Let It Snow ptII

"Environment Canada predicted Friday that the winter will be the coldest in 15 years, and there will be more snow." CBC website.

Took the boys out to the front garden yesterday to build a snowman. But as we began to realise, the snow was too 'powdery', which is fine for 'boarding, but not snowmen. It felt as though we were trying to build them with sand. The plan is to build an army of snowmen, so that we have something to throw our snowballs at.

As you can see, I've added a current weather window, along with a forecast. These readings are taken at Brandon Airport, which is about 20 miles away, but I think it will give you an indication of the general weather conditions here. Hopefully, we shall be buying a weather station soon, and I'll be able to post more accurate readings.

We're still waiting, anxiously, for the return of our passports from the Consulate in London. It's only been a couple of weeks, but patience has never been one of my better attributes...
Once we have the relevant paperwork to state our permanent residency, I can look for work without worrying over the constraints of a work-permit, we may be entitled to child benefits, and after 3 years, we can apply for Canadian Citizenship. There are other entitlements, but not too sure what they are...

It's just turned 8am, and the boys have been up for 2 hours, they like to see their mom off to work in the morning! We had a covering of snow in the night, but not enough to get the quad out. The sun hasn't risen yet, and it looks deceptively grey out there, but when she does begin to peek out over the horizon, we have the most beautifull vanilla sky.

Am going to make the boys brekkie now. Daniel's still in bed, so get things done asap before he wakes.



God Save The Queen

God Bless Canada


***quick personal note to Jade/James and Dink/Leah-Beth: email me through this site, and I will have your correct email addressess, speak soon, love Uncle Dek***

It's official!

I concede defeat, and admit that it's COLD!

An average temperature of -22C (wind chill factored in brings it down to -30C), and it only gets colder. We have had 6 inches of snow, so far, this week with more expected for the weekend. Clearing the drives, and a path to the quad's garage (only) took one and a half hours yesterday, but should be quicker the more it's done. Not really looking forward to getting up at 5am to get Carla out for work in the mornings.

Bought the boys' first sledge, and can't wait to see them use it, even though I figure 'Dad' will be the one retreiving it, and them, from the bottom of the hill...

Small confession. I pranged the Grand Voyager. Broke the offside wing mirror when reversing out of the garage... Just needed to get in there first, before CJ. But at least I can repair it when needed!


4-0 away from home is a decent result, especially against a form team such as Blackburn. Let's just hope we can keep it up.


See ya' later!

God Save The Queen

God Bless Canada

Let It Snow

Well, we've had non-stop snow this morning and there's been a deposit of about 1/4". The boys have been fascinated with the recent snowfall, but unfortunately, it has only blanketed the drives and trees. This has meant no snowmen, nor snowball fights, although George takes great pleasure in throwing the stuff at the living room window, whenever he can!

Clearing the main drive took about 45 minutes with the quadbike, and won't be as much fun as it seems. Those of you that have 'biking' experience will know that even a slight breeze, can feel rather chilly. So imagine riding in sub-zero temperatures!!!

George has earnt a few extra dollars by clearing the snow from in front of the garages. Can't manage the quad in such a confined space, personally I think the child labour laws should be relaxed, so we can have armies of infants clearing the streets and drives...

Just kidding!!!

(or am I?)


clearing snow...

...is not too much fun...

...especially when you only earn a few groats a day.


Needed to call Ray at C & C Rentals (where we bought the quad) on Friday. The winch-cable on the quad had snarled, and back wound itself on the drum. This wouldn't allow the plough attachment to drop. True to his word, he collected and returned it, with a new cable, within four hours... excellent service, and thanks!

Today is the 95th Grey Cup Final, the CFL equivalent to the Super Bowl. We have the Winnipeg Blue Bombers .v. the Saskatchewan RoughRiders. So 'C'mon Blue Bombers'... bring the cup home to Manitoba.

It's been almost a week since the debacle that was the match against Croatia. Quite right to let Stevie Mac go, but surely the F.A. must have a shortlist of possible candidates. Do we really have to go through the rejection process, the public humiliation of top managers, and English managers distancing themselves from the outdated controllers in Soho? Now we have to face the Croats again in the World Cup Qualifiers... Here we go again!

Villa won, again! Getting rather boring... nah, don't think so, keep it up boys!


MONDAY 26th NOVEMBER


Ok, well that was Sunday (yesterday), the Winnipeg Bombers lost a pitiful match (still not too sure of all the differences between NFL and CFL), but there's always next season to do it.

It began snowing again this morning, almost 2 inches in a few hours. George and Ovie went to play. I think it's going to take a while to get used to the cold. But at least they're not afraid to give it a go.

"Didn't I do this yesterday?"


Ovie the explorer.


Why don't bikes come with snow tyres?


No path? Make your own.

Well, the kids have just had lunch, and Carla has noticed that Daniel has just cut his first tooth! Exactly 7 months old to the day. Just as George did. Ovie missed 7 months by a few days, but still a little spooky...
So hopefully now, we may look forward to an influx of pearly-whites appearing over the next few months.

It's now 1:30pm local time. The snow has subsided for a while, and I'm off for a well deserved cup of coffee and a sandwich! CJ is on nights tonight, and George is at school tomorrow. So, TTFN...


God Save The Queen

God Bless Canada

"Another week to kill..."

We have been in the house for 8 weeks (tomorrow), and it feels more like home than almost anywhere in the UK. Still, the amount of work we have done here in that time has been unsurpassed, but there's still more to be done! Even though we have been in the country for only 3 1/2 months, each day that dawns, makes it feel like we were meant to be in this property. I know, sounds like silly-pseudo-babbling-b.s., but there's no other way to try to explain it.
The amount of stress we are NOT feeling is absolutely phenomenal... almost perfect. Almost. Even the boys seem not to fight and squabble so much, or the intensity of each 'scrap' is less than back in England.
Although CJ is working, we're still both looking for some kind of second income. Hopefully a 'work-from-home-using the-internet' kind of thing. But how do you sort the wheat from the chaff?, there's so much out there...

The holiday cabins have taken a bit of space on the back burner at the moment, but we are researching the possibility of buying either a cabin, or some land lakeside, somewhere. Hopefully this can kickstart a campsite / cabins for us, as it would be more appealing for the 'locals' (Canadians and Americans). Would also give me the perfect chance to do a bit of hunting, as having my own 'refuge' in the winter would save loads on accomodation when out!



sorry ladies, a little boring, but the adjoined garage is huge, I'm quite happy with my work bench, as all of the materials used have been recycled, or salvaged from elsewhere on the land.



'The Pimp Mobile' is CJ's work/runaround car. A 1990 Mercury Topaz, 17 years old but does the job, and wouldn't look too out of place with 'Huggy Bear' behind the wheel. As long as it's still running next spring, doesn't really matter.



The Family Car. Was quite excited to get this, as these are much sort after in the UK, but 'caravans' over here are as common as the flatbed trucks. This one needs to be with us for a couple more years, but we both love her, and she's a great car. Very versatile, and the rear seating can be arranged in several ways...

Carla went to see George's teacher on Friday, and was 'blown away' by what was said. George is reading at almost 2 levels higher than his peers, and is pushing firmly ahead with his maths. His school work is excellent, and he is integrating with kids of all ages. He plays well, and is considerate towards others. His teacher has suggested that they explore the possibility of him moving up a grade, and attending school full-time! Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, but quite frankly my friends, I couldn't give a damn...

The repair to the garage roof didn't take as long as previously thought, as the damaged area was not that large. Both rooves need replacing next spring, so I might just undertake this myself, saving a few thousand dollars in the process!!

Saturday evening we went to see the annual Santa parade in Brandon, and even though it was 7 below freezing, there was quite a good turn out. The emergency services were well represented, and the floats were engineered with plenty of imagination. As is tradition, we were made to wait for Santa's appearance, must be quite tired with all these public appearances in malls and parades etc.


My favourite of the evening.



CJ and Daniel, well wrapped against the elements.



Brandon's finest.



A true Christmas message, one long forgotten.



We had a little snow Sunday, about 1/4", but this lasted only a few hours, and even though the temperature hovers around zero, the sun, as is happening now, comes blazing through. Well, maybe not blazing, but it is very bright, and the sky is perfectly blue!

Hard luck to the New England Revolution, they lost 2-1 to Houston Dynamos yesterday, in the MLS Cup Final. Not too bad a game, but silly defensive errors cost the Boston team. They have now lost the last 3 finals, and 4 out of the last 6..!
Happier times are still to be seen in Boston though, the 'Pats are still rampaging on, beating the Buffalo Bills, to make it a 10-0 winning start to the NFL season. Hot on their heals are the Celtics basketball team, who are currently unbeaten after 8 games in the NBA...
Stevie Mac and the boys were lucky on Saturday, as Israel beat the Ruskies AND Croatia lost... All down to Wednesday now boys... and as expected, we are the only home nations team to offer any chance of qualifying for a major tournament (again).

Oh, have I mentioned that we beat the blose 2-1 at the temple of doom?, well just in case, BCFC 1-2 mighty Villa... hehehe


Saint and Sinner. But give liam a knighthood, thanks for his services.




God Save The Queen

God Bless Canada

nothing to tell

Firstly, apologies, as there has been missing text and pictures in some of these blogs. This has now been corrected.


Now, George had his first report card from school on Monday, and we're both very pleased, and proud of him. He's doing very well considering all he's been through, and even though his grades are high, I am more than impressed that the teacher has mentioned that his behaviour, and manners are both very good. We have a conference with his teacher on Friday, so we shall be able to see at what level he is working to.

Well done George, Santa will be pleased to hear this!

The weather's starting to close in. The last 4 days we have had 90km/h winds, and the temperature has dropped. A reported -11C at 7am this morning, rising to -2C as I type this, and western Ontario has just had a severe weather warning on the t.v., with hard snow fall, and falling temperatures, predicted over the next few days.
Last night we lost a few shingles off the garage and house roofing. A quick trip to Home Depot, about $150 and 3 or 4 hours tomorrow should put things right (weather permitting).

CJ is off work from tomorrow until Monday , so hopefully we shall be finishing our unpacking, and getting the house into some sort of order... having said that who knows what may happen.

CONGRATULATIONS
My best friend of over 25 years, David Homer, has recently got engaged to his long term girlfriend, Eve. I can't think of any two people who deserve a good deal of happiness, and good fortune than they.
WELL DONE HOMER!, here's to your future.

TELEVISION
One evening this week, CJ and myself were watching a CSI, or something, when the television began 'whining', drowning out all sound. A bright orange band scrolled along the bottom of the screen with details of a missing girl, the last location she was seen, a description of the suspect's car, and more importantly, a detailed description of the suspect, and her NAME! This abduction had just happened within 15 minutes or so, and there was an amber alert broadcast on each channel. This particular signal feed was from Detroit, Michigan. Just proves that with a little co-operation, such emergency alerts are possible.
So why not do it in the UK? One reason, out of many I found, is the right of privacy of the suspect!
That's right, the criminal has a right to anonimity until proven guilty!!

SHOCKING!!!

Shall post a few pics soon, just of the land and out buildings etc., as some of you have requested... ttfn

God Save The Queen

God Bless Canada

11th hour, 11th day, 11th month...

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We WILL remember them."

It is now 10:47 am local time, and we have just watched the Remembrance Day Ceremony from Ottawa. Bright blue skies allowed the sun to shine down on the National War Memorial, and illuminate the flags flying at half mast. The red, white and blue of the Flag of the Union, flew proudly alongside Canada's national flag. At precisely 11am, a beam of sunlight shone through the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and lit up a memorial stone inside. The minutes silence was strictly observed.

We forget how much Canada's growing armed forces did for the British war efforts around the world, and how proud she is to be a member state of the Commonwealth. God Save The Queen is as much respected as O Canada, and again, a proud people take pride in their fighting forces.





Last night we went to a 'Meet and Greet' in Alexander. And enjoyed it very much! We met a few more of the 'locals', and are beginning to feel very welcome. Usually, in a small community, people can become very protective of what they have, and hence, very secular. Not here. Being the not-so-new kids on the block, I think part of the novelty of having a new family is slowly wearing off. That said, the genuine warmth and well being towards us is still quite over-whelming. The puppet show intrigued Oliver. The 'pot-luck' table intrigued ME. Various dishes for you to help yourself to, and they were good... CJ's curry was tested, but I don't think spicy food is high on the agenda over here (shame, NOT! hehehe, more for me). We met a gentelman from England, David, who is from Dorchester, Dorset, not far from CJ's folks' home in Bradford Abbas. He has been over here for a number of years, married to a Canadian, and recently moved to Alexander from Thompson. Now Thompson is a small town near Churchill, in the extreme north of Manitoba. It is the same distance from Winnipeg, as Land's End is to John O'Groats, but only take 9 hours to drive!

CJ has now finished her stint of nights, and is looking forward to a few days off, before going onto days. Because of various meetings and parent/teacher days, George will only attend school for 2 days a week this month! Daniel is teething, and has developed a cold.
We'll be starting our Christmas shopping this week, which will be an ordeal with the boys in tow. As I'm typing this, the boys' Little Tykes house has just flew passed the window... (Strong winds from the east is the order of the day I guess.)

Carla has been crocheting with Alpaca 'wool', and is now in the process of toying with a knitting machine, kindly donated by Laurie, with the view to producing alpaca sweaters n cardigans etc...


Well, we're off into Brandon this afternoon. Oh, before I forget WE BEAT THE BLOSE 2-1 @ the temple of doom... C'MON!!


God Save the Queen

God Bless Canada

2 WEEKS!

Hallowe'en...

Last Saturday, 27th Oct., we were invited to a Hallowe'en Party in the village. Quite a pleasant gathering, and it was great to meet more of the neighbours. The evening was organised by the Alexander Scottish Association. Alexander seems to be the place for Brits to move to.



Sheriff George



Hallowe'en itself was more 'enjoyable' than I had previously experienced in the UK. Firstly, we went down to George's school. Several activities were organised, and again this was attended by members of the community, mostly parents and grand-parents, but quite a gathering nevertheless. Firstly, there was the costume parade. Each grade dressed up, and there was an introduction by the principal, Barb Miller. Also, a craft session, where the kids made a 'ghost' wind sock. Both George and Ovie enjoyed this, and we have ours still flying above the garage. A scary story reading was well presented, with the kids closing their eyes, and various props handed around to immitate body parts etc. My fave was the 'dance hall'. Watching teachers, in costume, trying to lure kids to do the macharena, and whatever else was 'trendy' at this time. Oh, one thing, THEY PLAYED 'T.N.T' by AC/DC, how cool is that.......



Pirate Ov.

The evening was great. Freezing cold, but great. We drove into town and parked outside Jeff and Lori's house. Off we set, not knowing what to expect as we knocked on stranger's doors, 'begging' for candy! Lori joked that we should've brought a pillow case each... little did we know.


Fire-Officer Buttery and Police-Officer Buttery

After 5 or 6 houses, it became quite evident that the buckets we got for the kids were not big enough to do too many more houses. But, each house we went to, the kids were invited in, and loaded up with chocolate, pop, crisps and sugary goodness... MMmmmmmm!!
When we got home, I was surprised at how much thought and planning people put into this night! There were bags of candy, that had been sorted, and tagged, and everyone was so friendly and welcoming.

WORK

CJ is enjoying work, and hating nights. But we're finally settling into a routine, of sorts. Hopefully, we've sold one of the greenhouses to a farmer from Regina, SK. Apparently, this gentleman has cycled across Canada, alone, when he was 60!! With a tent, and very little else, he set out from Vancouver, and flew back home from Halifax, all within 54|(ish) days.
I had some interest in storage. A guy came out looking to store his car for the winter. Watch this space.Have been busy 'reclaiming' timber from inside one of the greenhouses, hopefully this will save quite a bit on fencing for the alpacas, and various other projects around the place.

SPORT

Well done to Boston Red Sox for winning the World Series last week. 4 straight games, almost unheard of!, and taking the series away from home... What gets me is, why is it called the World Series when only North American teams contest it?
We're just waiting for the Patriot game to kick off... well done too to New England Revolution for making the Championship play off final. Beating New York Red Bulls 1-0. Bit of a wrench as JP Angel plays for NY.
Villa are back into winning ways, thankfully. 2-0 over Derby wasn't too much to ask, just need to thrash the blose next weekend...

PATRIOTISM

Today marks the start of a week of Remeberance here. Events and programmes leading upto next Sundays services are constantly promoted.
The Canadians are a very proud people. They're proud of their country, and are not afraid to show it, they're proud that you may wish to visit, and they're proud to shop Canadian (goods are clearly marked 'produce of Canada' 'made in Canada', if they can't find Canadian then they're not afraid to ask for it).
But what has stood out is they are proud of their troops, their military personnel. And it is shown. No dissidence towards the Gulf Wars. Most cars have magnetic ribbons supporting the troops, most places you drive through, especially Kemnay, have yellow ribbons tied to tree and mail boxes. I applaud this, but at the same time feel quite sad that I have had to move thousands of miles to be patriotic.



In the school gym

No, there shall not be any Maple Leaf tattoos, but I am free to fly my Union Flag and St George's Cross next to the National Flag. Totally frowned on in the UK (and illegal t'boot!). Public buildings and offices proudly display their national emblem, even gas stations have flags (the one at the top of 18th street and highway 1 is HUGE). It's just a shame...

AND FINALLY...

We had our first snow. Quite exciting, but it didn't last too long, this time...



View from the lounge


CJ is at work this evening, so it's Daddy time again for the boys. I have wired 'English' power to one of the rooms, and George is ecstatic to be able to play the Playstation 2. We have 240v in the kitchen too, we can now use the food processor, the George Forman grill and our coffee maker, plus CJ has her cd player back (bad move on my part Heart, Gabrielle et al...)


Speak soon.


God Save The Queen

God Bless Canada

Boston, Mass.

Boston is a special place for me. Steeped in history. A few friends there. And excellent sports teams!

Congratulations to the Red Sox for taking the American League pendant last night, best of British for the World Series.

New England Patriots are flying in the NFL and looking to be 'the' team to beat. Dek's Tip : Odds on for the SuperBowl.

MSL has many fine teams, and possibly the best in the current season are Chivas, and NY RedBull (go JP Angel!). But the Revolution are doing well, even after throwing a 2-0 lead away, at Toronto. (Toronto are managed by Mo Johnston, and are the MLS' newest franchise!)

Don't care too much for (ice) hockey, sorry Bruins, and have never fancied the Celtics in basketball (prefer to watch Chicago or, LA!)

Hopefully I can find a winning team this year!


GO BOSTON!

What A Difference A Week Makes

Well, we now have our furniture, and are 90% unpacked!

Things are beginning to settle down here, and we're finally finding some kind of routine now that Carla's at work. Which is just as well, as we've just bought three male alpacas!, (Llama type beasts that are related to camels).

Mmmm... Alpacas?, well the short term plan is just to keep them as 'fleece pets'. Sheer them each spring, and process the fleece, then knit the fleece, or crochet the fleece, or exchange it for alpaca 'goods'. Whatever happens, it'll be sold. So please place your order enquiries asap!!

George missed 2 days of school due to a nasty cough, but seems to be getting better. He went on a class visit to the local 'firehouse' (fire station), on Friday, and was introduced to the dangers of fire. I think he enjoyed it, as they were shown how fires are extinguished, taken on board the fire truck and ambulance.

Oliver just loves running around!, mostly indoors, but when let loose outside there's no stopping him, and Daniel will not stop growing. He's almost 6 months old, going on 9 months! He isn't content just sitting and watching, he desparately wants to join in with the boys, and enjoys nothing more than a little rough 'n' tumble with his dad.

Hopefully, I'll be selling the greenhouses soon, so we'll have a little more space behind the sheds, and a local farmer has expressed an interest in renting the sheds for his business! Hopefully, that shall be 2 businesses off the ground in the 7 weeks since we landed!

Now, more importantly, it hasn't been such a great weekend to be an English Villa fan. Firstly, 4-1!! Not saying any more. Secondly, hard luck to the young Lions in Paris on Saturday. South Africa, in my opinion, have always been the team to beat. We didn't. But at least we got to the final, and we'll have the Webb Ellis back in 4 years time. Well done lads.
Lewis Hamilton's age and inexperience let him down yesterday. But my God, for a 22 year old rookie to push these respected giants of motorsport around was just exciting to watch throughout the season. He's been a breathe of fresh air, in what could become a stagnating sport. I hope he doesn't gain the title by default after McClaren's appeal, as he has many years ahead to win it on his own merit...

The wind is now northerly / north-easterly, bringing the icy cold during the night, and leaving a heavy frost in the morning. But it's still very sunny, and the boys love to be outside with the car and trikes that a neighbour kindly brought over for them last Wednesday. George had a new bike on Saturday, to replace the one we left behind, and absolutlely loves it. He has realised that he can give 'backies' to Ovie...

It's 4pm-ish here, and time for me to trim a few more branches off the trees before nightfall!

God Save The Queen

God Bless Canada

"Swing Low....

Sweet Chariot, Coming For To Carry Me Home,
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Coming For To Carry Me Home,
I Looked Over PARIS, And What Did I See...."

Still can't believe we did it. After such a poor start to the tournament, getting to another World Cup Final is absolutely miraculous! Congratulations to Ashton, Wilko et al.

Another victory for the nation's footie team too... what an excellent weekend to be English! Bring on the Ruskies.

Went into Brandon yesterday, with Ovie. In Wal-Mart, there was a couple of men promoting a cancer charity, and selling bracelets and badges to raise money. Further scrutiny showed that the stand was sponsored by the Winnipeg Bombers, Winnipeg's Canadian football team. Now, I know very little about the CFL, but me and George watched the Bombers lose last week. We were not too impressed!



Ovie was more taken with the mascot. After discussing football, and, erm, football with these gentlemen, they introduced themselves as Brad Newman and Dave Lowry, Linebackers for the Bombers!! Could you imagine some of the prima donnas from the Premier League giving up their time in Asda or Tescos for charity!





CJ starts work tomorrow, and I think she's quite looking forward to it. The unit on which she shall be working, is quite new, and has quite a few pieces of modern kit... I'm sure we all wish her the best of British (and Canadian!)


God Save The Queen

God Bless Canada

5 Go Mad In Winnipeg.

So today we travelled to Winnipeg. 222kms one way, and at a national speed limit of 100km/hr, that's a long journey in anyone's book!

Ok, so today was the day we needed to clear our container through customs, and hopefully arrange delivery to our new home. Easy. Well, not quite. Firstly we had to collect several documents from the shipping company, and take them to Canada Customs.

The shipping company was on the far, eastern side of Winnipeg, and driving through most cities mid-morning is not enjoyable, especially when you're not too sure where you are going!, but to travel back through the city (to what is now the OTHER, western side) is absolutely ridiculous... Hi, I'm Mr Ridiculous.

Arriving very relieved at customs, I took the documents in. Now, as most of you know, I am quite an amiable kind of chap, and can get along with most people. But today, I met the most dour, sour-faced person in a uniform since the 'Tom Cruise copper' in Wolverhampton. (Please ask me later!) He commanded that we needed an appointment, and had to return at 3pm... Grrrrrrr! 3 hours to kill.

As expected, he kept us waiting, and Carla decided it would be in all our interests if she were to deal with the paperwork. A few grunts, harsh questions, and 30 minutes later, we were able to walk out of the customs office knowing our stuff would be cleared. To be fair to the Customs Officer, he has been, so far, the only person connected with our container, to be totally honest with us... (again, please ask me later!!)

Y E S ! ! WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BED N SEATING N TABLE & CHAIRS N DVDs etc.....

So, in a nutshell, quite a stressful day!, and once again, I can only sing the praises of George and Oliver!, they never cease to surprise me.

On the return journey, we stopped off at Toys R Us for George to spend some of his Birthday / Pocket money.... Pics to follow.



Once more unto the breach...

ENGLAND .v. france semi final William Webb Ellis Trophy. The Lions ruled once again in a World Cup match in Marseille, let's do it again tomorrow in Paris.



ENGLAND .v. estonia... should be a walk over... but in good old fashioned Englishness, this could be our banana-skin.
Stevie Mac, pick Gareth Barry!!


Have posted a short video of a train on the YouTube link. Sounds boring, but if you consider that I only managed to capture less than half of it, you'll wonder how they ever get anywhere!!

God Save the Queen

God Bless Canada

Almost there...

YIPEE!!

CJ received an email today, confirming that our container should be arriving in Winnipeg on Thursday. The relief that appeared when she opened her mail lit up the room. Not so much knowing that everything we own has finally landed, but just to know that we have a bona fide contact over here now, and are no longer in the dark with respect to the location of the consignment.
So hopefully we can clear our stuff through customs on Friday, and get settled by the end of next week! Of course the usual disagreements of where to put pictures etc. will ensue, and as usual I'll end up realising that CJ was right all along...


It's been a holiday weekend here, and to be honest, I can't see what all the fuss is about. A few polite exchanges in Pizza Hut on Sunday was about it for us. But then again, each day we're here makes us thankful that we moved.

It's been George's first day back at school since last Thursday, and his enthusiasm never seems to wane for it. Seeing him go off, alone, on the bus is still quite hard, but greeting him off the bus is a feeling I can't begin to describe.

Both George and Oliver are now fully kitted with snow suits, coats and snow boots.... roll on the snow. The real scary thing is, these garments are safe to be worn at -30C!, would you really let your kids out in such extreme conditions???

The weekend was a bit of a sporting rollercoaster. Beating the Aussies to reach the rugger semi-finals, Villa beating a resurgent West Ham, then waking up to find that Hamilton has us all on the edge of our nerves for another week, or so. We watched the replay on Sunday morning, George stormed off in disgust when Lewis hit the gravel trap on the Pit Lane!!, then the Argies smacked the Sweaties put the icing on the cake, (how many Crespo or Maradonna shirts were being worn in Glasgow then..? C'MON)


KING JONNY of WILKINSON


Let's hope Stevie Mac was watching...

Finally, we're hoping to have our fridge/freezer and cooker delivered this week, exciting to you guys I know, but these items should be the final pieces in the puzzle, and we can finally begin to figure out what to do with our land, and the rest of our lives!


God Save the Queen

God Bless Canada

It's raining.

After a month of gorgeous blue skies, and mostly high temperatures (+22C), it is finally raining, and boy is it cold!
Dauphin, which is an hours drive north from here, is having it's first snow of the season. I guess we're next.

I have added a link to YouTube which will show small clips from around this place. Please click on 'more from this user' to see what's on offer!!

Most of them will be shot on my cell phone, in medium resolution, so the quality will not be too good.

Hope you enjoy them.

God Save the Queen
God Bless Canada

... and this brings us to date!

Tuesday 2nd October

George begins yet another new school. I think he loves the attention, and the newness, and the fact that he's covered most of the curriculum in England. It must also be quite hard for him. He makes friends very quickly. Then they're taken away. If it is bothering him, he doesn't show it. He attends 2 full days per week, then 3 full days per week. This rotates every other day (Tues/Thurs then Mon/Weds/Fri), and seems to work!
Oliver misses him terribly when he's not here. But he responds well when alone, and is no bother. His latest ' fascination' are the trains which we can see from the south side. Some of them must be 1 1/2 miles long! No kidding. They carry 40ft containers, on 'carriages' that are easily 48 feet long. We have counted, including at least 4 engines, 60 plus units, then lose count!! George, as always, is more interested in cars, and is already becoming quite knowledgable about the various trucks, SUVs and saloon cars...
Daniel seems to have accepted bottle formula, and now only wakes once per night (touch wood), and is quite literally ploughing through his 'solid' food. You can see the frustration in his face when he sees the boys playing. We quite often play footie in the larger shed (see pic from previous post), and have great fun flying the kite we got at the yard sale the other week.
There's still quite a lot of work to be done before the winter sets in, but we are slowly accomplishing these daily.
This morning my ATV (quad-bike) was delivered, with attached snow / dirt pusher. It's a 2004 Polaris 500cc 4X4 automatic transmission, switchable from 2 - 4 wheel drive, winch, top speed of 70mph (I only do 55mph due to the land contours)


Ovie checks out the quad


George wants to take it out.....alone!

Wednesday 3rd October

Needed to go into Brandon to register with the Health Department. We also needed to get a dehumidifier for the basement. When we got home we had a message from the School Transport Dept. George has decided to catch the bus to school after he had his own ride on it tonight! John the driver is very pleasant, and made George feel at home.


"Mom, there's a bus on the drive..."



"I want to go too...."


That's more or less it. We have dial-up internet at the moment, but am working on high speed via our sat. provider. Uploading pics is a bind, but I shall continue to do so.

God Save The Queen
God Bless Canada

Dial Up Sucks...

Well, we have finally moved into our new home, and after a week we're still finding out all sorts of little hiding holes, nooks n cranies etc.

Last Tuesday we were handed the keys by the vendor, Mr Chappell, and was shown 'round. He explained how the water softener works (add salt and flick a switch twice a week!), where the electric breakers were, and that the house was already wired for satellite and telephone.

During our discussions, he told us that there was no way we would have neighbours, unless we sold part of our land. We questioned him about the west side of our property, and was quickly informed that the fields there were also ours!! It was far too dark to view this, but the cold light of day soon made us realise what we had let ourselves in for!

Now we have twice as much land as we had previously thought. CJ wonders whether we have bitten off more than we can chew. MOST DEFINATELY, and it feels good!

Thursday bought a HD Sat. receiver, and had some of our new appliances delivered. The cooker and fridge / freezer won't be here until next week, so the store owner has 'lent' us one of each until they arrive.

Friday I spent almost TWO HOURS on the phone to the satellite provider (Star Choice). Setting up new accounts, trying to get the box n sat. 'talking' just wasn't happening. So had to book an engineer. I dreaded the worst (at least 2 weeks in the UK)...

Saturday had a drive into Brandon and did a little shopping. CJ cleaned the rented house. I bought a skid-lid, gauntlets and goggles... (I have to say that the boys have, so far, been extemely open to their new surroundings, and are settling in quite well...)

Sunday was D-Day for Daniel. CJ began weaning him onto bottles. This was the start of a very testing time for all of us. The stresses of hearing your baby scream for his mother's milk is not something that can be ignored. Oliver went for a long nap. Me and George went for a long drive...

Monday 1st October, and the satellite man is coming... Sounds incredibly geekish and boring, but 4 weeks without TV is more than long enough. No news, no sports, and no Emmerdale (which I won't miss too much, and isn't available over here, BUT 'er indoors is 'aving withdrawals!) 20 minutes and a new LNB later, we were fired up and watching kids TV (ah well, a small price to pay for 1/2 hour of peace and quiet). Wow, October already. One week today is Thanksgiving, and a national holiday...

God Save The Queen
God Bless Canada

Pictures...

MY HEROES!
Our first day in our new homeland, and after 25 hours continuous travelling, with less then 5 hours sleep, the 3 Musketeers are ready to go (almost!)


Our second car. All we wanted was a cheap runaround for CJ. This Mercury is surprisingly quick, fully loaded, and if it survives the winter, quite a bargain!


Meet the new neighbours... this critter was found, half eaten, on our driveway!


View from the backyard. The building in the centre is big enough to house a small granny flat... that's why it's coming down!


These 'sheds' are larger than both our homes in Blandford Rd., and Lyttleton Ave. put together! Not sure what we're doing with these long term. Answers / suggestions on a postcard please...

Villa won today, which is always a nice way of rounding off things. But, it looks like we could've done more than just sit back (again) after going 2-0 in front.

More pictures soon.

God Save the Queen
God Bless Canada


Dek, CJ and the Boyz!!

Driving....

Now here's the thing, it's not so much driving on the 'wrong side' of the road, nor is it having to go to a gas station rather than a petrol station.

It's FOUR WAY STOPS!

A four way stop is basically a crossroads where each junction has a stop sign. General rule of thumb here is, the first one there, gets to go first. Seems quite straight forward, and quite fair. Unless you approach the junction at the same time as someone else, then you give way to your left and carry on....

What if three of you arrive together?, now it could get confusing. But in this country of great tolerance, it just works itself out, not sure how, it just does!

Can you imagine that happening on the Hagley Road / A4123 nr the Amber Tavern on a Friday rush hour?

How about the turning right on a red light (that's turning left to you lot!)?

Pull up to the lights, if they're on red, STOP, if all's clear you are permitted to turn right... unless the pedestrian crossing is on green, then you wait....

Pedestrians ALWAYS have right of way. Knock one down, and game over. It's almost always your fault. If someone stops to let one cross, you have to stop too, until they have cleared the four lane route into the city!! MARVELLOUS

School Buses.

Learn the bus routes! Never get caught behind a school bus. As great as they are practicle, they always stop at the 'never-guarded-or-protected' rail crossings. When they stop to collect / drop off the kids NEVER OVERTAKE, NEVER TRY A VEHICLE MANOUVEUR in either direction. You have to stop, even the local scumbags would look down on you if you didn't.
Taking a bus in this situation is social suicide (worse than admitting DD over there!!)

So, driving 101 over for now

We went to our first 'Yard Sales' today, and got the kids some excellent bargains. (non parents turn away NOW)
Spent a little under C$30, and got them a couple of games, an outdoor bench / table set, and a Lego table with loadsa bricks. They think they are pretty cool. Nothing else to report. Just can't believe the Blose drew with the Scousers!!

Oh well! Just hope we perform better than we did against the Mancs....

Will get some pics on here very soon, and have less text!!

Peace, Love and Happiness to you ALL

God Save the Queen

God Bless Canada

the longest journey begins with a single step...

Our new home... dreams come true



We have been in Canada for almost 3 weeks, and have to date, done more than most people dare do in a lifetime.

Those that know us, have for years had to put up with our incessant droning on about 'when we get to Canada'. Now we're here, you still will here us droning on about how BRILLIANT it is, and how everyone has to come and visit us.

The last 3 weeks have been quite a whirlwind. Organising 3 boys, all under 5 years old, trooping them in and out of various public offices, banks, schools etc., has not been easy. For them, nor us. But given the circumstances, they have been absolutely golden, and makes one proud to be a father...

As this is my first post here, I'll keep it short n sweet... in 3 weeks we have:

bought a car
enrolled George in kindergarten
replaced most essentials for home (toaster, kettle, microwave, etc.)
bought a TV
opened bank accounts
exchanged our driving licenses for Canadian ones
viewed a house, made an offer, had the offer accepted (ALL within 6 hours on a Sunday evening!!)
applied for a mortgage (and recieved an offer within a week)
house surveys completed and conditions signed off (the house is ours)
bought a second car for CJ to get to work
shopped for ATVs and tractors
realised that you don't buy all your grocery shopping at the same store!

List too long?, well there was plenty more I could have included...


I have to go now, but I'm sure that CJ will want to add a few lines later...

God Save The Queen
God Bless Canada