PUMPKIN PATCH

This week, ABC Wednesday is brought to you by the letter P, as in pumpkin patch.  We spent the afternoon at Country Farms Pumpkin Patch yesterday, and the kids had a blast going out into the fields to pick their pumpkins.  It was very expensive to go into that particular area where you could have a hay ride, a mini train ride, get an apple and other treats and view the displays.  So I opted to be photographer and caught them as they went by on the hay ride and then went and shot just about everything I saw - from roosters, bunnies, goats, and piles of fresh vegies in the market area.  When we got home, my daughter and son-in-law helped the kids design and carve their pumpkins.  They were leaving last night on a vacation/business trip, so wanted to share the experience with the kids before they left.  So we now have 5 pumpkins decorating my front porch and the kids just need to put candles inside for Halloween night.  Here are some photos of our great day at the pumpkin patch.

With plenty of thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt, our perennial leader/creator, and to the popular Roger, our personable administrator.  Also, plenty more thanks to the phenomenal team who pop by to give each contributor praiseworthy points of view.  See you all next week for the letter Q.

O is for OTTAWA

Ottawa - Canada's capital city has erupted in joy!  The "reds" (Liberals) ousted the long-standing Conservative government after almost 10 years in power.  It was an extremely exciting night on October 19, 2015, as we watched the results come in.  Apparently, in the last election, only about 44% of Canadians voted but this time, over 68% voted, which was the biggest turnout since 1993 (17 million people voted)!  It was a phenomenal turnout and people were even voting at the early voting stations the week before. 

Our new Prime Minister is Justin Trudeau, son of one of our most famous previous Prime Ministers, Pierre Eliot Trudeau, who always wore a red rose in his lapel.  Young Mr. Trudeau campaigned hard on his platform of "real change" for all Canadians.  It remains to be seen exactly what he has in mind, although he has said that he will use deficits to stimulate the economy. 

Justin Trudeau has lots of supporters, although some feel he is not ready to be Prime Minister.  A good friend of mine posted these comments on Facebook:

"This is the day when the great country of Canada elects a high school drama teacher (and snow board instructor) who has no proven leadership abilities, has a spotty academic record, and has an even spottier attendance record as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons. However, his last name is Trudeau, and he has great hair. There has never been anyone more unqualified to be the Prime Minister of our country. Who are the puppet masters pulling the strings? That's who Canadians are really voting for. People are voting against our current Prime Minister. When you vote against someone, you get who you vote for. It's truly frightening."

and this:

“ 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' ~~ George Santayana

I have very mixed feelings about last night's Canadian election. There is no question that Canada needed a change. But did we really get it? No, we didn't. Once again we have the ghost of Pierre Elliott Trudeau hanging over our country. I think dynastic politics should not be allowed. In Canada, we now have the Trudeaus, and there will probably at some time be a third. In the US, a country of some 335 million people, they're stuck with either the Clintons or the Bushes. Is that really change?

Is a 43-year-old man with very little political experience and no proven leadership abilities really qualified to be Prime Minister of a country like Canada, simply because he shares the same DNA as a previous Prime Minister? Isn't this how royalty started? I have always said that if monarchies did not exist, we would invent them."

 Now, I don't necessarily agree with all my friend has written, but it is true that Canada needed some sort of change.  I admit that I always thought that our previous (Conservative) Prime Minister Stephen Harper did an excellent job keeping our country economically sound even in the midst of the American recession. 

Notice the areas where the Liberals swept the country.  ALL of Atlantic Canada went red; all of the northwest territories went red; a small portion of Quebec (as usual) went Bloc Quebecois; most of the prairie provinces were conservative (blue); and the rest (orange) went to the New Democratic Party.  It might appear that there is more orange, but one needs to know that the population in these areas is very sparse. 

Canada has spoken loud and clear.  We have made our bed.  Now we lie in it ... and we wait. 



N is for NOISE

Welcome to N week here at ABC Wednesday.  I thought I'd write about noise this week because I have been hearing a lot of it since last Friday.  Why last Friday, you ask?  Well, my daughter and her husband along with two kids ages 11 and 7 moved in with me.  This is a temporary measure as they sold their house and we are looking to buy another one together.  We are all getting along nicely, but it is a huge learning curve for all concerned. 

I have been used to my own routine with a minimum of noise around me.  My constant companion is Tegan and she is used to my routine, too.  So both of us have been displaced.  Don't get me wrong - we all talked at length about this and totally agree on all changes made.  But poor Tegan doesn't understand and was actually sick today on my newly cleaned carpet!  Poor baby!  And she also has to get used to their little dog, Lucy (half Shitzu-half Havanese). 

 

I have given my daughter and son-in-law the master bedroom and I have taken over the guest room, while the children are sharing my office.  I moved my desk out and they moved a double bed in along with the X-Box.  The kids and I share a bathroom, too. 

 

So with this past weekend being our Thanksgiving, it's a long weekend in which we all are working out the details and snags.  The kids were so excited to be moving in with Gramma and starting a new school on Wednesday, so the noise level has been pretty high.  They had to try out the X-Box by playing "Call of Duty" and have been either at war with each other or laughing and giggling to the max!  *Sigh*

 

But I love them to death and wouldn't want it any other way right now.

With thanks to the naughty but nice Mrs. Nesbitt, the creator or ABCW, and to the noble Roger, our administrator.  Also, many thanks to the nutty group of bloggers who navigate over to all the contributors in order to narrate their observations of your nifty notions that have come out of your noggins.



M is for MISTY MORNINGS

Thought I'd share some of my photos that show the morning mist around my neighbourhood.  Hope you enjoy them. We'll start with a shot of Air Canada taking off from YVR.

 

Snow geese in November

Misty day at Terra Nova

Looking west towards the Gulf Islands



Looking north towards the mountains that are invisible.

Coast Guard Station in Richmond

With thanks to the marvelous Mrs. Nesbitt, creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the mighty Roger, our administrator.  Also, I would never forget to mention the magnanimous group of bloggers who go out of their way to leave magnificent praises to you all for your contributions.