Photo: Off to the Rodeo

Above is one of the many photos that Grandpa snapped as we travelled from the
Battleford Campground, through north-central Saskatchewan and finally south-west to Calgary, Alberta.
In this photo, taken at the Medicine Hat Rodeo (Chapter 43), the cowboy looking down was perhaps thinking he should rope his partner instead of the steer.  The flag (held by the other cowboy to the far right)
came down at the very moment the first cowboy had completed hog tying his partner. I’m not
sure whey the decided to change from one event to another, but, I suspect, these two will have
to work out some of the kinks in their roping routine before they try again. I bet that steer had
a good laugh as he stormed by the fallen and hog tied rider.

Introduction

Part IV of the Grayson Chronicles is now complete.  In this part we will continue our trip through Saskatchewan and back into Alberta.  Along the way we shall attempt to rescue a down and out relative from the clutches of the Saskatchewan Penitentiary, travel to Birch Hills to visit the farm where Bjorn’s father worked after emigrating to Canada, then, while on the highway back to our way campground, pass a woman just as she drove her car into her boyfriend the fled the scene.

After getting into all this trouble in PA, we head south to again follow the trail of Louis Riel to Batoche, his famous last stand. From there we head to Rosthern where we will buy Taber Corn that isn’t from Taber and BC Cherries that are not from BC.   Following this we continue south to a beautiful section of the South Saskatchewan River known as Diefenbaker Lake were we set up camp for a couple of days of R&R before heading onward to the Cyprus Hills Provincial Park, an immense section of land that straddles Saskatchewan, Alberta and the State of Montana.

After taking in a block buster rodeo in Medicine Hat, the final stop, after visiting a number of Stonehenge type monuments in the fields east of Calgary, we will drop in for a wonderful visit with a number of family members who call Calgary home.  I wonder if they know about these monuments?

We hope you will enjoy the 14 Chapters of this section.

Link Here for Part 1 of the Grayson Chronicles

Link Here for Part ii of the Grayson Chronicles

Link Here for Part III of the Grayson Chronicles

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An exotic 14 night Hawaiian dream vacation May 3-17th 2013. Experience the Hawaiian Islands as never before aboard the majestic Radiance of the Sea cruising from island to island, and across the Pacific to the beautiful port of Vancouver. The perfect gift for someone special. (Don’t forget Mother’s day is May 12!)

Perhaps a second honeymoon, anniversary or transition to a well earned retirement is the order of the day?

Arriving from Vancouver by air, you will spend three unbelievable nights enraptured by the inate beauty of Hawaii. Stroll along the famous Waikiki Beach, explore the nightlife of Honolulu, immerse yourself in the history of Pearl Harbour, and explore the many more attractions of Oahu before embarking upon an unforgettable cruise of the Hawaiian Islands and home aboard the Radiance of the Sea.

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Photo: Our first stop in Saskatchewan is at the farm of two of Grandpa’s cousins, Leonard and Helen Pylypow in Glaslyn. Helen is one of the daughers of Denny and Hazel Dewan (McNeill), (one of grandpa’s dad’s sisters).
Here you see me sitting atop one of the bales of hay in Uncle Leonard’s field. We were only there a few days but we did so many things I have no idea where to begin. Well, actually, I do know, I just need a little bit of Grandpa’s help to get me going. My story involves ‘love’, and love, as I once heard someone at playschool explain, is unfathomable.

20. A Young Man Falls in Love (by Grandpa)

Nothing can warm a grandfather’s heart more than seeing his five year old, well, almost six, grandchild fall in love before your very eyes.  About mid-way through our prairie adventure, we were hunkered down on a cousin’s farm in Northwestern Saskatchewan in the small community of Glaslyn. After a day of baling hay, target shooting and feeding the buffalo on the farm of another of another cousin, we were just getting ready for dinner and it was at that moment — love struck.

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Cover Photo (from Web). No this is not Mount Albert Edward, this is the Golden Hind, viewed from Morrison Spire (photo by  Dave Ingram). The Golden Hind, at 2200 meters (7217 feet), is the highest peak on Vancouver Island. This photo is placed here as it will serve as a challenge to Dianne and Michel who will surely stand on that peak in the not to distant future. Perhaps, just perhaps, I shall stand with them. The mountain we set about to challenge on this trip is the somewhat lessor (although not by much) Mount Albert Edward. a respectable 2100 meters (6900 feet). The twists and turns of the trip are documented in this short story of our three days in Strathcona Park.

Link Here for the Mount Colonel Foster Adventure

I am most fortunate to live within an extended family whose quest for adventure has motivated me in every decade of my life. In the recent decade, since joining Facebook, never a week goes by that the details of new adventure by some family member or friend is posted. It is the posts about real life experiences and adventures that serve as constant motivation too challenge life at every turn, not the memes and platitudes that seem to come with such frequency.

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Cartoon: When Renes Levesque became the PQ Quebec Premier in 1976, the rest of Canada became apoplectic. Not only was Levesque very popular across Quebec, but, over time, Canadians in other Provinces came to admire the chain smoking, outspoken work-a-holic.  Levesque initiated the first major charge for Quebec independence which was then carried forth by the PQ party, a charge that nearly succeded in 1995.

Following loss of the referendum by vote of 50.6 to 49.4 (less than 53,500 votes), then PQ Premier Jacques Parizeau, blamed the loss on money and the ethnic vote. Following the loss, he quit in a fit of anger while giving a speech that was nothing short of racist. Since that time the PQ party has carried the separtist banner in which open racism bubbles just beneath the surface.  

September 4, 2012 Vive le Canada!

Interesting election results in Quebec, although that tragic shooting certainly threw a pall over the emerging results.  With 68.1% of the population voting against them, and relegated to a rather weak minority position, the PQ certainly have their work cut out for them. 

From my perspective, if the PQ remain intent upon creating ‘winning conditions’ in any vote for a separate state, they must attend to the following:

Cartoon: Quebec Separtists continue to fight a battle that was lost nearly two and one-half centuries ago. It is time to move on.

Federal Handouts: Over the next eight years (assuming they stay in power), reduce their reliance upon Federal handouts by ONE BILLION per year. A tough financial hit, but without first weening themselves from those generous federal handouts, theyh would be reduced to third world status.

Balance the books.  At present Quebec is almost on par with Italy in terms of indetedness, yet they are a very rich Province in terms of natural and human resources. The PQ will need to begin reducing the funding for many programs (e.g. child care) and may even need to increase University fees above that which the Liberals imposed.

Increase immigration. Quebec, with an extremely low birth rate, must bring in many more immigrant workers willing to take jobs that no ‘self respecting’ Quebecer would consider. This is a problem that is shared with the rest of Canada.

Drop talks of linguistic crackdowns.  With the absolute need for more foreign workers, few of those new workers will be French speaking. If those workers do speak a second language, it will very likely be English. To seek both linguistic purity and independence is an oxymoron unless the PQ intend on forming a dictatorship in which the majority of Quebecers would have no voice (except French).

Secular Province: If there is an intent to become a fully secular Province, do so, but do not give Christianity a free pass. With the demise of the power of the Catholic Church, Quebec has already moved from being the most Christian Province in Canada to the most secular.  Trying to legislate back something that has been lost in the sands of time is a ‘lost cause’. Prohibiting only non-christians from displaying religious symbols is pure racism. It is either all or nothing.

With the economic drivers of Canada having moved westward over the past two decades, Quebec will find that fewer and fewer Westerners and, for that matter, other Canadians who are much worried about Quebec pulling the pin. The advantages to Quebec in staying are far to numerous. The was reflected by the percentage vote in the election.

The PQ, holding barely 30%, need to spent all their time cleaning house before anything close to “winning conditions” might be created. Of course, in trying to do that they would alienate all Quebecers. I don’t think the PQ has the fortitude to follow that path, so the only path they can follow is by creating as much dissension as possible. They have learned that lesson well from the Republicans, Tea Party and other fringe groups within the United States.

Take a few moments and read the PQ Platform for Quebec (remember they carry this platform while, at the same time, reap the benefits of being a part of Canada):

• Achieve sovereignty for Quebec following a public consultation by referendum when deemed appropriate.

• Use any means at Quebec’s disposal to fully assume all powers for the development of Quebecers, particularly in the areas of education, culture, social programs, health, justice, the environment and immigration.

• Develop a new Quebec secularism charter.

• Establish Quebec citizenship.

• Create Espaces Québec to spread the expertise of Quebecers to countries where we have economic, political, scientific or cultural interests.

• Strengthen teaching and research in history at all levels, from elementary schools to university, with a focus on the national history of Quebec and its institutions.
•  
• Strengthen Quebec’s presence within the Francophonie.

Cartoon: There seems little doubt the PQ will continue to whine and cry about how unfairly Quebecers are being treated in Canada and will bait Ottawa at every opportunity. Creating as much dissension as possible rather than improving conditions for the majority of Quebecers many be the PQ’s only chance for success. 

In that quest, I think (and hope) the PQ will fail as the majority of Quebecers have come to realize their future is inextricably linked to a united and prosperous Canada. The new battle cry in Quebec could very well become:

“Vive le Quebec! Vive le Canada! Vive le Canada libre!  Vive le Canadian Dominion! Et vive la Canada!”  

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Hiking Travelogue by Dianne McNeill and Michel Payeur

Link Here for the Mount Albert Edward Adventure

This weekend we did a backcountry hike we’ve been wanting to do since we first moved to the island…an overnighter into Mt. Colonel Foster. We loaded 30-35 lb gear/food into our backpacks and off to the mountains we headed.

I wondered how I was going to cope with the pack…but my strength, agility and endurance were well up to the task. And what a wonder-full weekend it was! Glacier fed waterfalls and lakes, beaver engineered ponds, SNOW!, forest scented by giant cedars, jagged mountain peaks, the green only seen in sun thru the rainforest canopy, tumbling/rushing rivers.

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Photo: This scene in the movie reminded Lynn and I very much of an adventure we
we experienced in the skies over Interlauken in Switzerland. The visuals were so similar it was errie.
Lynn could totally sympathize with the younger man (LINK HERE)

Except for the Bourne Legacy last week, we seem to have been doing very well with our movie selections. The Best Marigold Hotel and Hope Springs, our other most recent, garnered four thumbs up. Last night after spending a few minutes chatting with the young lady in the popcorn stand at the Odeon (Victoria) and telling her about our impressions of the three movies, she stated that seemed to be the general customer response.

The choice of the Intouchables, (French, 2012) was somewhat different, yet garnered four thumbs up as have our other selections in sub-titled movies such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy (Swedish) and Bon Cop Bad Cop (French, 2006). Those movies, as with the Intouchables, posed no barriers in understanding. For that matter, I think one pays closer attention to the characters when not having the voice track. 

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Photo (Web)  Downtown overlooking Marina.  My Uncle Frank and Auntie Louise Yochim along with their seven children operated this Marina for over 30 years.  On Uncle Frank retiring from the business, my cousin Lorin, the second youngest son, took over the business for several years.  My Grandpa and Nana, spent many summers with their children lazing around this Marian.  Cold Lake, of course, was my Grandpa’s hometown about which he has written many stories in the Family 1940-1965 series. (Grayson)  

14. Visiting Auntie Louise and Uncle Frank (Grayson)

Link Here for Part 1 of the Grayson Chronicles

Link Here for Part III of the Grayson Chronicles

Link Here for Part IV of the Grayson Chronicles

We had barely backed in at my Aunties place, when I heard the sound of a police car approaching from somewhere in the yard.  A first I wondered what my Grandpa might have done wrong this time as he seem’s to draw a lot of heat, but, as it turned out, it was one of my cousin’s rushing out to greet me in ‘his’ police car. Man, his car comes equipped with all the bells and whistles that Grandpa said he used to have on his police car.

Cousin Paxton opened the door, asked me to jump in and we were off and running. I like that kid (he just turned four) as he can handle the car like a real pro.  I bet if we hit the street we could meet some chicks just like my Grandpa did when he had his own police care.

Even Grandpa who was no slouch behind the wheel, was in awe. Pax and I, traveling flat out, headed for the park while dodging people, plants, trees and sundrey items in my Aunties back yard. This was a really good start to the Cold Lake part of our adventure.

Photo: I suppose I may look a little apprehensive, but, believe me, from the moment I jumped in, for Pax was petal to the metal.

I love visiting my Aunties place as I find it is like being in the middle of hurricane sized Bed and Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Day Care and Nursery that, when one family, child or friend is just leaving, another has just arrived on the doorstep to fill that momentary vacancy.  Each fall, about the end of September, I have heard that my Auntie starts suffering from withdrawal symptoms when things tape r off.  She has even taken a job as a teaching assistant just to use up some of her excess energy. 

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