Fri Sep 25 At Sea
Sat Sep 26 Hakodate, Japan 7:00am 4:00pm
Sun Sep 27 Sendai, Japan 9:00am 3:00pm
Mon Sep 28 Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan 8:00am
Tue Sep 29 Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan 4:00pm
Wed Sep 30 Osaka, Japan 1:00pm
Thu Oct 1 Osaka, Japan 11:00pm
Fri Oct 2 At Sea
Sat Oct 3 Nagasaki, Japan 8:00am 11:00pm
Sun Oct 4 At Sea
Mon Oct 5 Inchon, South Korea 8:00am 6:00pm
Tue Oct 6 Dalian, China Noon 6:00pm
Wed Oct 7 Beijing (Tianjin), China 7:00am
Thu Oct 8 Beijing (Tianjin), China
Fri Oct 9 Beijing (Tianjin), China 6:00pm
Sat Oct 10 At Sea
Sun Oct 11 Shanghai, China Noon
Mon Oct 12 Shanghai, China
Tue Oct 13 Shanghai, China 6:00pm
Wed Oct 14 At Sea
Thu Oct 15 At Sea
Fri Oct 16 Hong Kong, China 8:00am
Sat Oct 17 Hong Kong, China 11:00pm
Sun Oct 18 At Sea
Mon Oct 19 Hanoi (Hong Gai), Vietnam 7:00am
Tue Oct 20 Hanoi (Hong Gai), Vietnam 2:00pm
Wed Oct 21 Chan May, Vietnam 8:00am 6:00pm
Thu Oct 22 At Sea
Fri Oct 23 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 8:30am
Sat Oct 24 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 4:00pm
Sun Oct 25 At Sea
Mon Oct 26 Ko Samui, Thailand 8:00am 5:00pm
Tue Oct 27 Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand8:00am
Wed Oct 28 Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand
Thu Oct 29 Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand 4:00pm
Fri Oct 30 At Sea
Sat Oct 31 Singapore 1:00pm
Sun Nov 1 Singapore 5:00pm
Mon Nov 2 At Sea
Tue Nov 3 Semarang, Indonesia 8:00am 5:00pm
Wed Nov 4 Bali, Indonesia 6:00pm
Thu Nov 5 Bali, Indonesia 6:00pm
Fri Nov 6 At Sea
Sat Nov 7 At Sea
Sun Nov 8 At Sea
Mon Nov 9 Perth (Fremantle), Australia 8:00am 5:30pm
Tue Nov 10 Albany, Australia 2:00pm 7:00pm
Wed Nov 11 At Sea
Thu Nov 12 At Sea
Fri Nov 13 Adelaide, Australia 8:00am 11:00pm
Sat Nov 14 At Sea
Sun Nov 15 Melbourne, Australia 8:00am 8:00pm
Mon Nov 16 At Sea
Tue Nov 17 Sydney, Australia 8:00am
Wed Nov 18 Sydney, Australia
Thu Nov 19 Sydney, Australia 6:00pm
Fri Nov 20 Eden, Australia 8:00am 6:00pm
Sat Nov 21 At Sea
Sun Nov 22 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 8:00am 7:00pm
Mon Nov 23 At Sea
Tue Nov 24 At Sea
Wed Nov 25 Milford Sound, New Zealand (Cruising)
Wed Nov 25 Doubtful Sound, New Zealand (Cruising)
Wed Nov 25 Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Cruising)
Thu Nov 26 Dunedin, New Zealand 8:00am 6:00pm
Fri Nov 27 Christchurch, New Zealand 8:00am 6:00pm
Sat Nov 28 Picton, New Zealand 8:00am 6:00pm
Sun Nov 29 Wellington, New Zealand 8:00am 6:00pm
Mon Nov 30 Napier, New Zealand 8:00am 2:00pm
Tue Dec 1 Tauranga, New Zealand 8:00am 6:00pm
Wed Dec 2 Auckland, New Zealand 8:00am 11:00pm
Thu Dec 3 Bay of Islands, New Zealand 8:00am 5:00pm
Fri Dec 4 At Sea
Sat Dec 5 At Sea
Sun Dec 6 Rarotonga, Cook Islands Noon 6:00pm
Mon Dec 7 At Sea
Tue Dec 8 Bora Bora, Society Islands 7:00am 11:00pm
Wed Dec 9 Moorea, Society Islands 8:00am
Thu Dec 10 Moorea, Society Islands 6:00pm
Thu Dec 10 Papeete, Tahiti 9:00pm
Fri Dec 11 Papeete, Tahiti 2:00pm
Sat Dec 12 At Sea
Sun Dec 13 Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands 9:00am 5:00pm
Mon Dec 14 At Sea
Tue Dec 15 At Sea
Wed Dec 16 At Sea
Thu Dec 17 At Sea
Fri Dec 18 At Sea
Sat Dec 19 At Sea
Sun Dec 20 Los Angeles, CA Disembark

SO glad I don't live in FL.

2009-07-26T13:01:00.001-07:00

Hot off the internet today...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Authorities said a bullet from a gun that was accidentally dropped injured a Tampa woman sitting in a bathroom stall. Police said the bullet hit 53-year-old Janifer Bliss in the lower left leg. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Bliss was sitting on the toilet in a hotel bathroom when a woman in the next stall accidentally let her handgun slip out of her waist holster. The weapon discharged when it hit the ground.

Police said the gun belonged to a 56-year-old woman who has a concealed weapons permit.

The case has been referred to the State Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges will be filed.

Excitement!

2009-07-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

I found out that our favorite pizza place from the US, Papa Murphy's, is opening a location in Langford, BC, right where we do our grocery shopping! It will be in a new mini strip mall along with Mark's Wearhouse and Best Buy. For those of you that may not know, Papa Murphy's is a 'take and bake' establishment, whereby you phone in your order, they assemble the pizza and YOU take it home and bake it fresh in the oven. There was one 5 minutes from our old house in the states and we would usually get their large gourmet veggie pizza with white garlic sauce, instead of tomato sauce. We could get a large for $10.99 but something tells me it may be more expensive here in Canada. Hopefully not. We can't wait for them to open!!

Recent happenings.

2009-07-10T22:26:00.001-07:00

Front of the house flying the BC and Canadian flags for Canada Day

Victoria Pride parade headed for the park at Fishermans Wharf.

Parade viewers atop a restaurant, tossing blow up dolls to the crowd.

Moonrise over the forest, as seen from our deck.

New hummingbird feeder with a visitor. Can you see him??

US nuclear aircraft carrier sailing past the house.

Hiking the Galloping Goose trail in Metchosin.

Frog stuck to the outside of the sidelight at our front door. He was gone in the morning.

TH

2009-07-09T22:55:00.000-07:00

Yup, got new sandals. First pair in my life, not counting flip-flops when I was a kid. Kinda strange having all that air whipping around open feet, but I like it.

Victoria Pride was a bit of a letdown. Maybe I am getting too old for that scene. We did meet up with some friends and it was great to see them. And it's always nice to get into the city.

Some tomatoes are turning red! Can't wait!!!

Caught the MJ memorial. I never was a huge fan but I do like the music, not so much the newer stuff tho, and I figured this is maybe a once-in-a-lifetime event so I recorded and watched later. It was interesting.

Would love to get to the all Cadillac show in Victoria this weekend. I'm not an Escalade fan but I do like the old classics.

Took the dog for a short walk tonight and on the way up the road to the house we spied a buck in the neighbor's yard, just standing in the bushes watching us. We paused a few moments and exchanged glances, then he was off, his fuzzy antlers disappearing into the greenery.

Trying to figure out how to bring in more money.

Bzzzzzzzzzzz..................

2009-07-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

First bee sting in my LIFE!

Ouch!

Fingernails hurt from gardening. Who knew?

No sunburn after 5+ hours outside.

Maybe on my legs. (no SPF there)

Grass is brown and brittle. No rain for 5+ weeks.

Even the weeds are stressing.

Gardens look fab, with daily watering.

Hey, I didn't put the gardens in, they came with the house.

50+ tomatoes in the greenhouse.

Quite a few HOT peppers too.

Getting psyched up for Pride Sunday. Might even get new sandals on the way into town.

Visit to the States is a month away! That is coming up FAST!

Tired.
Feet hurt.
Fingernails hurt.
Freshly showered and feeling relaxed.
Off to bed.

Ahoy!

2009-07-01T22:28:00.001-07:00

Seen cruising past our house today, heading out to sea. USS John C Stennis, nuclear supercarrier.

Happy Canada Day. (July 1)

2009-06-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone???

2009-06-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I posted on here!

We've been keeping very busy in the yard at home. We've moved a few more things around, gotten rid of some dead stuff and added more to the yard. We have at least 50 tomatoes in the greenhouse (little green ones), the hot peppers are taking off and there are a few that are almost an inch long! I transplanted the watermelon plants and we can almost stand and see them grow right before our eyes! The strawberry plants I salvaged from the front garden have given us about 10 berries (!), which are pretty small, but WOW do they taste good! I can't wait for NEXT year's crop!

We finally got off our butts and took the dog on a 5 kilometre hike Sunday, on the Galloping Goose regional trail, then SURPRISE came home and did more work in the yard!

I was watering some shrubs today (no rain to amount to anything in five weeks) and one of the hummingbirds from our yard decided to take a 'bath' in the stream of water I was projecting from the hose! I never knew they would do something like that and I just froze and stood there and watched as it hovered just above the water stream and occasionally dipped down into the water. It was very cool to watch, and I even have a witness if any of you don't believe me.

Work is just fine. We seem to be bucking the trend and are increasing readership, which is good for job security. Two people I know work for AIG in the US and I found out one is done in September and the other in November. They are a married couple and recently purchased a home so I really feel bad for the uncertainty that must be oozing into their lives.

Part of the reason I am not posting so much is that I am on Facebook and seem to spend a bit too much of my online time there. It's great for connecting with friends and family, not quite as 'teen' as My Space, and I even located a few names from my past on there.

It's been somewhat on the cool side here, aside from a few days in the low 90's a few weeks ago, but I am hopeful that with the turning of the calendar to July temps will start to rise. The weatherman said by later this week we'll be in the C20's/F70's so hope springs eternal.

All is well with our health, and with the dog and cat. I hope this finds all of you out there well also.

Recent Happenings.

2009-05-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

Gee, it's been a while since I posted anything, something I just realized today. We've been busy with the house and yard and getting ready for guests, who are leaving Monday after a 10 day visit, so that is why I have been a bit neglectful here.

Both of us have been sick and I think we are just about done with that. I doubt it was the H1N1 virus, seems more like some kind of cold bug that is going around, so no worries on our part.
We've been working in the yard a LOT, tending to crops in the greenhouse and just general day to day things that one does to make life easy and fulfilling. I've discovered how wonderful BC grown seedless cucumbers are! They are grown mostly on the mainland, in the Fraser River Valley, by outfits that literally have acres under glass, allowing them to grow year 'round! Also grown this way are tomatoes and peppers but I have yet to try those. I am using the growers as my inspiration for producing a crop in our own greenhouse. I am looking forward to the upcoming strawberry season here on southern Vancouver Island. There are loads of farms on the Saanitch peninsula where you can either pick your own or just visit the farm stands. Working for a farming magazine is giving me access to loads of information and resources with regard to area growers and even growing our own veggies.
Our Spring is about 3-4 weeks behind schedule but this past weekend sure was weather that we really couldn't improve upon - sunny and temps around 20C/68F. Simply gorgeous! Today, Sunday, was the first day that I saw the whale watching boats off shore from the house. There were whales there but there was so much haze on the water today that all I could see through the telescope were big splashes when they would breach. Oh well.

Below are some pics from recent outings. Enjoy.

Up close and personal with one of five Llamas that belong to our friends Kenny and Anita. These critters sure are friendly and inquisitive. And they are good warning devices when Cougars are in the vicinity!

Northeast view, toward Vancouver, from the top of Mount Doug in Victoria. Spectacular views in all directions, and it is FREE!

Finnerty Gardens at the University of Victoria. No admission but you have to pay a couple of dollars to park Mon-Sat.

Exploring the new boardwalk in Sooke, BC. This is just across the harbor from us but we have to drive 25 minutes around the harbor to get there!

Dreamin'....

2009-04-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Here I go again, dreaming of cars. Or should I say vehicles, because the Carver One is quite difficult to describe. Three wheels. Front part corners like a motorcycle while the back wheels stay planted to the pavement!

Top shot is a Fiat 500.

I'll take either one of these, but of course neither is available in Canada. Yet.

Whew!

2009-04-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

That was a close one!!!
Among all the things I am getting done today is LAUNDRY! The washer has been making funny noises for a couple of years now (don't laugh - it still works) and tonight it died. Or so I thought. I was in the next room when I sensed something not quite right. Too quiet - didn't hear the cycle finish - then heard a 'click' followed by a hummmmm. Opened the top- dead still with towels in sudsy water. Then noticed a burning smell in the area! I figured the motor finally burned out. Talked to the other half on the phone and resigned ourselves to the fact that we are appliance shopping this weekend, after I call and price shop, seeing that we are at least 30 minutes from a store. WELL, after a half hour I plugged it back in and away it went, continuing from where it had stopped. WHEW! Seems to be working fine now and burning smell is gone.

Also watered the new seedlings and plants tonight, did the dishes, made a pretty good crab pasta salad for dinner, played with the dog and watched a bit of TV. Oh yeah, was online too.

Getting psyched for lots of visitors in May - yippee!!!!

You MUST watch this - Susan Boyle!!!

2009-04-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

Get the tissues, click on the link below, sit back and be wowed!

In a world full of bad news and negativity please take a few moments to share in this good news and positiveness. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I wasn't.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OcQ9A-5noM

Din din

2009-04-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

East Coast Crab Cakes.

Mashed potatoes flavored with mayo, Parmesan and chipotle.

Steamed cauliflower.

Now, what do I make on Wednesday???

Hmmm...not sure what to say to this one.

2009-04-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

Swedish church unveils Lego Jesus model for Easter

Sun Apr 12, 11:49 AM

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - While most Christians mark Easter with prayers and song, one Swedish church opened its mass Sunday by unveiling a life-size Lego statue of Jesus Christ, its pastor told AFP.

Churchgoers had donated nearly 30,000 Lego bricks to build the 1.78 metre (5.8 foot) high statue, said Per Wilder, the pastor of the Oensta Gryta Church in Vaesteras, about 110 kilometres (70 miles) west of Stockholm.

"This work began a year and a half ago so we saw that the initiation date was fitting in well (with this year's Easter holiday)," Wilder said.

"It is a fantastic installation and it will be there as long as we think it is in a good spot," he said.

"All those I spoke with were full of praise, saying how fantastic the model looks and how much good work we put into this," Wilder said.

The model was based on Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsens's 19th century work Christus, which depicts the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Wilder said the statue would remain permanently at the church and there were no plans to sell it

Spring plantings.

2009-04-10T22:56:00.001-07:00

Gorgeous Azalea by the front door, with a contorted Witch Hazel behind it.

Unbelievably huge Lenten Rose in the shade garden at the front of the house.

Avacado tree started from a pit. If grade school kids can do it, so can I.

Front row:Green Peppers-Early California Wonder. Back row: Tomato - Sub Arctic Plenty.

Left row: Tomato-Big Beef Hybrid. Right row: Pepper-Super Chili.

We also moved one rose bush to a sunnier location and relocated two Leather Leaf Viburnum to a shadier spot. California Poppies that we planted weeks ago are finally starting to come up, now that we have had weather that is a bit warmer. I read that the plants here this Spring are about 3 to 4 weeks behind schedule.

More updates as things happen.

In a lusty mood.

2009-04-07T20:08:00.001-07:00

2010 Nissan 370Z

Mercedes Benz 250SL

Those of you that know me should not be surprised. I could Live/Sleep/Talk cars 24/7! With the warm Spring weather upon us, and winding coastal roads at our doorstep, somehow a sunroof just doesn't quite give me the full effect. If I had my druthers I would have one of these two in my garage for days like today on the Island. With most of my hair gone I don't have to worry about the wind messing anything up, just make sure I have applied the SPF 50.

Digest THIS!

2009-04-05T23:05:00.001-07:00

The English Language!

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England ..
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends
and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns
down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IF PEOPLE FROM POLAND ARE CALLED POLES THEN

PEOPLE FROM HOLLAND SHOULD BE HOLES AND THE GERMANS, GERMS.

Spring has sprung!

2009-04-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

We finally had a really ideal Spring day on the weekend so we took advantage and did some gardening. Below are some existing and new plants in various gardens around the yard. Not pictured are 6 Ceanothus (California Lilac) that we recently added as well as a few Stonecrop to little nooks and crannies in a large rock retaining wall that separates the upper gardens and house from the lower as yet untamed area of the yard. We also have seedlings started of tomato (2 varieties), green pepper, hot pepper, yellow Cosmos, Rudbeckia, Giant Sunflower and Malva Zebrina. The seedlings will soon be relocated from the house to the greenhouse, once we get the tables back in. It's a lot of work but I am loving it!! And it seems overnight the area garden centers have just exploded with stock, and they don't even have the hot weather annuals yet!

Fern-leaf Cypress, to go into a cobalt blue pot.

New Golden Bamboo added to the yard.

Front garden showing some of the remaining Winter colors.

Small alpine plant smothered in blooms in the rock garden.

Daffodils and Pieris blooming in the front garden.

Your vacation destination!

2009-03-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Why you should make Canada your next vacation destination!

Canada vacations can provide some of the most enjoyable breaks from work. Especially if you’re in a warm country, the colder climate can make a nice change for once and as a vacation destination Canada can really deliver. The way the world is with so many countries at war, the socially indifferent and politically free Canadians can be a very welcoming community. And Canada has so much to offer, what with all its history, places to visit, cultural activities and sport activities such as White water rafting. Then there’s its spectacular countryside offering all kinds of activities for all.

So where could you visit during your vacation in Canada?

There are so many great places in Canada to visit, that you’d have to make a number of trips just to see the most interesting parts. Canada is the second biggest country in the entire world after all, from Alberta to Quebec to Ontario to British Columbia, there is plenty to see. Then add to that Manitoba, Vancouver Island, and Newfoundland (not actually a part of Canada, but very close by). Probable the first places on your list to visit should be the best known internationally tourist attractions; the incredible Niagara Falls, the equally grand Jasper National Park and the spectacular Banff National Park.

Ok, so what activities will you be able to participate in while in Canada?

Obviously hiking in such a grand environment would be spectacular, but if you’re one of those people who need a little more action you definitely won’t be disappointed. Some of the best locations for white water rafting can be found here and then there are other water sports such as kayaking and boating to consider. One of the best places to participate in these activities would be the longest river in Canada, the Mackenzie, which begins in the Northwest Territories and eventually ends at the Hudson Bay.

If water sport isn’t for you, you could always visit some of the wilder regions where fishing and hunting activities bring in an abundance of pro and non pro sportsmen. And you could also go and see a hockey game at one of the most well known Canadian hockey Stadiums. Then there’s the French Canadian cuisine, you just have to try some of the specialties like the gallettes, the maple syrup and galumpkies.

If all this doesn’t interest you, why not consider actually getting away from all the tourist attractions and sporting activities and take a closer look at the Canadian culture. Meet the people, participate in their cultural activities, take a look into their history (interestingly free from international trouble). This is something few tourist actually do, but it is the only way to really get to know a country and its culture.

Whether it’s just the pure beauty of the Canadian wilderness that interests you or it’s the pure adrenalin you seek from speeding down a river in a raft or the challenge of climbing Canada’s highest mountain situated in the Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson, in British Columbia, Canada has something to offer all of us. The only question is will you let the opportunity pass you by?

Canada's 5 stunning parks!

2009-03-30T18:07:00.001-07:00

Canada’s 5 most stunning national parks

Think ‘Canadian national park’ and it conjures images of untouched wilderness, breathtaking natural beauty and tranquillity. The National Geographic Sustainable Destinations Resource Centre recently conducted a survey of 55 national parks in the US and Canada. Six of the survey’s top 16 parks were in Canada, a fact that probably owes a lot to Canada’s conservationist approach to its parks. Canada’s national parks number 42 in total. Each park preserves a place of outstanding natural beauty, unique geographical features or historical significance – and sometimes all three. Here are five of the most stunning of Canada’s national parks.

Gwaii Haanas National Park, British Columbia
Gwaii Haanas National Park was voted Best National Park by National Geographic after looking at over 50 National Parks in Canada and the United States, despite being one of the lesser known parks in Canada. Located in the southern Queen Charlotte Islands off the central coast of BC, the park is isolated – and surrounded by communities concerned with preserving their cultural integrity.

The 640-kilometre stretch of rugged coastline is true wilderness at its best and the park is visited by only about 3,000 people per year, who all have to get there by boat or float plane. The huge park encompasses Moresby and 137 smaller islands at the southern end of the Charlottes. The park had been referred to as ‘the Galapagos of the north’ due to its abundant flora and fauna. Gwaii Haanas provides the chance to experience nature in its most barren and unspoilt form. If you take out a kayak, you can paddle for hours without seeing another human being.

Banff National Park, Alberta
Canada’s oldest national park started with three explorers poking around the Rockies. They didn’t find gold, just a steaming, sulphurous hot spring, but the protection of that discovery, in 1885, led to the creation of a park of jagged snow-capped mountains, broad U-shaped valleys, turquoise lakes, rich forests, and meandering rivers.

More than four million visitors pay their respects every year, and with some of the world’s best hiking and skiing, Banff is by far the best known and most popular park in the Rockies. With 25 mountains 300 metres high or higher Banff is world famous for climbing, though most visitors come just to view the astonishing scenery.

The park is renowned for its elk, which were once so prolific that park staffers were issued slingshots in an effort to persuade them to move out of town. Grizzlies, meanwhile, hang out in the mountains, stuffing themselves in summer with up to 100,000 buffalo berries each day.

Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario
Located at the tip of the Bruce peninsula, on the Niagara Escarpment of Ontario, the park is popular with campers, hikers and bird watchers. On its west side, the park slips gently into bogs, beaches, and Lake Huron. On its east side, cliffs plunge into the clear waters of Georgian Bay.

More than 300 species of birds migrate through this peninsula. The massasauga rattlesnake is an elusive resident, and beware of the black bears that make unwelcome appearances when campers leave food lying around. Southern Ontario’s best-loved footpath is the Bruce Trail; it’s most rugged and spectacular stretch runs through the National Park between Dyer’s Bay and Tobermory.

Mauricie National Park, Quebec
Quebec’s most frequented park is located midway between the province’s two largest cities, Quebec City and Montreal, and is 50 kilometres north of the St Lawrence River. Mauricie National Park encompasses 544 square kilometres in the heart of the Quebec Laurentians. Its landscape is a vast rolling plateau broken by numerous lakes and rounded hills and etched by waterfalls, streams and narrow valleys.

If you want to visit a national park for the wildlife then this is probably your best bet as wildlife is abundant here. The park provides habitats for over 40 species of mammals: the moose, black bear, beaver, red fox, wolf, coyote, red squirrel and snowshoe hare are just some of the most widely spotted, while raccoon, porcupine, woodchuck and smaller rodents are more elusive. Over 180 species of birds have been spotted although only the osprey and the hawk are commonly seen.

The numerous lakes and streams are home to ducks, salamanders, frogs and turtles which are unexpected so far north. The southern sugar maple, yellow birch, beech trees, and red spruce add to the parks kaleidoscopic beauty.

Auyuittuq National Park, Nunavut
Auyuittuq National Park is one of Canada’s last wilderness paradises. Hikers, climbers and campers who visit this northern park do not find manicured campsites and hot showers. Instead, they encounter challenge, solitude, and the breathtaking grandeur of this remote arctic landscape. ‘Auyuittuq’ is Inuit for ‘the land that never melts’: A better name could not be found. Auyuittuq is home to the Penny Ice Cap, a 6,000- square-kilometre expanse of ice that is one of the few remaining remnants of the most recent ice age.

Protecting a pristine part of the eastern Arctic, Auyuittuq National Park Reserve, is located on Baffin Island’s Cumberland Peninsula, about 2,400 kilometres from Montreal. Its 19,707 square kilometres lies almost entirely within the Arctic Circle and the park’s landscape has been entirely glacier-formed. The harsh variable climate, only briefly moderated during the long days of summer, sustains a limited number of plant and animal species. The glaciers flow down into the surrounding treeless valleys, where they melt into swift rivers that rush over the rocks.

This powerful landscape reflects the Inuit belief that time is infinite and unending. Whether you climb Auyuittuq’s mountains, ski on its icefields or backpack through the Akshayuk Pass, it is a great spot to experience the magic of the Arctic.

The Irish Castaway

2009-03-30T17:40:00.001-07:00

One day an Irishman, who had been stranded on a deserted island for over 10 years, saw a speck on the horizon. He thought to himself, 'It's certainly not a ship.' As the speck got closer and closer, he began to rule out even the possibilities of a small boat or a raft.

Suddenly there strode from the surf a figure clad in a black wet suit. Putting aside the scuba tanks and mask and zipping down the top of the wet suit stood a drop-dead gorgeous blonde! She walked up to the stunned Irishman and said to him, 'Tell me, how long has it been since you've had a good cigar?'

'Ten years,' replied the amazed Irishman. With that, she reached over and unzipped a waterproof pocket on the left sleeve of her wetsuit and pulled out a fresh package of cigars and a lighter. He took a cigar, slowly lit it, and took a long drag. 'Faith and begorrah,' said the castaway, 'that is so good! I'd almost forgotten how great a smoke can be !'

'And how long has it been since you've had a drop of good Powers Irish Whiskey?' asked the blonde.

Trembling, the castaway replied, 'Ten years.' Hearing that, the blonde reached over to her right sleeve, unzipped a pocket there and removed a flask and handed it to him. He opened the flask and took a long drink. 'Tis nectar of the gods!' shouted the Irishman. ' 'Tis truly fantastic!!!'

At this point the gorgeous blonde started to slowly unzip the long front of her wet suit, right down the middle. She looked at the trembling man and asked, 'And how long has it been since you played around?'

With tears in his eyes, the Irishman fell to his knees and sobbed, 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Don't tell me that you've got golf clubs in there too?'

Busy weekend!

2009-03-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Looking down onto a stream from the Galloping Goose Trail.

A view down the trail.

A view from the trail across Sooke Basin. We live WAY around the bend to the left.

Holy crap! Did we ever get a lot accomplished this weekend. Must be the wonderful Spring weather.

Saturday was kinda cool ad drizzly so we grocery shopped, hit the hardware store and then a garden center. Gardenworks, on Island Highway, is a fantastic place to browse and fantasize about your yard and how wonderful it would look with so many of the great plants they have there. It is a bit pricey, especially their pots, but after visiting a couple of other places we decided you kinda get what you pay for. We picked up 3 gallon-size Ceanothus 'Victoria' to plant on our hillside down from the house. This plant is also known as California Lilac and they have loads of blue lilac-type flowers in early summer, which the bees/butterflies/hummingbirds just love. They eventually will get to about 8 feet high and almost as wide. We already have three large ones in the upper garden and we really like them so we thought we'd add more. The planting turned out so well that we decided to go back and get another set of three. Also on our plant list is Golden Bamboo, for special corner of the yard.

Sunday was planting day, gorgeous sunshine and just right temps for working outside. First though we took a 1 1/2 hour hike along the Galloping Goose Trail. VERY peaceful and beautiful scenery. We made ourselves a promise to do much more exploring this summer.

All in all a great weekend and we managed to get some exercise in too!

Carefully choose where in Canada to live.

2009-03-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

This story, hot off the press! (Prince George is roughly in the center of mainland BC, a bit too remote for this city boy)
Do your research as Canada is very wild in most places. We live in a somewhat rural area of south Vancouver Island and wildlife is all around. We have not seen bear or cougar but we know they are in the neighborhood. One just has to be aware and take the proper precautions.

An adult Moose can weigh 1,000 pounds and stand 6 feet at the shoulders! That is 453.6 kg in weight and standing 1.83 metres high!

By The Canadian Press

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - Don't get a moose mad - that's what one family learned after trying to scare a moose away from their home near Prince George, B.C.

The family was using an air horn to scare the animal when the moose charged the home's front door.

The family took a video of the incident, which shows the moose tramping around in the snow outside the house before running at the door, which the owners slam shut at the last moment.

Conservation officers say the moose was probably upset by the family's barking dog and the air horn.

No one was hurt and conservation officers say anyone encountering a wandering moose should just leave the animal alone and give it plenty of space.

Will Canada ride out the storm better than others?

2009-03-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Recovering car sales boost Canada retail sales
Fri Mar 20, 8:40 AM

OTTAWA (Reuters) - An unusual rise in new car purchases helped spur Canadian retail sales to their first increase since September, a greater-than-expected 1.9 percent, according to Statistics Canada data released on Friday.

The seasonally adjusted increase, the largest since July 2006, was a rare bright statistic after disappointing data for wholesale sales, manufacturing, foreign trade, employment and gross domestic product.

It followed a 5.2 percent decline in retail sales in December, the largest drop in over 15 years. The value of sales at new car dealers rose 6.4 percent in January after December's 15.1 percent decline.

The automotive sector as a whole, including gasoline, rose by 3.8 percent; excluding vehicles and parts, retail sales rose by 1.3 percent. A Reuters survey of analysts had predicted a 1.0 percent rise in retail sales and 0.3 percent excluding autos.

In a separate release, Statistics Canada said the number of new motor vehicle sold rose by 5.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted 119,231 units in January. In unadjusted terms, the number actually fell to 78,812 from December's 97,164.

Nebraska auto theft update!

2009-03-12T18:15:00.001-07:00

Police make 3 arrests in Neb. missing-car case

By JOSH FUNK, Associated Press Writer Josh Funk, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 18 mins ago

OMAHA, Neb. – Police have arrested three executives from a troubled western Nebraska car dealership where 81 vehicles worth roughly $2.5 million — as well as the executives themselves — vanished in recent days.

Legacy Auto Sales owner Allen Patch, 52, and controller Rachel Fait, 37, were arrested separately in Tooele County, Utah, and were being held Thursday at the county jail. The dealership's 53-year-old general manager, Rick Covello, was driving one of the missing vehicles when he turned himself in to Scottsbluff police Thursday morning, Capt. Kevin Spencer said.

An arrest warrant affidavit said Fait may have embezzled more than $46,000 from the dealership in Scottsbluff, a western Nebraska town. The three were wanted on suspicion of theft.

Happiness

2009-03-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

Sunshine +
Mountain views across the water +
Warmer temps +
Pine cones everywhere +
Daffodils +
Lambs in the field +
Employed +
Spring =

HAPPINESS!