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.