Tagish Flood 2007

I just completed adding a page to the Tagish Community Association website about the current flooding of the Yukon Southern Lakes District, which includes the community of Tagish . . . my home. You can see the pictures here.

I’m still trying to arrange everything in my new motor home. Soon I will have to seriously think about meandering back home to the Yukon. Then, unless I can quickly get something suitable on my Tagish property before January, I will have to head south for the winter. I now also have the problem of getting my Suburban back west. Who said life was easy? At the same time I am also trying to get time to paint. At least I am not as cramped for space to paint, like I was in the trailer.

The Tim Hortons Capital of Canada?

Bathurst, NB, with a population of about 31,000 has *9* Tim Hortons stores. They seem to be *everywhere* in all tiny villages and towns as well. And they all seem to be *very* busy. Where ever I go there always seems to be one nearby.

Bell Mobility Failed To Communicate

Have you ever tried having a conversation with a customer service person at Bell Mobility? I spent 25 minutes making 4 or 5 calls to Bell Mobility and I got *cut off* every time without reaching a real person. I finally gave up. If anybody quits Bell I’m sure that’s okay . . . they have more business than they can handle anyway.

I finally managed to take a photo of my new motor home today. It’s shown below. Now it will take at least a week, maybe longer, to get “things” stowed in places where they can be found when needed.

Major Housing Adjustment

I *did* it! I chose to full time RV for at least the next year. If I find out that I really like it, possibly longer. Yesterday I purchased a 36′8″, Gulf Stream Ultra Supreme, motor home. Full timing isn’t new to me . . . Aggie and I did it for about 3 years in a 35 foot motor home.

It’s stormy and raining outside today, so I will include photos of the new motor home in a future post. The photo below shows what the weather is like today. Notice the waves; wind and rain . . . all night. A lobster trap, washed up on shore, is also shown. It looks like it’s been close to shore for awhile.

Stupid: Gas Gauge Inside Fuel Tank

Since I departed Whitehorse for New Brunswick I noticed that my fuel gauge on my GMC Suburban didn’t indicate below half a tank. Today I took the Suburban to a GMC dealer for diagnosis. After 1.3 hours of labour at a cost of $111.15 the verdict was in. There is a problem with the sending unit *inside* the gas tank. The “sending unit” is also a part of the fuel pump, also *inside* the gas tank. The estimated cost to repair with a certified GMC part was approximately $1000.00. That’s a total of about $1,100.00 to repair a fuel gauge!

What *idiot* designed the fuel pump and fuel gauge to be put *inside* the fuel tank? Needless to say, my fuel gauge is now going to have to continue to be the odometer. Also any future purchase of a new vehicle will *not* be one with this same *stupid* design.

More Microsoft Shortfalls

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) has followed what seems to be a policy with Microsoft’s new software developments. That is, a Microsoft upgrade creates more problems than it solves. Their solutions to the problems are always the same . . . buy new software and spend, spend, spend. My solution is to use even more *non* Microsoft software. Today I gave up on IE7 for two main reasons:

1 – IE7 doesn’t support website bookmarks that are more than one word in length. Having used Linux and NVu for website development with Firefox as a browser there was no problem with multi word bookmark links. Now while travelling with a new notebook computer and a Microsoft Vista operating system I was disappointed to find out that Internet Explorer is lacking in this area.

2 – Microsoft’s new Internet Explorer software (IE7) is also no longer compatible with NVu. NVu is the software I use to create and update my website pages. Why do I use NVu? Because it is available at no charge and it *works*. It works *very* well.

I have therfore now abandoned my efforts to have my websites stay in tune with Microsoft browsers and I have decided to be optimally compatible with the *Firefox* browser. In my opinion Firefox is also a *better* browser. I haven’t tested other browsers as yet but I can’t imagine others deteriorating as Microsoft does. I am no longer using nor supporting IE browsers. And Linux Ubuntu is the operating system of choice.

Fast Food And Plastic Gloves

Why do fast food servers wear plastic gloves? I have seen similar scenarios to that described here, far too many times.

Today while patronizing “Subway”, my server was wearing plastic gloves. First, before serving me, he prepared 4 trays of buns, with fresh unbaked dough which he thorougly handled. He then prepared my Subway Sandwich, *without* changing his gloves. Then he took my money, and gave me my change, still wearing the *same* pair of plastic gloves. Then he went on to do other chores *still* wearing the same gloves. Obviously *very* unsanitary! But I guess his hands remained just as clean(?) as when he started his shift. However, I wondered about my food.

Afghanistan

Jordan, the son of my good friend James, now living in Yellowknife and previously from Inuvik, has died in Afghanistan. I talked to James recently when he expressed his concern about the unwarranted danger his son was facing there as a member of the Canadian Forces. I said it before and I’ll say it again . . . Canada has *no* business fighting in Afghanistan. Before Prime Minister Harper, Canada’s military role was *peacekeeping*. Now we are involved in agressive *fighting*. In my opinion Harper *killed* Jordan and more young men will needlessly follow until we return to  our previous role of peacekeeping. CANADA HAS NO BUSINESS *FIGHTING* IN AFGHANISTAN! My sincere condolences and prayers go to Jordan’s family during this very sad time.

Traffic, Crowds and Noise

I *really* miss the quiet solitude of the Yukon. I miss the silence, the lakes, rivers, mountains and forests. In Tagish, I only tolerated the occassional trip to the city of Whitehorse when necessary . . . as infrequently as possible. Here, there is constant noise, constant traffic, rushing crowds . . . Oh, how I miss the Yukon. I *hate* the sound of power lawnmowers *every* day, the aggressive drivers and constant, hurried, city-type of busyness. Living here, in New Brunswick . . . with the lower cost of living, the dramatic, ever changing view of the water, and the *uniqueness* of the Maritimes is not worth the price of losing the wonderous solitude of the Yukon. In the following weeks, as I travel around, how will my views and impressions change?