Paperwork, Dogs and Pests

 Finally, Tanya's applications for Permanent Residency, extended open work permit and extended visitor's visa are complete and sent in. What a nightmare of forms and nonesense. some of the forms for each of them are similar in what is asked for but in a different order so each has to be filled out separately. How many chickens did your great grandmother have in 1932? 

Sometimes there is a place for an explanatory letter, others not. All say if we need more information we will contact you. Yeah, right. The paperwork got me so by the end of the day, I did not want to read anything, write anything, just lay there and wish the world went away. I need a SAD lamp, Seasonal Affected Disorder caused by lack of sunlight. But April is not far away.

At least it gave me something to do when the weather was so cold. It started warming up two days ago. I took Lucky for walks for the first time in a long time. First trip, we walked five blocks north to the railway tracks between us and the dog park. He stopped. I said (in Russian, his first language) Park or Home? He turned around and headed home. A 30 minute walk. 

Yesterday, even though it was slightly colder, he knew where he wanted to go and we went. Tight leash and as fast as I could walk. Never slowed down. Up over the tracks, across the kids' park to the dog park. We were gone about an hour and 15 minutes or so. Soon after we got home, he came down with a temperature. He must have been more chilled than he was ready to admit. All night long, his nose was warm and dry. Came out of it by noon today and was his old self. Just to be safe we didn't walk today. Tomorrow. And in a few more days temps will be in the +2C to +4C range in day time. 

And to top it all off we have been battling cockroaches for the past couple months. At least it wasn't bed bugs. They had to come from the house next door, which needs burning down. We bought powder and sticky traps but were losing, so called in the professionals. Now I know how. A green gel strategically placed brings them out of hiding to eat it and carry it back to their nest to feed offspring. Sticky traps with an attractant monitors numbers. When I would turn the light on at night, the counter would just be crawling with them. They love my Keurig coffee maker as it is warm and wet.  The sticky traps filled up fast. Hardly any left now and another treatment in a few days will finish the job. 

This isn't our first go-round with the little pests. When we lived on Gray Street, the entire apartment block of 12 suites was infested from two suites in the basement. It was like moving twice. Everything had to be removed from all cuboards, storage areas, closets, piled and covered with sheets. Pulled all furniture out from the walls. 24 hours later You cleaned everything and put everything back, then two weeks later repeated the entire process. Our little house was simpler. 

Tomorrow is another day. Onward and upward.

Baby, It's cold outside

Western Canada is in a deep freeze.

Temperatures in Saskatchewan are in the low -20s C with windchills in the -55C range. Lucky hasn't had a walk in days and barely stays outside long enough to do his business. Tanya goes out to sweep light snow off the walks because that is who she is. I stay where itis warm because that is who I am. I miss the mild winters in Ukraine - sort of. Either slushy muck or frozen lumps of ice.

Alberta is even colder than Saskatchewan. Yesterday it was -40C plus wind chill. Edmonton's finest broke up a homelesss camp and drove the inhabitants out into the cold. Citizens who stood up to the police in defense of the helpless were arrested. Just in case you think all the assholes live south of the line. We have more than our share.

Return of the Troll

 Over a year ago, I acquired a troll. He shows up as Anonymous and accuses me of all sorts of nasty things. Claims ot be Ukrainian but does not know Ukrainian history. I simply deleted his comments. He also followed me to some of the  blogs I read and left ignorant comments there too. He may comment as One From Ukraine on those blogs or stick with Anonymous.

He disappeared and I hoped I was done with him. Maybe the Russians got him. No such luck. Too bad considering all the innocent people killed, it figures someone like him would survive. He must have spent the year hiding in his mother's basement. Maybe they finally got internet?

He has a thing about Jews, stating once that Israel was justified in its treatment of Palestinians because they weere stronger and so they could. He calls me a tool of Putin but on another blog let it be known he was cheering for Trump as everything would be OK in Ukrane if Trump won.

Anyhow I am back to approving comements before they are posted to my blog. So if they don't show uo for a while, that is why. 

Alexander Mackenzie, From Canada By Land, 22nd July 1793

 

Sir Alexander Mackenzie

Alexander Mackenzie was born into a prominent mercantile family in Stornoway Scotland in 1731. He moved with his father and Uncle to New York city in 1774. His family fought on the side of the British and Alexander moved to Montral for his safety in 1778 where he joined the North West Company of fur traders.

In 1788, he founded Fort Chipewyan on the shores of Lake Athabasca. On July 3^rd, 1789, he set out by canoe on the great river draining lake Athabasca hoping it would lead to the Pacific Ocean. On July 14^th, he reached the Arctic Ocean on what is now named after him, the Mackenzie River. His party turned around, reaching Fort Chipewyan on 12 September. In just over three months, they had travelled more than 3,000 miles (over 4,800 km) through the Canadian wilderness. While it opened up a new understanding of Canadian geography, Mackenzie was greatly disappointed that the river was of no value to the fur trade.

In 1791, Mackenzie returned to Great Britain to study the new measurement of longitude. He returned to Canada in 1792 and set out to find a route to the Pacific.

 In October 1792, he moved from Fort Chipewyan to Fort Fork, a new post on the Peace River. He was accompanied by two native guides (one named Cancre), his cousin, Alexander MacKay, six Canadian voyageurs (Joseph Landry, Charles Ducette, François Beaulieu, Baptiste Bisson, Francois Courtois, Jacques Beauchamp), and a dog simply referred to as "our dog". With a better understanding of western geography, on 9 May 1793 his party left Fort Fork and followed the Peace, Parsnip, and McGregor Rivers.

He started down the Fraser but was warned by locals it was impassable so backtracked and set out over land, crossing the Coast Mountains and descending the Bella Coola River to the North Benedict Arm. He wanted to go farther to open water but was stopped by the Heiltsuk First Nations who had had a recent run in with Captain George Vancouver six weeks earlier and were in no mood for Europeans.

On a rock with vermillion and grease, he wrote the now famous inscription, Alexander Mackenzie from Canada by Land 22^nd July 1793.

The expedition safely made the journey back to Fort Fork in just one month. In total, they had travelled 2,300 miles (over 3,700 km) to the Pacific and back. Although the route was too rough for trading furs and goods, Mackenzie’s historic expedition made him the first European to cross North America north of Mexico.

He returned to Upper Canada and in 1794, he explained to John Graves Simcoe, lieutenant governor, his vision for the North West Company, Hudson's Bay Company, and East India Company to cooperate in expanding the fur trade throughout the Canadian northwest and along the Pacific coast. His suggestions were ignored at the time but in 1821, the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company amalgamated.

In 1799, he returned to England and in 1801 published his memoirs, Voyages from Montreal to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans (1801). Mackenzie was knighted in 1802. He retired to Scotland. In 1812, he married Geddes Mackenzie, who was only 14. Together, they had a daughter and two sons. Mackenzie died in 1820.

United States President Thomas Jefferson presented an American edition of Mackenzie’s book to Meriwether Lewis, who would carry it to the Pacific on his famed expedition with William Clark in 1804–6.

The exploration of Canada's North West

By Manitoba Historical Maps - Map of the North Part of America on which is laid down
Mackenzie’s Track from Montreal to the North Sea (1809), 

The trip from the source of furs to Montreal's North West company HQ was a long way by river. The above map is in the Wikipedia reference and can be viewed in very large scale. The Hudson's Bay Company could short circuit the trip with their HQ at Fort York but were icebound much of the year.

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-alexander-mackenzie-explorer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Mackenzie_(explorer)

 

Approaching the New Year with Some Trepidation

 We had a great Christmas, lots of visiting, holding Grayden and food food food. Tomorrow we start a new year and I can only hope it is an improvement on 2023. However I ha' me doots. But we'll give it a go and there is always hope!

  

This song, written by Dolly Parton, is covered by two young Ukrainians from Odessa, sixteen-year-old Dasha Butenko singing with fifteen-year-old Nazar Baranov playing guitar. The pictures of Ukrainian children and youths are of those who found hope through www.thischildhere.org and Robert Gamble. Dr Gamble went from Pastor of a huge megachurch in Florida to a man dedicated to serving young Ukrainians in need in Odessa. I do not have rights to this song nor permission to post it on Youtube.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

 Shutting down until after Christmas. Have a wonderful Christmas and safe travels. And may your children and grandchildren not give you the flu.

My brother's ode to a beloved cat

My brother does not have a computer. He asked me to post this on Facebook in memory of a cat he dearly loved. The poem is so touching, I am posting it here and on Facebook. Losing a beloved pet can tear the heart out of you.