Back on The Wagon Again

Yes! that's about how it seems, as on September 3, Alberta got a nasty shock as the Premier announced that we would have to be masked once again in all public areas. 

The City of Calgary went one step further and declared a State of Local Emergency (SOLE) which would empower the city council to re-introduce some further restrictions. So, "back on the wagon again" seems an appropriate title for this blog.

We have been watching and listening to the stats on the Federal Election. By the time you receive this blog, a new Liberal minority government will have been elected in Canada. Thinking about a new government and the way people will vote, it brings to mind a well-known saying by Albert Einstein seen below. OMG! He's right again.

 We voted at the early polling station ten days prior to the main voting booths opening to the public. It looked as if there were a lot of people voting early.  

We can feel the days cooling down now. It was just -7°C when I rose yesterday and -4°C this morning. It feels like fall is already here. The leaves have all but gone now.

Donna and I decided to take a brief "time-out", so we headed south intending to visit Waterton Lakes National Park however, that was not to be. We were on our way down when the heavens opened. Alberta really needed the moisture but it stopped us from visiting the park. Then, we returned to Lethbridge for a night in a hotel then, onto Medicine Hat for a couple of days. Before returning to Calgary. 

I did notice during our two days in Medicine Hat that it has changed a lot since I was there. I was totally turned around with all the building and changes that have taken place since I left. 

We stayed at the brand new Best Western Premier Hotel in "The Hat". We can highly recommend this hotel. It was a very comfortable hotel with a heated indoor pool, water slide and hot tub. 

Our next sortie was to Rocky Mountain House and to Red Deer. We visited Sundre and local areas and also tried to track down the one room school Donna's dad taught at not far from Caroline, Alberta but we could not find it. We had two relaxing days in Red Deer area but didn't do much however, it was fun and a getaway. 

Recently, while listening to the local radio, I learned that shortages are going to become a regular feature of life for now. 

A professor of Logistics, was speaking. He said that a container coming from China two years ago cost $4,000. On average those containers have $100,000 of product inside the container. The container then representing 4% of the cost of the total load. 

The professor went on to say that today, the cost of the same container is $40,000 which is 40% of the total cost of the products being shipped. No wonder prices are rising from everything we seem to want right now. I hope it changes back but, I am not going to bet on it. I believe all Western countries need to begin producing and manufacturing their own products or things aren't going to change anytime soon but in fairness, we do get a lot of produce from Mexico and the Central and South American countries.

Winter Tire Time

Preparation for winter is always an event we all need to do here in Canada. Yesterday, Donna and I went and invested in new winter tires and new rims for our SUV. the $2,500 bill was not well received but safety first is more important.

I have an upcoming angiogram at the Foothills Hospital. My Cardiac Surgeon ordered a more detailed scan. I have to be at the hospital at 7:00 am which means an early rise for both of us as I cannot drive or lift heavy weights for a few days after the procedure, especially if they have to put in a stent or do an angioplasty should they find a blockage in the heart muscle which they have already said they have found with the preliminary angiogram they did a month or so ago. Immediately they find something they will fix it hopefully. Normally the procedure is done and the patients leave that evening but just in case, they have asked I bring an overnight bag. I must admit, I don't relish staying in the Foothills Hospital at the moment as there are so many people in there with COVID.

I have always been a fan of Thanksgiving. We are having Kath and Roddy over with their kids for Thanksgiving Dinner. Kath is kindly supplying the turkey which we will cook in the oven. 

We would have loved to have had Jason, Lucia and kids over but that would take us over the maximum permitted limit of people and families in our house if we observe the lockdown rules which we will comply with. The rules here call for one other family only, to a maximum of ten people and they must have had the vaccinations. Everyone has had the vaccinations but we would still be over the family and numbers limit.

I cannot wait for this virus to be be gone so we can all get back to some sort of normal.

Of course, Canadian Thanksgiving pales in comparison to US thanksgiving which always occurs around the fourth thursday of November. The Americans go all out for what I believe is probably THE largest celebration during any year. 

It goes without saying, it's always on a Thursday followed by Black Friday.... This is a day one does not want to be shopping in the US as it heralds the first shopping day of Christmas for Americans with great door-crasher deals on anything and everything you can think of and it is Bedlam, believe me.

I would like to share something with our readers and this does not happen anywhere else in the world I don't believe.  

About 15 years ago, Donna and I were in Hawaii over Thanksgiving. We were renting a fully equipped apartment on Oahu, not far from Honolulu. Just before Thanksgiving day, we went out shopping for a turkey as we wanted to be a part of the US Thanksgiving celebrations.

We walked into a Safeway grocery store and while walking around in the vegetable and meat departments, we noticed signs saying "All veggies 50% off". We were surprised, but loaded up our cart with what we needed and proceeded to the meat department where there was a massive assortment of turkeys ranging from 8 pounds up to well over 25 or 30 pounds in weight. The sign above the turkeys said "all turkeys $5". I literally could not believe my eyes. We picked up a good-sized turkey as we wanted to cook it and share it with the security guards who were manning the gate to our complex. 

There was a manager close by, so I asked if this was a mistake? He replied, "No of course not!"  I asked why Safeway was selling everything so cheaply? His reply was "Oh, It's just our way of saying thank you during thanksgiving to all those who shop here". Seriously, a 25-pound turkey was the same price as an 8 pounder but the nice thing was that there was no flurry of panic-buying.  Everyone took just what they needed. I wonder if we will ever see that type of kindness and giving back in Canada or in any of the countries where people read this blog?

Vaccinations

The Federal Government yesterday introduced notice to all Canadians that as of Oct 31, if you work for the government, you must have been vaccinated or show good reason why not or you will be made to take unpaid leave and suffer the probability of a loss of jobs

No Vaccine - No Flying

Also here in Canada, as of Nov 30, no one can fly in, out, or around Canada on any aircraft unless they have been vaccinated twice. Many people object to this but the pro-vaccination groups are in the majority as there is now well over 80% who are fully vaccinated in Alberta. I also heard on the radio that more of the unvaccinated people are looking to get their shots so they can fly. What choice do they have? Not a lot.

 

We had a quick trip out to the Advanced polls this afternoon to vote for our next Calgary Mayor. It's developing into a tight race but my guess is that we may just see Calgary's First Lady Mayor.  She is well qualified for the job and is slightly ahead in the polls by all accounts but Oct 18 will tell all.

Last Night

Oct 11, is a night many Albertans will not forget. It was a night where you could see the Aurora Borealis all the way from Alaska to way down south of Canada's border with the US.

Here are some shots for you to ponder, especially if you have never seen the aurora before. 

The first shot is of Lake Minnewanka, just outside Banff. you can see the Aurora developing at sunset.

The skies were covered with gorgeous Aurora displays right throughout the night, brought on by a solar flare from the sun.
  

This below was Stettler, Alberta, last night.

And this is good old Calgary early this morning. We rarely get a display as bright as this.

Well, It happened. The snow arrived on the mountains. The Rockies are now adorned with the white stuff. It did snow yesterday and the day before in Calgary, but it never settled. Just over a week away from winter rims and snow tires change day.

Well, I think we are going to leave you all now, so in anticipation of our next blog, which should be sometime after Christmas or the new year, have a wonderful time everyone. Stay safe, keep those masks on and go with the flow. The way things are going now, no flights, restaurants, cinemas, gyms or anything unless one can show proof of vaccinations which brings to mind something I learned a long time ago. It's much easier swimming with the current than against it, so hang tough everyone. We will beat this. 

Ken and Donna.