Prairie Dog Blog

The Autumnwood RV Park called.....they are flooded. They have a foot and a half of water on the ground and they are trying to pump it all out. They are saying now to 'play it by ear' and call before you try and come out. So it may be Saturday before we get there, then again we may just leave it until Monday to be sure that the grounds are dry. I hope that there is not a lot of damage. In Winnipeg we got about 70 mm rain and apparently out in the Interlake area (including Gimli) they got more...in the 100 mm range. For youse Americans thats 3 inches and 4 inches respectively. There is a report that stretches of highway #9 are under water. I can see water just sitting in a puddle on our front lawn, the ground being too wet to absorb any more. The rain appears to have stopped and tonight it will be clearing up ( I can see the sun peeping through now!). Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and 24 deg C and Saturday is supposed to be 28 deg C and sunny so that will go a ways to getting rid of the standing water but it will take around ten days of no rain to dry up. For the story click Weather .
C'ést la vie! Aller en paix. Ainsi, jusqu'à la fois prochaine mes amis.

Bush to Create New Unit in F.B.I. for Intelligence - New York Times

DNI ? Department of National Intelligence? Isn't that what the Russians called the KGB? A strong Defence Dept. that appears not to be responsible to anybody....well maybe the US President (or in this case the Vice President, the one who actually runs the country!). Isn't this the Old Russian way?....despised by Americans. Internal security police, internal passports, Russians ambitions as "World Police"....That's not democracy said the Americans! Look how far the US has come along the SAME road. Civil liberties are becoming a thing of the past.

The irony is that this change, according to the Neocons, is required because of the FBI's intelligence lapses on prewar Iraq. Looks like Bush has finally put the blame of the exaggerated claims against Iraq firmly on the FBI. Could this help Bush and his low ratings in the polls?

I support the Canadian, American, and coalition troops in Afganistan AND Iraq fully...I just don't think that the US and the coalition should be in Iraq. What happened to the war on terror?


Bush to Create New Unit in F.B.I. for Intelligence

rabble.ca:

"Yesterday, Canada became the third country in the world, after Holland and Belgium, to recognize same sex marriage. " Same sex marriages had been legal for a while in 8 provinces but now it's official Canada-wide! Click on the link to read the column.
Canada recognizes same sex marriages!

I thought that we'd be going to the lake today but alas, it looks like rain all day. We should make it out tomorrow, come hell or high water. Manitoba summers......too hot to dance and too wet to plough. 

CBC Manitoba - Frostbitten lover deported to U.S.

Maybe next time he'll bring his mittens!
Frostbitten lover deported to U.S.

On Monday I took Mom to see the Doctor and then, after we picked up Catherine, we went to lunch. I tell this because when we got to the Salisbury house for lunch, the young girl came over to take our order and as usual Mom was not ready to order. She finally decided on pancakes and I asked her if she wanted sausages or bacon with that, and she said no. The waitress again asked her if she wanted something to go along with the pancakes and said no, but added “I’ll just have pancakes and bacon please.” I chuckled and asked the waitress if she had an older mother like that and she said, “Yeah, I do, and my Mom is 50 years old!” I should learn to keep my mouth shut!

We had planned on going out to the ‘Trailer By the Sea’ in “Gimli on the Lake” today but Mother wanted to get her hair cut and we promised to take her. So, we will go tomorrow and we will probably stay for the Canada Day weekend. For my American friends, that’s the weekend we celebrate C-A-N-A-D-A D-A-Y Hummm, ….kinda like July 4th in the US but only on July 1st and not as many fireworks. But we still get drunk and polka!

Well, the Canadian Idol show is almost over and I had better get Momsy home. Oh, also, I got the picture CD from Gary and the boxer shorts with the dragons on them for my birthday! THANK YOU, THANK YOU MEESTER! If I say so myself, they look smashing.
fireworks when Mom gets haircut by the lake

Rain, rain. Its cool today at about 20 deg C. Just got back from the doctors. I took Mom there for a follow-up to her battery of tests that the Doc had arranged for her......mostly blood tests. All things considered, for an 87 year old broad she is doing rather well. Only her blood is a touch too thin. This is as a result fo taking Kumadin, but before he will adjust it, he would like another blood check. This we had done today.

Catherine got some good news! Someone called requesting her services as a marriage commissioner! It will be sometime in August and it will be small and they will call Catherine when it is closer. Yahoo, Catherine is excited as this is her first wedding....well her second if you count ours....well then we got married twice, so really three. But this one she will officiate at. Neat huh??

I have to go and do a tour today at the museum at 4 o'clock. Some Hutterite kids again. Did come last week. Why can't those kids come during regular school hours? Ages 7 to 17. I hope these ones have SEEN a plane before....it helps when you describe how they fly.

We wanted to get out to the little "trailer-by-the-Sea" tomorrow but Mother is wanting to get her hair done, so we will be postponing that. I would imagine that the grass is as high as an elephant's eye....or knee anyways. You see we haven't been there since we got back from our cruze Dahling. This year Alaska next year Johanassborg...joeheinousbug....johsyannisbig
.....er, South Africa, Dahling!

Well better go and get changed....take care all and Don't Give UP!!!
Sister Brother.
Married Hutterites love cruising in the rain.

We had a huge but very brief storm last night..... big boomers and intense rain for about 5 minutes, then the sun came out. It was as if that was a warning from mother nature that she is still in charge. Today is much cooler at about 22 deg c and it should return to being hot, hot on the weekend.
We are going over to Pat and Paul's for dinner on Satruday and Pat requested that we bring Suzie....well how can I resist? They really like Suzie and apparently the 'dog-sitting' went well. She was a real companion for Paul and got him out of the house for walkies every day. Suzie sleeps a lot but then she has to store an immense amount of energy to be able to call at will the bursts of energy she needs to well, when she needs bursts of energy, or in fact IF she needs these bursts of energy....she hasn't yet....but she'll be ready when she does.
I go to my Doctor's tomorrow for my annual physical. Dr. Ben Dover....I hope he is gentle with me. Maybe a poem first, that would be a nice gesture before he checks my prostate......!
Catherine and I have had to put our Reh-fit membership on hold for three months until the 'NEW' facility is ready. The 'temporary facility' is the next building west of the Reh-fit and we got there for the first time on Monday. It's the Court Sports and it has excellent raquetball and squash courts but the track is in one end of the building in the stinky, mouldy, old indoor soccer pitch and the recumbant bikes and weights are in the other end of the building where there is no air-conditioning (but they are working on it!) and when we went on Monday it must have been 100degs in there. ***holes! And the showers aren't fit for pigs. Poor planning all round, yet they won't admit that they f**ked up and give every member a break on the 'holding' of the membership thing...so it is costing us $36.00/month for the 'hold'. If we were to just quit it would cost us $100.00 ea to join again. So they got us coming and going. Probably just as well because we want to spend a lot of time out at the lake this summer since it was piss poor weather last summer. Of course this will mean having to go for long walks outside in the heat and the rain. bleeeeech.
... Bye for now, and DON'T GIVE UP! Peace. Rev Denny

Today was a great day. 32 deg C (about 90 deg F), sunny, and has been so for a few days. We did get some rain here but that was when I was away on the cruise and now the bright sun and warm temps are drying everything up nicely. Some farmers are complaining about late seeding because of wet conditions but the Wheat Board expects a 'better than average' crop this year. Farming must be tough...too hot, too cold, to wet, too dry.....its a gamble for sure.

I was at the Museum pulling a regular shift (no tours) but tomorrow I have to do another tour. Grade sixers again. The tour on Tuesday went well except for the fact that it was some Hutterite kids from the Pine Creek Colony (near Portage la Prairie) who have never seen a plane before nevermind being in one. It made it very hard to get through the lecture portion. The kids were not too attentive......more like roll, pitch and *YAWN*. Well the kids had to get up at 6am to make the trip. After the tour they went (for the first time) to McDonald's....and these were kids up to 15 years old! Of course I suggested Tim Horton's but even these Hutterite kids who lead very sheltered lives have heard about Micky Dee's and preferred that!

I showed everyone at the museum the pics from the BC Air Museum in Pat Bay. One of the fellows knew Don McBride Colonel (ret.), our tour guide for that day. He worked in Marketing at Bristol but spent his time in Washington and Ottawa and since I worked out at the Rocket plant I had heard of him, and maybe met him once, but did not know him well. Nice guy by all accounts....a former Cdn Air Force Pilot.

Our sleeping patterns are still not back to normal. At one time up in Alaska there was a three hour difference. So, midnight on the ship was like 3am in Winnipeg. We would catch up with afternoon naps but just when we got used to it.....bang, we are 3 hours ahead. Still need my naps though, no matter what time zone.

Well, better go, I have awakened the slumbering Princess and her slumbering dog with my tap tap tapping. PEACE

Yes, at 65 Gary still is a MOOST peculiar guy. Happy birthday big brother! 

Catherine is subbing today. She actually got a call the morning that we left Vancouver! She has been booked to sub on Friday too. I am doing a tour at the Aviation Museum for a grade six class and she is subbing for a grade 6-class…..coincidence or what? I have another grade 6 class tour on Thursday morning. Since we got back from the cruise we have been busy catching up on things, yesterday it was trying to get in touch with the doctors that saw my Mom while we were away and straightening out her finances at the credit union. Looks like I made progress on both counts! My Mom is busy ‘repairing’ her body (recovering from a touch of cancer) doesn’t need a CT scan after all and nor does she need the associated blood tests. This is good.

Mom was very pleased with the little stuffed bear that we got her in Alaska and Catherine gave her the charm bracelet that she worked so hard to get the charms for in Skagway, Juneau and Ketchican. She gets a real kick out of these things and it is nice to see her enjoy it.

It’s brother Gary’s birthday today! Sliding into old age at 65! I hope I am as spry as him when I get to be his age!

Well, take care and PEACE Y’all. Remember www.one.org !
Catherine subs while Mom gets charming

We've been back from the cruise and West-coast visit for a few days now and things are getting back to normal. The Humanists of Manitoba had a summer solstice get together on Saturday June 18. We had a great turn out, considering the hot +30 deg C weather. Everyone brought their own stuff to BBQ and the wine was flowing and there was many new people to meet.
Looks like the temps will be in the high 20's and 30's for the next few days. Its 3 am Sunday morning and the temp is still +25 deg C.! Lots of hot sun......time to head for the beach!
I finally have all 261 pictures from our trip downloaded onto the computer. Now I have to go thru them and see if I can enhance them with adobe photoshop. I will be sending some along to Gary and anyone who wants some.
Nana is taking me out to dinner tomorrow. She wants to go to Tony Roma's for ribs....steaks today and ribs tomorrow...this diet thing is not working to good so far!
More later, Peace. Go to www.one.org and take time to write a few letters that may help others. Click on the 'Campaigns around the world' button and find the link to the Canadian site and write some more letters.

Here is a picture of the four of us. Me, Catherine and our daughter Margot and our son-in-law Joel. Taken at the Delta Wall in Vancouver. This is the day we spotted Leslie Nielsen (Inspector Drebin) emerging from the Hotel with his young niece...I am sure it was his nice...wasn't it? 

A view of Vancouver from our Hotel room at the Delta Wall Hotel. We had a nice visit with our daughter Margot and her husband Joel in Vancouver for a few days after our cruise. 

Here is a pic of Ricardo, our head waiter, and Barbara 'Thank-you', our asst. waiter. They made it very pleasant to go to dinner every day. Seeing Barbara's cheery face just made my day. Thank-you...no, thank-you! They were both Chilean. The crew represented around 65 nationalities. Needless to say we ate well on our cruise! 

Here is the four of us on the cruise boat. Gary, Carol, Catherine and I. We were getting primed for our 'formal' dinner. 

Here is a picture of the Hubbard glacier. We saw large chunks calving off of the glacier. Taking pictures was a challenge because when you heard the crack of the piece coming off, it was too late to take the darn picture! That's brother Gary on the right. 

This is a picture of the 'Serenade of the Seas' of the Royal Caribbean Line. The boat is in Skagway and we are on our way to board the White Pass Railway for a trip along the 'trail of '98' which ends in Canada. The ship is 90,000 tons and carries a complement of 3500 or so, 1,000 of which are crew.  

Its 7:30 in the AM and we are waiting for the taxi which will take us to the bus , which will take us to the big boat and then the boat will take us to alask....well you know.
Last night we went over to Lyn's house and saw all the improvements that they made. It's really coming along fine. And we saw Rachel and Adam too! Afterwards, we went to see Alan and the Wharf Street Blues band at the 'benefit for mountain cyclists' in some hall downtown. The band was great and Alan was not the least bit nervous, least bit nervous, least bit nervous! They played some blues songs and a few people got up to dance, but when they played some rock tons of people got up to dance, even that bee-bopper Gary and of course the dancing fool Noni! We had sooooome fun, but unfortunately Gary had his passenger mirror stolen. On Wednesday night he had his passenger side window smashed, so it was not a great week for Gary and vandalism!
Well, we are all packed and ready to go now if only that cab would get here....tap tap tap tap.

Rave party dudes!

Last night Noni and Chelsea, and Lyn, and Alan came over to Gary's for dinner. We had a wonderful visit. Alan is such a nice man and we heard all about Noni's new 'light of her life' Dr. Walker (the Biomorpholgist). apparently Dr. Walker is 'up Island' working on his geomorphology and wont be back until mid July. All of Lyn's children are doing well, the hockey season is over for Adam and Rachel is planning on going to UBC. Chelsea is planning on travelling with some in her class to Mexico to build a home for some needy person, way to go Chelsea......
Tomorrow we shall be off to the ship, the Seranade of the Seas and ready to do some 'rock climbing', eating, dancing, eating , caninoing, eating. Looking forward to it. I will try to email will on the ship.
Catherine just phoned Paul to enquire about Suzie the wonder Beagle. She is fine, sleeps a lot, passion for eating, etc. ...normal. I hope she remembers us when we get back, and she hasn't been too spoiled!
Later, PEACE
One more sleep.....

Two days and then we are off to Alaska. It is almost 6pm and we are expecting Lyn and Noni to show up for dinner. Chelsea is here for a few more minutes until she has to take off for a recital. It was sure nice to see her....she talks and has the mannerisms of her Mom. Well, the 'Goats do Roam' wine is open and breathing. The lasagna is heating and we are all looking forward to supper. Waiting........

Two days 'til we sail!

Well, we have been in Victoria for two days and haven't seen hide nor hair of Lyn, Noni, or David, not to mention their kids. They call here but we have not been able to speak to them. We hope to see Lyn and Alan and Noni tomorrow for dinner. Alan had a minor surgery yesterday so I hope he is well enough to come to dinner tomorrow, it would be nice for Catherine to meet Alan.

Anyhow, we went over to the Air Museum of BC at Pat Bay near the airport today. The tour guide we had was Don Mcbride, an old Bristol employee, he used to market the CRV-7 rockets for Bristol. He gave us a great tour. I met another museum volunteer who asked me if I knew "Ace" Bailey....Jack Bailey. Heehee. there was an Avro Anson, a Bolingbroke, a 3/4 scale spitfire, a 25 HP Quickie kit plane, a Chipmonk, an Eastman Flying Boat and many others. They had a small but pleasant gift shop with a few t-shirts and toys but not a patch on our museum gift shop. There were NO salaried people; all the people were volunteers. they had at least 6 volunteer tour guides waiting to pounce on anyone who walked in the door and offer to show them around. Nice bunch of blokes. They also had a nice tribute room to the forces. It had pictures, medals and such....very nice. Oh, and they had two very friendly cats who 'ran' the museum.

Check it out....at BC museum

Cruise in 3 days!!!!

Well, here I am in Victoria. We went to 'Mychosen' restaurant for dinner yesterday with Gary
and Carol and we met Kathy and her husband Andy and their son Cris there, too. I had some
wonderful fish and chips. Afterwards, we took a tour around Colwood and saw Gary's old house
on Kanada Place. Carol was intent on getting a 'steamer' which she could use on the cruise
ship so off to Wallyworld we went.
It was a long day so that meant an early night. Catheirne and I 'camped' out in Gary's RV. It
is the most luxurious type of camping that I can think of. Despite being a little coolish, we
had a fitful sleep. Today we are off to the bus depot to get tickets for our bus Sunday. We
are taking the bus to the cruise ship.
Well better go and eat breakfast. Later

Here I are!!!!