Another trip to the ER
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Tonight will start clear then becoming partly cloudy after midnight. The low will be 6C(43F).
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Another trip to visit the nurses at the ER yesterday. While leaving the bank yesterday with the Queen my legs were feeling heavy. Once in the car I started to siezure. The Queen imediately drove me to the ER where they had to get a wheelchair to get me in. Once in my speech became slurred as I couldn't move the muscle in my mouth to make the O sound. The ER doctor said it wasn't a siezure but never said what it was. I think it may have been a TIA. in about 1/2 hour everything came back to normal. They then released me after blood work showed everything to be in the proper range.(INR/Dilentan) and told me to make an appointment to visit my family doctor. Strange things are happening hidden under my skull.
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From My Basement Window
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Updated: 2:21 PM GMT on March 31, 2012
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A Long Walk For Nothing
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Today
Drizzle and fog ending this morning then cloudy. Wind becoming south 20 km/h (12 mph) this morning. High 6C(43F).
Tonight
Overcast. Wind south 30 km/h (19 mph) becoming light before morning. Low 5C(41F).
Abbey out on the downtown route to get milk. When i Got home I found a full 4 liter container in my old beer fridge. It was qite a trek carring the 4 liters almost a mile. Almost a galon of milk gets heavy after a while.
The youngest at home daughter will be 18 on the 4th of April. It will be quite a day for her as we plan to give her any information we have on her birth parents. Due to the fact that we fostered her for 3 years before adopting her we know who the birth parents are which is unusal in an adoption. We're trying to contact her former social worker to be there when we tell her as he said he wanted to be there but has since retired.
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From My Basement Window
An Almost Working CooCoo Clock and Dissapearing Snow
================================================= Today will be cloudy with a few showers beginning this morning. Amount 5 mm(0.2 in). The wind becoming southeast at 30 km/h (19 mph) early this morning. Todays high will be near 7C(45F).
Tonight will see a few showers ending early this evening then clear. Fog patches developing before morning. The wind southeast at 20 km/h (12 mph) becoming light early this evening. Tonights low 1C(34F).
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The coocoo clock is now running on my wall:). The only problem is that I broke one of the bellows that drives the little whistle to make the sound. The leather used to make the old belows is as thick as a piece of paper and due to time and poor mainteance of the clock it has drued out and become brittle. If I'd have thought of it sooner I could have used a ballon cout to tje right size and made a new bellows but I used the thin wires that move the bellows to hold the chain on the drive gear while I put the movement back in the box and had to cut them to remove them once the movement was secures. I could have used a thin wire from the hoard or a bent paper clip to do the job. I guess it's true hindsight is 20/20. Oh well the clock will still chime the hour and 1/2 hour. Sometime in the future I may make a new case for it, add a fancy pendulum and make a small wall clock but it will probably remain in the state its in untill i find another unrepairable coocoo clock at a garage sale.
On the bright side the snow has all dissapeared. I guess I did bring Newfoundland weather when I came back. Snow one day and gone the next.
Well the Queen just went past, time to go for coffee.
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From My Basement Window
A white Prairie and Maintaining Mechanical Clocks.
Today will be mainly cloudy with a 60% chance of flurries early this morning. The high will be 5C(41F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will start partly cloudy then becoming cloudy late this evening. The overnight low will be 0C(32F).
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Wow the ground is all white again. :( Yesterdays snow event will sure help moisten the ground for the farm industry. It doesn't look like it will stay white for long though.
I never took Abbey out yesterday due to the miserable conditions outside.
I did get the movement out of the coo coo clock without damaging it. I hope I can remember which side the bellows go on or it will be a funny sounding clock. It's no wonder the thing wouldn't run. It looks like it hasn't be cleaned in years. Maybe today I'll get out to the garage and soak it in cleaning fluid. I don't want to do it in the house as the cleaning fluid is highly flammable and a spark or the furnace pilot light could ignite the fumes. Once it's soaked for a day I'll use a small brush to clean any remaining goop. It must have been oiled with regular oil at one time. Clock oil is specially made and doesn't collect dust and gum up.
If I can get it clean enough to run I'll oil it using a pin to place a small drop of oil on each shaft where the go through the brass plates. I hope the dirt trapped in the bushings haven't worn the out of round or it will be another addition to the scrap metal yard.I've never been able to enlarge the holes exactly centered and place a bushing in. The old time clock makers sure did precision work. When the antique clocks were made I guess all the work was done by hand whereas now a computer guided drill could drill out the tiny holes in exactly the right location with no problems.
A mechanical clock should be cleaned and re oiled every 2 years just as you regularly change the oil in your car. I can see why clock repair people charge up to $200 to clean and reoiled an antique clock. To do it properly the movement should be taken apart and each hole and shaft end cleaned
then reassembled and oiled. If properly maintained a clock will outlive the owner.
People often ask me why my clocks aren't running, The all will, but to properly maintain a dozen or so clocks would be time consuming and expensive. When the antique clocks were made they were inexpensive and throwaway items like today's quartz watches. I've seen the same model of clock I have hanging on a wall sell on EBay for over $1000. I'm not sure what my entire collection is valued at. I've recently seen an add in the local newspaper where a gentleman is will to pay up to $1200 just for the movement of Mantle locks working or not. I have 3 mantel clocks, dating back to the early 1900's or late 1800's, and they'll all run when wound. Before I put them in a shelf I disassembled them, cleaned and oiled them. A gentle shot of of compressed air will blow the dust out of them and they'll be ready to go.
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Updated: 1:00 PM GMT on March 29, 2012
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A Walk to the MIL's
Today will be cloudy with few showers beginning this morning. Amount 5 mm(0.2 in). the wind will be from the northeast at 20 km/h (12 mph) becoming northwest 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph) early this afternoon. Today's high will be 4C(39F).
Tonight will see the few rain showers changing to snow this evening and ending before morning then cloudy. The wind which will swing to the northwest at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph) but becoming light late this evening. The overnight low will be 0C(32F).
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I got the cinnamon roll to the mil yesterday. It's kind of funny that a man would walk to his MIL's bring her some of his baking. We had coffee and chatted while she had her cinnamon treat and saved the second one for later. I was rewarded for my walk with a slice of her delicious lemon pie. The mil has always liked Abbey and has a treat for her. While we ate our treats Abbey had a milk bone.I wish I was in as good a condition as the 86 year old mil. She still lives alone in her own home, clears her short sidewalk of snow and at times cuts her own grass. The ladies on the Queen's side of the family have a history of longevity, but sub come to strokes in their 90's. if the Queen has inherited those genes she has a long road ahead of her.:)
The silly little watch I fixed is still ticking away I guess it's time to tackle the cuckoo clock.
Abbey enjoyed her walk to the MIL's. We travelled along the railway tracks, What used to be just a service road has now been turned into walking path so is deemed safe for public access. I just have to stay on the path and not wander off on the service road on the other side of the tracks for the Queen's approval. Having a different route for our walk is nice.
Today's forecast isn't good for walking, it looks like Abbey and me will be house bound. CucKOo clock look out.
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Updated: 11:58 AM GMT on March 28, 2012
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An Order For the Bakery
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Today will strart mainly sunny but see increasing cloudiness late this afternoon. The wind southeast 20 km/h (12 mph) increasing to 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph) this morning.Todays high 6C(43F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will be cloudy with periods of rain beginning early this evening and the risk of a thunderstorm overnight. Amount 5 mm(0.2 in). The wind southeast 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph). The temperature will remain steady near 6C(43F).
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It was a quiet day on the prairie. The Queen was home and no projects were tackled.
I did run into the sister's x-father-in-law dnd invited him to drop by for coffee some evening. I've been meaning to call him for a long time but it seems it always get put on the back burner.
The wath I repaired still has a problem. it seems to run for about a 1/2 hour then quits. A bit of preasure on the winder starts it again. It makes me think 1 of the the gears may be bent. It's a way to smll for me to dissasemble. I guess it will end up with the small pendulum movement. Oh well o loss. :)
I received a complaint yesterday of a failed delivery from the bakery from the MIL yesterday. I had promised her a cinimin roll but didn't have a chance to get one over there before they disssappeared. I'll have to make another batch today and take Abbey over there for our walk today.
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Updated: 11:42 AM GMT on March 27, 2012
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Another Challenge on the Prairie
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Today will start cloudy then clearing this afternoon. The high will be 0C(32F).
Tonight will be clear with the wind becoming southeast at 20 km/h (12 mph) before morning. The overnight low will be -7C(19F).
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Yesterday Abbey and me went on the downtown route. Has that dog ever have a good memory. When we approach the railway tracks she looks west along a road we used to take that he railway uses to access a switch on the main line that switches the train to a another destination off of the mainline. We used to take that route along the tracks as it was excellent gopher hunting grounds with open spaces along the railway right of way that were always kept cut short. I guess she remembers the hunts she had along there. Since my stroke the Queen has advised me not to take that route any more as I has to cross the tracks on the way home at a spot that isn't a crossing. I know that if I ddon't heed the Queen's advisories I'll be in big trouble. :)
After discarding the small pendulum movement and took an old watch that hasn't worked in years apart and have it running. Somewhere in it's history it seems to have lost the minute hand. It's not of much use but it was the challenge that had me work on it.
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From My Basement Window
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Updated: 1:25 PM GMT on March 25, 2012
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Freezing Rain Warning On the Prairie, Success With the Fudge
Today cloudy with freezing rain beginning early this morning and ending late this morning along with the freezing rain is a risk of a thunderstorm this morning. The wind becoming northwest at 30 km/h (19 mph) this morning then light late this afternoon. Temperature falling to -3C(26F) this afternoon.
Tonight will be start cloudy then becoming clear late this evening and once again getting cloudy before morning. The low will be -7C(19F).
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I finally got hold of the old workmate last night. It sure was a surprise for him to hear from me. It's too bad that i had caught him in the middle of his evening meal and we couldn't talk longer but we did exchange email addresses. After he was laid off he started his own business renovating homes. He's now semi retired and working part time at one of the major building material suppliers in the city. Being a few years younger than me he's looking forward to full retirement soon.
I reheated the fudge last night and finally got it right thanks to Alley's tip on finding the correct temp to start mixing. If I add the candy store to the proposed bakery I'll have arms like Popeye. :) I was waiting for the handle on the wooden spoon to break. I think my next attempt at candy making will be either sponge toffee or a homemade Skor bar. I'll have to get the terminology of the different stages stages into my head though. The old way seems to work better that the thermometer method.
I did find the problem with the small clock movement. One of the gears had slipped on it's shaft and was not transferring power to the hour hand. I ended up bending the shaft slightly and the gear came right off. It's next home will be the metal scrap yard.
My next project will be to remove the movement from a koko clock clean and lubricate it and see if I can get it working. When I'm sure I can fix them without breaking the movement I'll tackle the grandmother clock.
Gotta Go For Now the Queen Just Got Up:)
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Updated: 12:53 PM GMT on March 25, 2012
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Looking Up an Old Friend, Still Bad Fudge and repairing Clocks
Today will see clearing with a high of 21C(70F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will start partly cloudy then becoming cloudy overnight. The low is expected to be near 8C(46F).
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It looks like my fudge will end up being topping to make sundaes. I cheecked on the web to see if the first attempt could be save and it said to add water and recook it. I did that and no matter how long I cooked it I coundn't get past 105F 7 degrees below the required 112f called for in the recipe. I was using a digital test thermometer I have that ranges from -40f to 450f and is garunteed for life to be +- 2 degrees F accurate. Well I like chocolate sundaes :) I could probably add a bit more coca powder and water and use it as a choclate syrup for chocolate milk.
Yesterday Abbey and me took the downtown route to pick up a drugs for the Queen. The ladies in the pharmacy sure like Abbey and pet her as soon as she comes in. Abbey would sure like to try one of the cholate bars they have on a lower shelf but I keep her from sniffing them and on good terms with the pharmisist.
Yesterday while going through the hoard looking for old photos of my girls to put on FB I came across a a 1977 journal I've kept. Taped to the front cover was a list of workmakes and their home phone numbers. I did a reverse lookup on one of the numbers and low and behold the man still has the same phone number. We used to be good friends and shared many a cool one, in the evening, while working together on Lake Winnipeg. I've lost contact with him since he was laid off in 1990 and decided to call him. Darn he wasn't home but I'll try again today and see how he's doing.
It's funny how I want to get in contact with old workmates now.
Today I'm going to make time to get at the small clock movement. If I can get it apart and back together. If I can do that I'll have to give the grandmother clock movement a cleaning and oiling. I think the verge may be bent too. Moving a pendulum clock with he pendulum still attached will do that.
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Updated: 12:29 PM GMT on March 24, 2012
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A Botched Attempt At Fudge and A Lesson In French and Being Friendly
Today will see clearing this morning and a high of 22C(72F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will start clear but we'll see increasing cloudiness after midnight. The wind southeast at 20 km/h (12 mph) becoming light after midnight as the low falls to11C(52F).
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Once again I never got to the clock movement but opened the candy department of the bakery. I made a batch of chocolate fudge with a 1/4 cup of crunchy peanut butter added at the end of the cooking process. I'm not sure if it was the peanut butter or I didn't get the proper temps while boiling it but it turnrd out soft and gooey not like the hard fudge I've seen in candy stores. It's also a bit grainy as if the sugar didn't all dissolve.
I guess the candy store will have to close until the cook gets it right. The fudge will be great heated a bit and used to make a hot fudge sundae though.
Yesterday while on my walk with Abbey I met a gentleman at the recycle depot while I was dropping off litter I find along the road. While chatting he mentioned that he used to play in a band and I asked if he knew my uncle who also played guitar and occasionally played in bands at the local bars. When I told him my uncles name he said no he had never met him but while working for the city as a grave digger had opened a grave for another uncle of mine. He said he always remembered French names as he was of French ancestry. He pronounced the name as Pieyet instead of Payet as I've always said it. He went on to say that Pieyet was the correct pronunciation of the name in French. I've always wondered why some of my grandfathers friends and neighbors pronounced it Pieyet. Now I know. The name is spelt Payette. I guess that's why I flunked out of French class way back when I was in the 8th grade and never learned the language.
The conversation started when he saw Abbey in the recycle depot. It turned out that he was a dog lover also. When we went outdoors i saw he had a dog in his pickup. and that started the chat. We talked about how some people get a dog and tie it in the backyard and never pay any attention to it and how a dog treated that way will become a runner. Dogs are such great companions and all they ask is to be fed and be noticed.
Like I've said before, if you take the time to talk with people the world is a friendly place. I'm so happy That I learned that life lesson in Newfoundland
If all people just said "hello or Good day" as they past a stranger on the street the world would be such a better place.
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Updated: 12:28 PM GMT on March 23, 2012
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Yeastless cinimon rolls
Domeone had askes for the recipe for my cinimon rolls. I forget who so I'll post it here.
Ingredients:
Serves: 18
Yield:
18 18.0 18Servings Size
small r ...
Update
small r ...
Units: US | Metric
Dough
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
¾ cup milk
Filling
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar or 1 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Glaze
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
Directions:
1For the filling, in a small bowl combine softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to form a crumbly mixture.2Sprinkle 1/2 of the mixture over the bottom of a 9x9 pan.3In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.4Cut in softened butter (sometimes your hands are the best tools).5Stir in milk to form a soft dough.6Roll out dough on a lightly floured into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.7Spread the remaining filling on the rolled out dough.8Roll up the rectangle, with a sharp knife slice into 18 small rolls (12 if you want them a little bigger).9Bake for 20-25 min at 400°F.10For glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl and stir until smooth.11Once rolls are finished, drizzle on glaze and serve warm.
Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/quick-cinnamon-rolls-no -yeast-293243#ixzz1po02HMq1
A Sad Task Complete
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Today will b sunny with a west wind at 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph). The high for today will be 15C(59F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will start clear but becoming partly cloudy after midnight. The west ind at 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph) will become light early this evening as the temp falls to 3C(37F).
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it seems the weather sticker I used was the culprit in yesterdays blog. I finally got to edit it without showing the whole entry. I won't be useing that sticker again.
I never did get to disassembling the clock movement. I took on the task of shredding old tax returns. You only have to keep them 7 years in case of audit but I had returns dating back to 20000. I also shredded my mothers old tax returns which I had. I had all of her papers as I had power of attourney for the last 5 years of her life. I also shredded all of her old tax tax returns as we received a letter from Revenue Canada , after a nearly 2 year wait, saying yes she was dead and didn't owe them any money. As executor of her will all of her final wishes have been fulfilled and The small estate she left behind has been been evenly distributed among my 2 sisters and me. It was a sad task destroying old obits of her friends, that I didn't know, and papers that were her keepsakes but had no meaning to me. She can now rest in peace but never be forgotten.
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From My Basement Window
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Updated: 12:09 PM GMT on March 21, 2012
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???????????????????????
Is the previous entry messed up for everyone or is it just me.
All iseems good untill I add the weather sticker. If I try to edit it it goes to 2 days ago. Strange!
Even the comments are messed up on my computer.
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Updated: 12:46 PM GMT on March 20, 2012
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An Abandoned Baby, Record Temps and A New Oroject on the Prairie
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Today Will start with a mix of sun and cloud then Becoming sunny near noon. The wind will become southwest at 30 km/h (19 mph) early this morning and the high will be 13C(55F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will be clear with a southwest wind at 30 km/h (19 mph) becoming light early this evening. and swinging to the south at 20 km/h (12 mph) after midnight. The overnight low will be 3C(37F).
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I have no idea what happened to yesterdays post, if it got stuck in the wires or if I simply forgot to hit the post button. I remember writing it. :)
I'm sure by now everyone in Canada who watched the national news knows that a woman abandoned a baby on the steps of a school here in Portage la Prairie the night before last. Luckily a passerby heard the baby crying at 3am and called police. It is thought the baby had been there about 2 hours and was lightly dressed with no blanket. The mother has been found and charged with abandoning a child, and failure to provide the necessities of life. She was drunk when police apprehended her. The baby was suffering from exposure to cold but luckily is expected to make a full recovery. If it had happened a few weeks ago the baby would have probably froze to death.
On the brighter side of the northern edge Portage was the hot spot in Canada yesterday. Yesterday while on my walk with Abbey I wore short sleeves. Poor Abbey panted for a 1/2 hour when we came home even though she took a cool off dip in a ditch.
I have a new project to work on. I have a small clock movement that needs repair. It's the same type of movement that is in the picture I took of the settlers project. The clock runs with it'small pendulum swinging but the hour hand doesn't move. A gear must be slipping on it's shaft. Yesterday I tried to locate the problem from the outside but couldn't find which gear isn't turning as some of them move so slow even when pushed by hand. Today I'm going to try to take the movement apart and find the problem. Again I challenge my vision problems. If I can't get the tiny shafts lined up with the holes in the brass plates it will end up in the trash but if I can't get it reassembled it will end up there anyways. Before my stroke I had no qualms about taking a movement apart to clean and lubricate it then reassemble the thing.
From My Basement Window
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Updated: 10:54 PM GMT on March 20, 2012
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A Fun Day on the Prairie With the Great-Grandaughter
Today will bring clearing this morning with fog patches that developed overnight dissipating this morning. The wind will become southeast at 20 km/h (12 mph) this morning then increasing to 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph). Today's high will be 25C(77F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will start clear but . Becoming partly cloudy before morning. The southeast wind at 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph) becoming south at 20 km/h (12 mph) early this evening then light after midnight. Tonight's low will be 15C(59F).
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I didn't get a chance to do a blog yesterday. I was the official day care person for the oldest great granddaughter while her mom and the Queen worked. We sure had a good time. We went for a short wagon ride in the morning to pick up milk at the corner store. The grandson's came over and raked my back lawn which I had not done last fall. The little girl helped by running and jumping in the piles of leaves. A great help that was. :) After the lawn was done we all had a treat of my cinnamon rolls and milk. The yeast less cinnamon rolls were a hi it and the dozen and a half I made quickly disappeared. I think I may have started a family feud though. The SIL remarked that the rolls were good, just like his mom used to make. When he went out again the daughter said " He shouldn't have said that because now I won't make them. :) You should never compare mom's cooking to the wife's. She did take a copy of my recipe though:).
When the daughter and her family left we had a picnic , eating our soup and sandwich out at the picnic table then I took Abbey for her walk with the little girl in tow in a wagon. I thought the 2.5 mile walk in new shoes might be a bit much for the 4 year old. On our way home we saw McCain's special little train they use to bring product and vegetable oil from and to the plant along their own line to the main line where the CPR drops off and picks the stuff off.
On our way home we met the Queen coming home from work.
The little girl sure enjoyed her day with papa and slept soundly after all the fresh air and activities.
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Updated: 12:18 PM GMT on March 19, 2012
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A Lost Dog On the Prairie
Today will start clear but will later become a mix of sun and cloud this morning. The wind becoming south at 20 km/h (12 mph) early this afternoon. Today's high will be 15C(59F).
Tonight will see clearing. as the south wind at20 km/h (12 mph) becomes light late this evening. The overnight low will be 7C(45F).
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My sleep pattern seems to be returning to normal. last night I was up to greet the Queen when she came home from work at 11 and slept until 7:30 this morning. It sure feels good to get a good nights sleep and not need an afternoon nap.
Yesterday while on our downtown route with Abbey we had a stray follow us. He looked like he hadn't been fed for a while as he was just shin and bone. As we walked with him following us we met a lady, with a child and a border collie. The stray ran ahead to them and I feared he might hurt the kid, but all he was interested in was the collie. When we met The lady held the stray while I detached Abbey and put her leash on the stray. I then noticed he had one of those ugly barbed choke chains on and no tags for id. We were across the road from the fire hall so I took him there and asked them to call animal control knowing he would be probably be euthanized in 3 days but hoping the local animal rescue would save him. The firemen called animal control but didn't there was no answer so i suggested they try the PAWS the rescue people. The response from paws was that stray dogs have to go to the pound first. Being too far from home to take a dog not leash trained and with a by law stating that dogs must be leashed in the city I removed the choke chain and released him and put Abbey's leash back on her. The last i saw of him was him running up the street to the main thoroughfare in town. I hope he finds his way home or is picked up and rescued before he is no more. When I got home I checked the local lost and found listings and found 2 yellow labs like him listed but both were female and the lost one was a male.
It's a shame that people get animals and don't look after them.
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Updated: 2:08 PM GMT on March 18, 2012
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A Wet Walk on the Prairie
Today will be mainly sunny with WESTERLY Wind at 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 70 km/h (43 mph). The high today will be10C(50F).
Tonight will remain clear as the westerly flow at 20 km/h (12 mph) becomes light this evening. The overnight low will be 1C(34F).
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A quiet day on the prairie yesterday. All I did was take Abbey for her walk. Today I may start working on the miniature grandfather clock for the settlers. On Monday night I forgot about the model railway club meeting and missed it. I read on the web that they use a green valour for grass in their layouts. Sewing seems o have gone out of fashion here in Portage and it's a hard time to find a fabric store. One of the club members may have some extra laying in his hoard.
I got Abbey out on the gopher trails yesterday and did she come home wet. Just about all the snow has melted and soon the trails will be dry and her favorite little buddies will be teasing her by sticking their heads out of the burroughs the quickly ducking back in as she gets close.
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Updated: 1:45 PM GMT on March 15, 2012
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A Wagon Ride and Super Snowman
Today will be mainly sunny ith the wind becoming southeast at 30 km/h (19 mph) early this afternoon. Today's high will be 12C(54F).
Tonight will remain clear with the south wind at 30 km/h (19 mph) swingng to the northwest 30 km/h (19 mph) before morning. The ovenight low will be 2C(36F).
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I never got Abbey out for a walk yesterdday but did takke one of the GGranddaughters to the store to pick up some milk while i babysat her while the granddaughter and the other GGranddaughter and her mom were busy at other things. The girl's boots were still wet from the day before so I put her in runners and gave her a wagon ride. She thought it was great to be able to go through the puddles( I told her lakes) and stay dry. it was funny watching her look through a hole in thr bottom of the wagon watching the water.
The 2 snowmen the girl's made are like poor Frosty now and quickly turning back to water. With the forecast predicting warm weather all week they'll soon just be part of my lawn. I I should carve one out of white styrofoam, put a cape on it then set it up in July, and call it Super Snowman when it's still standing in July.
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Updated: 1:53 PM GMT on March 14, 2012
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Being Friendly Shrinks the World
Today will start mainly cloudy but there will be Clearing near noon. The wind southeast at 20 km/h (12 mph) will swing westerly at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph) early this afternoon. Today's high will be 10C(50F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will be clear with the west wind at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph) becoming light before morning. The overnight low will be -5C(23F).
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Yesterday I took Abbey out to the gopher trails on our walk. I stayed dry walking on the side of the road and kept her on the leash and out of the water filled ditches. If I'd of let er do her usual run she would have been swimming in them and I receive a scolding from the Queen for the bad odor I brought into the house.
While walking I saw a gentleman playing with his son(or grandson) in the puddles and little streams running to the storm sewers. He was showing him how to make little boats out of broken twigs and have them race along the steam. Must have been a grandpa:).While the boy refereed the races and adjusted the coarse of grounded racers we chatted. It turned out that he had grown up in the same area as my mother and had played guitar with my uncle. As we chatted names of peoples who we both knew came up. It sure can be a small world when you take the time to be friendly and chat with a stranger. It's something I picked up in Newfoundland while visiting my daughter where if you greeted someone with a friendly Good Morning or Good Afternoon you had to fight to get away from the conversation that followed. it sure is nicer than where in some of the big cities you can live next door to someone for years and never know their names or what they do for a living.
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Updated: 10:51 AM GMT on March 13, 2012
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Wet Feet on the Prairie
Today will be mainly sunny with fog patches dissipating this morning. The high will be 8C(46F) and 13C(55F) over western sections of the forecast area.
Tonight will start clear but there will be increasing cloudiness after midnight. The wind will be southeast at20 km/h (12 mph) and the low will be 2C(36F).
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Spring seems to have come to the prairie. Yesterday when I took Abbey on the downtown route I should have worn rubber boots. My feet were soaked when we got home. I was also greeted by 2 snowmen the grandaughter had helped the 2 GGranddaughter build in the front yard. I'm afraid those poor guys won't have a very long life span. :) I'll have to snap a photo today so the girls will always remember them.
It's funny, the daughter in NFLD always bragged about their warm winters but today with our high of 8c(46F) and their's of -5C(23F) we have them beat. I've told the daughter that when I visited last summer I brought a suitcaase full of sunny manitoba with me but left with their warm winters, I did leave the snow there though. I think I'll keep the NFLD winters here. I hope the police don't investigate and charge me with theft.:)
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Updated: 12:53 PM GMT on March 12, 2012
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Is It Time To Put The Blower in Storage and Open the Bakery
Today will be sunny with the wind becoming westerly at 20 km/h (12 mph) this afternoon. The high will be 8C(46F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight wll remain clear with an overnight low of -3C(26F).
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It looks like I won't be needing the blower again this year. The long range forecasts show temps as high as 20C(68f). Abbey will be a wet, stinky puppy when I bring her home from our walks. I'll have to be sure her old towel is close to the door.
I opened the bakery last night and made fudgy brownies with out Betty's help using a recipe my daughter had given me. They haven't been taste tested yet by the staff at the Northern Edge bakery but with the icing applied while the brownies were astill warm it should soak in and satisfy any choclate lover with a sweet tooth.
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Updated: 12:39 PM GMT on March 11, 2012
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A New Blower belt and Well Known to the Medical Community on the Prairie
Today will be cloudy with a 40% chance of flurries this morning. The wind becoming southeast at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph) this morning. Todays high will be -1C(30F).
Tonight will bring clearing late this evening. The wind southeast at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph) becoming light overnight. the temperature will remain steady near 0C(32F).
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I guess spring is coming to the prairie. The overnight low is higher than today's high.
The affects of my bug seem to be dimishing. The tinny taste is going and so far I fel good.
I had the daughter take me to a automotive parts store for a new belt for my blower. The guy looked at my old belt and said it was a cheapy devloped for people who idn't want to pay the exta few dollars for a good belt. He replaced it the a good belt. I'll have to email the blower manufacturer and register a complaint.
I never got Abbey out for her walk yesterday as I had a nap. I probably would have stayed indoors anyway as the wind was pretty cool.
It was funny, when the daughter took me to get the blower belt she had to make a stop at the doctors for a pre natal check. The nurse at the desk asked if I had an appointment and I said no I was just waiting for the daughter. My doctor walked in to check his appointment schedule, saw me sitting there and said "Hello". I told him not to worry I wasn't here for me. it's bad when both the nursing staff and the doctors know me by sight. Even the techs at the vampire's den know me. It must be time for me to quit getting sick.:)
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Updated: 12:21 PM GMT on March 10, 2012
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An Unexpected Benifit of Working In a Hospital and Back to the Blower
Today will bring a mix of sun and cloud along with a 40% chance of flurries this morning. The wind will be westerly at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph) but becoming northwest at 50 km/h (31 mph) gusting to 70 km/h (43 mph) near noon then north at 30 km/h (19 mph). Today's high will be -5C(23F). UV index 3 or moderate.
Tonight will be clear with a northerly wind at 30 km/h (19 mph) becoming light this evening. The overnight low will be -17C(1F).
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Summer must be coming to the prairie, I see they've included a UV index for those brave enough to lay in a snowbank, in a bikini, at -5C. to get a jump start on the tan.:)
The granddaughter brought this terrible virus home with her from work. The Queen came home from work early last night and I have the symptoms too. Every thing tastes tinny, every part of the body aches and a dry cough accompanies it. One of the Ggrandaughters had the symptoms and a trip to the walk in clinic confirmed it was viral. You just have to wait it out. I told the granddaughter that it was a side benefit of working in a hospital and to expect more things like it when the girls start school. A good thing about being retired is that you have unlimited sick time with no doctors note needed to confirm your illness. :) I guess that makes up for the loss of weekends and holidays.
Today I'll get the daughter to drive me to a shop to get a replacement belt fot the blower before we get anothe round of snow. When I need a hand I'll get the neighbor to help me.
The instruction manual says to only use a factory belt but this is the second belt that has went. For the amount of use they get the belt should last forever. I replaced the first belt with one from a washing machine and have had no problems with it since. The first one to go was the drive belt and this time it was the original auger belt. It only has 2 winters of use, maybe 10 hours. If an automotive belt were to only last that long people would quit driving for fear of being stranded on the highway.
I'll take ycd0108's advice and use my led headlamp fo see into the dark spots. I hadn't thought of that. My optomitrist told me that the same parts of the brain that work for periferal vision also work for night vision, I guess that's why I need lots of light to do something.
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Updated: 1:21 PM GMT on March 09, 2012
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Working on the Blower and A stolen Winter
Today will start cloudy with a 60% chance of flurries early this morning then clearing this afternoon. The wind will be northwest at 30 km/h (19 mph) becoming light this morning. Today's high will be near -8C(17F).
Tonight will be partly cloudy with a 30% chance of flurries. The wind becoming northwest at 20 km/h (12 mph) overnight as the temp falls to -10C(14F).
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I never took Abbey out for her walk yesterday but I did get the broken belt removed from the blower. I was going to replace it but the bolts that have to be removed are inside a black area and are colored black. I couldn't see a thing inside the dark hole where the bolts are hiding. I guess I'll have to wait until I get a hand.
Yesterday's snow did pass north of me. :) I sure don't need an Alberta Clipper passing through now that the blower is down.
WE sure lucked out here. I see Alberta and the east coast both experienced heavy snow.
I was talking with the NFLD daughter the other day and she said it was colder than normal. I told her that when I was there I brought a suit case full of sunny Manitoba weather but left with a suitcase full of their winter. I also told her that the only way I'd return it was for her to fly me back to Newfoundland. :) Winter on the prairie sure has been mild this year.
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Updated: 1:24 PM GMT on March 08, 2012
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A Walk to the Vets and Hopefully a missed storm
Today will bring a few flurries and periods of freezing rain ending this morning then cloudy. There will be snow north of the trans-Canada Highway early this morning with 5 cm(2.0 in) near lake Manitoba. The high today will be 2C(36F).
Tonight will be cloudy with a 60% chance of flurries this evening. The wind will become north at 30 km/h (19 mph) gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph) near midnight. The over night low will be -13C(8F).
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Poor Abbey had a surprise on our walk yesterday. WE walked to the vets for her rabies shot. The vicious beast Abbey is licked the vets face while she was giving Abbey her injection. The vet said you only get one good dog in a lifetime and I think you've found yours.
It looks like the storm predicted for the northern edge is tracking to the north of us. It's a good thing as I haven't got the blower fixed yet. I'll get on that case today with the neighbor's help where 2 people are required.
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Updated: 1:09 PM GMT on March 07, 2012
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The Lost is Found and a Solution to the Snowblower Problem
Today will be cloudy with periods of light snow beginning this morning and ending this afternoon. The wind will be southerly at 30 km/h (19 mph) but becoming light this afternoon. Today's high will be
0C(32F).
Tonight will be overcast with a low of -7C(19F).
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Wonder of wonders I found the lost hearing aid. I was in the hoard looking for something and I stepped on somehing. It was a small piece of wood from one of my carving projects. When I bent down to pick it up there was my hearing aid next to it. The hearing aid is so small I never would have noticed it in the clutter of the hoard. I changed the battery and it works fine. If someone had of stepped on it with shoes on it would have been a a goner.
With the mild temps today I'm going to try and repair the snowblower. I think I have some insulation in the garage to kneel on so the knees won't freeze on the cold concrete. I remember changing a belt before on it myself , if needed I'll get a friend to give me a hand. With more snow in the forecast and the snow from the other day not completely packed I'll probably need it. I have a friend with a heated garage and a truck I may take it over there for repairs if there's room to work on it. He's currently restoring a 1956 Dodge pickup and the garage is full of parts he hasn't installed yet as well as the truck itself. It's too bad I wasn't still working I could have used the heated shop at the Portage diversion. I may phone and see if it's available and not being used to store the Bombardier the survey crews use in the winter and for transportation during flood fighting. All in all everything will work out well on the prairie. The SIL was busy all weekend spending time with his family and working at his own business of repairing cars for others. He sure is a hard worker with a full time job repairing semi's and with his own business on the side!
Yesterday on my hike with Abbey I picked up a small wed top beside the road but the thing crumbled in my pocket on the way home. I'm going to have to bring a small container to keep the fragile dried weed in until I get home and make a shrub with a small drift behind it.
Gotta go now and have my morning chat and coffee.
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Updated: 2:38 PM GMT on March 06, 2012
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El Nino Brings Winter To The Prairie
Today will see periods of snow ending this morning then cloudy and a high of -6C(21F).
Tonight will start partly cloudy then becoming cloudy overnight. The overnight low will be -11C(12F).
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It looks like were paying for our mild snow-less winter now. It snowed again last night and there's more snow in the forecast for the next couple of days.
To top off the snowy predictions I blew a belt in my blower yesterday while clearing the driveway. I had blown the snow from between the 2 houses out onto the driveway so that I could blow it onto the lawns, instead of beside one of the houses not wanting to cause water damage when spring arrives. I had just finished between the houses when a belt broke. I then ha to move the darn white stuff by hand. :) The car was sitting in the driveway but without a license I couldn't get a new belt. too top it off when I checked the manual it's a 2 man job as the engine unit has to be separated from the blower to change the belt., not a pleasant thing to do in an unheated work area. I've given the SIL a call to give me a hand and maybe we can load it into the back of his truck and take it too his shop for repairs when he's off work. It's funny how things break down when you need them the most. I'm not used to moving snow by hand and with a 50+ foot long driveway it's a real chore for a 60+ year old guy who's not used to the heavy exercise as my daily walks with Abbey is the only exercise I get.
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Updated: 12:58 PM GMT on March 05, 2012
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Time to Move Snow Again and Back to Baking again
Today will be mainly sunny but there will be fog patches at times this morning. The wind northwest at 20 km/h (12 mph) will become light this afternoon. The high will be -10C(14F). The wind will make it feel like -25C(-13F) this morning.
Tonight will bring increasing cloudiness early this evening and a low of -16C(3F).
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It looks like I'll be moving snow again this morning. We didn't get much snow after I cleared the driveway but the wind blew a bit back in. The Queen didn't go into work yesterday but will today. She had call a cab to pick her up but it was stuck on the other side of town so she called in and said she'd work her shift today.
Although the snow storm was small compared to the 1966 storm but the trans-Canada highway was closed for a while due to poor visibility. I just checked and the highway has been reopened again but snow covered slippery section remain.
he highway between here and Winnipeg can be really bad between here and Winnipeg. the only trees to block the wind have been planted along the highway otherwise the only trees are miles from the highway giving the wind a good chance to carry snow and reduce visibility.
The grandson's car was a hit at the youth club he gos to. He now has other boys asking him to make cars for them. We should have patented the process and sold small wooden cars at the bakery. :)
The special at the bakery today will be cherry bit cupcakes with chocolate icing.
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Updated: 1:22 PM GMT on March 04, 2012
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March 4 1966 Snow Storm
Today will see sow ending this afternoon then cloudy with a 60% chance of flurries. Allthough there is only 2 to 4 cm(0.8 to 1.6 in) the wind north at 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph) is causing blowing snow and the temps to drop to -9C(15F) this afternoon.
Tonight will be cloudy with a 60%chance of flurries this evening and after midnight and more blowing snow this evening. Wind north 40 km/h (25 mph) gusting to 60 km/h (37 mph) The wind will be light near midnight wwith an overnight low of -15C(5F).
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I'm late getting on today as I had to clear the driveway so the Queen and me could make a grocery run
Though snow storms in March are uncommon there have been some really big ones. I think the biggest in history ocoured on March 6, 1966. It virtally shut down the city of Winnipeg. Here's a description from the Winnipeg Free Press.
THE MARCH 4 1966 BLIZZARD
The Day Winnipeg was Paralysed
by George Siamandas
I remember that storm–(Dave Sawatzky)
If you are over 40 and have lived in Winnipeg your whole life you likely remember the Blizzard of 1966. It occurred on Mar 4, a Friday and it shut down Winnipeg like it had never been shut down before. The buses stopped running. Snowmobiles took nurses and doctors to work and thousands of people were stuck downtown and slept overnight at Eatons and the Bay.
The winter of early 1966 was the third coldest year of the century, with 1950 and 1917 even colder. January 1966 tied January 1875 for the coldest month since records were kept at Red River. In February 1966 Winnipeg reached -49 the lowest February temperature ever recorded and the second coldest day ever. Winnipeg did not see the temperature go above zero for 90 days. But the year till then was without much snow.
Snow started to fall after midnight on Thursday and despite the heavy snow, on Friday morning March 4, people still went to work. But by mid morning the streets were impassable. The buses were called in by 11:00 am. and would not return to the streets till the next Saturday morning. Schools closed for the Friday and the following Monday as did stores, restaurants and theatres. The big storm piled up 14.6 inches and was driven by winds gusting up to 70 miles an hour. This was the worst winter storm since March 1902. Eight foot high drifts were reported in the new suburb of Westwood. After the cleanup the plows created 12 foot high walls of snow along Ness Ave. Hundreds of cars were reported stranded on the Transcanada Highway. The Grain Exchange did not open for the first time in its 61 year history.
WINNIPEG COPES
Mayor Juba was awakened by a CJOB reporter and told of the blizzard. He was able to make his way to City Hall in his big Cadillac where he set up an emergency headquarters. By afternoon city hall itself had become a shelter for people that could not make their way home. Chief George Blow urged people to stay off the streets
Snowmobiles were given to the police. Volunteers operated snowmobiles to take people to hospital and to deliver drugs to patients. CB radios were used for the first time to create an emergency communications network. Ken Dunston was CBC radio’s man that morning and the station became part of the emergency civil defense network. Unable to get home, CBC staff stayed at the Mall hotel for the night.
STRANDED
The buses were pulled off the streets. Soon those that could not walk home were stuck wherever they were. Thousands of people were stranded at City Hall and at Stores like Eatons and the Bay. And 1600 people were reported stranded at Eatons and the Bay. Eatons looked after 700 of its own staff and 400 customers. The women slept on the 9th floor and the men on the 7th. Fifty hockey players from Winnipeg neighbourhoods were stuck in Lorrette
An Ongoing Project
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Today will be cloudy with a high of -1C(30F).
Tonight will bring periods of snow and a low of -4C(24F).
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I never got much done on the settlers project yesterday but I did give them their first tast of a Manitoba winter.
Today I may follow Abbey out on the bunny trails and pick up some scrffy weed tops to place in the snow, I'll then use some quilting fill i found in the hoard to simulate drifts behind the shrubs the weed tops will represent.
A Snowy Landscape
The lone Ranger and Tonto protect the settlers.:)
The Settlers need tools
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Updated: 12:18 PM GMT on March 03, 2012
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An ongoing Project
I'll be back later with some photo's of the pioneer project.
