Greg & Tess
Spud & Camper
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Last Updated April 15, 2012
December 7, 2011
I know, I missed doing an update in November. A full refund is on its way to all paid up subscribers. Oh wait, this site is free. Nevermind.
We are getting ready for Christmas and looking forward to gatherings with family and friends. The house decorations are up as is the little tree. The neighbourhood looks nice with most of the homes having some sort of Christmassy display. This was the first year Tess and I were not actually in the Christmas parade so we went down to watch the parade for the first time. I bet over half the population of our little town turn out to watch. Kids were everywhere and many of the floats gave out candies. The parade lasted about 25 minutes and afterwards the Town's light display at the park was turned on followed by a 20 minute fireworks show. Even the weather cooperated and everyone had a good time.
Although is has all since melted, we did get a decent dump of snow a couple of weeks ago so I got to try out my new snow blower. It started right away and after 20 minutes or so I felt comfortable with the way it steers and the snow throwing directional controls. If I want, it will throw snow to the other side of the street! The deepest drift was little more than a foot deep and it didn't slow down a bit. I'm ready for anything winter throws at us this season.
I had been putting it off for at least a month but last week I finally got to replacing the timing belt on the car. This is a fabric reinforced rubber belt the connects the crankshaft to the overhead cams that control when the valves open and close. Honda says replace it every 165,000kms because if it breaks, you need a new engine. It took me 6 hours and lots of cursing. I needed to use a 3' long wrench with both arms and both legs straining to take the main bolt off. Then I wound up compressing the hydraulic tensioner by wedging it between a bottle jack and the car frame and pumping up the jack. No wonder Acura charges over $1,200 for this job! At least I won't have to do it again for many years. This was the last maintenance item I needed to complete before winter so the car is all set.
Work is going well and I am still enjoying driving all over Alberta and BC. The new
2011 pickup truck I got in May is gone. It hit the 100,000km mark in October and
I now have a 2012. Not much difference between the '11 and '12 models. I do like
the Chev /GMC trucks even though I have been a Ford man for many years.
Now that winter is trying to arrive, I am seeing lots of critters on the road. I was a little concerned that the deer and moose would get stupid now that it is mating season but so far they are well behaved and staying out of my way. This ram kept an eye on me while keeping his harem nearby. I took the photo near Cadomin, Alberta.
I have had all these good intentions about getting back at the family tree but so
far, I haven't found the time. I will try to keep up with correspondence but may
wind up taking the winter off too. I did get some new software (Family Tree Maker
2012) but just can't seem to get into it for some reason. Oh well, its not like all
my dead relatives are too worried about it! I have updated the genealogy page though
and added a couple of pages of stories -
I was in the garage visiting my motorcycle the other day. I can't ride it because
of the snow of course and I noticed it was feeling a little sad. So when I was through
Calgary on Tuesday on my way home from a delivery, I stopped in at Andre's at bought
a couple more chrome goodies. I figure the shinier the bike is, the easier it is
to see. That's it -
I probably won't get a chance to update this page before the 25th, so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
October 24, 2011
You get a twofer this month -
Work is going well and I am still enjoying it. As of today, I have driven 91,630kms in less than 10 months. I will get another new truck next month as this one nears the 100,000km turnover mark. That's since May, 2011 as there are two of us taking turns driving it. I wonder what changes there are for the 2012 model. I am working this week with 3 overnight trips to oil sands mines over an hour north of Fort McMurray and a day trip into the Rocky Mountains southwest of Hinton. Lots of deer, coyotes and even a wolf. The small lakes have a coating of ice and it was snowing the other morning when I left the hotel I guess they didn't cancel winter this year.
This past weekend Mark was in an arm wrestling tournament at West Edmonton Mall. He entered his own weight class and the next heaviest as well as the all 'round. Both left and right arms in each class for a total of 6. At the end of a long day he had three 2nds, two 3rds and first place overall for the right arm. Even though the individual matches are usually over quickly, the athletes deliver a tremendous burst of energy and in a double elimination format there are lots of matches in each class.
The other big piece of news is that we are replacing Thirsty (the motorhome we bought
in 1998) with a new-
I am starting to get back into the family tree hobby. Please keep those stories and memories coming. Especially all you Nartatez's out there!
I'm sure there was more stuff I was going to tell you about but it seems to have gone from my brain.
October 14, 2011
Another month has sped by and I am back at the keyboard searching for tidbits to pass along to you.
Spud (the bigger of our two dogs) has been fighting kidney and bladder stones and finally had to go under the knife. They took 8 stones out of his bladder including one that was almost half the size of my little fingernail!. Poor Spud. They couldn't get the one in his kidney so now he is on special dog food which we hope will dissolve it, or at least not let it get any bigger. It took a week or so for Spud to return to his usual happy self. Camper is getting the same dog food of course because they both have to eat the same thing.
Last month we went to Winnipeg (really!) to visit Tess nephew Jojo and his family
who just moved from the Philippines to Canada. And they chose Winnipeg -
It was our 32nd wedding anniversary yesterday. We didn't do anything very exciting, just went out to dinner then back home to watch TV with the dogs.
September 5, 2011
OK, so I'm lazy. It has been over two months since I updated this site but you know how it is during the summer. Work, camping, visitors and so on are all on my excuse list. As we get closer to fall, I expect things to slow down at least a little. Here's what's been going on.
My brother Todd and I finished up our motorcycle trip as planned; he went on home and like me, returned to work. I have not been on a long trip since with 300kms being about the farthest I have ventured from home, although I am getting out there as often as I can. The summer weather has been very poor with at least some rain 50 out of the 61 days in July and August. So far September is looking good but we are only a few weeks away from frost at night. At least the first frost will kill off all the mosquitoes.
We have been out camping a couple of times but are staying pretty close to home this year mostly due to gasoline costs. Even though the price for regular is down to $1.10 per litre, it still costs about $275 to fill it up. We'd rather spend the money on campground fees and fishing tackle than gas so we aren't going far.
Last month My Dad came to visit for a couple of weeks. He is doing pretty well, all
things considered. He just turned 85 this week and is still slim and trim and has
most of his hair. Like many people his age he has had a few parts replaced or rebuilt
but I think he could outlive me! We spent lots of quality time together: we went
camping and fishing, to a car show, and he even came along with me on a hot shot
delivery to a coal mine a few hours drive from home. At the mine site I parked my
pickup right beside a big 797 haul truck with 12' high tires like this one. He was
suitably impressed with the scale of things.
Work is still fun and I have now driven over 73,000 kms (that's 45,000+ miles for those still metrically challenged) in 7 months! With cooler weather approaching I am seeing more bears and expect deer and moose to be a problem when the rut starts. They are not very bright at the best of times and when the hormones kick into high gear, they are unpredictable. I really do not want to run into one at highway speeds, especially a 1,000lb. moose.
As usual during the summer, I have been ignoring my genealogy hobby although I do
try to keep up with my correspondence. I do want to publicly thank Fizzy (a great
nickname) Bron in Norwich, England, who has been kind enough to help her Mum tend
the World War I era gravestone of my 1st cousins twice removed Capt. Victor William
Harrison (1895-
Today is Mark & Mel's wedding anniversary. Congrats to the happy couple. 
Still with Mark, the September, 2011 issue of Import Tuner Magazine features a cover story on a very nice Toyota Supra. Mark did some of the body work on this car and got a credit in the article. No, he didn't get to meet the girl on the cover.
I got a call from Mark the other day and all I could hear was this awful racket on
the phone. It took me a moment to realize what the noise was -
The weather forecasters have been suggesting we may have another particularly nasty
winter. To help prevent that I am doing my part -
I'm sure there is more news to relay to you but I can't think of it right now so You'll have to wait until next month. Keep those cards and letters, or at least emails, coming. Greg
June 22, 2011
I am in the middle of my annual motorcycle trip with my brother to visit our Dad
and step-
We spent a couple of days there and after moving every stick of furniture, helping a tradesman replace the kitchen counters and drilling holes and running wires for the home theatre system, we took a day trip to Kamloops. We were looking for shiney bits for our bikes but I wound up with a new helmet. My old one was broken and noisy and the new one isn't either. And it has a cool sunshade that drops down inside the face shield just like in Top Gun. Hey, I'm just like Tom Cruise! OK, maybe not.
We left Chase heading for Vancouver Island and stuck to the secondary highways through Kamloops to Princeton to Tsawassen where we caught the ferry to Victoria. Motorcycles are first on and first off on BC Ferries which is great. We can show up a few minutes before sailing and go to the front of the line. Nice.
Victoria is quite a way south of our destination but we wanted a photo of Mile 0 of the Trans Canada Highway. I already have a photo of the other end of the highway in St John's Newfoundland & Labrador. They call their end Mile 0 too. Easier to make the sign with only 1 digit instead of 4 digits I suppose.
We arrived on Fathers Day eve and the next day we went for a nice brunch at a local
golf club then roamed the streets of downtown Qualicum Beach taking in the annual
car show. It is a good size show with perhaps 400+ vehicles. Everyone is friendly
and happy to talk about their machines. Some really good paint jobs, lots of restored
rides, some custom jobs and some rat rods -
Todd and I made a couple of day trips to go play on the twisty roads to Tofino and to cross off the last road on Vancouver Island that I have not been on all the way to the northern tip at Port Hardy. Today we will stay in town and visit.
We plan to leave tomorrow and take the ferry to Horseshoe Bay on the mainland, north-
See you next month. Greg
May 30, 2011
It is the end of May and it is rainy and cold after a couple of weeks of nice weather. Surprisingly, even after record snow fall and some rain in the spring, everything is very dry and there are dozens of wildfires burning. While the sunsets are spectacular (I never wake up early enough to see a 4:30am sunrise), the smell of smoke is constant throughout much of Alberta. The town of Slave Lake, population 8,000, about 2½ hours drive north was evacuated and over 400 homes, town hall, library, radio station and more were burned to the ground. Amazingly, there were no injuries or fatalities. The Provincial Government, insurance companies and citizens at large have stepped up to help recover and rebuild.
I sold my old motorcycle to a fellow from Edmonton. I think he will give it a good home and enjoy it for years to come. I have added a pair of fog lights to the front of the new bike to make it more visible, especially to cars turning left in front of me. My brother Todd arrives next month to begin our now annual pilgrimage to Vancouver Island. I bought new rain gear which claims to be 100% waterproof although I will be happy to never have to put it on. I still have a little maintenance to do (oil & filter change and new spark plugs) but otherwise I am ready to go.
We went camping last week to a Provincial Park near Whitecourt, one of the spots we try to get to every year. Good trout fishing, not too far away, nice campground. When we arrived the fire ban was still in place and it was cold, windy and rainy for a couple of days so fires were allowed later. The lake is very high; at least 2 feet above its normal level. The wind pushed the waves into whitecaps and up onto the seawall where we always fish. All in all an unpleasant start to a fishing trip. By the weekend it was sunny and calm.
The dogs are enjoying a lot more time outside now, Long walks and the whole back yard to run around and play instead of the small snow cleared area they were stuck in all winter. The lawn is recovering from the vole damage and looks good. I have a few small projects to do but between working, motorcycle trip and camping, it may be a couple of months before I get to them.
I was reading through the entries on the Old News page and noticed a comment last August about the price of gasoline at 84.9¢ per litre. Not this year. Like everyone else, I have no idea why this stuff costs what it does but the price has gone up a bunch. The current Edmonton area price is C$1.169 per litre, the cheapest in Canada as usual. That's US$1.20 per litre or US$4.54 per US gallon. It is $25 just to fill up the motorcycle. I just close my eyes and sign the credit card slip when I have to fill the motorhome! I know much of the price is taxes which in turn give us Canucks free health care and heavily subsidized drugs but it still hurts.
As usual, I am taking the summer off from my genealogy hobby. I still want new information about the Harrison and Nartatez families but will put it aside until the fall.
Bye for now.
May 1, 2011
What a difference a month makes! Spring has finally sprung (yes, I know its May!) and the 63" of snow that fell over the winter is gone. The trees are budding and pussy willows will soon be in the hands of school children. Our lawn has suffered the ravages of voles over the winter. These little buggers ate their way along paths under the snow eating the grass right down to the dirt. Our yard looks like a road map. They attacked most houses in the neighbourhood except the ones that fertilized in the fall. Yes, I am going to fertilize this coming fall.
Tess is recovering well from her skin problem but is still upset that she had to cancel her trip.
I have been out regularly on my new motorcycle. I installed heated handlebar grips so now my fingers don't feel numb because its still cold at highway speeds. My brother Todd and I are still planning to ride to Vancouver Island again this June. No ditches this time.
Here's a story for you about dealing with U-
Work is still fun and I am enjoying the fruits of my labour. My partner Dave and
I (we alternate each week) got a shiny new truck last month; a 2011 Silverado to
replace our old 2010 model which had reached its mileage limit. In a weekly shift
I usually get about 5 trips including at least one overnighter, usually to Fort McMurray.
Now that Spring is here, there are a lot of animals out and about. In a trip to south-
The federal election is tomorrow -
Here are the entries for the previous 12 months or so with the latest at the top.
| Camping |
| Old News |
| Genealogy |
| Links |
| 2011 Trips |
| Comping Pix |
| 2012 Camping Trips |
| Golf |
| Titanic |
| Saints In My Tree |
| A Pirate |
| Military Deaths |
| My Other Web Sites |
| Family Web Sites |
| Free Software |
| 2011 Trips |
| Comping Pix |
| 2012 Camping Trips |
| Golf |
| Titanic |
| Saints In My Tree |
| A Pirate |
| Military Deaths |
| My Other Web Sites |
| Family Web Sites |
| Free Software |
| Camping |
| Old News |
| Genealogy |
| Links |
| 2011 Trips |
| Comping Pix |
| 2012 Camping Trips |
| Golf |
| Titanic |
| Saints In My Tree |
| A Pirate |
| Military Deaths |
| My Other Web Sites |
| Family Web Sites |
| Free Software |
| 2011 Trips |
| Comping Pix |
| 2012 Camping Trips |
| Golf |
| Titanic |
| Saints In My Tree |
| A Pirate |
| Military Deaths |
| My Other Web Sites |
| Family Web Sites |
| Free Software |