Away

   I've got some holiday time I'll be taking next week, so I won't be back until January 7th. In which case, I'd like to wish all of my viewers the best in 2019. May the new year bring you health, happiness and prosperity.
   Happy New Year everyone!!

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Merry Christmas

   To those who celebrate it, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. Those who don't, have a Happy Holiday!
   Regardless, enjoy the season.

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United Has An (Interim) Manager

   And he's certainly got a history with Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played in 235 games with United, scoring 126 goals, including one in injury time in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final, knocking off Bayern, Munich.  

   I also remember him coming on as a substitute in a league game and scoring 2 quick goals to secure a win.
   After his playing days ended, he became manager of the teams reserves, before returning to his home country of Norway, where he's currently the manager at Molde. But don't expect him to be named a permanent replacement for Jose Morinho, who was sacked yesterday. Solskjaer had his contract with Molde extended through 2021 earlier this month.
   Good luck Ole!

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It Was Bound To Happen

   Manchester United has fired Jose Mourinho

   After 2 /12 years as the team's manager. And it was bound to happen. The Red Devil's are off to their worst start ever in the Premier League. They're in 6th place, 19 points adrift of table-topper Liverpool. Mourinho is the 3rd manager to have come and gone from Man U after the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Not that Fergie had a stellar start either.
   But after taking the helm, Mourinho, who came to United from Chelsea and was United's third manager in 5 years,, seemed to do little in the way of bringing the team to championships. Credit where it;s due, under his watch United did win the Football League Cup, Europa League and the FA Cup Community Shield. But the team has been lackluster, and something had to give. And, like most sports teams, it was the manager.
   United will appoint someone to take them through the rest of the season, and then start looking for a permanent replacement.
   Thank you Jose for your efforts, and accomplishments, with the team, and all the best in the future. I have a feeling someone will snap you up quickly.

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A Bittersweet Anniversary

   Yesterday (December 16) marked the 12th anniversary of our new fur-babies coming to their forever home. My son and I trooped to the Regina Humane Society in a raging blizzard to pick up new members of our family after we had to say "goodbye" to the 2 girls who were with us 17 years in November, 2006. We got these 2

   Aslan (named after the lion in the Narnia series) was the big tan one. The silver grey one is Kell. Sadly, Alsan had to be put to sleep in April this year, due to illness. We miss him still.

   Kell, on the other hand, is still extremely active, despite being at least 15 years old. He imprinted on me right from day 1 when we brought him home.

   After showing them the 'facilities' and the food dishes, we sat down to get to know each other. He immediately leaped up on me, and settled down on my left shoulder. That's still his favourite place to perch on me. Even if it's just for a few minutes.
   We added to our family again in June 2011, when we got our little girl Freya

   And we are still looking to add another kitty to the family, even though we were unsuccessful earlier this year. Hopefully, we'll find the right fit next time.

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My Old Home Town

   That's where I grew up. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The shot was taken a few years back 400 kilometers up by an astronaut on the International Space station. Calgary was "home" from 1961 to 1985, when we moved to High River, just south of the city, when I restarted my career in radio.
   Needless to say, the city grew up quite a bit from when I lived there. In 1961, the population was just under 250 thousand. When we left in 1986, it was a hair under 679 thousand. Now, it's over 1.2 million.
   A lot of people like to say "hey! I can see my house", which of course they can't. But looking at this picture I can, with 100% certainty, say I know, and can see, the general location of ours. The black area top-left of centre is Nose Hill, where myself and my buddies would climb at least 3 of 4 times a year.
   If you look just a little lower and a tad left of the hill, you'll see a patch of grey looking lights. That's the general area I grew up in. If this had a zoom capacity, I'm sure I could find my house with no problem. But not at this resolution.
   And while it's nice to see Calgary from this vantage point, and it was nice to visit earlier this year, I don't think we could move back, even if circumstances permitted.

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This Was A Long Time Coming

   I've been suffering hearing loss for quite a few years now, but it finally got to the point where I needed to get a hearing aid. My wife has been urging me to get my hearing checked for years now, and I finally agreed after not being able to hear her talk to me when she was in our living room, and me in the kitchen of our home. Less than 10 feet apart. In an "open concept" house.
   Not surprisingly, the hearing test I took showed loss in my right ear, and profound loss in my left. And so a couple of weeks ago I got fitted, and picked it up last week. Is it perfect? No. Has it restored at least part of my hearing? Yes. But only part of it. I have to go back for a re-evaluation (apparently required by law) in a week, and will need a couple of issues addressed.
   How did my hearing get so bad? Several reasons. Firstly, the industry I work in deals with sound. That means I wear headphones a lot. Probably 66% of my work day. I also suffer tinnitus, which is incurable. And as a teen, I used to play rock music as loud as I could get it wearing headphones. None of which helped.
   But why is the left ear worse than the right? That's easy. I use my left ear more. When I'm reading news, I only have the left ear headphone on. I also used to use "leftie" to talk on the phone. So that one took the brunt of the punishment, so to speak.
   I will, in time, need to get the right ear fitted for a hearing aid as well. But that's going to have to wait until I can afford it.

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Another Month Over

   Hard as it is to believe, this is the last day of November, and it seems at times like the month flew by. Saturday, we start December, which can be a brutal month, and also officially start winter, with snow, bitter cold and strong wind.
   But it's not all gloom and doom. There are a few things to like about the cold weather. Things like frost. We've had pretty thick fog in the area today, and with the colder temperatures, and little wind, it has turned some trees a little festive, albeit somewhat early, as you can see from this shot out of our office window

   And with Christmas now less than 3 weeks away, I guess I'd better start gift shopping.

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Turkey Day

   Happy Thanksgiving to all my American viewers. I hope your turkey is moist, the dressing just perfect, the gravy lump-free and dessert delicious! And I wish you a good Black Friday tomorrow.
   Also, a sombre note this year. It was on this day, November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in downtown Dallas. I remember it well, because the news broke over the noon hour in Calgary, where I grew up, and cut in to my favourite lunch-time show, Colonel Loonar.

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Goodbye, Old Friend

   After 2 years, I had to say "goodbye" to a trusted ally. Almost always by my side, I was never let down, until this past Wednesday. Then, death came calling

   My LG G-4 Android cell phone expired. It simply froze, and wouldn't come back to life. Thinking it might help, I pulled the battery and re-installed it, and hit the power on button. All I got was the start-up icon. Nothing else. So, I trooped to my local shop hoping beyond hope one of their technical guru's could re-activate it. But try as he might, nothing.
   He couldn't get it started and, more depressingly, could not retrieve any of my data. I'm still working on re-establishing my contact list, re-connecting with things like email, Facebook and Instagram, and re-installing apps I lost. I was not please that I now have to re-start all the games I had on my old phone. Although having plated them in the past, I now have a better idea of how to proceed on many of them.
   But the worst thing about it crapping out was losing several pictures I had on it. They're not replaceable.
   I did, however, get a shiny new LG G-6 out of the deal

   And the best part, it didn't cost me even one dollar, aside from the usual start-up fees.

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Back

   It was a nice 5 days off, but it was back to business this morning after an extended Remembrance Day long weekend. I had (as mentioned in the blog below) 2 days off from last year, and figured this was the best time to take them. Although looking back, I probably should've taken the Tuesday-Wednesday off, rather than Friday and Tuesday. It matters not, in the long run.
   I managed to accomplish a grand total of nothing the first 4 days, much to my wife's chagrin. There are some items on the "Honey-Do" list that should've been taken care of quite a while back. But I'm a procrastinator, and would rather put off to tomorrow what could successfully be done today.
   I did take a trip to Regina Tuesday to get fitted for a hearing-aid. I've lost a good 85 to 90% of the hearing in my left ear, the result of wearing a headphone over that one for the almost 40 years I've been in radio. The right one could also probably use a hearing-aid, but I can't afford more than one ear a year.
   All in all, a pleasant few days off, but now it's back at her.

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Away

   I will be burning off some extra time I'm owed from last year. I'll be taking an extra long break over the Remembrance Day weekend, from tomorrow through next Tuesday, returning Wednesday morning. Not much planned for this time off, other than a trip to Regina and a visit to a hearing centre to look at the possibility of a hearing aid.
   Please remember to pause for a minute or 2 11:00 a.m 11/11. It's the centenary of the end of World War I. If you can, take in a Remembrance Day service in your area.

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It's Halloween Again

   And it's also been 2 weeks since I posted anything to this platform, so apologies are in order. Once again, I took advantage of the opportunity to don a costume this year, as I have every year since I arrived at GX94. For 2018, I revived my Australian persona from 2014, complete with didgeridoo

   I also brought in some Anzac biscuits (actually, more of a soft, chewy cookie than a biscuit), which were very popular with their troops in World War 1.

   And thanks to my brother-in-law, I have some (real) shark jaws

   Used as part of a little skit I did with/for our morning show host Danny Ismond. All in all, not a bad way to start Halloween, and end October!

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Happy "Weednesday"

   Just after 12:00 A.M, local times, recreational marijuana use became legal in Canada, fulfilling an election promise made by Prime Minister Trudeau in 2015. But while it's legal, not everyone had instant access to "brick and mortar" stores to buy their bud. In fact, there are no stores open yet in Toronto or Vancouver, 2 of Canada's biggest cities.
   And since Newfoundland-Labrador is the eastern most part of the country, people there became the first to legally purchase up to 30 grams of wacky tobacco. A 46 year old man will go down in history as the first even person to buy legally, but he apparently won't be rolling up a doobie with it. Instead, Ian Power says he'll get a plaque made to signify his achievement, adding he won't smoke it, but keep it forever.
   For people who can't, or won't smoke it, you're going to have to wait a year before edibles hit the stores. Unless you buy the leaf and make your own. As well, most provinces (but not all) say people can grow up to 4 plants per household for their own private use.
   Of course, it'll be taxed, with the provinces and federal government's sharing the pot, so to speak. And that could turn into quite a revenue stream, if Colorado, one of the U.S States where it's legal is any indication. I recall seeing something suggesting they made $1 billion from the sale there.
   As for myself, I'll admit I'm a little curious, and probably will go to the local store when all the hoopla dies down in a few weeks. Will I buy? No. Truthfully.

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Another Royal Baby

   Britain's Prince Harry and his wife, the former Meghan Markle, are expecting their first child. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who were married May 19th, made the announcement as they started a tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.
   Megan, who's 37, is believed to be 12 weeks along, and the baby, due in the spring, will be the 7th in line to the throne.
   The baby will not, unless the Queen decides otherwise before the baby's birth, be known as "prince"or "princess". The child could take on one of Harry's subsidiary titles.

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In Like A Lion

   That's the view from one of our windows this morning, and October, apparently, IS coming in like a lion. Our forecast didn't say how much of the white stuff we're supposed to get, but it looks to continue today, probably tonight, and into tomorrow. So far, it's melting when it hits the pavement, but, as you can see, it's sticking to roofs.
   We're also getting some unseasonably cold weather, with today being the warmest at 4 Celsius. And it doesn't look promising for an October "thaw" right now, with some forecast models calling for the cool weather to be with us at least until the middle of the month.
   However, this is Saskatchewan, meaning anything could happen. I hope it does get warmer, though. I'm not ready yet (if I'll ever be) for winter.

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Changing Seasons

   Autumn arrived in the Northern hemisphere this past weekend, but with the weather we've had, it's hard to tell if we skipped ahead one full season:

   An old picture, but it does sum up what it's been like here. Grey, cold and even snow. And it's getting darker earlier and earlier to boot. None of these things are unusual, but my wife and I also noticed 2 things which signify that if Winter isn't here yet, it's certainly coming.
   One is the seasonal switch of vehicles in the back of pick-up trucks. My wife noticed someone took the quad out, and put a snowmobile in. And this morning, I had to scrape ice from the windshield. Not a lot, but a harbinger of what's to come. Enough for me to dig out my snow shovel and clean the steps.
   Of course, that doesn't mean winter is right on the doorstep, far from it! We usually get a bit of warmer weather in October, before the deep freeze, snow and generally yucky conditions of winter.
   Of course, we do have spring to look forward to, with melting ice and snow, longer days and warmer weather. But that's still 6 months away. If this sounds like I'm whining, well, maybe I am. A little.

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He's A Trooper

   GX94 morning show host Danny Ismond was well out of his comfort zone again, thanks to me. Quite a while ago, he tried sushi for the very first time. And did not like it. He did say he's tried it again a few times, and now likes it a bit better.
   I don't know if that's the case with what I brought today

   That's Kimchi, a Korean dish made from cabbage, onion, other veggies, shrimp and red pepper powder, which is then left to ferment for a day or so. It is a bit spicy, and has a definite "tang" from fermentation. I like it. In fact, I've been known to add it to ramen noodle soups, won ton soup and even hot dogs.
   I decided to bring in some microwaveable rice to mix it with, since it can be a strong taste when you're not used to it. It also has a rather pungent aroma, which I think Danny found a bit off-putting. Still, he mixed the Kimchi in with the rice, and ate it. Will he again? I doubt it, but like the sushi, he may develop a taste for it.
   Thanks for being a good sport Danny!

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The Beetle Is Kaput!

   It's been an automotive icon of sorts for decades, but the VW Beetle's long run is coming to an end. Volkswagen is killing the "Bug" once and for all after the next model year. The "People's Car" was first put into production in 1938, and was a co-design of Ferdinand Porsche (yes, THAT Porsche), and German dictator Adolf Hitler.
   The rear-engine car did not go into mass production until the war ended in 1945, and was made by VW through to 2003, when the Type-1 was discontinued. More than 21 million were built, and my father had one

   A 1963 version, in black. It was, to say the least, an interesting car. The heater was gasoline powered, meaning you ran the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. And it didn't even do that good a job keeping the windshield frost free. The car was a 4-speed standard. No power steering, no power brakes, no hydraulic clutch and no synchromesh transmission. Which was normal for the time.
   And it was a complete pig. It used to stutter and almost stall when you were waiting at a stop sign or traffic light, and you'd have to rev it up to keep it going. Which on Dad's car posed an interesting problem. One of the exhaust valves would stick open occasionally due to carbon build-up, and you'd get a big BANG, plus a cloud of smoke, when it backfired. Once, someone got a little too close to the rear-end, it backfired and shot a piece of carbon into his radiator.
   Dad did rebuild the engine, and it did run a little better, but he also found a newer Datsun 510, bought that, and sold the bug. Based on our experience, we agreed the car earned the nickname "Hitler's Revenge"
    Volkswagen is ending the Beetle due to changing consumer demands. I'll be a little sorry to se it end.

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Oh Give Me A Home.....

   The buffalo were roaming last night as our Supper in the Field contest took us to the Makowsky farm near Canora. I'd seen bison before, but never this close up. We drove from the farmyard to the pasture in our trusty GX94 RV, and were told not to get out of the vehicle, and keep the windows closed. They are wild animals, after all.
   One of the farm hands brought a couple of buckets of oats, which the bison trotted over to eat. I couldn't get a picture of him, but one of the larger bulls was named "Donald Trump", due to the way the hair on his hump looked.
   Then, it was back to their 2nd yard for the supper. Andrian Makowsky fired up the grill, and tossed on some bison burgers for us, while he and the crew chowed down on our catered supper provided by KFC. I tried a burger, and I'll say it's an acquired taste. A taste I have not acquired.
   Despite how close their farm was to Yorkton, by the time we visited the bison, had dinner, handed out the prizes and got back, it was well after 7:00 when I got home. Which is late for me, since I usually retire about 9:00.
   Still, it was a great evening had by all.

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Childhood Memories

   They're from my, and apparently a lot of other peoples, childhood as well. A post I made to one of the social media groups I subscribe to has got a lot of attention. A lot more than I ever thought it would get. I simply posted 2 pictures, and asked if anyone remembered these:

   That's the old fashioned cigarette rolling machine dad used back in the '60's. He'd sit at the table with the roller, a tin or 2 of Black Cat tobacco and roll enough smokes for him and mum to last a few days to a week.
   The machine, believe it or not, was actually quite simple to use. There was a slot you'd put the tobacco in, roll it to a certain mark, put the paper in, roll it to another mark, wet the glue and finish rolling. It made 5 cigarettes at a time, which were cut with a razor blade using a guide on the back of the roller.
   Dad would roll enough to fill the can, and a couple of plastic cigarette cases they had. They had no filter, obviously, and packing the tobacco was a bit tricky. Too loose, and it would fall out of the cigarette. Too tight, and you couldn't draw on one.
   I used to use Dad's machine for a while, and more than once I'd roll a full-length one, and smoke the entire thing without cutting it first. It got a little gnarly by the time you'd get near the end.
   As of this entry, I'm still getting comments and reaction to the post. Which shows how powerful images can be to us baby boomers.
   My wife and I finally quit smoking 19 years ago.

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Back To Work

   It was a nice, if busy, week off. But now, I'm back at it for the next several months. Unlike the past 2 years, I was unable to can a batch of salsa this year. That's due in large part to tomato blight hitting our plants, but also to a very busy week off.
   I won't bore you with the details, other than to say that a good chunk 3 of my days off were spent in various doctor's offices, including an ear specialist in Regina. The upshot of that was I'll likely need a hearing aid. Surprise, surprise.
   Another couple of days were spent overseeing the installation of a storm door on the front of the house. It faces north, so in winter it can get very chilly indeed. It also plays havoc with the locks, to the point where I've needed a professional lock service to fix things. We also had a hall closet in the kitchen turned into a pantry. Nothing fancy, but somewhere other than a few cluttered cupboards we can put food stuffs.
   The only thing I missed about having more time off this morning was the luxury of rolling over and getting an hour or 2 more sleep after waking at my usual time of 03:45. And for the record, yes: It's nice to be back at work.

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Vacation

   I will be taking my final week of vacation next week. Aside from having some work down on the house, and a trip to Regina for (more) medical tests, I don't have much planned. Thanks to an outbreak of tomato blight, our crop was ruined, so if I make salsa again, it'll have to be with store-bought tomatoes.
   I'll be back on Tuesday, September 4th.
   Meantime, I'm celebrating a bit of a milestone at GX94 Radio. Sunday will mark my 5th anniversary here. Our General Manager took the time to put a little collage together, with the following comment

   Congrats to Morning News Man Craig Wallebeck and his many personas, they are all celebrating 5 years with Harvard Yorkton this Sunday August 26th!
   Next month will also mark my 21st year with parent company Harvard Broadcasting, and next February is my 40th in the industry. Give or take.

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Another Smoky Day

   Smoke from wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia is again being dragged into our area after a change in weather patterns. The smoke was with us most of last week, but another change in the weather blew it out over the weekend. But a return to a westerly flow means it's back.
   Special air quality statements have been issued for a good portion of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and there could be some areas of reduced visibility. There are also potential health concerns for the elderly and those (like myself) with breathing problems if it gets much thicker. Luckily, I have not been affected so far.
   Getting smoke from distant fires is not unusual for this time of year, we've had it in the past, and a lot denser, than we're getting it now. And the change in the weather pattern also means a return to the heat we had last week, with Friday's high right now forecast for 33 C.
   We've got central air conditioning, so neither the heat or smoke will be an issue in the house.

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Hot, Hot Heat

   It's going to be blisteringly hot in our region for the next few days, with highs near 35 by the weekend. Not quite as hot as parts of Europe, but hot nonetheless. A trough of high pressure is sweeping hot air from the desert in the U.S southwest is responsible, and Environment Canada is expected to issue heat warnings in the next few days.
   It's not going to get a whole lot cooler at night, with lows in the mid-teens. Normally at this time of year, our high is 24, the low 11. One good thing about the system bringing the heat is the chance of severe weather is very low. Not out of the question, but low.
   Fortunately for us, we have air conditioning at home, in the car, and where we both work. A lot of people don't, so the advice is to stay indoors, stay hydrated, and try and get cool. Same with peoples pets.
   While it's going to be well above my personal "comfort zone" for the next few days, you'll not hear me complain. Especially since in 6 months it'll be -35, and we'll look back on this and wish for the warmth.

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I'm O-Kay

   Hopefully, this will be the last health-related blog I'll post for quite some time, but it does continue the theme from past posts (see below). After fracturing a bone in my wrist, it was strongly suggested I take on a family doctor. Something I hadn't had in well over 30 years. Why? Basically because I'm lazy, and procrastinate. The other reason is simple. I don't feel all that bad, aside from some aches and pains.
   But find a doctor I did. And I found out (not surprisingly) I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are both now being treated. I have yet to be subjected to a full physical, but my saw-bones did order some blood work and an ECG, which I have never had.
   The results from both gave me some encouragement. Aside from the blood pressure an cholesterol issues, he says everything else is within normal limits for a man my age and fitness. Or lack thereof.
   Now, I've just go to get off my duff, start some kind of fitness program and eat more sensibly. I'll let you know how that works out.

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I'm Bad

   As regular viewers will know, I fractured a bone in my left wrist 3 weeks ago after taking a tumble at home. I'd been in a half-cast ever since:

   But this morning, and even though it's probably at least a week early, that cast HAD to come off. Having the thing on hadn't been bothering much. Until this morning. For some unknown reason, my left thumb started to get painful. I admit I'm a bit of a baby when it come to pain, but I figured I'd "tough it out". I couldn't. The pain just continued to get worse, and there was no way I could go to the E.R at my local hospital to get it checked out. So, I did the thing I told myself not to do, and pulled it off.
   I know I'll probably be back at the hospital again to have another one put on, but I just couldn't take the ache anymore. And even after a couple of hours out of the cast, I still hurt, Like I said, I'm a bit of a baby when it comes to pain.

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Getting Better

   It's been 2 weeks since I had my fall walking to the car from my house (see blog entry below), breaking a bone in my left wrist and doing soft tissue damage to the right one. Went to see the doctor earlier this week, and he says the cast will stay on for at least another 2.
   As for "righty", that's just going to have to heal on it's own. Truth be told, the right wrist is feeling better these days, but will still take time to fully recover.
   Luckily, I can still use a keyboard almost as fast as I could before the accident, and my voice has finally recovered from my bout of strep throat.
   Just a quick update.

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A Rough Week

   I haven't posted anything for a while, and there's a good reason. I was off all last week sick. I started getting a sore throat back on June 29th, but felt fine on the Saturday. Sunday, it hit again, and Monday it was all I could do to even swallow.
   So last Tuesday, (Monday July 1st was a holiday) I trekked to my local walk-in clinic, got diagnosed with strep throat, was handed 2 prescriptions and went on my merry way.
   Until Thursday:

   I did that walking to the car to get some much needed food for the house. And somehow got a foot wrong while stepping from the sidewalk to the grass. I went down. Hard. Hurt both wrists, and also banged my noggin. There was no sign of concussion, so I went about what I was doing. Until Friday.
   I decided I'd better get checked out after my spill, and went to the ER at our local hospital. X-rays confirmed a fracture in my left wrist, but surprisingly just tissue damage in the right. I honestly thought I'd broken that one too. The upshot is I'll be in a half-cast for the next 3 weeks or so while I heal.
   I do have to give a thumbs up to the doctor who tended to me, though:

   He walked into the exam room, and tried to fist-bump me. Funny stuff, doc. 'Course, I got him back by asking if I'd be able to play guitar better after I heal. He said "yes", although he would've done a re-think if he actually heard me play.

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Too Much Time On My Hands

   One of the pleasures about getting into the office at 04:00 and leaving at noon is having the afternoon to myself. I can potter around the kitchen, cut the lawn (or shovel the sidewalk in winter), or just relax for a bit. But no nap. If I have a nap, I usually can't sleep at night, throwing my whole schedule out of whack. Yesterday, I chose to relax.
   A bit of an aside here, but it's necessary, so please be patient. For my major new casts, I try and find a funny or lighter side story to end the package with. We call them "kickers", and yesterday, I had a doozie! Apparently, there's a group "recruiting" for a new "country". Asgardia, founded in Austria, is looking to have people sign up to become citizens of the world's first Space Nation. They promise to colonize the moon, and want 150 million people to sign up, and set up "space arks" where people can permanently live in outer space.

   And that's where relaxing turned into having way too much time on my hands. I signed up:

   No, I did not use my real name, but since Asgardia was named after Asgard, a world in the sky in ancient Norse mythology, so I figured my Asgardian name should reflect that. Aegir was the Norse god of the oceans, and Heimdall was the god that watched the bridge leading to Asgard. Asgardia has it's own flag, coat of arms and national anthem.
   I think I need a new hobby. Or at least do something more productive to fill that idle time.

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Night Retreats

   Just over a year ago (April 28/17 to be exact..It's Getting Light Earlier) I blogged about the change of seasons, and the fact that, yes, it was getting lighter earlier. I mentioned in that blog about living in part of the world where you could still see the "line of darkness" between day and night.
   It's not easy to see, probably because I was a few minutes too late taking it, but this picture shows that. True, it's very near the horizon, but there is a definite line between the retreat of night, and the advance of day. Again, I took the picture a little too late, and with a crappy cell phone camera.
   But it points out once more the fact that I'm fortunate enough to live in part of the world where light pollution doesn't spoil such events, even though they do happened each and every day.

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A Tough Decision

   We love pets. We love them so much, my wife and I decided it was time to fill the void left when one of our boy-cats had to be put to sleep due to illness. So, cat-carrier in hand., I went to our local animal shelter this weekend, looking to add to our furry family. And I found one. A (large) male cat about 5 or 6 years old. He's neutered, and had his shots before I picked him up.
   We got home Saturday afternoon. And that's when the trouble started. At first, our newest addition seemed okay. We are very well aware there's a period of time when the animal gets used to us and vice-versa. And we would have been fine with that. But things took a few turns for the worse.
   Our budding new cat started scrapping with our 15 or 16 year old boy-cat several times. The worst was Sunday night when they got locked into each other. We finally had to use pillows, and literally beat them apart. Our elder cat may have come off the worse, and I'll be keeping a very close eye on him. I just shudder to think what would've happened if the "new guy" had gotten hold of our little girl. She's literally half his size, and I fear the outcome would've been an awful lot worse. We've seen, and broken up, cat fights in the past, but the level and intensity of violence in that one was frightening.
   The other major problem was the cat also had a go at my wife. We don't believe it was intentional, but when she picked him up to move him, he rounded on her, and bit and clawed her left hand to the extent that she was bleeding. We think he was just reacting to a new environment, and it was a defensive thing. Nevertheless, I had to take my wife to hospital for treatment, and a tetanus shot.
   The upshot of all this is the cat will be going back to the animal shelter. It's something neither of us want to have happen, but it has to be. If for nothing else than the safety of our other 2 cats. But it's still a hard decision to take.
   Despite all this, we feel he's basically a good cat at heart, and would be a perfect fit in a home with no other animals. And we both hope he finds a loving, caring home soon. Sadly, it just can't be ours.

TTFN

Back!

   And it was a great 2 weeks away. I didn't even mind the long 10 hour drive between Yorkton and Calgary each way. As mentioned in my post below, we caught up with family and friends and generally had a good time. Traffic wasn't even that bad leaving on the Saturday morning of the May long weekend. In fact, I never saw 1 RCMP car the entire trip out.
   One thing I am glad I bought was a portable GPS for the car. I would've been completely lost within minutes of hitting Calgary city limits, not to mention heading out for visits. My old neighbourhoods I could have navigated around, but after 32 years of not living there, anything else would have been a nightmare.
   We also did a quick run to Regina days after we got back from the big trip so my wife could hit her favourite greenhouses and get her plants for the season.
   Next up, trip-wise, is the annual trek to Regina for the annual Secret Garden's Tour in July. Meantime, it's good to be "back in the saddle" again, and back at work.

TTFN

Gone!

   And it starts as soon as I've done the 12:00 Noon major newscast. For the first time in quite a while, my wife and I have actually managed to coordinate our time off, and we'll be hitting the road. We'll be driving to Calgary tomorrow to visit our few remaining family members, and I'm going to get together with some high school buddies I haven't seen in 40+ years. It'll be interesting to compare notes, along with medical conditions. I admit I'm not exactly looking forward to the trek. It's about 10 hours between here and Calgary, and it's the long holiday weekend, so there will be more idiots on the road aside from me.
   I'll be back working, and blogging, June 5th.

TTFN

He Gave Us Quite A Scare

   This little guy gave us quite a scare this past weekend. Friday, he started vomiting bile or some kind of liquid. My wife says he did it about 15 times. No food, just liquid. Then, he started hunching over like he's trying to go poo. Which he did. On the kitchen floor. Twice. Saturday, he was almost back to normal, but Sunday, more vomit. He also passed what my wife described as a rock-hard almost rectangular shaped mass along with some poo. He was fine again yesterday.
   Needless to say, we took him to the vet, who gave him a good going over, palpitated his abdomen, and found nothing extraordinary. Figures the little guy must've had an almost petrified fur-ball he finally got rid of. Gave us some medicine to help him pass anything left.
   Still, quite a scare. Especially after losing our other boy cat last month. And the fact he's "getting on in age", at about 14 or 15.
   Quit scaring us kitty!

TTFN

There's A First Time For Everything

   And last night was one of those "firsts". Regular viewers will know our radio station runs a promotion called "Supper in the Field", where we take dinner to an area farmer who is picked at random from a weekly submission.
   Last night was the 1st for the spring series of 6, and we ended up on the Kitz farm near Langenburg. After making the presentations to the winner, his son asked if the 6 members of our staff who attended would mind autographing the flag we hand out as part of the prize pack.

   Needless to say, we were more than happy to oblige. They made us all feel like stars, even if we don't consider ourselves that.

TTFN

Happy Star Wars Day

   It is May 4th, and fans of the franchise will be rolling out their light sabres and Darth Vader masks. I am not one of them. This may be heresy, but I'm not a fan of the franchise. True, I did go see the very first one when it came out in 1977. My only thought was: Meh. It's nothing more than a bad Western set in outer space. I did go to the 2nd movie, but walked out about half-way through, and I haven't seen any of the seemingly endless parade of sequel/prequels since.
   So, for me at least, today's a washout. But I am looking forward to tomorrow. May the 5th be with me

TTFN

Just When You Think You're Done With Winter

   You can't see it all that well, but it's snowing, and (as of the time of my writing this post) it has been for a couple of hours, and it's +1 Celsius. In fact, we went from a high yesterday of 26 C to this.
   It won't be around long, in fact it's melting as soon as it hits the ground. And we won't be getting much out of it with a high today of 9, and warming up through the week.
   All this, just as the last remnants of this past winter's snowfalls had finally melted. But the moisture will be welcome.

TTFN

The New Prince Has A Name

   He was born Monday morning in London, and is William and Kate's 3rd child. He's 5th in line to the throne, and the 6th great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth. And now his name has been officially announced. He's Louis Arthur Charles, and his official title will be His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge.
 Louis is certainly a popular name in the royal family. His brother George, father William, grandfather Charles all have Louis as a middle name. It's also the 71st most popular name for a baby boy in England or Wales, although it's likely to become more popular now.

TTFN

It's A Boy

   The Duchess of Cambridge, the former Kate Middleton, gave birth to her 3rd child with Prince William this morning.
   An 8 pound, 7 ounce (3.8 kilo) boy was born at 11:01 London time in a private ward at St. Mary's Hospital in central London.
   The boy, who's name has not yet been announced, is the 5th in line to the British Throne. He's also a new brother to 4 year old Prince George and 2 year old Princess Charlotte. He's also the 6th great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, and the 3rd grandchild for Charles, Prince of Wales.
   Mother and baby are said to be doing fine.

TTFN

A Sad Day

   We had to say "goodbye" to this fellow yesterday. Aslan (named after the lion in the Narnia series) had been part of our family for 11 years, 4 months and 2 days. Yes, I counted. Up until a few weeks ago, he'd been a healthy, very robust cat. But he suddenly started vomiting 2 or 3 times a day, and had quit eating his normal share of food. We'd been taking him to the vet for treatment, but nothing seemed to work.
   When we originally got him in December, 2006, he was over 7 kilos. When we took him in for the final time, he might have been 5, a considerable weight loss for a cat. We don't know what was wrong, although we and the vet suspect cancer.
   Losing him, and he was a member of the family, was tough. But probably hardest on our son. When we went to the Humane Society in Regina to add to our family after our girl cats departed, he was the one who reached out of his cage, grabbed my son's arm and dragged him closer. That bond never diminished, even after our son moved away for a time.
   He is, and will be missed.

TTFN

A Tragic Weekend

   As many of you are aware, there was a horrific accident in Saskatchewan Friday evening when a semi and a bus collided on a highway in the northern part of the province near Tisdale. The bus was carrying 29 members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Humboldt Bronco's to a playoff game in Nipawin. 15 people, including players, coaching staff, broadcast team and the bus driver all died. 14 other people were injured and, at the time of this writing, 12 remain in hospital. 4 are in critical condition. The driver of the semi was not physically injured. RCMP continue to investigate, but any final report could be months away.
   Saskatchewan has a small population, just over 1.1 million, and just over half live in small cities, towns and communities across the province. There is a real sense of community here, and not just the smaller centres, but the 2 big cities as well. And it extends well past the hockey community, which is very large, to society as a whole. That's why vigils held in rinks and arena's Sunday were so well attended. The sense of community, and the sense of a community wide grief. A go-fund-me page has already received 6.4 million dollars.
   Condolences and tributes poured in from far and wide. Prime Minister Trudeau and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe were both at the vigil in Humboldt, and even the Queen and Prince Phillip offered condolences.
   In the hockey community, even among casual players, hockey sticks have been left outside people's doors in tribute. The NHL Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks paid tribute by wearing the word BRONCO'S where their nameplates would normally be. Both teams also stood surrounding centre ice for a minute silence.
   It's said time is the best healer, and the hockey team, league and community will, in time, get back to normal. The scars will, however, be felt for years to come.

TTFN

It's Friday, January 87th, 2018

   I know, it's really April 6th. But when I rolled out of the house for work this morning, it felt more like early January. A dome of cold Arctic air, also called a "Polar Vortex", is still gripping a good chunk of the province. When I left home, it was -19 C, and the windchill was -31.
   And there's not much relief in store for the next day or so, either. Tonight it's supposed to dip down to -19 again, and only get up to -9 for a high Saturday. By Monday, though, warmer air will start flooding into the region, with a high of plus 1 in the forecast. Which will be more than welcome.
   I can't (or don't want to) remember the last time I had to put on my bog winter parka and ugly ear-flap hat in April, but I had to this morning

TTFN

Out Like A Lion

   March is going out pretty much the same way it came in. Like a lion. True, we won't face another dump of 40 cm (16 inches) of snow like we did at the start of the month, but it's going to be a brutal end to it.
   We're in for overnight temperatures more commonly seen in January or February. It was -14 C this morning (and -25 in some areas), but we're expecting the mercury to dip down to -20 tonight. With a windchill near -30 or lower.
   On the bright side, it is getting lighter earlier and longer, and the temperature has moderated a bit (until now). But March, in my opinion, is definitely going out like a lion.
   Happy Easter, everyone!

TTFN

The Results Are In

   And this year, GX94 came in 3rd in the annual Ducks Unlimited Bar-Be-Cue sauce competition. Our sister FM station placed 2nd.
   As always, the meal was great

   Ribs, chicken and all the trimmings. I have no idea how much was actually raised for D.U, but I'm sure they brought in quite a bit from the meal and auctions they run during the evening.
   I'm not usually one to gripe about anything, and honestly, the best sauce did win the competition, but when I tried mine, the flavour was not the same as my home-cooked one. I don't know if they somehow misread or changed the recipe, or if it simply was down to the large volume of sauce needed for the competition, but it had changed drastically.
   Again, no sour grapes, my entry didn't win fair and square. But even trying the entry from our sister FM station, I noticed theirs had changed too. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it.
   And, there's always next year!

TTFN

Spring My Aunt Fanny!

   Spring officially arrived in Saskatchewan at 10:15 this morning, but you'd be hard-pressed to see any sign of it today. This was the view from one of our windows this morning

   It's been snowing since yesterday, and we've had about 2 to 3 cm. Not much, when you consider the storm we had a couple of weeks ago that dumped 40 cm on the area, but still more than enough for me.
   Ironically enough, it was a year ago today, the first day of spring 2017, we had a "mini-blizzard":

   The arrival of the new season (such as it is right now), had GX94 Morning man Danny Ismond asking listeners "Fill in the blank: Spring is here when I see ___________." Quite a few people say their first sign is seeing robins, others gophers. I one this morning, as a hare was hopping through the lumber yard behind our building. He had a noticeable brown patch in the fur on his back.
   But I also told Danny the surest sign of spring for me is when people take their snowmobile out of the back of their pickup, and put an AVT in instead.
   Happy Spring!
   TTFN