Favourite Books

  • The Green Mile
  • Animal Farm
  • Lord of the Flies
  • Lord of the Rings
  • To Kill a Mockingbird

Friday 29 November 2013

Honesty

So...I decided it was time for me to be honest. I do NOT love the Peace Valley! I imagine some of those who know me, must wonder with my rants, those who hear me whine all winter about the cold. You must think I am full of crap to be fighting to keep what is mine, when it is apparent I can't stand living here.
  I admit, on a drive, winter or summer to the "John" my breath is taken away more than once by the absolute beauty of this area. But, in the winter I call it "Christmas Card" beauty. It looks amazing, but, I would prefer to be looking at it, elsewhere, somewhere far warmer. I am awe struck when it gets so cold, I see the crystals out the window, glittering like a millions stars, in the sunshine. The sight of the trees covered in hoarfrost, like someone has spray painted them with icicles. The glow of the moon on the river, with the Northern lights dancing in the sky, is something akin to a religious experience, it is beyond description, and makes a person feel the world can be a beautiful place.
  But...I hate the cold! I hate it when it hurts to breathe, I hate it when my toes go numb, and my glasses become painful on my face. I hate it when I have to start my car, 30 minutes before I go anywhere, because the tires are rock solid, and the leather is an ice cube. I hate it when I have to wear my housecoat all day, because it is the only way I can feel warm. I hate it when the furnace goes steady, or the woodstove is always in need of another load, and I have to wake up every few hours to fill it. I hate trying to shovel a foot of snow out of the driveway at -30.
  I am NOT a settler. I am not someone who wants to live and die here. My family did not build their lives in the Peace,like those who are suffering far worse than I. The simple fact is, I am selfish. I found the single way to allow me to deal with the stuff I hate about this area. Who imagined it would be the river itself? My single pleasure is actually the beauty of what makes this area special. My tiny piece of the valley.
  Now, unlike those who have lived here for generations, or..40 plus years, I am not tied to the valley. If I had the same elsewhere, I would be content. See, there is no history here, for me. All that I have, that I never for a moment imagined I would possess, is my very own campsite. You know, that place you drive along for hours looking for, with your travel trailer . That place you feel one with nature. The spot you haul your lawnchair out, and sit in silence, just letting the beauty soak in. Then reality hits, you pack up and drive away, and for years recall that special spot. Maybe it becomes a place you return to year after year, because you cannot get it out of your mind. Well, I have that every day. In fact, when we make plans to go camping, often I wonder why we just don't drive around back, because we have to go pretty far to find anything close.
  Outside my window, as I type, the sky is just beginning to brighten, almost all the morning clouds are losing their pink. The river is not steaming today (it steams an awful lot because of the temperature caused by the dam) The mighty Peace. I remember learning about this river back in elementary school. It seemed so far away, and when I was in elementary school, there was no WAC Bennett dam. I remember something to do with the Athabasca river, somehow connected. Now, in this battle with Hydro, all that I learned in the 60's has meaning. I am now a part of this piece of history. What I see out my window is incredibly important,because, I am seeing something that will disappear.No one else is going to see this piece of the valley, as it is today.
  So, I am simply trying to put how I feel in some perspective, others could understand. That special camping spot, the one you go to year after year. That spot that you haul your lawn chair out, and sit, letting the beauty and silence envelope you. That one place you can unwind, and know that the world can be beautiful. Take a really good look, take a whole lot of pictures, because next time, it may be gone.
  It is so difficult to fathom...I am seeing something that no other generation will ever experience. An enormous land base is going to disappear. In the future they will say, there used to be a river under there. There used to be farms and homes and trees and animals, and now it is yet another man-made disaster.The banks of the valley will subside into this stinking Cesspool . Thousands of animals will decompose in it, trees will rot beneath it, fish will drown, birds will not find a place to nest. The whole ecosystem will tumble, but Hydro will mitigate.
  So, when your special spot is gone, perhaps someone can point you somewhere else, someplace sort of the same, someplace that is nice, but just does not give you what you used to have, and...that is mitigation! I can be compensated, and mitigated, because, I do NOT love the Peace Valley..or...perhaps somehow, without my knowledge, it has found it's way into my heart?

Thursday 28 November 2013

Diarrhea of The Mouth

Heehee...yes I had to Google that word. Some words are just far too confusing to remember how to spell. Anyhooo...I figured I would explain why I have suddenly developed a terrible case of diarrhea of the mouth. Oh I know, I have always had a case, but...now it is beyond extreme.
  Fact is..I now have all the time in the world to contemplate, and, no longer have a sounding board. Yep, I have entered the world of the unemployed! Fair warning, unemployment in the summer, not so bad. Got outside time, to break the monotony....stick me in the house for the winter, I am like a shrew caught in a corner.
  For those who have never lived in a small town, it is unlikely you can imagine what life is like when the economy turns off. We never have the constant rush of the city, even when things are going full-speed, but, we do have movement. Turn off everything (besides of course, Hydro) and, the only way I can describe things, is, every day is like Sunday. However, you city folks can't understand that, either,LOL.
  The town is empty. You can take a drive to the store and see no one,until you actually walk in the door. The sounds change. A single truck going past the house, sounds as loud as a train. I can stand out on my back deck, and hear folks talking at the restaurant, down the road, and around the corner. It is like living in civilization with the power turned off.
 "Oh", you say..."Isn't that what you desire?" Yes, I do desire the peace and quiet, however, when it gets this quiet, it is almost eerie, because....I live in town! Imagine driving through your community, past the post office, the restaurants, the hotel, the bank, on a Tuesday...all the parking lots are empty. Suddenly, you begin to wonder...was there an evacuation and no one informed me? Hey, could happen, surrounded by Dams, right...You expect the empty on Christmas Day, but not in the middle of a work week.
  For days I drove to work, and had the pick of the whole parking lot. One vehicle besides my own, and that has been parked for months. The lights were off, except for a single window lit in the office. Add winter to this picture, pretty much pitch black at 7:30AM. I have to tell you, been working at this job for some time, and never, ever seen the place this dead, for so long. Maybe they are staying at the other hotels? Nope, always look down the road when I pull out at the one, and then drive past the other..there might be a couple more vehicles, than none, but it is obvious, there just is no one here!
 Hey, I don't know a thing about business. I hear the rumours, which have had crews coming in for the past 2 months, crews that never showed up. I can remember life before Oil and Gas, and the only life on the streets was the deer. Funny, just realized, that really must be what makes the difference here, Oil and Gas.
 Way back in the day, it was Hydro. The hotel used to be filled with workers. However, we all know that changed with the construction of the more "suitable" accommodations, and the lease of every "suitable" rental. But, it is apparent, very little is happening with Hydro. Yikes...really hoped they would get that damn Rip Rap up around the base of the Dam, that tid bit has been nagging on my mind since they disclosed it.
  But, our beloved Hydro is in what appears to be a holding pattern. Even their great big Christmas party has changed, they are not all going up to the lovely lodge, instead they are looking for a caterer. Hey, now that those at the top decided they were going to hold the public hearings on the mistake of the century, they can't have their employees wining and dining in style, right?
  It is clear,Hydro has pushed the PAUSE button. They decided they would f*ck with everyone's Christmas plans, they hope that the numbers at their hearings are low, so they can claim, no one cares. They have given dates for the hearings, however...those may change, at Hydro's whim, they will notify us. They are, as I mentioned before, spoiled children. They are bound and determined to get what they want, and will stop at nothing, because...they ARE government, to get it.
  Every single thing that happens in this valley revolves around Hydro. It has since the first Dam was built way back in the 60's. They have held control with the specter of Site C hanging over each and every property owner from Bear Flats to Hudson's Hope. Not a single soul knows what is going to happen, we can only listen to what they say, and we all know there is seldom a grain of truth to their words...Why? Because they are simply the messengers. They have been chosen to sit in the middle and pass information between their superiors and the public, much like trained seals. They don't have to think, they have their papers in front, listing what they can tell us, and they have accepted that position. They don't have to debate whether something is good or bad, they deliver the messages they have been given.
 Ms Clark, Mr. Bennett and all the other ministers are just rubbing their hands together. This project will make a whole whack of folks in the lower mainland happy. They will travel by droves from there, Prince George, and yes, even Ontario and Quebec and likely the States, all picked from those mighty Union Spare boards, and shoulder rubbing connections. Folks will be making money, and paying taxes (well the ones in B.C.anyway) what a party!! Hey, it's not hurting anyone who counts, right? So, the folks in the Valley have had their little piece of the province ripped away, too bad, Hydro employees are still working..and living in nice places.Reality is, this town may see a very small increase in business sales, but it is doubtful. The citizens are either retired or work already(can't afford to live in the north without employment). They don't need work, and I bet one could count each person on any of those Union boards on one hand! This is simply a make work project, thought up by the government, and out of desperation about to commence without due care and diligence.
 The other fact that blows me away...They are not going to pay for it, until it is in operation! Well, lets change that they, to we. Yep going to spend all those billions out of the coffers, our coffers. Hummm...hydro rate hikes.....That is your tax dollars along with your hydro rate hikes, for a Dam that should not and does not,need to be built. What if every person in B.C. took a million bucks out of the government piggy bank, because they wanted to start a business?Ooops, I forgot, give 2 million to those folks who have gone bankrupt, because we love to hand money over to corporations that dig themselves into a huge hole.  Then, let them keep that money until they started making enough money to feel like paying it back. Hey, lets give all the mines the option to borrow from the government, and pay back when they are operational...likely get a fair chunk of business that way...It is just insane!! No one is stopping them! They are admitting the government has been sucking "dividends" in excessive amounts out of Hydro, they have admitted they will NOT allow the commission set in place to ensure fairness in Utility rates and necessary projects have a thing to do with Hydro until 2017 and then just a little control. They have removed the safety net of the citizens of this province and won't put it back until this is all over! WTF!!!! People of this Province, are you all so blind, you can't see what is written on your foreheads? F*CKING SUCKERS!!! I am sick and tired of being told how our rates are the 3rd lowest in Canada. We were promised low rates when WAC Bennett started B.C. Hydro..that's right BRITISH COLUMBIA HYDRO..it belongs to us, therefore at the very least, we must allow the British Columbia Utility Commission the ability to look into things.
  Because the government took the right of this commission to oversee this project, you know full well they would have put a stop to it, again. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize the government did this to ensure the project went ahead, even though the citizens of this Province do not need it. So, how do we insist Ms. Clark and her minions follow the rules set in place to protect us? Where have our rights gone? Take this rule out for this damned project, and watch all the other rules fall to the wayside when they decide they want something else (like the pipeline). Fair warning...the people of this province have let our government get away with breaking the rules, and they are not going to stop now!

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Can't Stop

I know, my blog has become nothing but a place to put my personal issues with BC Hydro out there, in hopes that someone might just read and maybe...just maybe stop the wheels in motion for a moment. Those wheels have been rolling so fast, crushing all the bumps and covering them up, in hopes no one actually sees them, until it is too late.
  No one seems to see the construction of yet a 3rd Dam in the same vicinity as an issue. Why? Because it does not affect them! Oh, I see all the postings about the pipeline, and tankers, and I watch those in the lower mainland fight about coal dust, and traffic, and...pipelines. Really, people!! Pipelines have been under the cities forever. You get your gas to your homes from pipelines, and I can imagine those systems are ginormous, how many millions of pipes go under your city? Yep, all underground, can't see them, and you reap the benefit. What on earth would Vancouver do if suddenly that system went haywire, and folks could not use heat or appliances? OOOOOOhhhh....bet there would be h-ll to pay. However, truth is, you live above a world of pipes, sewer, water, etc. That is what a city is built upon. Add trains running below your feet, with electrical , more pipes. Do they burst? Sure, on occasion things happen, an emergency occurs, and whatever flows from the pipes is contained, and the damage is repaired as best as can be.
  I am not saying pipelines filled with oil are not a worry. Yes, I would be very concerned with the possible environmental damage caused if, indeed a leak occurred. Do I like the idea of a pipeline pouring oil into tankers in the middle of the ocean? Nope, not really! Frankly, I find it frightening.
  I read about the nuclear reactor in Japan, leaking radioactive water into the Ocean, as we speak. That scares the crap out of me! That story should be front and center in every media outlet in the world. That IS a disaster, and we will suffer a far greater environmental fallout from this, than a leaking oil pipeline. Hummm...certainly not hearing much about this. How come? Is it just too scary?
  Nope, it is the pipeline that is front and center, this group protested, that group protested it. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, our government and BC Hydro are fast stamping all the paperwork necessary to fix the province up with a brand new supply of electricity. Everyone focusing on the possibility of stopping the pipeline , which mark my words, each and everyone of you out there, will be built!
  Where are the First Nations folks protesting a future possibility, when their own are speaking out to Hydro, and having their words ignored? Where are those who stand up to oil and gas, as warriors, when it is apparent they have been lied to? Here in our valley, BC Hydro has lied time and again to the First Nations, they have lied to the Farmers, and the people who live and work here. Those lies are written in  history, and it was not hundreds of years ago, it was within our lifetime.
  Now Hydro gave all of those impacted by the future Site C project, a whole week to register for public hearings! A whole week to plan for a moment of their time to oppose their plan. A whole week to ensure during the last weekend before Christmas, we will attend the one and only public meeting to be held in our community during (of course) regular working hours.
  Now, keep in mind where I live. I live in a community with NO stores beyond a convenience store and a Grocery store. What does the average small town person do the Friday before Christmas week? Yep, they want to get out of town to shop. Do you think it is coincidence that after years, suddenly we are given this one day, to have all our ducks in a row? Oh, I suppose one could book that day off work, go to the meeting, and then head out of town. However, that is a days pay down the toilet! Or, one could register for one of the meetings elsewhere, take the time off work, and drive to another community. However, if they didn't register, by Nov. 25th , they are sh*t out of luck!!
 I have read each statement as it is listed. I have seen requests from First Nations for a simple extension of a week in order to get all their reports in order, and Hydro's reply.....an extension for you, would prejudice others. This is how our Honorable Christy Clark claims First Nations are considered?
  I read how a former Mayor, who when she lived and owned a home in my community, opposed this Dam so strongly she was part of a protest group when Gordon Campbell flew in to announce what was coming down the track at us. Now, she has sold (very suddenly) and moved onto bigger things, and out of the blue, she has changed her mind, Site C is absolutely necessary, the benefits outweigh the cost. This is exactly what the whole problem is, unless you live here, somehow the residual effects are a benefit, that allow you to forget what those left in the area will endure.
  Well, I have read what those who endured the building of WAC Bennett Dam suffered. Many of those who were impacted back then, are once again forced to hand over to Hydro. Really, people!! It is clear, the province has simply accepted that this Valley is expendable. Hey, 2 Dams already, might as well just extend things, that way it is less painful. Screw the lot of you!!!Screw every a$$hole that complains about a telephone pole or Hydro pole ruining their sight lines, screw the whiners who cry about old growth trees getting cut on a mountain trail, screw those who think that everything matters on population! That an area is unimportant simply because few will be impacted. Screw those who feel that the loss of this valley is worth the extra hydro that will run the transmission lines to the cities of Pipelines. OMG..lets hope one of those horrible towers does not affect someone's sight line!!
  So, don't think I do not realize all my words fall on deaf ears. Don't think I will head off to this public hearing, not knowing it is happening simply so Hydro can check the box, and state it was done. Don't think I believe my heartfelt statement will create a single ripple in the destruction soon to commence in the tiny town of Hudson's Hope. I see the writing on the wall, I hear the silence from the rest of the citizens of this Province, I understand full well they don't give a damn about the Dam, because...it is not in their backyard, and ...so they close their eyes, until the lights gleam with the extra brilliance of a valley gone.

Sunday 10 November 2013

Suck a Lemon Lulu

O.K. here I go, out to likely offend someone. I hope that you all know by now, I really don't care if folks don't agree with me, I simply state my personal take on things. Might not be politically correct, but...hey, I'm certainly not a politician!
  So...what got up my butt this time, you ask? Well, apparently a lemon, named Lulu. Never seen a lulu lemon, never been to yoga (do you go to yoga, or just do yoga?), and I can almost guarantee I will likely see or do neither in my future. I have, however heard about the lemony pants...funny the ones I saw on TV were all black, how lemon is that? I know that they are not cheap, strangely nothing to do with fitness equitment is cheap, most of it is way beyond the normal price of lazy people stuff, thank goodness! Hey, yet another reason to steer clear of fitness, just can't afford to be a part of that trend. How did something so simple as P.E. that when I was young, all we needed was a pair of sneakers and pants, become so expensive. Now folks brag about their gym memberships, which are along the lines golf club memberships used to be. Then they must have the proper bottled water, shoes (whoohooo big price) and of course those pilly pants. Hey, pull on a pair of sweats (you can pick them up at any thrift shop for a couple of bucks) some walfart sneakers a grubby t-shirt, get your dog, a tennis ball and find a good spot to spend an hour playing with your dog, or hey, a kid will do too. Dump a box of thumb tacks on your floor, and bend at the waist to pick them all up, dump them again....If you want, go up and down your stairs, you can wear a ipod when you do this, work up a sweat, you can have pants that are a tad thin, no one cares, because you are not on display, you are working out...
  See, that's why those fruity pants are so pricey, because suddenly sweating has gone public, but, the idea is not to really sweat, that would be disgusting..the idea is to be a part of a group of people who have spent all their time bending and picking up thumb tacks at home, so they can now dress up in the finest fitness clothing, and look suitable. Sorry, but gyms used to be filled with folks who had guts, and giant sized muffin tops, buttocks that wobbled about and stretched those sweatpants to the limit.Now they are filled with firm fit folks, and those muffins are at home listening to music on their stairs.
  Now we have a big to-do because the man who owns the Lemon business actually spoke common sense. That's right, he said his Lulus are not for everyone. He is on the mark. Just like spandex, there should be a weight limit to certain items of clothing. Those folks up in arms are probably the same ones who scroll through those incredible Wal-Mart pictures, laughing at the Holy crack of Asses that wander the stores, and the boobies, that sag under the bottom of shirts. Go ahead, tell me none of you have looked at those and shook your heads in disbelief. You are shaking your heads because some folks do not realize they create a scene by dressing in unsuitable clothing.
 Reality is, some of us are just not fit and firm. I would love to put on a set of spandex leggings and a sequined top, with an awesome pair of leather (oooohhh red leather) hooker boots, but.....if I went out in public, I would be sure to make the majority of the folks stop, stare and say to each other..."tsk tsk, doesn't she know she looks foolish?" Thing is, I do know!! I can wear that at home (and I would if I had it) and only my family would laugh, but for crying out loud, we are not all equal, there are some things that common sense should over ride. Some folks are fluffy, and not fit, and if those Lulus are marketed as yoga pants, that tells me folks who wear them yoga, but...I know that even though I realize the heavier folks yoga, maybe they can purchase their pants from Pennington's, skinny people can't find clothes there,nah nah nah...
  So...to those who found his comment that his clothing is not for everyone, offensive, suck it up!!! They were not designed for the larger frame, he obviously set out to make an exercise pant for fit, fitness folks, and if those who are a tad bulky find they can fit into these pants, but they sort of lose their coverage, get a clue. Maybe they just have to wear something a little different until they adapt to the lemon limit.
  BTW, Speedo swim suits for men can stretch a far bit as well, and......be honest, we all know that they are not made for everyone!!!

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Ignorant Canadians!

 Well, I am sure the title might have made a few folks shake their heads, and maybe click in, hope enough do so, to read the insanity that some over educated, ignorant, University group has embarked upon.
 Of course you already know, I am old-school. I was raised when young people assumed respect was something that had to be earned. No one (schools) informed us that just because we were standing on the planet, we instantly deserved respect. That was something that belonged to human beings who had accomplished something in life, besides being born. I spent all my young years believing when I went off into the big world, managed to survive, and do something worthwhile, I might just receive that same respect.
  I am going to tell you the very day I realized times had changed, and there was no way the respect I had paid adults would be returned.
   Some of you know that a couple of years after graduating High school, in my tiny little hometown, I decided to join the Canadian Armed Forces. Hey, it was peacetime, so it wasn't as huge a thing as it is now, but, I recall I was perhaps the first young person, since WW2 from this town, to make this move. My first posting after Basic Training was Uplands Airbase in Ottawa. Yes, the Country capital! When my ex and I married, there were no accommodations for NCO's and Privates on base, so we rented an apartment just off base.
  The day I had my eyes opened to the future of no respect happened in this apartment. I came home from base, in uniform, and saw the elevator door open, and a young teen inside, I asked him to hold the door, and....he told me to "f*ck off". That was when reality dawned on me. My life was not going to be one where young people moved out of the way on the sidewalk, or gave up their seat, or even acknowledged a military person. That moment was devastating to me. I had followed the rules growing up, partly because I was under the impression this was only until I grew up, and did something, and then I would be entitled to that amazing thing, respect.
  WTF happened? I taught my children to respect adults, if they didn't they would certainly not make the same mistake again! One day, my oldest came home from school, and told us that we owed her respect. Hellooooo...Yep, she had been told at school all human beings deserve respect. That information blew us out of the water. And, I suppose at that moment, we should have clued in, it was clear that word was being used out of context.Somewhere along the line, respect and consideration (perhaps) got mixed up. Someone in charge of teaching children did not check their words.
  Respect is earned!! Respect is admiration for someone who has accomplished something out of the ordinary. We are all born ordinary, to deserve respect, we must do beyond simply being. I refuse to respect anyone, simply because they are homosapien!
  Now that said, we move onto what got me on this line of thought. Today I read an article stating some assinine group of university students has decided to change the Red poppies that we have come to love and respect (yes, that word is used in the correct context). They have come up with some absolutely skewed thought process that makes them actually feel that it is time to take the red out and rally for a Peaceful white poppy. Helloooo..educated idiots!! That red stands for something that a peaceful white poppy cannot erase. That red stands for Honour and Glory, and sacrifice. That red is a sign of respect for those who have made our country safe, it stands for all those young and old, who went/go off to battle. It stands for all those men and women who suffered, not only from wounds, but from nightmares of surviving horrors these educated snot noses will never know, beyond books or film.
  As a child in school, perhaps not near as far from the past as these young people, I had to memorize the poem "In Flander's Field". I stood by my desk reciting this poem, and understanding the depth of the sacrifice all those who laid in this field made. To this day, I still feel my eyes tear at the loss of lives, and the families who were changed forever, and the vision of those red poppies blowing. We were taught this poem, and along with it, the hope that never again would Canadians have to fight for their rights and freedoms.
  Well, we know there is still fighting, we know that rights and freedoms are such that battles will go on forever.. Those students, who apparently have either wonderful caring parents, who have dished out for their education, or, students who have loans, possible because we still live in a free country (thanks to those battles fought and won), think it is acceptable to take that which is universally known to be a symbol to the fallen in battle, and disturb and disrespect the one day a year, the Country honours them.
  Now, maybe this is news to some, but the White Poppy has been around for awhile. It appeared back in the 1930's , worn by women as  lasting symbol of peace and to an end of all wars. It didn't go over well back then, because it offended, and...surprise...times have not changed.
  Ignorant Canadian students, who were born beyond the ravages these great wars caused, beyond the cenotaphs with names of family and friends who never returned. Students who feel they no longer need to respect, because War is ugly, and peace is so much better. Maybe they feel they are better educated than those past, maybe they feel a white poppy will make everything wonderful, and war will stop? I hope they are not that stupid, if that was fact, Flander's field would be empty, there would be no crosses row on row, because we had smart people even back then, and every single person in the world would have placed a white poppy over their heart, if it would have stopped the past.
  See, what we must remember is the past! We cannot pretend it never happened, Our veterans, be it, from the "great" wars, or those which still go on today, get one day a year, in which we honour and respect them. That day is one in which we stand for a moments silence, and remember. Now young people remember new names, from the new wars, because people will continue to fight for rights and freedoms.
  Remembrance day is a sad day, it is not a day to attempt to push peace, peace can be pushed 364 other days of the year. This single day,the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, is for our veterans, it is the day of the Red Poppy, a day of Taps, one of flags, and uniforms and faces that show sorrow, at what has been lost, and most of all, a day of respect.
  So, to all those peaceful university students, who wish to flaunt white poppies, get your own frigging day! Just show some respect and leave Remembrance day to those who have earned their moment.