Smoke is bad. Half a km visibility. I can taste it. NOT good. Fewer boats, of course. Less outside time for doing anything. Nothing like a visit from one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to get your attention.
Bad guys went by in a boat the other night. Fired maybe twenty rounds of automatic, heavy caliber fire in the general direction of our house. Smidge shocking. I did not take it personally. It was just bad guys. But NOT just naughty boys…but real bad guys. They are known to authorities.
The RCMP are all over them all the time (or so they say). But – for us – we had our first visit from the ‘madding/zombies crowd’ and the ‘drive-bys’ and our response (similar to our neighbours in town I guess) was a bit odd….“Yikes! what’s that?” Or, “Sounds like gunfire…no? Must be fireworks, eh?” My closest neighbour ran to the top of his property to get a good look but immediately assumed the low-profile position when it became obvious what it was. “Geez, my first response was to present a target!” Take-away: we are not accustomed to the usual evil in the world and had very little in the way of a proper response.
That may have to change.
Book club invited me (and Sal but she is already a member in attendance) to talk about our book. Thirty-something women. And me. One room. I lasted about half an hour, maybe forty minutes. It was fun. They were very nice. Supportive of our effort and all. But book club is a concentration of estrogen and I am more like a stain on a white shirt there. Be polite. Smile a little. Thank them. And get out. Still, our community is very good that way. They support our efforts and it was very nice. I like them.
Maybe in fewer numbers…….
Health clinic work is still going on. We are meeting and politicking and strategizing and juggling logistics since everyone is a volunteer with a busy life attached. Every day with the emails and the phone calls. Funny, really. Being a volunteer is a costly and time consuming hobby. I figure approximately $50.00 a visit for a meeting or something. And we are twice or more a month right now…one way or another. Maybe six to eight hours a week with emails…? Crazy hobby.
Is it just me? But there is a our boy, Justin marching in Gay Pride. All smiles and pink shirts and all. Fine. No problem. You go, guy. But then, a week later, there he is again marching in yet another gay pride thing. I am not sure but I think he marched in three (Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto). Maybe more. Is that the way our Prime Minster should spend his time? Marching in pink shirts smiling and waving? One is fine. Shows inclusiveness and all. But flying across the country covering Gay Pride events? C’mon….that’s silly. One is good. Two is too much.
And the proposed national holiday for the victims of Residential Schools? I do not think that is a holiday-type thing….if you wanna ‘celebrate’ our First Nations, find something positive and uplifting…..I dunno….it could be me….getting a bit tired of all the apologizing and moping over history…..sorry, maybe I am bad…..but I do not think statues of John A McDonald should be taken down either. That he was inclined to be genocidal in his policy making is nothing to be proud of but history is history and, to make it right, you just add a bronze plaque to balance the message.
Or am I wrong again?
Speaking of WRONG……..I have a horrible feeling the Donald is gonna get a pass. NO QUESTION Manafort is dirty. Conviction or not, the evidence at his first trial showed tax evasion at the very least and likely treason to boot. But that exposure was to be expected. I didn’t have the evidence but the circumstances were enough to guess that outcome. BUT NOTHING else crawled out of that pile of slime!!?? There are Russians crawling all over Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower, the Trump campaign, Trump accounts, Trump beauty pageants and all the Trump cronies – not to mention the internet being trolled by Russians for the election…..but something BIG and UGLY should have been presented by now. I think. Maybe I am just being impatient?
Or as Alberta John might say, “Hey! The guy is totally innocent! Lilly white. It’s a witchunt on a really smart and stable guy!”
Our Off the Grid Home 
Idiots with guns. This is very disconcerting given your location. Where do you have to go to live and not have to worry about bullets coming through your living room window?
I was with you all the way until the ‘ Trump’ thing. Let’s wait until all the facts are known before giving the verdict. It appears that finding evidence of wrongdoing may take a number of years. So far nothing or it would have been leaked given the rather low bar of ethics held by US politicians and government officials.
Oh. And Justin is doing his best. Remember his abilities are rather limited.
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You are right…he is still just a kid, after all. A drama inclined one, too. Pink shirts, selfies, running topless in parks, dressing in Indian clothes while on holiday. He likes his own image. A lot. He’s a Facebook Prime Minister. He is trying. Like the little engine that could. I am NOT mad but I DO want to give him a good spanking!
As for Trump……I know. I know. I am being impatient. I guess it is because I have seen enough and I have condemned him so I wonder why it is taking more time. Trump applied in July to the dept of labour to hire 60+ temporary foreign workers for Mar-a-lago. It is that kind of crap that puts me over the top. My bad.
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The smoke is bad in my neighbourhood too. The smoke has nowhere to go given our stagnant air circulation. We need rain. Racism continues to flair, with some political leaders speaking against diversity. Your recent blog raises some potentially sensitive issues that will challenges many readers.
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I’m tired(as I’m sure the silent majority are) of the endless blaming sessions .
All whites arent bad as all aboriginals, first nations, natives, indians, arent good.
The past is past and tearing down statues wont change …..the past.
Perhaps plaques next to the statues explaining the First Nations version of events?
It would have a far greater impact than ripping down a statue and in 50 years no one remembers anything about Sir John A…..
Good or bad.
Trivia side note.
Sir John A was the first Prime Minister to recommend that Native men get the vote……almost 100 years before they did….He was voted down in Parliament. .
As for an “National Day” to remember the ‘School scoops/ abuse”.
I’m all for it.
Just like Australia has a “National Sorry Day” to apologize for all the wrongs done to the Aboriginals .
No holiday.
Just a day of recognition.
.
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“Your recent blog raises some potentially sensitive issues that will challenge many readers”. What? Don’t take down statues…..just add an additional perspective? Justin shouldn’t be parading alla time? Nor apologizing alla time? Nor CRYING half the time? Do you think our PM should be doing that? Really? Isn’t attending one ‘we are all one’ event sufficient? Shouldn’t he be busy doing REAL work? And, why exactly is our dear boy always ‘on holiday’ anyway?
Is PM just an acronym for ‘parading man’? Pretty man? Pompous man? Those terms come to me before ‘productive man’ or ‘politically magnificent’.
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The chances of being shot in a rural community are,statistically higher than in an urban center.. Less people, more guns.
That being said.
Bizarre.
Idiots firing guns at dwellings from a boat.
Would you term that a “Sail by shooting?”
Alcohol definitely involved.
Definitely more exciting than my encounter with idiots.
I was at work on Sunday and had to call the cops because some “John” was beating the crap out of a “working girl” behind my biz. At 10am in the morning………
The cops showed up and arrested both of them. (she had outstanding warrants).
I said to the cop, “He looks like Willie Picton.”, The cop replied, “All the Johns in this area look like Willie Picton.”
Anywho.
Smoke is bad here as well.
The protest camp at the Kinder Morgan tank farm is just up the road from my place and just the fact that the protesters had a “sacred fire” in the woods less than 100 yards from 500,000 gallon fuel tanks was, in my humble opinion, more than enough reason to Bambi bucket them into leaving.
Do you have a water pump and hose for any emergencies?
How’s your stream, water supply?
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I am in favour of the protest. NOT of the insanity. If anyone started a sacred fire near the tanks, they should be put away while their head was being read.
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Have a look at Duncan Campbell Scott Canadian beaucrate Wikipedia. They took down the wrong statue.
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Interesting and scary.
A single beaurocrat can have that much power and affect generations of people.
And he was hired by total fluke.
That being said, lets not forget that the Church was running most of the schools (with govt authority) and what is now very apparent is the amount of pedophiles and perverts that seemed to be everywhere in the Church system during that time and right up into modern times…..
I have no affinity with or for any religion and if the Catholic church is eventually sued out of existance……….that is justice.
But do we tear down all churches to “forget”?
Or do we leave some as a reminder of past wrongs……..
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In my view, church is to God what Safeway is to food. Just marketing and processing, packaging and selling. NOTHING that is truly part of what GOD or even spiritually might be – just business. Do I hate Safeway? No, I even shop there. But do I believe they are the source of all food? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
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Dave, I’m getting a bit paranoid. It wasn’t a book-related shooting was it? Glad you and Sal are safe.
Judging by what I heard on the radio this afternoon, there would be a few indigenous Australians who would agree with about positive and uplifting. But of course, they are entitled to say that as it their lives…..
If all goes to plan, I’m going live late Thursday evening, That may or may not mean anything to you. But just let me know if I need security. I digress.
Also, I think you should leave Justin alone. Canada has just accepted its first refugee from Australia. Plus, you sound like a grumpy old man. Just sayin’.
In unity. Regards. T
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No, not book related at all. The bad guys are well known. They’ve been an inconsiderate, petty thievery, intrusive bunch of no goods a few times this year and they seem to have dealings with even worse people. The main honcho went missing a few weeks back and the guess was that he was killed. No such luck. So, he’s back, drug addled and looking to be bad….the bullets were random but even random goes somewhere and we were close enough to react and wonder.
Re Justin……yeah….I know……grouchy old man….
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Hey – is it possible that sail by shooting the other night might have been by the critical action committee of the Discovery Island Literary Guild? Can’t wait to read your latest – to see who you might have upset.
I think there are plans on the internet to build heat seeking short range torpedoes – and with your skills ……………….
Cheers – Beachcomber
p.s. we have drive by shootings almost weekly in this neck of the woods 😉
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Thanks for that…..book critics armed and in boats….AND they are all female and mostly over 65. Never thought of them…..
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We are down in Seattle and the smoke is really bad. Ash falling out onto the car even in a parking structure. It’s a mix of BC and eastern Washington fires. We were hoping to fly the airplane, but the visibility is about the same as a foggy day. Forecast is for it to get better here on Thursday, still leaving some time for us to fly before we head north on Monday. We are going by way of Parksville for our citizenship interviews. So exciting. – Margy
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Good luck…..if you need a reference……we’re here for you.
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Re shots fired. Maybe time to trade that old shotgun in for something in the 308 weatherby size c/w 3-9 variable scope. Not much coverage on the water, sort of like shooting ducks in a barrel, but what the hell, I’m sure God will forgive you.
I’m also good on the rest of this issue, Trump I will continue to ignore, just out of spite.
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…ducks in a barrel..? I thought it was ‘like shooting fish in a barrel’? How’d you get the ducks into a barrel in the first place?
Wouldn’t it be nice to ignore tRump! I wish he’d go away.
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illiterate licence??
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