On vacation

You would think that with all the extra time on my hands that I would be blogging like crazy.   I have had a few ideas and mini rants but I found other things to do and my blog was silent.  Now as I sit in a camp site in Peachland, B.C. with my trusty lap top on my knee and a cup of coffee to fortify my "morning" brain I feel inspired once again!  I think this could be a travel blog if I put my mind to it; but then that would be work.

I managed to take some vacation days and get eleven whole days off - in a row!  Wow.  Bernie was registered to ride the Granfondo again in Penticton on July 13th so we worked our vacation around that event.  Two years ago we stayed at a tiny postage stamp sized campground called "Camp Along" south of Penticton.  Last year we ended up right in Penticton at a lovely place called "Park Royal RV".  I tried to get us in again this year but I was too late.  I guess one has to make reservations in January or February.  So we ended up in Peachland at "Todd's RV and Camping".

We left on July 7th and stayed our usual two nights at Whispering Spruce in Golden.  That campground is kind of going to seed but the operator was friendly.  We arrived in the blistering heat around 7:45 p.m.  The sites are pull throughs so it was easy parking and setting up.  I didn't do any of the driving, I just directed as usual!  Of course there was a problem - there are always problems.  This time it was the campground's sewer which was not working.  Those people who were leaving the next day were advised to leave by 10 a.m. since the road leading in would be dug up.  We were not really affected by any of that anyway since we were staying two nights.  We were also not charged as much since we were in a full service site and did not have full service.  That's a bonus.

We left the dogs in the air conditioned trailer the next afternoon while we drove into Golden to find a grocery store.  After all the packing and stocking I still forgot a few things like milk and eggs. 

We had a new lock installed on the door of the trailer so we didn't have any door issues when we got back to our camp site.  I had visions of last year running through my mind and I did not want a repeat of that gong show.  I think I am a few pounds slimmer but I still did not want to be crawling in through the storage area and slithering my body through a small opening under the bed all the while trying to comfort frantic dogs. 

The truck was making a funny noise when we started it up to go downtown but it quit so we didn't worry about it.  I have my fingers crossed!  Bernie doesn't seem concerned so I will let him handle that one. 

The weather forecast said it would be hot again on the 9th so we decided to leave really early in the morning for Peachland.  We hooked up the night before and got to bed at an earlier hour.  I found it hard to get to sleep because our neighbours were having way too much fun.  I thought I talked loud.......wow......I have met my rival!

The day got hotter and hotter.  Even though we left at 6:30 a.m. (7:30 our time but the time changed about an hour or so into our journey west) it was a heater.  We pulled over for a bathroom break and a little rest after passing by Revelstoke and that was about the only stopping we did.  We stopped for gas in a little place by Vernon and we arrived at Todd's RV and Camping at 1:00 p.m.  The owner showed us where to park and he directed Bernie with the backing up into our little spot.  I was glad about that because no matter what I do it is not right when it comes to "helping" with the trailer parking and maneuvering.  Phew!!! 

We set everything up, lowered the canopy and turned on the AC.  The Blue Jays game was on and Bernie watched that in comfort.  He had a big long sleep before the game was even over.  It was a well deserved rest since it was a long day of driving. 

There is free WiFi, cable t.v., showers, a communal firepit, children's playground and a beach volleyball area.  We are right across Beach Ave. from.......the beach! 

We took the dogs for a little walk when it cooled off a bit.  Their tongues were still hanging out because it reached 33 degrees and it sure didn't cool off much. 

It is a nice little campground that is family owned and operated.  Apparently the Todd family purchased the property many years ago and one day someone asked if they could pitch their tent there.  That was the beginning of their campground history and it has been in business for 58 years.  Maybe we could start something similar in Coronation.  Our yard could accommodate a tent or two and a few trailers.  We'll see. 

I went for a long walk today and found an IGA store, etc. about a five minute walk away.  I then walked all the way to the downtown area.  I was gone about an hour and I just stopped briefly for a cold drink.  I bought a PEPSI NEXT which I thought was like a Diet Pepsi.  I should have read the label since it is only 30 percent less sugar.  I won't be buying one of those again but it was enough to quench my thirst.

Now I am just relaxing in my chair, having a Cappuccino and watching people come and go.  The dogs are relaxed.  Duke is inside the trailer with the AC on and Sarge is lounging on Bernie's knee outside!  It's a dog's life if you ask me. 

Photo op gone wrong

Note the shadows on my dogs.  I think they have turned into zebras.  Or perhaps they are behind bars.

Note a photo of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu.

 

 

An example of a photo op gone wrong.  The photographer from the Jerusalem Post claims he was just trying to get a picture of the two of them together and he did not intend for it to look this way.  It then appeared on the Facebook page of a sister newspaper.  The Jerusalem Post did not use it in its print edition nor on its website.  The Chancellor is sporting a Hitler like moustache and the President reminds me of a southern Evangelist preaching fire and brimstone to his born again followers.  Shadows and gestures turn into innuendo and insinuation.

 

Now all the defenders and detractors come out of the woodwork and try to read something into nothing.  Tomorrow it will be forgotten and life goes on as it should.

 

Personally, if I was the photographer, I would have deleted the picture since it is not a very good one what with all the shadows and all.  On the other hand he will enjoy some attention and perhaps it will advance his career. 

 

In Coronation the Town Council is concerned about having pictures and/or audio recordings taken in Council Chambers during public meetings.  In fact the council has given second reading to an amended Procedural Bylaw. 

 

The amendment is as follows:  Section 11.8 "No person shall record the proceedings of council through electronics, audio, video, camera or other devices unless authorized to do so by this or any other bylaw or by a unanimous vote of council members present."

 

The concern is that some members of council felt uncomfortable having their photos taken or  their voices recorded while they were conducting the affairs of the town in a public meeting.  They were concerned that the pictures would end up on the Internet and anyone could alter them for negative or damaging purposes. So they have chosen to amend the Procedural Bylaw to ban cameras and recording devices in Council Chambers. 

 

Do they not think that this could be done outside of a council meeting?  Or are they just trying to decrease their chances of public exposure by controlling what they can control?

 

It is also interesting to note that previous to this the newly minted council approved a policy regarding absent Councillors.  There is now policy in place which allows audio and visual technology to be in Council Chambers to enable Councillors who are not physically present to actually take part in the proceedings.  On two separate occasions a Town Councillor who was away on vacation tuned in to a Council meeting via teleconference.  We are lead to believe that this will only get better since council has approved the purchase of more sophisticated audio/visual equipment to be used for this purpose. 

 

Here is the conundrum:  Council approves the latest technology to allow absent Councillors to attend meetings and then bans technology to allow photos and recordings of the proceedings. I would like these two opposing views explained to me since I am not making any sense of it.  Not only that but the way the amendment is worded it would be at the discretion of the majority to allow a picture or a recording.  I am not liking that either since it is not objective and would allow for conflict of interest depending on who wanted to do what. 

 

Audio recordings are a good way for the media to review their notes and to accurately relay to the public what was said at a Council meeting.  Photos are another way to show the public their Town Council in action.  These are public meetings.

 

We cannot control all actions of all people.  There are laws that deal with online harassment and bullying; there are laws that deal with defamation of character.  There are legal avenues to follow should something be used unscrupulously.  Just because something might happen is not a good enough reason to enact a change in a bylaw that suppresses the public's interest and right to know.

 

The above picture is a good example of bad photography.  If some people get their kicks out of making fun of someone this way there is not a damn thing we can do about it.  If this happened to one of our Town Councillors there would surely be a big public uproar and societal pressure would take over.  Whoever did the dastardly deed would be publicly flogged - probably on Facebook - common decency would prevail and everything would be back to normal in a day or two. 

 

There is no need to change the bylaw.  Freedom should rule and council should not be bogged down by having to make judgement calls on what is appropriate or not.  If our Town Councillors conduct themselves appropriately that is all that should count.

 



Doing a whole lot of nothing

I have been doing a whole lot of nothing these past three weeks.  It will soon be a month since I had foot surgery to repair a very painful bunion.  Now I hobble around.  At first I used crutches, then a walker and now a cane.  I wear a "bunion boot" on my right foot which is designed with a wedge type heel so as not to allow any weight on the front of the foot.  On good days I just take off on my two feet and on bad days I use the cane or walker.  I haven't really had one whole good day but I know I will!

 

There is not much I can do about it.  Well.....I could have chosen not to have the surgery and then I would just be carrying on as usual.  I decided that wasn't an option since I was in a lot of pain and to top it all off my other foot is just as bad.  I am hoping to get the left foot fixed in the not so distant future.  I am looking forward to the day when my feet do not hurt!

 

If anything I could use it as an excuse for a grumpy and argumentative disposition; but I won't.  Well, maybe. 

 

All of this has given me a new outlook on some things.  I used to work for Home Care and I am glad that I have that knowledge to help me with basic every day ordinary things that we take for granted.  Each time I haul myself in and out of the bath tub I mutter a silent prayer.   I think about all the people I have assisted in their own homes and how I went about it.  Every time I take that long walk from one end of my house to the other I also say a word of thanks that I realized the dangers of scatter rugs, slippery floors and good shoes! 

 

We have two little dogs who leave their toys strewn about the living room floor and I pay a lot of attention to that whilst maneuvering around the house.  The dogs also tend to bring the snow indoors sometimes.  Snow melts and leaves puddles of water that can make life interesting while I am hopping around on one good foot.

 

So far I haven't tripped or slipped on anything.  I have ventured outside a couple of times.  Getting in and out of the truck is not easy with all the snow.  I have a patient husband who wants to help and who gets hollered at sometimes when he is not right there to offer assistance.  Sorry about that.  I have some friends left who inquire about my health both physical and mental, so life is not all that bad!

 

I am also very grateful for my basic good health and fitness level at this time.  Why do I say this?  Well for starters I vowed to lose at least five pounds before the surgery.  Thus the following quote from the Canadian Arthritis Society:   "Just 10 pounds of excess weight can put you at greater risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA) in your knees. Did you know that losing 10 pounds of excess weight decreases stress on your knees by 40 pounds? By increasing physical activity and exercise, you can make a difference to your joints and overall health."

 

That was enough for me and I thought that even a small weight loss would be better than nothing at all to relieve the stress on my feet.  Anyone who has had sore feet could appreciate what I am saying.  Mine were beyond sore, they were hell.  To top it all off I haven't worked since the end of June because of the herniated disc in my back.  I was scared that the back pain would prevent me from getting around at all once I had the foot surgery!  Oh my god......what has happened to me?

 

I found that it wasn't all that hard to shed a few pounds even though I haven't been all that active.  With the decline in physical activity came a diminished appetite.  I didn't lose ten pounds but I did lose five so that was 20 pounds less stress on the joints.  Mission accomplished.

 

Before the surgery and then just in the past few days I had a hellish stomach virus that totally incapacitated me as well.  There was no way I was going to eat anything after being so sick so that helped.  I wouldn't recommend it as a weight loss technique.

 

I am grateful for all the months of Boot Camp for the past two years.   Thank you Kendra!  I toughened myself up and believe me I am proud that at 59 years of age I can do an "almost" one leg squat.  It helps to get out of tough situations where I am sitting in a spot that is lower than I want to sit.  I am also proud that I forced myself to do all those push ups.  It sure helped when I found myself teetering and tottering on crutches in the middle of the night.  There is nothing like conditioning to get through the tough moments.

 

 

 

I meant to take a picture of my foot before surgery but I forgot.  So I took a picture of my left foot.  It is bad but not as bad as the one that is now fixed.  Then I took a series of pictures to show the progress of the right foot. 

 

 

So this was a week later after I got the stitches out.  It is healing nicely.  One of my friends said I had the ugliest feet she's ever seen.  When she saw my foot after the surgery she said, "That's better!"  LOL is all I can do.

Well that's probably enough about the feet.  What a topic.  It is my blog and I can blog about whatever I feel like and if you have read it - good for you!

I think I might practice saluting again

 
As Remembrance Day approaches it gives us time to reflect on ourselves as Canadians.  I think back to my childhood.

Gertie and Ira were a wonderful old couple who lived not far from us in the little town where I grew up. Gertie was my favourite babysitter; she was so much fun. They had no children of their own. Ira talked funny, in a strained whispery voice. My dad said he got "gassed" in the war and that's why he talked that way.

Being a child I had no clear understanding of what that meant.  I didn't ask many questions. I just remember it was something mysterious. I later found out that Ira enlisted in the 229 Canadian Infantry Battalion in 1916 and served in the Canadian Engineers, in France. He was one of the many Canadians soldiers who were gassed by the Germans at Ypres.

Ellen and Alex lived down the street from us. I didn't know too much about them.  Ellen was the "Avon Lady".  Alex sat in a dark living room in a wheel chair and chain smoked.. My mom told me that he lost his legs in the War. I don't ever remember seeing him in the light of day. Reflecting back, knowing what I know, he was probably suffering from depression related to his war time experiences.  Even now, thinking about the interior of that house makes me feel bad for him.

As a child my impressions of war were formed by my neighbours down the street and by what my parents told me. My mom talked about ration books, lack of nylon stockings and sending letters to her brother Lloyd who was in the Air Force "overseas". My dad tried to enlist and he did not pass the physical for one reason or another; he never talked about it. His brother John was in the army, serving most of his time as a prisoner of war.

Every November we had Remembrance Day services in our school. All the Veterans from the area went from school to school in those days, doing their duty. I remember looking at their medals and staring into their solemn faces. I was impressed with how they stood so tall and still, not moving while the "Last Post" was being played. I used to practice saluting in front of the mirror when I got home.

To this day I cannot recall one single word they said to us. I have only a picture in my mind of the uniforms, the medals, the rigid posture, the serious looks, the shaking hands and the tears in their eyes. Nobody ever smiled. Those impressions have stayed with me to this day. I now know why they never smiled on that day. I can now appreciate their solemn faces, their tears and their sacrifice.  I can only guess what they endured while defending our country, for me and for all of my little friends sitting so quiet and still in our little wooden desks in a crowded stuffy classroom.

As a child, it was hard to imagine having my friends by my side one minute and then dead on the ground the next. It was not in my realm of understanding, and I am sure my mind did not want to go there even if I had been told the true horrors.

As I got older I was a real rebel, even marched in a peace rally once. I was so sure that I was right, war was wrong. I never gave it much thought as to why I even had the right to march in a public place  in the first place.

Freedom, we sometimes take it for granted. We have the freedom to read and write and speak our minds, the freedom to roam about without fear. All of those rights were secured for us by my neighbours and relatives. They fought those wars and suffered great indignities only to suffer again as they remembered in November. 

As I grew and matured I became more sensitive to the circumstances that led to why I live in such a great country. I finally acknowledged that without the sacrifices of a great many people who fought to protect us from tyrants, dictators and injustices, I would be living a much different life.

As a Canadian I have never felt prouder than when we traveled coast to coast one summer.  My pride was on my sleeve as we showed off our country to the non-Canadians who were with us. We have a wonderful nation, with the freedom to express ourselves and the freedom to move about anywhere we want to go as long as we follow the rules.

As a Canadian I am proud to display my passport when I travel to other countries; secure in the knowledge that we are welcomed there because of our citizenship.  As a Canadian I am proud to wear a poppy to remember and to fly the Canadian flag year round.

Thank you Ira and Alex, thank you Uncle John and Uncle Lloyd. Thank you to everyone for your sacrifice.

I think I might practice saluting once again.

vacation

Life is good and we are still counting our blessings after the awful start to our holiday on October 14th.  Here is one of our biggest blessings.

Pam, Anita, Emma, Noah, B&B(aka Goofy)
Michael Nicholas and Leah

I insisted that we all stand together for this photo in Disneyland since the next day Michael and family were going home.  So often in the past we always said, oh we'll get one of everybody together the next time.....next time sometimes doesn't come.  So out came the cameras, we flagged down some Disney employees and here is one of the results.  Beautiful as usual!

We don't get together enough and we all laughed about how funny it was to have this little reunion in California.  I don't care where it is, we did it!

We had a great time with our son and daughter-in-law Nicholas and Pam, brother Michael and sister-in-law Anita and the kids Noah, Emma and Leah.  We love you all and we would not have missed this for the world.

We arrived on the 14th at Long Beach and stayed on the Queen Mary.  Nicholas and Pam got there on the 16th and joined us "on board".  Michael and family were in Anaheim really close to Disneyland.



In 1987 we took our boys to Disneyland and we took a tour of the Queen Mary.  We always thought it would be fun to stay on board.  Finally, 26 years later and that became a reality.  It is different to say the least.  We kept getting turned around since it is comprised of many decks, stairs and elevators. 


hot salt, hot fresh, cold fresh, cold salt
the salt water did not turn on I tried


 

Just like it was in the '30s



A real ship's toilet with the Shank's push off to the right

I know, who takes pictures of the toilet?  Me.

 

 

Long narrow hall from the main hall to our room



ouch

I just read a few hateful comments on stupid Facebook this morning and my first reaction was:  OUCH!  I use Facebook mainly to post my blogs which are my opinions or my life in general.  I have opinions on just about anything and anyone who doesn't agree or is offended can contact me:  I am in the book, I have messaging on Facebook, or a comment can be left at the end of the blog (although I have heard from some people that there is a problem with that - I haven't been able to fix it.) 

During my tenure as a Councillor I have made public comments and defended myself and sometimes it got out of hand.  I was also on the receiving end of a lot of rumor, innuendo and comment that was untrue.  Of course I defended myself the best I could since that is my nature.  I do not back down - maybe I should have.  I offered apologies that were not acknowledged; what can you do?

I am out of public office now; the people have spoken loud and clear.  It is what it is and I thank those who did have confidence in me.  I also apologize to those who were offended by any comments that were made intended or otherwise.  Sometimes things get dirty don't they? 

I have said it before and I will say it again:  while it is honorable to serve your community and it is a thankless job, you must also remember that it is not a volunteer position.  However large or small the compensation;  you are compensated. You are usually the first one people blame when things go wrong since you must be accountable to the citizens.  You will be judged.

Having said that I will get on with what I intended to do in the first place. 

The following is my opinion and anyone is welcome to comment:
..........................................................................................................................



We all show indignation towards others who bully children.  We are all outraged at the actions that hurt a child.  We have instructed our legislators to come forward with strong laws to combat bullying.  We have also lobbied for legislative change that would provide swift action against the perpetrators of bullying.

Most communities in this area have bylaws that address bullying, in the real or cyber world.  Cyber bullying is addressed in the Town of Coronation's attempt at addressing and enforcing bullying.  It is also addressed in other legislation in the area, the province and in the country.

When conducting a Google search of bullying one usually finds a lot of information that is mainly directed towards children.  There is not much out there to address bullying across the ages in terms of where an adult can go to receive support or information on laws that protect them.

It is a very real issue and especially so since the advent of social media sites. People can pump out comments at lightening speed with little regard for one another and hide behind their computer or other device. 

This is also done without the benefit of social media and the results are the same.

Hurtful untrue comments, the inability of some  to face the truth about their own actions, immature behavior, ostracism; it happens.  This usually comes from adults since the children are told that it is inappropriate and they will be punished.  We teach our children to stop their bad behavior before it hurts some one and to apologize whether they mean it or not since that is the right thing to do. 

At some level the cyber bullying has been recognized by the citizens themselves.  Yet every now and then it raises its ugly head.  For the most part it can be ignored but it is out there for all to see.  The world can be an ugly place.  When people weigh in on all kinds of things and leave their hurtful comments behind it is usually unbeknownst to the "victim" until they happen to come upon it or have someone else point it out to them.

The other type; the rumors, the hate, the hurt that is spread surreptitiously around a community is damaging as well and is classified as bullying. Most times the "victims" of such campaigning are not aware of it either.  Adult bullying is probably the worst because it is not perceived the same way as a child who is hurt by the actions of others.  In fact there is a perception that it is justified since they somehow deserved to be on the end of an unsubstantiated comment or rumor; in other words:  "they asked for it".

The results are not so nice and are not supported by legislation of any kind.  Really, do we need legislation?  As adults we need to make amends, move on and quit with the hidden agendas and try to set a better example for the younger generation.   If we need to get back at one another I think it has happened.  Some concern should also be raised about what children are thinking when the adult community goes to war with one another. 

The old adage "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" does not apply in this day and age.  In fact we need to come up with a better one that would explain why a public flogging would be more appropriate than a public hate fest.

Any ideas on that? 

I'm back

It feels great to be home after a wonderful holiday last week.  We spent a week in Long Beach, CA enjoying all the sunshine.

Our holiday got off to a terrible start on October 14th.  I still cannot believe what happened.  I shall start with a picture.

I still get a little shaky looking at this.



 



We started off with a terrific bang about 6 o'clock that morning.  Of course it was dark and I kept commenting that we needed to keep a close watch for deer.  A few miles east of Clive we didn't have to worry anymore about deer since we ran into a wall of cattle standing on the highway.  There was a vehicle parked on the shoulder facing east but other than that there was absolutely no warning.  It was all over in a matter of seconds and it would have been over for me if I hadn't been wearing my seatbelt.

Someone told me this should be a commercial for the safety features of Toyota.

I can't say enough about all the help we got that morning.  We were on our way to Edmonton International to catch a flight at 10 a.m.  Once it was determined that neither one of us was hurt bad enough to cancel our travel plans we decided to do all we could to carry on.  The Clive Fire Department, Bashaw RCMP and Lacombe EMS all responded and did a great job.  AMA responded with a tow truck and rental car arrangements for Red Deer.  The last piece of the puzzle was a wonderful act of kindness from a complete stranger.  The first person on the scene was a local man who also happened to be on the Clive Fire Department.  He just hopped out of bed and drove there to help.  He insisted on driving us to Red Deer to the rental car place.  We were just going to hitch a ride with the tow truck driver.  This fellow would not hear of it.  He put us in his nice warm truck and got us to where we needed to go.  Just as quickly as he came into our lives he left with a smile and a wave! 

Thus began our holiday.......again!  We got a rental, drove on to Calgary and caught a noon flight to L.A.  We were in Long Beach and settled into our hotel by 4:30 p.m.  If not for the kindness of others and for the miracle of seatbelts and airbags the outcome would have been altered.

I had all week to recover from the stress and strain, not to mention the significant bruising.  I am still not very comfortable as a passenger in a vehicle.  I am also quite sure that unless it is an emergency I really do not want to drive around in the dark again.

All that said, we had a great time in California once we got there!  More on that later.