What would you do?

10:05 hrs
14 Nov 15

     What would you do?
     Faced with the realization of the brutal attacks in Paris I ask you: "What would you do if you were faced with armed terrorists?"

     A friend of mine posted to Facebook that one possible response would be to rise up and charge the individuals. He says that "Yes, some people would die in the attempt but the odds would be in the mobs favour to capture the perp." However, in the recent incident in Paris the attackers were wearing explosive vests and after emptying their Kalishnikovs at random targets they simply blew themselves up which killed more innocents.

     The group ISIS has now claimed responsibility for these attacks. Personally, I do not know what can be done to eliminate this group. But I do know one thing, the people of France will not rest until a decisive blow has been dealt to this terrorist group. The only thing worse would be if it had been Israel who had been attacked because the only thing worse than a pissed of Frenchman is a pissed off Israeli. Either way, this terrorist group will now be hunted to the ends of the earth. French president Hollande has stated "France will be merciless toward the barbarians of Islamic State group".

     On a more local note, the Valley has survived a huge wind and rain storm that has dumped a fresh layer of the white stuff high on the Beauforts. It looks real pretty too. I am sure the new owners of Mt. Washington Ski Resort are happy to finally see the arrival of some snow. This group of investors already own four similar resorts at which the have snow making machines. Because the volume of snow on Mt. Washington is very dependent on the bands of precipitation sweeping in from the coast I am sure that snow makers will soon be positioned on the Island in the event of a low precip season.

     Corn Bread.
     Do you like it?
     There are different types of corn bread. Here at the Wayward Inn 50% of us enjoy the corn meal style. The only thing close to it can be enjoyed at The Great Island BBQ at the top of Fifth Ave. and Fitzgerald.  It's so good I could go there to simply eat corn bread and drink beer. You can find a similar recipe in the Company's Coming - Muffins and More cookbook. Look for the Johnny Cake recipe on page 113. I add cubes cheddar cheese and three tbsp of chili flakes to liven it up. You're welcome.

07:30 hrs.
15 Nov 15

     It is the Ides of November. Julius Caesar was slain on the Ides of March, as Willy Shakespeare reminds us. The Ides are nothing more than the "middle of" and, since the months of our Julian Calendar have more or less 30 days, the 15th of the month is considered to be the Ides of the month.

     Today is a crisp day in the Valley. Vehicles look frosty. We have a brunch reservation at Mar's on Main. An eclectic restaurant out in the Wild Wild West. We are going there for our Senior Couch Monkey's birthday meal. They have an outstanding brunch menu. I'm thinking a West Coast Benny with smoked salmon and lump crab meat for me and I don't  really care what the neophytes want. Loin Fruit #2 will probably have the same. My Lobster will have a plain Benny.  Hete will be none of that swimming type food for her. And the Bday Boy will probably have a short stack and bacon or waffles and bacon. Both of which he could have had at home. One point of eating out is to have things you can not make at home. Am I wrong?

So, Here I Sit...

13:05
10 Nov 15

     5°C / Winds SSE @ 35 knots

     That's right! The current temp and winds are applicable as winter is now upon us. Everything done outside is now dependant on the weather. At the moment I am watching the massive reconstruction of 7 Hanger here at CFB. The roof is being re-insulated, asbestos is being removed, windows replaced and sheeting being applied. A big job to be sure and it doesn't stop there. There are roads being rebuilt and other buildings that are under te-development. The total cost? Who the hell knows. That knowledge is way above my pay grade. And the greatest hindrance to the contractors is not the weather but the beauracracy of the DCC (Defence Construction Canada). To be sure the workers just want to work but it's the step by bloody step monitoring by DCC that's a pain in the rump.

     With Halloween over I know that my Better Half is chomping at the bit for me to get the Christmas lights up at the Wayward Inn. It's a huge undertaking that is also dependent on the weather conditions but the main sticking point the observance of Rememberance Day. There are some whose decorations are on the process of going up or have just gone up. To them I say, "SHAME ON YOU!"

     We, as a people, must remember those who sacrificed themselves so we can live in a free and just society.

     We, as a people, must remember those who sacrificed themselves for the protection and safety of others.

     We, as a people, must recognize those who defend and protect the people who reside in the face of tyranny.

     So, get off your ass. Go find yourself a veteran and say thank you.

     Life at the Wayward Inn is becoming insular. Meals are leaning towards being rich and nutritious. Personally, I am yearning for a fine stew complete with root vegetables and a thick sauce. Beef or chicken. Back at the Sage's, I would often enjoy creamed chicken which was kinda like a stew. Start with a whole chicken cut into pieces. Flour and brown in a pan then transfer it to a baking dish. Bake it at 350 for an hour then pour in a litre of half and half. Throw in some onions and peppers, some pats of butter and bake covered for another half hour. Pure comfort food. I would serve it with a smashed yam and potato mixture.

     Do you like games? Real games. Not some one on one shoot me up crap. Board games. Card games. Something you can challenge your partner to and have a discussion with at the same time. My Lobster and I used to play Scrabble till the wee hours of the morn. We still play but we have added Cribbage and several other card games to our repetoire. I'm hoping that the Loin Fruits will join in more often but prying them from the glow of their monitors is becoming increasingly difficult. Maybe if I was able to teach them how to play euchre they would join in more. It's worth a try.

     I have a new task. I have been tying flies for my L'il Brown back in the 'Peg. These are special flies designed for catching Slough Sharks. Now a Slough Shark is a special breed of fish akin to a barracuda. Long and lean with a mouth full of teeth. Catching one is a lot of fun but to take one on a fly rod is pure insanity. When my Li'l Brown was visiting the Wayward Inn this past summer he had expressed an interest in this. So, for Christmas I figured that would set him up with some lures designed to entice an Esox Lucious. www.pikeonthefly.com.

Time to Blog

07 Nov 15
19:00 hrs

    A lot has taken place since my last blog Dear Readers. An expedition Out in the Weeds, some observations about the Valley and a Rant or two just to keep you entertained.

     So, last weekend I headed Out in the Weeds. I can't tell you were I was other than the fact that I was on the mainland east of Chilliwack. Expedition locations are held on a need to know basis and unless you plan on attending you will be in the dark. Speaking of which, in addition to beaucoup de pluie, the amount of  available daylight at this time of year put us in the dark for the better part of the day. In fact, by the time we would wake up it would be time to eat lunch and then prep for the next nights outing. We had limited success. There were some vocalization and wood knock returns but there were no sightings and no tracks were cast. One major problem was the volume and intensity of the rain. Despite listening to the weather forecast there were some in the group who were totally unprepared for an outing on the Left Coast.

     Live and Learn.

    
     But, all in all, it was a great time. Old friends and new ones. Once again, the Big Swede, Youngblood and I worked as a team often heading out by ourselves through various valleys and through different cut blocks. We saw no Yogis but the Ricky were rather prevent. We spotted one that was missing half it's tail, probably to some hungry Wile E. We saw this same Ricky twice more on that valley slope at various elevations. Even on the R2 thermal unit you could tell it was him by the stumpy tail. The only other interesting event was playing chicken with a Pepe les Pew as it snaked across the road in front of the truck. Lots of dodging and weaving, folks.

     From what I was told Halloween at the Wayward Inn went quite well. Both Couch Monkeys had alternative plans so my Lobster manned the ramparts to ditribute goodies to all the ghosts and goblins. The count was nearly 150 trick or treaters. Pretty good I would say.

     Construction is continuing on the new hospital. And it will continue until 2017. But, who in the hell chose the colours adorning the outer walls? It's as if the architect wanted to punish VIHA for some insignificant slight. Or, some VIHA bean counter is trying to save a few hundred thousand by using up all the shitty coloured siding that no one this side of a Braille Hostel would want to look at. Hey, don't rag on me. If you've seen it, then you know what I'm talking about. A good note is that someone has placed, not only a Canadian flag but, a Legionaires poppy flag high on the building superstructure. Pretty cool. The whole Valley likes it.

     The new cable ferry at Buckley Bay is still not working. In the course of my job I was out there today and asked some people how it was going with the new bateau. It's not! The word is that it is running too slow from teminal to terminal. It was supposed to be fully operational in September. A delay in the arrival of the vessel from the shipyard and the delays in the testing regimens is only proving that the upper echelon of BC Ferries has their heads up their collective arses. Ask any Denman or Hornby Islander and they will tell you the same thing.

     My Better Half has come across a new slow cooker cook book. It's a magazine actually. Due to our hectic schedule we have started using this appliance more often. Last week while I was Out in the Weeds she made Mongolian Beef and tonight we put together Thai Pork tacos with hand made tortillas and shiracha coleslaw. For some extra heat I added some adobe peppers. If you think you're strong enough give them a whirl. A word of warning though. Drink your milk before hand.

     I'm sure that I have mentioned it already but if you haven't read it yet look for "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. If you have done any hiking or camping at all you will piss yourself laughing. Speaking of books, I took ten copies of "Wood Knocks and Tossed Rocks" with me when I went Out in the Weeds. I lucked out and sold seven copies.

     I found out what I am NOT getting for Christmas.  A fifty year old single malt Glennfiddich scotch was sold in Vancouver for a paltry sum of $36 K. There are only fifty bottles in existence and only one was for sale in BC. Yes it is held in a hand blown leather wrapped silver necked bottle but $36 K would buy me my new truck and a hundred dollar bottle of Laphroaig would be just as good.

Twas the Night before...

20:00 hrs
28 Oct 15

     There's but one sleep left.
     The truck is packed with all of the gear. Food, lodgings, clothing and extraneous stuff. But all very necessary shit. Batteries for radios and mantles for the lantern. Water. There's a definite need. As is that blessed roll of white gold.

     And I'm off. Off my nut some would say. Tomorrow at O-Dark 30 I'll be heading for Duke Point. Returning on Sunday. Three dark rainy fun filled nights. On a good note I will be teamed up with the Big Swede and Youngblood once again. A sweet deal for sure. No Whiners, please and thank you.

     For this evenings repast my Better Half and I, along with Loin Fruit #2 went to Fluid. Nice place. Easy menu. The meals at our table included a shared bruschetta, a jersey chicken wrap, a seafood pasta bowl and a flat iron steak sandwich (rare). If you know us you should be able to figure out who ate what.

     When we pulled into the parking at Fluid the first thing spotted was the giant penis on wheels. Some moron, with more money than God and no common sense, jacked his half ton pick me up truck and then out fitted it with wheels that belong on C-130 Hercules. Loin Fruit #2 quickly pointed out that the owner is quite obviously compensating for a miniscule portion of his anatomy. I know that somewhere in the Highway Traffic Act there is a law that pertains to modifying the height of a vehicle beyond its stock configuration as it could affect it's road worthiness. But, do the police do anything about it when these Dickheads drive by? Hell no. They would rather allow these low brow drivers continue to indimidate the motoring public than enforce the rule of law.

Counting down....Again!

07:40 hrs.
25 Oct 15

     Today is Sunday. That leaves Monday for working and two days to finish packing before I head Out in the Weeds. Four glorious days of tenting, eating camp food, getting very little rest, viewing the forest vistas and howling at the moon. The opportunity for me to participate in these excursions comes but once a year and so, when ever it presents itself I have to grab it, with my Lobster's permission of course.

     There is another Halloween function happening Downtown. On 31 October, the Gladstone Brew Pub at the corner of 4th and Cliffe (in conjunction with two other restaurants) is holding a come as you are bash. The times are stated as being from 13:00 hrs until "late". Kinda leaves it opened doesn't it. The party will continue as long as there are still a lot of patrons around. It was just the other day that my Better Half had said that to revitalize the downtown core the shops have to be willing to stay open longer and to hold events that will attract the public's participation.

22:40 hrs.
     If you haven't heard already there has been a tragedy off the west coast of The Rock. A whale watching tour boat capsized at approximately 16:00 hrs. There were twenty seven souls on board. At this time four are reported as deceased. Let's hope the remainder are rescued.

Viva le Difference

06:45 hrs.
21 Oct 15

     Yesterday, when the Junior Loin Fruit came home from school, he noted that I was watching some sort of law enforcement reality show. Go figure. I don't recall which one it was. Border Security, Rocky Mountain Cops or maybe it was Good Ole Ass Stompin' Southern Justice. Doesn't matter except there is a difference between those produced in Canada and those filmed south of the 49th. Especially, those filmed well below the 49th.

     So, on the screen was a shirtless individual who was being forced to the ground by three burly Boyz n Blue. There was a lot of calls of "Stop Resistin me!" Which is rather funny, as it would be virtually impossible for this 160 lb meth addict to resist the wishes of three 250+ lb armed cops.

     "Why are those cops pinning down that guy?"

     "Because he could be armed."

     "Do the police do that in Canada?"

     "No, because people in Canada are not usually carrying a gun where as below the 49th you can expect drivers to be armed."

     Thank GOD I live in Canada!

     On another note...I was out in the Wild Wild West today and I stopped at a favourite watering hole - The Cumberland Grind. The place has been rebuilt with new patio doors that actually stay closed and two new decks. I indulged myself with a Vampires Kiss. A mocha with raspberry flavoring and cayenne pepper (three shakes please).

It's all over but the crying or "Get out of my House!"

05:45 hrs.
20 Oct 15

     I would like to thank you Dear Readers for doing your part by participating in yesterday's federal election. The people have spoken and King Stephen is OUT OF HERE!

     Yes, there has been a changing of the guard. The Tories are out and the Liberals are in. Now I know that some of you have a deep seated hatred for anything connected to Trudeau but you have to remember that it was Trudeau Sr. who is the source of your pains. Get over it. It was, what, 40 or 50 years ago? The geo-political world was far different back then and as I had explained to some of you Olde Uncle Pete did what he had to do because he had to do it for the betterment of the country. Reducing the troop levels in Europe wasn't popular but neither were the Front Liberation du Quebec and the troops were needed at home to deal with our home grown terrorists. Wage and Price controls? Same shit different pile. The Canadian economy was sliding out of control and it had to be reigned it. Now here comes the new kid on the block. In all honesty, you can't paint him with his father's brush. Give him a chance. He might just do some good because anything is better than more of King Stephen's Reign of the Rich and Entitled.

     Now, what of the Orange Wave? Mulcair failed to perform on a grand scale. But, I am not surprised at the change. Look kids, its like this. Despite what you think, the Liberals and the NDP are pretty close in their ideology. At the last election those who flop their vote between those two parties knew the Justin was not ready and pushed the NDP up to be the Loyal Opposition. But this time,  to slap Stephen's hand a vast majority of that voting block catapulted Justin to be the next PM because he is ready. That, and I really don't think the People of Canada could stomach a socialist prime minister. In the end, the Right Coast is Red and the Left Coast is Orange.

     Today is also Patty's birthday. Forty-eight years ago Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin were riding up Bluff Creek in northern California when the horses were spooked. Roger was thrown from his horse but managed to film a large hairy female primate that is now affectionately called (by those if us who go OUT IN THE WEEDS) as Patty.
     Happy Birthday Patty, where ever you may be.