Looking for gold...

It’s no surprise to see a diamond-drilling rig at work in a mining town. This one is set up behind our office, about ten metres away from the hiking trail. This diamond-drill is searching for gold. It’s called a diamond drill because it uses a diamond studded drill bit that drills a hollow tube about two inches wide and a mile deep, into the rock. The driller then hauls the drill tubes up, twenty feet at a time, containing core samples that tell where the gold is hidden.
The drill cores are stored flat in these wooden boxes which will be shipped off the lab where they'll be studied to see how much gold there is down the hole.

Take Mother in Law for a ride eh

Okay I am not making this up… some guys call this the “mother in law” sled. I was out on the trails Sunday and saw this cool set-up. It’s all enclosed and it’s a good way to bring youngsters along for a day of sledding.

Grrreat neighbors

It's happened twice now. I've been out and about lately. And when I get home after a snowstorm, my driveway is clean and clear. So thank you to the good neighbor or neighbors who have been so helpful.

Neil living in Van-groovy.

Got an email from Neil, my fave son. He is now living in Vancouver. I guess the fresh air of Jasper was too good eh. Oh well -- always good to try new things. Sources tell me he even shaved his beard, trimmed the sideburns and got a haircut. I guess it all goes with the new job at the Steamworks. It's all good eh. Hmmm... I must be getting old. I just realized it has been 35 years since I hung out in Gastown.

I still like wine -- despite the tax grabbin' bastards.

So here is a photo of my new wine opener. It was a gift from Claudette. I have to admit this is the best and easiest corkscrew I have ever used. It's so easy that even a man can do it right. It’s even easier than a Swiss Army Knife. I like wine, but the Ontario government has instituted an annoying bottle return program. The LCBO now charges 20-cents extra for each wine bottle to entice you to return the empty. But here’s the dumb part. You have to bring the empty bottles to the beer store, not the liquor store. Not everyone drinks beer ( did I really say that in Timmins?). It’s not very environmental when you consider the extra driving required to go to the beer store to return a 20-cent wine bottle. I know I won’t do that. McGuinty’s lying liberals say the program will divert 80-million bottles from landfill sites. Oh please, …. put a cork in it willya!

Another camera

I added a new “old camera” to my collection this past week. I found a very nice Nikkormat FTn on Ebay so I put in a bid and got it a great price. The Nikkormat was my very first ‘professional’ camera. I bought one in 1974, but sold it a few years later. After going full digital for the past few years, I guess I will enjoy using a fully manual film camera. The Nikkormat allows for all manual functions and lets the photographer take the picture. It also works perfectly in any weather, with or without batteries.

Snowmobile adventure

We had a full house last night when Scott arrived with buddies Richie and Al to get a headstart on some good snowmobiling. The guys were up early this morning to make sure their machines would start okay. It was minus 30 last night. It was all good. They’re heading north to the Abitibi Canyon for some extreme riding. Happy trails guys!

Free stuff

Sometimes good things are indeed Free. I found that out with a note from PC World Magazine about a free download that catches spy programs trying to get onto your computer. It’s called Zone Alarm and it actually works. It stops those annoying pop ups and other worm programs that try to sneak in when you’re on the internet. It even stops Microsoft from trying to get in with updates! I have installed Zone Alarm on all three of my computers. Try out the free download for yourself. If I find any glitches, I will post a note here.

It's Flag Day.

Happy Flag Day. This is one of those nice holidays where you don't have to buy cards or gifts or get caught up in the big marketing thing. Just smile and enjoy the fact the Canadian flag still means freedom and the good life. I checked the official Government of Canada webpage at 9 AM today and there was no mention of flag day ... oh well.

Real Hockey

There were at least a couple of good hockey games on the weekend. Jennifer and Scott went to the Toronto Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre. Tickets were more than $125 apiece! I guess the game was worth it. There was great action, a good fight, they saw Sid Crosby and the game had an overtime goal. Of course, the Leafs lost. I also had the chance to watch hockey this weekend. I took this photo of a bunch of kids at the Eighth Avenue playground rink in Timmins. It was about minus 30 and they were having a great time. As I stood there watching, I realized this is real Canadian hockey. Oh by the way, this is the same playground rink where Bashing Bill Barilko used to play when he was a kid. Leaf fans will know that name. Bill Barilko was around when the Leafs played great hockey.

Porcupine Lake

Had some fun on the weekend. We drove over to South Porcupine where is was sunny and freezing cold. It was a great day for a drive so we drove out on the lake for a nice spin. We even surprised a couple of snowmobilers who pulled up alongside while we were driving. The ice was thick and the snow crust was easily hard enough to support the truck.

Tipping

I was visiting a restaurant in the US recently when the waitress noticed me. “Oh the Canadian guys are back…” she snickered. I should mention this was a biker bar and rib joint that had excellent food, great music, good beer and waitresses with attitude. She said “ hey what’s the difference between a canoe and a Canadian?” I shrugged. She said “Canoes tip” Recently I had a good discussion with a friend after the kid at the gas station filled up the car while the weather was close to minus 40. “Did you give the guy a tip?” I asked. The answer was No. So I figure we Canadians need some advice on tipping. I feel mildly qualified, especially since I have worked as a waiter-bartender. So have my kids. I try not to tell people how much to tip, but I feel there are several categories of hard working people who provide service, often good service, and deserve a little extra recognition. They are: Tim Horton’s staff, gas station jockeys, table waiters, bartenders, hair stylists, hotel porters, taxi drivers, hotel shuttle drivers, casino blackjack dealers, hotel chambermaids and even the kid at the supermarket who pushes the cart and puts the groceries in your car.

Watching TV

It's not something I normally do... but I watched TV yesterday. The Superbowl Game was on and I had a connection for some free nachos... so I caved and watched TV. Living in Canada, we don't get to see the best part of Superbowl; the commercials. Today I found the website that features all the best commercials... check it out and enjoy. http://sports.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads . My favorite is the guy with the comb-over.

Welcome to February

Have you ever noticed how many people say Feb-YOU-ary? This is my rant today. How difficult is it to say Feb-ROO-ary? It’s really annoying when broadcasters, people who should know how to speak, can’t manage to pronounce such a simple little word. Lazy or what! If they can’t manage to say February correctly, how can you possibly put any stock in what they have to say. Maybe they should spend some time in the lye-berry reading up on how to speak eh.

Winter Evenings

One of the best parts of the day is a walk at night. Especially in winter. I was walking home tonight, taking a shortcut over CFCL Hill, when I stopped to admire the tree in front of the TV station -- very nice and peaceful. It's fun to remember that for nearly 45 years there was a news broadcast from this old building at 11:30 every night. Too bad they shut down the local newsroom and moved it all down south eh. There is a small handful of employees left who do a good job of news, tech support and commercial production ... but the place seems to have lost its hometown flavour.

Winter Tree

Winter trees always look so lost and lonely. Just standing there waiting for spring.

Golf and gold...

Only in Timmins, I believe, would it be considered normal for a diamond-drilling rig to be on the golf course. This rig is searching for gold. I snapped this shot this afternoon after hearing about the fuss on CBC Radio's As It Happens. Citizens near Ottawa were upset after discovering they only had surface rights on their property. They found out when some prospectors staked mining claims on their land. Claim-staking is the norm in Timmins. I've seen diamond drills in the park downtown, in a grocery store parking lot and even drilling through the ice at the Gillies Lake Conservation Area.

Great Day for Snowshoeing

Finally had a beautiful sunny day to get out into the bush after lunch for some hiking and snow shoeing with Claudette. We did more hiking than expected since I lost track of the trail by Hersey Lake (fresh snow eh). But luckily with a compass and common sense we found our way back. We even found a claim post and took advantage of a cross country ski trail ( boy, will they be upset when they see our tracks on their nice little ski trail!). It was about minus 35 with the wind chill, but with about an hour and a half of hiking we stayed amazingly warm.

Talking Squirrel ...

If you ever want to hear a squirrel chatter, just show up at the precise moment it is stealing seeds from the bird feeder. I was walking in the bush Sunday, checking the feeders, when I interrupted this noisy fellow. He was so upset he kept chattering for a good five minutes. I actually got a nice of photo of him with his mouth open!

This is different ...

Driving home from work this afternoon when i noticed a fellow moving very quickly over the ice on Gillies Lake... then i noticed how he did it. He was on a snowboard and harnessed up to a para-sail ( i think that's what they call it!) that whipped him over the ice very nicely. Being a the geeky fellow that I am, I pulled off the road to snap this photo. Oh by the way... got home from the U.S. on Wednesday. I gotta find some time this weekend to buy a surprise belated-birthday card for my favorite little sister. I can't say her age of course... but she was born at a time when the Toronto Maple Leafs were Stanley Cup Champions! Yes, yes it's true... I remember seeing it on black and white TV!

Holy Mackinaw...

Crossed over the Mackinaw Bridge Thursday...it connects the two parts of Michigan together... it's one of the highest bridges in North America and this year, it is half a century old! I get a kick driving over it... but if the weather is bad, they close the bridge and it's the only quick way back home to Canada. I was in a blizzard two years ago and got over the bridge just before midnight when it was closed for eight hours because of zero visibility.

On the road again...

Heading south again, this time to Detroit for the Ultimate Fishing Show. Currently sitting in Sault Ste. Marie where winter has finally arrived with some snow squalls and cold temps. There is snow across most of Northern Ontario, but still not enough for really great snowmobiling. That doesn't stop the hardcore riders though. As I drove south from Timmins this morning I noticed that most of the lakes were frozen and there were sled tracks everywhere. Time to head out and grab supper. I get tired of restaurant food. I guess I got spoiled having tea and raspberry pie at Claudette's place.

Shoot the moon...

Was out walking Wednesday night when I noticed how bright the moon was. I tried to snap a photo ... but I didn't have a tripod with me to keep the cam steady. The shot is blurry. I will do better next time. Weather is still a bit wacky. We have snow but the daytime temps are above zero. Can't wait for the really cold weather so I can start hiking in the bush again. Right now the trails are still too mushy and slushy.

A good day to end the year.

It was a nice day. There was a pretty frost over Timmins this morning. I had a pleasant hike through the forest to grab some photos of frost on the pine needles. This afternoon, my younger brother and I hooked up with a nice phone chat from his latest location, which is the west coast of Canada. Ronald (army guy) and the kids are out by Canadian Forces Base Comox in BC. But Ron’s darling wife Loni (air force gal) isn’t home these days. Loni is back in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It’s her second deployment in the past year. My cousin Glen is back over there as well. He was home for a bit but was back overseas for Christmas. I wish them both good health and Godspeed in 2007.

The kids are fine.

It was great to spend a few days with Jennifer and her family. Of course, Neil was there too. My kids are the coolest. I caught this photo of them heading out the door the other night to grab some Tim Horton's coffee. Neil was all smiles in his new toque. Jennifer looked real spiffy in her new jammies and booties just before jumping in the truck. It's gotta be a Canadian thing eh.

Merry Xmas - Happy Boxing Day

Haven't been blogging for a few days. Got ready for Christmas. Spending lots of time with friends and family. Last minute shopping at the mall on the weekend was one big social event meeting all the people I haven't seen in months. Neil and I went to Sudbury on Christmas Day to have dinner with Jennifer and her family. All is good. Except that there is just not enough snow anywhere. Still in the holiday mood. Coffee and Bailey's at 9:30 AM is a good thing. TTYL.

White Christmas on the way?

Timmins has the best chance of getting a white Christmas over most cities in Canada according to a news report in the Toronto Star. The report, which quotes Enviro Canada weather guru David Phillips, says there are only a handful of cities in Canada likely to have a white Christmas. Of those cities, Timmins has the best chance.. with a probability of 52 percent. Sure hope he's right.

Winter is trying to happen...

Snapped a photo of these trees by Pearl Lake at lunchtime. It looks cold and wintry, but actually it was sunny and one degree Celcius... just above freezing. But the picture sure looked interesting. We are just two days away from the official first day of Winter. (click the pic to see the full size)

Xmas is correct ... if you think about it.

Was out shopping last night with Neil. It was good except that we both know too many people, so shopping becomes a social event of stopping and well-wishing. Then we went to Casey's for beer, burger, bowl of soup and bruschetta bread. There are a lot of Xmas signs around these days. Some people find them upsetting because they see the X as removing the Christ from Christmas. But if you look at things in the historical perspective, it's not so bad. X is the Greek letter chi (pronounced ki) and is the accepted ancient Greek letter for "Christ". There is also the suggestion that the letter X is in itself the sign of the cross, thus another accepted symbol for Christ. Also, it was common for Christian monks in the 16th century to write Xmas instead of Christmas in their letters and tapestries.

Nature's Velcro

Took a quick walk in the bush today. December is way too mild and all the snow is melting. I did notice lots of tiny plants... including these burrs. Even in winter the common burdock waits for the hiker to hitch a ride. Watch where you walk... they'll stick to your jeans even in freezing weather. When you look at the tiny hooks, they're just like Velcro. Or is it the other way around...?

Birthdays!

Jennifer has a birthday today. She says she "doesn't do birthdays anymore" but I can tell ya she is somewhere north of 30 ... but south of 35. It's all good. And I forgot to mention it earlier... but my favorite big brother Gary had a birthday last week. I know Gary is a bit north of 50, but that's all good, because he is a cool guy. My friend Claudette also had a birthday last week. She is the same age as moi! So you know she is still young! : )

Don't try this at home!

Who would’ve thunk it? I took the battery off my drowned cellphone Saturday to let it dry, figuring I might be able to use the battery when I buy a new cell phone. I came back home the next day and found the battery and phone all dried out… so whattyaknow, I installed the battery. And the phone came back to life!! The day and date stuff wasn’t working, but what the heck… the rest of the phone works! Washable cell phones… Cool eh.

Can ya hear me now!

Every now and then it's fun to find a five dollar bill in the bottom of the washing machine. I got home tonight and was doing laundry when i found something else... Oh well... maybe I will save five dollars worth of cellphone calls eh. I really liked that phone. It had my initials on it. Maybe I will have to change my name to Nokia. I couldn't find the phone about two days ago... I didn't really miss it... I just figured I was becoming unpopular.

Icy designs

At first it looks like an aerial view of the craggy icefields on the north side of Baffin Island. Then you see the edge of the nickel on the left side of the picture. It was just some interesting ice cystal patterns I saw on a creek when I went for a walk at lunchtime. It was cold too. Time to dig out my scarf and mitts eh.

Celebrating life

I was so pleased to receive a note from Cape Breton today about our late Uncle Rannie, who died in August. Rannie was the subject of an interesting news article examining the idea of church funeral ceremonies. It was comforting to note that despite the sense of sadness and loss, Rannie’s funeral was seen as a celebration of life. Indeed, Rannie Gillis was a celebration of life in his own way. Read the article. The last two paragraphs are excellent.

Cool Morning

I was on the road for a couple of days this week. I got up early Tuesday for a brisk walk along the western shore of Lake Temiskaming to watch the sun come up. It was about minus five degrees, but it was a nice start to the day.

Good Saturday morning!

It was a good idea NOT to buy groceries on Friday night. On Saturday mornings, I like a leisurely breakfast…but I’ve been too busy to buy groceries. So I opened the fridge … Woohoo. Chocolate Pie! Yum. Yum. What a great way to start the day. And Jenn called too… she’s back from Jamaica, full of stories and excitement. I spent a few minutes on the phone with my grandsons who were all excited because Santa Claus is in the parade in Sudbury today.

Boots in the oven.

No, I am not having sole for supper! I was chatting awhile back with a friend about the best way to treat winter boots for salt and slush. I normally use Dubbin. My friend, Bryan Pacello from Spanish, says "put 'em in the oven before you put the Dubbin on..." He says its better to work on warm boots. I figure Bryan knows a bit about these things... for about 20 years he has been running snowmobile and ATV wilderness tours. He spends a lot of time in the bush. So yes, I put my Sorels in the oven like he said. It will either work very well... or that b*stard Bryan is laughing his ass off at me! ha ha ha.

Rebate Rant

I don't like rebates. Especially when you're asked to mail in your rebate. The stores make you pay tax on the full price... but the rebates don't give you the tax back. So I don't do the rebate thing. I let store managers know my feelings too. I tell 'em I would likely buy the product if they give me the rebate right away... and they can send in the coupon. But few do that. Be careful too... if they give you the so-called instant rebate at the cash register, make sure you're not paying taxes on the higher price. I think if more people speak out, the rebate thing may go away. Just so you know I got a new laptop recently. There was a mail-in rebate coupon attached to it. I told the guy, "hey I will buy that right now... if you send it the rebate". Sure enough... he gave me the discount right then and there. So sometimes it pays to speak up.

Glen makes the news.

I received a nice email this morning from one of my Cape Breton cousins. It seems he was featured on the CBC website today on a story about Remembrance Day observances in Afghanistan. The good looking fellow in the photo is Major Glen MacNeil, Task Force Afghanistan, Operation ARCHER ... my young cousin Glen from Grand Mira.

A good day in Canada

A good day in Canada. A good day in Timmins. Literally hundreds of Timmins citizens attended Remembrance Day ceremonies this morning. It was nice to show support and gratitude for the old veterans and the men and women of the Legion. As they marched to Hollinger Park, people on the street began applauding. It was nice. It was cold and blustery. Right after the ceremony, everyone scrambled for the Tim Horton's across the street. As I stood in line, I thought, Thank Goodness I am a Canadian.

A few minutes to Remember...

Here’s a challenge. Tomorrow is Saturday, a day off for most of us. So let’s make the effort to observe Remembrance Day. Where ever you are, get out of the house for the 20 to 30 minutes it takes to drop by the local Legion or war memorial. Throughout the entire year, I think it’s worth 30 minutes to say thanks for freedom. I know in Timmins, there will be a ceremony by the Cenotaph at Hollinger Park starting at about 10:45 AM. See you there.

Where were you the day the wall came down?

I remember it vividly... Watching CNN. November 9, 1989. The reporters couldn't believe what they were saying. The Berlin Wall , the infamous Iron Curtain, was crumbling. It happened with the fall of communist East Germany. Thousands of citizens approached the wall. The guards let them through. Suddenly people were dancing atop the wall.Others smashed away at it with sledgehammers. The next morning I tracked down a colleague, CBC reporter Colleen Thorpe, a Sudbury girl, who was working in Berlin. I told her I had one request- Get over to the wall and grab a piece of it for me. And so I keep my own little bit of history in a filing cabinet. It's a nice remembrance that even concrete will crumble when the people get fed up with being pushed around.

ooooooops

I am a day early for Ron's b'day!!! Too funny. Oh well. Maybe he's so old that he needs a reminder!

Happy Birthday Bro ... it's the big Five-Oh!

Yep... my favorite little brother Ronald was born on this day in 1956 at RCAF fighter base Marville, France. He's the army guy. He was so ugly when he came home from the hospital that we had to sprinkle Bacon Bits on him just so the dog would play with him. ha ha ha. Just Kidding. He actually became the "good looking" brother. He's got a fabulous wife and family. So happy day bro, wherever you are.

Get A Poppy

This is poppy week in Canada. You can buy a poppy anywhere. It's a small price to pay for our freedom and democracy here in Canada. I think I am a bit passionate about this. My Dad was in the armed forces. When I was a child, I didn't appreciate it, but we lived in Europe and visited the Canadian war cemeteries ... and yes, the poppies grow there. My big brother and I played in destroyed war bunkers. (Hey we were kids, what did we know?) We saw bones and skulls and other weird things. Soldiers with machine guns were stationed on street corners. It was only when we got back to Canada did we understand what "normal" was. I was at school one morning on November 11th in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba when we were introduced to guy in a wheelchair. He had no legs; just stumps. It happened when he went to Europe to fight the Nazis. Suddenly the poppy thing made sense to me. We cannot forget. I got my poppy. You get yours. (jeez do I always squint like that?)

Sunday Morning. Refreshing.

Listening to Michael Enwright on CBC Radio’s Sunday Morning program while enjoying a pot of tea is a good ritual. Enwright is likely CBC’s best interviewer. He’s not flashy or splashy. He asks hard, questions that make you think. And despite pressure from all sides, he’s not political, doesn’t have an axe to grind and doesn’t give a sh*t for the politically correct interest groups or the CBC Bureaucrats. How refreshing. Best of all, he plays great jazz.

Another great movie.

Movies don’t often leave me inspired. It happened when I watched the film The World’s Fastest Indian. Anthony Hopkins is outstanding in the lead role depicting the true life feats of Burt Munro. I laughed, I howled, hooted, cheered and stamped my feet. The strength and kindness of human spirit always amazes me. This is a great movie. Get it, rent it, buy it, see it.

New store

Timmins finally has a Home Depot store. I dropped in after work. It's huge. I've never been to a Home Depot before. Everything is there. No need to hang around waiting for products that are in the flyer but not on the shelf. Service was good. I was impressed. I will be spending less time at the "tire" store.

Rubber boot bride

I was cleaning out some photo files from this spring, when i found this one. Jennifer sure looked dazzling last week, but this was a shot from camp on Easter weekend, just before she jumped on the ATV to go riding. What a glamour shot! Woohoo. I figure it kinda fits for the day after Halloween. Gotta love those rubber boots. Too funny. Oh well, she's still my favorite daughter eh!

Many thanks!

A belated Thank You to John Curtis, my brother in law, for shooting most of the great photos of Jennifer’s wedding. He did a fab job. And thanks to my favorite sister Deb for dragging John north to Sudbury. John has a thing about traveling anywhere north of Highway 7! ( ha ha ha) Thanks also for bringing the boys, Alex and Scott, a couple of the coolest guys I know. Sheesh what a good looking family eh!

Smart ass photo!

Okay, every so often i get this urge to be a smart ass. I think it's genetic. Anyway, I was shooting some photos in Sudbury last week and trying very hard NOT to get the super stack in the picture. Suddenly I decided I could do something to stop the pollution. ha ha ha. If only it could be so easy.

Things Change

The first snow plow of the season rumbled past the house this morning. I knew the sound without even having to look out the window. But I did. And snapped a picture through the living room window. We've got a bit of snow. But I don't think it will last.

The other change is the return to Standard Time. I enjoyed getting an extra hour of sleep, but now it means I have to change watches. I have a digital watch set for Daylight time... but it was set six month ago! I have no idea how to change it back. So I will wear a normal watch until my son decides to visit home. He seems to know how to work these things.

Dad and the kids.

Back home in Timmins.

It's almost five oclock in the afternoon and I am just back home. After a couple of weeks on the road I think I am whacked out for a day or two... and the wedding was emotionally draining. But it was all good. Checked the fridge. The milk is sour. The bread is green. But there are a few cool beers. And some cookies. I just checked the computer inbox and there are 323 emails to sort though! 323 emails!!! Oh well, that's okay too. I will be emailing pics of the wedding in the next few days. Or you can click on the pics here and print what you like. Cheers.

Dad & Daughter take a walk eh...

I am so pleased to say that I walked down the aisle with my fabulous daughter Jennifer Saturday and presented her to her new husband. It was a fantastic day. I guess I could have smiled a bit more, but that walk was pretty emotional.
Scott Alexander is an amazing guy and I am so pleased he and Jen are married. Here's a nice photo of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander.
I also spent some time with my son Neil. He looked almost as good as his old man. He wore the McPherson tartan, while I wore the Ancient Gillis tartan. Hmmm... there's something about that word ancient eh.

Jen's special day

Today is the day Jennifer and Scott get married. No time to post any pics right now. Everyone is too busy. I am just hoping everyone got back okay from all the partying last night. There will be more tonight. Hope to have pics up soon. TTYL

Something I noticed.

I was walking through a well-known sporting goods store in Pennsylvania Saturday ... a place where you can buy canoes, paddles, hiking boots and stuff. Then I noticed this item for sale in a display case. A brand new semi-auto Colt M4 Carbine Assault Rifle. Price $1049. Same rifle used by Deltas, Seals and US Marine recon teams. Rate of fire up to 700 rounds per minute. Hmmmm - - Sporting goods???

Crossing over...

Went over the second Thousand Islands bridge Monday. According to my GPS toy the elevation here was about 1220 feet. This is where we got back home into Canada. It always feels good to cross over. We loaded up on duty free whiskey as well -- always makes the trip interesting. Two 40-ouncers for $29. Now you know how high taxes are.

Harley Davidson factory

I enjoyed the morning by touring the huge Harley Davidson assembly plant in York, PA. It was a nice tour as they let you get right down on the factory floor with the workers and you can peek over their shoulders as they build these popular motorcycles. I was checking out this 2007 model, but oh darn, I left my chequebook at home.

On the road again...

Courtland NY. Got in last night. Crossed the border at Thousand Islands bridge. We were amazed to meet the nicest most easy-going US border guard we've ever encountered. It made the day go better. 14 hours of driving. Too tired to set up laptop. Just had breakfast. Heading out to Pennsylvania. Will be going through the Poconos mountains today. TTYL.

Thanksgiving

I am thankful for:
My kids.They are just the best at being them.
My grandkids. They make me feel great and its fun to hear them laugh.
My brothers and sister. They are great people. They put up with me.
My extended family. I am lucky to know them. They’re all my favourites!
My neighbors. Wow. Great people.
My town. People say hello and then ask about your kids. And they know their names.
My country. Winston Churchill once said democracy isn’t perfect, but it’s the best we have.
I think same is true about Canada. It’s not perfect. But it’s still the best country in the world.
Happy Thanksgiving.

October Morning

Every now and then I am lucky to have my camera with me when I see something nice. I was walking the trail at Gillies Lake just as the sun was coming up. The colors were very pretty.

Ten great things I have learned from my kids...

1 – It’s okay to change your mind if you see that something else is better.
2 – Kids will eventually find their own way, even if they make a few mistakes. It’s okay.
3 – Your kids will surprise you at how smart they are, even when it means they make decisions better than your own.
4 – Although they pissed you off time and time again, they’re still good people.
5 – They find some pretty excellent friends who may be a bit scary at first, but they’re good people too.

6 – They have some pretty cool ideas, values and judgements.
7 – Kids are different from their parents. They’re not clones. Thank goodness for that eh?
8- Kids will always let you know what’s important to them. You only have listen carefully.
9 -Kids can really make your day better. You only have to think about how great it is to know them.
10- They don’t have to be famous, or heroes or special to make you proud. They just have to be themselves.

49 years ago today...

October 4th, 1957 was a huge day in aviation history. (By now you should be aware that I am an aviation nut) It was the day the Soviets launched Sputnik, the world’s first satellite. It was the same day the Canadian AVRO Arrow was rolled out onto the tarmac at Malton, Ontario. This was the biggest, fastest and most advanced fighter-bomber the world had ever seen. It was a gorgeous machine. And it was all Canadian. The government scrapped the project. Go figure. (Photo: DND Archive)

Three Bags Full

I think it’s a good little investment. I bought a paper shredder yesterday. It’s cheaper than a case of beer. I decided to clean out my filing cabinet. With all this concern about identity theft, I didn’t want to be throwing out old credit card bills. So I started shredding bills and other stuff that had personal information. I have filled up three and a half garbage bags with shredded paper. My office is not as junky as it used to be.