A "Washed up Peanut Farmer" ?

I like Michael Enright ... his interviews are always entertaining and informative. In 2001, during the first volleys of the soft wood lumber war between the US and Canada he interviewed former US president Jimmy Carter about an opinion piece Mr Carter had written for the New York Times.

The next day the Globe and Mail reported on the interview and condemned Mr Enright for his rude and inappropriate treatment of Mr Carter ...

During the interview, Mr Enright began getting irritated with Mr Carter and Mr Carter's views on the lumber industry. Mr Enright then asked Mr Carter to speed up his answers ... suddenly Mr Enright said:

"I think the question on everyone's mind is, how did a washed up peanut farmer from Hicksville such as yourself get involved in such a sophisticated bi-lateral trade argument?"

Mr Carter snapped back: "Excuse me? A washed up peanut farmer? You're one to talk sir. Didn't you used to be on the air five times a week?"

Mr Carter eventually called Mr Enright a "rude person" and hung up on him ...

The next morning the Globe and Mail carried a report of the interview on the front page ... a week later, after Mr Enright explained to his listeners that the interview, aired on the morning of Sunday April 1st was a fake, the Globe carried a retraction of sorts ...

It has been five years ... but I still smile when I recall the interview ... I was shocked by Mr Enright, of all people calling former President Jimmy Carter a "washed up peanut farmer" but when I learned for certain it was a joke, the joy of the spoof stayed with me ... So, now with great delight and with the utmost respect, I refer to President Jimmy Carter as a "washed up peanut farmer ..." and I sincerely hope that one day we find more like him to guide our world and inspire us to better things ...

Thanks Michael Enright for reminding us that the world is serious enough ... that once in awhile we need to laugh ...

(a post script - when I find the articles (and I know I still have them) I will post excerpts from them here ...)

Networks and Nepotism ...

(warning - a political rant is about to be unleashed ... proceed with caution ...)

This week the news is filled with the latest report from The Auditor General Sheila Fraser, who has inventoried the latest round of mis-spending in Ottawa ... It occurs to me as I read the unfolding of the story, that one of the main problems in these highly paid positions in Ottawa, and in political circles, is that they are filled by people who have built elaborate political networks of obligations and favours rather than by people who are qualified for the positions ...

It seems to be about popularity and connections ... not skills, ability and competence ...

Heck, for the kind of salary many of those positions offer, I would gladly do any of them for HALF of what guys like Mr. Stewart were paid ... and my spending would be less lavish than what Ms Fraser has inventoried ... I would even do the job !!

The problem, from where I sit in my comfortable arm chair ... okay at the moment, I'm on the couch with my lap top perched on my lap (where else??) is simply this: It's a case of who you know, and who you are related to ... skill, competency and ability are totally irrelevant, and the tax payer suffers as a result.

Take as an example - Justin Trudeau. I have no doubt he is a nice young man. We've watched him grow up, and who didn't get teary hearing him eulogize his father a couple of years back? He's an eloquent speaker, and an articulate man. BUT - in this weekend's newspapers as they were gearing up for the ongoing Liberal Convention there were a number of articles and references that cite him as the possible "NEXT" leader of the Liberal Party ... PARDON???

Admittedly, Justin is NO George Jr - and may in all likelihood make a good Prime Minister ... but I have to ponder aloud - what beyond his last name gives him any qualifications for the office of Prime Minister???

Can we not see, and more importantly, do something about this??

Maybe I'm reading too much of Howard Zinn's "A People's History of The Untied States: 1492 to the present" wherein he outlines the formation of networks even in colonial times which then determined the destiny of a nation ... Zinn maintains that even though the Constitution says "all men are created equal" some have always been created MORE equal than others ... it was seemingly true in the US, and it is true here ... The Family Compact is alive and well ...

It should never be about who you know or who you're related to ... it should be about equality of ALL people, not just for some ...

But hey, while I'm ranting and dreaming ... I'll dream of world peace ... both are about as likely ... and that may be the saddest thing of all ...

Tonight's Dinner ...

In spite of the weather, it was a good night for a barbeque ... Burgers cooked on the grill ... heading out to tend them in -14 temps is a challenge, but one I'm willing to take ... I LOVE barbequing in the winter time ... it's a rush !!!

And YES, the white piles on either side of the grill are snow ... it is what has fallen in the last 24 hours !!

It has been a beautiful day in snowy Manitoba ...

Please?!?!? I've been a good doggie !!

As I was cooking dinner tonight this is what was going on behind me ...

... can't you tell she was just waiting for a mis-flip or a dropped pattie ...

Despite how cute she was, Queen Callie got nothing more than words of praise and a pat or three from me ...

WHY ???

Do children whine about walking through the snow, and drag their feet as they complain that they are "too tired to walk home" then when they turn a corner and see a HUGE pile of snow piled up in a parking lot, can run like fiends to "claim" the snow mountain???

Do dogs play, roll and generally plough through the sides of a freshly cleaned sidewalk when you are trying to shovel the deep snow off the cement?

Do town workers go above and beyond the call of duty (so too speak) and help clean sidewalks when they really don't have to??

Do we spin our tires when we get stuck in snow??? (wasn't that a day one lesson in driver's ed?? It DOESN'T help ...)

Do we grumble on a snow day instead of just dressing more warmly and enjoying the day??

Is it Wrong??

to wistfully covet your snow shovels ???

I have spent most of today outside shoveling snow ... shoveling our driveways and sidewalks at home ... shoveling the sidewalk in front of the office ... shoveling the sidewalk in front of the vacant lot where the church once stood ... and I even did a bit of shoveling at the library when I stopped by at lunch time ...

I feel like I've been to the gym ... my arms and legs have had a great work out and I feel good. I've shoveled hundreds of kilos of snow over the course of the day, and walking from here to there and back again has been a work out in and of itself ...

But, I can't help thinking how important a good snow shovel is on days like this ... The two shovels pictured here are my favourites ... The one on the right is the big shovel for clearing the snow quickly ... but when the snow gets packed down and heavy, I shift to the shovel on the left. It serves well to clean out the end of the drive way after the plough has been by. Both shovels have their role, and today they were called on to assist in moving a heroic amount of snow from our driveway and sidewalks ...

Both are plastic with metal blades on the underside. Both cut through the thickest snow quickly and easily. And both are the right length for heaving the snow up and over the growing snow banks that quickly line sidewalks and driveways ... I really like my snow shovels ...

A good snow shovel makes all the difference in the world ... and even today when my environmentalist sensitivities where stretched to the breaking point and I was found myself thinking about how much easier it would be with a snowblower, my shovels came through and reminded me why I actually like shoveling snow:

It is a good work out ...
it's outside ...
it's rewarding (you can see what you've done) ...
it gives you a sense of accomplishment (providing the snow has stopped falling)
and it is just plain fun ...

But if you have the wrong shovel - it can and is often a nightmare ... So, here's to a good snowshovel ... and here's to the first winter snow storm of the season ... the 14-18cms of snow (6inches) that has fallen so far haven't stopped my shovels yet ...

Today's GORGEOUS Weather...

It's NOT a grey day ... it's a SNOWY day ...

And did it SNOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The buses aren't running, the roads are a mess,

the sidewalks are trecherous, and

the snow is still falling !!

It's a Snow Day in Minnedosa!!

The up side is that I'm getting a good work out

shovelling snow at home, at the office,

and where the Church used to stand ...

It's official: WINTER IS HERE !!!

Tonight's Weather Conditions ...

Current weather conditions:

Temp -11C

Falling snow,

blowing wind,

STORM conditions ...

All in all a beautiful Manitoba Winter Night!!

My 10 000th Visitor !!

Today at 10:25 am, someone in Courtney BC popped by briefly to become the 10 000th visitor to my BLOG !!!

Don't know who it was ... but welcome ... They've joined a group of folks from coast to coast in Canada, and from countless places around the world ...

The Web is a very cool thing ... and to ALL my visitors - a warm Welcome ... It's good to have you visit ...

A Whisper of Hope and Peace ...

This morning on CBC Radio One, we hear the news that two more Canadian soldiers have fallen to a suicide bombing in Kandahar ...

The news of violence around the world is legion ... our broadcasts on radio and tv are full of images of conflict and suffering ... our newspapers carry column after column of bad news ...

Then as I sit with my coffee getting ready for my day a voice breaks through with a wise whisper of peace and hope ... Anna Marie Tremonte interviewed Former President Jimmy Carter this morning about his new book that prophetically calls for PEACE in the Middle East, and maintains it is not only possible, but obligatory.

Today ... May God continue to Bless the voices of wisdom and faith like those of a "washed up peanut farmer from Georgia" ... Jimmy Carter is a true gentleman and a statesman ... too bad the adminstration in Washington has it's ears plugged and it's eyes covered ... The world could be a radically different place if we had the courage to listen to guys like Jimmy, and tuned out the Georges, Donalds and Dicks of the world ...

44 ... 45 ...

Outside, a yellow ribbon is fluttering in a cold winter wind ...

Inside, the morning news tells us that

two more Canadian soliders have died ...

Our death toll as a nation pales in comparison

to the number of Afghanis who have died ...

but for 45 families here at home there is a gap ...

an ache that will simply not go away ...

Today we pray for the fallen ...

Today we pray for those serving under

our Canadian Flag far from home.

Today we remember ...

Lest we forget ...

Today's Peanuts Mood Meter ...

It was just that sort of a day ...

One to enjoy ... One to savour ...

Worship this morning ... Rotary this afternoon ...

Coffee from Chipperfield Coffee Company ...

Conversations with friends ...

The Rotary Revue this evenng...

and some hard work washing dishes ...

(special thanks to Ms H for hanging in all night helping)

and tonight, it's cold, clear and beautiful ...

Good day to just enjoy it ...

Hopefully tomorrow will be more of the same ...

(we'll see)

Current Conditions in Minnedosa ...

(The picture is blurry because my hand was shaking)

The current temp here in Minnedosa as I write this:

Is a BALMY minus 24 C (that's -11.2F) !!

The sky is clear - the stars are out ...

and it's freaky cold !!

I love this weather ...

Today in Minnedosa ...

We awoke to snow ...

... then the sun came out ...

It was a glorious day !!!

Now, That's a BIG Cat ...

They are HARD to see in this picture,

but about a metre (3 feet) abover Beetle's & Ms H's heads

are two LARGE muddy paw prints from the Tiger inside the cage ...

The smear above Beetle (middle) is one of the marks ...

... it was a fun visit to the Zoo ...

Noahkila and I got the Cougar growling at us,

and that got the Wapiti (Elk) bugling ...

A Great day even though it was COLD !!!!

Cold Visit to the Zoo ...

Just some images from our visit to the Zoo in Winnipeg Yesterday ...

... it was minus 12 to 15 (that's 5 F for my USofA readers !!)

IT WAS COLD ...

I think the Lemur at the bottom is laughing at us from his warm cage ...

Anybody Home???

Sorry, haven't been blogging much lately ...

... and today's postings may come later ...

For now, we're off on a familial expedition ...

Perhaps I'll post details later ... or perhaps I'll offer my

two cents about the whole dust up about Quebec and National status ...

or I'll offer my two cents on the spying crisis in Canada ...

or maybe I'll just muse about a glorious cold and sunny day ...

We'll see what happens ...

in the mean time - have a good one !!

To Our American Cousins ...

Thursday November
23rd 2006 ...
It's American Thanksgiving.

We Canucks celebrated our
Thanksgiving a few weeks ago ... but our American
cousins are celebrating
their Thanksgiving Today...

Football, food and family ...

Here's Hoping it's a good one for all my American Readers (all three of you ... Happy Thanksgiving)

Been a Busy Week ...

This is one of my favourite weeks of the year ... for the last couple of years I've been involved with the Parents' Advisory Council at the kids' school. And near the end of November each year we host and run a Scholastic Book Fair ...

The tables are stacked with books, and the kids and parents and grand parents flock in ... it is always fun. (It couldn't happen without the help of Michelle B, who has been tireless in her work over the last ... oh five years ... Thanks Michelle) Anything that gets books in the hands of young readers is okay by me ... it's fun to be there watching them look over rows of books, and decide which book they want ...

The best comment I heard this week came from Beetle. Tonight she held aloft a book of quizes, puzzles and activities on Seas and Oceans ... She smiled and said - "Can I buy this? I will be able to have fun, do the puzzles AND learn lots about Ocean while I'm doing it ..."

Lots of books have made it into the hands of kids at school ... On that level alone it has been a successful book fair ...

I kinda miss that car ...

It was a 1974 metallic green, two door, sports back, blue slant six, Plymouth Duster ... I bought it from the original owner ... He was a friend of the family, who bought it brand new in 1973 and drove it for a whooping 26 000 MILES over the 12 years he owned it ... I drove it for 8 more years before selling it and buying the Aerostar that a few weeks ago passed from our lives ...

I went many places in my Duster ... I really liked that car ... it even carried me from Kingston Ontario to Port Hardy British Columbia ... somewhere I have pictures of it at EACH provincial boundary ... I was told by my fellow residents in Harkness Hall at Queens' University that it wouldn't make it out of Ontario ... I did and then some ...

I'm reading a book tonight wherein one of the characters is driving a midnight blue Plymouth Duster ... Got me thinking ...

I DO miss that car ... it was a classic ...

Today ...

It was a sunny day in Minnedosa ...

... that's all for now !!

Old Family Photo ...

Grandma A's Birthday ... I'm about 5 (in a hideous plaid vest), and

my brother (in the Robin Hood shirt) is about 11 ...

Check out the vintage B&W tv in the background!!??

Oops ... a Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BRO!

He doesn't surf the net ... so he won't know I've done this ...

But Happy Birthday Big Brother ... I know it's a day late, but better late then never ...

We've had our ups and downs, and there have been moments - but all things considered, he's a pretty good Big Brother all. and I kinda like him ...

So Happy Birthday from the Minnedosa branch of your family tree ...

I hope he had a happy one ... (he was a cute kid though eh?)

Farewell to a Legend ...

Highlights include:

M*A*S*H 1970
Nashville 1975
The Player 1992
Grosford Park 2001
The Company 2003
The Prairie Home Companion 2006
(plus dozens of others)
It was quite a career ... He was quite a filmaker ...

Robert Altman 1925 - 2006

Give to Us Laughter ...

Sue Monk Kidd writes of her quest for a new understanding of the Divine Feminine in her life:

"Elizabeth A. Johnson expresses the dynamic succinctly: "The symbol of God functions." By this she means that the symbol gives rise to ways of thought and pattersn of behaviour. The core symbols we use for God represent what we take to be the highest good. They become the ultimate point of reference for understanding experience, life and the world. These symbols or images shape our world view, our ethical system, and our social practise - how we live and relate to one another.

For instance, Johnson suggests that if a religion speaks about God as warrior, using militaristic language such as how "he crushes his enemies" and summoning people to become soldiers in God's army, then the people tend to become militaristic and aggressive ..."

It makes me wonder what kind of faith comes from holding the likes of The Dalai Lama and Bishop Tutu (both men who have the most beautiful smiles and laughter) in high regards ... and envisioning God as a source of joy and laughter??

How warped a world view can arise from asking God to give to us laughter?

Do we dare find out??

Who Do You Say That I Am ...

Many months ago I remember standing in the shadow of small caves dedicated to the Roman god Pan on the toe of Mt Hermon in northern Israel ... One of our leaders shared the story of Jesus and his disciples journeying to this place and on their return, Jesus quizzing them with the question - "who do you say that I am?"

It was a trick question ... it remains a tricky question ...

Today I was reading a book entitled "The Dance of the Dissident Daughter" by Sue Monk Kidd. In the book Ms Monk Kidd abandons her Baptist roots and moves to the Episcopalian Church ... In the process she struggles with the awakening within her of a new understanding of God beyond the traditional Imagery offered by the Church. Imagery that is predominantly Male.

She outlines the revisioning of a Feminine Diety for her personal spirituality ... It is a fascinating and enlightening read ... But as I read her words today, I began to consider how I envision and experience the Holy ... The question of gender and the Holy Presence has never been an issue for me. I've believed that God (as I envision and experience God is beyond gender and embodies all gender). But it is the nature of the Holy that caused me pause.

Today I began to think about what I believe when it comes to God and how I celebrate, experience and proclaim God's presence in my life, ministry and world ... And so I began with a broad concept:

Great Spirit ... the words borrowed, or loaned from the First Nations' Traditions. The force of creation and the Creator ...

Then I moved to the images of the Holy I surround myself with in my office ... The West Coast First Nations design by Tony Hunt of The Baptism of Jesus - The Great Spirit is the Sun, The Christ figure of Jesus is the Shaman Initiate and the spirit descending at his Baptism is an eagle ... a radical revisioning of a traditional Christian story.

Along the wall there is a sand cast of a dancing Ganesh, the elephant headed god of the Hindu faith. Ganesh, the joyous playful god, who dances and plays ... an image of the holy that is welcoming, radical and inspiring ...

On my desk sits a wooden carving of a very fat, laughing Buddha ... hands outstretched to a world in desperate need of joy ... He sits, perhaps exhausted from his play and laughter ... he invites us to join him, to laugh with him, to celebrate the fullness of life ...

Beside the Buddha stands a plastic Jesus, a cartoonish figure with a broad smile and hidden silent glide wheels ... a figure of whimsy and silliness ... His outstretched hinged arms beckoning the visitor to pick him up and turn him over in their hands - challenging you NOT to smile as you do so ...

I sit at my desk surrounded by images that whisper to me the simple word: "Holy."
There is nothing orthodox about them ... there is nothing reverent about them ... there is nothing traditional about them ... They are what they are ... in some they evoke laughter ... in some they evoke anger ... in some they bring a smile, while in others a dismissive shake of the head ...

I envision the Holy as a place of laughter and joy ... I see in Ganesh, the Laughing Buddha, the First Nations' Shaman, and the wheeled Jesus, the gift of Holy Laughter ...

Today I realized that when I envision the Holy within me there is great joy and cause for celebration ... and the faith I live eminates from there ...

Taking the Plunge ...

Today at Worship, I broached the issue of the Emerging Spirit/Wonder Cafe ad campaign that has captured the attention of the media across our country ...

I'm proud of the United Church. I always have been. I'm also a guy who has a little plastic Jesus complete with silent glide wheels sitting on his desk ... I'm about as irreverent as you can get ...

BUT, today I'm proud of the United Church for having the courage and the boldness to try something different. I may not agree with everything found at Wonder Cafe (click on the title of this entry to visit the site) and the ads may not all be to my liking - BUT, they are getting people talking. And like one member of my congregation said quietly on the way out - "if it gets even one person interested in our congregation, it's worthwhile !!"

To that I say - "AMEN !!"

So, today - hop over to the Minnedosa United Blog ( http://minnedosaunited.blogspot.com/) and give my sermon a read, then head over to Wonder Cafe and check out EZ-Answer Squirrel and all the ads, and the conversation and let me know what you think ...

For me, this is ALL about the conversation and dialogue about things spiritual ... and inviting people to realize what an incredible place the United Church of Canada really is ...

Peace,

Just that kind of a day ...

Though, I haven't done a "Peanut Mood Meter" for awhile ... this image, taken this morning will have to do ...

It was just that kind of a day ... The sun was shining, the air was warm, but it still felt like winter, so it was a good day to just cuddle up with a good book ...

Our eldest pets (Diesel (l) and Chloe (r)) took the day in stride by cuddling up on the bed and spent the time snoozing ... a great way to spend a day ...

A time to LIVE ... a time to DIE ???

Today I presided at a funeral in one of the little "towns" that dot the countryside around Minnedosa ... With names like Bethany, Cadurcis, Clanwilliam, Basswood and so on, these little "towns" continue to survive despite the loss of elevators, stores, churches, schools and most of the people who once lived there ... Some of them have their moments of triumph and revival when someone opens a business, and despite all the odds stacked against them continue to survive and prosper.

By and large though, these little towns have a strong sense of spirit for what once was, an attachment to the heritage that made them more then a point on the map, but they no longer have what one could identify as a town ... Today they have abandoned houses, overgrown hards, forgotten playgrounds and school yards, and cemeteries that have more residents than the town themselves ...

And that seems to be a problem ...

I've been to little Prairie "towns" that have hundreds of residents in the cemetery, and fewer living, breathing residents than there are fingers on my hand ... it could be said that when a "town" has more residents in its cemetery on the hill, than it has in its homes the town is in serious trouble ...

Don't get me wrong - I love visiting places like Basswood, Bethany, Clanwilliam, Cadurcis. I've enjoyed every moment I've spent hearing about what a fabulous place it was to live and grow up and visit on a Friday night ... My only fear is simply this:

How Long before we're saying the same thing of Minnedosa???

How long before we stand on the hill top cemetery and find more residents there, than there are living, breathing residents in the town itself?

With more and more openings appearing on Main St, and then to drive down Main St at 10:37am on a Saturday morning and to find ONLY FOUR cars parked on the ENTIRE length of Main St, causes me some worry ...

I like this town, and I would like to see it thrive and prosper ... I want to come back in 50 years and be able to find a town to show my grandkids and great grandkids, rather than a nice cemetery on the hill and a sign that says "Minnedosa" and little else ...

As they say - those who fail to heed and learn from history are doomed to repeat it ...

One day not so long ago the little rural towns were bustling places ... and today that bustle is nothing more than a memory ... Today I felt a shudder ... I hope it was just the chill of fall, not a foreboding ...

From Today's Headlines ...

Life is NOT measured by

the breaths that you take,

but by the moments

that take your

breath away ...

- Rebbecca Gagne

(mother of Shelby Gagne who died this summer at 3 yrs of age from Cancer)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Today's Globe and Mail there is a section dedicated to those who

have battled, and in come cases succumb to Cancer. The Headline leading it

on the Front Page of the Paper are the words written by Rebecca Gagne ...

The mother of a beautiful three year old girl who died of cancer.

Shelby's story is presented in a slide show with audio at

www.globeandmail.com

My name is 'Bond, James Bond' ...

When I was six or seven, I became a little brother through the Big Brothers Agency of Stratford Ontario. I was matched up with a Big Brother who in addition to many things, enjoyed taking me to movies ... Perhaps he was stuck for ideas of how to entertain a 7 year old kid ... but whatever Bill's motivation, he exposed me to the joys of the cinema.

We went to many good films ... many bad films ... and many mediocre films ... It seemed like every Friday night we would go to the Vogue Theatre that once stood on Ontario St in Stratford, and we would take in whatever film was showing ... Bill even took me to the very first Star Wars (I remember sitting in the very front row watching the words scroll UP the screen - it was awesome) ...

But tonight I recalled my first experience with the James Bond franchise. Bill took me to see the mediocre "The Spy Who Loved Me," starring Roger Moore as James Bond. The movie impressed me, and in time I would watch ALL of the James Bond films save the most recent ones ... I was hooked ... On TV, Video or even the BIG screen - I have watched Sean, Roger, George, Timothy and Pierce as Bond, and I've enjoyed every episode ... Tonight, 12 year old Noahkila began his own journey with Bond ... He went to the Library and took out Dr No and Diamonds are Forever (good choices) and we have camped out in front of the tv enjoying the Premier Bond - Sean Connery.

Now Noahkila is dropping NOT so subtle hints that he would really like to see the latest Bond flick at the theatre ... and he is quoting Bond, James Bond:

"Shaken, not stirrred ..."
"No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die !!"
and "Good bye Mr Bond."

There are moments in time I stand amazed at how straight that apple dropped when it fell out of the tree ... tonight is one of them ...

A Prairie Moment - Times 3 ...

Today I was driving south on Hwy 21 from Shoal Lake to the Trans Canada.

The sun was setting to the west and as I drove I stopped periodically

to take pictures of the sunset, the clouds and the colours ...

It was a series of beautiful moments ... the camera doesn't do them justice,

but they do hint at the glory of a prairie sunset ... and the rich colours,

and the glorious play of light as the sun dips below the horizon.

The sunset made the long drive from Rossburn to Brandon

a delightful trip ... ending with meeting up with the kids

for a family outing to a movie.

An Impromptu Art Show ...

Using toothpaste to express her self following a hissy fit directed at her mother, Ms H turned the sink in the bathroom into a tableau of her feelings ... The words, if you can make them out read - "you suck" ... Her choice of colours is inspiring, though limited by the available tubes of oral hygiene products ... her technique shows potential, but could use some refinement ... and her choice of subjects is limited only by her emotions ... Clearly we have an artist with great potential ...

For the record, she did clean up her own mess after it was discovered ...

A Tale of Two x Two Dogs ...

Our house is a home of pets ... we currently have two dogs, three cats, two rats and a guinea pig ... over the last decade or more we have had four dogs, three cats, three guinea pigs, two rats and a rabbit ... very few of the pets were "purchased" many just happened our way and were welcomed into the family.

Our first dog MIndy, whom we lost in 2004 came into our lives in 1992 and lived in Kingston, Bella Coola, Langley and Minnedosa. Along the way she travelled and visited more of the country than some people ... in 1993, she invited our second dog Angus to stop in for a visit ... he never left ... He was a reserve stray who decided life with us was better than life on the streets ... so long as we fed him he was happy ...

The late summer of 2004 was a tough time for us - Mindy's health crashed and we had to put her down, then days later Angus was diagnosed with a cancer in the throat and within weeks he too was put down ... Fortunately, in between we welcomed into our lives two new canines who will never replace Mindy and Angus, but who have won our hearts and become part of the family too ...

Journey (the small dog at the top) is a hyperactive bolt of canine lightning. She quivers with excitement ALL the time. She loves to dance on her hind legs with the girls. And she is the consummate escape artist - many is the day that I've come up the hill in front of our house only to see her sitting out on the road in front of the house. She sees me coming (assuming that I didn't notice her) then bolts back into the backyard by leaping the fence in a single bound, where she assumes a "sleeping" posture. When I come into view she does an elaborate stretch as though she is saying - "oh, I didn't hear you coming, I was sleeping ..." Liar !!! Though if there was an Oscar for canines - she'd be in the running ...

Journey is a little dog of BIG action - literally.

Callie, the collie is the Queen. She came to us from a rescue shelter in Brandon called Funds for Furry Friends, and was timid and fearful when she arrived. She was terrified of men (Me), and had come issues with bladder control ... In the two years she's been with us she has blossomed into a beautiful dog. She is friendly, affectionate and lovable. When she came, I couldn't go near her - now she rubs her muzzle against my cheek and "cuddles" by pushing her head into my shoulder ... She is a wonderful dog ...

The photos were taken tonight in our living room ... just because ...
The dogs were luxuriating on the couch (Callie more so than Journey), and they looked so comfortable, I couldn't resist the photo op ... Callie earns the title Queen in these pictures - don't you agree??

All of our dogs - Mindy, Angus, Journey and Callie are testament to what love and affection can do ... Love is a transformative element in this life - if you can watch a scared timid dog blossom into a beautiful outgoing creature, think how much more a person can experience with a little love ...

Slip Sliding Away ...

We were on our way to the Co-op Convenience Store on Saturday night when suddenly my feet when out from under me one the ice ... I went down with a helluva "WHUMP" ... fortunately I landed on my side, not my head, and it would appear I didn't break anything ...

But three days later, I'm still nursing a sore side ... I have to move gingerly at times ... getting up and down in chairs can be more difficult than expected ... and everything aches ... but what hurts most of all is my pride ... my loving children have seen to that:

When I fell they laughed - I would expect nothing less - but when it became apparent I was in pain they grew concerned (within reason) - Noahkila asked where my phone was ... "Why I replied?" still lying on the ice getting my breath and my bearings ...

"In case we need to phone for help ..."

"We don't need to phone for help," I replied starting to sit up, "It's' okay ..." My son, my beloved eldest child then gave his hand away:

"Oh don't worry Dad," he said with a smirk, "I'll take your picture on the ice AFTER we call for help ..."

NICE !!! And I wonder why his littlest sister comes up and pokes me on my sore side periodically and asks "Does that hurt?" with a devilish grin ...

For the record - I'm recovering slowly ... it's still sore ... but I got off lucky ...

Such are the perils of winter in Manitoba !!

Feeding Time at the Zoo ??

Last night I bumped into a friend at Chipperfields, the conversation went kind of like this:

Me: I was going to invite you to supper tonight, but the kids started acting like Baboons, so I thought better of it, and decided to wait for another night.

Friend: Really? I've never had supper with Baboons, it might have been kind of fun ...

Noahkila: At least we're not like real Baboons.

Friend: How's that?

Noahkila: Well, we might act like Baboons, but we don't fling our feces at each other ...

Speechless doesn't do justice to the moment ...

Just Finished ...

I just finished the book Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. It is the journal of an old man writing to his very young son ... The man, a Congregationalist Preacher married a young woman many years his junior and together they had a son.

Now his life is waning, his health is failing and he is struggling to leave his son some gleanings and wisdom, perhaps to make up for his lack of involvement in a real way in the young child's life. The book is brilliant. The reflections on faith, the church and the futility of it all are chillingly accurate. The struggles the man endures in his relationship with his son, his friends, his community and those closest to him are frighteningly familiar. I enjoyed the book, though it did disturb me ... (I never feel that's a bad thing) ... I would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a really good read.

But I would offer an enchating description of the prairies from the book ... one that resonated within me when I read it:

I love the prairie! So often I have seen the dawn come and the light flood over the land and everything turn radiant at once, that word "good" so profoundly affirmed in my soul that I am amazed I should be allowed to witness such a thing. There may have been a more wonderful first moment "when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy," but for all I know to the contrary, they still do sing and shout, and they certainly might well. Here on the prairie there is nothing to distract attention from the evening and the morning, nothing on the horizon to abbreviate or to delay. Mountains would seem an impertinence from that point of view.

To this I say - Amen !!

People Trust This Guy - WHY ???

It's kind of like shooting fish in a barrel, but I recently came across a book of Bush-isms that has left me shaking my head ...

I'm not sure if I'm distressed because this man is the most powerful man on the planet, or because there are people who continue to believe he and his cronies (like the now departed DR) are intelligent men doing a good job ...

Either way, these quotations should convince thinking people that President Bush is not the sharpest shovel in the shed ...

One of the great things about books is that sometimes there are fantastic pictures.
- January 3rd 2000

If you're sick and tired of the politics of cynicism and polls and principles, come and join this campaign.
- February 16th 2000

It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it.
- May 5th 2000

Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness.
- August 30 2000

Does the man listen to himself?
Does he not get it ??
I guess the upside is that this past week our American cousins began to get it ... we can always hope anyway ...

God bless America - and everyone else too !!!

Dare We Listen ???

There is nothing but a lack
of social vision to prevent
us from paying an adequate
waged to every American
citizen whether he (she) be
a hospital worker,
laundry worker, maid, or
day labourer ...

- Martin Luther King Jr.
Where Do We Go From Here