http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/This blog fills three important needs: Let everybody know that I am still alive. Help me remember what I did today, or 40 years ago, Make me rich and world famous.en-CAMokoFeed10http://www.Dave-Halpenny.Blog.cahttp://data6.blog.de/media/087/4257087_0470e0a2bc_sq.jpegSubscribe with PlusmoSubscribe with The Free DictionarySubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with NewsAlloySubscribe with Live.comSubscribe with Excite MIXSubscribe with Yourminis.comSubscribe with Attensa for OutlookSubscribe with WebwagSubscribe with netomat HubSubscribe with Podcast ReadySubscribe with FlurrySubscribe with WikioSubscribe with Daily Rotationhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/24/grooming-run-9235065/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-24:/2010/08/24/grooming-run-9235065/Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:33:41 +0200<p>Last Friday, Frobisher went to town for an appointment with his groomer.  I am sure you all remember the story on why he is not groomed in Perth.  <a href="http://dave-halpenny.blog.ca/2009/07/8/">They had their chance.</a> We let the groomer keep all the sand Frobisher brought in, but they refused to give us any money off for it.</p> <p> This wasn't the only reason for our trip into town.  We got groomed too.  While we were waiting for a free chair, Debbie went through their books to find her next hair style.  I got to make the final choice.  I choose the style that is on the cover of the book.  So now Debbie looks like a cover girl.  It is my turn for a younger girlfriend.</p> <p> There is even more to this story.  At the end of July, Debbie and I both ordered a package to be delivered at our house.  It usually takes about a week to arrive.  A week later we went to town looking for it.  I was worried that the packages would be sitting on the porch getting soaked.  My worries were unfounded.  My next worry was that someone rescued them and put them in a safe dry place.  The worrying part was that it might not be returned during our short stay.  A phone call to the company allayed that fear.  The package has just left their place and should arrive in a week.</p> <p> The next weekend we were in and our of town a few times.  My package was there waiting for me.  Sometimes Debbie's box is a day behind.  Not this time.  They told me they should be ready to send it Monday.</p> <p> I learned more about their tracking system.  The company has two states, sent and not sent.  However, that funny code on the sent screen is the UPS tracking number.  Now I know how to monitor it as it gets closer.  I can drive home from Perth a lot quicker than it takes the delivery truck to cross Orleans.</p> <p>I also learned not to assume the two orders would travel together.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/24/grooming-run-9235065/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=3CpgpMbpZS8:G32O7bOq--U:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=3CpgpMbpZS8:G32O7bOq--U:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=3CpgpMbpZS8:G32O7bOq--U:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/3CpgpMbpZS8" height="1" width="1"/>groominghttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/24/grooming-run-9235065/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/18/chip-waggon-chips-9199283/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-18:/2010/08/18/chip-waggon-chips-9199283/Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:16:33 +0200<p>On the way to the trailer, Debbie decided she needed chip waggon chips.  This was my fault.  I got up late and had a few chores to do at home.  Then we went on our dog walk in the still undisturbed area behind our house.  I thought we could have lunch before we left, but I was wrong.</p> <p> We happen to have snacks in the truck just for times like this.  However, we have only had chips once this summer, and deserve it.  The decision was made before we left the Greater Ottawa area.  The closest chip waggons were in Almonte.  There are at least three in that town.  We came across Hot Potatoes first, so they got our business.</p> <p> They had a decent menu, but my instructions were clear.  Small chips with gravy.  When I brought it back to the truck, I was told that they were cold.  Debbie took hers back and they whipped up a fresh batch.  It was cold too.  They were hot enough when she got down to the bottom where the gravy was, but the experience was already ruined.</p> <p> I put Debs sweet mustard on mine.  I have already had chips this year and I had a chance to disguise it, so why not. </p> <p> We had visited a chip waggon in Downtown Almonte before with no complaints.  No complaints from the customers anyways.  The owner was complaining about how hard it is to keep two trucks running.  You can't get good help these days.  This third waggon must have been staffed by the rejects from the chip waggon tycoon.</p> <p> After the fact, we remembered the chip waggon in Lanark, and the one in Balderson.  If only we had waited.</p> <p> We got here in time to listen to the news.  J.J. Clarke's assignment this week is to find the best chip waggon chips in the region.   If only we had waited a week.</p> <p> Once J.J. reads my blog, he will save some time by skipping Hot Potatoes.  And Friday we will learn where to go next year.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/18/chip-waggon-chips-9199283/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=eGtgfsWdXO0:74wYoX0rkFw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=eGtgfsWdXO0:74wYoX0rkFw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=eGtgfsWdXO0:74wYoX0rkFw:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/eGtgfsWdXO0" height="1" width="1"/>hot-potatoeschip-waggon-chipshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/18/chip-waggon-chips-9199283/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/17/sunday-we-had-a-same-day-return-gig-we-picked-9192438/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-17:/2010/08/17/sunday-we-had-a-same-day-return-gig-we-picked-9192438/Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:05:09 +0200<p>Sunday, we had a Same Day Return gig.  We picked up our company in the morning and returned them to Ottawa in the evening.</p> <p> Somehow, a big supper got included in this package.  It included dining with some of the locals.  A menu was worked up.  Tasks were assigned.  The worrying started.</p> <p> We had already bought some food last week, but Saturday I was told we needed more.  Although the trailer is full of food, the lunch menu was not planned.  Not everybody wants to eat our health food, you know.</p> <p> My sister visited us for the long weekend.  She had to eat our rabbit food for three days, and she was too polite to complain.  I tried to gently remind Debbie of this, but I don't dare suggest my family deserves the same level of service as her friend.  I was able to talk her out of a lot of extras.</p> <p> I had to clean up my barbecue and bring it to the trailer.  We already have a small one there, just right for the two of us, and that's the way I like it.  There are lots of big barbecues around the park that could be borrowed, but it is not ours.  When you are trying to impress friends, this is important.  I even had to clean and bring a bigger table.  I am told they won't be coming home.</p> <p> We left Ottawa in a downpour.  There was another downpour while we were setting up the BBQ and table.  Debbie was separated from her friend by the rain for what seemed to her like forever.</p> <p> We skipped the swimming events.  That allowed more time for socializing.</p> <p> We also skipped lunch.  We had lots of fruits and Debbie was able to pick up some snacks.  It wasn't until Monday that Debbie noticed that she missed lunch.</p> <p> Our sous-chef had decided that she didn't have to prepare all the food Debbie gave her.  That minimized leftovers and gave us more room on the table.  Debbie &  I were the only ones that noticed.  Everybody else were too polite to say anything.</p> <p> After supper we had a few games of Left, Right, Centre.  Debbie's friend lost her seat in the truck back to Ottawa.  Lucky for her, Debbie intervened and  overruled the roll of the dice.</p> <p> We got home many minutes before midnight.  Otherwise we would have had to charge the multi-day rate.  That would not have been fair.  Some of them had to get up early Monday morning and go to work.</p> <p> Now my sister is going to be jealous.  She hardly got any blog space for her three day package.  I have work to do.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/17/sunday-we-had-a-same-day-return-gig-we-picked-9192438/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=BOjJSw9FBgw:hzuzdk6lUPk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=BOjJSw9FBgw:hzuzdk6lUPk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=BOjJSw9FBgw:hzuzdk6lUPk:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/BOjJSw9FBgw" height="1" width="1"/>trailertay-riverhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/17/sunday-we-had-a-same-day-return-gig-we-picked-9192438/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/16/saturday-the-fourteenth-9190922/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-16:/2010/08/16/saturday-the-fourteenth-9190922/Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:50:51 +0200<p>After a month or so of neglect, we finally mowed our back field.  We also trimmed the tree.</p> <p> The tree out back is a weed tree.  We planted it when it was just a few inches high.  Now it covers most of our back yard.  When it was smaller we would trim it more aggressively.  The last big trim was the ice storm.   We are getting concerned about it's size and structure.  Now whenever we hear about trees falling down in Ottawa, Debbie always thinks it is ours.  It is not on our property so we can't legally take it down, but we still give it a trim every year.  This year was supposed to be it's last, so we waited until Saturday to trim it.</p> <p> I was looking forward to having it cut down.  Debbie would have liked that too, except if it is a part of a construction project.  It would give us a lot more sunlight, but Debbie has to play the devil's advocate.  She wants to believe the buildings will block more sun than the trees.  Hopefully, this will be a theoretical debate for a long time.</p> <p> It wasn't a huge job.  Only about ten garden waste bags, plus a few branches big enough to take to the trailer and burn.  We can now see the field, Debbie's path, and the bike path.  Next project may be to trim the cotton esters.</p> <p> The timing of this project was good symbolically, but it was bad for me.  We had other things to do that day that had higher priority.  We managed to get everything done, so alls well that ends well.</p> <p> The only fly in the ointment:  I gave Debbie our last New Zealand beer.  She thought that it tasted like more, so we went out to the LCBO.  They don't carry Steinlarger. Time to check those air mile points.  We have a long way to go for a beer.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/16/saturday-the-fourteenth-9190922/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=ijWHR0J5cNQ:G3pgmvcX524:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=ijWHR0J5cNQ:G3pgmvcX524:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=ijWHR0J5cNQ:G3pgmvcX524:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/ijWHR0J5cNQ" height="1" width="1"/>manitoba-maplesteinlargerhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/16/saturday-the-fourteenth-9190922/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/14/friday-the-thirteenth-9177830/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-14:/2010/08/14/friday-the-thirteenth-9177830/Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:25:20 +0200<p>Today was a lucky day for me and my fellow NIMBYs.</p> <p> Many of you know that there was a construction project planned for our back yard.  We were going to get three apartment buildings full of senior citizens.  Since the project was Shovel Ready, it qualified for some of that Federal Stimulus money.  Since it was Shovel Ready, the shovel would have to be in the ground by Friday the thirteenth.</p> <p> I went out back around sundown, and there were no shovels in the field.  All my neighbours had their shovels under lock and key, just as an extra precaution.  I am tempted to stick my shovel in the ground Saturday morning, but I have seen enough movies to know that if I did that, things could horribly wrong. </p> <p> We have won a battle, but who knows what is next.  Breuyere could moan and groan and get an extension on the funding.  Failing that, they could run the numbers again and discover that their plan is really feasible without the extra money.  Or they could sell the land to the highest bidder,  But for now, we will enjoy the moment and savour our victory.  Let me check the beer fridge.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/14/friday-the-thirteenth-9177830/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=awwafMwpdtQ:fqCbjw_xwNA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=awwafMwpdtQ:fqCbjw_xwNA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=awwafMwpdtQ:fqCbjw_xwNA:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/awwafMwpdtQ" height="1" width="1"/>friday-the-thirteenthbreuyerenimbyhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/14/friday-the-thirteenth-9177830/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/12/the-trailer-park-shuffle-9167454/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-12:/2010/08/12/the-trailer-park-shuffle-9167454/Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:23:48 +0200<p>The dance has started early this year.  About three weeks ago our neighbour from across the street was talking to one of the park's senior residents.  This is the old guy's last year at the park.  He is selling his trailer and getting an apartment in town.  My neighbour said that he is thinking of packing it in this year too,</p> <p> My neighbour was away for a week.  When he came back, the park owner came over for a visit.  Hans noticed that the grass was finally cut, and he wanted to know when they were leaving.  There is a line up for his spot.  My neighbour thought he heard something about slamming the door on the way out, but I think he is embellishing the story a bit.  There is no door on the park.</p> <p> My neighbour put his trailer up for sale, hoping to have it sold by the end of the season.  It sold in a week.  Obviously, he wasn't asking enough.</p> <p> The plan is to move out the sold trailer and move the deck to another trailer a few rows over.  Then his next door neighbour moves over one spot, bringing his deck with him.  Another trailer across the street and down a bit will move into the empty spot.  At least their deck is smaller than their trailer.  Last Monday, Hans was showing off the soon-to-be-vacant lot to newbies.</p> <p> There is a social aspect to this.  People pitching in to help.  Debbie thinks I should be on the Deck Relocation Team.  She will be on the butt-crack evaluating team.</p> <p> We were out of the park for two days this week.  When we came back today, the lot across the street was vacated.  I missed that work party, but I am sure the deck has not been set up at its new location.</p> <p> I will have to attend the staff meeting tomorrow to see what the schedule is.  They try to avoid moving on the weekend if possible.  If they want to move it before next week, I will be busy.  Darn.</p> <p> August is probably a good time to do this.  August weather is better than July, and almost as good as October.  But October it is hard to get a work party together.  Everybody is closing up or gone.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/12/the-trailer-park-shuffle-9167454/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=foRtFu3svrM:aHP4NHHDfes:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=foRtFu3svrM:aHP4NHHDfes:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=foRtFu3svrM:aHP4NHHDfes:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/foRtFu3svrM" height="1" width="1"/>trailer-park-shufflehttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/12/the-trailer-park-shuffle-9167454/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/10/our-lawn-boy-9160248/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-10:/2010/08/10/our-lawn-boy-9160248/Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:15:59 +0200<p>Our Orleans <a href="http://dave-halpenny.blog.ca/tags/lawn-boy/">lawn boy</a> has returned.  He has replaced a layer of gravel with some top soil.  He has even squared the hole, almost as if he was planning to put something square on top.  I hope it will be green.</p> <p> I still haven't payed him for the last job.  That must be the cause of the breathtaking speed of the work.  Now I don't think I will pay him even when he is finished.  I will have to moan and groan about how long it took and how bad it made my lawn look all summer.  Maybe I should ask him to pay for degrading the curb appeal of my house.  This is the burbs after all.</p> <p></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/10/our-lawn-boy-9160248/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MA1lXyl5GJ0:OgeHkI8zoAU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MA1lXyl5GJ0:OgeHkI8zoAU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MA1lXyl5GJ0:OgeHkI8zoAU:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/MA1lXyl5GJ0" height="1" width="1"/>lawn-boyhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/10/our-lawn-boy-9160248/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/10/we-burst-a-pipe-9156035/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-10:/2010/08/10/we-burst-a-pipe-9156035/Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:41:10 +0200<p>Saturday night we had a blog-worthy incident.  I was woken up in the middle of the night by a sudden noise.  It sounded like water running.  My first thought was the toilet, but I was wrong.  I noticed the furnace had just come on, so that must be the explanation.  Its amazing what a few beer does for you when you wake up in the middle of the night.</p> <p> After a while I noticed the furnace went off, but the noise continued.  Obviously it was the fan.  It runs for a while after the furnace stops.  But it didn't stop.  Merde!   I don't know how to fix the furnace.  If I drag the trailer back to the shop, we loose it for at least a week.  If I have someone come and check it out, they will charge travel time.</p> <p> Meanwhile, Debbie woke up.  She swallowed my explanation for a while, but for some reason she decided to check it out herself.  She went out back and found the water running.  Most trailers have a shower out back, but ours has a hose.  It was running, so she turned it off.</p> <p> This did not make sense at 5:00AM.  It didn't make sense at 10:00 AM either.  The hose was last used two days ago and it was shut up in its compartment ever since.  Debbie always turns it off at the tap.  So someone must have come around in the middle of the night and deliberately turned it on.  That didn't make a lot of sense either, but it may have made sense to someone else after a case or two of beer.</p> <p> Sunday was a rain day, so I didn't take a closer look until Monday.  I was going to show Debbie what they had to do to keep the hose on without squeezing the nozzle.  That's when we noticed the leak was from the middle of the hose, not the end.  So if someone were to leave the hose on, and a few days later it started to leak...</p> <p>That doesn't make sense either.  We had already established that someone else had deliberately done this.</p> <p> This hose has a strange connection.  I don't happen to have a wrench big enough to get it off, so I will have to bring an adjustable wrench to fix it.  For now I will just add it to the Honey-Do list.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/10/we-burst-a-pipe-9156035/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=F1prwutslhw:qKs7F-QZHpc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=F1prwutslhw:qKs7F-QZHpc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=F1prwutslhw:qKs7F-QZHpc:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/F1prwutslhw" height="1" width="1"/>plumbingtrailerhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/10/we-burst-a-pipe-9156035/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/05/eddie-and-the-stingrays-9115166/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-05:/2010/08/05/eddie-and-the-stingrays-9115166/Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:56:11 +0200<p>Last Sunday was <a href="http://www.eddyandthestingrays.com/">their</a> thirtieth anniversary, and the way they chose to celebrate it was to do a beach party for us.  Hundred(s) of adoring fans listening to every word out of their mouths.</p> <p> They were here <a href="http://dave-halpenny.blog.ca/2009/08/04/frobisher-goes-to-the-beach-party-6646614/">last year</a> too, so I heard all their songs already.  Come to think of it, even last year, the songs were old.  I don't think they have a song newer than the group.  That seems to be the point.</p> <p> The point seems to get out and have a fun evening.  Even Frobisher understands that.  He had his lei and a flower in his hair.  He was very sociable and wanted to talk to everybody.  He even danced a bit.  And like everybody else, he overdid it on the treats.  In fact, he got so many treats that when he went for his walk the next day, he actually turned one down.  That must be the doggie version of a hangover.</p> <p> Supper was included.  The only one in our group that appreciated and ate the whole thing was our weekend guest.  She had been eating our diet food all weekend, so she had to grab real food whenever she could get it.</p> <p> I was surprised at how late they went.  They kept on saying that this was the last song, but they would accept any feeble applause as an excuse for another encore.  We listened to the end of the show from our deck.</p> <p> They promised to come back next year.  Debbie didn't promise to be here for them.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/05/eddie-and-the-stingrays-9115166/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=8PlIHJjoTXA:HDOHYhDAZd4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=8PlIHJjoTXA:HDOHYhDAZd4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=8PlIHJjoTXA:HDOHYhDAZd4:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/8PlIHJjoTXA" height="1" width="1"/>eddie-and-the-stingraysfrobisherhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/05/eddie-and-the-stingrays-9115166/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/03/dave-does-downtown-9103897/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-08-03:/2010/08/03/dave-does-downtown-9103897/Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:19:41 +0200<p>I had another opportunity to go downtown last week.  Friday at four thirty in the afternoon, to be precise.  I didn't think I could get management approval, but I promised to use the parkway, and that would minimize the impact of rush hour.  The management philosophy was that the sooner we start, the sooner we would get to the trailer.</p> <p> We were busy Friday, so we left a few minutes later than planned.  I didn't think we had time to take the Eastern parkway downtown, so we took  the Queensway instead.  I was surprised how easy it was to get into town.  Even leaving town was easy.  We hit a bottleneck at the construction site at Carling, but that was all.</p> <p> On our way back to town, we had time to do the Western and Eastern parkways, and go through downtown again.</p> <p> Frobisher likes Downtown.  So many people to look at.  With a bit of luck, some will look back at him.  He even saw a horse drawn carriage.  Downtown is good.</p> <p> Today, we decided to do the parkways through downtown again.  Debbie usually likes the view, but spent most of the time reading.  Frobisher almost slept his way through downtown.  It was anticlimactic.  Even the construction site at Carling went smoothly.  That was Frobisher's highlight.  There was someone doing the red light panhandle thing, but I wouldn't open the window for a meet and greet.</p> <p> We used to do this a lot, except we would use the Alexandra and Portage bridges to bypass the worst of Downtown.  Since the Alexandra bridge is broken these days, we usually use the Queensway.  I thought this would be a refreshing change, but I may have been wrong.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/03/dave-does-downtown-9103897/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=0jzNqOOmbZk:OcDSTfCFaN8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=0jzNqOOmbZk:OcDSTfCFaN8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=0jzNqOOmbZk:OcDSTfCFaN8:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/0jzNqOOmbZk" height="1" width="1"/>downtownhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/08/03/dave-does-downtown-9103897/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/28/ms-doolittle-9055479/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-28:/2010/07/28/ms-doolittle-9055479/Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:56:35 +0200<p>One of the seasonal campers here is singlehandedly supporting the local wildlife population, even though she doesn't have as many bird feeders as she has had in past years.  Bird feeders can be limiting.  You can just put the seed on your deck, and the birds come closer.</p> <p> Her main entertainment is tossing out peanuts for the birds, squirrels and chipmunks.  She knows them all.  Many have names, and most have lineage that goes back years.  Some of the squirrels have even bunked in her trailer over the winter.  Most people would be upset about that, but not everybody.</p> <p> Her biggest customer is a family or two of raccoons.  They come every night, sometimes staying the whole night.  They don't mind company, and will eat out of your hand.</p> <p> This is thrilling for some, but not for everybody.  She now has a neighbour who's thrill is keeping her area clean and proper.  It takes a special type of person to sweep the grass and shrubbery.</p> <p> This can create friction.  Raccoons don't understand why it is OK to relieve themselves on one barbecue, but not on the one next door.  People don't understand that it is not good politics to laugh when others are cleaning their cooking equipment again.  Some may think of ways to help keep the area clean.</p> <p> There have been a few devices around to make the natural inhabitants uncomfortable, but those are discouraged.  However, there is a theoretical chain of command that we may respect and expect to work.  So now Ms Doolittle has been asked to tone it down by the benevolent dictator of the park.</p> <p> The official complaint is just bird feeder leftovers.  As one who has had the thrill of trying to keep the area around a bird feeder clean, I can understand the issues.  But as one who gets a thrill feeding the birds, it may take time for her to come to grips with the idea of sharing the space.</p> <p> Then there are some of us who like to say "told you so."</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/28/ms-doolittle-9055479/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MZ4DulMMldI:jfOtc_AnR2M:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MZ4DulMMldI:jfOtc_AnR2M:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MZ4DulMMldI:jfOtc_AnR2M:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/MZ4DulMMldI" height="1" width="1"/>dolittlehttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/28/ms-doolittle-9055479/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/25/we-re-number-two-9033891/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-25:/2010/07/25/we-re-number-two-9033891/Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:25:22 +0200<p>This morning I got up early to have breakfast with Santa Clause.  He didn't eat much, so he had to wait for the wife to finish eating before he could continue on with his appointed rounds.  It makes me wonder what she really does on Christmas Eve.  She can't let Santa slow down and eat all the treats that the kids leave for him.  He would never finish on time.  I think she is wolfing them down in order to help him stay on schedule.</p> <p> The kids had to sit through stories and carols before he got to the main event.  Presents.</p> <p> Many of them stayed around for the games, but it seems that the crowds were thinning out.  The only thing that brought them back was when the organizers were trying to figure creative and fair ways to give away away the extra toys.</p> <p> That's all nice fluff, but the the important story of the day is that Debbie came in second in the site decorating contest.  That was with her hardly trying.  Number two will try harder next year.</p> <p> Unfortunately, that wasn't good enough for the free pump out.</p> <p> I thought I should see if we could last another week without a pump out.  Today, the answer became obvious.  No.  However, I now have an accurate calculation of the number of person days our holding tank will hold.  Thirty two.  Useful information.</p> <p> Mr Pump Out was not going to work on Christmas, so I had to borrow a honey bucket from my Lawn Boy.  I promised to pay him back by having Debbie mow his lawn some time.  But first, I will have to borrow his lawn mower.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/25/we-re-number-two-9033891/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=btTDOqtkNE4:kJS7quJ1HSI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=btTDOqtkNE4:kJS7quJ1HSI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=btTDOqtkNE4:kJS7quJ1HSI:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/btTDOqtkNE4" height="1" width="1"/>honey-bucketpump-outtay-riverchristmas-in-julyhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/25/we-re-number-two-9033891/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/24/happy-birthday-to-frobisher-9029689/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-24:/2010/07/24/happy-birthday-to-frobisher-9029689/Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:51:17 +0200<p>Finally, a birthday worth celebrating.  Frobisher turned seven today.</p> <p>He got seven hugs and seven stomach rubs.  He didn't get his real wish, a seven mile walk.  He didn't even get seven walks.  Not even any cake and/or ice cream.  He had to go around the park and beg for treats.</p> <p>Since it is Friday, a lot of his friends came from miles around just to celebrate his birthday with him.  He likes weekends.</p> <p>And since it is Christmas Eve here, he got to help us decorate the site.</p> <p>The judges came around this evening.  We got extra points for having our Santa hats on.  Frobisher got us a few more for wearing his Christmas collar.  I tried to get extra points for the way the moon came out over the trailer.</p> <p>The judge got a lot of flack.  There weren't many sites decorated.  Most people thought the judging would be Saturday night, not Friday.  Something about having to "work".  I don't understand that, but there will probably be more decorations out Saturday.  That might make it harder for us to to win the grand prize, a pump out.</p> <p>Oh yeah.   He got a couple of birthday cards:  His favourite store remembered him:<a title="Frobisher" href="http://www.blog.ca/media/photo/frobisher_s_birthday_card/4826336"> <br><img src="http://data6.blog.de/media/336/4826336_c2d15c619c_s.jpeg" alt="Frobisher"></a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/24/happy-birthday-to-frobisher-9029689/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=ic1JEFfhByk:nObLSSPh2Rk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=ic1JEFfhByk:nObLSSPh2Rk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=ic1JEFfhByk:nObLSSPh2Rk:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/ic1JEFfhByk" height="1" width="1"/>happy-birthdayfrobisherhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/24/happy-birthday-to-frobisher-9029689/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/23/range-9024627/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-23:/2010/07/23/range-9024627/Fri, 23 Jul 2010 06:10:46 +0200<p>Lately I have been playing with the <em>Range</em> button on my truck.  It tells me how far I can go before I have to fill the tank.  So far, I just go to the first gas station I see after the fuel gauge moves into the red.  How primitive.  It looks like there should be a good one hundred kilometres of travelling in the red.</p> <p> I should have a few more trips to Perth left in the tank.  Today, I tried to use up one of them.  It didn't end up that way.</p> <p> About half way there, my range had extended by close to ten kilometres.  We must have been going downhill.  And the air conditioning was off.  We rolled into Perth with more fuel than when we left.  Unfortunately, when we left the truck in the parking lot, someone must have syphoned off about ten kilometres worth of diesel.  Perth used to be such a nice safe place.</p> <p> I expected to burn a lot more fuel on the way back, since it must be uphill all the way.  The range went up and down a bit.  When we got back to the park, we had as much diesel as when we left.</p> <p> For my first stop, I parked it on a hill.  That simple action seemed to have given me fifteen free kilometres.  I might have a perpetual motion machine.</p> <p> Either that, or maybe I shouldn't watch that number reach zero.  I have to see what kind of warning system the truck has as the tank empties.  Knowing that I can always get a bit more diesel just by driving into town, or parking on a hill, I feel comfortable testing this feature.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/23/range-9024627/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=GRTl3cQI2Ek:TNKZqRTj0-E:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=GRTl3cQI2Ek:TNKZqRTj0-E:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=GRTl3cQI2Ek:TNKZqRTj0-E:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/GRTl3cQI2Ek" height="1" width="1"/>truckhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/23/range-9024627/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/22/theatrer-in-the-park-9017323/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-22:/2010/07/22/theatrer-in-the-park-9017323/Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:37:40 +0200<p>Tuesday we went back into town for an all-nighter.  Debbie was worried about hitting rush hour, and although we were cutting it close, I thought we would get through town un-scathed.</p> <p> Of course, that meant we got stuck behind traffic most of the way in, but we still should have been OK.  But we weren't.</p> <p> As we sat on the Queensway in stop-and-go traffic, Debbie learned about the accuracy of those radio reports.  I had flashbacks from a previous life.</p> <p> It turns out that it wasn't really rush hour traffic that caused the holdups.  It was the charred remains of a car, and a fire truck that blocked traffic and made everything grind to a stop in both directions.</p> <p> We got home about the time Debbie had requested.</p> <p> We went out in the evening.  When we went around a nearby corner, the street was lined with parked cars.  Somebody was having a party and forgot to invite me?  This went on for several blocks, including side streets.  When we got to the park, we saw the attraction.  There was a play going on in the park.</p> <p> I have seen the notices in previous years, but I haven't had my ear to the ground lately.  If I hadn't seen it, I would have never known it was going on. </p> <p> The thing that struck me was that it looked like we had more parked cars than audience for the show.  Was this drawing crowds from far away, or do all my neighbours take the car to the park, even if they have to park blocks away?</p> <p> Our outing was quick, but we didn't get back to watch the end of the show.</p> <p> Of course, the highlight of our trip was the opportunity for another two bridge dog walk.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/22/theatrer-in-the-park-9017323/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=No0eIex1_2U:Hrk-ZnjJpqU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=No0eIex1_2U:Hrk-ZnjJpqU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=No0eIex1_2U:Hrk-ZnjJpqU:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/No0eIex1_2U" height="1" width="1"/>theatre-in-the-parkhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/22/theatrer-in-the-park-9017323/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/17/perth-news-8990610/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-17:/2010/07/17/perth-news-8990610/Sat, 17 Jul 2010 05:20:50 +0200<p>I haven't heard this on the National news. or even the Ottawa news, so it is possible some of my readers haven't been following this story.  It has been on the Perth radio for the last two weeks.</p> <p> Two weeks ago a branch fell off a tree.</p> <p> The tree happened to be in Stewart park, in the heart of downtown Perth.  It was an old silver maple, so this is big news   </p> <p> An arborist was called in to investigate.  Core samples were taken and analyzed.  According to the arborist, the tree was too sick and had to be put down.  There was a second tree that was also dangerous, so it had to go.  There were a few more trees that had to be trimmed.</p> <p> There was a sense of urgency.  A big festival was scheduled in two weeks, so fast action was required to protect the public safety.  Imagine what would happen if people stayed home because they were afraid of that branch might fall on their head.  The festival could have one less person.</p> <p> On the other hand, what would happen if trees were chopped down willy-nilly?  Abandoning their tree replacement project could jeopardize the park's spot as one of Lanark County's Seven Wonders.  That may not sound like a big deal to you...</p> <p> Officials had to act quickly.  The tree was planned to be put down last Thursday.</p> <p> The procedure was a success.  The park was declared safe just one day before the big festival.</p> <p> I didn't hear any discussions about how this might affect the Ontario Tree Climbing Championship in Stewart Park in September.   Maybe now that the immediate crisis is over, we can look ahead.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/17/perth-news-8990610/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=K9z2wMlgO78:Y5FcOpRk2Ts:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=K9z2wMlgO78:Y5FcOpRk2Ts:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=K9z2wMlgO78:Y5FcOpRk2Ts:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/K9z2wMlgO78" height="1" width="1"/>silver-mapleperthstewart-parkhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/17/perth-news-8990610/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/16/retirement-lunch-for-reorgdd-a-k-a-reorgdb-8983797/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-16:/2010/07/16/retirement-lunch-for-reorgdd-a-k-a-reorgdb-8983797/Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:42:26 +0200<p>Today started with "You can't wear that.  You are going to a fancy restaurant.  They won't let you in."</p> <p> My plan was to go home and select something from my city wardrobe.  However, I overlooked an important detail.  There would be nobody there to approve my selection.  So after about five attempts, I came up with something out of my trailer wardrobe that passed inspection.  Except for the shoes.</p> <p> I went in via Carleton Place.  In spite of all the construction, it is still the shortest and quickest way into town.  The slowest part was getting through CP.</p> <p> When I got home, I had time to  <a href="http://dave-halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/08/deadheading-the-lilacs-8762004/">trim and deadhead the white lilac.</a> I had to cut back a major branch.  The wood was much harder than I expected, but that means it just took longer.  It could also mean that the clippers are getting dull.  It can't mean that my grip is getting weak.</p> <p> I also had time to spray the lane and back yard.  We have interlocking bricks and stones,  Left alone, the vegetation will grow up through the cracks.  It gives the abandoned airport look that everybody likes.  I don't like it, so I spray the surfaces to keep the weeds down.</p> <p> I missed the local bus, so I put on my city shoes and walked to the Queensway.  That was part of the original plan.  I walked faster than planned, so I actually ran and caught an earlier bus.  Damn health food!  I didn't have time to enjoy the construction site for the Jeanne D'arc transit station north.</p> <p> On the way, I passed the fire station.  There was the remains of one of those telephone switching posts.  All that was left was an orange garbage bag covering it.  You could also see hundreds of wires, all severed.  I hope there were no fires in Orleans today.</p> <p> This is the first time I saw the newly re-constructed station at St. Laurant .  Last time I was through, it was still under construction.</p> <p> I got past the downtown construction zones with plenty of time, so I took a leisurely stroll across the bridge, and walked through the office complex to cool down.</p> <p> On the way back, I walked across the Chaudiere Bridge.  It is still under construction again.  When I got to the transit way, my bus was ready.</p> <p> I was hoping to connect with my local bus, but the timing was off.  Instead I got a closer look at the Jeanne D'arc south transit station construction.  They had lots of pathways for the commuters to go different directions.  I didn't find one going where I wanted to go, so I had to go across the street and go the long way around.</p> <p> When I got home, I started on my Honey-Do list.  It didn't take long, but by the time I checked in, it was rush hour.  I got an extension for a couple of hours.  I got to walk down the the corner to get a stamp and mail a letter.  Actually, it was medical receipts that had been piling up. </p> <p> I even had time for a glass or two of my neighbours home made wine.</p> <p> The radio in the house told me that there was only a little slowdown on the westbound Queensway, so I announced my departure.  The truck radio talked about slowdowns for miles.  The truck was right.  Oh well.</p> <p> I went through Almonte to Middleville.  Then I took the Hopetown bypass by going through Herrons Mills, just for variety.  For more variety, I also went down Fallbrook road instead of going through Balderson.  I planned on taking a few dirt roads for the rest of the way, but I forgot.</p> <p> When I got home, Frobisher wanted a family walk.  Debbie didn't have any pockets so she handed me a poop bag.  I now have three in my pocket.</p> <p> I forgot to mention lunch.  It was a retirement lunch from one of my former co-workers.  I got to sit on Retirement Row with all the other retirees.  Let the working stiffs sit front and centre.  I had a big bowl with some fancy penne arrabiata. Plus a few beers. It was noisy there so I didn't hear much of the speeches, but that's OK.  It was not about me.  It was about ReorgDD and recognizing his big milestone.</p> <p> The reason Debbie didn't come?  She doesn't like the restaurant.  Any excuse.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/16/retirement-lunch-for-reorgdd-a-k-a-reorgdb-8983797/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=GZtl2aYevcc:0SABJ7pyRA0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=GZtl2aYevcc:0SABJ7pyRA0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=GZtl2aYevcc:0SABJ7pyRA0:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/GZtl2aYevcc" height="1" width="1"/>retirementlunchhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/16/retirement-lunch-for-reorgdd-a-k-a-reorgdb-8983797/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/14/birthday-season-continues-8970330/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-14:/2010/07/14/birthday-season-continues-8970330/Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:56:30 +0200<p>Birthdays just keep on coming.  Another niece declared she was spending her birthday at the trailer.  The big event was Saturday.</p> <p> There was much rejoicing.  Throngs came from miles away to spend the day with her spending the day at the trailer.  There were presents, cake, and ice cream.  That was nice, but the real drawing card was the Birthday Girl's daughter.  The best present was letting the girl spend time with her Great Grandmother.  That's a present that a lot of people enjoyed.  I suppose I should maintain the joy by constantly remembering the fact that there is a Great Grandmother in our midst.</p> <p> Frobisher had to compete all day long for the spot as the cutest family member.  I think he lost.  His material is getting kind of old.</p> <p> Debbie was worried about not having enough stuff to feed all these extra people.  Everybody else was worried about where to keep all the extra food and what to do with the leftovers.  I am trying to teach her that she doesn't have to out-perform everybody on the buying stuff front.  It's a tough job, but it has to be done.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/14/birthday-season-continues-8970330/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=p2LJ6oLIXl4:dZXhE3gZrvw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=p2LJ6oLIXl4:dZXhE3gZrvw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=p2LJ6oLIXl4:dZXhE3gZrvw:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/p2LJ6oLIXl4" height="1" width="1"/>birthdayhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/14/birthday-season-continues-8970330/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/14/construction-season-continues-8969997/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-14:/2010/07/14/construction-season-continues-8969997/Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:19:56 +0200<p>Today, we took a quick run into Ottawa.  In order to avoid the construction that slowed us down last week, we took Ferguson's Falls road to the Upper Perth Road.  One of the features of this route is that it is five minutes faster.  The downside is that it misses one of Debbie's favourite views.</p> <p> There was only one construction site.  It started well.  It was fresh pavement.  Then we met up with the first obstacle, a big shovel in the middle of the road scooping out the ditch.  We didn't see a flagman, so we waited until the shovel swung around to give us room to squeeze by.  The flagman was on the other side of the equipment.  And yes, he did have the yellow side of the sign pointed at us.</p> <p> A few miles up, there was a second shovel scooping out the ditches.  This one was on one side the side of the road, and the flagman was visible.  Again the sign was yellow.  I really wanted to stop, but the car in front of me went through and the flagman was vigorously waving me through.  So I drove under the arm of the shovel, instead of waiting for it to swing out of the way.  That was a new and exciting experience.</p> <p> On the way back, there seemed to be less room under the arm of the shovel, but that's what the construction  crew wanted.  There was another bigger truck coming from the other direction.  The shovel moved out of the way to let it past. I need a bigger truck.</p> <p> I was worried about rush hour traffic.  Things moved pretty good most of the way.  The only place where traffic actually came to a stop was at the Carp Road exit.  Everybody wants to visit a dump.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/14/construction-season-continues-8969997/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=xrwKTSAx9F8:sEpBE13YCmU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=xrwKTSAx9F8:sEpBE13YCmU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=xrwKTSAx9F8:sEpBE13YCmU:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/xrwKTSAx9F8" height="1" width="1"/>construction-seasonhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/14/construction-season-continues-8969997/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/10/rush-hour-traffic-8946215/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-10:/2010/07/10/rush-hour-traffic-8946215/Sat, 10 Jul 2010 03:57:55 +0200<p>Today, we wanted to get out of town before the evening rush hour.  We cut it a bit close.  We didn't have any real slowdowns until Kanata, and even that was fairly un-blog-worthy.  Everything was fine after that until we hit the suburbs of Middleville.</p> <p> As soon as we entered a construction zone, we rounded a corner and came to a full stop.  In front of us was a dump truck with its four way flashers on, and another small car.  We couldn't see a driver in the car.  Beside the truck we saw the sign warning us about a flagmen.  We sat there for several minutes wondering why the truck was so far back from the flagman, and if there was a head behind the steering wheel of the car ahead of us.  Then the oncoming traffic finally showed up.  It was a few more minutes before the truck turned off its flashers and the line moved.  That's when we noticed that there was a much bigger truck at the head of the line, and another five cars in front of the dump truck.  The worst rush hour traffic of our trip was in Middleville.</p> <p> There is another construction project on our route.  All year they have been repairing one of the bridges across the mighty Clyde river.  There are no flagman there.  They have traffic lights.  The northbound traffic gets one minute.  Then it takes a minute to clear the bridge before the southbound traffic can have their one minute.  There is a sign warning that the red light is three minutes long.</p> <p> About a month ago, we came down the hill to the lights.  Ahead of us was a big truck followed by a SUV.  Of course, the SUV driver was inspecting the bumper stickers on the truck, so he had no idea of what was going on.  All he knew was that the truck in front of him stopped.  After waiting a bit, he just pulled out and passed.  Luck was on his side.  He whizzed through the construction zone, totally oblivious to what was going on.</p> <p> One advantage of being retired is that you aren't rushed into doing stupid things like that.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/10/rush-hour-traffic-8946215/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MWo3bHm6I4Q:4DybKLet0yc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MWo3bHm6I4Q:4DybKLet0yc:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=MWo3bHm6I4Q:4DybKLet0yc:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/MWo3bHm6I4Q" height="1" width="1"/>rush-hour-traffichttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/10/rush-hour-traffic-8946215/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/08/browns-beach-expedition-8935171/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-08:/2010/07/08/browns-beach-expedition-8935171/Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:53:52 +0200<p>We usually take a day trip to Browns Beach every year.  This tradition started several years ago, before air conditioning was invented in our trailers.  When the place got too hot, we would pile into an air conditioned car or truck and go somewhere.  Since the Mother-in-Law likes the Seaway, we had to head in that direction every so often.  Browns Beach is one of the closest Seaway beachs from the trailer.</p> <p> This week, we got the hot weather, so Debbie tried to organize an outing.  She wanted to do this sooner rather than later.  There were seven people signed up.  When we rounded up the tour we had a few drop-outs.  The Mother-in-law was content to sit in her trailer and enjoy the air conditioning.  She couldn't be blasted out.  Another couple said "Two hours there, two hours back?  Life is too short.".  So we left with a very pissed off wife.  She was doing this for her mother, not for the rest of the riff-raff.</p> <p> Once we got on the road, we decided we didn't have to go that far.  We really just wanted a beach.  We went as far as Westport.  There are two beaches around there.  One that allows dogs, and the other one.  It is a good thing we didn't bring the MIL along.  The beach was four hundred meters from the parking lot.  And it was four hundred meters back.  So there was something for those who like to swim, and a little something for those who like to hike.  Nobody wanted to take any of the other paths.</p> <p> The summer is still young.  Any time now, the MIL will start telling people she would like to go to Browns Beach again.  Debbie will probably point out all the beaches that are closer, but that is the wrong answer.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/08/browns-beach-expedition-8935171/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=DyfvMz9fQdo:HmfrLDhK3aE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=DyfvMz9fQdo:HmfrLDhK3aE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=DyfvMz9fQdo:HmfrLDhK3aE:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/DyfvMz9fQdo" height="1" width="1"/>tay-riverbrowns-beachhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/08/browns-beach-expedition-8935171/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/05/zorbing-at-tayshore-8914531/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-05:/2010/07/05/zorbing-at-tayshore-8914531/Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:27:06 +0200<p>Yesterday, I found some neighbours playing with a Zorb.  It was a kid size ball about five feet across, made up of many smaller inflatable bubbles with a couple of panels to get in and out.  There was enough room inside for one pint sized child.</p> <p> There is a hill nearby, but none of them got the idea of rolling it down the hill.  I don't think it would have picked up a lot of speed, although it could have got a bit intense for kids of that age.  There really wasn't much room inside.</p> <p> This morning, the sphere had lost some of it's shape.  Of a matter of fact, all day long it has become flatter and flatter.  But it didn't  lose its play value.   And by the time they left. I am sure it didn't take as much trunk space as it did on the way up.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/05/zorbing-at-tayshore-8914531/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=jtP_YboxW4Y:fkh1Uu-vE98:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=jtP_YboxW4Y:fkh1Uu-vE98:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=jtP_YboxW4Y:fkh1Uu-vE98:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/jtP_YboxW4Y" height="1" width="1"/>zorbtrailertay-riverzorbinghttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/05/zorbing-at-tayshore-8914531/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/02/canada-day-8900019/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-07-02:/2010/07/02/canada-day-8900019/Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:38:29 +0200<p>This has been a quiet Canada Day at the trailer.  No parade.  No floats, or marching bands.  Maybe a few clowns, or a Queen or two, but definitely nothing like previous years.  The big event was a pot luck supper.  I had to wear my Canada Day tee shirt over my sweat shirt..</p> <p> For some strange reason there was not one single tent down by the river.  Most of the rain had soaked down below the grass tops.  There were only a few new trailers in the overnight section.  Maybe more will show up for the real weekend.</p> <p> The cool weather was good for deck building.  A couple of new decks popped up today.  I have been told about a trailer levelling project this weekend.  I am not sure why that tidbit of information was supposed to be interesting to me.  I don't like watching things like that.  Maybe I am supposed to take pictures?  I will charge up the camara, just in case.</p> <p> Frobisher had a bad day.  Twice he walked past a couple of treats trailers, and he didn't get a single treat.  Yesterday, he got seven treats from two people, and it wasn't even a holiday.</p> <p> He has a summer project.  There are two cats that he wants to bond with, or at least to sniff.  He can already keep them on the same deck for minutes at a time, and neither of them have beat him up yet.  The summer is still young.</p> <p>My summer project is to get a tan on my back and chest.  Several times this week I took off my shirt for a few minutes.  It will probably be to hot to go out in the sun this weekend, but if I want to get the job done, I will have to do the work.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/02/canada-day-8900019/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=76-nnx74q3U:I6glSCK9s54:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=76-nnx74q3U:I6glSCK9s54:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=76-nnx74q3U:I6glSCK9s54:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/76-nnx74q3U" height="1" width="1"/>sun-tanfrobishercanada-dayhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/07/02/canada-day-8900019/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/29/highlight-of-the-week-8882677/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-06-29:/2010/06/29/highlight-of-the-week-8882677/Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:22:42 +0200<p>Last week I described the lengths I went to to cross Orleans to my niece's graduation.  Not all my kinfolk expect such heroic efforts from me.  Of a mater of fact, I have another niece who just travelled halfway around the planet just to see me.</p> <p> I can't count the number of times she has graduated.  I missed most of them.  But we both got past that.  The point is that she is now working in South Africa, and instead of going to the world cup, she choose to come to see me.</p> <p> As it happens, she did also visit with her parents, her sister, all the rest of her kinfolk and about 294 other friends.  In their minds, they might think she came all this way just to see them.  I don't know.  I am not privy to that information.  In this blog, all those other people are secondary to her primary goal of visiting me.</p> <p> Just to show how much I appreciated the effort, we went over to her parent's house and spent the evening.  She didn't want us to go to all the trouble of cleaning our own house to make it company-ready.  Much appreciated.</p> <p> So she has now had the highlight of her trip.  For her it is all downhill now until she goes back home.  </p> <p> And the rest of my week is now going downhill.  Off to the trailer with the in-laws.  No worries, the weather is going to turn good, in this blog if nowhere else.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/29/highlight-of-the-week-8882677/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=Nll89tNS_nM:fTo5_Cj1UYo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=Nll89tNS_nM:fTo5_Cj1UYo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=Nll89tNS_nM:fTo5_Cj1UYo:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/Nll89tNS_nM" height="1" width="1"/>travelgraduationhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/29/highlight-of-the-week-8882677/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/28/nicholas-has-left-the-building-8876377/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-06-28:/2010/06/28/nicholas-has-left-the-building-8876377/Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:53:34 +0200<p>Today was the last day with Nicholas at the piano.  It was a sad event, but everybody tells us change is good.  I hear that our administration is actively hoping a replacement will be found.</p> <p> I thought the last hymn was appropriate.  Nicholas was our Director/Pianist for a while, and the first day of that job was the first time we did this hymn.  At the last minute he decided how he wanted it done.  Since it is new, everybody sings the tune for verse one.  For verse two, everybody except the sopranos introduce the alto line.  For verse three, all the guys sing tenor.  Verse four, everybody sings their own parts.  Uh... that means I have to sing everybody's line.  Is that a problem?  Of course not. </p> <p> There were also a few baptisms today, so there were many visitors.  I should have remembered this before I went ahead with my Tie on a Tee Shirt.  I was surprised Debbie would let me wear it, but she did.  The visiting Grandma may not have approved, but she probably couldn't see that far anyways.</p> <p> I am sure Nicholas will be OK.  These days, most of our soldiers come home alive, with all their piano fingers intact.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/28/nicholas-has-left-the-building-8876377/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=K9d9B5hZqm4:mfP42jpSPlw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=K9d9B5hZqm4:mfP42jpSPlw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=K9d9B5hZqm4:mfP42jpSPlw:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/K9d9B5hZqm4" height="1" width="1"/>choirhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/28/nicholas-has-left-the-building-8876377/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/27/dog-walk-report-8869524/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-06-26:/2010/06/27/dog-walk-report-8869524/Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:25:52 +0200<p>Lately, the walks around home have been sub-standard.  The best Frobisher was getting was the two bridge walk.  Often, he didn't get that much.</p> <p> Friday, he decided it was time for action.  When I turned right to loop back home, he turned left.  That is not uncommon.  The longer he dawdles,  the more he has to run to catch up.  But this time he had a plan.  It took a lot of effort, but he was able to squeeze out a little poop.  Now Alpha had to turn left to pick it up.  He was quite excited about getting me around the corner and pointed out various options that were now available.  Why not.  The weather was good and I could make the time.</p> <p> The reason we stay on the straight and narrow is because of the wet and mosquitoes.  I already had a bite or two on the high and dry paths, but we pressed on.  After we got past a half dozen puddles, the path actually looked good.  Of course it dead ended in the swamp, but that was exciting too.</p> <p> Since it was a dead end, on the way back I had to find a different path out.  It was one that I had previously rejected.  I didn't get my shoes too wet.  And I slayed many mosquitoes.</p> <p> When we got back to civilization, Frobisher was a muddy mess.  Since he is now a water dog, I could just point to the creek and he went in and rinsed himself off.</p> <p> Then he explained to me that the loop we took was not a replacement for the two bridge loop, but in addition to it.  So we continued on.  After we crossed the second bridge, he tried the poop trick again.  It didn't work.</p> <p> Strangely enough, he tried it again today.  I am now thinking that there must be something different in the new bag of dog food.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/27/dog-walk-report-8869524/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=duYowxbGNJQ:pZmFAZco3CE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=duYowxbGNJQ:pZmFAZco3CE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=duYowxbGNJQ:pZmFAZco3CE:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/duYowxbGNJQ" height="1" width="1"/>frobisherdog-walkhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/27/dog-walk-report-8869524/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/26/graduation-day-8866153/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-06-26:/2010/06/26/graduation-day-8866153/Sat, 26 Jun 2010 06:21:35 +0200<p>Friday, my youngest niece graduated from high school.  It was a big event in in-law-land, and I must confess, it had a big impact on me too.</p> <p> Wednesday, the event started when we left a crumbling city to venture into a tornado zone to find some out-of-town dignitaries.  Thursday, we returned triumphantly.</p> <p> Friday, we got up early in the morning so we could go to the ceremony.  I got the thrill of taking pictures.  I am sure the proud parents would have loved me to tape the whole two hour program, but the school promised to post it on their website.  That means I only get to watch it once.</p> <p> We got to have lunch with the graduate and spend some quality time with her.  We even went out for supper.</p> <p> The biggest thing about supper was that someone picked up our bill.  That is a rare event, and it made Debbie very uncomfortable.  We ate like birds.  I did get her to splurge with a beer and some dessert.  After all, someone else is paying for it.  Oh... the graduate got to wear bull horns for a few seconds too.</p> <p> There's more.  We got to do another house call after supper to service those who were not as affected by the event as I was.  Then we had the thrill of delivering the graduate back to her house. </p> <p> The impact of this graduation is still ongoing.  Someone is going to have to shove those out-of-town dignitaries back out of town.  The best part is that I got to tell them that they have to work around my schedule, not vice-versa.  Debbie was actually considering a same day return run, but that would send the wrong message.  And guarantee that we could not complete all our scheduled activities.</p> <p> Who said retirement is easy!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/26/graduation-day-8866153/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=txfiU3OkWNA:N5-j1fkgsxI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=txfiU3OkWNA:N5-j1fkgsxI:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=txfiU3OkWNA:N5-j1fkgsxI:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/txfiU3OkWNA" height="1" width="1"/>daves-red-capgraduationhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/26/graduation-day-8866153/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/25/i-survived-the-great-quake-of-8860932/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-06-25:/2010/06/25/i-survived-the-great-quake-of-8860932/Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:02:01 +0200<p>Yesterday was out to lunch with some of my ex-co-workers.  The earthquake happened when I was driving through construction downtown.  As soon as the earthquake hit, I headed straight home to rescue the family.  That's where I heard about it.</p> <p> For Debbie, it sounded like an airplane was landing on the house.  Frobisher was guarding the front door, but he immediately ran downstairs to make sure Debbie was OK.  They both went back upstairs so they could feel more of the sway.  Only one thing fell off a table.</p> <p> After I got home, we quickly grabbed a few things and fled.  I thought we had a head start on the rest of the terrified victims, but lots of people left work early.  They clogged the roads and slowed down our scramble for survival.  Somehow we made it across town alive, and headed for a  safe place.</p> <p> The trailer park should be safe.  We were fleeing an earthquake, not a tornado.</p> <p> It was fairly safe there, except for the TV incident.  We lost the satellite signal for close to five minutes.</p> <p> Today, we came back to the disaster zone to assess the damage.  My computer still works.  Debbie's computer works.  The TV works.  The microwave still works.  The only blemish, so far,  is a patch of gravel on our front lawn.  We will have to talk to our lawn boy about that.</p> <p> I should apologize for letting you all worry about me for so long.  We fled so fast we didn't take the computer or my cell phone recharger.  I would have taken me hours to type this up on a cell phone, and it would not have had the quality my public expects.  I left you all in a state of panic just to preserve my blog's standards.</p> <p> Note to self:<br> Next time I go to Dim Sum, I should take a minute or two to retrain my chopsticks fingers.  The waiter ran and got me a knife and fork before I finished warming up my sticks.  We used the knife and fork to serve up some of the dishes.</p> <p> Memo to ex-co-workers:<br> Debbie appreciated the doggie bag.  Since the walls weren't falling down around us at the time, she could take a minute to finish it before we ran off.  When we are sitting in our rocking chairs in the old folks home, this will be the bright spot in our disaster story.</p> <p> To Do:<br> Decide if  I should get a calendar with St. Jean Baptiste day on it.  It is not on my calendar, so I totally forgot about it until the day was almost over.  Next year, I may forget about it completely.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/25/i-survived-the-great-quake-of-8860932/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=PiK4xTGGjTU:5vTDuF_Un5g:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=PiK4xTGGjTU:5vTDuF_Un5g:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=PiK4xTGGjTU:5vTDuF_Un5g:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/PiK4xTGGjTU" height="1" width="1"/>earthquakest-jean-baptistedim-sumhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/25/i-survived-the-great-quake-of-8860932/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/22/missing-one-dog-8843077/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-06-22:/2010/06/22/missing-one-dog-8843077/Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:10:21 +0200<p>Trailer rules are that all dogs must be on a leash at all times.  This is especially important when we go for our walks on the weekends.  Otherwise everybody will notice and politely say they don't mind.</p> <p> It is less important when we are just hanging around during the week.  Frobisher doesn't go anywhere, and if the does, who cares.</p> <p> Every so often, one of us will notice that he is not with the other Alpha dog.  He may be eating grass under the trailer or shade-tanning under the truck.  If Debbie is down the hill, he may nonchalantly sniff his way in that general direction.  When I see him missing, my usual response is to wander off fifty or one hundred feet.  When I turn around, he is sitting on the property line with his "Where are you going?  Can I come too?" look.</p> <p> Last week, I looked back, and there he wasn't.  So I wandered off in the other direction.  He was still gone.  I quickly looked under the trailer and truck, and saw nothing.   I went farther, but Frobisher didn't notice.  Debbie did.  This escalated the worry level a half notch.  I was on my way down towards Mrs. Treat's trailer, so we went all the way.  Frobisher wasn't there begging for treats.  There were a few other places he may have gone to, but they were all Frobisher free.  So we went back up the hill.  There was a dog barking.  It was Frobisher.  He was barking at the trailer door trying to get one of his lazy alphas to let him in so we could all be together.</p> <p> He is going to have to watch those Alphas more carefully.  We don't want them to run away again.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/22/missing-one-dog-8843077/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=8jQyyo5kpwA:7fWDQaUycdk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=8jQyyo5kpwA:7fWDQaUycdk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=8jQyyo5kpwA:7fWDQaUycdk:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/8jQyyo5kpwA" height="1" width="1"/>tay-rivertrailerfrobisherhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/22/missing-one-dog-8843077/#commentshttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/17/duelling-lawn-boys-8819376/tag:dave-halpenny.blog.ca,2010-06-17:/2010/06/17/duelling-lawn-boys-8819376/Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:59:44 +0200<p>Many years ago, one of our trailer buddies got a ride-on lawn mower as a present from his wife.  He would ride that thing for hours all over the park.</p> <p> His schedule lately is to mow the lawns on Wednesdays.  We are up the hill a long ways from his place.  Sometimes he doesn't finish everything in one day, so he may not get to our place till Thursday.  And since this is now an old toy, and he is getting old himself, sometimes he doesn't get this far.  But he always gets upset when we mow our lawn before he gets to it.</p> <p> This Tuesday, someone else pulled in to the park with  a lawn mower in tow.  It was driven by a his & hers team.  They ran around a whole bunch of lawns including the lawn of the Senior Lawn Boy.  Of course the new guys only did a quick pass and didn't even have the blade down very low.  Amateurs!</p> <p> So today, he was out in the pouring rain mowing a few lawns.  I don't know how far he went.  Rain skews my sonar, and I wasn't going to stick my head out to see.  But he didn't get this far, and I don't think he will get here tomorrow.  No worries.  We cut our lawn Monday.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/17/duelling-lawn-boys-8819376/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=jlH9XRmC47Q:Xkou5pmUGZ0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=jlH9XRmC47Q:Xkou5pmUGZ0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?a=jlH9XRmC47Q:Xkou5pmUGZ0:tr8VpXobKIM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/DavesFirstBlog?d=tr8VpXobKIM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DavesFirstBlog/~4/jlH9XRmC47Q" height="1" width="1"/>trailerlawn-boyhttp://Dave-Halpenny.blog.ca/2010/06/17/duelling-lawn-boys-8819376/#comments