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.

TTFN

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!

TTFN

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.

TTFN

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.

TTFN

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.

TTFN

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.

TTFN