Flaming Sumac, Flaming Pain

I had a scratchy throat coming home from work on Wednesday. I immediately took my doses of home remedy to nip 'it' in the bud, whatever 'it' was. A very large clove of garlic, gargle with very salty water, and suck Vitamin C until my tongue was ready to fall off. By bedtime, I noticed between garlicky burps that the soreness was somewhat subsiding. Then at 3 am I awoke with a fire in my throat, a searing pain that prevented me from swallowing. Though greatly disappointed that the cures were not working, I got up to take another dose of salty gargle. It immediately felt a bit better and as I sat on the edge of the bed, ready to swing my legs up and under the cozy warm blanket, my body said, no screamed something to me. "If you think that throat was pain, how about a dose of this?" My inner thigh, just above the knee, convulsed into a cramp that took my breath away. I jumped straight up in the hope that it would stretch out and settle down, but it was a stubborn cramp and would not subside. I could only sit on the edge of the bed, moaning, and massage the rock hard lump with the heel of my palm. As it came, so it went, until I tried to lie down. I could feel the twitching and crawling feeling and then it would start again. What's with this? I take a fist full of food supplements everyday, including the horse pill sized calcium and magnesium tablets. They certainly helped with the calf muscle cramps I often got but you would think a muscle is a muscle.

So, I lay on the edge of the bed for the next half hour, afraid to crawl back under the blanket. I must say though, that I forgot completely about the sore throat.

I eventually got to sleep with only the throat pain bothering me. Today (Thursday) I did not get up for work but stayed in bed. I actually slept until 10:30, something I have not been able to do in many years. I think my body was run down and exhausted and it was getting even with me for letting it get that way. We are going to have a heart to heart talk and discuss a holiday. Meanwhile, I am getting behind in my schedule, but the throat is feeling better right now.

Conundrum

Today, we discover that "1 in 6 hungry in America last year." That is the headline in the USA Today. If you believe the report, 49 million people went hungry at some point in 2008, the highest number since the government began keeping track in 1995. Meanwhile, we learn - in the same paper - that "Rising obesity will cost the USA $344 billion." That's what fat people cost the nation annually, equal to 21% of health-care spending.The two problems should cancel each other out, shouldn't they? Oddly, the states with the greatest girths are also the poorest. Mississippi is number one in fat. It's also the poorest state. Could it be that fat people are going hungry? Is this a good thing; or a bad thing?

Autumn Sports

I am a big hockey fan and after 22 games into the season, I have only had time to watch two or three games in their entirety. Saturday night was one of those occasions and it was a good one. My Vancouver Canucks dominated a good team, Colorado, and came out on top with a score of 8-2. It was a real pleasure having the evening free, watching my favourite sport, and having the win as a bonus.

I am also a big CFL football fan and I was sorry to miss the semi-final match between my BC Lions and Hamilton, this morning. At least I thought I was going to miss it. We were doing coffee duty at church this morning with our crew and I thought that the game would over by the time we got home. As it turned out, we all went out for lunch and someone in our team suggested Boston Pizza. It did not occur to me until we got there that there are about 8 big screen TVs in the restaurant and they were all playing the 'Big Game'. So as I was munching away on my personal sized pizza, I got to watch the final 5 minutes of the game. My team was ahead but let the opposition catch them in a tie right at the end of the game. It went to overtime and miracle of miracles, my team won.

For the last 20 hours I have been able to forget about work, my father, and anything else that brings stress right now and just enjoy a few little pleasures in life for a change. And the bonus here is that there is NO pain in my hip today. I am almost ready to declare myself healed and that in itself would have been good enough to make my weekend.

Blog Anniversary

Today it is two years since I decided to start my own blog (Web Log). I have not regretted one minute of my experience and indeed have found it quite useful as a creative outlet. I have been able to get a lot of things off my chest, share my passion for photography, and let my readers know a bit about me. It has helped me to be disciplined, think outside the box, and be accountable for some of my ideas. I have a stat counter application attached to my blog site and it gives me such things as numbers of unique visitors, page loads, locations of readers, and how long a reader stays on the blog. It does not tell me who the reader is. It has been interesting to say the least. I am continually bumping into folks who read my blog and sometimes I gulp and just smile. It makes me aware that I should be careful what I say because it is in the public domain. I am surprised that I have regular readers. As a blog follower myself, I have an idea what it requires to grab and hold a reader's attention. The last few months I have not been able to post everyday and I do not know what the future holds as far as time commitment on my part. Work continues to be hectic, my father and his affairs continue to take a lot of my discretionary time, but I have not run out of ideas or photos.

A great big THANK YOU to all my readers for your encouragement, if by no other means than simply logging on. I hope the best is yet to come.

Atechtwooh (H20)

Well, get your flu shot and pack your bags as it is now possible to go to the moon because you will not get thirsty there. Yes, there is water on the moon, at least 100 litres of the liquid stuff in a crater where a deliberate crash was made to determine just this thing. Where it came from is not yet clear, so it will have to be tested before it is deemed fit for human consumption. The future flights to the moon will not have to be burdened with liquids as the only food required will be the ones where you "just add water". The future tourist will be able to have Cup 'a Soup, Mr. Noodle, Kool-Aid, and hot chocolate (providing the water is on the sunny side of the lunar surface). This proves once and for all that the moon is not made of green cheese because if it was, what would have been discovered would not be water, but milk!

Something Fishy

The Discovery Trail in West Abbotsford circles two bodies of water that are fed by a salmon bearing stream called Fishtrap Creek. I have never seen a salmon in this area but there are those my age who used to fish here and they tell me it is true. The brick salmon then, is a true representative of the area. The two gentlemen sitting on the park bench behind the fish are also true representatives of West Abbotsford. While the salmon have been diminishing, the ethnic groups are flourishing and one would almost think they were in another country while walking through this neighbourhood.

Remembrance Day

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing,

flyScarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.

Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lieIn Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

- John McCrae

Stand by Your Man

My hat's off to my patient and long suffering Lizzy who has stuck with me through a thin part of my life. I think I can finally write about it once again because I believe this episode of my life is coming to a close.

I am talking about my year long battle with the pain in my hip. Eleven months ago the nagging ache I was experiencing became chronic. Driving was increasingly difficult and sleep was only happening on my left side. In January I began seeking help. I was encouraged by many to see a doctor and get an x-ray. I knew where this would lead and considered it a waste of time. The pain was not in the joint so would not show up on an x-ray and the solution would only be pain management.

I started with the treatments, that relieved me of 5 years of worsening neck pain about three years ago, called NST (Neurostructural integration therapy). The muscles were locked and inflamed, I thought, and had forgotten how to relax. It worked once for me so I pursued it for several months, but to no avail.

I then went to my regular chiropractor who does what I call impact manipulation together with exercise. I got temporary relief, but my pelvis, which he said was twisted, kept popping out of alignment. I then went to his partner who used a gentle form of massage together with manipulation. In the end he was baffled that my pain was actually getting worse. I asked him if he thought I should see a NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractor's Association)practitioner. He smiled and said he would not tell me what to do but he thought I would be wasting my time.

I was getting desperate and made an appointment with an acupuncturist. It was during the BC Lions training camp and I had heard that all the professional football players went to him. I had treatments there for more than a month and the pain got worse. Toward the end of his treatments, he talked me into getting a deep massage just before his acupuncture session and it would help me. His explanation and theory sounded good. I did this combo three times at $200 a pop and found that any good the massage did was nullified by the needles minutes later.

I was desperate by now. I made an appointment with my son's NUCCA specialist, with great reluctance, because I suspected I would be put onto a never never plan, going back to him forever and never getting full relief. He could find something wrong with me that would take years to fix. I was now desperate for a quick fix and was popping pain relievers like candy, just to take the edge off and so I could drive to work and back.

Like I thought, the first session was very pricey, almost $200, and yes, the x-rays showed that my neck was way out of line. Even I could see that on the picture. He then showed me the calcification and bone spurs on the fourth and fifth vertebrae that should not be there and were causing the grinding in my neck. He told me that the size of the spurs indicated that I had been out of alignment for about 30 years! But the crooked neck was being compensated for by one of my shoulders dropping 6 degrees. This caused a slight curve in my spine as my back tried to keep my shoulders square. My hips were tilted to keep the back straight and that caused my right leg to be one inch shorter than the left. And THAT is what was causing my pelvis to twist and THAT was causing the strain on the muscles that meet on the outside of my hip joint, right between the front and back pocket of my jeans.

In late July I began the treatments to straighten my atlas, the top bone of the spinal column. It is shaped like a saucer and its function is to keep the head straight. It was tilted 6 degrees and could not be moved all at once, but in increments. It was three steps forward and two steps back until about early October. I noticed one day that I had driven for 15 minutes and felt totally normal. I was overjoyed, but cautiously optimistic. Then, over the weeks, there were slight indications that things were improving. I cut back on the meds and knew that things were changing. I began to sleep better at night and soon I was rolling out of bed without crying out in pain.

Today, I can report that I am straight as an arrow, from top to bottom, and the inflammation in the muscles is definitely healing. On Sunday, we drove to Bellingham, the first real test for me as driving was always the indicator as to where I was with my condition. I drove there and back and suffered almost no discomfort. I am no longer on pain meds and I sleep like a baby, right through the night.

I can still feel the spot and at times there is a twinge or two, but I am miles from where I was. The underlying problem was discovered, was addressed, was treated and will now be watched closely as I will continue to go to Dr. Dan to maintain my 'straightness' but only as need arises. I have spent a horrendous amount of money getting to the bottom of this, but am relieved that I did not have to resort to Cortisone, which I am sure my Doctor would have prescribed.

Our bodies experience pain for specific reasons and there is always an underlying cause. Treating the pain is tempting as it brings relief from the debilitating quagmire that pain can become. But, I am writing this mainly to encourage anyone with chronic pain to seek solutions that address the underlying problem. Our Health Care system seems not to be set up for this tactic as it can be costly, but the long term consequences end up costing even more.

Thanks to all of my friends and family who have been praying for me, for a solution and for my ability to cope with the situation. And thanks to Lis especially. I have not been fun to be with for the last year. But things are changing.

Now, if only I could do something about this 'trick' knee of mine.

The End of the Path

My Aunt Doris from Calgary usually calls me on my birthday in April so I was somewhat surprised to hear her voice yesterday morning when I answered an early morning call. She called to give me some sad news. Her husband, my Uncle Eric Friesen, passed away on Friday evening. He had Alzheimer's Disease but that was only a contributing factor. He had contracted pneumonia a few times in the last year and when it hit him again this fall, he could not battle it and it took his life.

Uncle Eric was my dad's younger brother in a family of eight children. He is the first of the Friesen siblings to pass away. The long standing topic of conversation in that family has been the longevity with which they are all blessed. My grandfather and his father lived to just under 100 years of age. The oldest sibling is now 95 and doing well. Uncle Eric did not choose to be the first. None of us chooses the time of our death and yet we think it fair that there is a chronological order that should be followed.

I have fond memories of my Uncle even though I would say that I did not know him well. I do know that what would have followed in the years to come, with his Alzheimer's disease, was not nearly as desirable as what happened on Friday night when he reached the end of his life's path.

Signs of Autumn

The last few weeks have been hectic, to say the least. In my work, I have always managed to complete one project before moving on to the next. I am natured that way, as I do not like unfinished business, but I also strive to keep disruption in a customer's home to a minimum. As of a few days ago, I have 10 different jobs in various stages of completion and it is driving me crazy. Very little of this is my fault, however, I suppose I could have said "no" to some of my very long time loyal customers. Each job has a story to it but I will not go into detail. By Wednesday I will have cut that number in half and by the end of the next week I will have completed another two. This has really stressed me out as one of the jobs fell through because I could not come in time, and then the news that my dad was finally being moved to a Car Home was a mixed blessing. My sister and her husband came through and we managed to get some of my dad's things in his room and he is more or less settled in now. I took a bit of time off work yesterday to move furniture and still met the work goal for the day, thanks to Andrew's hard work. Today is catch up time for a lot of undone errands and then in the pm I will do a feature wall that should have been done two months ago. The customer is thrilled that I will finally complete her decorating project in her new Brownstone Manor Townhouse.

The jobs are backing up into January now so there will be no unemployment here for a while yet.

Finally!

Now you see her.

Now you don't.

I got 'the call' from the hospital yesterday, the call we have been waiting for. It has been nearly 6 weeks since the health authorities told us it would be about two weeks before they would find a place for my dad in a care facility. He has been so very patient and I am proud of him. Today at 10:30 am he will be moved to the Menno Home where he will have a private room with its own bathroom and room for a bit of furniture and a TV. I am hoping he will be thrilled to not only be out of the hospital, but to be settled into a place where he can get used to a new routine and a place where the boredom is only as bad as he makes it. He will be well cared for there as the Menno home has a very good reputation. He will get three square meals and opportunity for socialising and making new friends. It was what we were praying for and there is a great sense of gratitude and relief right now.

The Short List

Things I am absolutely tired of hearing about.
1. H1N1 and vaccinations
2. 2010 winter Olympics
3. An imminent federal election
4. The economic recovery
5. Twitter
6. iPods
7. Michael Jackson's "This is it"
8. Metro Vancouver's transit woes
9. Homeless shelters
10. Global warming

I am sure you have your own list.

Traffic Woes

Here is a photo of MaClure Rd. west of Clearbrook Rd. It is without a doubt one of the most efficient as well as beautiful east/west connector roads in Abbotsford. This little stretch has been closed for more than a month now while newer and larger water pipes are being laid beneath its surface. The busy traffic has been re-routed to Old Yale Rd. and it has been a nightmare. The extra traffic on already busy Old Yale has made it difficult to get to my Dad's place which is across Old Yale from where I live.
Today, they started closing east bound MaClure between Clearbrook and Tretheway Streets and that leaves our little sub-division in a bit of a bind. There will be no easy way in or out of our neighbourhood. The school traffic alone, with two large schools at the top of our street, will be impossible. There are mornings when we simply cannot get out of our driveway for minutes on end, and that is when all these main thoroughfares are open. What will happen tomorrow morning is any one's guess.
Now, to my point. As you can see, there is not a lot of action as the only machine on the construction site sits idle. It seems not to matter to the 'powers that be' that the whole west end of Abbotsford is being greatly inconvenienced.

Chocolate Overdose

Tonight was Halloween and as usual, we had many children, some of them quite large, actually, come to our door wanting all my chocolate. I am a chocoholic and as a result, try not to have it in the house too often as I tend to binge. There was a rather large tub of the stuff by the front door, handy to throw into the sacks of the little goblins, princesses, and spider men. Who would notice if a few were missing?
"That was a big group of kids and did they ever use up a lot of chocolate", I would say in defense, as the pile grew smaller by the minute.
After sampling every one at least twice, I settled in to the final three and began to sort through the bin, separating the really good ones from the others. Handing out the inferior ones to the kids would leave me the choice pieces at the end of the evening, if only 'they' would stop coming in droves.
In the end, I need not have concerned myself as my daughter brought a huge box of even better ones that she wanted to get rid of.
It is a good thing that I did not keep track of how much chocolate I actually ate tonight. It would be embarrassing as well as being downright unhealthy. (They were not all dark chocolate, in fact, none of them were)
I tried to look up the word "restraint" as I battled my addiction, but unfortunately, my dictionary was lost somewhere under a massive pile of chocolate wrappers. I will try to do better next year. Maybe.

Squirreling it Away

Those giant sunflowers I posted a while back are now being harvested. We have never cared for the seeds of those monsters and only grow them for their oddity and beauty. The kernels are not well developed, but try to tell this squirrel. Actually, there were two of them for a few days, hanging up side down, plucking a kernel, and then sitting on top cracking it and eating the seed. They were eating non stop for days, and working hard for every mouthful. We are at eye level with them from our deck so it is a great place from which to take a photo. I hope they left a few seeds for the chick-a-dees who usually are the only birds nimble enough to hang on the underside of the flower.

On Losing my Memory

McClure Road westbound,

McClure Road eastbound.

My mother used to love touring show homes, whether in a new sub-division, townhouse complex, or condominium high rise. For her, one of the primary considerations was how much storage space there was. She was not what I would call a pack rat, but she just needed room for her stuff. We all have stuff, and we all need a space to store it. I have seen many homes where the expensive vehicles are parked outside, in the elements, not in the two or three car garage. The reason is, the garage is full of stuff. Fast forward to our technical age and take note of all the electronic gadgets and devices we own and sometimes use. The primary consideration seems to be the amount of storage on the device. I recently purchased a 500 GB external hard drive, simply because the 250 GB hard drive built into my computer was inadequate. Cell phones, digital cameras, iPods, and all the other devices are advertised as to how much stuff you can store. Certainly a tiny memory stick, or HD card will take up much less space than an extra closet in the bedroom, but I am finding that like a stuffed closet, a full memory device is just as difficult to find your stuff in. And just try misplacing that memory card. It is as traumatic as misplacing your three car garage.

Managing Resources

This is a photo of the vine, growing up our chimney, melded onto a paper-like texture, done in Adobe Photo Shop.

I see that the old BC Place Stadium, home of the BC Lions CFL football team is getting a rejuvenation. After a state of the art retractable roof is put on the old structure, it will be a venue for both football and soccer. It seems that the main reason for doing this is that in the summer time, because there is no air-conditioning in there, it becomes sauna hot and uncomfortable for the poor fans. Tsk tsk. All for the mere cost of $458 million. The world has truly gone mad. We are being taxed to death for such things as mass transit and road building, our health care system is in shambles, and our province is running record deficits in its finances. And now all this money for a roof over a 40 year old structure, that already has a roof!! How about building another hospital, or some homeless shelters, or care facilities for the elderly. It seems our love of sports has clouded our thinking on this one.

Reflecting Reality

If you expand this photo and look closely, you will see that it is a reflection in water and I have turned the photo up side down. Yes, it was a very calm day.

I waited for a long time for a duck, a goose, a submarine, anything to add interest to the water, but to no avail. In the end, the reflection was good by itself.

A week before this photo was taken, the reflection would have been in the wet mud as the water level was lower here than I had ever seen it.

Paranoia is rampant in the press, the public, and now in the US presidential office. Obama has declared the H1N1 flu pandemic a national emergency. I just read this morning that your chances of dying of this flu are about the same as drowning in your bathtub. I guess it is time to call out the national guard because a lot of us are going to be taking a bath in the next 24 hours.

Fear and paranoia re: terrorist attacks, flu pandemics, global warming, oil shortages, you name it, are all used by the government to gain more power. Quite frankly, it is frightening.

Dare

Dare to be different! Our society pushes people to conform. We do not want to 'stick out' but rather blend in, and yet, when we think of the most unforgettable people on our lives, they are the ones who dared to be different. Although every single one of us are unique, there is a standard called normal. It is bland, it is like everyone else, and it is boring. Think of something you can do to today that is not only outside the box, but is extraordinary. And if people look at you funny, wear it as a badge of honour. You are now on your way to being unforgettable, a standout in the crowd.

Aging Can be Beautiful

If you don't think so, just check out these leaves. Just before they die, they give this incredible display of beauty, as if all their life was for this very moment.

Patience

This little two part story speaks for itself. In the first photo, you can see my patient, tolerant, and long suffering wife, Lis, as she waits for her husband to get just the right angle, just the right light, just the right shot. She came for a walk in the park, and ended up sauntering along while I was ga-gaing over the colours and choosing the right lens. When I finally caught up with her, she humoured me and sort of posed for a photo. Note the "he loves me, he loves me not" sort of thing she is doing with that dried leaf. But, she is the best. She stuck with me and never complained once. She just had a birthday and isn't she looking better than ever?

Red October

There is a most stunning view as one crosses Old Yale road at Mitchell St., entering the Heritage Trail to Fish Trap Creek South. There were numerous photographers out that day as one could not take a bad photo with all the eye popping red in the trees. The sun was partially obscured and the temperature was a balmy 17C and I believe we could not have chosen a better time to be out with the Nikon. I am loving my 70 - 200 zoom lens. I prefer the tightly cropped shots to the wide expanses of panoramic photos where there is plenty of material to look at, but all in the far distance. I was aching for an opportunity to try out my new triple coated Sigma polarizing filter but with the mostly flat light, it was not making any impact on the lighting of the photos. I will need a hot tropical vacation, near the equator, to test that piece of equipment to the fullest. That would be reason #17 to go south this winter and I only really needed one.

A Chance Meeting

As we were walking the trails, who should we meet but my cousin and his wife. Although we live in the same city and get along famously, we only get together twice a year. He was out for only the second day after a horrendous bout of flu that just about killed him. Yes, it was the swine flu and by his account, I certainly do not want to catch that one. They were a long way from home so I phoned him later in the evening to see if they made it back. He said he was tempted at one point to hi-jack a little old lady in a motorized scooter but his good wife restrained him. He will be working at getting his strength back in the next few days and weeks. He was a big strong guy before the flu so it is no wonder that is killing some people.

A Golden Day

We are in mid October and the Autumn colours are at their peak. The rains of the last few days have pounded much of the colour into the ground and I was getting concerned that I would miss the golden opportunity that comes once a year, a photographer's dream. By next week, all could be gone, with only a few straggler leaves remaining, hanging on for dear life, their mates rotting on the ground below. My Nikon has been charged and ready to go at a moments notice. Yesterday was the day, but alas, we had other plans that took priority. Then a phone call in the early morning to say that the plan was put on hold so my chance to go photographing caught new life. Right after lunch, Lis and I hit the trails, the old familiar ones where I knew we would have plenty of colour without the city clutter. I pumped up on pain killers and we walked for hours, 'shooting' everything in sight. Over the next little while I will post some of the results of our tiring, yet exhilarating hunt for red October.

And The Winner Is ...

The new 2010 Canada Winter Olympic medals were unveiled yesterday. Finally, something original and, in my opinion, very attractive. Each medal will be unique, a small part of a larger piece of art, a stylized Orca. The medals, which weigh about 600 grams each, are also unique in the fact that they are not flat, but undulate in gentle waves. I am sure they will be treasured by the finest athletes in the world, not only for what they represent, but also for their beauty.

My only criticism is that once again, we are telling the world that the only Canadian cultural art is native art. It is no wonder the Americans expect to see igloos as soon as they cross the 49th parallel.

These Colours Will Not Last

Obama's 'Cash for Clunkers' economic recovery plan for the automotive industry in the USA fell flat on its face. He managed to push years of new auto sales into one month, and as a result, auto sales have been down ever since. I am afraid that something similar is going to happen on this side of the border. And this is the problem with government stimulus. It interferes in natural market forces and creates false numbers that are not based in reality, all while the economy is trying to repair itself.

I am talking about the 'Home Owner Renovation Tax Credit'. I have been a direct benefactor of this initiative as my business has thrived ever since it was introduced. I just experienced my second best quarter in the last ten years and this while I am working at less than top speed with a defunct hip. This is all fine and good for as long as it lasts, but come early next year, when it expires, we will see if anyone is still interested in renovating or re-decorating their homes when there is no tax advantage to doing so.

I too have taken advantage of this incentive as I will have spent close to $20,000.00 on my own home. Why are others any different than me when I am thinking that there is no other better time to do this. I will not do anything of the sort next year, and perhaps neither will anyone else. If my numbers will go down next year, so will everyone else's and that means that there will be a downturn in the economy. That is why I do not like these programs. They give false hope, like the markets of today give false hope.

Today, stocks are selling at 27 times earnings when according to where we are at in the so called recovery, they should be around 15 times. I am anticipating a crash very soon. They usually come in October anyways so why not bring it on now. It is inevitable because investors are led to believe we are in a recovery when there are not real numbers to back up that fact.
The gov. stimulus programs dupe us into thinking that all is well, when it is far from it. These colours will not last.

I Can See My Breath

"What happened to global warming?" asks a headline at the BBC. Folks in the Rockies are shivering. "Western Montana breaks records," says a report. Missoula reported a low of 8 degrees yesterday...14 degrees lower than the previous record for this early in the season. Nearby Idaho had heavy snow last week too. Same thing in New Zealand, where roads were blocked by heavy snow. In New Zealand, two major North Island highways remain closed after unseasonal heavy snow days stranded motorists for two nights. "Even if this was the middle of winter this is extreme," said an analyst. And right now, it's spring in NZ. They had a spring snowstorm that put their winter snowstorms to shame."Forget global warming," says old friend Jim Davidson. "Get ready for another ice age." Buy Brazil, he advises; the cold will drive down farm output in North America and Europe. As the BBC reports, worldwide temperatures are not increasing; they've been falling for the last 10 years. No one knows why. Global warming enthusiasts say the trend is still towards higher temperatures. Their opponents say the world is actually beginning a major period of cooling - driven by solar activity, not by man-made carbon emissions.Who's right? We get out our mittens and wait to find out.

That was Bill Bonner's take on Global warming today. I might add to that the fact there were 17 low temperature records broken in BC within the last few days. Those of you who have been following my blog for a while now, know that I have been repeating this message for the last number of years and I am sticking to it. It must be awfully embarrassing for people like Al Gore and David Suzuki these days. I believe that one day they will recant, through chattering teeth.

Wasn't That a Party!

Thanksgiving Sunday was a very full day but we had a great time. Lis and I were up bright and early to get to church on time to put on the coffee and continental breakfast for 300 t0 400 people. We have a great team and many hands made light work. We really enjoy our turn every month and besides providing a valuable service, we have grown close to our fellow team members while aiding in a vital part of the fellowship of believers in our church. We always go out for lunch after we have cleaned up the kitchen but this time we passed. There was too much to do at home to get ready for the big Thanksgiving dinner in the late afternoon.

We always invite our kids and grand kids, along with my father, for the the big turkey day, but because my dad is in the hospital, we thought it would be fun to have his brother and his wife in his place. Uncle Jack and Aunt Louise are almost 90 but there is little evidence other than their birth certificates, to verify the fact. They are two people who are fun, energetic, and always entertaining. Uncle Jack put on a little magic show for my grandsons, or that was the pretense, because we all enjoyed it tremendously and had many good laughs. Aunt Louise, who still bounces around like a teenager, in spite of a badly pinched nerve giving her leg pain, kept us in stitches with her witty comments and 'over the top' compliments to Chef Lis. Wayne, my sister's husband, was here to get my dad's car and joined in the fun. The stories, many of which were probably exaggerated just a wee bit, were flowing fast and furiously, always accompanied with rounds of laughter and more banter. The food was exquisite, we ate too much, we laughed a lot, and in the midst of it, I was ever so thankful.

* The photo is Nathan and Chad getting into the spirit of fun and frivolity after the magic show.

Bridging the Gap

Fish Trap Creek Park Oct 10, 2009

My father continues to languish in the hospital. His move to a care facility should be soon, but we do not know. Nobody seems to know. He is being well cared for where he is, but it is getting tiresome. He has always thrived on routine and not been too adventurous, at least not in his latter years, so he has given in to the dreary schedule of hospital life. Those things that he once managed in his life, I now do for him. I have simplified things somewhat, but I am still feeling like a bridge in the gap. The car issue will be resolved within the next few days and I have cancelled newspapers and cable vision, but still go to check the mail and drop in on his home at least every other day. I am very fortunate that it is only about 8 blocks away from where I live.
We knew 'it' would happen, so we are really appreciating having taken care of 'powers of attorney' and joint bank accounts long ago. Things are quite simple because of the preparations we made many years ago. I am observing and taking notes on what is all transpiring here because I am next. It is inevitable.

Bench Warming

I did get out on my bike today, but not in the early morning like I had planned. It was windy and overcast and the light was flat and gray. I had a leisurely morning for a change and then much later in the day, after all the chores and running around were done, I hopped on my mountain bike and cruised around a bit. There is an advantage to doing photography this way. You never have to find a parking spot and you can always get to the best vantage point easily. It was a bit cool though and I had to bundle up a bit. I checked out the International Friendship Garden again after having visited it in the spring. It is as ugly as ever and the only thing I thought that was even slightly photogenic was this bench, tucked away in a warm corner, sheltered from the wind. I softened the image somewhat, to make the bench more welcoming. I like this new style of park bench that is showing up in our local parks, but I think I needed a model to complete the photo.

Missing Blogology

This is what I see every morning right outside my kitchen window, as I am eating my breakfast. A family of birds would certainly make it more interesting. I should put up a 'Vacancy' sign.

I have really missed blogging regularly. There has just been no time. This is my busy time of year and after a days work, an evening out estimating and consulting, back home for some paperwork and crunching numbers for the quotes, I have put in at least a ten to eleven hour day. Add to that a trip to the hospital at least 5 times a week, to visit my father, and you can see that there just is no time to blog.

I think I have discovered a way to get around without hurting my hip. I cannot drive for more that ten minutes at a time, but tonight I experimented with my bike. I have not ridden for a few years, but after going around the block tonight (yes, I wore a helmet) I discovered that it was relatively pain free. My plan is to rise early tomorrow morning, don helmet and camera bag, and cruise around my end of town for some new photos. The leaves are starting to turn and if it is a sunny day, there will be good early morning light and if I am lucky, a bit of early morning fog. But, then again, I might just lay in bed and enjoy not having to get up and go to work. I am actually taking the long weekend off and I cannot miss the once a year opportunities to shoot some fall colours. Last year was spectacular for variety and intensity so we will see if this year is as good. With my new camera and Photoshop, I will make sure it is a good year.

Jobs

This photo is not the best quality but I just wanted to show the unique beauty of an Angel Trumpet tree in full bloom. As night falls, you cannot walk past this plant without being overwhelmed by the pleasant fragrance of the bloosoms. I am told the pink variety of this plant is not nearly as aromatic.

The so called economic recovery in the USA is not happening and will not happen for a very long time. Here is simple example of why not and it is about job losses and job gains for the future. It is bleak but makes a lot of sense. It is a quote from "The Daily Reckoning".

Yesterday, we were calculating how long it would take to get the jobless number back down to '90s levels...that is, around 5%. There are now about 131 million jobs in the United States...and about 15 million people who would like a job but can't find one. Meanwhile, population growth adds about 1.5 million new workers every year. That means the economy has to grow at 1% (in real terms) just to stay even with population growth. Currently, the economy is going in the wrong direction - backwards. It's losing jobs...maybe 3 million this year...and maybe another 2 million or so before it finally stabilizes (who knows?)...for a total of 20 million jobs down (about 13% unemployment) by the time unemployment bottoms out. Let's suppose, by some miracle, the economy turns around...and begins growing at 3% per year. That should be about 3 million new jobs per year. Half of those, remember, are just to keep up with population growth. So the other half - 1.5 million - gradually reduce unemployment. Now, let's get out the calculator...20 million divided by 1.5 million equals a little more than 13. By these numbers you can expect full employment again in 2022!

Etiquette

Amaranth in the late afternoon autumn light as seen from our deck.

Coming back from a bit of a break, I do not like to get off on a negative note, but I have had a pet peeve for quite some now and it is bugging me more every day.
Here is how it works. You meet someone on the street and say ''hi". They stare off into space as if you did not exist, although you know they heard you. Then you ask them a question and they totally ignore you, although you know they heard you. Then you phone them and say "hi", ask them the same question and you are met with total silence. You know they are there on the line and that they heard you. So now you write a letter and ask them, again, and request a reply, a phone call, or to meet for a coffee. You know they received and read the letter but did not even acknowledge that you just tried to communicate with them.
Of course this would never happen unless they were a total stranger and they did not know you either. And yet, it happens ALL THE TIME.
I am talking about what I call email etiquette. Why is receiving a personal email any different than the above scenarios? Email is a modern day mode of communication no different that talking in person, phoning, or writing a letter. I am not talking about 'forwards'. Forwards are things you can reply to or not. Often they do not deserve a response, so I do not have a problem with that. And yet I have sent many personal emails to individuals who do not respond in any way shape or form. If I talked to them on the street or phoned them, they would reply, but why not by email? I am sure none of my readers are culprits, and indeed the people who do this are few and far between, but they are out there and they need to learn some manners. It is not like they can anonymously snub the sender. The sender knows who they are. They do it by their lack of response, and it is just plain rude.
Just one minute, you say. Some people do not use their email or do not like sitting at the computer as much as you do. Fine. Then delete your email program and never, ever give out an email address. If you have an email address, you should be checking your email every day, just like you check your 'snail mail box" every day. Check it, read it, respond to it, or get rid of it.
Phew! I feel much better now that I got that off my chest. The only people who will be offended by this post are the ones who have offended me so I guess we are even. Just remember, I still love you. :)

Will the Real Economy Please Step Forward

This little scene in the garden caught my eye as the sun found only enough room to illuminate the leaf and not the blossom.

The spin being put on the economic numbers on both sides of the border continue to puzzle me. I think I know what they are trying to do. If enough consumers are convinced that the recession/depression is over, they will start spending again and the economy will truly recover. But who are they trying to fool. Jobless numbers are up, foreclosures are up, default on credit cards is up, real wages and take home pay are down, and we, the consumer, are trying to save and get out of debt because we got a really good scare when we lost equity in our homes, our jobs were threatened, and our retirement investments went sideways. We will not be frivolously spending our money again any time soon. And we, the consumer, drive 70% of the economy. The few good numbers in the economy are only the result of billions of dollars of stimulus money. When this stops, things bog down again. Take the "Cash for Clunkers" program in the USA. In August, vehicle sales went sky high and the end of the recession was announced. What they were doing was pushing all future car sales into one month. The program stopped and Sept was the worst year ever for car sales. So, you see, public spending is not the answer. In fact, it only exacerbates the problem. Those handouts were tax payers money and that has to be paid back.
As for the up-turn in the markets, we must be extremely cautious here. The price to earnings ratio is at a dangerous level. In other words, those buying stocks are paying unprecedented amounts for the earnings those stocks are achieving. How long can that last? It can't. For those of you who have endured my prognostications on the economy since the crash of one year ago will know, I have been predicting an even bigger fall and it will come when investors in the markets suddenly realize that they are buying a 'pig in a poke'* and they will get out in droves. Those who do not will be very sorry indeed.
The end of the recession/depression will happen when consumers will get back on track with their spending and at the present 8% savings rate in the US, this could take up to 20 years. When we boomers and consumers are certain that our financial house is once again in order, and our savings and equity are at a comfortable place, we will again start spending. But this time it will not be on credit like it was during the 'bubble' that led up to this fall in the first place. So, if that is true, we will not see another 'bubble' for a very long time indeed.
Meanwhile, stay out of debt and keep some cash on hand. Gold would be even better. Just remember, you can't take it with you. :)

*Pig-in-a-poke is an idiom that refers to a confidence trick originating in the Late Middle Ages, when meat was scarce but apparently rats and cats were not.
The scheme entailed the sale of a "suckling pig" in a "poke" (bag). The wriggling bag would actually contain a cat — not particularly prized as a source of meat — that was sold to the victim in an unopened bag. A common colloquial expression in the English language, to "buy a pig in a poke," is to make a risky purchase without inspecting the item beforehand. The phrase can also be applied to accepting an idea or plan without a full understanding of its basis. Similar expressions exist in other languages, most of them meaning to buy a cat in a bag,