the pool
soft
my stick
steps
still
splash
watching
morning swim
one vehicle
alone
morning fog
from the balconySunday, July 22, 2012
JUST BEAUTY
the pool soft my stick steps still splashwatching morning swim one vehicle alone morning fog from the balcony
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
How Free Are We???
JUST HOW FREE ARE WE?????
LET ME TELL YA....
I have lived in Canada most of my life! It's a great country...it really is~
We have clean water, open spaces, room for others and a culture that is tolerant.......rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrscreechhhhh....DID I JUST SAY "TOLERANT"?????
So let's weigh our freedom, our water, our open spaces and our culture shall we....
Let's start with water....we are the second largest country in the world with the 3rd largest renewable water source. 3rd only to Brazil and Russia. WOW~ Unfortunately our fresh water has been decreasing over the years. Is it global warming? I THINK NOT. Is it water going missing? PROBABLY! FACT 1: GREAT LAKE levels have steadily decreased since 1997. FACT 2: due to increased population, more water is being used without being conscious of it. FACT 3: With low snowfall, evaporation and weather patterns changing the lakes will continue this trend.
HOW IMPORTANT IS WATER TO YOU>>> its worth more than your house, your cottage, your sports car, your bank account, even your job. WITHOUT WATER, WE DON'T EXIST.
What about these big companies that lure us into buying water in a bottle?? What makes their water better than what comes out of the tap? NOTHING!!!! Most of the water you see in bottles now is coming from a tap somewhere. SAVE YOURSELF THE COST OF KEEPING THEM IN BUSINESS FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE FREE....use a Brita.
Let's talk a little about open spaces shall we. WE HAVE TONS OF IT!!!! But we can't live there....a majority of the population of Canada lives in cities that cling to the southern border. The average property size if you buy in or near the cities is 50 x 100 and the price could cost you up to half a million. SO MUCH FOR WIDE OPEN SPACES???
Now let's talk about tolerance....its a sad day when you read in the news that a major bank is closing accounts on people because of their place of birth....YOU READ ME RIGHT!!!!
The TD bank is closing peoples accounts with a simple letter. SORRY, but according to a government law we can no longer service you as a customer. THE END. These people, some Canadian born, with a heritage that hails from Iran are having their accounts terminated.
WE ARE NOT FREE PEOPLE.... we are registered and taxed from birth, we are forced to be educated in a system that allows the struggling to slip through the cracks, we are forced to be vaccinated or we cannot enter the educational system, we are forced to pay dearly for post secondary education, we are in or under debt before we get a real job, (if one can be found) we struggle to buy all that the big companies say we need, we live from paycheck to paycheck because jobs are going to China for 14c an hour, we pay for water, car/fishing and any other licence the government dreams about that would line the coffers, we work long hrs and work longer in life, we even pay taxes when we die!!!!
WE ARE A SLAVE TO THE SOCIETY WE HAVE CREATED AND LET IT GET OUT OF CONTROL.... we allow the rich to get richer and we allow the rich to make us poorer. We allow governments to pass any law they like because they tell us it will be good for us. We don't elect anyone with BALLS that could change the madness...and even if we could find someone like that....where would they begin???
WE ARE NOT FREE....WE ARE George Orwell's "1984" An unconscious slave to what a handful of people want.
The necessity of life is something we pay for.....WATER!
They already gotcha where it hurts.
KNOW WHAT I SAY.....STOP buying water, get a Brita and drink from the tap to start with~ STOP paying beyond your means for a mortgage that you will carry to your grave~ STOP letting politicians tell you what is good for you and START telling them what it is you want~ STOP banking where ALL CANADIANS ARE NOT TREATED EQUALLY~
STOP....just stop and think.
Enough SAID....
Quote of the Day
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
Martin Luther King, Jr
LET ME TELL YA....
I have lived in Canada most of my life! It's a great country...it really is~
We have clean water, open spaces, room for others and a culture that is tolerant.......rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrscreechhhhh....DID I JUST SAY "TOLERANT"?????
So let's weigh our freedom, our water, our open spaces and our culture shall we....
Let's start with water....we are the second largest country in the world with the 3rd largest renewable water source. 3rd only to Brazil and Russia. WOW~ Unfortunately our fresh water has been decreasing over the years. Is it global warming? I THINK NOT. Is it water going missing? PROBABLY! FACT 1: GREAT LAKE levels have steadily decreased since 1997. FACT 2: due to increased population, more water is being used without being conscious of it. FACT 3: With low snowfall, evaporation and weather patterns changing the lakes will continue this trend.
HOW IMPORTANT IS WATER TO YOU>>> its worth more than your house, your cottage, your sports car, your bank account, even your job. WITHOUT WATER, WE DON'T EXIST.
What about these big companies that lure us into buying water in a bottle?? What makes their water better than what comes out of the tap? NOTHING!!!! Most of the water you see in bottles now is coming from a tap somewhere. SAVE YOURSELF THE COST OF KEEPING THEM IN BUSINESS FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE FREE....use a Brita.
Let's talk a little about open spaces shall we. WE HAVE TONS OF IT!!!! But we can't live there....a majority of the population of Canada lives in cities that cling to the southern border. The average property size if you buy in or near the cities is 50 x 100 and the price could cost you up to half a million. SO MUCH FOR WIDE OPEN SPACES???
Now let's talk about tolerance....its a sad day when you read in the news that a major bank is closing accounts on people because of their place of birth....YOU READ ME RIGHT!!!!
The TD bank is closing peoples accounts with a simple letter. SORRY, but according to a government law we can no longer service you as a customer. THE END. These people, some Canadian born, with a heritage that hails from Iran are having their accounts terminated.
WE ARE NOT FREE PEOPLE.... we are registered and taxed from birth, we are forced to be educated in a system that allows the struggling to slip through the cracks, we are forced to be vaccinated or we cannot enter the educational system, we are forced to pay dearly for post secondary education, we are in or under debt before we get a real job, (if one can be found) we struggle to buy all that the big companies say we need, we live from paycheck to paycheck because jobs are going to China for 14c an hour, we pay for water, car/fishing and any other licence the government dreams about that would line the coffers, we work long hrs and work longer in life, we even pay taxes when we die!!!!
WE ARE A SLAVE TO THE SOCIETY WE HAVE CREATED AND LET IT GET OUT OF CONTROL.... we allow the rich to get richer and we allow the rich to make us poorer. We allow governments to pass any law they like because they tell us it will be good for us. We don't elect anyone with BALLS that could change the madness...and even if we could find someone like that....where would they begin???
WE ARE NOT FREE....WE ARE George Orwell's "1984" An unconscious slave to what a handful of people want.
The necessity of life is something we pay for.....WATER!
They already gotcha where it hurts.
KNOW WHAT I SAY.....STOP buying water, get a Brita and drink from the tap to start with~ STOP paying beyond your means for a mortgage that you will carry to your grave~ STOP letting politicians tell you what is good for you and START telling them what it is you want~ STOP banking where ALL CANADIANS ARE NOT TREATED EQUALLY~
STOP....just stop and think.
Enough SAID....
Quote of the Day
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
Martin Luther King, Jr
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Tubing: Elora Gorge
Hi Everyone,
Just a few days ago I went tubing in Elora Gorge. It was stationed in a park run by the Grand River Conservation Association. I was excited because I felt that tubing would be a more relaxing experience rather than a white water rafting trip I took some years ago.
I called ahead for information. I felt that the price was reasonable and asked my friends if they were interested in going.
We went on the Friday. (just so ya know, the walk is long to and from the start and stop points and shuttles are only on weekends) The idea of a walk did not detour me.
We arrived at the starting point and there was a person there in a lawnchair with a first aid kit. I thought that this was odd, but did not question it.
I asked, "where is the best place to start?" My answer was rather vague.
"Depends on whether you want to go thru the rapids or not."
I will tell you now, at the rental site we were not warned about river speed, rocks or currents. No one pointed out whether we were signing a waiver for injury and the person in the lawnchair never inquired about our skill level.
We figured that the rapids didn't look that bad. I tucked my double-bagged Blackberry in the front of my swimsuit, clipped on my water bottle, donned my helmet and lifejacket and pushed the tube into the water. YES I BROUGHT MY BB!!! I FIGURED I COULD GET SOME NICE PICTURES ON THE MEANDERING WATERWAY.
At the first set of rapids, I fell off the tube (no handles on it or tether) I went under several times and was dragged with the force of the current. I hit a few rocks in the water and ended up with a welt on my shin that stuck out a good inch. 100yrds later, I finally got some footing in the current and figured my tube was long gone. I touched my chest to feel for my BB and found that it too was gone with the water bottle. SO FAR, NOT IMPRESSED!
I looked upstream and noticed the guy in the lawnchair had not budged and inch to see if we were ok. THAT PISSED ME OFF.
I called out to my friend, who is not a good swimmer if she was ok and then turned to look down stream and seen something floating. I told her that I was going to see if it was my BB. IT WAS....AND IT WAS DRY AND WORKING!! I walked back along the shore and noticed my friend was not fairing well. She was a bit tramatized by the water and going under. I sat her down and took off her jacket and helmut and told her to 'just breathe'.
After about 20 minutes we figured we would keep going, it couldn't get any worse then that right???? WRONG!
Another 5 minutes down we hit another set of rapids and got tossed again. By this time I had a sprained thumb and huge bruises on my legs from the rocks under the water. My friend was in a panick attack.
She wanted to walk the shore.
WORD OF ADVICE: WEAR RUNNING SHOES....it will save your feet.
So we walked. I figured she needed a bit of time to calm down. That did not happen. She did not wear runners but rather water shoes.
PEOPLE....DON'T WEAR WATER SHOES. They have no support and are horrible on the feet trying to walk on rocks.
We had to crisscross the river multiple times to avoid the current. She was afraid. UNDERSTANDABLY SO.... we had no warning of the river conditions.
After walking a long time, we finally hit a section of the river that seemed easier. The steep walls of the Gorge started to wain and i figured that this was a good clue to a calmer section. I guessed correctly.
I told her that it would be ok to get on the tube now. Her feet had taken a beating from the walk over the rocks. The last 25 minutes of the ride was easier and we came to the end.
SHE WAS ECSTATIC TO HIT DRY LAND!!!!
ALL ALONG THE TUBE RUN THERE WAS NOT ONE SPOTTER TO WATCH OUT FOR INJURED PEOPLE. THERE IS NO ACCESS OUT OF THE GORGE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END OF THE RUN. This did not impress me.
WHAT IF SOMEONE HIT THEIR HEAD??? OR BROKE A LEG??? HOW WOULD YOU GET OUT???
When we got back to the rental shack, the person asked if I had enjoyed it?
NO.... I said. I said that I was not impressed with the lack of warning, lack of spotters, lack of exits from the gorge and the lack initiative on their part to warn us.
His reply was ...."well you signed a waiver!"
KNOW WHAT I DID...I lost it.
"What waiver? Did you tell me I was signing one? Did you post warning signs? Did you post river conditions? NO, NO AND NO!
There was a woman there with her child. The child was about 10yrs old. She stood horrified as I spoke. She did not stand there long and walked off with her child.
To me.....signing a waiver is not an appropriate way of covering your ass. I felt the park should have had warning signs up, river conditions posted and should have made people aware that they were signing a waiver and why. The park should have posted spotters with walkie talkies along the tube route in case of injury as well as having some means of exit/escape out of the Gorge in a few spots along the way.
I do not recommend this tubing site to anyone!
KNOW WHAT I SAY....SHAME ON YOU GRCA for not preparing people better.
ENOUGH SAID...
Quote of the Day.....
"if you don't tell someone that it is dangerous, they will assume its not....you could be one step away from a lawsuit. Its called 'neglect'."
Just a few days ago I went tubing in Elora Gorge. It was stationed in a park run by the Grand River Conservation Association. I was excited because I felt that tubing would be a more relaxing experience rather than a white water rafting trip I took some years ago.
I called ahead for information. I felt that the price was reasonable and asked my friends if they were interested in going.
We went on the Friday. (just so ya know, the walk is long to and from the start and stop points and shuttles are only on weekends) The idea of a walk did not detour me.
We arrived at the starting point and there was a person there in a lawnchair with a first aid kit. I thought that this was odd, but did not question it.
I asked, "where is the best place to start?" My answer was rather vague.
"Depends on whether you want to go thru the rapids or not."
I will tell you now, at the rental site we were not warned about river speed, rocks or currents. No one pointed out whether we were signing a waiver for injury and the person in the lawnchair never inquired about our skill level.
We figured that the rapids didn't look that bad. I tucked my double-bagged Blackberry in the front of my swimsuit, clipped on my water bottle, donned my helmet and lifejacket and pushed the tube into the water. YES I BROUGHT MY BB!!! I FIGURED I COULD GET SOME NICE PICTURES ON THE MEANDERING WATERWAY.
At the first set of rapids, I fell off the tube (no handles on it or tether) I went under several times and was dragged with the force of the current. I hit a few rocks in the water and ended up with a welt on my shin that stuck out a good inch. 100yrds later, I finally got some footing in the current and figured my tube was long gone. I touched my chest to feel for my BB and found that it too was gone with the water bottle. SO FAR, NOT IMPRESSED!
I looked upstream and noticed the guy in the lawnchair had not budged and inch to see if we were ok. THAT PISSED ME OFF.
I called out to my friend, who is not a good swimmer if she was ok and then turned to look down stream and seen something floating. I told her that I was going to see if it was my BB. IT WAS....AND IT WAS DRY AND WORKING!! I walked back along the shore and noticed my friend was not fairing well. She was a bit tramatized by the water and going under. I sat her down and took off her jacket and helmut and told her to 'just breathe'.
After about 20 minutes we figured we would keep going, it couldn't get any worse then that right???? WRONG!
Another 5 minutes down we hit another set of rapids and got tossed again. By this time I had a sprained thumb and huge bruises on my legs from the rocks under the water. My friend was in a panick attack.
She wanted to walk the shore.
WORD OF ADVICE: WEAR RUNNING SHOES....it will save your feet.
So we walked. I figured she needed a bit of time to calm down. That did not happen. She did not wear runners but rather water shoes.
PEOPLE....DON'T WEAR WATER SHOES. They have no support and are horrible on the feet trying to walk on rocks.
We had to crisscross the river multiple times to avoid the current. She was afraid. UNDERSTANDABLY SO.... we had no warning of the river conditions.
After walking a long time, we finally hit a section of the river that seemed easier. The steep walls of the Gorge started to wain and i figured that this was a good clue to a calmer section. I guessed correctly.
I told her that it would be ok to get on the tube now. Her feet had taken a beating from the walk over the rocks. The last 25 minutes of the ride was easier and we came to the end.
SHE WAS ECSTATIC TO HIT DRY LAND!!!!
ALL ALONG THE TUBE RUN THERE WAS NOT ONE SPOTTER TO WATCH OUT FOR INJURED PEOPLE. THERE IS NO ACCESS OUT OF THE GORGE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END OF THE RUN. This did not impress me.
WHAT IF SOMEONE HIT THEIR HEAD??? OR BROKE A LEG??? HOW WOULD YOU GET OUT???
When we got back to the rental shack, the person asked if I had enjoyed it?
NO.... I said. I said that I was not impressed with the lack of warning, lack of spotters, lack of exits from the gorge and the lack initiative on their part to warn us.
His reply was ...."well you signed a waiver!"
KNOW WHAT I DID...I lost it.
"What waiver? Did you tell me I was signing one? Did you post warning signs? Did you post river conditions? NO, NO AND NO!
There was a woman there with her child. The child was about 10yrs old. She stood horrified as I spoke. She did not stand there long and walked off with her child.
To me.....signing a waiver is not an appropriate way of covering your ass. I felt the park should have had warning signs up, river conditions posted and should have made people aware that they were signing a waiver and why. The park should have posted spotters with walkie talkies along the tube route in case of injury as well as having some means of exit/escape out of the Gorge in a few spots along the way.
I do not recommend this tubing site to anyone!
KNOW WHAT I SAY....SHAME ON YOU GRCA for not preparing people better.
ENOUGH SAID...
Quote of the Day.....
"if you don't tell someone that it is dangerous, they will assume its not....you could be one step away from a lawsuit. Its called 'neglect'."
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