DAY TRIPS

 Our town has turned into a rather pleasant typical (as Peter was pointing out) wee BC town.  We have a new RCMP inspector and over the last few months crime has dropped by 80%!  Stuff isn't automatically disappearing off of our deck, or anyone's deck.  He formed a task force that put extreme repeat offenders away, got the powers that be working solidly on shelter for those that want it and this town royally feeds people, all people, not just the homeless.  It's made such a difference.

The other day the three of us hopped into the jeep and headed out to places unknown.  We got coffees and decided to head out to the airport.  There are a couple of interesting planes out there and we drive by the xmas tree farm and we went out past the old mill and headed down to the Quay and just generally drove around.  It was a beautiful day which here on the wet coast is rare and extremely valued.

Yesterday was D day for us.  We had to deliver Peter back to Victoria.  Sitting here this morning I am sorely missing him.  Most mornings he would come upstairs at some point and we would sit in the living room, drink coffee and solve the world's problems.  He is such a wise, extremely well read, learned old man, even though he is only thirty!  LOL!!  That guy can talk about absolutely anything, any subject.  I have learned so much from him and not once did he make me feel stupid.  Which can happen sometimes with intelligent philosophical  wise people. He has an immense spirit and we are going to miss him.

The trip was uneventful.  It was quite a lovely day and we broke the trip up with a stop at a Wendy's in Duncan.  While the boys went in and Monte bought his breakfast (lunch), I took poor old Wrangler for a turn around the parking lot.  He almost couldn't walk.  Monte has to lift him in and out of the truck now and then, when he has been laying for any length of time, his back legs don't work.  He is happy though and doesn't seem to be in too much pain.  We are keeping an eye on that though.

The trip went quickly and before we knew it we were pulling up at Peter's sister Zoe's place where he will be living.  I won't go into detail here but I have to say it was a very very sad parting.  He's like my kid and Monte's brother.  And living in Victoria is going to be hard for him with all the crime and drug addicts. It will hurt his soul.

We stopped on the way home at Long and McQuade.  I was going to go in but the place was packed.  So Monte zipped in and bought an amp and got out as quick as possible.  And to that end, this being a covid post, I am 'writing' a letter to Bonnie at the end of this.  I was utterly shocked at how this province is NOT following the rules, or the rules are skewed.  

Anywhooo, I am going to go and get laundry done today.  Peter left the rec room downstairs so beautiful and clean and I think the laundry room, which is a huge part of the basement, needs to be clean too.  So til Monday, stay safe and noodle and TTYL

Dear Bonnie,

Yesterday, due to circumstances, we had to make a trip from Port Alberni to Victoria.  We only had our household three in the truck and we had no intention of lingering anywhere outside of the truck.  This will be the first time, other than short local jaunts where we don't leave the vehicle, that we have been out of the house and town for months, obeying your lockdown order.  But clearly, after seeing what we saw yesterday, a vast amount of people are simply not listening to you.  It is either that or you have missed making orders that make the lockdown make sense.  It is no wonder our numbers are either increasing or staying the same.

To begin with from the moment we left Port, the traffic was just shy of bumper to bumper, all the way to Victoria and home again.  I was shocked!!!  If people are following your orders there should not be that many people on the move.  In fact we all three agreed that there was more traffic on the road than we had ever seen, from before covid to now.  And there were many vehicles from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec.  It was like summer on the highway, only heavier traffic.  So unless these people were driving from nowhere to nowhere with no intention of getting out of their vehicle, you have a problem.

I also know that people basically didn't obey the orders to keep their xmas to just their house hold.  I have mentioned this before so I won't go into it.  The latest ipso reed poll did indicate that 65% of people did not obey the order.

Every restaurant that we could see into was packed, no one wearing a mask.  Packed!  How is this conducive to controlling the virus?  I know the restaurant people are bullies and whiners but this just creates a paradox....lives versus money.

Long & McQuade was absolutely packed with people. The only covid control going on was squirty stuff at the door.  No distancing. No limit to the number of people.  No directional walking.  And this is in the middle of a Fri. afternoon. 

Clearly given the huge number of covid spread, ski hills should be closed.  Why are places like Whistler or Big White still allowed to be such huge spreaders?  

I could go on, but won't.  It seems kind of silly to tell people not to gather in smaller groups for, let's say the big game, when stores and restaurants and ski hills and ferries are packed to the gills.  Everyone is wearing masks (except for a minority of idiots) and clearly that isn't working. 

One other thing.  For every party you break up and fine the participants, there are umpteen more you don't see.  I am glad that the police are doing what they can about that.  No amount of orders can really control that.

In the meantime I am going to predominantly sit in my house with my one other person, order groceries and watch the numbers go up on the news.  Until you control shopping, restaurants and places where people gather, there isn't much point.  Way too many people are either NOT listening to you or thinking just little them can make a little exception this one time. I was just talking to Aryn and she put it very very well:  Everybody has gone back to their normal lives, just wearing masks.  Exactly!  It seems so.   FROM ME

A LOGGING HELI

COULSON, THE COMPANY THAT MAKES THE MARS BOMBERS

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