About Platy, a Canary, and other happy things

 Looking back much has happened in 2013. I wrote about many things on my blog. Some were happy some sad. I’d like to close the year with a happy note. Nothing important in this little article, just something that brings me joy.

In October 2012 I bought a pair of Red Wagtail Platy. I put them into a separate 15 gallon tank and the female dropped a small batch of young on April 2nd, 2013. Five survived. She dropped another five about a month later, but all of them died. I don’t know why.

I removed the male from the tank and put him into my 100 gallon tank, but he didn’t live for long. It is possible he was already old. The female died not long after. The five little ones grew and one of the females dropped young in December. I didn’t record the exact day.

There is a mass of moss-like stuff growing in the tank. I have no idea what this plant is called and how it got in there, but I let it grow. It doesn’t do any harm and gives the young a place to hide.

Yesterday I counted 7 little ones. There could be more. I hope they survive. They should be large enough by now to escape from being eaten by their parents, uncles and aunts.

I have 4 catfish in the tank also, but they don’t bother the young Platy. Here is a picture of the tank. If you look close enough you’ll see a couple of young in the left hand corner close to the bottom.

Our little canary, Eddie, is also growing and singing up a storm. He was born at the beginning of August and isn’t even 5 months old yet. He is a strange little bird. The strangest we’ve had so far. Very demanding. If he doesn’t sings he complains about something, mostly his food. He loves his lettuce, apple, and broccoli for lunch and he sure can put away large chunks of these treats. He chirps loudly and continuously until he gets it.

For some reason he is quite content inside his cage. We have to force him to stay outside, because he is so reluctant to leave the safety of his cage. When my wife cleans the cage every morning, she opens the door. He sits in the doorway and just looks outside but doesn’t fly out. The only way we get him to be outside for a while is by lifting the cage off him. Then he reluctantly jumps off the counter to land on the floor. I mean jump not fly. He walks around the floor for a bit and then hops back into his cage, which we put onto the floor.

Today, however, he actually flew off the counter and flew around in the kitchen, not high, but at least he discovered he is a bird with wings. Finally, he flew back onto the counter and hopped through the open door into his cage. Then he started eating.

Talk about eating. We’ll be going out for supper tonight to celebrate New Year’s Eve. It’s a buffet and we will be dining on lobster, prawns, Muscovy duck breast, bacon wrapped beef tenderloin, herb roast chicken, and various salads. Should be great. Too bad I’m going into the New Year with a cold. I’m still coughing a little. Hopefully, I can keep it under control tonight. I’ve been looking forward to this supper all month.

I wish everyone a smooth transition into the year 2014 and hope you come back to read more about what I’m up to.

Don’t drink too much, stay healthy, and have a

Happy New Year

The storm is over

The winter storm is over. Yesterday we had blowing snow with high winds. Our driveway was covered with about 30 cm (approx. 1 ft) of snow, even though only around 15 cm of snow fell. It’s the wind that creates snowdrifts. We had nearly 2 ft in front of the garage door. It was cold this morning. Minus 34 C, felt like minus 44.

My wife and I went out to clear the driveway at 11:00 am and were done by noon. We have a long and wide driveway and it usually takes us about one hour to clean it...if we both work at it. I wore my snowmobile suit, my head covered with a balaclava inside the hood, and I was comfy warm. On my hands I wore a pair of woollen gloves (no fingers) inside a pair of leather gloves (without fingers, also) and they did the trick. My hands didn’t get cold. Usually it’s the fingers that get cold first.

Fortunately, my snow blower behaved. I had some trouble with it last year, so I gave it a tune-up in the fall, but then the belt that drives the blower blades ripped and I had to replace it. It was a good thing the belt ripped right after I finished with blowing the driveway, giving me the chance and the time to get a new belt before the next snowfall. Sometimes the Universe is kind. I just wish it would have been kind enough not to give me this cold I’m fighting right now. My voice is rough because of a sore throat and it is an effort to talk. So I’m using my hands a lot when I communicate with my wife. I would have rather stayed inside today instead of blowing snow, but if it isn’t done right after the storm, the snow turns hard and heavy, making it difficult to blow. Well, we did it...until the next snowstorm.

Now the sun is shining and it doesn’t even look as if we had a snow storm. They did the street overnight and everything is back to normal. We didn’t go anywhere yesterday. The highways were snow-covered and slippery, the visibility low. Unless someone really needs to go somewhere, like work, it is foolish to even try. There were plenty of accidents, people getting stuck in the snow or sliding off the road. However, there are always those who have to tempt fate, feeling invulnerable and secure in their ability to manoeuvre a vehicle. Until Mother Nature proves them wrong. We probably wouldn’t even have made it out of our driveway, never mind trying to plough through the deep snowdrifts on our road. Difficult, if not impossible, without a 4 wheel drive.

We had invited some friends over for yesterday evening but had to cancel and reschedule.

So this year goes out like a lion for us. We already have plenty of snow and the temperature is below normal for this time of year. I wonder what the rest of the winter is going to be like.

I cleaned the birdfeeders and put in new seeds for the birds. We mustn’t forget about our feathered little friends. They suffer in this cold weather and need all the help they can get to make it through the winter. All we get now are sparrows and chickadees; sometimes a few woodpeckers and blue jays come for a snack. We love them all, even the lonely little squirrel that fights its way through the snow, climbs up the chokecherry tree and jumps onto the roof of the feeder. Maybe in the summer we’ll chase the little guy away, now he (or maybe it’s a she) is welcome. We have enough sunflower seeds to feed everyone.

The Walking Dead

I just finished watching the final episode of The Walking Dead. The final episode, number 16,  of Season 3, which was aired in 2012. There are already 8 episodes of season 4. I only watched the first 5 minutes of it and I am hooked again. I love the show. Plenty of action and good character development.

You see, my wife doesn't like the show, so I have to watch it when I'm alone, which doesn't  happen too often. Actually, she was home today, but I am suffering from a bout of larengitis today, so she said, "Why don't you relax today. Perhaps you want to watch your Walking Dead." I said, "What a great idea, so I did. I still had 2 episodes to go. I watched them both. The only thing  is I can't  turn up the sound, but that's no problem. I have headphones hooked up to the TV. Usually, I watch those shows she doesn't watch when I'm walking on the treadmill, which I haven't  been doing much off lately. Never seem to have enough time.

The reason my wife doesn't like the show is because it is about Zombies. She doesn't like Zombies. I told her it isn't all about Zombies, it is about how people behave in situations of stress, when tragedies strike, and when the world around them falls apart. Okay, there is a lot of gore and blood, but once you are over the shock of watching that, it isn't  so disturbing anymore. Killing Zombies is just part of the story.

I can't wait to begin watching the new episodes. But it will have to wait until next year. Sounds so far away, but I know it isn't. It will give me an incentive to do some walking on the treadmill. Now that the Christmas rush and the Fall rush is over things should slow down a bit.

We're supposed to get a winter storm with up to 15 cm of snow tonight and tomorrow. We may even get blizzard conditions. Not looking forward to that. I just finished blowing the snow off the driveway and I'm feeling a bit under the weather. Maybe the storm will miss us. It has happened before. I sure don't envy the people on the West and East coast. They are being hammered right now. There are still so many people without power in the Toronto area. I have a generator, which gives me a little peace of mind. I can always hook up my furnace to it, as long as we have the gas working, should we get a power outage. We can cook on the BBQ or on a small propane cooker.

Let's hope, though, it doesn't happen.

A Christmas wish

I was raised a Protestant, a Lutheran, in Germany where I grew up. There were only two accepted religions in those days: Lutherans and Catholics. Everyone paid a church tax. It was deducted from your income. If you didn’t want to pay church tax, you had to declare that you were an Atheist. There were other religious groups, but they were considered sects. One of the subjects in School was Religion and nobody complained about it.

My parents were quite religious, without being fanatical about it. We went to church every Sunday, we prayed before and after dinner, and I wanted to become a Pastor when I grew up. My mom read us biblical stories before we went to bed, and we celebrated Christmas, or more precisely, Christmas Eve, the way Christmas is celebrated in Germany.

Christmas was considered a time of celebration, the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. There were two days of celebration: The first and second Christmas Day. Most people had those two days off. It was a time for family to get together. Sure, we got presents, but they were mainly meant for the children and they were not extravagant. Christmas was a holy event and not something to be exploited commercially.

Here in America (I’m talking about the US and Canada), Christmas is celebrated on the first day, and that’s it. Years back Boxing Day used to be the day when people took back their presents and exchanged them, but now it is a day were people’s ambition is to get the best deal on stuff they may not even want or need.

Christmas is not what it used to be anymore. Merchants start advertising already in October. We have ‘Before Boxing Day’ sales, we have ‘Pre-Christmas’ sales. Stores are open until midnight and beyond on Christmas Eve. We have one day where Christmas is celebrated, and then comes the ‘real’ Boxing Day’. After that it is ‘Boxing Day week’. In other words Christmas has turned into a circus, a time to make money for merchants and for shoppers to get bargains. The real spirit of Christmas has disappeared. It seems people don't even know why they celebrate Christmas.

In fact, it isn’t politically correct anymore to use the word ‘Christmas’. Now it is ‘Holiday’ or 'The Season'. We had a School in Winnipeg where the principal decided to do away with the Christmas concert; instead they were going to have a Holiday Celebration with African Drums. Fortunately, it caused quite an uproar and they cancelled that wonderful idea, for this year anyway. Our government is giving in to minority groups, to people who have been given a chance for a good life and now they are trying to change our way of living. And if anyone complains or even talks about it, that person is considered a hatemonger, a bigot, or some kind of Redneck. I’m all for tolerance, but it works both ways.

I’m not as religious as I used to be, I didn’t become a Pastor, and I don’t belong to any particular church, but I still believe in the Spirit of Christmas. I will not be intimidated by those forces who want to change the customs of this great country. We are still a Christian country and I will say ‘Merry Christmas’.

Even if one isn’t religious or doesn’t believe in Jesus, there is nothing wrong with the message that is part of the celebration of Christmas, of his birth.

Peace on Earth and good will to all mankind.



We need that in these violent times where terrorists, who hate everything they don't believe in or can't have and everyone who is different, are trying to throw the world into chaos.

  
Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

A poem for Christmas

I said it before: I don’t consider myself a poet, but I do write the occasional poem, mainly for my wife. She is my inspiration. I usually write her one for her birthday, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas. I’ve written probably over 50 so far. When I told her I want to publish them, she said they belong to her and are not mine to publish. And I respect her wish, but sometimes I make an exception and publish one, like the poem I wrote for her for this Christmas. Here it is:

A Christmas poem for my wife

Christmas joy and Christmas cheer

Another Christmas Eve is here

We take stock of what we have

We may cry but also laugh

Many Christmases we now have had

Most were happy, some were sad

We remember loved ones, no longer here

We may even shed a little tear

But mainly we do celebrate

We eat chocolates and cookies from a plate

We drink coffee or a cup of tea

We enjoy spending time with our family

The children are waiting for Santa to arrive

The little one is four, going on five

There is no greater pleasure and joy

Than watching a child unwrap a new toy

Bows and ribbons are everywhere

It’s a bit messy, but we don’t care

Let’s have a drink, or maybe two

It’s Christmas Eve and I love you

The best present I ever received in my life

Was the day when you became my wife

You were all I ever needed my dear

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year

Writing a poem isn’t much different from writing a story. First, of course, I need a theme, but my heart has to be in it also. That’s why writing a poem for my wife is easy. 

Like I said, I’m not into poems and haven’t done any studies on how to write them. I’m sure there are rules. However, sometimes other writers publish their poems on the forums I visit and I must say, I’ve read some awful stuff. Some so-called poems don’t rhyme at all. The writers just write a string of words, sometimes unfinished sentences, and give them their own lines. This is an example of what I’ve seen (not exactly something I read. I made this one up, but it is close enough to give you an idea):

Ice, Water, cold

Must go swimming

Cold, cold, cold

Wet and strange

Clouds in the sky

Flowers and rain

Beauty everywhere

Snowflakes in the clouds

Fairies dancing

Blah...blah...blah...

Went out into the rain

Saw mud all over the place

Strange, how the sounds make echoes

Everywhere mud and water

Must write a poem about this

Wonderful experience with water

in the can and in the sky

Fell into a puddle

And got wet

And dirty

Crazy people watch

Must fly to Africa (Huh?)

The mantra of the world rests on my shoulders

And it is my calling to follow it

Blah...blah...blah.

I’m not kidding, I read similar stuff like that. It doesn’t make any sense and it doesn’t even rhyme, but then again, I’m not a poet. What do I know?

Merry Christmas to you all.

If anyone of you faithful readers is interested in reading more about poems, perhaps get a little chuckle, I wrote about this (much of it exactly the same stuff) on my book blog Herbert’s Place. I added a few things to it to make it a bit humorous. Couldn’t help myself. Here is the link: http://www.hegro.blogspot.com/  

Are parents with many children irresponsible?

My parents on both sides had eight siblings. In the early twentieth century and before that time families were still large, especially those who lived in rural areas. City dwellers didn’t usually have many children. In was different in villages and rural areas. Children were considered cheap labour to help with the work in the fields. And there was always enough food on the table. Clothing was handed down from one child to another. Kids didn’t have to wear designer clothes to be cool. Mothers made the clothes themselves. They sewed and they knitted.

But that has changed. Farmers now have machinery to make life easier. They don’t need as many children. And yet, we still have couples who have too many children. I say too many, because it seems it is the poor people, who can’t really afford to feed so many mouths, who have all those children. I don’t even want to talk about the third world countries. That’s another sad story.

With Christmas near, some of the charities have drives to buy hampers with food and presents for the needy. It is a noble thing to do. But the other day they showed a single mom with nine children. I don’t know if she was widowed, divorced, or never married. They didn’t say that. But in either case I’m wondering: NINE  children? It is bad enough if she is divorced or widowed to have so many children, but should she have never been married, then it is a great tragedy. Obviously, she was poor, since she got a food hamper. So why would she be so irresponsible and have nine children?

When the subject of having many children in this day and age came up a while ago with somebody in my family, I voiced my opinion and was told, “Well, that woman with those eight children (not the one I saw on TV), has a lot of love to give.” Maybe she has, she is also very selfish if she can’t properly feed, house, and dress all those kids. And how about giving them a descent education? Where is the money coming from?

The other day it was in the news about some politician (I don’t remember his name) who said he doesn’t think it is his responsibility to raise his neighbor's children. There was a great uproar over that remark. They called him heartless and other names. Sorry, I have to agree with the man. My wife and I had two kids, mainly because we realized it was expensive to raise children properly and give them a good home. Too many people in a regular house have to live in crowded conditions, to have more than three children requires a larger car, and, of course, demand many other expenses. Food is expensive, clothing is expensive, education is expensive.

A while ago somebody else said that it takes a village to raise one child. Wonderful.
So you just go ahead and produce a whole herd of children and don’t worry about raising them? The village will look after that? Give me a break! You make the children, you raise them. Why should it take a whole village to raise a child?

I’m sure there will be many who will take offense in what I’m writing. That’s okay. I just write how I feel about it. It is my right. People need to take more responsibility for their actions and not shoulder them onto other people. If someone runs into hard times with no fault of their own, of course they need help and should be helped. That is just the descent thing to do, but I make an exception when people are reckless and do stupid things without any regard of the consequences and then expect everyone else to help them out, like feeding nine children they should never have had in the first place.

The time for large families is a thing of the past, unless one has the means to look after them properly. We have to be responsible and bring only so many children into this world as we can feed and take care of. Anything else is irresponsible and stupid, and, actually, a form of child abuse.

Unfortunately, love is not enough. It takes more than that to properly raise a child.

Christmas is coming

Yesterday we decorated our Christmas tree. It is a bit smaller than in other years, but it has a nice shape. It is a Balsam Fir, grown in Canada. I bought it at the Superstore in Winnipeg for $24.95 plus tax. Not a bad price, considering last year I paid twice that. Sure, the tree was taller, but who cares. Actually, my wife does. She complained about this one being so short. We have a high ceiling in the living room and a tall tree makes a better impression.
Here is a picture of what the tree looks like after we decorated it:

Most of the ornaments are old. I'm talking 1060s. We did replace a few, because over the years some broke and some lost their glitter and color, but the new ones are not as nice as the old ones. Different material, also. When all the ornaments are hanging we still put some tinsel over it. The tinsel is also old. You can't buy it like that anymore. We are old-fashioned people and still believe in old values and ways. We don't care much for the way some trees are decorated these days, with all kinds of home-made stuff made from cloth and whatever else. But that's just us. Whatever works and pleases people. New generations, new ideas and ways, not all of them better than the old ones.

We celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December, Christmas Eve, like they do in Europe, mainly in Germany. That's still our tradition. Our children and grandchildren come and we have a nice supper, usually ham with red cabbage, and all the trimmings. After supper we open presents. (I hope I'll get some this year. Maybe I was too naughty (^_^).)

We don't go shopping on Boxing Day. Who needs to get caught in that mass of other shoppers? There are plenty of deals to be had long before Christmas and even after. We like to spend Boxing Day still with Family. It seems Christmas for most people is nothing but getting presents and buying stuff. Christmas has become too commercial. People have forgotten why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. When I was a kid, we used to go to Church in the afternoon, my dad, my two brothers, and I, while my mom decorated the tree and cooked Christmas dinner. The tree wasn't big, just tall enough to fit on top of a table. We didn't have many ornament, either. After supper, we opened presents. Then my mom read the Christmas story from the bible, she played her guitar and we sang Christmas songs and had a good time. We didn't have much, but we were probably happier and more relaxed than people are these days. Our presents were small, nothing compared to what adults and children get now. I remember one Christmas I got a mechanical bird you had wind up to make it walk. I loved it. It was all I needed and I was grateful. But Christmas is not about presents. Has never been.

There are forces out there who want to eliminate Christmas altogether. It's not politically correct anymore. They don't  say 'Merry Christmas', they say 'Have a nice holiday'. Too bad. We must not let that happen. I am not politically correct.I will not be influenced by the minorities who want to force their customs on our old traditions.

Merry Christmas.

The snow has stopped falling

Well, our winter storm is over. It lasted for a couple of days and brought from 17 to 27 cm of snow, depending where in Manitoba one lived. Of course, when you’re out there blowing the snow it seem like a meter has fallen. I am a retiree, which means I don’t really have to go anywhere when the weather is bad, but I had a dentist appointment on Thursday, in the morning, so I was forced to brave the extreme weather.

The worst of the storm was Wednesday. We were supposed to go to our grandson’s Christmas concert, but we didn’t go. According to the highway reports, there were vehicles in the ditches, roads were snow-covered and visibility low. Driving in the dark under such conditions is not a good idea. So we missed the concert. We had been looking forward to it, because our grandson was playing the clarinet. For the first time in a concert. We hadn’t heard him play yet.

Anyway, Thursday morning it wasn’t snowing anymore, but they hadn’t done the streets yet. I got my snow blower out and cleaned a path to the street. I even cleaned the street a bit so I could straighten out the car. Then I left. I followed tracks made by somebody who had driven before me, but it was still hair-raising until I got to the highway. A few times I thought I might get stuck in the snow, but I made it. On the highway between Lockport and Selkirk was a car in the ditch, already buried a bit under a thin blanket of snow. I figured whoever drove it, must have slid off the road already the evening before. I was glad we never ventured out then.

I was hoping by the time I came home, they’d have cleaned the street, but my hopes were dashed when I turned off the highway onto our street. The snow was still there. Sure, there were tracks also, but they had blown over a bit. When I finally drove into my garage, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I got out my snow blower and did the rest of the driveway. I was almost finished when the machine broke down. It still ran but didn’t blow any snow. So I finished the rest with a push shovel. When I opened the snow blower to check what the problem was, I discovered one of the belts in total shreds. I bought a new one and installed it today. The belt cost $24.00. Nothing is cheap anymore.

It is cold today. Minus 24 C right now (It’s 4:28 p.m.) The forecast for tonight is minus 30 C and it is supposed to stay cold like this for the rest of next week. I’m freezing just writing this down.

Yesterday, while shopping at Canadian Tire, they had a charity drive for a food hamper. If you donated $5.00 you got 3 tickets to win a Keurig Coffee maker. Well, guess what? We won the Coffee maker. It sells for $79.00 at Walmart. So Heidi was happy. She always wanted one.

Maybe now I’ll get away with not buying her anything for Christmas. I don’t know if this win counts as a present from me to her, because I filled out the tickets, so, technically, I won the prize. In the Spring of this year, at a raffle in our hunting club, I won a Black and Decker workbench. I already have one, so I gave it to my son for Father’s Day. I thought it was a nice present. Those things aren’t cheap. My granddaughter didn’t share my opinion, because she said, “That’s not really a present, Opa, because you won it.” So I told her, “I could have sold it for $25.00.”

But I know my son appreciated it. He didn’t have one before and he did want one. Those portable workbenches are great and quite practical. I know, because I’ve used mine a lot, especially when I was still in the workforce.

On another note, our friend is coming home from the hospital. They did some tests and discovered it wasn’t a tumor but cancer. We don’t know if that is better news.  He’ll be going for chemo. We hope it works.

Reflections about life

 

I don’t like to post sad things. I don’t like to write about sad things. I’d rather write about funny stuff and positive events. Unfortunately, life does not work that way. With happiness comes sadness. The Universe tosses obstacles onto the road we travel and trips us up. Sometimes we have to stop and take stock, evaluate where we are on the road and appreciate and enjoy what we have, appreciate our family and friends. And give thanks for the good life we lead, because it can change at any moment, sometimes without warning.

Last week we received news about the suicide of one of our son’s best friends. Today we got the call that one of our good friends is in the hospital with a brain tumor. That’s all we know so far. Results haven’t been in to decide what needs to be done...if anything can be done. He isn’t even retired yet. They have plans to retire at their cottage. Both of them are looking forward to spending their retirement relaxing and traveling. The cottage isn’t even finished yet and there is still so much to be done to get it ready for the life they are dreaming of. And now Fate in all it’s cruelty throws such a huge hurdle in front of them.

I remember when I was still working what one of my customers said to me. He was retired, probably in his early seventies. While watching me take a light fixtures from the ceiling of his old home to be taken to his new one, he suddenly blurted out, “I’m good for nothing.” When I asked why he would say that, he showed me his hands. They were shaking. “Look at these hands,” he said with a tearful voice. “I worked hard all my life. My wife and I were planning our retirement. We were going to travel. I was going to do woodworking, something I always wanted but never had time for. I have a $50,000 RV outside. We’ve never gone anywhere with it. I have all the tools one would need, but I can’t touch any power tools. It seems I got sick the day I retired.”

He had Parkinson’s Disease.

“Enjoy your life now,” he said, “because you never know what happens. Don’t push things off until you’re old. Do it now.”

Sadly, it is not always possible. Lack of money, lack of opportunity, our jobs and other commitments prevent us from doing what we would like to do. Most of us need to work just to survive. There never seems to be enough money to travel to the places we would like to see, or to buy the boat we dream of, or to take that fishing trip with our buddies. So we have RRSPs to make life a bit easier when we retire, we put money into other investments, hoping they grow to a nest egg we can use when we finally can kiss that job we are stuck in goodbye.

Some of us make it, some don’t. And when we make it we get all kinds of ailments that prevent us from really enjoying our retirement. Our joints and muscles ache when we get up, and they don’t stop aching. We don’t even feel like traveling to those exotic places. It doesn’t seem that important anymore. When we thought we’d have all the time in the world to dabble in hobbies we never had time for, we spend much of that time going to Physiotherapy, Doctor’s offices, Skin specialists, exercising, and even taking naps. We never took naps before, but suddenly it seems we are always tired.

The circle of our friends gets smaller every year. We don’t get together as much as we used to with the ones who are still with us.

That’s why it is important to stop and, to use an old saying, smell the roses. We can never say it enough to our family and to our friends: I love you and I’m glad you are here.

Sorry for this ‘Down-in-the-Dumps’ post, but I thought it was important. So, if you read this, take time out of your busy life and enjoy it. Be grateful you are alive and, if you’re religious, say a little prayer of thanks, or just meditate.

Leg cramps and how to deal with them

Once in awhile I get cramps on my legs. I also suffer from the occasional bout of RLS or Restless Leg Syndrome. It used to be much worse, but I discovered a way how to deal with it.

Leg cramps are painful. For me they usually happen after I go to bed or, sometimes, when I get into my car. Then it is usually my foot that cramps up.

Last night I got leg cramps. Probably because I didn’t drink enough water during the day. I read that when your body is dehydrated you may get leg cramps. Drinking water is important to prevent unpleasant attacks of different pains.

I tried stretching and relaxing, but nothing helped, so I finally got up and drank a glass of Tonic Water. Within 5 minutes the cramps went away.

It is the Quinine in the Tonic Water that does the trick. Drinking Tonic Water also helps with the Restless Leg Syndrome. The only problem is, when I drink Tonic Water I usually get heartburn, which means taking a tablet of Tums. Then I’m okay and ready to sleep.

Quinine occurs naturally in the bark of the cinchona tree. Those trees grow in South America, but have been introduced into other parts of the world. Quinine was used mainly to treat malaria until about 1940. Since then other drugs were made available. Apparently, some people are allergic to Quinine, and some people experience unpleasant side effects, like ringing in their ears, dizziness, nausea, and other symptoms. I’ve never had any.

It is possible that those people took doctor-prescribed pills and they were too strong. Tonic Water contains only small quantities of Quinine and should be safe for most people.

Quinine can also be purchased in pill form: Leg Cramps made by Hylands. They can be purchased in Health Stores. (Recently, I bought a bottle on the Internet from a store in the US and they were cheaper than in our local Health Store, and they were the same pills.) You take one or two pills under your tongue and let them dissolve. They have a pleasant taste. They are not as strong as the ones you buy in a Pharmacy and cheaper. We usually take them with us when we travel with the car or flying in a plane. But we found that even in a plane they usually serve Tonic Water.

I swear by Tonic Water. I’ve been using it for years and it has always helped me. I sometimes spent sleepless nights because of my restless legs, not anymore. Now I sleep like a baby, literally, because drinking all that water makes me get up a couple of times during the night to go to the bathroom, sometimes even three times, but I can take that small side effect. Beats wrestling with the bed sheets and the blanket because I don’t know what to do with my unruly legs. It also keeps me from waking up my wife. Two grouchy people the next day are not something our little Canary Eddie could deal with.

I can only hope that the drug companies don’t ever apply for a patent for Tonic Water. Then it would just be too costly to buy. By the way, I buy it at Walmart for 98 cents for  a 2 litre bottle. You don’t need to buy the expensive brands. They don’t work any better and taste the same.

By the way, drink only the Tonic Water and leave out the Gin (^_^). 

Just another beautiful day - or is it?

The snow is still falling. All the trees are white. They look beautiful. If one has the luxury of staying home it is a nice day, but if you have to go out there onto the treacherous streets it is a different story. I can just imagine how the traffic is in the city. The highways are just as dangerous. Listening to the radio this morning, I was happy to be home. Cars in the ditches, accidents, long lineups. Today I'm staying home. I'm not really surprised when I hear about all those accidents and cars in ditches. People never learn. Every year is the same. With winter comes snow and icy conditions on the roads. Smart drivers slow down, the idiots keep on driving carelessly and end up in accidents and the ditches. Unfortunately, they usually also involve the cautious drivers.

We were on the road yesterday. The highway wasn't too bad, but I took a bit more time with my driving. I gave myself one hour for a trip that takes 30 minutes in good driving conditions. And I made it to my destination with 5 minutes to spare.

Of course, there were those drivers that didn't give themselves the extra time. They were in a hurry. The ones driving trucks were the worst. They probably had 4 wheel drive and felt safe. They passed me and by doing so they created a hazard for me (and all the other slower, cautious drivers) by swirling up the snow that had accumulated between the lanes. Every time one of them passed, my vision was obscured and I couldn't see the road in front of me. I had to slow down even more to avoid driving off the road. Most of those drivers seem to lack any consideration for other drivers. Not everyone drives a truck or a car with 4 wheel drive.

Every year I probably take the same picture from my yard. Here is another one I took this morning. The snow is still fresh and unblemished by tracks from birds or rabbits.

 

Yes, it is a beautiful day for us who are still alive and can enjoy it. Looking out at the fresh snow and the beauty of nature lifts my spirits. Unfortunately, sad news can dampen any good feeling. My son called me this morning and told me that one of his best friends committed suicide a couple of days ago. He was 43 years old. I've known my son's friend pretty much as long as he did. When our boys were still living at home, they had their friends over all the time. They were playing Dungeons and Dragons in our basement, which was built-out. All of their friends felt at home at our place, going to the fridge to get a drink or a snack and we were happy to have them. We knew where and how our sons spent their time...with good friends at our house. When my son told me about the suicide I got all choked up and I am still in shock. It is always sad to lose someone you've known for a long time. We don't know why he did it, but he must have had a good reason. Apparently, he left a suicide note on his Facebook page. I haven't read it, because I was not in his circle of friends. I hope he is happy now wherever he is.

Getting the flu-shot

Last week we got our flu-shot. Been getting it for years. I believe in it, but there are still plenty of people who don’t think it necessary. They all have their own reasons, some are just stubborn, but so many are misinformed.

For instance, there is the misconception that you can get the flu from the flu-shot. That is not true, because the vaccine is made from dead viruses. You can’t get the flu from them. Some individuals are against any form of vaccination. They won't even let their children be immunized. I consider that irresponsible and almost a form of child abuse. Children have died from those childhood diseases. If they get them as adults those diseases can be fatal. The reasoning of these people is incomprehensible to me. They say  they won't put poison into their holy, clean bodies, but at the same time they smoke tobacco or dope, drink alcohol, take drugs, drink coffee, or cover their bodies with tattoos. If that isn't poison I don't know what is.

Every year over 200 000 people are hospitalized in the US because of the flu and nearly 35 000 die from the flu. Many of those would have lived had they gotten the flu-shot. There is no excuse for not getting vaccinated. It doesn’t hurt and flu-shots are available in hospitals, at clinics, and at doctor’s offices. Even in some pharmacies. It is free for pensioners in Canada. I don’t understand why people take the risk of becoming infected with the flu-virus when it so easily preventable.

It reminds me of certain religious groups who refuse to get blood transfusions. They claim it is against God’s will. That to me  is just plain crap. If it were against God’s will he wouldn’t make it available. That is the same with the flu-shot.

I think it is a crime not to take any advantage that is given to us to stay healthy. And getting the flu-shot is one way of staying healthy. For most people, anyway. It is irresponsible to take such chances. People who get the flu are a health risk to others. They may give it to somebody who just may die from it. I for one won't take that chance.

Today, while sitting in a waiting room, I read something I don’t agree with. I’ve heard this many times before: You don’t get a cold when your body gets wet and chilled.

That’s like saying: You don’t die when you jump off a high building.

Any idiot knows it is not the jump that kills you but when you hit the ground. That is the same with getting a chill. If I don’t wear something on my head when I go outside in cold weather and I get a chill, I can bet that within a short time I come down with a cold. Always. It is not something psychosomatic, that’s just the way it is with me. And I bet there are many people out there that have the same experience. I know it is not the chill that gives me the cold, but getting chilled acts like a catalyst. I’m not a doctor or researcher to explain why, but I figure when I get chilled my body defences are down and open the door to the bacteria or viruses that cause colds or the flu to attack my body. So to prevent this I cover up my head to keep it warm.

We had miserable weather today. It snowed. I would have stayed home if we didn’t have an appointment. Driving was treacherous and slow, but we got there in time. Looks like tomorrow I’ll have to clean my driveway again. Ahh, winter is so much fun. 

I'm looking for a new TV

We have a 20 inch TV, a white one, in our Living room. It is fairly old but looks and works like a new one. It is one of those heavy ones well suited for an anchor in a boat. With all those new flat and light TVs, this one is practically an antic. I heard not even Value Village wants them anymore. I won this one years ago and I hate to get rid of it, but sometimes one has to say good-bye to old friends and look for new ones. We rarely watch TV on this one, because we spend our evenings watching TV in the lower level of our home, where we have a 46 inch Flatscreen TV with surround sound. (It seems small now already, since there are much larger ones out there, and pretty cheap, too). However, on the old TV we can't even get the weather channel, because everything is digital now.

With Black Friday coming up this weekend I did some searching on the internet and I located a RCA 32 inch LED TV at Walmart, going on sale this Friday at a price of $168.00. I checked out the specs and it has what I'm looking for, especially a USB connection. That is important, because sometimes we like to look at holiday pictures which I put onto a flashdrive. We don't want to spend much money on this TV, because it is only going to be used on the odd occasion. Best Buy and Costco have a couple I would be interested in, but at a higher price. We'll see how we like the one at Walmart. Incidentally, our old TV is also a RCA and it has performed well all these years. RCA is an old name and we are quite familiar with it. We've had RCA radios, Tape players, and VCRs over the years and were always satisfied with their performance. Hopefully, the quality is still there with the new TVs.

Beware

Beware - such an ominous word. It awakens expectations of mystery and may possibly even be some kind of warning - Beware.

Well, there is nothing mysterious here, but maybe a little bit of a warning. I went shopping yesterday at The Real Superstore and bought 190 grams of Roasted and unsalted Cashews. The ticket on the bin said $1.72 for 100 grams. The cashier charged me around $2.70 per 100 grams. I paid over $5.00 for them. I didn't notice it until I got home. I can buy 325 grams in a can at Walmart for $4.00, that comes to $1.23 per 100 grams. I paid more than double for the same kind of nuts. I'm not blaming the cashier for the mistake. She just punched in the numbers from the bin (You have to write them onto a ribbon and attach it to the bag). I copied them correctly. It looks as if the cash register wasn't programmed with the advertised price. This is not the first time this happened to us. Teaches me a lesson again: Remember your prices, keep an eye on the register, and check your bill before you leave the store.

Now I have to go back and complain. Well, there may be one good side to this. According to the policy of many stores, Superstore included, if a mistake has been made you get any item under $10.00 for free. I will claim that policy.

Mistakes like this don't happen only at the Superstore.

A few years ago I bought 2 indoor grills at Walmart. They were advertised as $24.95 on the shelf. I remember comparing the grills with another brand of the same price, which means I didn't make a mistake. I checked the code numbers very carefully. I decided to buy a couple. When I went to pay for them, I chatted with the cashier, not paying attention what she punched in. When I got home I discovered she charged me $39.95 for each grill. I drove back immediately. When I complained, the lady at the counter called the department to confirm the price I claimed. Then she told me the grills were never advertised for $24.95. So I went to the shelf to check it myself, and lo and behold, the sticker was gone. Too bad I never took a picture. I swore then and there I would carry a camera with me when I went shopping. I haven't, but it would be a good idea. I told her I didn't want two grills, but I kept one, because we needed it. Our old one was not working anymore.

I was not a happy customer that day. I knew I had not made up the price. My only explanation to myself was that the grill may have been on sale, but the sale was finished and they had neglected to remove the stickers. But to tell me outright they had never been sold for that price really ticked me off. I hate to be lied to and taken advantage of. Without proof I had no leg to stand on. Another lesson to be learned: Make certain you can back up your claim. If it means taken pictures then that's what needs to be done.

Happy Shopping, but - Beware!

It is cold outside

Got my Flu-shot today. My doctor moved to a new location. His clinic is inside a hospital now. I didn't quite know where to park because I didn't know exactly where the entrance to his clinic was, so I parked on the street. It was far to walk to the entrance and it was freaking cold.

I've been getting the Flu-shot for years now. I do believe it helps to prevent severe cases of the flu. I remember the first time I got the shot. My wife asked me to find out what was involved, so when I went to my doctor for a checkup, I asked him to give me some information about Flu-shots. H didn't say anything, just pulled out a needle and a vial and poked the needle into my arm. When I asked what he just did, he said, "I gave you a Flu-shot." So I said, "I didn't really want one. I just wanted some information for my wife." He said, "Well, now you know." I told him the story today. He didn't remember it, but he said, "That must be at least 25 years ago now." Then he laughed. He thought it was funny. I think so, too. It is part of my funny stories that happened to me during my life.

I used my snowblower yesterday to remove the snow from my driveway. A while ago I gave the snowblower a bit of a tuneup, but it really acted up yesterday. Sputtering like crazy. I fooled around with the air mixture screw until the motor sounded smoother. I hope it stays that way when the next snowfall comes. I read somewhere never to touch those screws. Well...I did. I hope the snowblower-police don't come and haul me away now. It reminds me of the label on mattresses that say it is unlawful to remove the label. I wonder if people actually remove those labels.

Physiotherapy...does it work?

Most people have back pain. Back pain has many different causes. Most is probably caused by straining a muscle or by an accidents. If the cause is just a pulled muscle or ligament, the pain usually goes away with massage or  by applying heat, and rest, but the pain caused by an injury is more difficult to treat. When you go to a chiropractor he will tell you your back is out of line and crack it, a doctor will subscribe painkillers. They may help temporarily, but they never fix the problem.

Because of my job as an Electrician working on construction, I was more likely to be injured than someone working in an office. I had to lift heavy coils of wire, electric panels, and other heavy stuff. I also spent plenty of time on top of a ladder. Ladders are great to climb if you want to reach high places, but they are also a great danger. When you use a piece of equipment all the time, you get careless. I can’t count the many times I fell off a ladder, even though I took care to make sure the ladder was standing on solid ground. Unfortunately, the ground isn’t always solid, not on construction sites. A ladder slips, or just collapses, when it isn’t standing properly. One time when my ladder collapsed under me as I bent away too far from it, I fell from about 6 feet onto my back. I hit my head on the, fortunately, wooden floor, but I landed on the handle of my hammer which was hanging from my belt. My whole body ached for days, but I didn’t find out till much later when I went to the chiropractor that one of my vertebrates had been pushed forward. Nothing he could do about that, and it wasn’t severe enough to be operated on. Not that I would have wanted to do that.

It caused me a lot of pain. I kept going back to the chiropractor and took painkillers when it got too bad. It was bearable, though. You get used to pain and I was able to deal with it. However, about 4 years ago the pain became worse, for whatever reason. My wife and I used to go for our daily walk, which became nearly impossible for me to do. I walked maybe a hundred meters when a switch seemed to turn on the pain in my back and leg, making it hell to walk. Manipulation by my chiropractor did nothing, acupuncture did nothing. My doctor told me to take ‘Tylenol for Arthritis’ 3 times a day. It did nothing for me except make my head feel funny. Besides, I don’t like taking all this medicine. Logic tells me that it can’t be good in the long term. Any pills you take have to be processed by your stomach, your intestines, your kidney, and by your liver. Medicine is not natural to our bodies, just like taking drugs, drinking too much alcohol, and smoking, isn’t healthy. There are consequences, usually unpleasant.

I’ve been going for Physiotherapy for a few weeks now, and I must say, I am pleasantly surprised by the results. My Physiotherapist doesn’t fuss much, but whatever she does, seems to be the right thing. First I get heat applied to my back and thigh. After that she massages my thigh and buttocks. It hurts when she does it, but I feel good afterwards. I also do a bunch of stretching exercises. I’ve been doing most of them already for years, but she gave me a few tips and I followed them. It is important to stretch and hold that position for a while, instead of just doing the steps too fast. But I have a feeling it is the massage that does help most. I’ve been reading about ‘pressure points’. They are knots in the muscles and they can do a lot of damage, like pulling joints out of place and preventing blood to flow properly, which causes nerves to be pinched, which causes pain.

I can actually walk again for some distance without stopping a million times to adjust my back and without wincing with every step I take. Who knows, next thing I’ll be running the Marathon (^_^).

I still have pain in my joints, caused by arthritis, courtesy of working for decades in freezing temperatures, or humid weather, from kneeling on hard concrete floors with or without knee-pads, from climbing ladders and stairs. Things the Compensation Board won’t acknowledge, but that is another topic.

Anyway, I give Physiotherapy a huge round of applause. And that includes my Physiotherapist at the 7-Oaks Hospital. She plays a large part in this, because she recognized the cause of my pain.

I can deal with the pain I still have, even without pills. Unfortunately, growing older also includes benefits, like stiff joints and loss of muscle tone, no matter how much you exercise, and some pain is part of the package. The good part is, as long we can still feel pain we are alive, but a little bit of pleasure would also be appreciated.

Thanks for reading and have a pain free week.

The lion huntress

The news about Melissa Bachman, who shot a male lion in Africa has sparked outrage across the globe. I don't blame the people who are disgusted with the picture of that woman with a lion she shot, sporting her rifle.

Now, I'm a hunter, but I shoot only animals I can eat. Okay, if I shoot a trophy buck, I am proud and I will say so, but in the end, I will eat the meat. Besides, there are enough deer out there to make it okay to shoot them.

Like most hunters, I am also an animal lover. I have to draw the line when it comes to endangered or near endangered species. I also am disgusted with that woman shooting a magnificent animal like the lion.

Here is a link to read more about it:  http://www.news24.com/Travel/South-Africa/Thousands-sign-petition-against-lion-huntress-20131118

Consumers are being screwed again

 These days it is not easy to stay calm and not get upset about things. I got gas for my car today and realized again how the big oil companies are screwing us and playing games. Yesterday the price of regular gas fell at some stations in Winnipeg to $1.069 per liter. This morning when we drove by the Co-Op in Selkirk the price there was posted as $1.119. When I went to get gas in the afternoon I paid $1.159 per liter. It cost me $1.00 more to fill up. Why would the price go up 4 cents in just a few hours? The Petro station was still selling for $1.119. I should have filled up there

Then we went to the Liqueur Commission and bought a bottle of dark rum. My wife needs it in her baking for Christmas. We bought the cheapest bottle available. We paid $27.00 for a 750 ml bottle. That is outrageous! There is no reason for alcohol to be this expensive. When we go on holidays to Cuba, Dominican Republic, or Mexico, we always bring back our booze. And it is so much cheaper. Even buying in the US we still save a bundle of money. The problem is you are only allowed a 40 oz bottle per person. I don’t drink much hard liqueur. Once in a while we eat oysters or crabmeat; that’s the only time I drink a glass of ginger ale with whiskey. A bottle of whiskey lasts me a long time. I like my beer, but I refuse to buy the higher priced ones. In my opinion, there is no difference between a high priced beer and the cheaper priced one. Some people believe there is. I firmly believe that by buying higher priced beers one pays for the name or popularity. What would make an ‘Original Lager’ or ‘Pilsner’ more expensive than an Amber Ale, for instance?

I learned a long time ago in School how merchandizing works. People always think they get a better product when they pay more. How wrong they are! They’re getting screwed.

Anyway, I thought to have a monopoly is a crime. Price-fixing is a crime. So why are all the gasoline prices the same? Why is there no competition selling of alcohol? The government controls the supply and sales of alcohol. That’s why. Prices are fixed and excessive. That is called a monopoly. A crime. It is the same with the gasoline prices. Controlled and fixed by the oil companies. A crime. But we consumers are helpless and have to endure being screwed. There is nothing we can do except for stopping to buy these products. I make my own beer and wine, but I can’t make hard liqueur and I can’t make gasoline. Too bad. If I could I would.

Why are milk prices the same in every store? Monolopy.

When we were in Germany a few years ago I was amazed at the low price of beer, wine, and other liqueurs. You can buy them in practically every store, not just in controlled Liqueur Commissions. It works there, why not here?

Yes, it is not easy to stay calm when I’m getting screwed at every turn. Sigh!!

I feel so much better now.

Salt on a wound

Yesterday I came back from  my yearly deer hunting trip and I am not a happy camper. There were four of us: my son and a couple of our friends. Usually we are six, but two couldn’t make it. Last year’s trip was a disaster, because we were caught in the snowstorm and had to leave after the second day...without any deer. So this year we had high hopes. The weather was great and there was no snow, except for a little dusting. It did get quite cold and on one day it was uncomfortable with the north wind blowing.

Even though the weather was great, the hunting wasn’t. We left last week on the 6th of November, which means we hunted for 6 full days and a few hours yesterday morning. During all that time I didn’t see any deer. My companions did see deer and even had slim chances to shoot, but nothing compared to other years. The deer are scarce this year in the area we hunt. There are many reasons for that. We hunt on crown land that is used as community pasture, which means farmers use it to keep cattle in the summer. These past few years the farmers have been cutting huge swaths into the wooded area, cutting down all the trees and creating grazing land. Then they began erecting barbed wire fences and electric fences.

I used to have a wonderful and productive spot to hunt. It was a clearing about 350 yards long and about 90 yards wide. My deer stand faced north and I only worried about the north winds blowing into my face. Deer crossed it frequently and I harvested many deer over the years, but that clearing has been destroyed. All the trees are gone and a fence runs right through the middle of the clearing. I did build a new stand in a different clearing a few years back, but it wasn’t as great as the old one. My stand faces west and it is nearly useless on sunny days because of the setting sun. I missed a large buck once because it was 4 o’clock and the sun was right in my face. I saw nothing but bright lights in my scope.

This year the farmers have done even more damage to the beautiful wooded area. More cleared areas and more fences. They were busy in there all summer and it didn’t help to keep the deer in the habitat still left.

Other reasons for the lack of deer are the presence of coyotes, bears, foxes, and timber wolves, and possibly a few lynx. Of course, with fewer deer the coyotes will die out now; they’ll starve, which will help to get the deer population back up. These last few years the winters have been harsh and in 2011 we lost about 60 % of our deer in Manitoba. Last winter was just as bad. Hopefully, we’ll get a milder winter this year, with less snow. High snow makes it difficult for the deer to travel and when the snow develops a hard crust toward the end of winter, deer are in trouble.

To make a long story short, we came home without any deer. No venison this year.

The hunting trip was not successful, but it is not all about the hunt and the shooting of deer. I enjoy the camaraderie with friends and my son, the evenings in the trailer playing cards, the reminiscing about past hunts and the good food and beer we consume. I enjoy sitting in my stand, anticipating the elusive huge buck to make an appearance. I also enjoy the quiet time, listening to the wind in the trees, watching the geese flying above on their way south, the chickadees and woodpeckers visiting me, and hearing the crows making a spectacle as they patiently wait for me to shoot something and provide them with a feast. They clean up the mess afterwards. If they don’t the coyotes will surly eat any remains. Nothing ever gets wasted in nature.

I saw a few grouse and my son even saw a rabbit, a sign that the coyote population has already declined, which gives the grouse and rabbits a chance to multiply and survive. All the mountains of dead trees the farmers piled up everywhere also help to create cover for the grouse and rabbits. Every negative side also has a positive one.

You’ll probably wonder about the title of this blog. Well, today when I looked out of my window there were four deer in my backyard. We used to get deer crossing our yard before all the houses were built all around us, but it’s been years since we saw any deer. So this was a huge surprise. We have no idea where they came from. There are no wooded areas nearby. I guess they just wanted to come by and say hello, possibly to taunt me a bit, but maybe I’m just paranoid.

There is no shooting allowed in this area and the deer must know this. They were safe. The only shooting I could have done was with my camera. Too bad I didn’t get a chance to snap a picture to prove that the deer were actually there, but I swear, I did not suffer from an hallucination, because my wife is a witness. She saw them, too. In fact, she spotted them first.

When I saw them I said, “Sure, go ahead, rub salt into my wound.”

Smoking Goldeyes – again.

The first time I smoked Goldeyes they turned out great. They were of a nice golden color and they didn’t split open. After that, for some unexplained reason, they never turned out as nice. I had them with dark color and wide open bellies and split backs. I also found that smoking them in the summer doesn’t really work, because of the heat. My electric smoker heats up too fast and then shuts down, producing very little smoke, but you pretty much cook them.

The user guide that comes with the smoker suggests to turn on the smoker and let it heat up for about ½ hour before putting in the fish. Well, that is just not right, because it doesn’t work that way. After experimenting with the procedure I found if I put the fish in immediately after I turn on the heater I get good results.

This is how I did it last Saturday and the results were satisfying:

I took 4 Goldeye from the freezer Friday evening and left them in our laundry room until 11:00 p.m. to thaw. Then I put them into the fridge overnight.

9:00 a.m. Saturday: I washed the Goldeye. Sprinkled them with coarse salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Left them in a covered container until 11:30 a.m. Then I washed the fish and put them onto a rack to dry in a cool room (Laundry Room).

1:30 p.m. (after 2 hours of drying), I turned on my electric smoker. I set the temperature to 185 F and hung the fish in immediately. I used cherry wood for the smoke. After 30 minutes I added more cherry wood and again 30 minutes later.

3:00 p.m. After 1 ½ hours I shut off the smoker and opened the door to let the fish cool down. The skin was a beautiful golden color and the bellies had spread open just a little. I left them for 20 minutes to cool and then I removed them from the smoker. We peeled off the skin immediately and scraped the meat from the bones. The meat was solid but moist. We ate the first meal 2 days later. I find that by leaving them sit for a day or so in the fridge the meat becomes nice and firm. They tasted delicious with a wonderful smoky flavor.