Today's Animal

Thanks Diana J.P.

I have arrived

Hi Folks,

By now you are all aware that I have teamed up with Lord Marston of Blog to provide postings and, on occasion, a different perspective on my many personalities. My intent is to keep the postings rated GP so that kids from 4 to 104 may read with and enjoy our town blog. As you will see in the coming days I have solicited photographs from my cousin, Dr. Amber Smith and her life partner Dr. Bill Liang, of their trips this past year. Bill takes incredible candid shots of their travels some of which are good enough to frame in my humble opinion.

I look forward every morning to reading the blog and will try to maintain the integrity of the work that Lord Marston of Blog has accomplished.

Bob Hawkins

PS. My cousin Amber is a clinical phsycologist. She feels my multiple personalities of Father Bob, Buddha Bob or Biker Bob, whom you have yet to meet, are just a phase that I am going through.

More from Russia

Another Invitation from George P.

Hello Marty,

Attached is another invitation to anyone from Greenfield Park visiting Calgary, or any former residents of 'The Park' now living in the Calgary area, to attend an exhibition of 27 of my paintings.

This show "EVOLUTION - SUCCESSES AND DEAD ENDS" will be at the Okotoks Art Gallery from July 3rd - 29th. I will be at the opening from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Friday July 3rd, and will be delighted to meet, and talk to any current, or former, 'Parkers'.

Cheers,

George P.

Thanks George

Miss Vicky-Queen of Peterborogh

Millie and I and our daughter Lorna took a trip to Millie's cousin Margaret and her husband Gilles' farm near Peterborough on the weekend.

We went to see how this years crop of lambs evolved ( 85 lambs ) but mostly to see the new foal who is now named Victoria ( Vickie ) as she was born on Victoria Day....at about 75 lbs.

Today she is about 150 lbs.

Just a gorgeous animal.

Enjoy Pictures attached..

Ralph

Thanks Ralph.... Miss Vicky is cute for sure but Lorna is gorgeous... she takes after her Mom LOL

The Original

Thanks Millie McG.

Great Canadian Pics

Thanks Bernie C.

A Trip to Iguazu Falls

Thanks Barry & Louise D.

121 Walker

Merci Normand.... the photo taken on Walker is of Alfie and Gert Snyder, owners of South Shore Electric. In the background I think is Doreen and David. Donny would have been a twinkle in Alfies eye at that time. John Riley would know Gert's maiden name. Doreen lives not to far from us today.

Sidewalk Art

Thanks Barb C.

Canadian Eh..

CANADIAN.... Eh !

.

So, What Do We Canadians Have To Be Proud Of ?

1. Smarties

2. Crispy Crunch, Coffee Crisp

3. The size of our footballs fields, one less down, and bigger balls.

4. Baseball is Canadian - First game June 4, 1838 - Ingersoll , ON

5. Lacrosse is Canadian

6. Hockey is Canadian

7. Basketball is Canadian

8. Apple pie is Canadian

9. Mr. Dress-up beats Mr. Rogers

10. Tim Hortons beats Dunkin' Donuts

11. In the war of 1812, started by America , Canadians pushed the Americans back past their White House. Then we burned it, and most of Washington .. We got bored because they ran away. Then, we came home and partied........ Go figure.

12. Canada has the largest French population that never surrendered to Germany .

13. We have the largest English population that never ever surrendered or withdrew during any war to anyone, anywhere. EVER. (We got clobbered in the odd battle but. prevailed in ALL the wars)

14. Our civil war was fought in a bar and lasted a little over an hour.

15. The only person who was arrested in our civil war was an American mercenary, he slept in and missed the whole thing. He showed up just in time to get caught.

16. A Canadian invented Standard Time.

17. The Hudsons Bay Company once owned over 10% of the earth's surface and is still around as the world's oldest company.

18. The average dog sled team can kill and devour a full grown human in under 3 minutes.

(That's more information than I need!)

19. We know what to do with the parts of a buffalo.

20. We don't marry our kin-folk.

21. We invented ski-doos, jet-skis, Velcro, zippers, insulin, penicillin, zambonis and the telephone. Also short wave radios that save countless lives each year.

22. We ALL have frozen our tongues to something metal and lived to tell about it.

23. A Canadian invented Superman.

24. We have coloured money.

25. Our beer advertisements kick ass {Incidently...so does our beer}

BUT MOST IMPORTANT !

The handles on our beer cases are big enough to fit your hands with mitts on.

OOOoohhhhh.... Canada !!

. Oh yeah... And our elections only take one day.

Pass this on if you are proud to be Canadian!!!

Thanks Barb C and Elizabeth B.

CCM

We are visiting family in Vancouver right now.

Yesterday we took a five year old to Burnaby village museum.

I happened upon this exhibit of an early CCM motorized bicycle.

I thought you might wish to add this to your collection.

Doug G might have to consider something like this as he

ventures further from the Hat on his virtual tour back to the Park .

Cheers, Ed B.

Thanks Ed

Hat to the Park Virtual Trip

Marty

Report # 32 1327 Kms

Just 25 kilometres down the road from Elrose is Forgan, but the contrast is so stark it might be as well be 1000.

What makes one settlement flourish and the other fail? Perhaps the faded photo of a young girl proped up in the window of an abandoned house has the answer. Looking far to young to understand them, emotions of despair, loss of dreams, forfieture of future, hopelessness, all reflect in her face and eyes as clearly now as when it was left there when the last person turned out the lights and left forever in 1968.

Forgan is yet another reminder of the fickle and precarious forces early and later pioneers fought on their way to either marginal success or utter disaster. Railways, markets, droughts, wars, personal ambitions or the lack of them, decisions made in far a way Ottawa by otherwise distracted politicians, all played major roles in the personal lives of so many as it does today. Few found any fame or fortune but all claimed and clung to the freedom they found as a justifiable reason for staying. When that was gone, they went too

What all ghosts towns have in common is the overwhelming feeling you cannot help but sense, of personal loss from a failed society. Whether on a small scale like this or on the scale of Mogadishu it is the same. At least in this country, there were other settlements, towns and cities where they could go to start over. After many tries, the majority did succeed if only through their children. Rosetown, Bigger and Saskatoon are all coming up and are all examples of a tough and determined people.

Doug G

Thanks Doug

Today's Animal

Thanks Diana J.P.

One of my RV Park Buddies at the 4PM Cocktail hour

Ray is 85 years old but you would never guess it.

He is a real good friend

Marston,

A big hi to your friend Ray. He does look fantastic. What's his secret? I think I need some of what he's drinking!

Also a big welcome to Lord Hawkins...............should be quite interesting...............

Margaret

Thanks Margaret W,

His secret is older whiskey and younger women…

Old Photo from Walker St

HI MARTY,

HERE IS AN OLD PIC TAKEN ON WALKER STREET, MAYBE YOUR NEW ASSISTANT ROBERT HAWKINS (( HOPE I GOT THE NAME RIGHT )) HE COULD HELP YOU WITH NAMES ON THIS PIC. ALSO MARTY DO YOU THINK THAT FAMOUS PARKER PORK BARREL NEWS WILL EVER RE-OPEN. IT WAS SO ACCURATE AND FAST, SOMETIMES I THINK WE GOT THE NEWS BEFORE IT HAPPENED I THINK FATHER BOB GOT DIVINE HELP FROM UPSTAIRS .

THANKS MARTY AND SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW ASSISTANT, I WANT TO SAY HELLO ALSO , HELLO MISTER HAWKINS A ++++ FOR THE BLOG.

NORMAND SIMARD

Thanks Normand

Grafiti

HI MARTY,

I APOLOGIZE TO JOHN RILEY, I HOPE HE WAS NOT ARRESTED BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LEGAL PERMIT TO MAKE AN ART WORK ON THE WALL OF THE OLD COMTOIS MARKET, CORNER FAIRFIELD AND CHURCHILL. HERE ARE PICS OF THE MAKING OF THE ART WORK. I INVITE PEOPLE TO GO AND SEE. IT SHOULD BE FINISHED IN A FEW DAYS. I WILL SEND A PIC WHEN IT WILL BE FINISHED.

THANKS MARTY. AND I AM SO SORRY JOHN RILEY.

NORMAND SIMARD

Thanks Normand

Bounce

Bounce This Along

My mail carrier told me that the U.S. Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to keep yellow-jackets away.

Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it when I am working outside. It really works. The insects just veer around you.

All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!

1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.

4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling..

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan..

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

22. Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car, and wipe lovebugs off easily with the wet Bounce.

Quick, bounce this on within the next 5 minutes! Nothing will happen if you don't, but your friends will be glad to hear these hints!

Thanks Barry & Louise D.

Golf Poem

In My Hand I Hold A Ball,

White And Dimpled, Rather Small.

Oh, How Bland It Does Appear,

This Harmless Looking Little Sphere.

By It's Size I Could Not Guess,

The Awesome Strength It Does Possess.

But Since I Fell Beneath Its Spell,

I've Wandered Through The Fires Of Hell.

My Life Has Not Been Quite The Same,

Since I Chose To Play This Stupid Game.

It Rules My Mind For Hours On End,

A Fortune It Has Made Me Spend.

It Has Made Me Yell, Curse And Cry,

I Hate Myself And Want To Die.

It Promises A Thing Called Par,

If I Can Hit It Straight And Far.

To Master Such A Tiny Ball,

Should Not Be Very Hard At All.

But My Desires The Ball Refuses,

And Does Exactly As It Chooses.

It Hooks And Slices, Dribbles And Dies,

And Even Disappears Before My Eyes.

Often It Will Have A Whim,

To Hit A Tree Or Take A Swim.

With Miles Of Grass On Which To Land,

It Finds A Tiny Patch Of Sand.

Then Has Me Offering Up My Soul,

If Only It Would Find The Hole.

It's Made Me Whimper Like A Pup,

And Swear That I Will Give It Up.

And Take To Drink To Ease My Sorrow,

But The Ball Knows ... I'll Be Back Tomorrow.

Stand proud you noble swingers of clubs and losers of balls....

A recent study found the average golfer walks about 900 miles a year.

Another study found golfers drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year.

That means, on average, golfers get about 41 miles to the gallon.

Kind of makes you proud. I Almost feel like a hybrid

Thanks Richard W.

LOL

Thanks Murray P.

Russia

Well folks my cousin Amber and her life partner Bill have turned in to real World travellers she has given me permission to post some photos from her various trips. These are from her lates trip to Russia.

This set is of the "Stroganoff Castle" and "yes kiddies it is where Beef Stroganoff got its name.