More Than Storm Clouds Coming

     With the American mid-term elections looming, Trump has to do something about the cost of living and what better way than to reduce the price of diesel fuel. This commodity effects virtually everything in the supply chain. He has negotiated a deal with Putin, the Russian president, to release diesel fuel from their refineries to make up for the lack of capacity and supply. In return, Trump is waiving the tariffs, at least on diesel. This has the potential of lowering the price of diesel. 

     Enter Zalinski, the leader of perhaps the most corrupt regime in the world, Ukraine. It is no secret that he has enriched himself from the war with Russia so why would he not wish to continue the gravy train. The world has come to his aid and he has siphoned off millions to enrich himself. So, he decides to bomb the refineries in Russia that supply diesel fuel. Really?

     Naturally, Trump is not taking kindly to this action so yesterday he announced that Zalinski has to go. What exactly does Trump mean by that comment? We know that with Trump, even 'off the cuff' statements can have meaning and often foreshadowing. Add to the mix that Mark Carney of Canada recently made a 100 year commitment to aid Ukraine. Will this make Carney popular with Trump? Carney is already in Trump's bad books and now this. Are those idle statements about Canada becoming the 51st state now making more sense?

     Just how many more excuses does Trump need to facilitate a regime change in Canada? Mass immigration into Canada, with much of it leaking into the USA, trade with China, facilitating dumping of inferior cheap steel into the USA, hard drugs being pipelined into the USA via Canada, infiltration of Chinese influence in our elections and lobbying efforts, tariffs in the 100's of %'s on US dairy and other products, and now support for Ukraine who is quickly becoming an enemy of USA. It seems to me that the fecal matter is about hit the rotating cooling device.

A Brewing Storm 3

    Trump's objective has always been to "Make America Great". In order to do this, he has to correct the direction of what happens in both the inside and the outside of the USA. His domestic policies are designed to return America to common sense, economic freedom, and freedom from the corruption of big government. 

   But the USA cannot survive as an isolated entity in the world so he has envisioned a Western Hemisphere alliance as protection against the potential enemies of China, Russia, and radical Islamists. Call it a battle of Globalism versus Sovereign Nations. He wants and needs Canada to be on board for protection from the northern threats via the Arctic. He wants and needs Canada to cease and desist alliances with China because China creeps onto the USA via Canada. (For example, cheap, inferior China steel rebranded and exported from Canada into the USA)

    He needs defenses on Greenland and he now has them. He needs Mexico and is getting cooperation from them in their trade talks. He needs Cuba, which is capitulating due to the elimination of oil from Venezuela. He needs Venezuela to stop sending oil to China and routing finances to Iran and that was achieved through the capture of Maduro. He needs most of South American on board and that is happening now that USAID funds have been cut off to leftist influences in most S. American countries. 

    But Canada, under Mark Carney is his big stumbling block. Trump needs Canada to stop cheating on their CUSMA agreements. He needs Canada to make greater attempts to stop the free flow of illicit drugs into the USA via Canada. Of the 10's of thousands of containers coming into our country from abroad, only 1% of them are inspected. Trump is demanding things that are not unreasonable. 

    We (Canada) are the envy of the world, living right next door to the largest economic engine on the globe. And Carney is not seeming to want a trade deal. Instead, he is 'sleeping with the enemy' as ties with China are becoming insidious. With the lopsided levels of trade between our two countries, if Carney thinks he is going to win a fight with Trump, he is delusional. 

     I am reminded of Trumps words regarding "taking over Green land". Everyone was shocked and offended, but it was only a hint of how things were going to be. Now everyone involved is very happy with the outcome, which was not a takeover but a mutual agreement. Is Trump's continual talk about Canada being a 51st state and referring to Carney as "Governor Carney" just talk, like his threats against Greenland were? Or is it a hint of things to come? Time will tell but I know who I would bet on in this dogfight. 

     I love my country and am a loyal Canadian, but, right now, Canada needs rescuing. If help comes from within or from without, I am for it. I am not going to be played by the "Elbows up" campaign which is designed to keep Canadians in fear, fear of the enemy a.k.a. Donald Trump. The real enemy to be feared here is not Trump, but our own Liberal Government, who, over the last 11 years, by every metric, have led us down a path to mediocrity and imminent destruction.  

A Brewing Storm 2

     What exactly are these opposing agendas, Carney vs. Trump? Let's start with Mark Carney. There is no arguing that he is a globalist. And what is that? Someone with power and influence whose objective is to destabilize sovereign nations and reorganize the world into "The New World Order". With centralized government, perhaps run out of the WEF (World Economic Forum) or the EU, and a one world currency and banking system would give absolute control over spending by every entity. He says right in his book that it will require hardship and sacrifice but it is the way to peace and contentment. He does not mention prosperity because that will be limited to the elite few on the top of the power structure. Charles Schwab of the WEF says "You will own nothing and be happy". Sound familiar? Classic Soviet style Communism. 

    In order to achieve this mandate from the WEF he needs to destroy western culture which is the bulwark of free market economy. Canada is already well down that road with our socialistic governance, everything controlled and regulated by the state, including speech and what we are allowed to listen to.  By destroying our economy (10's of thousands of jobs lost just in the last month) he is making the citizens ever more reliant on subsidies and handouts, and that in arguably the richest nation on earth in terms of potential. 

    But the big challenge is the richest and most powerful nation on the face of the earth, the USA. He needs to get to Trump, so he keeps poking him in the eye with his cozying up to China and his refusal to make a trade deal. He is goading Trump into some rash action against Canada which will turn the whole world against him, as if it isn't already. Globalism will not happen with Trump or the Republican party in power. By not making a trade deal with USA, Carney is turning the American people against Trump because of the increase in prices to the US consumer that tariffs bring. It is form of election interference, which Trump is accusing Canada of doing as of today. Make no mistake, Carney is as sly as he is intelligent. He knows exactly what he is doing. And Trump is on to him. 

Let's examine Trump's agenda in part 3. 
 

A Brewing Storm

  

    The accompanying photo is a place where I feel the serenity of nature and the closeness of family and friends. It is a metaphor for the Canada I was born in, raised in, and love dearly. The setting sun and ominous storm clouds, with the threat of approaching lightening, is how I feel when I see what is happening in my home and native land. 

     I am a "Boomer" and "we" are being blamed for supporting the Liberal Government of the last 12 years. For the record, I have never voted Liberal. I heard danger when the then Prime Minister in waiting, Justin Trudeau, was asked during a question period, which country in the world he most admired. I was shocked when he stated that it was China because he "admired their sort of dictatorship" What? After the election, he slowly started to dismantle our freedoms and stifle our economy by putting roadblocks on industry and development. For the last 5 years of his tenure, he had the present day Prime Minister Mark Carney as his advisor. 

    The average Canadian voter in the last election was not aware of that and the idea was that yes, Carney was a Liberal, but he was different than Trudeau. (He had a great resume) In fact, he was the architect of Trudeau's failures (actually for Carney they were successes). What Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Justin's father began, Justin tried to complete, but he only aided and abetted in the final goal. Carney is the one and will be the one to destroy Canada. Why do I say that and what is the evidence? 

I don't doubt that the COVID years were one big experiment in human behavior and to what extent could a population be controlled. This experiment was carried out many times in our world's history but never on such a massive scale. The playbook says that when a population is fearful, they can be controlled. Adolf Eichmann, during the Nuremburg trials, revealed this Nazi strategy. Today it is being used to perfection and only a tiny minority of the population sees it for what it is. 

    What is the fear used to control Canadians today? Fear and loathing for Donald Trump. A man who was not even in power when the decline of Canada under the Liberals began. He is the scapegoat, the enemy, the threat, the ruiner of our sovereignty and our economy. "Elbows up" has been one of the most successful political manipulations ever perpetrated on the Canadian population. It is used frequently and by provincial as well as Federal politicians. Finally something that Canadians can rally around, besides bragging that we are not like the Americans. Canadians do not like the decline of Canada and need someone to blame. 

     Trump is doing what he was elected to do and that is to look out for the best interests of America. Canada has been dishonorable in our trade dealings with the USA and Trump is trying to right this wrong. Is this not what a leader is supposed to do?  So what is Carney's goal and what is Donald Trump trying to do? They each have a goal and an end game, the two objectives are diametrically opposed. Listening to their words and witnessing their deeds is a dead giveaway. Continued in part 2.     

 

Ad Free

 

 As you, my readers, know, my ramblings are on a platform called Blogspot. or Bogger.com. On my template page, where I originate each post, there is a feature called "Stats". When I click on it, up pops a counter of how many views I am receiving on each post, my blog overall, and the monthly and daily traffic. I have always been impressed and proud of the fact that I have any readers or followers at all. About three weeks ago I checked to see how much traffic there was. I had not checked in on this stat for quite some time. I did a double take and was shocked to see that I was still capable of reading big numbers. 

In fact, the numbers were so large that I became quite curious as to  how lucrative it might be to 'monetize' my blog, you know, pollute it with advertising. It would have to be profitable for me to stoop that low as I have an aversion to ads of any kind as I am reading or scrolling, or researching anything on the internet. So I made use of AI and inquired as to how to monetize and if it would be profitable for my bog, given the amount of traffic. 

I quoted a modest figure, a small fraction of the actual totals and asked AI if it was worth the bother to open a account with AdSense and earn some money, if possible. I quoted about 1/7 of my actual numbers and AI said in bold CAPS, "Absolutely yes". After taking the advice on how to go about monetizing, I did actually open an account with AdSense and was delighted to hear back from them that my blog was under review and they would get back to me in 2-3 weeks and let me know if my blog qualifies. AI stated that I would easily earn between $600 and $1000 per month. 

I then examined the code of ethics and rules of conduct so I would know what I was going to sign. I read nothing that gave me any indication that my work would be rejected. Now, tell me if I am wrong. What would matter to an advertiser more, quality of content, or numbers? Would not a blog that got huge numbers of visitors prove that there was value to a lot of people? As long as there is nothing offensive or seditious, is it not the number that count the most? My readers know that my writing and photos are for entertainment, general information, and some useful advice or perspective on the occasional topic. 

Last week I was informed that my blog would be considered if the content had more value and that I should re-apply when I have corrected my content. But, no, you do not qualify at this time. I am perplexed. I had 340,000 views last month. Does the advertiser care why they are 'viewing'? They just want eyes on their ads, and clicks on their websites. The only conclusion I can come to is that they disagree with some of my content. There is very little controversial on my blog and certainly nothing that would be deemed hate, misogynistic, or racist. 

I shall remain perplexed, and my blog shall remain ad free despite the 1,348,550 views since inception. Please leave a comment if you can shed some light on this issue. Thank you. 

Apple Trip

 

   

      There are some activities in life that are so enjoyable that we make them tradition. Our annual Apple Trips are both practical and pleasurable. I have always enjoyed driving and there are certain trips or roads that give particular satisfaction. 

     One of those roads is the Hope-Princeton highway in southern British Columbia. It offers variety in terrain, several climate zones, and some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere. It is mountain driving at its best. There are many pullouts where travelers can take a break, or just stop and enjoy the sights. A few small towns along the way give opportunity for potty breaks, or picking up a cup of coffee, or grabbing a snack or two. 

     Our destination for the apples is the small orchard community of Keremeos, situated on the edge of the Okanagan Valley which is famous for a variety of fruits. In the past, we have always had three reasons for travelling this road. It was on the way to or from our holiday lakefront property, it was only a few miles from the little village of Hedley, where some dear friends of ours lived, and, of course the apples, straight from the orchard. 

     We had a favorite farm that we have been going to for perhaps 40 years. A middle aged couple, the Gumperts, owned and operated the orchard. We would drive onto the farm and follow the advice of the homemade sign "Toot For Fruit". Friendly Mrs. Gumpert would come either out of her kitchen, or running from the tree filled orchard. We rarely saw her husband who was always busy picking fruit or doing some other activity behind the scenes. We would follow Mrs. Gumpert into the large walk-in cooler and chose the type of apple we wanted, and perhaps buy a few pounds of prune plums.

    As the years went by, we could see them ageing and one day, it was not her, but her daughter-law, Lisa, who came out to greet us. That began a long business/ friendship relationship. We would remember and comment on things about each other from the year before. It was always a pleasure and the prices were great. 

   Fast forward to today, Sept. 2026. It feels like it is time to hit the road for our annual Apple Trip, but, things have changed. Two big events have to now be taken into consideration. We no longer own the property an hour away from Keremeos, and our friends who lived in Hedley most of their lives, have sold their home and moved to the Fraser Valley. Do we want to drive all that way just for a box of apples? We no longer have an family of hungry mouths to feed and we can only store or eat so many ourselves. 

    I may have sealed the deal when I was at the MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) annual relief sale on Friday. I purchased a quantity of Gala apples from a local farmer. It was for a good cause and I was hungry for apples. Now, if we do take a drive to Keremeos, it will be for the pleasant drive and to photograph some of the spectacular yellow foliage in the Princeton area.  

Physio, Finally

 

     

     Due to the nature of my occupation, I was plagued with a growing neck pain issue as I reached the end of my working years. I would dare to say that the last 15 working years were years when varying degrees of neck pain were an almost constant companion. I did work until I was almost 70 years of age, and eventually put my tools away due to lower back pain and, mostly neck pain.  In the evenings I could not find a position where there was relief. It was constant and nagging. 

     I was convinced that when I would stop working, my body would slowly heal and get back to normal and the pain would gradually dissipate. After three years of hoping my theory was correct, I was desperate, and one morning walked the three blocks to the nearest physiotherapy clinic. I had never been to such a facility before so did not know what to expect. 

    After a cursory examination, it was determined that a variety of techniques would, in combination, help relieve the pain. I was used to the cost of chiropractic sessions but was shocked to see what these treatments would cost me. But, like I said, I was desperate and if I could finally live without pain, it would be worth any cost. 

    There was infra-red light therapy, gentle neck and lower back massages, traction on the neck and the back, heat therapy, electric impulse therapy, another machine that was explained to me but not clearly, and the worst one, dry needle therapy. The dry needles were the last straw, causing so much discomfort I could not sleep for two nights. During one session, my shoulder was manipulated and I heard a pop as an old dislocated shoulder injury was reactivated. Indeed, my condition was worsening.  

    That was the day I walked out of the clinic and never returned, $2000.00 lighter and pain that was more than slightly worse than when I started. I told a friend about my experience and he recommended a clinic, also very close to where I lived. I set up an appointment and was told it would be $130 an hour and the sessions would be an hour long. This was a single minded therapy, strictly deep massage. Upon assessment, it was discovered that my trapezius muscles were knotted so hard and tight that the therapist had never seen the like. The massages were painful, but, you know, no pain, no gain. 

    I had 6 sessions over the next 6 weeks and relief started to come after the third massage. As I left, I thanked the therapist profusely and said that I was eternally grateful, and I was sincere. To this day, I am pain free in that area and have total mobility. 

A Bit of Nostalgia

       As I was looking through my photos this morning, searching for ideas on how to create an AI image that was meaningful to me, I reviewed a folder of photos from last year. Together with a group of friends, we took a two hour tour of a private museum here in town. It is called Shady Grove and touring it is a journey back in time, particularly to the 50's and 60's. Almost every conceivable item that you can think of that might trigger a bit of nostalgia in you, if you are a baby boomer, is there. 

    I spent the age of 2 through 15 in a small town in Saskatchewan in the 50s and 60s so of course, all the memories I have from that place and those years come flooding back to me as I toured the museum and now as I review the photos. 

   My father owned a grocery store, much larger than the one depicted above, but the idea is the same. I was trained from a very early age, to work in that store and I did learn some lasting skills and lessons from those years. One of my many jobs was to deliver groceries after school and on Saturdays. 

   Yes, I did have a little red wagon and it was piled high with groceries as I negotiated the gravel streets and lanes of our little dusty town. We had few sidewalks and not a single paved street, so it was always a challenge to keep items from falling off the wagon. That is why more often than not, the items would be packed in a stiff cardboard box, which helped greatly.

    My father taught me to be friendly and courteous to the customers and I tried my best. I was never tipped, and I was never paid by my dad for the deliveries, or the all the work I put into his business. I never thought of it, even once. I was part of a family that had a grocery store and as such, I was a worker, alongside my mom and dad, trying to make living. How things have changed.