Y2.01K

10 years ago we were just coming up to the much anticipated Y2K.  The issue of turning over to the year 2000 raised a lot of concern with computer systems and prompted huge efforts to prepare.  At work we went through more than a year of preparation of procedures, coordination with other agencies, and drills for  the possibility of failure of computer control systems or communication systems.  

Then on December 31, 1999 the year 2000 came in hour by hour in each time zone around the world while we watched to see if there would be any problems.  I was at work  that night monitoring the status as the year 2000 came in.  Fortunately everything went smoothly and we did not have to call on any of our emergency procedures. 

Those were very memorable times.   Now we are 10 years later "Y2.01K".    Since that time the legacy of Y2K has probably been more formalized emergency preparedness in many areas.        

Christmas at Home

We had Mike and Nicole here with Elaine and Janice and I for Christmas eve. We first had our meal together. Janice did the turkey again this time, and Elaine prepared the rest of meal which was great.

After dinner I read the Christmas story which we always do before opening our gifts.  We are reminded that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because God gave us the gift of his Son Jesus.  



While opening our gifts we had Mary and Chris on webcam using Skype. We watched them open their presents and then they watched while we opened our presents.



We didn't get a picture taken of the tree with the gifts under it, so I took a picture this afternoon.

So now today on Christmas day we are having a relaxing day here.    I  got many great gifts that I will enjoy.   But yesterday we were remembering the Rita MacNeil Christmas tape we used to listen to:

All I want under my tree
Peace and love and harmony
Wrap it with a ribbon please
I’ll share it with my family 

That is really the best gift - peace and love and harmony that we can share with our family.   

Merry Christmas everyone.  

All Fed Up

We are just home from the annual Christmas dinner at church.   We were very well fed as usual.  This year Janice cooked the turkey (19lbs) and Elaine made the dressing and gravy.  I told Bronwyn that the turnips she made turned out very good, which have been a tradition at our dinners.  The main strategy is to not take too much salads on your plate first so that by the time you have the vegetables, turkey and dressing there is still room for the mashed potato "volcano" filled with gravy.   Now I am home and well fed and can just sit back in my big chair and have a Sunday afternoon rest.  

Handel's Messiah

Last night Janice and I attended the performance of Handel's Messiah with the choir Elaine is in and the symphony.   This is the 10th annual performance and it is always in the same large church  which has wonderful sound with its high vaulted ceiling.  I think I have attended at least 7 times now and enjoy it every time.  

I have been sitting on the left side toward the front several times.  Elaine is in the alto section usually on that side. We are also then close to the timpani and trumpets.   One year when my Mom was with us we were in the first row just a few feet from the trumpets.  During the Hallelujah chorus that ends the first half, the choir, pipe organ and symphony including timpani and trumpets build up to great volume.  I was afraid it was too loud for my Mom. At the intermission she said, "That was exciting!"   Last night we were in the third row but we still got  full effect.   The same is in the finale with Blessing and Honour building up to full volume in the Amen.    For the solo parts one of the favourites I always wait for each year is The Trumpet Shall Sound with the solo parts going back and forth between the principal trumpet the bass soloist.      All in all another great performance.

Now Elaine is out for the second night of performance.  Tonight the choir is going to sit with audience to have  them sing along. 

Hibernation

Wikipedia says "Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve energy, especially during winter when food is short, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate."  That sounds like me except I don't have any body fat so it a good thing food is not short.

With the colder weather in the last week (lows in the -30s) I have been staying at home.  Most people here fare OK in this weather if they are dressed for it, but I am better off to just stay in and not expose my lungs to this very cold air.  I only went into the office Friday morning when the temperature was -15C before starting to drop again.   This morning it was -35C with -48C wind chill so I did not venture out to church.   While Elaine and Janice went to church,  I stayed home nice and warm  and listened to a camp meeting on mp3.  

The forecast is for milder weather to be here by Wednesday so I hope to soon come out of hibernation for a while.   

Finally Moving Into the 21st Century

We just moved ahead a whole decade in computer software.  We have still been using Microsoft Office 97. So finally today we  bought Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote).   I have installed it on one of our computers so far and have been trying out the programs.  It is quite a bit different than Office 97 or even Office 2003 we have at work.  But it looks like it has some interesting features.

Winter is Here

After the beautiful November we are really having winter weather in December. But we have not had the big snowstorms that hit Alberta and western Saskatchewan in the last couple days. Yesterday was down to -23C but the winds were relatively light with fog in the morning.  This resulted in snow and hoarfrost on the trees.  When the sun came out later it was quite beautiful.  Yesterday afternoon Elaine took some pictures.  

This view is looking west from our back yard.  I put two pictures together of the snow and frost on the trees. 

These are two of the pictures Elaine took in the park near our house.  Those connected with Elaine on Facebook can see the rest of her photos posted there.  

Eighteen Months But Who's Counting

It is now eighteen months until I can retire with full pension.  The pension plan I am in at work is based on 35 years of service for retirement.  When I started 35 years seemed forever but the time will be here soon now.

A lot of people at work are talking about retirement because several could qualify in the next year or two.   Some that have retired have done some work afterward on a consulting or contract basis.   I think I will have had enough after 35 years.   I am thinking more on the line of some type of volunteer work after retirement.    

I am very happy with my current work arrangements.   I usually go into the office in the morning and then work from home in the afternoon.  On very cold days, or days like today with blowing snow, I just work from home.   I work on special projects such as policy reviews and issues with legal agreements.  But many days I am called on as an advisor when things at work are in "fire fighting mode."      That seems to be more often lately. 

Eighteen months to go.  But that will go by quickly.

Visiting Grandpa and Grandma

In 1962 my Grandpa and Grandma Hingston moved to North Battleford where we lived.  They had a small one bedroom semi-detached  unit at a senior's lodge.  I remember them moving very well since I was 9 years old when they came to NB.   They lived there until Grandpa died in 1975.

The pictures are in Grandpa and Grandma's  unit  in 1962 soon after they came.   Note how well dressed our family is for visiting which was traditional for us.  Visiting was a "dress up" occasion.  I was looking sharp with bow tie and sweater.

I have many memories of visiting Grandpa and Grandma over the 13 years they were there.   Grandpa was very deaf so made up for it by doing most of the talking.  My Mom had a strong voice and could still carry on a conversation with him.  But mostly I remember Grandpa telling stories, and Grandma's high pitched laugh at all his jokes. 

Grandma would sing for us children.   She sang "The Ninety and Nine"  and "Dare to Be a Daniel."     Visiting my Grandparents and seeing their strong faith in God, and in particular Grandma's singing for us had a strong effect on my life and my own faith.  
   

Green Explosion

We watched the Riders beat the Stampeders in the western final on TV.  It was a pretty exciting game to say the least. The sign that says "Sky of Blue. Sea of Green" was certainly true.  At game time it was 4C with sunny blue sky and there was a sea of green in the stands.   We could almost hear the crowd from our house.    And when the game was over we could hear the fireworks from the stadium loud and clear.

Since there were lot of people in the city for the football game at the same time as the start of Agribition, the newspaper had a "Species Identification Guide."

Big hat, with cow          -  Agribition exhibitor
Big hat, no cow            -  Stampeder fan
Watermelon, no cow    -  Rider fan
Watermelon, with cow  -  Avoid

Now it is on to the Grey Cup for the Riders!

Choir Christmas Concert

Last night Janice and I attended the Christmas program for Elaine's choir.   Actually the picture above was from three years ago but the program was in the same place.   I think the choir is larger than this now with more singers off to each side.   Last night the choir was accompanied on the pipe organ with an organist from Toronto, as well as the timpani and brass section from the Symphony.

I enjoyed the program as usual.  In the first half there was beautiful pipe organ solo by the guest organist. Another number in the first half was different than they have had before.  Brother Heinrich's Christmas by John Rutter was a story told by a narrator, with the trombone playing the part of the donkey  who helped with Brother Heinrich finish off a new carol for the choir.    Then the audience joined the choir in singing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.   This was wonderful with over 100 in the choir and over 600 in the audience singing accompanied by the pipe organ, timpani and brass instruments.  The sound is tremendous in the large church building 

The second half started with the audience and choir singing The First Nowell.  Then the choir had one of their longer pieces Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light) by Morten Lauridsen sung in Latin.   I was surprised to see this music was a recent composition in 1997.     Then the choir sang O Holy Night with a young woman soloist.   This is one of my favourite carols, and the soloist and choir were tremendous along with the instruments last night.    They had sung a version of Hodie Christus Natus Est (Today Christ is Born) in the first half, and ended the program with a second musical composition of this.     This gave the choir opportunity to end the program with full volume accompanied by  the pipe organ and other instruments.   This was a very enjoyable evening.

Now we have Handel's Messiah to look forward to December 16.
 

Beautiful Fall Weather

We have been having wonderful fall weather in November.  By this time of year the normal daily high temperatures are about -1C but we had a record of 17.6 C yesterday and we were up to 12 C today. The chart shows how far above normal we have been this month.   We know this can't last forever but we are enjoying it while it lasts.    

H1N1 Flu Shot

I went and got my H1N1 flu shot today.   I posted some information about the H1N1 vaccine last month when I got my seasonal flu shot.   The H1N1 flu shots were being made available in stages  to groups the health department considered higher risk, starting with children and pregnant women.  This week it opened up for people under 65 with chronic health conditions.  

The health department had taken over a building which was a former high school for the H1N1 vaccinations. Since I saw on the news that there had been long line ups at that location I was planning to wait until later in the month when flu shots may be given at the building where I work.   Then this afternoon a woman that I work with phoned me on her cell that she had just gotten her flu shot and there was no line up.  So I went straight down there.  Sure enough there were enough people on duty to handle hundreds of people and I was able to walk right in and get my flu shot with no line up.        

New Windows

The last section of our new windows was installed today. We got new sealed units for the windows in the living room, dining room and one bedroom.   The seals had failed in the old units and moisture got in between the panes of glass.  We were able to get new low-e argon triple-glazed sealed units installed in the existing window frames.   The low-e (low emissivity) coating reflects radiant heat to keep more of the heat in.  The argon gas between the glass has better insulating value than air.  Hopefully we will be able to see out in cool weather without the windows fogging up and also be warmer.   The new sealed units were manufactured to dimensions to fit into the existing frames which is much more economical than replacing the whole window.

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Refrain

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Wonderful grace, all sufficient for me, for even me.
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame,
O magnify the precious Name of Jesus.
Praise His Name!

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned,
Saved to the uttermost,
Chains have been torn asunder,
Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Refrain

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power,
Making him God’s dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven,
For all eternity;
And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Refrain

Words & Music: Hal­dor Lil­le­nas, 1918

Sign of the Times

I saw this sign in front of a downtown hotel while driving home:

Don't Put Off To Tomorrow 

What You Can Do The Day After

Everything You (Didn't?) Want To Know About Flu Shots

I got my seasonal flu shot last Thursday as I have done for many years.   This is for the typical varieties of influenza that go around each year, not the new H1N1 influenza which will have a separate vaccination.  Some previous years I felt some soreness afterward but none this time. 

There has been a lot of discussion in the news and at work about the potential H1N1 influenza pandemic and the vaccinations for it.   A recent survey reported on the news said that 50% of Canadians are not going to get the H1N1 flu shot due to various concerns.

One of the concerns about the new H1N1 flu shot is that it has an extra additive called an adjuvant that the seasonal flu shot does not have.  An adjuvant is an additive that helps stimulate the immune response and increases the effectiveness of the vaccine. The adjuvant in the H1N1 vaccine to be used in Canada contains squalene oil, vitamin E and an emulsifier.   Squalene is a natural substance in every plant and animal, and in our bodies it is manufactured by the liver and circulates in our blood stream.  If you Google squalene you will get many many hits from the scientific to the conspiracy theorists.    One controversy is a claim that it was the cause of Gulf War Syndrome among soldiers given flu shots is in the 1970s.  Others are concerned because it is something new and unfamiliar.  Reports by the World Health Organization about squalene adjuvants say they have been used safely in vaccines in Europe for many years. 

The tests with the the new H1N1 vaccine with squalene adjuvant show it can give more chance of soreness or pain in the arm where it is injected.   Other serious reactions are very rare as with other flu shots.  But more importantly has been observed to be more effective than the standard flu shots.

Another concern is that the flu shots contain thimerosal  a preservative containing mercury.   But the amount of mercury is less than the approved safe level for one can of tuna.  The new H1N1 flu shots have less mercury than the regular seasonal flu shots.

The US is using a different H1N1 flu shot than Canada with no adjuvant.  Their rationale is that without the new ingredient it could go through testing sooner and start production.  If the H1N1 influenza turns out to be less severe they feel the higher effectiveness of an adjuvant will not be needed.  However if the H1N1 virus mutates and becomes more dangerous they have some adjuvant available to add to the vaccinations.  The same as Canada the US vaccine is made from killed virus material.  However the US also has weakened live virus nasal spray vaccinations for healthy adults.   You could get influenza from the nasal spray but not from the flu shots with killed virus.     

I am someone who likes to be knowledgeable about whatever medication I am taking.  And I am basically an inquisitive fellow so I researched the ingredients of the new flu shots.   Even with some of the uncertainties I am still planning to get the H1N1 flu shot when it becomes available.  But I am still trusting God as the primary protection for my health.

Winter Driving

I found this commercial of the "Canadian Police Chase" amusing. But it is a reminder that it is soon time to get the winter snow tires on the car.

Today on the way to work I didn't think it was too icy, with the Ring Road mostly wet with melting snow and slush.   Most of the traffic was only going 80 to 90 km/hr.  Just ahead of me I suddenly saw a car from the opposite direction shoot across the ditch and onto my side, swerve and spin around and then go back into the middle ditch.  At the same time a car ahead of me spun around trying to miss the oncoming car and spin off into the right ditch.    Fortunately the cars came to a stop without hitting anyone.  I was very thankful for God's protection and to be able to drive on safely to work.    

Thanksgiving

We have been thinking about what we have to give thanks for on this Thanksgiving weekend.  Yesterday at church we sang the song Great is Thy Faithfulness.   

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

We can really say that all we have needed God has provided.  Great is His faithfulness.

Yesterday afternoon Mike and Nicole were here for our Thanksgiving dinner.    Janice cooked the turkey as she usually does, brining it ahead in a vegetable broth.  It was very good as was all the meal. 

The weather this Thanksgiving is still below normal with highs below zero (normal high should be 12C.)  But we have just a little snow on the ground much less than the 17 cm we got last Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Travellers Gone Astray

Janny and the Physics Students were in Edmonton for a conference and borrowed my GPS for the trip.  On the way home they took a wrong exit and ended up driving through the golf course (light blue line on GPS display.)   But they got out of there eventually and made it home successfully. 

My New Job

I agreed to take on the treasurer position for the local Post-Polio group.  The woman who had that position for several years had been ill and wanted a replacement.  At the last meeting I was elected unanimously.  Like most groups if you are willing to take the position it is yours until you can find someone else.

Last night Elaine and I went to the home of the former treasurer and her husband to get the books and files and bank statement, etc for the group.  We came back with bigger load of stuff than I expected.

We had a good visit with this older couple.  She had polio as a teenager and ended up with a trach 16 years ago.   She has had to use oxygen since being in hospital recently with lung infection.  So I told her about my experiences and she was quite interested in my speaking valve.

This couple are retired farmers who used to raise shorthorn cattle east of Regina.  On the kitchen table the place mats are a collage of pictures of champion cattle they showed and sold at Agribition and other shows.  The centre picture was of them with a shorthorn female that they sold in 1985 at Agribition for $19,500.  They said that this is still the record price for a shorthorn female at Agribition.

Elaine and I had a very good visit last night and got to know this older couple more that just seeing them at the post-polio meetings.  But now I have a new job that shouldn't take too much time for this small group. 

Family Picture

I was going through the pictures from Mike and Nicole's wedding. I think this is one of the nicest ones of our family.

Wedding Guests

Mary wanted to be in the picture.

Hot Times in the City

We just got home from Bronwyn and Wade's wedding. It was a pretty hot time in more ways than one. ( The temperature high today was 34C and the previous record for this date was 31.7C in 1914.) The wedding and reception was the perfect combination of seriousness and humour. And the messages at the wedding and the speeches at the reception were short and to the point. Just what I like. A perfect day for a great couple.

Visitors From Afar

We have been enjoying having Allen and Tanya staying with us since Wednesday. I understand they will be heading out on the rest of their cross country tour on Sunday. Ky came on Monday and Lyn arrived here yesterday. The picture above was taken of Al and Tanya and Ky having lunch with us out on the patio.


Al and Tanya gave us this model of a traditional Ukrainian stove as a gift. I was looking up information about these clay/ brick stoves called the "pech." I found some examples of these stoves as shown in the pictures below. The left one was called a Russian stove and the right one was called a Ukrainian furnace/stove. Tanya said the Russian stoves are usually plain, and the Ukrainian stoves decorated like the model stove they gave us.

My Lively Aunt and Family News

This evening I phoned my Aunt Helen in the US who is 88 years old and doing very well. She was married to my Dad's youngest brother George. When we visited her 5 years ago she had one great grandchild. She now has 10 great grandchildren. She is well and enjoying her family several of which live not far from her.

On another family note today I got an email from my cousin David (son of my Dad's sister) in Texas. His brother, my cousin Richard age 65 passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. The other brother Robert passed away a year ago also with cancer. Unfortunately both died in debt due to the high cost of health care in the US. Richard was laid off from his job 5 years ago so could not get health insurance. He had to pay for his cancer treatment out of his own pocket and by debt, and with help from his brother. To me these are examples why the US needs to do something with their health care system.

Samoa Switches to Driving on Left

I was reading the BBC online news about Samoa switching today to driving on the left side of the road. There was widespread concern that it would result in a lot of accidents and general mayhem.

“So we just wake up one morning and pull out of our driveways onto the other side of the road, do we?” says Tole’afoa Solomona Toa’iloa, who heads People Against Switching Sides (PASS). “Cars are going to crash, people are going to die, not to mention the huge expense to our small country.”

There were traffic jams but it was generally successful.

I looked up which countries drive on the left versus right. About 1/3 countries drive on the left including Britain, India, southern Africa, Japan, Australia. New Zealand and most of the South Pacific. Apparently Samoa switched to the left be the same as South Pacific neighbours and to be able to import lower cost used vehicles from Australia and New Zealand.

I also read a humorous article by journalist Gwynne Dyer called A Leftist (Driving) Triumph in Samoa with some of the politics and history of countries switching driving sides. He also told of when Newfoundland switched to driving on the right when joining Canada in 1949. The story is that the Newfoundland government was worried about how its people would handle the switch from left to right, until one minister solved the problem. “Let them get used to it a bit at a time,” he said. “The people whose names start with A to D can switch on Monday, E to K will switch on Tuesday....”

Showing Off our New Hats

Elaine and I were on webcam with Mary wearing our new hats. She said I should post a picture taken with the webcam. My hat is a Tilly LTM6 and Elaine's is a LTM5. Mike said we look like we are ready to go exploring. Mary said we are ready for a safari.

Weekend Travels

We travelled to the Park Valley area for the weekend, going up on Friday and coming home yesterday. We had a very good trip and enjoyable visits.

Elaine was in the garden with her Mother.

Here I am on the patio at the farm enjoying the nice weather.

Janice and Rayna looking at one of the horses.

While I was on the front deck at Greg and Laurel's log house I had two very friendly dogs and a cat wanting to be petted at the same time. For a while I was petting one dog with each hand and the cat was crawling under my arm.

Elaine was trying to ride one of the horses in the evening but not getting too far. It wasn't used to anyone else riding it.

This beautiful sunset ended my birthday at the farm.

Random conversation at the farm:
Me: I need a heating pad for my sore neck.
Grandma: I have a heating pad that is full of beans.
Me: Sometimes I am full of beans.
Grandma: Puzzled look
Janny: Shaking head and rolling eyes.

Another Happy Couple

We had a nice trip up to Saskatoon and back yesterday to attend a wedding reception for Joel and Sherie. They were married in Manitoba a couple weeks ago and then had another reception yesterday in Saskatoon where they live. They first showed a video from the wedding showing the entrance of the parents and bridal party. Then they repeated their vows followed by prayer for the couple. Afterward there was lunch and they introduced some of the family that was there. We had a nice time visiting and still made it home in good time yesterday evening.

NASA Image of the Day

I added a new page element down the right side - NASA Image of the Day.

Testing for the Future

The Lunar Electric Rover (LER) is being tested at NASA Johnson Space Center's planetary analog test site. The LER will be part of the Desert RATS (Research and Technology Studies) Analog Field Test in Arizona in September.

Image Credit: NASA/Franklin Fitzgerald

A Very Nice Man

Last night Elaine and I were visiting at the hospital again. When I was in the lobby, waiting while Elaine parked the car, my Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist saw me and came over with a big smile on his face. I used to see him regularly for trach changes and other examinations, but in the last year things have been going very well with my trach and I haven't had to see the ENT specialist.

When the doctor came up to me last night he said "I haven't seen you for a long time." I told him that I have been doing well with no trach problems. He said "But I have missed you." He did not remember Elaine's name and said "And how is Mrs?" He is very friendly person, originally from South Africa, and always has a smile and makes you feel good just talking to him.

In the past when I have gone to the hospital for an appointment with him, when I said which doctor I was there to see the woman at admitting said "Oh he is such a nice man." And the nurses also said to me that he is a very nice man. And when he was examining me he took the time to explain everything to Elaine and I, as well as showing nurses who are in training. No wonder the staff at the hospital like this doctor so much. Some specialists are just short and "crusty" when they talk to the patients or staff. But this specialist is so good. Last night as the ENT specialist was leaving he told me to call him any time and he will meet me if I need a trach change and my regular RT is away.

Each time when I have visited at the hospital I have seen nurses who remember me from being in hospital in 2007. Last night I talked to one of these nurses who was so happy to see how I am doing. They are so glad that I am just there as a visitor and not a patient. And so am I.

Life Back to "Normal"

I haven't blogged since our visitors left a week ago. Things are back to "normal" routine going to work each day. I am back to working my usual average of 5 or 5 1/2 hours per day. When I first returned to work in 2007 I had a note from my doctor that I could work 3-4 hours per day. But since then I have been feeling a lot better and working up to about 6 hours per day. Then in July while on holidays I got a letter from the work HR department saying that they still have the doctors note on file saying I can only work 3-4 hours and that I am restricted to working no more than 4 hours per day. Apparently I was feeling better without permission! Anyhow I now got a revised doctors note saying I can work up to 6 hours per day. So this week I am back to my "normal" work schedule.

Besides being back to "normal" routine, one of the main things on our minds is a man from our church very ill in hospital. We were up to the hospital twice last week to see him, and his wife who is staying with him full time. They continue to be in our thoughts and prayers everyday.

On the Road Again

This morning soon after Mary and Chris and Ky and Lyn were heading home, Darlene and Lisa got ready and headed out on the road home with their motorhome. Here is a picture of them and their border collie Tessie with the motorhome ready to go.

Steve and Darlene and Lisa (and Tessie) originally stopped over here July 3 on their way up to North Battleford Camp. Steve went straight home after Camp, and the others have been touring around with the motorhome ever since. People have said Darlene is pretty brave driving around in the motor home, but she isn't intimidated by it.

Darlene and Lisa visited around NB after camp and then went to Saskatoon area for a few days. Then they were out to Rosetown for a visit. While there our cousin Stan took Darlene for a day out to Cavell and the farm. They finally got back to Regina July 23 and have been visiting here since then.



Tessie slept in the motorhome with Darlene and Lisa and played in our back yard during the days. The short video is of Tessie catching the frisbee. If someone comes outside she runs and drops the frisbee at their feet and then goes and crouches flat to the ground in her "ready position." If you throw the frisbee quite far and high she runs and jumps way up in the air to catch it. She will keep bringing it back and doesn't want to quit.

Now Darlene and and Lisa and Tessie are on the road home in the motorhome. We hope and pray they have a safe trip home with no motorhome problems.

Heading Home

This morning all our visitors headed home. Mary and Chris and Ky left for Victoria (meeting up with little dog Vicky in Calgary.) We had Chris and Mary at our house from end of June before NB Camp and then for a while after Camp. For the last couple weeks they have been staying over at Chris's parent's place but we still saw them a fair amount. In the second picture Chris and Mary are being proud of themselves that everything fit in their car.

We have had Ky at our house for the last week. Then on Thursday Lyn arrived to help with the "vegetation management" at their sister's new place. We also got a picture of Lyn packing up to head home this morning.

After these people got away Darlene and Lisa were also getting ready to leave. I will post about their visit next.

We have really enjoyed having visitors so it will be quiet here with them gone. Now it seems like summer is over.

Four Cousins

This picture is of little sister Darlene and I (on left) with our cousins Stan and Ev, taken in 1968 all dressed up to attend a cousin's wedding. We were the cousins closest in age to each other, and also the closest in friendship. I was looking for a picture of us together since today is cousin Stan's birthday. Last year on my birthday day my son Mike said "Happy Birthday Dad, you're half way to 110." Now cousin Stan has reached that point. If you do the arithmetic, in this picture I was 15 and Stan was 14. Our very well dressed sisters were of course much younger.

Exciting Times

We are resting and relaxing this afternoon after Mike and Nicole's wedding yesterday. Everything was at the RCMP Heritage Centre starting with pictures for 2 hours in the afternoon. Since it was 31C and all the men were wearing suits with vests it was good thing the outdoor pictures were in the shade. The museum is open to the public until 5 PM and after that we had the whole building to ourselves for the evening. Then the wedding was at 530PM followed by the reception in the evening. It was exciting and a very beautiful event.

We do not have any pictures yet. We did not even take our camera along and will look forward to getting the "official" photos taken by Nicole's aunt and uncle. Mary posted some pictures on her blog yesterday and more today. I did not seem to show up in any of her pictures but I was there for sure.

High Voltage Power Line Repair

I was watching an episode of the program World's Toughest Fixes on the National Geographic Channel about working on high voltage power lines. The power company PSEG let the host of the program actually do some of the work on the lines including live line repair from helicopter. This video is a clip from the show on the program's website. Each episode is about a major repair that the host participates in. On a recent episode they were installing a new diesel engine generator in a cruise ship. I like the shows of the theme: world's largest crane, building the world's tallest building, the world's largest digging machine, etc, etc....

Moon Landing 40th Anniversary

Today is the the 40th anniversary of when Apollo 11 astronauts first landed on the moon July 20, 1969 in their landing module Eagle with the words "The Eagle has landed." In the video, Neil Armstrong the first astronaut to step on the moon said the famous words "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Then Buzz Aldrin also joined him on the surface. The original live television coverage was in low resolution black and white. I remember it very well since I was almost 16 years old at the time.

We Lost a Good Neighbour

Our next door neighbour died from cancer on Sunday evening. Norman was 79 years old and he and his wife were our neighbours for 30 years, moving in about one year after we did. They were very good neighbours. Up until a few months ago they permanently had a key to our house and Norman always looked after our house while we were away. As Norman's health worsened they were fortunate that both daughters and their son live in the city, and some of the family was almost always at their house over the last while. They had to take Norman to palliative care on last Thursday and he passed away Sunday. The funeral is on Thursday morning and Elaine and I are planning to attend.

Back Home Again

Elaine and I got home yesterday afternoon from our church camp in North Battleford. We came home a day early so Elaine could attend the shower for Nicole, our future daughter-in-law. We have a few quiet days before Mary and Chris are back here from a trip to grandma and grandpa's farm. Then in about a week Darlene and Lisa will be back as well. And it is two weeks until all the relatives will be showing up for Mike and Nicole's wedding. So we are just enjoying the calm before the storm for a few days now.

Going to Camp

Tomorrow morning we are heading up to North Battleford for our summer church camp. Elaine and I have been staying at a motel when we have gone there the last couple years for Easter and summer camps. It is more restful at the motel and gives me room for my oxygen tank and to set up the ventilator beside the bed, etc. We plan to be there until the next Saturday morning. We are looking forward to it.

Canada Day Visitors

On Canada Day Chris and Mary were cooking on the new BBQ we got recently.


And Mary was trying out the new patio furniture we got this week.


Our friend who blogs as "Crazy Mom" was here with her two very cute girls she calls Pooky Bear and Little Monkey. They were here to get ready to go to the Canada Day fireworks with our "kids." This is a very nice picture of Mary and Janny with "Pooky Bear".


Here I am with my little patriotic friend "Little Monkey" with her Canada flag all ready to go out to celebrate Canada Day with the fireworks at the park.

Golf Caddy and Chauffeur

Elaine and I were at Aspen Links for golf and a BBQ with people from my work. Elaine golfed on one of the teams and I drove her around in an electric golf cart. There were 6 or 7 teams of 4 golfing. One person on her team was not able to come so that is why I could go along. This was actually the first time I have seen her golfing, which she had wanted me to do sometime. She said I was her caddy and chauffeur. I kept score and was looking at the information about the next hole each time. Off the start she was having trouble getting her drives to go anywhere very good. She hadn't been out golfing for a couple weeks. On one hole she asked "How many yards is it?" I said "Does it matter?" She said "Well, Thaaaanks!" But later in the round she did hit some pretty good shots. Anyhow we had a pretty good time. It was a nice day and quite enjoyable.

Young Family

We found this picture taken when we were a young family. Elaine and I had a lot of hair in those days and Janny still had very little.

In other news ... we are getting excited that Mary and Chris will be here soon. They are driving here along with Ky and little dog Vicki.

My Father in the US Army

Since tomorrow is Father's Day I am posting some pictures of my Father in the US Army. They would have been taken in 1941 when he was 23 years old. In the lower group picture he is standing at the left. I previously posted about when he was in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the late 1930s.

My Father joined the army in NY state in December 1940 and later was in North and South Carolina in training. While in South Carolina a family on a nearby farm invited some of the soldiers while they had some days off. The farm had some mules and my Father was going to show off to the other guys how he could run and vault onto the mule's back from behind like he used to do with the mules they had back home on his family farm. Unfortunately this mule was larger and he didn't make it all the way on. The mule kicked up his hind legs and shot my Father up in the air. Then he landed on the hard packed ground behind the mule.

He ended up in the army hospital with a broken wrist. Unfortunately the xrays did not show up the break in his wrist so they were making him exercise it. It became more swollen and painful. It worsened to the point that he was in the army hospital for 6 months. Finally they xrayed from a different angle and saw that his wrist was broken.

While my Father was still in the army hospital at Fort Dix, New Jersey, there was the attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941 and the US declared war the next day. My Father was given an honorable discharge from the army for medical reasons on March 21, 1942 since his wrist had not healed up properly. When my Father told this story he always said "A mule kicked me out of the army."

3D Mapping of Chinese Cities

I saw an article on the Popular Science website about Edushi (E-City) based in Hangzhou China making 3D pixel art maps of Chinese cities. They have an ultra high resolution map of Hong Kong that you can zoom in and search like Google maps. This is just one of the maps of over 40 Chinese cities. The maps can be viewed in standard 2D map, aerial photo view or 3D pixel art view. The map of Guangzhou is animated with little cars and buses driving on the streets and fireworks over the stadium. Quite amazing.

Scientist Says Using the Internet Makes You Smarter

Gary Small, M.D., Director of the UCLA Memory & Aging Research Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior says "If you think our incessant use of the Internet, Blackberrys, iPods, text-messaging and video games has changed our lives and our children's lives, here's some breaking news: Technology has not only altered our lives, it's altered our brains." The video here is an interview with him on CBS News. He says using the internet makes us smarter.

Quoted in a Popular Science article he says "The simple headline here is that Google is making us smarter." He demonstrated this with MRI scans which reveal real-time brain activity. He concludes you could build up your "brain muscles" by logging more time on the internet.

While I believe it is true that the internet has opened up access to information and learning activities, I am not sure if taken to the extreme the more you surf the internet the smarter you will get. There should be a balance in life with learning from real-life experiences.

Power Line Workers - Part 2

After the video I posted of power line workers on live high voltage lines I found this article with some examples. The picture has a worker changing an insulator string on a live 765 kV line near Miami Florida. This work is done live so as not to cause an outage to customer loads. This type of live live work has been done in Canada and USA for 30 years, and also in other countries. One reference said it is done in Russia on lines up to 1150 kV (over one million volts.)

Power Line Workers - "Birds on a Wire"

Someone sent me a link to this video. I recognized it as part of a television program I had seen called "Straight Up" on jobs done with helicopters. It shows a power line worker being transported by helicopter and then crawling along a live high voltage power line. It is quite amazing. You can see another worker walking on hands and feet along another wire in the background. They are high above the ground on a half million volt line like "birds on a wire." They are safe because they bond their conductive suit to the same voltage potential as the line. I don't know where this was filmed but live power line work is done in Saskatchewan as well by specially trained workers.

At the end of the video the worker says "There's only three things I've ever been afraid of, electricity, heights, and women, and I am married too."

School Pictures

When I was going through some albums I found a collection of my school photos. I think the top ones are grades 1, 3 and 5. The bottoms ones are likely grades 6, 7, and 9. As you can see from the last two pictures I had paisley shirts I liked wearing. I didn't have much change in hair styles other than the wave in the front in grade 7.

Little Sister's and Cousin's Birthdays

Today is Darlene's birthday and in two days it is our cousin Evelyn's birthday. The story is that since all their grandchildren were boys our grandfather offered $10 for the first granddaughter. After this Darlene was the first granddaughter born just 2 days before Evelyn. They have continued as close as sisters all their lives. In the upper picture they were pretty cute in their matching outfits likely under 2 years old. Then in the lower picture they are about 7 years old.

Happy birthday little sister and cousin!

RCMP Tour

This afternoon Elaine and I were at the RCMP Heritage Centre. The upper picture is in the main exhibit hall. We were there with Mike and Nicole and her family to see the location since this is where their wedding will be in July. The photographers were there and they planned and tried out various indoor and outdoor settings for the wedding photos.

It is a huge facility and really a beautiful place. In the lower picture you can see some of the horses on the grounds there. These are horses that were retired from the RCMP musical ride and are at the heritage centre for the visitors to see. You can see one of the buildings of the RCMP training centre in the background.

That Was Cold

This is part 3 of the stories about my Mother teaching at Speedwell in 1942/43. I remember her telling about the temperature being -60 F. My Mother said that she had to be at the school early to make a fire to try to warm up the school. I assume they had a small wood stove in the school. Those that came to school when it was that cold stayed close to the stove to try to get some warmth from it. But I am sure that in a log and plaster school with the outside temperature -60 F, it would still be mighty cold in there.

I looked in the records of Environment Canada and saw the coldest temperature that winter in northwest Saskatchewan was January 20, 1943 ranging from -50 C to -53 C. A temperature of -60 F would be equivalent to -51 C. The school register shows that 6 of the 31 students came to school on January 20. Many of the younger students were away for several days around that time with the reason shown as "C" which I assume was for "cold".

In the picture above the small building to the right of the school was the teacherage. My Mother would not stay there, so a family at a nearby farm let her stay with them. She would have walked to the school from there.

The school also had an outhouse (not shown in picture) which would have been a very cold experience at -60 F. Another story my Mother told about going out from the school to the outhouse one winter day and the students were lined up with snowballs ready to throw. She just walked straight along with a smile and thought "They wouldn't dare throw a snowball at me." As she went past a boy hit her in the back of the head with a snowball. Then all the others turned their snowballs at him. She said "We all had a good laugh."

While I am telling "cold" stories, my Mother used to tell a story from her own childhood about going to school in the cold. On a very cold winter day her Father picked them up from school with a horse and wagon to take them home to the farm. But her Father had been in town to get coal, so the children were riding on top of a full wagon load of frozen coal. My Mother remembered they were so cold that their Father took off his coat and put it over them. Then he ran along beside the horse to keep from freezing on the way home. In later years when my Mother was riding with us in our van if she said it was cold I would reminder her "It is a lot warmer than riding on a load of frozen coal."

The Mouse Chewed History

I posted last week about my Mother teaching at Speedwell in northwest Saskatchewan in 1942/43. One of the stories of her teaching there is about the mouse chewing the school register.

Rudy Wiebe in his book "Of this Earth" started a chapter with this story, "Over sixty years ago the Speedwell mice found our school register in Miss Hingston's desk drawer sweet chewing. They gnawed away the bottom of it, I recognized now, into a pattern like the west-central Arctic Ocean coastline of Canada. ..."

The school superintendent would not accept the mouse chewed register to send to the department of education in Regina. My Mother had to recopy the whole register, and then kept the new one in a tin box to keep it safe from the mice. The new one was given to the superintendent when she left. That is why we still have the mouse chewed register.

The front page of the school register shows my Mother's annual salary as $800. There were 30 students in grades 1 to 8, with their attendance shown in the register for each day. Rudy Wiebe was in Grade 2 that year.

Rudy Wiebe has won many awards for his books including two Governor General awards. Because of this there are archives of all his writing and papers. He asked if we would donate the Speedwell school register to the archive. We are contacting him again to see how we arrange to send it. I have taken pictures of the pages of the register for us to keep after we donate the original to the archive.

I Then Shall Live ...

I really enjoyed this song. The words are a wonderful prayer and statement of faith.



I then shall live as one who's been forgiven;
I'll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father;
I am His child, and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned, I'll forgive my brother;
The law of love I gladly will obey.

I then shall live as one who's learned compassion;
I've been so loved that I'll risk loving, too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges;
I dare to see another's point of view.
And when relationships demand commitment,
Then I'll be there to care and follow through.

Your kingdom come around and through and in me,
Your power and glory, let them shine through me.
Your Hallowed Name O may I bear with honor,
And may Your living Kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.
Amen

Words by Gloria Gaither
Music Jean Sebelius's Finlandia

My Mother the Teacher

My Mother was a teacher. She taught in schools for a relatively few years, and then she dedicated her life to teaching her own children. For Mother's Day I would like to tell some stories of her first teaching job in 1942 at Speedwell School in northwest Saskatchewan. She was asked to go out teaching after barely starting teacher's college because of the teacher shortage during WW2.

When my Mother was first at Speedwell she was told that the oldest boy in the school was a trouble maker, and would likely just end up in jail someday. On the first day of school my Mother talked to this boy and said "You are the oldest student here so I am going to need your help. Some people say you can not succeed but I do not believe that. I believe you will do well." And he did. My Mother always had a heart for people that others looked down upon, and believed in emphasizing the positive in people.

Speedwell was in a relatively poor area and the children felt inferior to the better nearby Jack Pine school. In the book "Of This Earth" Rudy Wiebe writes: " I remember grade two very well because of Miss Hingston: she very much wanted us Speedwellers with our weathered log-and-plaster school -- Jack Pine four miles away now had beautiful board siding painted creamy yellow with brown trim around the door and windows -- to be proud of ourselves. So she took individual pictures of every class and when we told her we had never won a softball game against Jack Pine she drilled us every noon and after school ... and we won both games first on our diamond and then on theirs."

Of course this is a story that I know well from my Mother, teaching her students to believe they could win the ball games even if they had never won before. This was her nature to cheer for the "underdogs" whether in sports or everyday life. She taught her students the basic subjects, but more than that she taught them to believe they will succeed.

Musical Season Finale

Last night I was at a performance of the symphony including the philharmonic chorus. This was the last classical music performance of the symphony's 100th season. It was also the last choir performance for this season, so Elaine has a break now until fall.

The performance started with a short piece by Tchaikovsky. Then there was concerto for viola and orchestra which was the premiere performance of this work composed by the principal viola of the symphony. He performed the viola solo, in three movements, accompanied by the symphony. This was excellent and very impressive to hear something of this calibre by a local composer. The composer/soloist received a well deserved standing ovation.

The second part of the program was Beethoven's Ninth Symphony along with the choir and soloists. The first three movements were the symphony alone, but the highlight was the finale movement with the soloists and choir. This part includes the familiar melody known as the "Ode to Joy." The four soloists they brought in for this performance were some of the best I have seen at these performances. The tenor had performed in an opera with Pavarotti, and all the soloists had impressive resumes in operas and other classical concerts. They may have gone to greater lengths with this performance in recognition of the 100th season.

The singing was all in German, and was very powerful. The soloists were tremendous. The tenor and baritone each had some individual parts as well as quartets along with the soprano and mezzo-soprano. The philharmonic chorus was supplemented by a youth choir and extra singers for this performance so there were about 120 singers. The singing had great volume and it included some very high parts, as well as parts that were very fast. The powerful singing along with the full volume of the symphony in the finale was amazing. If I had any hair it would have been standing on end! The night ended with a long standing ovation by the audience.

Comedy of Errors

We had supper last night at Alfredo's for our anniversary. Some of our kids said make sure you don't go to Humpty's for your anniversary, where we have gone a few times recently. Alfredo's is a better restaurant but still a fairly relaxed atmosphere.

So when we ordered our meals there Elaine asked for some kind of mexican meal with chicken and I asked for chicken parmesan. After a while the waitress comes carrying our meals, but she is looking at the plates as she walks to the table. She said she had to check the orders and went straight back to the kitchen with the plates. Then she came out and explained that she had put in an order for veal parmesan instead of chicken parmesan and they were making me a new meal with the chicken. I said that's OK we are not in a hurry. After a wait we got our meals and they were pretty good.

Then when the waitress brought our bill I was looking at it and it had some liquor and three meals including a child. We had the bill for a family at the next table so we traded bills with them. Now when I looked at our bill it had the charge for Elaine's meal, but I was charged twice for the veal and for the chicken. After some further confusion the waitress came up with the corrected bill and we paid. She was very apologetic for all the mixups but we told her we still enjoyed the evening.

Now I have a day off today. No I am not celebrating May Day. I have some vacation days left from last year I have not taken yet and I have not taken a vacation day at home for a while.