Another week sneaking up on us as it's Wednesday already. No sun yet but it's not snowing either. I feel sorry for the little birds as there is not too much to eat around here yet. I feed them every day and the deer come up onto our veranda and clean out the feeder. I guess they are hungry too.

It's interesting to listen to the radio and as I write up my news I have it on. Another warning about credit card scams, it's a really dangerous one and also on air miles, this one is also a bad one. I have had two of these scam calls of late. One was an all paid trip to Mexico etc. and the other was a credit card call. On the both calls I told them where they could put it in no uncertain terms. All you have to do it press one and you are in trouble and big time. No one really knows how many folks get suckered into these scams.

Here is something very interesting that came out in the southside news. Francois Lake Elementary School Performing Arts Festival. Congratulations to all the students who participated in the L.D. festival. Mrs. Koops choir received a gold ribbon for their performance as did Mr. Roberts rock bands. Mrs. Iii class also received a gold for their choral speech entry and the individual speech arts performers received seven silvers and five participants. I have always said we have untold talent in the Lakes District, all it takes is teachers who have put their best foot forward with energy and knowledge to bring it all out. Hats off to you.

All we are hearing of late is all this election talk. All we seem to hear mud slinging and back stabbing and promises. You know the promises will never happen that's for sure. Where is all this money they are giving out coming from? Right out of yours and my back pocket. All we need is a good solid Government with the welfare of all the Canadian people at heart not this backbiting and confusion. This election has cost us millions that I am sure could have been put to better use. Like the old song that goes like this; Promises promises all I get is promises, is this all that you can give me is promises.

The musical evening held at the Grassy Plains music centre turned out 100 percent. We have lots of great talent and a musical evening such as this really brought it out and big time. Music is international and it brings folks together regardless of age, colour, or creed, music says it all. Some of the performers are even composing their own music and songs. Good stuff too. I was very fortunate to have been brought up in a very talented and musical family and regardless of the hard times we never let it die. Many many happy hours around mothers piano.

Our Dad H.H. had the most amazing memory, it stayed with him all this life. He used to sing us songs he learned as a child. He remembered all his teachers names from his board school. He remembered his first job in England after he left school. It was in the Newcastle mine in northern England. It was the deepest coal mine in the world at that time, over a mile deep. They had little birds in cages hanging all over in case of gas poison. They had ponies working in the mine pulling little cars on rails. The ponies were blind as they spent their life underground. There were also young boys working in the mines as they could work in smaller places. Dad and his friend Jimmy Brooker worked for about a week and they left and came to Canada in 1904 and landed in Montreal with only the clothes they stood up in. Dad spent his whole life in Canada.

I would like to commend Mike O'Meara on his interview regarding safety on our roads with bikes, pedestrians, and horseback riders. As time goes by courtesy seems to have gone by the wayside. It's just too bad that parents can no longer have their children ride their bikes on the road. This is a very sad situation. At one time kids enjoyed taking a bike to school or go to the store. We almost lost our son Mark many years ago now, when he was a teenager. He was riding his saddle horse on the highway and right at the Brown Rd. turnoff a pick up with three guys and they were drunk hit his horse from the back, it broke her hip and threw Mark onto the highway. She was a bright bay and he was wearing a red jacket and was on the side of the road. The pickup driver didn't know what they had done or how serious it was. A man came driving to the store and said your saddle horse had been hit and a person unknown to us is taking your son to the hospital. Your mare is down on the highway so bring your riffle as she is still alive. Jo and I were shocked so we shut up the store and rushed up to the accident. Some friends were there and we tried to move her off the road. I had never heard a horse scream before as soon as we tried to move her she would scream. I have always been able to talk to horses and they talk to me. I was crying when I told her I had to put her down and I know she understood. We buried her the next day. Her hip was broken. We then rushed into the hospital to check on Mark and thank God all he was was shaken up and heart broken with the sad loss of his little mare. We got a thousand dollars for the mare.  The very sad part of it all was the guys that hit her were good friends of ours. The man who came and told us about the accident took a bottle of whiskey from the drivers and broke it beside the road. This little mare belonged to our daughter Marie and she was her barrel racing horse. We got a lawyer and the case but it didn't do much good. The guys involved are long gone now but I still remember their names. After the dust had settled and things got back to normal the men who were involved were very sorry for the accident. You can't go back. You must forget the past and we did.

When you mention bikes I always wanted a bike and I never had one. I can't not even ride a bike, believe it or not. My dad used to say we have horses so what do you want a bike for. So it was left at that. But I still would have liked to have a bike.

Today was the first in the last three weeks that the deer have not cleaned out the bird feeder so maybe she is finding feed elsewhere. She would come right upon or veranda every night and I miss her in a way.

For the last week I have had a dose of this flu that's going around. Talk about sick I had it. Cough my head off and not able to sleep. I think at last I have it whipped I sure hope so. Seems everyone had had a bout of this flu and colds, goes with the spring maybe.

Thought for the day.

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.

I will close off with a little poem.

When I cross the great divide, I have this wish on my mind, put my spurs upon my breast, my rope and saddle tree. And when the boys lay me to rest, please turn my horse free.

Take care and have a safe week. Slow down as I have always said what's a few minutes in the rest of your life. Always remember God loves you and so do I.