A sad premonition

31 Jul 18
07:15 hrs

     For those of you, Dear Readers who know me, know that am a foodie wannabe  and if I truly had the funds to travel and enjoy the gastronomic delights of this planet I would be gone taking my Lobster on a food tour of such delicacies that she would likely go hungry. But, I don't have those funds so like other wishful diners I have turned to watching Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. We all know that tragically he took his own life in Paris this spring. Recently all seasons of his show have been released on Netflix. This morning I decided to watch the Quebec  episode - Season 1 Episode 5 (2013). The foods were insane and over the too - you really want to watch it. But listen for Anthony's comment when he talks about the cooks using a 4 burner electric range to turn out epicurean dishes at L 'Affaire est Ketchup. "At no point in my cooking career could I have worked with one of these without murdering everyone in the vicinity before hanging myself from the nearest beam."

18:00 hrs
     
      I am happy to say that I saw the return of the Y2K Spitfire fighter to the Valley. It had been a long term restoration project that started here and then shifted east to complete the rebuild. I had written on this blog several years ago about a gentleman who I referred to as Grandpa.  He had been a mechanic on Spitfires during WWII. Sadly, Grandpa passed away a year or so back and never got the chance to see this fantastic kite

Enough of the nagging already!

26 Jul 18
21:35 hrs

     Dear Readers,
     I am going to touch on a sensitive topic and if you don't think that you can stomach some heavy ranting I want you to take a couple deep breaths and then hold it until the flying unicorns come to rescue you. Ready? Here goes!

     How many damn times do we have to apologize (and pay out monies) to the First Nations of this country for crap that happened 50, 100, 150 or more years ago? It seems that every ten years or so there is yet another crop of Indigenous People demanding that the indignities done to the ancestors of their ancestors be acknowledged and renumerated. Over and over again.

     Enough is enough!

     Okay you win. I agree that white European explorers were probably not the most honest of individuals and most definitely did take advantage of the local residents.

     We are sorry! We have paid you for our transgressions, NOW MOVE ON!

     And still more benefits are heaped on the various First Nations not only by the Feds but by the various provincial governments as well. Zero taxes, land transfers, free post secondary education, etc. The list of goodies is pretty damn long. I am not saying that they shouldn't be getting these benefits I'm saying that you had better start doing something with them. Stop paying your Band Chief and council an exorbitant wage when your kids have no school supplies (which you then complain about).

27 Jul 18
16:25 hrs

     Supposedly, there is an orca playing around in the harbour. We do get whales, both toothed and baleen, that come and make an appearance. They are welcome visitors that everyone enjoys. Except for the seals. They're not too happy when the orcas show up.

     There are still people who are afraid of doing the speed limit when driving west on Ryan Rd. from Military Row to the lights at Anderton. The allowable speed is 80 kmh. Some of these mooks barely reach 60 kmh and yet they are probably the same people who can't help but accelerate well past the posted speed limit because they are probably afraid their vehicle will roll backwards if they don't put their foot to the floor.

28 Jul 18
11:45 hrs

     Today is pretend that we are on the beach in Cuba day. At least I wish I was. The Loin Fruits have hangers on that have invaded my space. How ironic that the person who is often the loudest is put off by the persistent non-sensical blather. It could easily be a whiskey day but I am on the clock around the clock until Monday. Moderation would be the key.

     My Lobster is bound for the Nation's Capital in a weeks time leaving the house to the general care of the Couch Monkeys and myself. We'll manage. We always do.

     The Sr. Loin Fruit is branching out to another employment opportunity.  He's going to try his hand in commercial food production at a local bakery. His grandfather, one of the Sages, was a commercial baker by trade. It's hard work with long hours so this will be an eye opener for our Loin Fruit. But, we are proud of him for looking outside of his comfort zone.

     Elric the Stalwart and his Better Half, Sister Jo, are coming over to dine. Home made pizzas and a taco salad in a bag. Simple foods. It's too damn hot out for a multi course meal.

     My Lobster is still filtering through my next book. I'll have to get some funds set aside to get it formatted and uploaded. This one is going to be pricey.

    

Observations redux

16 Jul 18
04:05 hrs

     We spent the weekend at the 2018 Vancouver Island Musicfest. Over 10,000 people visited the festival per day. The musical performances were better than I had expected and the food vendors - most of them - were sweet and salty and rich and bad for you. My Lobster and I had our faves.

17 Jul 18
11:45 hrs

     I'm at the Sage's residence to do some work for them. I actually slept in till 07:00 hrs. I'm putting up gutter guards for them. Work has been halted on account of the heat. I have about 1/4 of the job done and should get a good amount done tomorrow.

19 Jul 18
21:55 hrs

     The projects are done. Over 175 feet of gutter guards were installed (the last bit will be installed by Two-Bob once the garden is finished), and the Sage's Flame Pit was rebuilt.

     I took some time to visit a family friend in Vernon and popped up to the Vernon Army Cadet Camp. I spent two wonderful summers there. Great times. If you weren't a cadet you would understand what it was like.

20 Jul 18
21:00 hrs

     There was rain in the Shuswap a little while ago. I found that the Sage's new pup had absconded with one of my shoes and it is now wet. Attention getting chow hound. She's cute but I wouldn't want one.

     This trip is almost done. I just have a highway cruise in the Ram,  a ferry ride and then a short drive back to the Wayward Inn.  While I was gone my Lobster held down the fort. Never a dull moment, our Sr. Couch Monkey had his hours cut due to the lack of work and our Jr. Loin Fruit said goodbye to his Main Squeeze. Both are probably feeling the loss. But, they will both grow from the experience.

     That's about all Dear Reader. When next you hear from me I'll be back on The Rock.

     Later

    

Suckers for Punishment

12 Jul 18
04:45 hrs

     I am penning these notes as I am waiting for the Jr. Loin Fruit to get his tired behind out of the fart sack. He's on early shift this morning. He told me that yesterday he was assigned to assist in cleaning up the O-Mess after a function the previous evening.  With the reduction of personnel on the Wing the O-Mess is seldom used and, as my Jr. Couch Monkey discovered, the kitchen has not been properly cleaned in a very long time. In addition to the general build up of greasy grime there has been a persistent vermin issue. He may not have been happy about doing the job but he did the job. Good on him.

     My Lobster and I are participating in the Vancouver Island Musicfest this year. Actually, she is a member of the Vendor's Coordinator Crew. I am being brought in to assist the assistants to marshall in the food vendors to their assigned parking spots. Parking spots that we created out of thin air last night. Tonight it will an impressive sight as these mobile food wagons, trucks and trailers jack knife and shoe horn their way into position. My Better Half volunteered me due to my past experiences of directing aircraft. Thanks honey.

     We looked at the musical line up for this year's Musicfest and we are not impressed. You can look it up yourself by Googling Vancouver Island Musicfest. From what we have seen in the past there is usually a big attraction for the older crowd on each day of the festival. This artist normally performs in the third last time slot as "us Oldies"

13 Jul 18
07:00 hrs

     The other night when my Lobster had volun-told that I would me that I would be assisting in positioning the food vendors I figured it would be a bit difficult but once the flow of vehicles started it went pretty well. One if the vendors is a Bigfooter. I don't think he's an investigator but at least he's a believer. When I saw the sticker on his truck I had to give him a hug.

     I'll pack up the truck today for my trip to the Sage's place on Monday. They have some jobs around their place to be done and I'm the one to do it. I'll grab tbe ferry out of Duke Point and hit Tsawassenn running. Just me, the Ram and all the Rush I can handle.

     I think I got too much sun and not enough water yesterday. In fact, I know I did. My head feels like a ten pound Smartie.

14 Jul 18
06:25 hrs

     We got back to the Wayward Inn after midnight. Everyone is bagged. The Jr. Loin Fruit has a volunteer shift from 0900 to 1500 today. Hopefully, the acts will be interesting.

15 Jul 18
06:05 hrs

     The coffee is brewing.

     We cut out early last night. Got home at 11:00 hrs. The food vendors are doing well. I don't know how the craft vendors are doing. We've purchased a couple of items. A funky shirt, a commemorative hoody, a huge moth and a painted bat. You'll have to come to the Wayward Inn to see them.

     We will not be staying the full day. I still have to pack for the road trip and the Junior Loin Fruit has an early shift at work. I'll punt him out the door before turning south for the ferry terminal. Once I hit the freeway I'll run the Hemi in the Ram  loose to eat up the road. My ferry departure is booked which is good. For some reason ridership has gone through the roof.

     Take care and go to a festival

Summer Schedule

07 Jul 18
07:00 hrs

     Now that the Jr. Loin Fruit has graduated he has enjoyed the first week of summer gaming late into the night and then taking walks around in neighborhood even later into the night. I'm not worried. He's good. He starts back to work on Monday.

     Next week is Musicfest. My Lobster is working with the vendors, the Junior Loin Fruit is volunteering with the Musicfest food crew and so is his Main Squeeze.  I'm not too impressed with the line up. As far as I can tell there are no real BIG acts. Walk off the Earth will be appearing but I don't know their music.

08 Jul 18
07:00 hrs

     Yesterday, my Lobster and myself went up to River City. We were accompanied by Elric the Stalwart, his Better Half - Sister Jo - plus her parents. We went up for tea and to take a look in the Emporium. On the way home we stopped off to see the finished carvings in Willow Point. On our return to the Valley we were invited to CASA McKechnie for homemade pizzas. Sister Jo had some appie/munchies layer out to keep everyone busy. My Better Half stepped up and filled in as the Sous. The pizza dough came from the Church Street Bakery and they were baked on pizza stones. The bakery itself uses a wood-fire oven for its pizzas. The two ladies made a meat lovers, a roasted veggie, and a Hawaiian. They were excellent.

     We brought pie, apple and pecan.

     On the job site steel will soon start to be erected on the new Fixed Wing SAR training centre. The steel had been manufactured to spec and then the design of the building was changed. Go figure! As a result, the steel workers have had to spend the last week or so modifying the existing product while new steel is being manufactured. The columns should be going up next week.

     I'll be heading out into the Weeds in September. My L'il Bro from Winter Peg was planning on coming out to go looking for our big 8-foot tall hairy friends but his schedule isn't looking good to go. My buddy From Over the Hump said that he's good to go. I'm hoping that this year we will get some more tangible evidence. Last year there was a sighting but a couple of nice track casts would be cool. If we do get one, a good one, I'll give it to my Friend From Over the Hump.

     I have been watching Luke Cage on Netflix. Nice storyline. Kinda cool too.

     My Better Half has continued to review my next book. Simon Sez may have edited it for punctuation but she has located gaps, missing words and clerical errors that needed to be adjusted. I'll add her name on the thank you page. My hope is to get it put the door in the next month or two. Of course, "Wood Knocks and Tossed Rocks" is still available on Amazon and on Kindle.

     The Stray Tourist that visited the Wayward Inn a couple of weeks ago has continued his holiday journey through the province. He's headed to Cowtown and the then onto the Bald Prairie. After that he will be winging his way back to the Fatherland. Auf Weidersehen.