The Bay of Fundy back in the running - New 7 Wonders of Nature

O.K., now I am really confused. We’re in - we’re out? What’s going on. Every day last year before the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” contest round 1 closed, I faithfully, and I mean faithfully (I set my alarm daily to make sure!) went on-line and voted for the Bay of Fundy (for some reason pronounced ‘fun-day’ don’t know why - can’t see an A there) to win one of the wonders of nature.

But….I am also from Alberta….hmmm what to do, what to do…..I was torn. This caused me some grief. If I voted for the Bay of Fundy, I was abandoning the province in which I had lived all my life. I always was a very proud Albertan - as a matter of fact ‘Pride’ is a pre-requisite to be Albertan. But…if I didn’t vote for the Bay of Fundy I was not truly embracing my new identity as a ‘maritimer.’

The New 7 Wonders of Nature contest announced the Bay of Fundy, which boasts the world's highest tides, is now Canada's entry in the global competition. Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park was disqualified for not meeting contest requirements. Hmmmm…and what are the ‘requirements’ I wonder.

The Maritimes' iconic Bay of Fundy is back in the running to win an international natural wonders contest after a bid by Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park suddenly became extinct. Excuse the pun….

I grew up spending vacations in ‘Dinosaur National Park’ - have to admit it didn’t seem all that wondrous then, however got better once the MacDonald’s opened up across from the Tyrell museum. But then most children don’t appreciate things like that anyways. I know my son, was absolutely captivated and it jump started a life long love of fossils and everything ‘rock-jockey.’

Well to get the cold hard facts, and that is what I try to do….(don’t laugh), I went to the local papers out there in ‘Alberta land.’ No use going to my hometown paper the Edmonton Journal, as Edmontonians are still miffed that the West Edmonton Mall was not considered, although the food court there is pretty wondrous, anyhoo…I went to the Calgary Herald. According to their article this is the reason:

A spokeswoman for Alberta Tourism Parks and Recreation said "The reason they gave us was that expectations were different from our end than there was on theirs of what was involved in the competition." Well what in the heck does that mean? I suspected they did not want to really tell it like it is. So I checked out a paper from Belgium, which straight out said that the Alberta park didn't make the cut because, well, there's not much to do there. Wow!…nasty.

"Not much to do" kind of sounds as if "something to do" is dependant on man-made entertainment - can this really be true? I always thought experiencing nature was "something to do" - all these years I've been so misguided. No, there are not any amusement parks, water slides or tacky little people waiting to steal your money, however just a short drive away and you can find that. What Dinosaur National Park does have is an amazing carbon footprint in the history of creation of the earth. Located in the heart of the Badlands, Drumheller Valley has an interesting history which spans back some 70 million years to a time when the area was very different looking than it is today. White explorers did not discover the area until the 1880's. J.B. Tyrrell, in his search for coal deposits along the river, discovered a skull of a dinosaur. That dinosaur is today known as the Albertasaurus. This marked the beginning of the collection of dinosaur remains that are sought after by museums all over the world, including the Royal Tyrrell Museum located in the Drumheller Valley.

While Dinosaur Provincial Park was knocked off the list, the places that did make the cut in Canada were Niagara Falls and New Brunswick & Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy.

Terri McCulloch, the manager of the Bay of Fundy Tourism Board, said now the bay needs votes to continue to the next stage. "I think the Bay of Fundy stands a very good chance of getting there," McCulloch said. "If we can marshal the troops again, Maritimers were just amazing for support and now we have the whole country behind us."

Well…probably not Alberta….

The Bay of Fundy again now joins the other 261 nominees from around the globe, a list that includes Mount Everest, whatever...you climbed one mountain you climbed them all.

The Bay of Fundy advertises a “New experience with Every Tide.” To say you have the highest tides in the world and to actual see this phenomena take place is something else.

The Bay of Fundy is a 170-mile-long (270km), straight-sided, somewhat funnel-shaped bay which splits at its northeastern head into two narrow bays, Chignecto Bay and the Minas Basin. It was formed as the continental plates parted millions of years ago. As they split, deep rift valleys formed, which quickly filled with sediment washed in from the land. The Bay of Fundy is one of these ancient rifts.

The mudflats also provide a larder of food to hungry migratory shorebirds. Each year up to two million semi-palmated sandpipers and other shorebirds stop over in the Fundy region during July and August on their annual migration from their spring breeding grounds, far to the north on the arctic tundra near Hudson Bay, to their wintering grounds along the coasts of South America. The semi-palmated sandpipers that settle in the Minas Basin and other areas represent 75-95% of the entire world's population of this species. They build up their body fat on tiny crustaceans found only in mud of a certain consistency.

As for things to do; kayaking, canoeing, caving, whale watching, camping, sailing, birdwatching, climbing, beaches, golfing, museums, arts & crafts, dinning, beer drinking, and...whales...oh I mentioned the whales.

But enough said. VOTE! And vote often…all of this country of ours is truly AMAZING!! That is why we are so lucky to be Canadian. www.new7wonders.com


Til later

Coffee, Tea or Kibble?

Air Canada travelers who fret over leaving Fifi at home when they fly can relax, the airline is once again allowing furry companions in its cabins.

I squealed in delight!!! Quickly grabbing cat no. 1 as it sauntered past the coffee table, got it in a two arm hug and clapped it’s little paws together - it was clapping with delight - o.k. I was helping it.

“Why is that good?” demanded hubby

“Well…now when we travel back to Alberta for a visit, we can bring the “boys” (that’s what I call them - my maternal hormones still going strong).

“Why the hell would we do that?” he asked . (cat no. 2 now has paw over mouth in shock!) “One spends all day in the tub, and the other one never leaves the closet - why would we take them anywhere?”

Good question.

The airline announced Wednesday that travelers can bring their cats or small dogs on the plane with them starting July 1 for a fee of $100 for domestic return flights and $200 for an overseas trip. A small price to pay I THINK….for my peace of mind. God only knows what shenanigans they would get up to while we were gone!!

I think what is really happening is that Air Canada has just found a new marketing and pricing technique. Don’t raise airfare but play on the heartstrings of crazy pet people by dangling the “Fido can Fly with me” carrot. Most people hate to travel on an airline with a pet - because giving them human qualities and sensibilities, most people are horrified at the thought of putting fluffy in a crate in the cargo hold.

Heck if I got a discount I’d put hubby there - he just sleeps through the flight anyways.

Air Canada has been struggling because of increasingly cut-throat competition from other airlines like WestJet, known as a pet-friendly airline, as well as the recession..It's part of their strategy to gain market share back that they lost to WestJet when they implemented all those policies, not necessarily only with the pets, but also other things, like call-centre fees and charging for pillows and blankets.

Does anyone remember the days when they actually served you on real china, and gave a choice of red or white wine?

The company has changed its policies on pets several times. In September 2006, the airline said it would no longer allow pets in the cabin due to allergy concerns. Nine months later, the company said it wouldn't accept pets in the cargo hold either due to the need for more space for luggage. "Like all businesses we constantly review and update our policies, and that's what's happened here," an Air Canada spokeperson said. "It's all part of a general strategy that we have here to improve our relationships with our customers." (I'll say - try feeding them)

While the concept of cats and dogs in such close proximity to travelers may raise concerns among allergy sufferers, the company says it rarely hears complaints from customers.

"We don't get a lot of feedback on that, surprisingly," they say. "If we do, what we try to do is we try to separate the two, the person with the animal and the person with the allergy. We put them as far apart as we possibly can." (I suppose non-pet owners could ride in cargo area?) "It's something that we get a lot of positive feedback on. People really appreciate the fact that they can bring their pets on board."

People with SEVERE allergies shouldn't be traveling anyways I say - they are too sick!

Well, out of earshot of hubby, I discussed this with the boys. (I think they talk back - but then maybe I just spend too much time alone on this blog) Anyways they love the idea! They are perusing over the travel mags as I am writing this. Both are big on the Caribbean - what with all the sand and everything.


Til later

Arctic Appetizers - more on the Canadian Seal Saga

O.k. here is the latest in my Seal Saga - just after I thought we had heard the last of it, all the hub-bub had died down surrounding Gen Jean’s culinary escapades - I came across this story in the “Nunavut News.” (Where did you think I get this stuff - the New York Times?)

It seems that all the fuss about General Jean has sparked a few entrepreneurial light bulbs a flashing. What’s the old saying “even bad press is good press?” Can’t pay for advertising like that. Inuit leaders want to capitalize on the promotional bonanza offered by images broadcast around the world of Canada's vice-regal munching on a raw slice of seal heart

They have reason for optimism: One Montreal restaurateur says his seal orders have doubled thanks to the media frenzy, and now account for two-thirds of his total appetizer sales.
The premier of Nunavut hopes more southerners follow the lead of General Jean and add to their diet what the locals call "country food" -- not just seal, but Arctic char, caribou, and muskox.

“YEESH” - what ever happened to plain old hamburger helper? You've seen it being eaten on your television screen. Now, people of the Arctic have visions of their food on your plate.

In a region desperate for economic activity -- the employment rate in Nunavut is just 58 per cent -- there are dreams of southern palates, and wallets, opening to the spoils of their land.
There's one big obstacle in getting the food down south: there are no roads to these Arctic communities, and shipment by boat or plane is painfully expensive.

"We have all these wonderful, highly nutritious foods," Premier Eva Aariak said in an interview.
"It's straight from the land. If only we had the infrastructure” Hmm…no preservatives. I would imagine it is Organic as well.

The Governor General can attest to the tastiness of country food. During their stay, Jean and her entourage were treated to succulent musk ox ribs topped in a demi-glaze sauce, and canapes of Arctic char, which resembles salmon or trout in colour, texture and taste. (o.k. I got to quit here….I have not even finished my morning coffee)

But none of those meals captured international headlines like the video of Jean slicing and sampling a seal. Jean said the blubbery mammal had a texture like sushi -- but with a meatier flavor. The premier agrees it tastes like meat, only with a subtle fishy flavor derived from the animal's steady diet of marine life.

“Subtle” fishy flavor?

Although fatty flipper pies are a favorite of Newfoundlanders, seal is a rare find on Canadian menus. One restaurateur who offers seal in unusual appetizers can't believe his good fortune.
Customers have been gobbling up the $13-$15 seal tartar with capers; rare seal tataki; and seal smoked meat from the appetizer menu at Montreal's Au Cinquieme Peche. "It's the most expensive item on our appetizer menu," Lenglet said. "But there's been so much publicity on this that seal now represents two-thirds of our appetizer sales. . . They have doubled."

But building a viable industry would require new infrastructure in Nunavut -- where there are no commercial ports for shipping and no highways connecting the tiny hamlets to one another.
To a visiting passenger, an Arctic community seen from an airplane can resemble a few specks of sand dropped in the middle of a frozen hockey rink.

Airfare even within the region can cost $3,000, and a plane ticket from Nunavut's capital to Canada's capital runs around $2,000. That's one of the reasons so many Inuit rely on hunted food, rather than shelling out more than $20 at the grocery shop for frozen chicken shipped up from southern Canada.

And, just maybe, better infrastructure might drive down the price someday of a seal surf and turf so the rest of us could pick up some Seal steak from lets say Super Store. You know - one gets so tired of Lobster in the maritimes……and I yet to hear any reports of “Mad Seal Disease.”


Til later

Election Canadian Style!

There are a few things that we Canadians are pretty good at. We brew really good, potent beer, give birth to our fair share of awesome hockey players and of course we are always there right behind the Americans to do general “Invasion Cleanup” detail.

But there is one thing that we perhaps excel at more than any other nation in the world and that is….ELECTIONS!!

Yes, we surpass every other country due to the fact that basically we get a lot of practice. We sometimes have elections even when we don’t need one. It’s like well…it’s kind of slow around here…I know lets have an election!

Look at the state of other countries who attempt to hold democratic elections. Riots, terrorism, outright assassinations take place in other places in the world when people simply exercise their right to choose a leader.

Then there is the American template. Their elections should be considered a 4 year sporting event. The stories, political mudslinging and the intrigue makes for some excellent reality T.V., yet we are able to make the whole process look like a walk in the park. Even the swearing in of a new cabinet, takes about an hour and only pre-empts an infomercial somewhere.

We have the whole election process down to a fine art. We have the capability to throw out one leadership, create smear campaigns, listen to both sides of the issues, debate platforms and vote in a new government - all within 30 days or less. If elections were an Olympic event, we would have the gold. You know with the demise of our fishing industry and softwood lumber, we could actually make our ability to hold an election an export of sorts. We could offer to go into a country, do a little campaigning, organize the polling stations and “Voila” new government and be out there inside of a couple of weeks - no violence involved.

Usually our government calls an election when all the infighting has gotten out of control and everyone has forgotten what the fight started over to begin with - or if we have exceptionally good summer weather and the hill wants to get out early

This week's saber-rattling between Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper over a summer election has all the makings of an epic battle over which leader has the biggest, um, sword.

Forget the worst economic crash in decades, the collapsing industries, the thousands of Canadians losing their jobs, their savings, their pensions, their homes.

If the political jousting between Iggy and the PM is any indication, the country is at risk of being dragged out of the pool and off to the polls in July over dueling egos. Harper, of course, is no slouch in the larger-than-life department, having spent the past three years successfully muzzling his ministers, and generally trying to put an iron grip on everyone and everything government.

Today, the Conservative administration remains predominantly all Harper all the time. But make no mistake, there's a new ego-slinger in town with the potential to make "l'etat c'est moi" s(the state is me) an understatement in both official languages.

But this time, instead of the usual Hewie, Dewie and Lewie, Mr. Harper and his gang have actually got some stiff opposition. So this time it looks like we could have ourselves one “Humdinger” of an election, a good old fashion shoot out! (not the O.K. Corral type - Hockey - we're Canadian remember)

So right now they are doing a little square dancing - everyone eyeing up the partners to “Doe-See-Doe", and I am sure an announcement will be forthcoming. I however will do what the rest of the country does when it really wants to know what is happing in the Canadian political climate - wait for Rick Mercer to make the announcement.

Til later

Facebook, Blogging & Twitter - Social Networking the new Addiction

We are a one laptop family. When hubby is off on the weekends I rarely get a chance at the computer if at all. Usually this irritates me, however I noticed this evening that I felt very distressed from not having been attached to the thing by my invisible power cord. It seems that there are times I am almost obsessed with all my social networking.

I am either Facebookin, blogging or tweetin or something!!! Yeah.. . Hubby got me hooked on facebook. I remember telling him that it was a very adolescent thing to do…but you know I would try it just once o.k…I was going to be a recreational Facebook user…just on weekends maybe, you know to loosen up, have a little fun…well that quickly turned into about a 50 time a day habit!!! Soon Facebook was not enough…because when I wasn’t on Facebook, I was blogging, then I got hooked on Twitter, and started “tweeting” (curiously close to the word tweeking don’t you think).

I even have a whole routine I follow. I log on and check my email, then I go and check my Facebook, drop some random comment, see who is on, then I quickly switch over to Twitter, seems I just HAVE to know what people like Kevin Spacey or others I do not know personally are doing RIGHT THIS MINUTE! Then I quickly go back to Facebook, just incase someone wrote back another random comment, then back to email, then twitter, on and on. It’s insane! I mean people who I have not seen or talked to since grade school, I all of a sudden need to know what they are doing.

All weekend I kept complaining about the heat in the house, I was sweating and I felt faint. Now I think that what was happening was that I was actually detoxing from social networking.

I have been thinking about this for a while, and I think it is really important to touch upon this issue because someday this could open up into a whole new area for doctors to analyze and study patients. I’m sure it has already begun but the addiction level some have to social networking websites is becoming a serious problem. You all know who you are and we all have at least one in our circle of friends. Those that are out with a group of friends and cannot stop checking their Facebook or Myspace page through the iPhone or Blackberry.

Even airlines have gotten on board with it, and offering internet service to passengers - to Heck! with the navigational systems it seems. The air use to be one of the last bastions of seclusion, people couldn't reach you in the air. Now that is gone!

I see it occurring more and more every where I go but it seems the ability to stay connected with others whether you barley know them and haven’t seen them in ten years or you just saw them last weekend seems to be consuming peoples lives.

Imagine this scene: a group of people sitting around in a circle…”Ah...hi my name is Bob” - “Hi Bob!” - shouts the group enthusiastically. “Ah yeah…it started small. I’ve tried just about everything…ah…but I guess my social network of choice is ah…(bit choked up here)…Twitter.” “Yeah…I am a TWIT!” I can just see it…people sneaking cell phones into rehab, laptops shoved down the front of their pants!!

The tricky part is though is the treatment of this social networking addiction. Like..do you cut out any type of communication all together?, or only the kind you have to use a keyboard for? And then think about the poor addict. People everywhere they look with a laptop in a restaurant or cell phone on the bus? They can't get away from it, and is messing with an I-Pod considered a relapse?

Hubby now wants us to get new cell phones with more functions so we can start texting while he’s at work. I don’t know about this…I don’t have a lot of spare time left during the day as it is.


Til later

Canadian Seal Hunt Attacked by PETA

This post was inspired by an article I read regarding PETA’s - People for the ethical treatment of Animals - latest campaign against the Canadian Seal Hunt. Some groups really know how to hop on the bandwagon to get some press and PETA specializes in it.

The group has launched an animated video of the cute and quirky mascots for the Games, portraying them as crazed seal hunters on a rampage to club baby seals.” As long as the seal slaughter exists, Canada’s image is tainted by cruelty to animals on a massive scale,” PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman said. “If Canada wants the Olympics to get clean press, it needs to stop the universally condemned massacre of seals.”

The mascots for the Vancouver Olympics are portrayed as club-wielding seal hunters in a new ad from the controversial animal rights group PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals launched an animated video on its Web site Monday that depicts the three Olympic mascots — Miga, Quatchi and Sumi — chasing down a baby seal with a club, then standing over the animal’s blood-soaked body in the next scene.

At first I was going to take my usual tongue in cheek satirical take on it because their latest press has of course, left themselves wide open to criticism and ridicule for going overboard and depending on shock value. However once I began researching the article well…all humor quickly dissipated.

Canada's commercial seal "hunt" is the largest mass slaughter of marine mammals in the world. This year, Canada will allow 270,000 harp seals to be killed.

The bulk of the seal hunt is used for commercial goods. Seal skins have been used by aboriginal people for millennia to make waterproof jackets and boots, and seal fur to make fur coats. I remember as a child -long long time ago - I actually had a pair of seal boots. All of us kids did back in the sixties, they are incredibly warm and water resistant. But these days all kinds of synthetic man made materials can be used.

Seal meat is an important source of food for residents of small coastal communities. Meat is sold to the Asian pet food market. The seal blubber is used to make seal oil, which is marketed as a fish oil supplement. This is totally un-necessary. I don’t understand why Asian markets continue to show total disregard for animals which are being hunted to extinction just to satisfy their palates. The Japanese whale hunt - for apparently scientific research - is another perfect example.

“The decision by the European Parliament lacks any basis in facts,” said the Honorable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. “The Canadian seal hunt is guided by rigorous animal welfare principles which are internationally recognized by independent observers. I once again caution my European counterparts about the dangers of pursuing politically motivated bans on other countries’ traditional industries. Our government will stand up for the jobs and communities that depend on the seal hunt.”

So what it comes down to is ‘they said’ “we said” both sides make a persuasive argument and you will have to make your own decision regarding it. I personally think unless you are supplementing your diet and food supply because of economic reasons, hunting of any type either commercially or for sport is grotesque and barbaric.

What I worry about with PETA strategy is that at times the intensity and tactics they use often take attention away from the issue at hand. It tends to draw more attention to the organization itself. - then PETA becomes the issue.

PETA is also urging a boycott of Canadian maple syrup. Last time I checked all Maple Trees were tapped humanely. What ever we do we better not mention the deep fried Beaver Tails.


Til Later

Who knew? A Global Language Monitor?

Who would of thought? OMG are we smart or what? The following is an article from CNN web-site (yes this is what I do for fun when I can't sleep I read new feeds!!)

the following is an excerpt from the article....FYI

English contains more words than any other language on the planet and will add its millionth word early Wednesday, according to the Global Language Monitor, a Web site that uses a math formula to estimate how often words are created.
The Global Language Monitor says the millionth word will be added to English on Wednesday.

The site estimates the millionth word will be added Wednesday at 5:22 a.m. Its live ticker counted 999,985 English words as of early Tuesday evening.

A word must make 25,000 appearances to be deemed legitimate. Learn about how other languages stack up »
Payack said news events have also fueled the rapid expansion of English, which he said has more words than any other language. Mandarin Chinese comes in second with about 450,000 words, he said.
English terms like "Obamamania," "defriend," "wardrobe malfunction," "zombie banks," "shovel ready" and "recessionista" all have grown out of recent news cycles about the presidential election, economic crash, online networking or a sports event, he said. Other languages might not have developed new terms to deal with such phenomena, he said.
Language experts who spoke with CNN said they disapprove of Payack's count, but they agree that English generally has more words than most, if not all, languages.
"This is stuff that you just can't count," said Jesse Sheidlower, editor at large of the Oxford English Dictionary. "No one can count it, and to pretend that you can is totally disingenuous. It simply can't be done."


Well apparently there is a something called the:

GLOBAL LANGUAGE MONITOR

Global Language Monitor has been tracking English word creation since 2003. Once it identifies new words (or neologisms) it measures their extent and depth of usage with its PQI technology.

In Shakespeare’s day, there were only 2,000,000 speakers of English and fewer than 100,000 words. Shakespeare himself coined about 1,700 words. Thomas Jefferson invented about 200 words, and George W. Bush created a handful, the most prominent of which is, misunderestimate. US President Barack Obama’s surname passed into wordhood last year with the rise of obamamania.

check out the site: very interesting Global Language Monitor has been tracking English word creation since 2003. Once it identifies new words (or neologisms) it measures their extent and depth of usage with its PQI technology.

In Shakespeare’s day, there were only 2,000,000 speakers of English and fewer than 100,000 words. Shakespeare himself coined about 1,700 words. Thomas Jefferson invented about 200 words, and George W. Bush created a handful, the most prominent of which is, misunderestimate. US President Barack Obama’s surname passed into wordhood last year with the rise of obamamania.


http://www.languagemonitor.com VEELY INTERESTING!!




(now back to some serious writing!!)

Ahoy Matey! Cruise Ship off the port bow

Photo courtesy of portcitypics-fundysnapper.blogspot.com

Ah…..summer. Weed whackers, backyard BBQ’s, beers out on the deck…and oh yeah...CRUISE SHIP SEASON!!!

Yes folks it’s that time of year again. The time when thousands of cruise ship passengers descend on Saint John like a swarm of pastel colored, photo snapping, chino wearing locusts.

But hey we know what side our back bacon is buttered on and because of this short lived span of American greenback influx we will put on our best Canadian grins, practice saying ‘EH’’ and generally get into character. Remember to tell them what the price is in ‘REAL MONEY” , ours apparently is just pretend stuff. I know it may stick in our craw a bit, but come on….the Americans love it! What does it cost us really? We know we read more books and speak better English.

For a couple of weeks now downtown has been a busy little hive of activity. Cleaning, scraping, painting and generally sprucing the joint up. We have venders that wait all year just for this flow of retail commerce and base their financial survival on it. If you shop at the City Market make sure you do not go between the hours of 9 to 5., otherwise you will never make it thru the throng of tourists ‘Oooin and Awwwin “ over $17.00 vials of maple syrup, moose figurines and T-Shirts with friendly beavers on them.

Being that hubby and I are from Alberta, you don’t get many cruise ships out there. None that I can think of anyways. Our first apartment we rented when we landed in Saint John was down on Prince William Street, right on the harbour in front of Pugsley wharf. I can still remember being awakened one morning to a low grade rumbling of a ship’s mighty turbines. On the way to the kitchen I glanced out at the wall of white steel blocking my view of the world thinking, “holy cow…someone parked a ship on my doorstep.” Note to self: pick up “No Cruise ship Parking” sign.

Well we were pretty impressed I must say. Hubby snapped away, getting photo’s from every possible angle. Then we printed off a schedule so we could prepare and set up chairs for each arriving and departing ship. We put up Canadian flags and waved at all the tourists. Stood on our front deck at the end of the day and waved goodbye, teary eyed as our nautical friends waved back. E-mailed hundreds pictures home to Edmonton.

First it was fun, helping tourists with directions and explaining Canadian currency - no that’s real money…for sure eh? Then….it became a little bit of a drag. Helping them find their ride at the end of the day. “The large WHITE thing parked at the end of the street, I think that’s your boat.“ Assuring them that it would not snow later in the afternoon and yes we have the internet in Canada….” and so on.

Saint John is the fourth-busiest port in Canada for cruise ship passengers, behind only Vancouver, Victoria and Halifax. In 2008, the Port City welcomed a record 183,462 passengers - a jump of more than 49,000 over the previous year. Port officials are confident that traffic will reach 200,000 passengers in 2010 and surge past the 300,000 mark by 2015. The 2008 Cruise Ship season brought approximately $19,000,000 in revenue into the port city and remember we got that big spanking new Cruise Ship Terminal to pay for.

So just remember, to dumb down a little, smile a lot, it‘s just for a short while….because at the end of the day, that is allot of maple syrup.

Til later

Fernhill Cemetary - A Walk in the Past

Photograph courtesy of: Jordan McWilliams

Some of you (all 3 of you at least) may have noticed that I did not post yesterday. This was because I was off doing “couplesy things“. Yes, hubby hauled me out from where I have taken root in a cold dank dark corner, mushrooms and moss forming on my north side and dragged me into the sunshine. (no! no! the light - it hurts my eyes!) .

Anyhow hubby being the rabid - no I did not say avid - I said RABID photographer that he is, wanted to tromp around Saint John taking advantage of it’s photographic opportunities and it seems my presence was required for this adventure. I was wary of this for the last time I accompanied him I slipped and fell amongst some rocks and found out what a tidal pool looked like from the bottom up. I laid there in the water for sometime before hubby noticed I was missing and returned for me. But ever the little trooper…..

His choice yesterday was the Fernhill cemetery. Now the last time I was at Fernhill was when I had just moved to Saint John and when on my way to the mall, turned too soon and ended up in the cemetery. Wandered for hours and could not find my way out. Not what I had been planning, but I must say I saved quite a bit of money that day.

Now anyone who has ever taken a trip through Fernhill knows that it is a huge place. I mean if you are going thru Fernhill without following an organized funeral cortège, I suggest you take along a compass, water, extra food and perhaps a flare gun to attract the search party.

I got in trouble from hubby who accused me of not being respectful enough and walking on graves. Yeesh!!! They have been interring people here since 1848 - it was hard not to walk on someone’s grave…

I must say however, I do recommend taking a tour through it. It is a wonderful spot in Saint John, covering acres of beautifully groomed hills and valleys, which wind through some very old gardens and trees. There is even a small brook running down one side of it and the sound of the bubbling water as you walk along the trees and foot paths in tranquility and quite, is relaxing and reflective.

“Resting here are heroes and heroines of two world wars, clergy, poets, politicians, princes, paupers, friends and family.” (taken from the Fernhill Cemetary web-site)

It is almost a museum of sorts. Monuments which themselves are absolute works of art and are never seen these days. Marble sculptures and carvings dotting small rises and valleys. Many of the graves are those of very famous city founders and of course their families and sadly many of their small children, infant mortality being what it was then.

JOHN FREDERICK YOUNG died at 19 years of age on Oct. 13, 1890 and is buried in this here. A public memorial is erected in King's Square to recognize his heroism in giving his life in the rescue of Frederick E. Mundee from drowning in Courtenay Bay. A story of selflessness and heroism which never fails to affect me.

Two Fathers of Confederation, Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, and William Henry Steeves are buried here. Also, George Frederick Phillips who is one of the very few Canadians to have been awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor.

Then there is the poignant story of the murder of Maggie Vail and her little one at Black River, and if you want to see the villain's grave site - John Munroe hung for the crime, is buried here as well. For many years following his burial, a white scarf was tied to a nearby tree to mark the spot, but there is no scarf today, so you'll have to look carefully on Snowdrop Path.

William Pugsley whom Pugsley wharf is named after, member of parliament and once Premier of New Brunswick lies under an impressive monument. One of our cats is named Pugsley after the great man himself and now I know where he will be resting when the time comes. (the other cat’s name is Fundy - so its into the bay with him)

We stumbled upon the family plot of the company which hubby works for and I swear that the emotion of that moment would make any employer proud. I even found the grave of the original owner of our home - now I know where to go when I want to complain about our plumbing…

We basically strolled through and found interesting plots and monuments as we went along, however a very useful walking map can be downloaded from their web-site.

Just another wonderful day in Saint John. We have found that even after two years we still manage to discover new and interesting things about this great city.

Til later

"The Gate of Heavenly Peace"

That is what the name “Tiananmen” translated means.

However that is not the image we associate with when we hear that name. The scene I still see so clearly in my minds eye, are the images which have been burned into our psyche that somehow we will never forget. The brain is designed that way and that is what separates us from that of the animal kingdom. The ability to remember and to reason.

This is no truer than the image of the young man standing defiantly in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square as it steadily advanced, rolling over and crushing a human body like a small fragile paper sculpture. I remember watching that scene over and over as it flashed across news tapes for days. It appeared almost surreal watching it without editing. I can still see his arms upraised over his head…and you held your breath in the hope that he would succeed and halt China’s mighty military machine. But the tank did not stop….it just kept rolling. It is strange that even though we are inundated with violence daily through TV. and Videos. - somehow that blatant taking of a human life - remains there in our minds - suspended and poignant.

I remember a very good friend of mine made a 2 month long visit through the cities and provinces of China only a month after the Tiananmen Square riots. Even though she was such seasoned traveler I feared daily for her safety while she was gone. I new that the differences in culture would have no affect on her because like me, we sought such stark culture shocks. For us that is what made travel to a different culture alluring. Somehow though I found her desire to peek through the doors of such a barbaric land almost an act treason. She returned however with pictures and stories of people she met along the way - and their kindness and generosity shone thru in her eyes.

We realized that to turn our back on a county and culture so ancient and colorful was only to ‘cut off our nose to spite our face.’ For what ever reason that the nation of China did not rise up at that moment in time and oust the regime which had perpetrated the crimes of Tiananmen Square - was shocking and surprising to us. How could the people of China accept what had happened. I remember thinking that surely the worlds reaction to that day would bring the mighty wheels of “Red Nation” to a grinding halt. But that never happened.

Time has marched on and soon the horror of 9/11 would push what happened in Tiananmen square to almost oblivion, and the world was in the pursuit of new evil. Afghanistan, Iraq, Osama bin Laden and now we have our latest fear, North Korea.

We wavered and softened and in time we slowly seemed to …..forgive and eventually to forget. Not that the families of those slain students who sacrificed themselves that day, so that even how small it may seem to us, change would come to China. And they have succeeded.

Somehow the deaths of those students that day were not in vain. Communism in China takes almost a back seat today. In efforts to redeem themselves to the world, China eased it’s doors open so that we could experience its mysteries and wonders. It opened slowly and revealed one beautiful treasure at a time - as if saying come and explore the mystery and awe which is the Orient. Never before that awful point in their history, had China welcomed the western world. Silenced was all the communist rhetoric and angry calls about the capitalist pigs which the west was supposed to be, they welcomed us.

Twenty years after China's bloody crackdown on demonstrators at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the United States is urging the government to come to terms with its violent actions.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement saying the 20th anniversary of the "violent suppression of demonstrations in Tiananmen Square by Chinese authorities" should be a time for reflection on the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and the meaning of events that preceded that fateful day. "A China that has made enormous progress economically, and that is emerging to take its rightful place in global leadership, should examine openly the darker events of its past and provide a public accounting of those killed, detained or missing, both to learn and to heal,"

Today Chinese officials attempted to keep the remembrance of that day to a absolute minimum. Western press is no longer barred from the country and they no longer confiscate film and camera and jail people so much for their freedom of speech. They know the eyes of the west will be on them this day. So plain clothes police and military are gently and politely hindering any images being taken and pushing news crews and photographers out of range of the square with of all things, “Umbrellas” .

This may be the only apology and admittance of what they did was wrong in so many words that we will ever get.

Til later

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

Okay, sometimes it is still just garbage but you never know, once in a while people throw out perfectly good stuff.

On July 1st the “One Million Acts of Green” campaign of the CBC’s in co-operation with Cisco is ending. The idea behind the campaign is that one small act can make a big difference. It was not about overhauling your life; it was about one act from each individual amassing to a million. It could be as simple as switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs, starting a recycling program, or walking to work. You can do one act – or you can do all one million!

Being that I am so closely associated with Dr. David Suzuki, (he knows my mother-in-law) of course I jumped on the green recycled cardboard band wagon. Well I like to be different, so my recycling program is - going through peoples garbage to see what I can recycle! I am becoming an Urban Scavenger. Sort of.

There I said it!! - OMG how liberating!! Yeah, o.k. laugh if you want but this is an ever-growing movement in super chic urban centers like NYC, Chicago and L.A. and Oprah even talked about it on her show. Yes,...Oprah. This is the new going green baby!

I know plenty of people look askance at the idea of taking something off the street and into your home. I draw the line where people forage and dumpster-dive for food and other living essentials. Not quite that frugal yet. I think it's absolutely fascinating how much usable "waste" we generate every day

Basically, an Urban scavenger walks around with eyes always open. For motivation, it helps to walk out the door in the morning with less money in your pocket than you really need. If you have money to spend, you will probably spend it. If you don't, you will find ways to survive and thrive that are infinitely more satisfying and amusing. Think of panhandling as a social experiment - just kidding!

It all started (as all addictions do) very innocently one day. I never meant for it to get out of hand. Garbage is picked up on Tuesday here in Saint John. All garbage is hauled out to the front street for pick up, so thankfully no dumpster diving or sneaking around a backyard is involved. I simply keep an eye open and cruise around. Now this is where it gets a little tricky. If lets say, that they just put it down on the curb while they ran back in for their keys, then it is not recycling, then it is stealing.

One Tuesday I happened to notice a box of books sitting out - in the rain - by the curb next to the garbage bins. Now anyone that knows me, knows that I am a little sensitive about the ethical treatment of books. Inside the box were 67 perfectly good books, some…some.. (sniff) some even were HARDCOVER!!! And get this…Oh God….I don’t know if I can continue here… some- had- not- even- been- read. What kind of sick person would perpetrate a crime like this I want to know.

Granted, somethings are totally useless to me, such as the child’s car seat I saw one day. Our cats would simply refuse to use it, (but then they don’t think mandatory seat belt laws apply to them) so I could pass it on to someone who can. That is the whole idea, it is useful to someone. I tell you it’s a rush! It's all frugal fun for me. It’s like shoplifting without the word “felony” attached to it. Heck! You are doing a public service.

But it simply baffles the mind how our society thinks. Terrorism is not the enemy it is consumerism. How can we believe that this stuff is not any good and no longer useful - even though we will just go out and buy the same item only newer. What kind of disposable, selfish, self-indulgent society do we live in, that we as a consumer driven society do not care that there are others in our community who are in need, sometimes living right next door. Victims of a disaster, a single parent making a new start, students trying to decorate their dank little hovel, a bored writer looking for an excuse to go for a walk when she should be writing…what ever.

The point is we could probably live comfortably for another 25 years without producing any new furniture or household goods and simply reuse what we already have or by passing it on, if we just changed our materialistic attitude. Think about it. If you were shipwrecked on a desert island and had nothing to utilize but what washed up on the beach, would consider yourself lucky or bemoan the fact that the wooden crates just don't go with the colour scheme in your grass shack. Wouldn't you instead just be grateful that you at least had a roof over your head?

You may say that this is type of thinking is only for the cheap and poor. Well…luckily I am both.

Til later

Old MacDonald had a Condo

Yesterday the Telegraph Journal ran an article about raising “Backyard” chickens. Most of what was quoted came from an article in the Vancouver Sun - where apparently raising your own food is ‘Soup de Jour” and backyard chicken‘s are more common than cats…. but then they have always been way out there in Lotus Land. They have been raising their own STUFF for years - you know what I mean.

I don’t know if this sort of thing would be for me though. I failed at herding Sea Monkeys as a child. Two gerbils and one turtle also met an early demise under my watch. The only reason our two cats thrive is that they are in control of the food distribution in our home and they are smarter than us. Last week we think they hid our ATM card.

Now before I start just let me say that I am all for reducing our impact on the planet and I really advocate everyone doing their part in attempting to go green. Heck! One of my hero’s is David Suzuki - my mother-in-law is on a first name basis with the man (blatant name dropping!) and I keep my signed copy of his latest book beside my bed! (I am going to read it one day)

Nope! No carbon booties for me! - but raising my own “Hot Wings”?

While researching this post I came across some interesting stuff. Like the guy in Vancouver that actually has a daily radio talk show about Urban Farming. His name is “Bucky Bukaw” (I don’t think that’s his real name - but very clever hey?)

Anyhoo…according to Bucky most people don't know chickens as well as they know dogs and cats, (I wonder why ), but these gentle birds can feel happiness, loneliness, fear, and pain, just the same as our furry friends. - O.K…

In their natural surroundings, chickens spend their day foraging for food, making nests, roosting in trees, flapping their wings, and taking sun and dust baths. They exist in stable social groups and can recognize each other by their facial features. Like us, chickens form strong family ties and mourn when they lose a loved one. A mother hen will turn her eggs as many as five times an hour and cluck to her unborn chicks, who will chirp back to her and to one another. (before we snatch it away and make an omlette)

Chickens are no birdbrains. They have at least 24 distinct cries to communicate, including separate alarm calls to indicate whether a predator is traveling by land or by sea. According to Chris Evans, who studies animal behavior and communication at Macquarie University in Australia, chickens have cognitive abilities "beyond the capacity of small children."

My God!, why are we even eating chickens to begin with? Just think of all the 'avian intelligence' we may have consumed. Are we CANNIBALS or something?

Bucky did go on to say that nothing tastes better than a chicken which has had free reign of your backyard, that you have stuffed with all kinds of good chicken feed and kept its habitat clean, pest free and safe from any harmful chemicals and fertilizers. Yum Yum….apparently once you have eatin one of your "pet chickens" you will never eat store bought again.

On a more serious note:

PETA - did a documentary a while back which was carried by a PBS station showing the conditions in which many animals are bred and raised specifically for mass production and consumption. I have to admit - very VERY disturbing. Chickens for instance are NOT protected under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. The conditions in which they breed and live was absolutely barbaric.

In modern society we are great when it comes to being outraged by the mistreatment of pets, whether they be dogs, cats, horses, or even hamsters. We're less inclined to apply such standards of decency to farm animals—the critters that eventually become part of our lunches or dinners. This is partly because of the "I don't want to think about it" factor— how the food gets to our plates is not something most people want a lot of detail about. But we cannot claim to be a civilized, compassionate society without addressing such issues.

So in ending - we are not going to stop eating chicken - I know that - you know that.

Which makes me think that maybe our efforts would be better spent bringing about changes to how commercial farming is carried out and little less about how to raise a chicken that TASTES better.

Til later

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING

It's always been a bit of a misnomer — the “world's longest undefended border.”

But what was true before will be even more so today, when the modern-day imperatives of homeland security will require Canadians and Americans alike to carry a passport in order to cross the 9,000-kilometre frontier and enter the United States.

But more than the political repercussions, I find this to be a really sad day. Since 1783 Canadians and Americans alike could cross the border with just a simple “How ya folks doin? Where are you folks from? Well… see ya folks later.” Americans are very folksy.

All over the globe people covet entry into the star spangled U.S.A. and we Canadians have always had the privilege of relativley free access to the greatest democracy in the world and they likewise have been able to freely trudge across our humble threshold and partake of our clean air and innocent wildlife. We are the younger shyer little brother with the special relationship to a grown up, charismatic sibling. All kidding aside, we like them - and they like us. It was like we knew the doorman at a very exclusive club…and it felt pretty cool.

One law dating back to the 1800’s actually reads: “Residents of both nations who own property adjacent to the border are required to report construction of any physical border crossing on their land to their respective governments, and this is enforced by the International Boundary Commission.” Who knew that if you had gotten in on this deal early you could have actually built your own border crossing? I found this little tidbit quite amusing.

In years past while living in Alberta, some friends and I would make a yearly ski trip to a great hill down in Kalispell Montana. Border entry was a small little affair consisting of 2 tiny huts on either side of the border. This crossing closed at midnight. We would just barely make it depending on traffic and winter road conditions and if you were to miss it you were stuck out in the middle of no where without any accommodations hoping your gas did not run out before monrning. Well the border guard on the American side would actually wait for us - keeping his border open way past midnight because he knew that we would eventually show up. He was sitting at his kitchen table just waiting for the company to arrive from Canada.

Later after he had closed up the "country" for the night he would meet us at a bar called the “First and Last Chance Saloon” for a cold one. Definitely not some final bastion of American defense. Just one heck of a good ole boy.

While the U.S. side is worried about easy access by terrorists via the Canada, what our side is realizing is that for us it is the traffic of illegal drugs, tobacco and firearms. This is a form of war and terrorism of a special kind and getting into the great white north has so far proven "easy peasy."

In past years Canadian officials have complained of drugs cigarettes and firearms smuggling from the United States while U.S. officials have complained of drug smuggling from Canada. Human smuggling into both countries has been an ongoing problem for border security and law enforcement personnel, although a minor one in comparison to the Mexico–U.S. border
In July 2005, law enforcement personnel arrested three men who had built a 360-foot (110 m) tunnel under the border between British Columbia and Washington they intended to use for smuggling marijuana, the first such tunnel known on this border.

Cornwall, Ontario, is central to Canada's most notorious area of smuggling. Its location and transportation links, make it a crossroads for cross-border smuggling of illicit tobacco, illegal aliens, drugs, and firearms smuggling industry is rampant, with collusion between local freelancers, and international organized criminals. Several lives have been lost by civilians as a result of police chasing smugglers; this on top of the hundreds of millions of dollars lost in uncollected government tax, and millions of dollars spent on law enforcement that has had a negligible effect on smuggling.

Officials at both borders say they will allow a period of grace for those who show up without the proper documents and that no instructions had yet been given to border guards to turn back anyone without them. However people who show up without approved documents will have their names entered into the agency’s computer system in case they showed up at the border again without proper documents. So you can't use the same story over and over ... or they will catch on to you. (I know I thought of that one too....)

Very "Orwellian." don't you think?

So although it is an end of an era, we all recognize that it is necessary. I don’t think it will stop any terrorist or drug runners. They will just have to come up with some different ways of getting through and don’t worry they will.

Til later