Racoons

Raccoons are back. Woke up this morning stepped out the back door to walk the dog and found the garbage cans tipped, bags dragged out, garbage everywhere and paw prints on everything. Joy.

Morning is not the best time to face a mess like that what with my sleep addled brain.  I tend to have a rather sensitive stomach in the early morning so cleaning up old garbage and the leftover little bits of food is rather nauseating and gag inducing. 

I don’t blame the raccoons for trying after all they are just animals doing what animals do.  That doesn’t mean I’ll just let them do it however. It makes a rather large mess and I’ve also had the unpleasant experience of being hissed at by one last year having startled it leaving the house.

Just because they look cute doesn’t mean they wouldn’t injure one of the kids or the dog. Never mind the thought of rabies.  It also seems to attract other animals once the raccoons start the skunks and deer tend to decide our yard is open for picking.  

So I guess it is back to adding bungee cords to the lids. It has worked every time in the past and I only need to do it for a week or so.  Just long enough for them to give up. The first few nights I’ll always find the cans tipped in the mornings but unopened and no mess, they give up after a couple of days and move on problem solved.

Compared to what else has been in our garbage in the past raccoons aren’t so bad. Last year we had an issue with a bobcat. I was rather surprised when I realized it. I couldn’t figure out how the raccoons were still getting into the garbage as the lids were bungee corded on and I had even tied them down to the cement pads they sit on.   

Then one evening walking the dog before bed I saw what looked like a funny shaped and rather large cat.  After doing a double take I realized it was a bobcat and went back inside very quickly. In the morning I looked closer at the garbage cans and found paw prints which were obviously not raccoon prints, they measured 2.5 inches width wise. I called Manitoba Conservation and they confirmed it was certainly a bobcat and even had pictures of it sitting on our street.

Thanks for the warning.  A bobcat may not be likely to attack a person but can the same be said for a dog who thinks every living creature should be just as excited to see him as he is to see them? Also the pad for our garbage cans is literally 2 feet from our back door; something tells me that accidentally surprising a bobcat by walking out a door 2 feet away from it may not turn out well.

The raccoons actually don’t sound so bad all of a sudden.

Triple strollers = Triple trouble?

As is the case with most households with young children, we experienced a serious toy explosion in our house over a two year period. Generous gift giving by family and three children of the same age definitely contributed to explosion. Sarah and I were, of course, also learning how to safely entertain and educate three toddlers at the same time. Should we buy three of these or one for them to share? No, we didn’t purchase three Little People Houses or three shopping carts. But we felt that if we could afford to buy some things in threes, we would. I think we are getting better at the decision-making process when it comes to discretionary spending on the kids, but I am more certain now that the sibling rivalry of “she took that…that is MINE…” will continue for years.



One item we did buy in quantity was a triple doll stroller from FAO Schwarz. A “bahgahn” as we say in Beantown - under $100 (delivered) for all three!



Since the girls got the strollers on their second Christmas, they have only been used sporadically - mostly because the handles are a bit high and our girls are small for their age. We have kept them in the basement with other toys that are rotated every week or two to keep them “fresh”. We also do the toy rotation in an attempt to get the girls to appreciate ALL the toys they have. We tell them often that many kids don’t get to play with so many toys.



This past weekend, for a variety of reasons, was a challenge in keeping the girls entertained/occupied. Rain, errands, and general grumpiness were all contributing factors. So, after the girls became bored (and somewhat frustrated) with riding their bikes one night after dinner, I suggested we take their “lovies” for a walk in the triple strollers. BINGO - they loved the idea! We had a nice walk up and down our street. The girls were so cute and funny.



Here is a little clip:







I must admit that while I walked alongside my daughters pushing the strollers, I had a “what if” thought. What if all three of our daughters gave birth to triplets! Ask my wife Sarah what she thinks about the odds of that happening! :)

Writing Challenge 12

Write a description of an activity or event backwards. Write it so you can read it either way, from the end or from the beginning.

Well that actually was a little bit fun I’m almost glad I got talked into doing it, mind you there is absolutely no way I’m doing it again.

Coming to a stop is the most thrilling part of the ride. Getting off sounds like a really good idea.

 I can hardly wait to stop and get off the last few bends and last really big loop has me screaming my head off. Upside down is no longer my idea of a good time! 

I think I left my stomach on the second loop; unfortunately the urge to lose its contents didn’t go with it.

When did they start making such giant roller coasters? I can’t help but think how bad of an idea this actually was. Was there really a time when I thought this was fun?  I think I could do without this stomach clenching oh shit kind of moment.    

Right up at the front is the worst place to be as I can see exactly how far up were going and up and still further up to the top.  I really wish we hadn’t ended up at the front of a group.

Reaching the end off the line up looking up at this so called small roller coaster it looks a lot bigger and a lot scarier than it did standing 20 feet away agreeing to the prospect of getting on it.  

My stomach starts flipping around ready to abandon post at any moment as we get closer.

With at least a ten minute line up in which to develop a really strong case of the jitters I’m surprised that I’m not chickening out before our turn. This no single riders rule is ridiculous they should just pair up the single riders if they don’t want empty seats on the ride.   

I said “I’ll go with you” probably not my best idea but I’ll do anything to keep my kid happy, unfortunately.  She looks so crestfallen seeing the sign which says no single riders.

This is the one she’s been waiting for the one she couldn’t wait to go on.  Once upon a time I would have enjoyed this type of thing.  Now these rides just make me nervous, oh and nauseous.

You can see the big coaster all the way from the parking lot with its bright green and yellow colours flashing against the morning sun.  From the parking lot it doesn’t look so bad.

  

That was ALOT harder than I expected. Still not quite happy with it but could be worse I suppose.

Remembering the Paddlewheels

Since 1965 Winnipeg has been home to the MS Paddlewheel Queen and Ms Paddlewheel Princess (1967). These boats have played host to countless graduations, weddings, proms and dances.  Many Manitobans including my parents become engaged on one or the other of these boats and they have become a staple of a Manitoban summer.

However this year they are no more. The captain and owner of these two river boats for the past 41 years has retired and it appears no one wants to take his place. Rumors of his imminent retirement have been around for nearly a decade and everyone knew the day would come yet it seems odd to realize we will most likely never see these boats along the river again.

The captain of these boats has kept them going not because they were a wonderful money making venture as they certainly are not but out of a passion. It is this as well as the high river levels which have lasted longer and longer each year that make the future of these boats unlikely. 

Last year it was August before the river dropped enough to allow river tours, and again this year the river has remained just as high as last. Not being able to launch the boats until August clearly does a lot of financial damage to a boating season which is already short to begin with.

They aren’t as popular as they once were and like many things traditional these boats have been forgotten by many or put off as something that will always be there to do next week or next summer. Certainly the best years of these riverboats have passed the slow deterioration and demise of these boats has been obvious but it is still sad to see their end.

Thank you to Captain Steve Hawchuk for providing Winnipeg with these tours for so many years, it was his passion and dedication that kept them going for so long and they will be missed by many.