The Bear and Kilt!
Today dad and I took the C-Train into town and spent part of the day there. The C-Train is above ground unlike most city subways. We had lunch in a restaurant on 8th avenue called "The Bear & Kilt". The hamburger was about the size of a curling stone...whoosh!!!That did us for awhile, then we went up into the Calgary Tower. There is a glass floor you can look down now...straight down! Not for the faint of heart! Anybody afraid of heights? Do not look down. The view from the observation tower is splendid, with a clear view of the Rocky Mountains today. The hockey and ball games are on so early here because of the time zone, you can actually watch them and get to bed at a decent time.Well, that's all for now...do not want to tie up cousin's phone for too long.
What A View!!
I know that's a strange title for a post without pictures...but I just had to say it. Cousin Norm took dad and I on a little drive around Calgary this evening, the highlight being a stop on top of a hill overlooking the entire Calgary Skyline. Dad had his camera, and I'm hoping to get back there before we leave with my camera and tripod to get some shots.This afternoon, we went to a little family gathering hosted by Jean Duke, dad's cousin. I did get a picture of the group to show when I get back. The Edmonton Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup finals...woohoo!Bye for now!
Lazy Sunday!
Today - Sunday, was spent relaxing for the most part. The weather hasn't changed much since we arrived in Calgary. It is still cool and overcast. 24 degrees in Yarmouth? Sheesh...when I get back it will be zero degress I bet! I did go for a walk today, taking my trusty GPS receiver with me. It's a good thing, because in a subdivision like we are now in, all the streets and homes look alot alike. I would have taken a wrong turn without it...very easy to get lost. Sorry for lack of pictures, I'll post some when I get back to Yarmouth.I saw pictures of my lonely cats that Aussiesnan took...they look so sad! Now I feel guilty. At least they are alive and kicking, and I'm told by the official litter scooper that their digestive systems are working fine...hehe.I finished reading the book "Da Vinci Code - A Quest for Answers", a discussion of the Da Vinci Code. More comments when I'm on my own computer.Well, I'll keep you informed as the days go by.Bye for now - happy blogging!
Calgary
There will probably be no pictures on any blogs from Calgary, since that would involve installing camera software on someone else's computer. However, we arrived in Calgary last night and Norm was kind enough to break away from his cancer fundraiser event to pick us up at the airport. Also, the internet connection here is dial-up so it ties up the phone, so messages will be fairly brief.
So far, weather is rainy and overcast. Much cooler than reported on the news here a few weeks age.
That's all for now...take care all.
Daisy's Home!
My Sea-Doo, affectionately named "Daisy", arrived home today for another summer of water frolicking. However, she'll have to wait until I return from Calgary on June 5th. At least she's all prepped and ready to go!
Frank and Susan stopped in to pick up keys and get briefed on their cat sitting assignment. My three cats will probably go stir crazy and wonder where the heck we are!
I met with Pastor Jim for a coffee at Tim's today. He has just recently returned from the Ukraine and England. I'll be back in time from trip to take part in a discussion of the Da Vinci Code taking place at the Wesleyan Church. As promised in previous posts, I will be commenting.
I had to do without my truck for a few hours while a leaking tire was repaired, so killed some time at the mall. Other than that, I've been getting ready for the Calgary trip. I hope to keep blogging from there, but am not sure if I'll be able to get pictures posted.
Edmonton can close out their series tonight, so will be watching the game.
Well, that's all for now...love ya all!
"Blurb"
Well, it is blurb time, I guess. I am so excited! The Oilers are a game away from going to the Stanley Cup final! What a game! The Cup needs to come up here to Canada!
My day was spent doing some odds and ends. Nice to have the day off to have time for that. Dad and I gorged on M&M Meatshops lasagna again. Their garlic bread is to die for!
I also had some pictures developed today at Wal-Mart and am very happy with the results. With Wal-Mart, you can upload your photos to be printed, then go to the store in as little as an hour and pick them up...very convenient. You need not put the pictures on disk or CD. While there, I had lunch with my friend Sheila and her mom at the MacDonalds restaurant.
In preparation for the big city and taking pictures, a bought a 512 MB compact flash card for photo storage from Sky-Tec. That is enough storage for about 300 pictures. Should be enough, hey?
I got my bike ride this evening, and what nice weather for it.
I may try downloading that Picasa2 program and check it out.
Am having a coffee with Pastor Jim tomorrow to touch base.
Well, I think I will go and prepare a cup of tea and have some cereal with it. That is a routine I regularly follow, and we can't upset that now, can we?
That's it for now...may the wind always be at your backs.
Flying High!
WooHoo!! That's me leaving work today! I'm off for a few weeks with a trip to Calgary coming up. Do you realize it's been upwards of 30 degrees out there? Too bad some of that heat couldn't make it out here. It was very chilly this evening on my bike ride, and silly me tops it off with a Sundae from the Dairy Treat - yummy but cold!
I had to make an appointment to have my left
front Blazer tire checked. It seems to have a slow leak. I'll be taking it in Thursday at 1.
Well, the hockey game is on. Edmonton fans are all worked up and excited.
Not much else to report, but have read all the gang's blogs. Will make my comments there.
Bye for now!
Meet Sayra Maribel!
Meet Sayra Maribel Lopez Suchite, my sponsored child through World Vision. She lives with her parents in a poor area in Guatemala, Central America.
Her father is self-employed but his earnings are hardly enough to provide for his family. Her mother stays at home caring for her family. She was born on December 19, 1993, so will be 13 this year. Turning into a teenager! World Vision is nice in that they keep you updated on your sponsored child and it costs only a little over a dollar a day.
Sponsors have been known to actually meet their sponsored child. Now that would be very interesting!
I managed to hide my geocache today. It's behind where we used to live in Dayton, up near the old railway tracks. I could post the co-ordinates, but they won't do you much good without a GPS unit. That trail is becoming quite busy, so it was a bit of a challenge to hide the thing without being seen. The actual cache is off the trail just a little though.
I was working on this post this morning when my pager went off.
It was a call to assist EMS with an injured person near the Sandford wharf. By the time we arrived, the situation was under control, so we headed back to quarters. So that's what transpired today.
I will have some comments on The Da Vinci Code in future blogs. The Wesleyan Church has even suggested their people go see the movie,
with the provision of information to help separate fact from fiction. It has become a social event that cannot be ignored, so why bury our heads?
That's all for now.
Happy blogging.
You Can't "Beat" This!!
This is what I was doing this morning. Yes, playing the drums for praise team during worship service. The drums were my first musical instrument as a child, and it is nice to have the opportunity to play again (thanks Pastor Dwayne!). Pastor Dwayne MacLeod is our Minister of Music and Fine Arts. He wasted no time in placing me on the praise team when I returned to the Wesleyan Church after years of attending Beacon United Church. For that I am grateful.
We usually have a bass player, but not this morning, so I missed that. Bass and drums form a team, so it was only half a team this morning. But of course God was present during the service as per usual.
Tomorrow, I plan on hiding my first "geocache" for others to find, as explained in an earlier post. I will be posting the GPS co-ordinates on the geocaching.com website. Hopefully the weather will co-operate for me. There are several local caches I haven't found yet, but hey...I have all summer.
I managed to get a bike ride in today.
The Edmonton - Annaheim game will be on soon, so will get a little lunch and hunker down to watch it. So what if it is on late? Tomorrow is a holiday so I can sleep in. GO Oilers GO!!
Let's Back Up a Little Bit!
A first for me today. We had what we call "Platoon" training this morning with the Fire Dept. Only our platoon "C" was involved this time. Each platoon will be getting together in a similar fashion. Anyhow, I unexpectedly had an opportunity to actually drive one of our tankers, even though it was only to back it up into the bay...but hey, one has to start somewhere, right? It was good practice. And the truck is still in one piece...good thing!
We also had some training on the pumps, almost one-on-one. That is the advantage of platoon training over entire department training. You get more hands-on practice since the numbers are fewer than entire department training.
Anybody hear how the opening of the Da Vinci Code movie went? The Wesleyan Church here in Yarmouth is having a discussion group on the Da Vinci Code starting on June 6th, running for 4 weeks.
And yes, the Oilers are off to a good start against the Ducks, winning last night. Keep it up Oilers!
New "Blogger"
Last night we had our annual conference at the church. Not a big deal, just election of positions and passing of budget and all that good stuff. I am not a member as yet, so did not vote at the meeting. I have yet to transfer my membership from Beacon Church.
I did see the headline in the paper yesterday regarding the gay marriage of two Mounties. They do have the legal right in this country now to be married and that is their decision. My concern is that eventually, churches and other religious communities will be forced to perform these marriages even if it goes against their religious beliefs. Also, if you do some homework into how the new marriage law came to be passed, you will find out that it was rushed in and pushed through in a very undemocratic and coercive way. I say shame on the Canadian parliament!
Click here for the complete story.
Stephen Harper has promised to allow a free vote in parliament on whether or not to re-visit the issue of same-sex marriage. I trust he will keep that promise and allow a fair process to proceed in deciding this issue.
That is my editorial for today.
Dad is up and running the "Blog circuit". His link now on my blog. He finally succumbed to peer pressure I guess. Hence the title of my post. Welcome aboard to our dysfunctional group...haha.
The Oiler game is on now, so will watch that. They play the Mighty Ducks.
Feline Frenzy!!!
Now this is what I call a really pretty cat. Meet Katie. If you look carefully at the top of her head, you will see a spike. I think it's an antennae to communicate to all the other cats in the world. You see, she is the supreme leader of cats.
Now meet Kayla, a.k.a. Toonses. As you can she, she has a sense of adventure. All she needs is a body of water to exercise it and she's off. Anybody wanna ride with her?
And of course, Shania. Now what cat could ever be more adorable than this one? However, I must admit, caution must be exercised when petting this kittie, as she has been known to change modes from docile to aggressive very quickly. Just ask dad how dangerous she can be. We had a rather unpleasant episode one day attempting to place her in a cage to take to the vet. He lost a bit of blood in this adventure!
So, as you can see, Julio and Tuffy aside, the prettiest kitties live on 7 Sprucewood...
And hey...what about those Edmonton Oilers? Great game last night, beating out the Sharks. The Mighty Ducks are next.
Bye for now.
Will the Oilers do It?
Well, the Edmonton Oilers have a chance to advance tonight against the San Jose Sharks. They are the only Canadian team remaining in the playoffs. Hard to believe that cities that could not care less about hockey even have teams in the NHL. Let's face it. Places like Tampa Bay, Annaheim, San Jose, Phoenix (a desert for crying out loud), Los Angeles, Sunrise (Florida), and the list could go on. Hockey is our game. Bring the Cup to a country that has an unquenchable passion for the game!
Go Edmonton Go!
On another note, I heard on the radio today that the deadline for filing your census form has been extended a bit. I also heard that the penalty for not filing is $500 or 3 months in jail...yikes! It can be done on-line, but you need an access number which is shown on the paper form. It is very easy to do on-line. I filled in two forms for senior citizen friends of mine. Any questions, go to
www.census.2006.ca.
Have a nice day.
Come to Your "Census".
Got a comment from Michael, my nephew in Australia. Nice to know you are reading our blogs! I tried posting a comment to one of your blogs Mike, but I don't think it got through. I bet you miss hockey down there. You'll have to settle for soccer or rugby I guess...haha.
Does everyone have their Census forms filed? Today is the deadline. I guess the government has to know everything about us.
I wish the weather would improve so I can get my bike rides in. The picture above is from a group tour I took last summer around the Bay of Fundy area. This particular day was termed the
"Mini Cabot Trail" due to the spectacular hills and scenery. This is at the top of a particularly long, scenic, challenging hill. Notice the Lance Armstrong victory wave! These tours are wonderful because all you have to do is ride your bike. There is a truck that transports all your camping gear, and a "sag" wagon to help out along the day's ride. The same organizer, Gary Conrod, is hosting a bicycle rally here in Yarmouth later this summer. I hope to see some of the same people I met last year.
I need help. When I try to post more than one picture in an entry, they all congregate at the top. I try to move them to where I want with no luck. Any suggestions? For instance, I could have posted more pictures from the bike tour, but do not want them all at the top.
I'm reading a new book called
"The Da Vinci Code - A Quest for Answers" by Josh McDowell. It basically discusses the novel and separates some of the facts from fiction in Dan Brown's book. I've only just started, so will give reviews as I go along in later blogs...that is if anyone is interested. But here is a short review to start off...
"You and your friends won’t be able to put down this compelling book where Josh McDowell examines the real history behind The Da Vinci Code. Told as a story of 3 students who are confused about what is fact and what is fiction in The Da Vinci Code, you will be equipped with real answers. And you will have a great resource to put into the hands of seekers and skeptics alike so that they can find real answers – especially the answer to how they can have a relationship with Jesus Christ."
Bye for now...happy blogging!
Go Oilers!
Let's hope that the Oilers can go all the way to the Stanley Cup. After all, they are the last Canadian Team remaining in the hunt. I know, anyone who happens to read this blog probably wishes hockey would go away so as not to interfere with Coronation Street, but hey...it's a Canadian institution!
Not much to report of any significance. In world news, I strongly predict that an attack on Iran is almost imminent. More locally, we are now in the midst of a provincial election. Does anyone even care?
Our church has a nice
website. Pastor Jim Agrell even has his own blog...think I'll check it out since I just noticed it.
Went for a walk tonight through the Forchu trail up by Maple Grove. It goes up by the cemetary where my nephew Chris is buried so I visited his gravesite.
It was great to hear that Mike and Rebecca are expecting! And what a great photo of Austin on Susan's blog!
Take care fellow bloggers.
High Tech Fun!!
My friends and I are shown here on "Geocaching" excursions. This is a modern day high tech treasure hunt using a hand held GPS (Global Positioning System). From left to right in the second picture are Alicia, Sheila, Jessica, and myself. Alicia and Jessica are Sheila's great nieces, her nephew's daughters. The kids really seem to enjoy the excursions and we all get our exercise. Anyhow, GPS co-ordinates of hidden trinket containers are downloaded from a web site called
Geocaching.com and the fun begins. A worldwide community of people involved in this hobby hide caches and look for other's caches by going to
this site where the co-ordinate info is. I am planning on planting a cache myself very soon.
The first picture is at a cache called
"The Marble Lady" for obvious reasons. It is in a cemetary near Town Point.
Today is mother's day, and there was a special service honoring mothers complete with a slideshow. Hope you all had a nice mother's day.
The stock car races started today at the Lake Doucette track so I went there for awhile. Some of the cars were not ready yet, but there was still some pretty good action.
Hold Your Breath!!
Just saw the movie
"Poseidon", a remake of the 1970's "Poseidon Adventure". Hold your breath, I almost drowned with all that water. If you are claustrophobic at all, you will be sqirming in your seat. Some of the scenes of the people crawling through hatches reminded me of my firefighter training of having to navigate a pitch black maze, except they had some light from flashlights which we did not.
Another movie,
The Da Vinci Code , is soon showing in theatres. What's the big deal about this
movie? Well, the
good thing is that it will get people talking about our Lord and Saviour. The bad thing is that it is
"rife" with inaccuracies. See the link above for more info. If such an inaccurate depiction of Mohammad had been dramatized in a similar movie, Muslims worldwide would be up in arms in even a far greater way than when those derogatory cartoons of Mohammad came out.
If people are talking about Christ, that's a good thing. The inaccuracies of Brown's work can easily be raised to "debunk" this film.
May I Have a "Witness?"
I had a pair of visitors last Saturday morning. Low and behold, a husband and wife team of Jehovah's Witnesses. Part of their mission I guess...try and win converts, although I don't know what they can offer that I don't already have. They left a copy of their beloved Watchtower magazine and Awake magazine, offering to return to answer any questions. I've subsequently done some research, and would be happy to share some views and insights, perhaps on future blogs. Suffice it to say for now that I would NOT make a very good Jehovah's Witness, having voted in every election (they do not endorse political involvement), celebrated every Christmas (they do not do this), and studied the Bible without the steering of the Watchtower organization (they don't encourage independent study), etc. I have not taken a blood transfusion yet, but would if I had to (they do not believe in accepting blood transfusions). However, I may take them up on their offer just to have a theological "gab" session. I love such discussions, and am willing to share my convictions with anybody.
The Ottawa Senators just won their game to play another day!
Woohoo!!!Hey gang...like me in the picture, keep running the good race!
2 Timothy 4:7
"Duck" Day!
What a great day to be a duck...lots of water. And what is it with those Ottawa Senators? There is a stone wall they have to go through...his name is Ryan Miller! I still have to figure out how to get my picture in my profile. It's easy to get one in the actual post.
Well, both sisters are now blogging along...this thing is contagious. My nephew in Australia has one too.
Why the steel guitar ad picture? Simple...I simply love the steel guitar. Infact, I have been known to honk out a few tunes. I am a bit rusty now, but rust can be removed. I also play drums and guitar for the Wesleyan church's praise team. I decided to return to the Wesleyan Church due to major theological differences with the United Church.
Well, duty calls at work, so I will check in later.
Blog Beginnings
It seems that "blogging" is becoming quite popular these days, so what the heck, I may as well jump into the fray as well. After all, if my sister and nephew can do it...so can I. The first order of business was to come up with a name for this thing. The dilemma was to come up with a name that would encompass my varied interests. Being a firefighter explains the fire part of the title. Fire is not always a bad thing. It can destroy, as I have seen many times folks lose many possessions, but can also purify, give warmth, and light. So, the "Fire" of Life can cover the good and bad, and give me wiggle room to discuss many things dear to me. So hang in there...blogs are a living organism. You never know what will be discussed, because after all, we never know what kind of "Fire" life will throw at us. Stay tuned!
