A Family Poisoned

 

Mission accomplished. I can finally stop writing about Sherlock Holmes because I completed my reading of the entire collection. It took me longer to do that than to read the entire Bible. As a final note, I met two people last week who also were in the midst of Sherlock Holmes books. Did I start a trend??

 I immediately dove into a fresh novel, but something entirely different. The title of the book is "A Sky Unwashed" by Irene Zabytko. It is fiction but based on a true event, that of the explosion and radiation leaks at Chernobyl in 1986.

The scene is set in the village of Starylis near the disaster, where life carries on normally until the night shift did not return one fateful morning.

Marusia Peterenko is the main character, an old widow whose son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren live with her in her small house on the outskirts of the village. The author is poetic in her descriptions of life in Gorbechev's semi-rural Russia. Life is simple, crude, but peaceful and secure.

The son does not come home from his shift for several days and when he does, he is very ill. Days after the explosions, the villagers are evacuated, but by this time they are all contaminated, and on their way to radiation sickness and cancer themselves.

The ordeals at the evacuation center, the hospital, and the struggle to just get by, reveals that these people were being swept under the carpet by the communist regime. Bad publicity, you know. The story centers on Marusia's journey back to her village despite its designation as a dead zone. She makes it back and soon a few others straggle back, hoping to re-build their lives.

It is a sad story which reveals the characteristics, both good and bad, that help those who struggle, to endure and press onward. It also reveals an uncaring, cruel, expedient yet inefficient bureaucracy that cares more for selfish gain that the good of individuals.

Reading this book evokes a renewed feeling of love for my own country of Canada where things are vastly different.

4 stars  

My Face in a Book

 

I find that as I am sitting on the beach in Osoyoos, contemplating life and having my face in a book, I realise that I have become somewhat addicted to Facebook. I used to poo-poo it, but then started an account to keep tabs on certain people who shall remain un-named. I gradually began to realise that the term "social networking" is exactly that, and does have some use. I see what my 'friends' are into, what is going on in their lives, and feel connected so that even if I do not see them for a long period of time, I am still up to date with their families and their life, or at least that part of it which they are willing to share.

I have discovered that long strings of conversation can get going over the most innocuous subjects. But, do not dare present anything controversial, or contradict someone in anything but a humorous manner, with a smiley face icon accompanying the comment.

 

Speaking in generalities, I would say that there is little of a serious nature happening on Facebook, unless it is support of someone in dire straights due to illness, accident, or loss of a pet or loved one. Recipes are big. Personal photos are big. Advice is big. And the mundane is big. I must say that the heavy users of Facebook are transparent in what their lives are all about. You can tell a lot about a 'friend' by what he or she continually posts. It is also clear to see who the more popular people are as they are the ones with the most comments and 'likes' behind their posts. Face it, some people are just more fun and more interesting to follow than others.

 

I will often email a Facebook friend if I want to have a serious discussion. Such a public forum, as Facebook is, does not seem to be the place for politics, religion, world events, or any kind of controversy. Being a very opinionated person, I have to exercise great restraint when I see some of the stuff that is posted. It literally cries out to be challenged.

But hey, I do not want to be 'unfriended' so I most often keep my mouth shut and my fingers off the keyboard. How ever will I be able to peek into their lives if I am no longer their 'friend'?

 

 

 

 

Crown Him With Many Crowns

 

I am sitting on the beach of Osoyoos Lake as this post is being published, wondering where I am going to get the money to pay the huge dental bill I racked up last week. Yes, I had another crown installed. I thought it was finally the last one, but my dentist told me there was one more. That is what he told me last time, and the time before. Eventually it will be true because there will no more teeth to crown. Or will there? The oldest ones will need replacing by then, I am sure.

 

I am afraid to tally the amount of money I have spent on dental work in the last 8 to ten years. I am at the age where the old teeth are in need of repair, and if I do not do them now, I will go into old age with poor teeth and many problems that accompany poor teeth. I can still handle the discomfort and the expense, something that will get more intolerable as the years go by. I am sure the total is more that $20,000.00 

 

I have to trust the skill and workmanship of my dentist so I do not have to go through this again. So far, I am pleased with what he has done. Not one of his restorations has caused me pain or any kind of problem. I can eat what I want, my teeth are no longer sensitive to hot and cold, and I am rid of that poisonous mercury amalgam that plagued my mouth.

 

But, a dental plan sure would have been helpful!

Sherlock Meets His Match

 

"Watson, never yet have we helped to hunt down a more dangerous man than he who is lying yonder." And thus ends the famous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, "The Hound of the Baskervilles".

 

After reading through most of the summer in the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories, I finally arrived at the most famous of them all. Watson plays a large roll in this story and proves himself to be a brave and resourceful man in his own right.

The Baskerville family is rich and has a large estate, but they are cursed by a vicious other-worldly creature who hunts them down and kills them, either outright or through sheer terror. Sherlock Holmes is recruited to protect the last of the heirs, Henry Baskerville, and to determine if the curse and the hound are real or imagined.

The cast of characters are interesting and the mystery thickens at each turn of the page. The clues slowly come to the surface and it takes Sherlock to piece it all together and at the very last moment, he is able to prevent Henry Baskerville from suffering the  same fate as his forefathers.

Doyle is adept when creating a chilling atmosphere on the moors surrounding the Baskerville estate, and a series of eerie events builds suspense and a sense of impending doom for the reader.

 

4 stars

 

I am determined to read the entire collection and I am slowly getting there. The mysteries are complex and interesting enough to hold my attention, and if I am not enjoying one, I am encouraged by the fact that these are mostly short stories and the conclusion is just a few pages away.

 

I am 70% done and hope to finish next week as I sit on the beach of Osoyoos lake.  

How Do You Rate?

 

I just read an interesting article here which claims that those of us who are religious (sic) are less intelligent than those who are atheists. I recommend that you read it. It claims to have compiled data from numerous surveys over the last 40 - 50 years and out of some 63 studies have determined that only ten show that people of faith are more intelligent and the rest show that those without faith are superior in intelligence.

 

The first flaw in this so called scientific study is that they do not define religious activity or faith. The broad definition and broad spectrum of religious activity is not addressed so we of the Christian faith do not know where we stand in light of the millions of religious folks around the world, all of whom practice some sort of ritual, or have some sort of religious belief system. I do not want to be lumped together with some primitive culture who worships the moon, or some witch coven that casts spells, and yet it is in the broadest way, all religion. I would go so far as to say that atheism is also a religion, but that presents another problem for the survey.

 

Another observation is that there are different categories and levels of intelligence. This is not addressed in the survey nor does it state that simple IQ was the criteria.  

 

Let us say for arguments sake that the survey is accurate and it was based on IQ. I would suggest that the higher the intelligence of an individual, the higher they would go in their formal education, the better their career would be, the higher their income and the better their confidence and self-assurance. These are just the people who tend to be self-sufficient and feel they can depend on their income, their status, and their degrees and education to get them anywhere in life they need to be. These are exactly the kinds of people who do not look outside themselves for answers and perhaps do not question the big issues in life. They do not need to, in fact discovering that there is a God would be counterproductive to their own agendas.

 

As I delved a little further into this study, I discovered that the difference in intelligence between the two categories of people, where they did use IQ, is a mere 6 points. In the study of IQ, a 1-6 point difference would put the two subjects in the same category of intelligence. This then becomes 'splitting hairs'.

 

Anecdotally, I would say some of the most faith-filled people that I personally know, are highly intelligent. One could also argue that some of the greatest scientists over the centuries have had a strong faith in God.

 

Neither groups, however, should get too defensive or haughty about this study. In the end, we will all know, or not know, the reality of God. And that is a fact.  

The Void

 

I guess I am on holidays now. I have no work lined up, I only have one more home improvement project (and that is on hold for a while), all my children and grandchildren are away, busylizzy is working, and here I sit, enjoying a cup of coffee and the good feeling of just having gone on a long early morning walk. The sun is shining, yet the air is cool, my computer is trouble free, and I am healthy and feeling quite well. Life is good.

I have found that no longer having to care for my dad has been a huge burden lifted from my shoulders. Not that I actually did 'hands on' care, but the non tangibles were what I did on a very regular basis for so many years. If that sounds callous, it is not. We have friends who are going through somewhat the same thing now, but more intense. We love our aging parents and we do what we have to and want to do, but it is still a burden and point of stress if we are honest.  It is not unlike a toddler finally being potty trained, or a teenager growing up and finding his or her own way in life. It is a sure eventuality, and when it comes there is relief.

Having said that, there is bit of a void that takes getting used to. It almost feels like selfishness, to enjoy the freedom, which is what the void really is.

I realise, as I revel in my good feelings of this Monday morning, stress free, that there is another stage of life coming, or perhaps another event, that could take that freedom away. The tension of being between difficult times is constantly there. I do not dwell on it, nor do I worry about it, but simply try to concentrate on how good it feels in the moment.

I think I will have some chocolate to make it complete.

Left Footed

 

I normally do not like watching movies at home. There are too many distractions. So it was with reluctance that I sat down with busylizzy the other night and watched a movie she had borrowed from the library.

I thought Daniel Day-Lewis was excellent in "Lincoln" and I have heard about "My Left Foot" for as long as it has been out so I thought I was in for a treat. After all, can the "Academy" be wrong? The caption on the above poster states that is it is an exhilarating movie. Maybe they and me are reading out of different dictionaries, but I did not find this movie exhilarating at all.

 

My biggest complaint was that there is great difficulty in understanding the dialogue. Between the Irish accents, the Irish colloquialisms, and speech impediment of the main character, there is little to be gained by turning up the volume on the TV. What little I did hear was profane and is probably what earned this movie an 'R' rating.

 

The story is interesting, and I get it that Day-Lewis portrayed his character in such a way as to prevent us from feeling sorry for him, but the overall tone is dark and cheerless. There is a lot here also that is unexplained.

Perhaps this movie got the accolades it did because it followed the "Rain Man" which earned Dustin Hoffman an Academy award in the previous year, and showcasing handicapped people was all the rage in those days. There is merit to what they were trying to do, but movie making still requires that the audience be enthralled, captured, entertained and left with a great memory of having seen something special.

 

After enduring the movie to the end, I informed busylizzy that I too could act the part of a victim of cerebral palsy, and I commenced to giving her a demonstration. Because my audience was small and unimpressed, I regret to announce that I will not be getting a nomination for my performance. 

 

3 stars 

Cover the Deck

 

Our old deck cover started coming off in the winter winds, so we finished the job later in Spring, ripping down the old ceiling, roof, and corrugated panelling. We found rot and multiple wasp nests in the old structure. I had put it up myself about 20 years ago, but not doing the best job. Apart from poor workmanship, the materials had just deteriorated in the weather and were done.   

 

The old roof was 2 x 4 construction with chip board on top of and underneath the ceiling. Then on top of that was the corrugated fibreglass panels. This time we opted for the open look and thought that 2 x 6's would look more substantial and decorative. We cut every piece according to our plan and them pre-painted every side. There are no cut, raw edges.

 

 

 

On the roof we installed polycarbonate panels with specialized spacers and screws. Everything fit like a glove because we planned and measured before hand. We used the clear panels, which block 90 % of the UV and let more than enough light onto the deck and into the windows along the deck. These shiny new panels are now waiting for plops from starlings, jays, crows, and sparrows. That is the downside to clear. Also, the Maple tree sheds all year round and in the Fall, especially, we will have a cleaning issue.

 

We did it all from the deck with various types of ladders and did not have to go up on the roof at all. Andrew, my fearless son, did all the high and dangerous work.

 

We really like the finished look and now we have our sheltered outdoor living space back when the rains come, as they surely will.

 

The next project will be replacing the steps going up to the deck. They are still safe and sound, but the maintenance on them is ongoing and they only look good for a year after I re-finish them. We are tired of sanding and scraping and priming and painting. I am going to look into steel stringers and composite treads. It will be a final and lasting solution if I can afford it.

Riding Mower

 

My grandsons came over on Saturday to mow the lawn, but had not got the message that they were cancelled this week. Except for that green part you see in the photo, our lawn is dry and has gone dormant until the Fall rains. They did cut it in this area and then with a bit of time on their hands, they got inventive. This is the poor man's riding mower. Patent pending.

Rodeo

 

This is as close as I can come to a cowboy photograph as I search my photo files. Why a cowboy photo?

busylizzy and I took the three grandsons to the rodeo tonight. I have been to a few, but the boys had not been to one before so it was an experience.

By gosh, it was as western as it gits in this here city. There was barrel racin', horse back ridin', calf ropin', bull ridin', and a gosh darn funny rodeo clown who had a thang about gay jokes. Wasn' he a gay cowboy? Well shoot my britches, I don't rightly know fur sure. The biggest thang to hit rodeo in many a year happened right before our very eyes as two bronkin' bulls come out the chute at the exact same time, one with'n a rider, one with'n no rider. You all never saw such excitement since Daisy Mae's cat sat too close to Gramma's rockin' chair. I was spectin' one of those bulls to crush one of those cowboys, plum flat. We had nuff of that after a spell and headed out to the rest of the Fair.

 

Not much at the Agri-Fair, I must confess. We bought some ice-cream at a concession that bragged it had about 50 flavours at $3.50 a cone. What they do is squirt some soft serve into a container, squirt some flavour from a chemical jar into the 'ice-cream', give it a stir with a whipper-snipper-whirley-gig thingy and then put it back into the machine and it squirts it back into a miniscule cone. It was the most unorganised and inefficient setup I have ever seen. And the two gals working in there were not getting along. I was embarrassed for them.

We then cruised through the midway, and then the animal barns, and then headed home.

Three hours with the grandsons is great. Three hours at the Agri-fair, not that great.

Day Trip

 

These are Day Lilies and yesterday we took a day trip. Nice segue, yes?

I had some price checking to do for some household items and a few work items so we decided to hit Costco also. This is all in Bellingham, USA, requiring a border crossing. We listened to the road and border reports and thought that 20 minutes was not too bad and we would tough it out. The estimated time does not take cheaters into account and our wait time became almost an hour! How some people endure this on a regular basis is beyond me.

 

The final insult was being right behind a bright yellow Corvette that was detained at the booth and then escorted away by armed guards. That took an extra 10 minutes. It is all surprisingly forgotten once we get moving again, but then the anxiety returns when we contemplate an equal wait on the way home.

 

We did our shopping, saved about $40.00 in total, and then headed home. But what is this? No line-up on the way home? No interrogation? No duty to pay?

Let's do this again.

Lack of Colour

 

I received a Photography book from Andrew for Father's Day, "The Essential Guide To Landscape Photography'. I have been reading it slowly, savouring it, and learning from it. I am on the chapter that teaches the various aspects of black and white landscape photography at the moment and I am inspired. I am going to try more of this in the future. I find that many times the light is not ideal for the photo I am aiming for, but often that very bad light for colour photographs is ideal for black and white. In fact, the bad weather that usually will keep a photographer indoors is what to look for when taking dramatic B&W photos. I am anxious to try some of the ideas when we go to Oroville next month. The skies can be quite dramatic there.

In the meanwhile, I am enjoying the run of the mill summer photos that I am taking and doing a bit of work on them in Photoshop.

 

 

Follow-up

 

Just a follow-up to my post of a few days ago. The client called quite late in the evening and I met her at her condo where she did pay me. She had a few friends in to see the new décor and I was given praise for what they thought was a great job. That is rewarding because I did the colour scheme as well as the work. There was a faint promise of more work to come, for the client's friend.  

 

There have been few times in my many years as a contractor that I have had a bad debt. It was one of the reasons that I got out of new construction and concentrated on re-decoration. In re-decoration there is a budget, and agreed upon price, and the client is looking forward to new and great things when the project is over. They willingly pay. When doing commercial or new construction, the company will at times have a financial problem and the last guys on the job get the shaft. I was dinged good a few times, but fortunately not often.

Patience

 

We are finally getting around to putting on a new deck roof this week. We purchased all the lumber and started painting it in the cool of the morning, on the shady side of the house. I propped myself up in a lawn chair between coats of paint, but had to find the shade. It was a hot day. And then the Humming birds started humming around the flowers only a few feet from where I was sitting. Of course, they only come when my camera is not at hand. But being an optimist, I ventured inside to get the camera and then waited.

 

And surprise, surprise. They came back. I actually managed to get about 40 shots of the two of them, but with the poor light, (they refused to go into the sun, just like the photographer) the images were not sharp. But, I will take what I can get.

 

For those who know what this means, the auto ISO setting on the camera was too high because of the poor light. Also, I could not get a fast shutter speed or small aperture for depth of field so the photos are lacking sharpness and contain a lot of 'noise', that grainy dirt like appearance on the image.

 

The tiny birds promptly left and I again resorted to photographing flowers, my favourite subjects. They co-operate immensely, I can choose the ones in the best light, and I need not exercise any patience.  

Excuses

 

I met with a client yesterday afternoon who was going to pay me after I returned her key for the condo she was moving into at the end of the month. She promised to bring me a cheque.

 

After almost forty years of hearing every excuse in the book for not getting paid when promised, I was on the alert when she said, as she approached me, that she was sorry, but she "could not pay me today". When I hear this, I do not say anything, but rather let my silence ask the question. And then it came.

"I went to my bank but could not get anywhere near it. There were 15 police cars, a S.W.A.T. team, and miles of yellow police tape all around my bank. They had been robbed and were closed for the rest of the day."

Whether it was true or not, I thought it was a good excuse and  I will meet her again tonight to see if she has the money.

Dental Work

 

I was at my dentist yesterday getting a regular check-up, cleaning, and examination. I have issues.

 

It started when the x-ray machine came out and the heavy lead shield was draped over my upper body. I noticed that something was new and improved. The shield was larger and had a very high 'turtle neck' that came right up under my chin.

 

I found a few YouTube videos regarding dental x-rays and the dental associations claim that there is less radiation than ever with the new digital x-rays and the exposure to radiation is similar to being in the sun for a few hours for a week or taking a cross country airliner flight, and is very safe!  

 

If this is the case, then why the lead shield? Not only that, but why does the dental technician run out of the room each time she snaps a pic? Why is there not a shield for my brain. (Don't laugh, I apparently do have one.)

 

Apparently new studies have shown that if you have dental x-rays more than once every two to three years, you have a good chance of developing small brain tumours called Meningioma that are precursors to brain cancer.

 

But that is just my first issue. I refused fluoride and was made to feel like I was paranoid. I did not do it because of fear of this toxin, but because I have a gag reflex similar to aspartame when it goes in my mouth. I think my body just recognizes what is poison and warns me.

 

Another issue is the ability of the dentist to discover minute pockets of decay with his hand held device, x-rays, and his brutal little poker, the kind that my mom told me to never put in my mouth when I was a kid. He found 5 of these tiny things this time and he wants to drill and fill each and every one of them for the low, low price of $1200.00!

 

And that brings me to the final beef, and that is the cost of dentistry overall. It is assumed that the patient is on a dental plan so anything goes. I, being self-employed and now semi-retired,  am not on a plan so I pay every cent myself from my after tax dollars. The conversation in the elevator down from my appointment was interesting. A middle aged lady was complaining about having to pay $25 for her newly cleaned teeth. Obviously, she was on a plan. My invoice for the very same thing was $231.00!  

Farewell Minter Part 2

 

This combination of colours is interesting.

 

These were spectacular!

 

Tiger Lilies, reminding me of Sask. where they are the provincial flower.

 

Shaped hedges with the wedding tent in the background.

 

The air was cool behind this aqueduct waterfall.

 

The water played with the light, making for challenging but interesting photography.

 

We happened upon a wedding procession, the best part being the pretty little flower girls and the ring bearer below.

 

Rubbing the gardener's head for good luck.

 

It was a wonderful afternoon. Next year at this time, when Minter Garden's is no more, we will at least have a few photos and some good memories. Thanks Bill and Ella, and Frank and Elma for joining us.

Farewell to Minter Gardens

 

Last weekend we went, with friends, to visit Minter Gardens. This is the last season for this popular commercial garden. The sun was warm, the buffet in the Trillium Restaurant was delicious, the flowers were magnificent, and the company stellar.