Autumn Path

I am running to and fro, too busy to do the thing I want to do. I see the leaves turning, more brilliant and deep with each passing day, and I know that soon they will be loosed from the branches to an ending of decay on the wet soil beneath. This happens every Autumn and rarely do I take the time to do the thing I want to do. The branches will soon be bare, the skies grey, the days too short and nothing but drab to describe my surroundings. And yet, there is still time to do the thing I want to do. When the foliage is piled deep and crisp on the trails, the dry cool air swirling it into drifts, I will think that I should have taken the time to do the thing I wanted to do. The window of opportunity is small and comes but once a year. I must take the time. I must make it a priority. I will not live with regret, waiting once more for next year.

Flaming Sumac and Burning Questions

The house was tucked away in the hills behind the Mission Golf Course, at the end of a long gated driveway. It was very peaceful and quiet, a contradiction to the twelve pairs of shoes lined up at the front door. By the voice on the phone, I knew I was dealing with an Oriental gentleman and they always remove their shoes at the door. I did likewise. A very pleasant young man greeted me and showed me to the area of the house where I would be performing my services. It was evident, almost at first glance, that I was in a situation, that in my 34 years of work, I had never been in before. I have seen and experienced many different things over the years and am rarely taken by surprise, but now I was. The decor, the accoutrements, and the garb of the young men in the house gave it away. I was in a monastery! But what really baffled me was the decor in the master bedroom, something for which I was partly responsible. In an all male environment, why was there pink flowery wallpaper, flowered garland borders, and a half dozen frilly, lacy, negligee like lamps in the bedroom, surrounding a huge four poster bed? A guest room perhaps? But who were the guests? I may never know, but being the curious person I am, I want to know.

One More Post

Happy Birthday to the one who lights up my life and keeps my tank filled. Where would I be without you? Too terrible to contemplate. Thirty eight years ago we promised to grow old together. Today we are doing it. Why does it not feel like old? I gladly put the blame on you. I blame you for everything else. :-)

Prognostication

9:42 pm Terryography predicts that Stephane Dion will step down as leader of the Liberal Party very soon.

10:43 pm The Toronto Star announces that Stephane Dion is stepping down as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He will make an announcement on Thursday.

Election Decompression

I hope this is the last time I write about the Canadian Election. After all, we have to now concentrate on the US election, and then the Municipal Elections, and then the Provincial Election, all looming close in the Horizon.
I was musing on a two party system for Canada. It would make things much simpler. Only Liberals or Conservative have ever formed government in Canada so why not just do away with all the other parties. Our 5 party system only makes sense if we have proportional representation and that would only lead to perpetual minority governments and coalitions.
I predict Sephane Dion's imminent resignation. He has no choice. But then look who looms large on the horizon as the new Liberal leader! None other than Bob Rae, the former provincial NDP who single handedly ruined Ontario. Think what he could he do with a larger territory. The heart quails.

Election Night

Why did I just watch 3 hours of election results? The outcome was determined before our polls here in BC were closed, but that is nothing new.
Stephen Harper remains Prime Minister, but with another minority. The Conservatives made gains, around 19 more seats and are actually the party with the broadest base across the country.
There will not be another election for at least two years, probably three, and Stephane Dion's days are numbered as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
The Bloq remains a non factor, except perhaps to shore up support for the Conservatives should the Liberals and NDP gang up on them.
For me, the big story is the apathy of the Canadian voter. Ten million eligible voters did not bother today. This is the lowest vote count in the history of our country. We are losing our sense of history and forgetting what a precious thing it is to live in a democracy. Those who fought and died for this legacy would weep if they witnessed the lack of turnout today. Shame on you Canada!

A Milestone

On November 23 of last year, I finally decided to start up my own blog. I had no idea what to expect but simply had a desire to share some of my photos and stories with whoever wanted to spend the time to view them. It was suggested to me by other bloggers that I attach a 'counter' to determine if I was getting any 'hits'. How else would I know if anybody at all was taking a look? My first counter included my own hits and that was not really a good indicator. My second and better counter gave me lots of information as well as the count and it has been interesting to view the source of my readers (country) and the duration of the visits, as well as which posts have been the most popular. It has become an interesting hobby.

After the first month, I thought a reasonable goal would be 2000 hits for my first year of blogging. Today, after less than eleven months, I have hit a milestone of 5000 hits. I am surprised and delighted.

Thank you to all my readers as well as those who just happen to stumble upon my offerings. I especially appreciate any and all comments. It has been and continues to be a lot of fun for a boring old guy like me.

Sandy Seaworld

Yes, another sand sculpture, this one depicting an underwater sea world. Of course, this had nothing to do with Thanksgiving, except perhaps that I am thankful that I did not have to go underwater to view this beauty. I tried to give it an other worldly feel with the colour treatment.

It has been a while since the copious amounts of turkey were consumed and I am feeling normal once again. As the years progress, I have slowly learned to restrain myself and it is paying off. Eating a 'normal amount' is just as satisfying and does not result in the unpleasantness that gluttony can precipitate. Besides, we will be eating the same meal, more or less, many times more in the days to come. It is called leftovers.

Now, if only the 'new found' restraint that I have discovered could be translated over to the consumption of dessert.

Oh, and for all my Canadian readers, don't forget to vote tomorrow. Unless of course you were considering the NDP party. Then you can forget about it. :-)

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving comes at a very appropriate time this year as the world considers its financial future. A poll yesterday suggested that retirement and near retirement people would be most hurt by the economic crisis. I cannot say that I am unaffected so as a result I have carefully considered what I am thankful for this year. On my list of most important things in my life, everything is intact so why should I fret about a minor factor in my life that in the end, is of no consequence. I am of the firm belief that God looks after his own, not on a whim, but because he has promised and if the past is any indication, I have no reason to doubt that fact now. My future was never in my hands, ultimately, so I will trust it to the one whose hands are much more capable than mine.

May you all have have a time of grateful reflection and may you direct your thankfulness to God who has only ever given us anything on loan.

How Does This Work?

The IMF (International Monetary Fund) is meeting today and wondering how we got ourselves into this mess (global financial crisis) and how we are going to get ourselves out of it. Much like the Gorilla in the sand sculpture wondering how how he got here, and, if he evolved into a man, why is he still a Monkey? Monday will be an interesting day. We may be on the verge of a new world economic structure or a precursor to one. It has Biblical overtones, does it not?

Stop Calling, Please

Since registering on the DNCL (Do Not Call List) we have received several calls from phone solicitors. I understand that after 30 days, these companies have to update their data bases and not call anybody who is on the list they uploaded. So I am giving 30 days of grace. Having said that, I got a call last night during dinner. The call display showed 'UNAVAILABLE' which shows how shifty these guys are. It was the Policeman's Association, you know the one. I showed no grace by blurting "Could I please call you back when you are having your dinner?"


"Pardon me?" was the reply.


"I said, could I please call you back when you are having your dinner?"


There was a long pause on the other end and then a meek little, "Oh ....... I get it. Sorry to bother you. You have a nice dinner."


He was so polite that it laid the guilt on me.


I have decided that after the 30 days of true grace, when I get a call from one of these guys, it will go like this.


"Hello."


"Yes I would like very much to deal with your company. What is the name of it?"


After getting the information I need, I will say, "In five minutes, I will have reported you to the DNCL list, of which I am a member, and your fine will be in the neighbourhood of ten thousand dollars. You have a nice day, hear?"


Of course, I will fell terribly guilty after I hang up, and even more guilty after I report them. I am almost looking forward to having my dinner interrupted. (Oh, now I am feeling guilty for writing this post.)

Split Personality

This was an amazing creation. Inside, between the halves, was a perfect heart, carved in the centre of the chest. Skill, plus art, plus a fickle medium, make sand sculptures both beautiful and fascinating, and always only a rainstorm away from destruction.

Thoughts on the Canadian Election Campaign. The Economy has come to the forefront as the number one issue for voters in this election. That is understandable as the whole world seems to be in crisis. A major component of the crisis is confidence. Two major emotions always at play in the market economy is fear and greed. It disturbs me that the NDP and the Liberals are stirring up fear in the minds of Canadians by saying that Harper should do something about the economy. What can he do? His platform proposes the lowest spending of all the parties and that is part of the solution.

According to the National Citizens Coalition:

"The World Economic Forum ranks Canada’s banking system is as the strongest in the world;

Only 5% of Canadian mortgages are considered “high risk.” In comparison, over 50% of mortgages in the U.S. fall into that category;

The Canadian government is running a surplus;

Any new tax will be a detriment to the Canadian economy; and

No Prime Minister has the power to control the stock market."

A Prime Minister who does not panic and has a sound economy to work with will alleviate fear and where there is no fear there is confidence. Where there is confidence, things will carry on in a more or less normal fashion and with time, these problems will go away. I believe Harper is showing leadership in this, the most important issue facing voters next Tuesday.

Cowboy Poetry

Somebody sent me this the other day but I do not who to give credit to. I may be accused of plagiarism, so let it be known that I did not compose this gem.

Cowboy Poetry

Jake, the rancher, went one day to fix a distant fence.

The wind was cold and gusty and the clouds rolled gray and dense.

As he pounded the last staples in and gathered tools to go,

The temperature had fallen,the wind and snow began to blow.

When he finally reached his pickup,he felt a heavy heart.

From the sound of that ignition,he knew it wouldn't start.

So Jake did what most of us would do if we had been there.

He humbly bowed his balding head and sent aloft a prayer.

As he turned the key for the last time,he softly cursed his luck.

They found him three days later,frozen stiff in that old truck.

Now Jake had been around in life and done his share of roaming.

But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked --it looked just like Wyoming !

Of all the saints in Heaven,his favorite was St. Peter.

(Now, this line ain't needed but it helps with rhyme and meter)

So they set and talked a minute or two,or maybe it was three.

Nobody was keeping' score --in Heaven time is free.

"I've always heard," Jake said to Pete,"that God will answer prayer,

But one time I asked for help,well, he just plain wasn't there."

"Does God answer prayers of some,and ignore the prayers of others?

That don't seem exactly square --I know all men are brothers."

"Or does he randomly reply,without good rhyme or reason?

Maybe, it's the time of day,the weather or the season."

"Now I ain't trying to act smart,it's just the way I feel.

And I was wondering', could you tell me --what the heck's the deal?!

"Peter listened very patiently and when Jake was done,

There were smiles of recognition,and he said, "So, you're the one!!"

"That day your truck, it wouldn't start,and you sent your prayer a flying,

You gave us all a real bad time,with hundreds of us trying."

"A thousand angels rushed,to check the status of your file,

But you know, Jake, we hadn't heard from you in quite a long while."

"And though all prayers are answered,and God ain't got no quota,

He didn't recognize your voice,and started a truck in Minnesota ."

BETTER KEEP IN TOUCH

A Web Built of Sand

This sand sculpture had no explanation, so I will give it one. The woven bands represent the economies of the world, interconnected and intertwined to the point of supporting each other and depending on each other for their shape and integrity. As long as the base is intact and solid, the structure is upright and recognisable. The base is the US economy and the US dollar. When it collapses, the whole thing becomes unravelled and in the end, is nothing but a pile of sand. Those little compartments in the foreground are the savings and pensions of innocent investors, like myself, who peer into the box and find it ...... empty.

Look Out, He's Gonna' Getcha'

It has been fascinating watching the collapse of the markets lately, and today was no exception. When is there going to be a total lack of confidence in the banking institutions and when is there going to be a run on the banks? We are getting close to that now. Today I was reading the protocols set out by the US Feds in case of national bankruptcy. It is not dissimilar to the action taken in case of WW III or a national disaster like the west coast of America sliding into the Ocean. I was struck by the fact that it is not a coincidence that we as North Americans have been slowly losing our freedoms. The loss of those freedoms and the fact that we have become used to state control in so many aspects of our lives fits into and enables those protocols to work.

I have been very aware all my life that I live in a generation (baby boomers) that has had relative calm and stability throughout and I have been grateful for it. But now I am thinking that there is no generation that fully escapes major turmoil in their lifetime. In other words, I think that we 'are in for it'.

Sand Head

I am not sure what this sand sculpture represents, but it is very well done. I should have taken note of the title which may have given me a clue. I am sure you can make your own interpretation.

I just returned from the Life chain and it was good to be there. Our little stretch of the road was very well attended with at least 200 people. I do not know what happened in the rest of the city. Grandparents were very well represented, which is understandable. There was very little obscenity displayed by passing motorists this year, which was refreshing. There was by far more enthusiastic support for what we were doing. The rain held off, the sun came out, the wind blew, and many prayers were lifted to God to change the hearts and minds of those in society who have bought into a lie. Maybe someday we will not need a life chain for the unborn, but I am thinking that a life chain may be needed for the elderly who will not have an advocate to save them from euthanasia. Sadly, it is a natural progression.

Election Gem #15

In the last Election Gem, I made comment about the candidates that are hitting the dust due to improprieties. The score now stands at Conservatives 1, Liberals 2, and NDP 4. The latest one for the NDP is: Durham Ontario candidate Andrew McKeever. He used obscenities to refer to a woman and also threatened to beat up a critic in Facebook postings this summer that had to do with U.S. war deserters. He has since apologized for his actions.
Two were partying dope smokers, one was a partying skinny dipper, and now we have one who is violent and likes to use obscenities in public. Poor Jack Layton. He just can't keep his ducks in a row.

Baby

My daughter, who birthed a baby on Sept 26, is employed by the bank that sponsored this sand sculpture, only days before.

Tomorrow we will be standing, with hundreds of others, beside a busy city street, holding a placard, and assisiting in a silent protest on behalf of the unborn. I cannot say it better than Curtis Stewart, the President of CanMedia Inc. in an editorial I read this week. This is sobering reading:

In Canada the birth rate is about 342,000 children per year, with another 100,000 per year being aborted, which is about 30 abortions for every 100 live births. The total death rate in Canada is 226,000, not including abortion. The numbers are staggering, and most media, public, and politicians find it is too hot an issue to deal with. These are some of the staggering statistics:

Leading Cause of Death Worldwide:

#1 Heart Attack (millions) 7.2

#2 Stroke 5.5

#3 Lower Respiratory Infection 3.9

#4 AIDS 2.8

#5 Pulmonary Infections 2.8

#6 Perinatal 2.4

#7 Trach/Bronc/Cancer 1.3

Total of top 7 deaths worldwide 25.9

ABORTION: 42.0

Reason: rape and incest 1%, child's or mother's health 6%, social reasons 93%.

Billions of dollars are spent every year to find cures for various diseases, with very little spent to reduce abortion, which is the largest world epidemic we ever encountered. The Black Plague was the largest pandemic in human history, killing 75 million; the largest human atrocity was the killing of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust, while little has been done to prevent the loss of life of 42 million per year. In 24 years, abortion will wipe out 1 billion children. And all of this while we give Henry Morgentaler the Order of Canada, and call him a hero.

Come and stand with us.

Time to Reflect

Everybody hates a tax collector. This attitude has been around from the beginning of time. Well, I am one. Four times a year I do paperwork and then mail a cheque to the government for the GST that I have collected in my business. I am not compensated for this service but actually am penalized because it eats into my productive time. I am home this morning doing the paperwork and am taking a break to blog.

I am also assessing how the world economic crisis is playing a roll in my little world. My financial guru is incognito, perhaps he has jumped from his office window and is in the hospital recovering from the thorns in the rose bushes. (He is on the first floor) We are in the midst of negotiations with the banks on 2 different projects and I must say that things are changing rapidly and in mid-stream. I have a feeling that our economic activity in this country is going to grind to halt soon. Our society is used to running on credit and when credit is in short supply, the run is reduced to a walk. This 'correction' will hurt many people but I am optimistic for ourselves, personally, for our little neck of the woods, and for Canada in general. Some important lessons are being learned and we will be better for it.

Sandy Toes

One of many photos taken at this year's Sand Sculpture competition at Harrison.

I caught a bit of the so called debate tonight. I was torn between the Palin/Biden debate and the Canadian debate. In the case of the Canadian effort, I use the word debate loosely. I object strongly to the fact the leader of the Bloc is even invited to this process because he will never be Prime minister, he does not have candidates anywhere but in Quebec, and he is a traitor whose ultimate goal is to tear apart Canada. Every time he spoke, I flipped the channel to the Palin/Biden discussion.

Elizabeth May, of the Green Party, also has no sitting members of parliament and should not qualify for the debate. Without those two there, it would still have been a 'piling on' of Harper. I suppose when you have nothing to offer, you just attack your opponent. It is sad that nothing was debated. It was a barrage of accusations against Stephen Harper and he was never given time to properly defend himself, his party, his policies, or his record.

Isn't it interesting that he is being accused of doing so much harm while in office as a minority leader when at any time at all, Dion and Layton could have forced an election. In the end, it was Harper that called the election. Isn't it always just about power? Sad.

I am so ready for this business to end and go somewhere tropical and put my toes in the sand.

My Rooster Sketch

I sharpened my pencil the other day and tried my hand at sketching. The results were so incredibly amateurish and child-like that I resorted to doing it on Photo Shop. Now that's better.

Tonight is the first leadership debate, however, it is in French. I have opted to watch the hockey game instead and will read the results of the debate later tonight. Watching a debate with sub-titles is not a good way to catch the subtle nuances of speech and how they coordinate with body language. I will have to trust the pundits as to who won the first round.

My new grandson came to dinner last night and brought the rest of the family with him. It was his first meal with us, but he refused to eat at the table. In fact he slept right through my dialogue about how honoured we were to have him with us. When all the food was cleared and the dishes put away, he decided it was time for him to eat. But no BBQ salmon for him, no siree! He was only interested in the old tried and true, that which only mom can provide. What a contented and satisfied look on his face when he was done! I must say that the bonding is progressing quite well.

DNCL

Today is the day you can register for the 'Do Not Call List' By 1:30 this afternoon, more that 230,000 people had registered and at one point in time more that 18,000 people were trying to access the website. The system jambed up but is now running again. I know because I just registered our phones. Thirty days from now, I will no longer get those supremely annoying calls at dinner time telling me I have won a cruise.
Go now and do it. http://www.dncl.gc.ca/. It is quick and easy.

Market Freefall and Other Woes

If you are not watching the TSX in turmoil, it probably means you do not have RRSPs that are market based. But you should be paying attention anyway. We are in historic times. Today the TSX fell farther in one day than it has in 8 years. The world economies are thrown into turmoil over the refusal to bail out Wall St. It is fascinating to watch! My post today is a short quote from a long and insightful editorial by Bill Bonner regarding the peril that the USA finds itself in. It looks like we are about to see what it looks like when a country, the most powerful country in the world, goes bankrupt.

Here’s a sobering detail: For the last 15 years, the U.S. money supply has grown about twice as fast as GDP. Federal government liabilities, meanwhile, have grown three times as fast. It now has more financial obligations than assets. It is, effectively, broke.
And here is another cup of strong coffee: U.S. debts are now compounding negatively like a Neg Am mortgage, that delightfully fatal confection invented at the height of the housing bubble. Some house buyers didn’t even pay enough to cover the interest on their mortgage; the missed interest payments were added to the mortgage itself, causing it to grow automatically. Exponentially.
We don’t know what Professor Chris Martenson is a professor of. But he has done the world a favor with his description of what happens when things grow exponentially, rather than arithmetically.
Imagine you could make a football stadium watertight, he writes. Then, imagine that you put a magic drop of water in the center...a drop of water that doubles every minute...so that after six minutes or so, you’d have about enough water to fill a thimble. Now how long would it take before the stadium filled, he asks?
We’re not going to leave you in suspense. For the first 45 minutes, you can walk around the stadium and barely get your feet wet. But in the next 4 minutes the stadium fills and you drown.

My View

When I look up from my computer, this is the view I have. However, if you believe the rainbow is real, you don't know Adobe Photo Shop. I have seen many rainbows in the proximity, but usually by the time the camera comes out, the magic is gone. The rainbow is a symbol of hope, but its appearance is usually only fleeting, and sometimes only barely there. As humans, that is sometimes all we need to keep on going.

Today I ask a favour of my many readers. If you are a praying person, would you please pray for little Anika who only a few days ago acquired a mysterious blood disorder and is in danger of coming to great harm from bruising, both internal and external. Her mom and dad and many family and friends are hanging onto the hope that she will be rescued from this grave problem. May your prayers be the rainbow of hope that will sustain them.

Of Tolls and Taxes

The excitement of the last two days has died down a little now that the grandsons have gone back home. My daughter is home after only 36 hours in hospital! To calm myself down and get back to reality, I want to comment on a surprise announcement I heard on Friday.

At noon, Gordon Campbell announced that the toll was coming off the Coquihalla highway at 1 pm. That highway was paid for many years ago and as we all know, once a tax is implemented, it stays in place in perpetuity. This is the first provincial tax that I can recall being re-called. Don't get me wrong. I am delighted, but there is something puzzling about this. Is not the carbon tax supposed to encourage us to use less fuel, take less trips, etc.? Removing a toll does the opposite! We are getting mixed messages from our Premier and the only explanation is his fall in the polls and he is trying to buy our vote. So what else is new?

Worth Waiting For

Little Liam is fresh out of the oven and these pictures are hot off the press! He is a keeper for sure. Everything progressed really well and baby and Mom are doing great. He has impressed us all in his first few hours of life, as being a very healthy and content baby who already has a good appetite and knows where the cookie jar is and how to get the cookies.
For those into statistics, Liam was born at 8:33 am and weighed in at 7 lbs. 6 oz.

Here is the new and improved Dyck family, better than ever.

After 'carrying' him for 9 months, Rachel is content now to hold him.

Nathan's comments on the way home from the hospital: "I feel happy, excited, curious, and just good all over. This is the happiest day of my life!"

I must say that it is pretty hard to beat.

What's Under The Leaf?

This is a huge day for our little family. It will grow by 17% in a few minutes, as I write this entry. We already know that it is a boy but somehow the excitement is not diminished by this knowledge. Full report with pictures to follow.

Little Surprises

I found a patch of deep blue sky the other day and took advantage of it. It will not be long and the only colour in our lives will be the pictures we took in summer. I saw this picture on my computer screen and discovered a surprise. If you click on it and see it large, you will see a spider. We often undertake projects and tasks without realising that there will be unforeseen consequences or perhaps rewards. They often come unexpectedly. It is very useful and rewarding to examine our lives regularly for these serendipities. They are there if only we look.

Changeover

New evidence that Autumn is here and winter not far behind. Our house is not the most energy efficient one around, but we have managed to avoid turning the furnace on until now. There is a very characteristic odour the first time it comes on after a summer hiatus. It is the smell of the dust that has accumulated on the heat exchanger over the last 5 months, heating up. After several minutes, the odour dissipates and only leaves a reminder of larger gas bills and now carbon taxes.
More evidence is that I have now watched my first two hockey games of the new season. Now that really feels like winter. The Canucks are on their way to the Stanley Cup now that they have won their first two exhibition games. Do I hear you laughing in mockery? Oh, that's me laughing.

Election Gem #14

I seems that none of the parties are vetting their candidates with any thoroughness. At last count, the Conservatives let one go, the Liberals one, and today, the NDP let their third one go in the last week. It seems that all three candidates are party animals, two of them having a history of dope smoking, and one who likes to skinny dip. Dipping has always been an integral function of politicians, but not in the skinny. You need your pockets in which to stash the cash.

Cody

As I have stated before, I am not a great animal lover, but on occasion I meet one that grabs my heart. Like with humans, I suppose that first impressions are important. The minute Cody came to me with tail wagging and eager eyes telling me he wanted his ears scratched, I liked this dog. After he and I got acquainted, he obediently posed for his photograph. It is one of only a handful of dog pictures in my files.

Summer is Over

Today, summer is officially over. We were having a wonderful BBQ dinner, in July, with some dear friends, at their home on Cultus Lake, when I took this photo of a sail boat skimming across the whitecaps at the end of a warm summer's day. Of course, it did not look exactly like this, but this version represents the fading memory as the days shorten, the nights cool, and the first leaves begin to fall. From full colour, to faded greys, not only our memories, but our lives.

Angel Trumpets

Just outside our front entry, stands this magnificent Angel Trumpet Tree. It is around six feet tall and has, this year, about a dozen blossoms. The heat of the last several weeks has stimulated its growth and now with the coming cool weather, we hope the many buds that are hanging down will also bloom before winter. There is nothing quite like the lovely fragrance that comes from this plant, but it only is apparent in the evening. When we step out of our door, we are greeted with a flood of sweet floral essence. But, it reminds us that Autumn is around the corner and with the socked in weather of yesterday and today, we don't really need a reminder. We are invited to a BBQ for this afternoon which will either be cancelled or will be decorated with a myriad of umbrellas.

Avoiding the Inevitable?

This has been a truly historical week and a major financial disaster has been avoided, but perhaps only temporarily. If any of you do not know what I am talking about, you have been under a rock, but I must tell you that it is not safe there either.
In 1929 when the economy was in crisis, the US government did not intervene and the result was the crash of '29 and the subsequent ushering in of the Great Depression and the 'dirty thirties'. Today, the powers that be have intervened and in a purely socialistic fashion, have nationalized some of the biggest US players in order to bail them out and avoid an international crisis of confidence. The alternative is too scary to contemplate.
The question now is, when will the massive (and I mean MASSIVE) debt that the government has incurred come home to roost. The mortgage defaults in the US are running at one in nine overall! The sub-prime mortgages have not yet all hit the fan. The next tier of mortgages, the ones where some money was put down and the borrower lied about income and promises of getting a job, is about to come up for renewal. It is predicted that 60% of these mortgages will also go into default.
So the interestingness is not going away any time soon. Hang onto your hats. It will be ride to remember.
Has the lesson been learned? We shall see. Oh, what is the lesson, you ask? An economy cannot be built on spending and credit. It is built on savings, wealth accumulation, and avoiding risky debt at all costs. That may mean living within one's means, which is vastly unpopular in today's society.

Election Gem #13

Stephane Dion is busy on the campaign trail and for the second day in a row, he has not even mentioned the Liberal Green Shift, the plan to introduce carbon taxes. But a quick check with the Liberal website shows that the Green Shift is central to the Liberal platform. What accounts for this mystery? Well, well, well! He is in western Canada! The Green shift has been compared to the NEP (National Energy Program) of Pierre Trudeau's era when huge transfers of money and oil went to Eastern Canada at Alberta's expense. It put a deep and lasting division into our country. If Mr. Dion is not being forthcoming, it does not bode well for his credibility as a leader. Come on, Mr. Dion, are you going to shaft us with the shift or not?

Sky

I have many more photos of our time in Oroville but we will say goodbye for now. There may be a time after we stop working that we will spend much more of our lives there. It will always be a family property but some of us will have to be more involved in upkeep than others. In the future, my experience there will probably be more a working one than a vacation one, but there will always be time to sit back and admire the mountains and the dramatic skies, both ever changing as the day slips by. I will probably eventually take the view for granted and will put my camera away and just enjoy stopping, staring, and thanking God for his creation and for giving me good eyesight to enjoy it.

War

As all young boys, my seven year old grandson has a vivid imagination and lately he has had a fascination with war games. I believe this is normal for little boys and I will not discourage it because he is not an aggressive or rough child, but simply intrigued with the struggle between good and evil. Because of his familiarity with The Chronicles of Narnia, his perception of 'bad guys' is that they are all Germans. If I were a politically correct person, I would take offence at this, but because his war figures are WW II characters, and because WW II was a conflict against the Nazis, who happened to be Germans, I let it pass because it is history and it is truth. So be it. (I am of German/Dutch descent)
On our family vacation, he had set up his battle scenes with great care when his Great Grandmother came upon his little game and I was very curious to see what her reaction would be. She is a Mennonite pacifist, but also, a survivor of WW II and first hand witness of the horrors of war.
She stood looking for a short time and then told her great grandson a story that related to the planes and artillery and the soldiers that were lined up in front of her. The story was of hiding, of bombers, of artillery shells bursting all around and a fire that erupted. The struggle to put the fire out with pails of sand, as no water was available, made an impression because the great grandson's father is a modern day fireman. He stood perfectly still as she told the story. His eyes were wide, and I was wondering if he believed her.
We hope our children will be capable of distinguishing between fantasy and reality and this could have been a struggle he had with her story. Surely this only happens in books, movies, and video games. Some day he will be able to tell his children and grandchildren the time his great grandmother told him eyewitness accounts of a war long ago. Not many his age will be able to do that.

Great News!

I would like to announce that my new Grandson has arrived, but that is not happening until next week. This news is nowhere on par with a new addition to the family, but is nevertheless exciting if you are like us, being constantly interrupted by phone solicitors. The DNCL (Do Not Call List) will be up and running in a few days and you can register on line on Sept 30. by simply entering your phone number. http://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/ Once you register, the only time your dinner will be interrupted will be when I call you to see if you have registered yet.

Election Gem #12

A general observation: The election spending promises by all parties are starting to mount. Two things. Election promises are are just that. They often have no reality in the world of governance once the election is over. In other words, the promises are made to be broken.

Also, in light of the collapsing economies around the world, who can promise what they will spend a year, or two years from now. We may be in survival mode and all bets will be off the table, as well as all promises. Come on boys (and girl :Elizabeth May), just show me that you have integrity and leadership skills. That will pull us through tough times in case the money is not there.

The Gate

There is a wall of green running along the south boundary of our property. On the south side of this wall is heat and blinding bright sunlight. There are two gates leading through the wall of trees, vines, and shrubbery, each guarded by a bell atop a wrought iron hinged gate. Stepping through the gate in either direction on a blazing hot day is an experience. Being on this side of the fence is much more desirable as it is cool and shady, a refuge from the desert sun. Sitting on the fence is not an option. This is a little like politics at election time. Look at both sides, choose the side you like, and get off the fence.

Priorities

I just came off my favourite news site where the top five stories of the day are posted in headline form. There is an election campaign going on in both the USA and Canada, Hurricane Ike has left utter devastation in the state of Texas, and the fourth largest American Financial Institution has just filled for bankruptcy sending repercussions throughout the world, and sending the TSX and The Dow into free fall. Then what is this headline doing in the top five?

"Family's puppy shot outside home." And why "puppy' instead of "dog"? This is not 'news'!

In case you had not noticed, animal stories such as this get a lot of press. It is part of the trend to elevate animals to almost human status. It is a much more serious offence today to kill a puppy than to kill an unborn child. Did you ever read a headline that announced how many babies were aborted at the local abortion clinic today? I am by no means advocating cruelty or inhumane treatment to animals (something which is not well defined) but rather drawing attention to priorities in today's culture. Affections are misplaced and will probably lead, some day, to more rights for animals than humans.

Election Gem #11

Today's gem is about media bias and how 'spin' can skew perceptions in any desired direction. Here is the lead line in an MSN News story today:

Roughly a third of voters in 45 battleground ridings believe Stephen Harper is the "nastiest" party leader of the election, according to a new Strategic Counsel Poll.

Now let's look at what 'spin' can do in the other direction, using the same polling numbers and almost the same words.

Roughly two thirds of voters in 45 battleground ridings believe that Stephen Harper is the "least nasty" party leader of the election, according to a new Strategic Counsel Poll.

Interesting that one of the partners in the Strategic Counsel is Peter Donolo who from 1993 to 1999, served as Director of Communications in the Prime Minister's Office and was chief communications strategist for Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his government.

So, you see, my friends, consider the source and consider the spin.

Horsing Around

I love my Photo Shop program!

The horse, as a pet or recreation, is a very recent phenomena. They have, down through the ages, been used primarily as instruments of battle or as beasts of burden and hard work. There is a fascination with them today that I cannot fully understand. I will be unpopular saying this, especially in my own family where there are numerous horse owners and horse lovers. I admire them from a distance, don't mind their smell too much, and marvel at their strength and grace. They also serve to enhance the appearance of an otherwise very dull looking pasture. Lucky for one of them to find a good and faithful owner, but I will not ever be one of them.

This post is a test to see who in my family is reading my blog.

Election Gem #10

Jack Layton: "I (also) hear a certain type of determination ... the sense that real change is possible."

Come on, Jack. Can't you come up with something original? Don't you think Canadians are watching Obama enough to realise that statement is his trademark?

Highway 97

This is the last thing the snake saw before he had the encounter with a Kenworth. It is a snake's eye view of the new rumble strips that were carved into the highway in Spring. Generally speaking, we cannot hear the traffic noise at night, but every so often, when the atmospheric conditions are just right, we hear what sounds like a bull frog, off in the distance. It is the traffic either passing or wandering over the centre line.

Election Gem #9

LIBERAL LEADER STEPHANE DIONE TOLD A GROUP OF ABOUT 500 MOSTLY INDO-CANADIAN SUPPORTERS IN SURREY HE WOULD ISSUE AN APOLOGY FOR THE 1914 KOMAGATA MARU INCIDENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. Harper apologised a few months ago in front of an Indo-Canadian audience in Surrey. It was not good enough for them and they wanted to see the apology done in Parliament. How better to buy votes than for Stephane to now promise them what they wanted, only this time doing it their way! We have all been wronged by our government at one point or another in our lives and maybe we should all get an apology. I have decided I will vote for the party who apologises for perpetuating income tax when it was originally introduced as a temporary measure to help out with the WW II effort. I am deeply and profoundly offended.

Bullrushes

It is strange that here in the desert, where things are only green because of man's intervention, there should be a swamp with Bull Rushes. And stranger still that because these are the primary source of building material for Humming Bird nests, that these Bull Rushes would be growing only several feet away from the Humming Birds favourite source of food, the flowering bush, the Trumpet Vine, in the previous post. It reminds me of a Bible verse ..... Matt 6: 26

Election Gem #8

This morning Jack Layton is promising to 'beef up monitoring of fuel prices'. We do not need government to monitor gas prices. Each and everyone of us does this every time we pass a gas station. What we need is for the price of gas to accurately reflect the real cost of exploration, production and supply of petroleum products. I have no doubt we are being gouged but it will never be corrected by simply monitoring prices. It will only be corrected when there is real competition in the oil industry. As it stands now, the existing oil companies are all in bed together, not having a romp, but deciding what the price at the pump will be tomorrow morning. Monitor that, Jack.

CKNW Breaking News.. 8:52 AM
A new poll suggests the Conservatives could be headed for a majority government.

Trumpet Vine

Trumpet Vine (Campsis Radicans) also called Trumpet Flower, Devil's Shoestring, or Foxglove Vine. It is drought tolerant, winter hardy, blooms profusely in the sunshine, and is a favourite of Hummingbirds and Butterflies. The wind was waving the branches so it was difficult to take a focused shot, but finally I got lucky and with the sky as a backdrop, the colour and shape of the blossoms shows up well. The plant it self is very dense and green and isolated blossoms are difficult to find. Just another flower that does really well in desert conditions. There is so much beauty around us if we only take the time to open our eyes.

Election Gem #7

"Dion had his own problems with a candidate Thursday and he fired a Quebec City Liberal candidate for controversial comments about natives.
Simon Bédard, 65, made the comments while he was a radio host in 1990. He called for the killing of Mohawks during the 1990 native stand-off in Kanesetake. "

Now just one minute here! This little gem was literally a footnote in a long article describing the back-stepping Mr. Harper had to do in the last two days regarding the 'pooping Puffin' and his communications guy who he had to suspend today. Now if this Simon Bedard was a conservative contestant, this would be front page, scream in your face, headline grabbing news. But this guy is a Liberal Candidate so the media is going to go easy on him and Mr. Dion. This is called media bias and it is not the last time we will see it.

Mail Box

The sleepy rural roads on the outskirts of Oroville are perfect for walking. There is always something interesting to see and rarely does one encounter a vehicle. The quiet morning air is disturbed only by the occasional whirring grasshopper and the flutter and scurry of a family of quails that seek shelter in the thorny underbrush. The air is cool, early in the morning, but the heat of the sun reminds us that it will indeed warm up as the hours pass by. At walk's end, the inviting shade of the Russian Olive tree beckons and we stretch out in the waiting lawn chairs, sunglasses and a good book in hand. The pages turn slowly because of the distractions out on, and over the lake. Passing ski boats, a family of Canada geese, a loon, a looming storm cloud, or the sudden change in direction of the wind, followed by whitecaps where moments ago there was only calm water. This is peace and contentment.

Election Gem #6

I love waffles. Slap on some fruit and whipped cream, or pour on the maple syrup, but any way you serve them I love waffles. Now we have our first waffle of the election '08 campaign. It comes from both Mr. Harper and Mr. Layton. It seems they have bowed to public pressure and threat of law suits from Elizabeth May so they have allowed her to participate in the televised debates. It should not matter to Stephen Harper as probably all or most of Green supporters are left leaning and she will not steal any conservative voters. But Jack Layton will water down his base by allowing Ms. May to talk NDPers into voting Green. I suspect the end result will be fewer NDP seats and perhaps a seat or two for the Greens. Inconsequential, really. Let the debates begin.

Election Gem #5

The former NDP leader, Alexa McDonough's riding in Halifax had a Conservative candidate quit the race yesterday. Rosamond Luke, a native of Sierra Leone, stated that pressure at work has forced her to withdraw herself from the contest. What pressure would this be? It turns out she has a criminal record. My,my, Mr. Harper. You should check out your recruits a little better than that before you invite them to your team. But, I suppose politics has an attraction to the criminal element.

Election Gem #4

Now we have Green Party Elizabeth May screaming that Harper has a total disregard for Democracy. The sin? She is being shut out of televised political debates. Just a minute here. The rules state that only political parties that have at least one elected member of parliament may participate in these debates. She is obviously and conveniently forgetting that the Reform Party a few years back had to wait in the same fashion, until they had their first elected MP. Harper was a Reform Party member at the time and his recollection of the rules is better than May's.

The Well is Running Dry

I have been keenly watching the markets for many years and the activities of late are a little frightening. This is only partly because some of my RRSP's are invested in TSX related funds. In years past, fluctuations did not bother me because I had time on my side. "Ride it out and in the long run, it will be alright." This just has not been true. It bothers me now because I am running out of time, but more so because it signals significant struggles in the economy, which means that all will suffer, not just those invested in mutual funds. Individuals and governments can only live on credit so long and something has to give. Those with no debt, a solid business or job, and some cash on hand, will be just fine, but I am afraid that describes only a small minority of people. The good times may be coming to a halt because the well is running dry.

Election Gem #3

The Tories promise:

The excise tax will be cut from four to two cents a litre -- a savings of about $600 million, CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported Tuesday from Winnipeg.

The Liberals Promise:

Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion announced Tuesday that his party will double the Harper government's $1,200-a-year child care allowance.

The promises are now beginning in earnest. Take note, my friends, how many of these carrots will not amount to a hill of beans when the election is over. And never forget, this money they throw around is our money. The government has no money of its own.

Ho-Hum

Yes, all that build-up for this, just a garage full of junk. So next time your curiosity is getting the best of you, remember the old window in Oroville and that sometimes there is no payoff for curiosity. At least save it for something really 'big', like peaking in somebodies diary, or reading somebodies blog. Oh, you are already doing that. Yeah, well, no big payoff here either.

Election Gem #2

Jack Layton says: "The issues that people deal with at the kitchen table with their families... are the ones that I think Parliament should be debating right now,"

This morning we discussed the choice of cereal and the strength of the coffee. What issues are you discussing at your kitchen table?

Canadian Election

The announcement today that there will be a federal election on October 14th was anti-climactic. We all knew this already, right? Being a bit of a political junkie, I thought I would incorporate a few tidbits now and again regarding the election. Today's gem is a quote from Stephane Dion, the leader of the Liberal Party.

"I love it," he said. "I love being the underdog. I love being underestimated, but don't say so, because then I will stop being underestimated."

And he is a former University Professor?

Curiosity

It can sometimes overwhelm you and compel you to do something you could be sorry for later. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but on this overcast warm day, 'the curious one' survived her mighty urge to snoop. What would be on the other side of this old window pane? Would it just be a pile of junk? Would it be a well kept little apartment? Would someone be staring right back at her as she inched her face to the window? Would a bat or an owl fly out at her and teach her a lesson once and for all? Would an alarm sound, warning the nearby owners that an intruder was at hand? I suppose that is why the urge is so powerful in some. You just do not know what you are going to get. How exciting! Tomorrow we will see what 'the curious one' saw. Can you wait?

Posted Monday Sept 8 2008

The Window

An important part of our routine in this vacationland is our daily walk. There are only two directions, like the wind, north or south. We are limited on our northbound walks by the international border, but there are some interesting side roads that we like to re-discover every year. There is always something to photograph and this old weathered storage barn had never really caught my eye before. I find that when I travel with camera in hand, I see different things and see things differently. An old building becomes a new photo for my collection of barn pictures. Maybe in years past, the boards had not yet weathered to the point of being photo worthy. The window is inviting 'the curious one' to peer through its broken panes, as we will discover in the next post.

Posted Sunday Sept. 7 2008

Landscaping Tools

Down the road and around the corner is this little toy, lying derelict and subjected to the harsh elements. I am sure it has pushed its share of dirt over the years, probably carving orchard terraces on the hillsides. Life is slow here, lacking the sense of urgency that we are so used to. Change comes slowly, development is resisted, and yet there are things happening. Huge excavators have transformed the shoreline, across the lake from us, and there are now several new resorts trying to fill the demand for lake shore vacation homes. Change is inevitable but we see the detrimental effects on the water quality and we hear more loud partying drifting across the waters on the calm night breezes. There will soon be no places left to escape the multitude of pollutions that plague our busy lives. The relics, as long as they remain untouched, will at least remind us that it was once a quiet, laid back refuge.

Posted Sept. 6 2008

Drive-In Theater

Another old relic is this roadside sign. Not far from us is an open field that used to be a drive-in theater. As the years have drifted by, the outdoor projector hut, the tattered old screen and then the dirt mounds topped with speaker posts eventually disappeared. Horses now graze where we once sat under the skies on the hot July nights watching old westerns on the patchwork screen that was in bad need of repair. All that remains is this sign, which I am sure is a perplexing thing to most people who drive by it today. I am surprised the political correctness Nazis have not had it removed.

Posted Sept. 5 2008

A Bit of History

This area is dotted with relics of times gone by. Immediately above our property is one of the last remaining stretches of the old wooden water flumes that used to service the entire Okanagan Valley. They carried irrigation water down the valley and were an amazing engineering feat because of the very gradual and consistent slope in their construction. When I first climbed to this structure in the late 70's, there was water gently coursing downward to bring life to the orchards on the hillsides. Today, this 100 metre section is still standing proud and strong, but is the last of its kind and is as dry as the bleached bones found just above it along the old cattle trails.

Posted on Sept 4, 2008

Reflections

The lake has a dual personality. This photo shows its calm side. A canoe, straying far from shore, is not a wise idea here, especially when there is a lone paddler. When the wind picks up, and it will, the waters can become angry and unforgiving. The surface turns a dark grey-blue and quickly becomes dotted with whitecaps. Sailboats, catamarans, and windsurfers show up almost immediately. Bucking wind and waves in any water craft is rough going and the only consolation is that if one ends up in the water, is not in the least bit cold. But this, ultimately, only means that there is no urgency for rescue. Life jackets are the order of the day and for good reason.

Posted Sept 3, 2008

Morning Storm Passing

Living beside big water and big sky forces a person to watch for patterns and rhythms in the weather. Naturally, as a new day breaks, the question is one of temperature and wind as those two factors will dictate the activities of the day. There is only North wind and South wind here, each bringing their own unique set of conditions. The lake is a like a large conference room where weather systems of divergent views meet to discuss who will rule the day. During the discussions, the heavy clouds seem to dissipate and although overcast may prevail at times, rain seldom does. The real action takes place all around us and we have a good view, especially of the electrical storms. At night, the winds often calm down and the sky clears up giving us a spectacular light show of stars with clarity that is seldom seen anywhere. Indeed, there are several astronomical observatories in the area. The one constant is change. At all times, we have one eye on the windsock and the other on the big outdoor thermometer. They are both fluctuating continually.

Posted Sept 2, 2008

Snake

I am back and it was a good little vacation. Why would I start with a snake picture? I suppose my mind is all over the place today trying to re-organise for a busy fall so I took the first picture off my memory card and went with it.

Our vacation spot, being the only true desert so far north, one would expect snakes and cactus and there were plenty of both. On a cool day they try to warm their bodies on the fresh black pavement on Highway 97 and rarely take into consideration the fact that there are deadly tires rolling in their direction. There are quite a variety of creatures on the road between here and there and some are very wary, others not. It is the deer I worry most about because of their size and the fact that they often only look one way before crossing the road to the proverbial greener grass.

The value in taking a vacation is that it forces one out of their routine and offers a chance to make a shift in outlook and thinking. Routine may be good for the physical workings of the body, but a divergence in everyday life is good for the soul and the mind. It refreshes, rejuvenates, and gives new perspective to the routine that is again inevitable and necessary.