“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to be credible. – Mark Twain”
Today we received this wonderful Christmas greeting video from our young granddaughter back on PEI.
3 little elfs
While this photo is in itself an awful funny bit of creativity I really think that watching this short video she put together is definitely hilarious 
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Bu mhath an sgàthan sùil caraid.
[A friend's eye is a good looking-glass.]
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Friday evening our friends/neighbours dropped down to help me level the slates on my pool table … well Rod did, his wife came along to visit with Pam. It didn’t take long for Rod & I to do the table & then we had a couple of beers to visit. Dry business that work. 
Saturday is usually our ’shopping, library day but this Saturday it was all shopping. Christmas is coming up & we want to get on top of it before the big day. The local Christmas craft fair was also happening on Saturday & the weather, while cool is sunny & quite comfortable. So we wrapped Molly up in her down jacket, set Chesney up with a tasty treat & a warm bed & off we went.
The Craft Fair was great, lots of great stuff, art & crafts & a table full of Cree beadwork, some antler carvings but I can’t say what in case our kids & grandchildren happening to be reading this blog. Wouldn’t want to ruin their Christmas. I picked up a couple of nice photos & great Cree painting by a local artist. After leaving the fair we headed off to Robertson’s Trading Post to look at more local leatherwork & check out the meats. You never know what surprises that the butcher has brought in. Could be some elk, or bison or boar & most times there is the sausages! Blueberry & wild rice, cranberry & pork from down south. Or, hopefully the best of their sausages Bison & MuskOx links.
And finally we finish our day’s outing at the local Co-Op picking a few groceries. As you can see a day in LA can be boring.
Today I paid the price of a day of leisure by filling the seams between the pool table’s slates & screw holes. After which I worked on getting both my workbenches setup again. While for most folks these tasks would simple but for me it becomes a mammoth & exhausting task so I work for 30 mins at the most & then rest up for the next burst. It is taking a long time to get setup but one day, soon I will be back at the carving & art & posting the results right here … so keep watch.
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Bu mhath an sgàthan sùil caraid.
[A friend's eye is a good looking-glass.]
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“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to be credible. - Mark Twain”
Another Saturday here in northern Saskatchewan, sipping our morning coffee, listening to ‘Stan The Man’ on CBC Internet Live Radio we hear of yet another storm hitting the Island & east. The temperature is rather balmy here at -14ºC with the wind blowing a fierce 15kms. I can still smile contently. I finally got the slates of the pool table levelled & fastened down last evening. Thanks to the help of my neighbour & friend Rod. Since he helped me get the stair lift in I can now get down to the basement I have been setting up my shop/studio & more importantly the pool table!
For the last 2 days I have been trying to level the table on my own. While it’s not a complex task, requiring only a knowledge of understanding the physics of a rolling ball vs the ball not rolling, it can become a burdensome when you don’t have the use of your legs. I must have worn out the arse of a couple of pairs of jeans transferring from wheelchair to stool then floor & back again … inserting &/or removing wedges to try & get one corner level only to find the other corner way out of wack! Jacking up that corner resulted in put the first corner out wack again! Being stubborn I kept at it for 2 days before calling Rod to come to the rescue. It took about 1½ hrs to get the whole table level with Rod’s help last evening. Friends, eh? Nothing like them!
Today I finish tightening & applying the levelling compound & then back to the workbench(es). Something I can definitely do on my own …. yippeeee for the stubborn old gimp!
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Bu mhath an sgàthan sùil caraid.
{A friend’s eye is a good looking-glass.}
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it's the 'wheel' plow again!!
We’ve been quite a getting a bit of snow lately. Not big dumps of snow but enough to require cleanup. I’m told by the neighbours that November is the month that most of the snow falls in. With the consistent cold temperatures the snow doesn’t much of a chance to melt so it can stick around until spring. It’s not too cold today for working outside now … -10ºC. Fortunately it’s a dry cold.
One added benefit of the drier temperatures is that the snow is much lighter. And using my Inacare Arrow power wheelchair as a plow I am able to get the driveway cleared fairly easily. Still exhausting but it’s good exercise & helps reduce the amount of work Pam has to do ’standing in’ for the old gimp. 
Uill, gun tèid e gu math dhomh an-duigh
Well, wish me luck for today …
“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to be credible. - Mark Twain”
As i was saying in the last post the hardest thing about being so far from home is missing family & friends. But family does have the priority …
A few of the grandkids ; {l>r} Stuart, Tori & Tedd
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Slàinte mhor gu lèir là dhuit.
Great health to you all day.-=-=-=-=-=-=
“Eucoir nas miosa na leabhraichean a losgadh – gun a bhith gan leughadh” – Joseph Brodsky
{There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.}
Last weekend we drove down to PA {Prince Albert} to take the dogs in for their quarterly check-up & such, to get some shopping done & to tools & materials & to just wander a bit. Since the trip is normally a 2½ hour drive at this time of year we generally plan for a more careful 3 hour one so we decided to stay overnight at our usual motel. Lately I have become quite chatty with the manager {not much of a surprise for those that know me, eh?) … anyway the subject of hot sauces & large bottles of Tobasco sauce & how hot I like my foods. She proceeded to tell the folks from the McIlhenny Company stay at the motel when they come up from Louisiana to hunt geese & other birds. Then she slipped into her office & came back with a 5oz bottle of a HABANERO Tobasco hot sauce. Wow, eh? And what a flavour! You just never can tell what will happen when you step out & talked to someone. Try it … you’ll be pleasantly surprised … there’s some real nice folks out there.
Both of us are really enjoying being back in LA & especially now that the weather is beginning to get ‘winter-ish". At the moment there’s been a light dusting of snow. The driveway slopes downwards to the street so clearing it was much easy inspite of the smooth tires on my chair. Just as I was finishing a few of the local kids a came by with their shovels looking to make a few bucks. One of them even pitched in & helped finish the walk. Looking forward to giving them some work in future days this winter & help them along with their business.
I must also add that we do miss the Island & our family & friends {as well as Gàidhlig}. And to that end we got up earlier than usual so that we could listen to Atlantic Canada’s Weekend Morning with Stan Carew. Turned out they were celebrating his 40th year in broadcasting with guests like David Myles. Thanks to the wonders of ‘real’ Highspeed & the CBC’s website live feed we connected once again with everyone l back home.
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“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to be credible. – Mark Twain”
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“Let the bells ring out & the banners fly!
Feast your eyes; it’s too good to be true,
but it’s done, it’s done!”
a ride half down ...
Yup! The lift is installed ….. finally!! The Inaugural Ride happened this morning at 10AM CT … And now I’m able to glide up & down from the basement in comfort. Last Sunday my friend, Rod & I lifted the heavy seat up onto the rail … well Rod did the lifting I just handled the electronic controls & helped aim it. Anyway over the next few days I finished putting the plastic covers & other ornamental coverings & hide the all the wires but for now it’ll be bust transporting me up & down . Now onto setting up my carving / workshop & more importantly
setting up my new pool table & playing … finally.
managed to get the four solid walnut legs installed today too!
And at supper time my youngest son telephoned to tell us he is getting married. Wow what a day … a working lift, a soon to be up pool table & a wedding! Congrats son & Kerry G.
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Slàinte mhor a h-uile là a chi ’s nach fhaic.
Great health to you every day that I see you and every day that I don’t.
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“Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp-post how it feels about dogs.”
Normally I don’t put costumes or clothing on my gal other than what’s required to keep her warm & dry when out for walks & such but had this lying around so decided to try it. As you guessed she wasn’t pleased but being the patient lass that she is she suffered the indignity quietly & sat for a photo.
Ah!! .... do I have to!
Speaking of Halloween the weather here wasn’t cold or overcast & none of the white stuff. Quite unusual Halloween up here in northern Saskatchewan. Back on the Island we normally had to deal with a maximum of 3 Halloween’ers at the door but here we were told to expect 100 or more kids seeking treats. Well we ran out of candy at about 85 kids … & coincidently we ran out of kids at about that very same time. Pheeeew! A friend said she buys for 240 trick or treaters but this year she only had around 80 as well. Every one of the kids, from the little ones right up the teenagers were incredibly polite & thanked us for the treats. Haven’t heard of a single case of vandalism here at all. Unlike what has gone on back home … Although these days who needs Halloween as an excuse, eh?
In all lots of fun for all including Molly & Chesney … lots of chances to bark & run around like crazy.
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Slàinte mhor a h-uile là a chi ’s nach fhaic.
Great health to you every day that I see you and every day that I don’t.
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“Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp-post how it feels about dogs.”
Well as guessed, there’s been a bit of lag in my writing of late with the busy, busy times we’ve had just “moving in” to our new home here in LA. The holdup is largely due to me having access to the basement along with my all my tools, books & carving related materials. First problem came from not having the lift fully installed due to the rails Rod & installed being too short. By 5½ inches! The company that I originally got the lift from dropped off 2 more rails … neither of which were long enough!! Then I requested that they come up & finish the installation. After a few weeks of waiting for them to arrive .. or even return phone calls I finally decided to do myself. Along with help from some friends who kindly took time off they’re busy days. One friend cut a 3 foot piece of rail & gears. And I spent 3 days on my butt sliding up & down the stairs installing the rail myself … & the last week recovering.
not much to look at but lots of fun installing on your butt!
Now I am waiting for Rod, one of my pool playing buddies to return home from his trip to lift the motor onto the rails so I can then finish the install with the electrical hookup . Allowing me to take my tools & benches, etc to the basement where I will be setting my shop as well setting up the new pool table. I understand the complications & problems a company located 5 hours south of here has doing work up here & making promises they can’t keep or phone about. But there comes a time when you have “get off your arse” do it yourself or find another way to accomplish the task … (hopefully a successful way. Electricians arrive today or tomorrow to install the new light fixtures we just bought … woodsman, log home styles of fixtures. Photos to be added here at a later date.
And a plug for the lift! Little by little I’ll be riding high again … well down too.
A small part of my tool agglomeration ...
This allow give Pam the room to rip out those disgusting rugs & paint & renovate the biggest bedroom on the first floor. I do so hate rugs! Filthy things that always slow my wheeling down …. But I must admit I have seen some very decent ones on a couple of bald headed celebrities.
……………………………….. that fills an entire room & then some.
... which covers the entire room & closet.
Today is also my AGA Gaelic class day conference calling using Skype … unless the electricians arrive & disrupt it. At least I’ve done my homework this week!
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Uill, gun tèid e gu math dhomh an-duigh
Well, wish me luck for today …
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“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to be credible. - Mark Twain”
Well I am finally getting some of the photos of our trip ‘down south’ together …. over 500 to sort through so it’s been fun. And hard to choose one’s that reflect this province & all that attracts both Pam & I to it. Most see this province as nothing but flat where you can see Alberta from the Manitoba border … as long you aren’t on the one road with the 1 tree!
On the road to Prince Albert, SK
Leaving La Ronge we headed south some 240 + kms to Prince Albert …
One of the other reasons for our adventure was to shop. First we had to go to my tailors (Mark’s Work Wearhouse) to get a new winter wardrobe for ourselves & then on to the pet store to get Molly & Chesney’s. This is Molly wearing a nice ‘off the shoulder’ fall garment that comes with matching hat & scarf …
Molly
After leaving Prince Albert the next morning we headed south east to a little town called Birch Hills where got an amazing grilled sandwich made with a tasty cake like corn meal / whole wheat bread, butter, ham & with shredded cheese. (New Ground Cafe, Birch Hills SK) The shredded cheese added a touch to this meal So we took our take-out lunch & sat beside scenes like this …
Farming in Saskatchewan
as well this ’small’ acreage. You can’t quite see the Rockies …. yet! But on clearer day … who knows, eh?
Farming in Saskatchewan
Another common sighting in southern Saskatchewan are the grain elevators in almost every little town & village …
Grain elevator
And the many, many thousands of sloughs … small swamp/pond like bodies of water that everywhere.
Needless to say they are populated with all types & sorts of birds & other creatures.
Birds in a Saskatchewan slough
… & farms. But a new one that’s beginning to make itself known are the wild boar farms. Here’s a quick shot of one far not far from Prince Albert, SK. Once you’ve tasted wild boar you’ll never want to eat pork again!!
Wild boar farm
Here’s a closer shot of some these animals. Guess you could say they’re no longer ‘wild’ boar, eh?
Cloose up of the wild boar
This journey/adventure of ours lasted a few days & I took well over 500 photos so between preparing for this week’s Gàidhlig (Gaelic) class & sorting these I will have to spread this posting over a few more days or so. Please keep on checking for updates.
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Uill, gun tèid e gu math dhomh an-duigh
Well, wish me luck for today …
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