Here's Something You Don't See Everyday

   That is indeed a goat, and yes, it is inside a building. But not just any building. The goat (I think I'll dub him "Billy") somehow got into a Tim Horton's location in Martensville, north of Saskatoon.
   RCMP were called to deal with the intruder, and showing they have a sense of humour, this is what they posted on their facebook page about the incident:

Early Sunday morning two Warman RCMP members were called to a business for a disturbance. There was a stubborn goat refusing to leave the establishment. The employees would ask him to leave and walk him outside, but he would just turn around and come back in through the automatic doors.
The members believed he was just cold and he decided to lie down and wanted to sleep in the entrance. He was “arrested” and escorted into the police vehicle. He was very unhappy with this so the members decided to take him home instead of to holding cells at the detachment.
After knocking on every farm house north of Martensville, members were not able to locate his house. Members contacted Animal control, but learned that they typically don’t deal with goats.
Members transported the goat to an animal hospital until his owners could be located. We are happy to report that the goat is safe and sound back with his owners after his adventurous night out on the town.

   It wasn't stated if the goat was after a maple dip and double-double.

TTFN

Out Of This World

   It literally is. Scientists say they've found very good (if not conclusive) evidence that liquid water still flows on Mars. They'd known for a long time there was water ice at the poles, but they now say they've got evidence that, at least in the "summer months" on the Red Planet, there is salt water flowing down certain slopes.
   For science and planetary buffs, this is huge. It means Mars could have, and maybe still does, harbour life of some kind, even microscopic. It's also going to rev up interest in a manned mission. Why is important? Water is the key to life as we know it. Without water, no life (as we know it), even on the cellular or microscopic level.
   I'm still waiting for someone to give definitive proof Marvin the Martian exists and is till looking for his Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator.

 TTFN

Patiently Waiting

   That's been the view from any of the windows in our newsroom for the past 3 weeks. No one broke in, and no one jumped out. Which is a good thing, since we're on the top floor of our building. We share space with several provincial departments, including the courthouse, and a decision was made to have all the windows replaced. Ours just happen to be among the last.
   As a time-saving measure, the contractors decided to remove the old glass and do whatever they had to do to the frames to get them ready for the new windows. And that's apparently where the problem cropped up.
   Anyone who's had a home renovation project done knows there are snafu's and delays getting material in a timely manner. The same thing has happened here. Something went wrong somewhere down the line, pushing back what was supposed to have been a 2 week project into 3. So far.
   And not only has it meant a simple lack of being able to look out the window. There have been quite a few times, when the wind is from the right direction, you can actually hear it howling through the plywood. There were a couple of days that if you closed your eyes you'd almost think you were in a blizzard.
   Then, there's the cooler air. We're out of summer now, and the colder air does find it's way into the office. It hasn't been so cold we need to put on a jacket, but that's just a matter of time. Other adverse weather has not yet posed a problem. Rain has not made it into the building. But it was damp enough this morning for you to actually smell the wood.
   Hopefully the new windows will arrive next week, and the crew can get them installed. I'd hate to have to wait until the first snowfall before it gets done.
   It should be noted as well that I am not complaining. The newsroom we had in Regina was smack-dab in the middle of the building, and we had NO windows at all.

TTFN

The Federal Election Campaign Just Got Interesting

   A guy in Ontario has come up with the cereal boxes above, poking fun at the 3 main party leaders vying for our votes on October 19th, and they'll be available for purchase on line Monday. Unfortunately, there was no link or web address included in the story I saw. Or how many will be available.
   Jamie Christian came up with the idea, and used his own savings to have them made up. The question begging to be asked is: Why? Why spend your hard-earned cash on what will be a novelty? His answer is simple: To bring some fun to the campaign.
   There's one big problem, though. None of the boxes will actually have any cereal in them. Christian says something will be "stuffed" in them, but not exactly what.
   Given the creativity (and publicity) behind the Mulcair's Lucky Charms, Harper Squares and Trudeau O's boxes, it's something even a jaded old political watcher like myself would buy. I just hope he's got a good run, because I think demand will be heavy for these.

TTFN

A Sombre Day

   Hard as it is to believe, today marks the 14th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks in New York, Washington D.C and a field in Pennsylvania where one attack ended after passengers stopped the terrorists before they could reach their target. This is one of several images burned into the mind of anyone who watched in horror those events unfold September 11, 2001.
   I vividly remember that Tuesday morning. We were living in Regina, and I'd just got home from taking my wife to work. I had the coffee going, and was sitting down to watch CNN when I saw the first tower engulfed in smoke and flames. Then the second tower and Pentagon were hit, and of course 3 World Trade Centre towers ended up falling that day. In all, more than 3 thousand people were killed.
   I was so gob-smacked by what was going on, I never even thought to call the newsroom at the station I was working for to see if they needed me to come in early. Needless to say, it was frantic when I did get in. We weren't an "all-news" station, but we were giving updates every 15 minutes, and breaking in to programming with urgent items.
   It was one of those events you will remember as long as you live, watching it unfold right there in front of you. I've lived through several (but nowhere near as many as a lot of other people) starting in 1963 with the Kennedy assassination. Then there was the death of John Lennon in 1980. The Challenger explosion in 1986. And the list goes on.
   On this date, take a moment to remember the lives of those who were killed on this day 14 years ago, including first responders like the firefighters who rushed to the scene in New York City that fateful day.

TTFN

A Historic Reign

   It was Wednesday, September 9th 2015 Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning monarch in British history. at 63 years 7 months, she surpassed her great-grandmother Victoria to reach the milestone. She's over 89 now, and ascended to the throne when she was just 25, so it has been a remarkable reign for her. she's starting to show her age a bit now, but continues with her hectic schedules.
   She's had 12 prime ministers, some who weren't even born when she became Queen on the death of her father George VI in 1952.
   I won't get into the long history of her life and achievements here, that's what things like Google and Wiki are for. I will say I came very close to actually meeting her in 1973 when she paid a visit to Canada to help mark the 100th anniversary of the RCMP. I was part of the honour guard that greeted her in Calgary. Had I been one rank higher, I would've met her. I wasn't and therefore didn't, but I'm still a supporter of the Monarchy, and Her Majesty.
  
TTFN, and God Save the Queen!

I've Been Given The All Clear

   About 6 weeks or so ago, I had a health scare. And while I'm not going to get into it on this forum, it was bad enough for me to go to the emergency department at our local hospital to get checked out. It also resulted in my going for tests that required me to return to hospital for a visit to the day surgery department.
   It also left me in limbo for more than 2 weeks waiting to hear the results.
   Yesterday, I got them, and I am fortunate. The results showed I do not have cancer, a possibility that had weighed on my mind ever since my visits. I was also told I'll need to go back for another screening in a few years. I have to admit that I feel very lucky indeed, since there is a history of cancer in my family, and have lost a few members to the disease. And I've also lost a few friends to cancer.
   And while I got the diagnosis I was hoping for, more than a few people get the dreaded news. To those fighting it, keep up the fight. And lets all keep working to try and make cancer extinct.

TTFN

Happy Labour Day

   It is the Labour Day long weekend. It's also the day set aside to celebrate the achievements of workers, and the fight for an 8 hour workday.
   It's a happy-sad weekend. Happy, because it's a long weekend, and sad because it's the last "warm weather" long weekend until Victoria Day next year. And, as if we needed it, it's a reminder (along with cooling temperatures and shorter days) that winter is coming.
   An awful lot of people will be heading into the great outdoors one last extended weekend, grabbing the last rays of summer sunshine. If you're lucky enough to get any. The forecast for Yorkton is calling for cloud, possible showers and cooler temperatures. Not that it matters to me. I won't be heading anywhere this weekend for a couple of reasons. One: There's enough idiots on the road on long weekends, so I'm keeping one off the road. And Two: Ironically enough, my wife has to work Labour Day Monday.
   If you get the weekend off, I hope it's a good one for you!

TTFN (at least until Tuesday)

Purged!

   Normally, I don't venture into the world of sports on this platform. I'm not knowledgeable enough to converse well on the subject, and usually leave such things to sports guru's like our own Benny Walchuk. Today, as a fan, I'm making an exception.
   Last night, the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders fired both head coach Corey Chamblin and general manager Brendan Taman after the team has gone winless through 9 games so far this season. I'm not sticking up for either by saying this, but a lot of the reason the team has gone oh-for is down to injury. Both first line quarterbacks were sidelined early in the season, and the team was left with a lot of rookies trying to pick up the slack. I'm not offering up excuses, but simply stating facts.
   Still, the buck must stop somewhere, and in this case it was the doors of Taman and Chamblin. It must be remembered, however, that both men were with the team when they won their 4th Grey Cup championship in 2013, and on home-field to boot.
   The past is just that. The past. To say the team has struggled this year is an understatement. To say both the players and fans are frustrated with the winless season is an understatement. To say both are looking for wins in the last half of the season is, again, an understatement.
   I guess I'm a glass-half-full sort of person when it comes to the Riders. There's still half the season left, and if they win everything from this week on, they'll at least be at 9 and 9 and .500 on the season. And might still have a shot at the playoffs. Is that likely? Realistically, no. Will they go winless for the season? No. The annual Labour Day Classic is this Sunday when the Riders host Winnipeg. It'd be a great time to start a win streak.

TTFN