Expedition Canada

Home Sat Feb 18th Made it down to breakfast 2 days after op Our one disappointment from our trip to Calgary was that we didn't see one horse, cow or cowboy/girl.  The closest I got was a visit to Lammle's to buy a pair of jeans as the ones I flew out in developed a split where a fella doesn't want a split.  Lammle's stock everything 'cowhand' including tack for your horse.  More designs of boots than a cowhand could wear in a lifetime. I resisted the temptation. The taxi who took us for Fred's x-rays on Sunday, certainly had 'the knowledge' of the city.  Thirty five minutes south of the hotel, he knew the street numbering sufficiently well to correct the address we gave him.    Quite a coincidence, but t he following morning he was at the front of the taxi queue to take us north of the city to the former maternity hospital for Fred's op.  An early start as she had to be there for 0700 Monday.  I decided to walk back which is always a better way ...

Ukraine Sat Feb 26th Of more immediate concern is the news from Ukraine and the Russian invasion (unless you live in  Russia where it is not an invasion).   I've posted a note on Linkedin, where many of my former colleagues keep the message of free and independent media alive. I have had the privilege of working closely with them and meeting many BBC World Service language journalists in their local bureaux, including Moscow. This is the post . After 35 years in the BBC, most in the BBC World Service, it is impossible not to be thinking of all the journalists working on the ground, reporting what is going on in Ukraine and Russia, and the dangers they face. For my former colleagues in the BBC, particularly the BBC World Service Ukrainian and Russian services who have family in those countries, it is even more difficult, as some of the reports have highlighted. We enjoy and sometimes forget that we have a free and independent media in most democratic co...

Four to go Covid - Self Test Kit Day 10 is Covid test day using the kit were were given on arrival in Toronto a week last Saturday. A quick scan of the pack's QR code and we were individually linked to the online system for carrying out the test.  Heart sank when we saw 338 people ahead of us in the queue though within 10-15 minutes we were both connected with a nurse who talked us through the procedure.   The finished result is picked up by a courier tomorrow afternoon.  Our address that we entered when setting up the App at Toronto airport, before our first test, was already in the system.  It is amazingly efficient and well designed, from the technology behind the App and tracking process, the design of the self test box and kit, through to the overall workflow.  It is pretty impressive.   More efficient than the vaccination programme in Canada, says our son.  Certainly the programme got off to a slow start and is well behind the...

Six to Go No Jack, it's not dinner time it's only 04.30 in the morning, you're in Canada now, on Pacific time.   'I don't understand Pacific time dad.  There's dinner time, walk time, play time, sleep time and now it's dinner time and walk time.   I'll let you have your dinner, how about that? I want to have my breakfast, I'm hungry and then  go walkies'.     A rh, we need to talk about that.  We're in quarantine and we are not allowed out of the house and garden for another six days.      'But Dad  I'm not in quarantine dad, I can go out' Yes but you can't go out on your own, you'll have to play in the garden.  Maybe get acquainted with the lady boxer upstairs! 'How come you are in quarantine and I am able to go out'.   It's the rules Jack.  You can have your breakfast, then perhaps go and have another sleep? 'So humans have to quarantine and dogs like me don't? That's right Jack, humans have to qu...

Seven to Go Black-Capped Chickadee The sun returned to North Vancouver today which brought out the birds this morning.  The Black-Capped Chickadee with its distinctive call managed to stay still just long enough for me to get a picture.   To me it looked like a Tit of some variety. The same could not be said of some local humming birds who would hover for a second or two before disappearing so quickly it was almost impossible to track them.  Certainly too quickly to get a photo of them.  Going to have top find a way of resolving that.   The highlight of the day was the pending arrival of Jack.  He left the UK at about 10.00 BST (02.00 Pacific time) and flew direct to Vancouver, unlike his owners.  At 06.30 local he'd just passed Greenland at 40,000ft.  What was he thinking, how was he coping, would he sleep;  the questions were endless. Jack's aircraft just West of Greenland The lovely people at PetAir said the owners were usually m...

Eight to go 1st Class dog style Unimpressed methinks An early start today when our dog Jack's shipping company driver rang at 0100 to ask where we were as he pitched up in Burbage to gather up said dog.  Err Canada, you should have the number of our dog sitter ......  'sorry did I wake you'?  Not easy to get to sleep again after that.  The problem quickly resolved (Jack had been taken out on a final Burbage walk) and he was on his way to his overnight in Windsor, kennels not the castle, before his 1st class priced flight with Air Canada on Saturday morning.  Emphasis on price, rather than service as there is no at-crate service in the hold.  Pressurized, temperature controlled, mood lighting, water and that's it. A few hours later my semi-conscious slumbers were interrupted by Radio 4 Extra's move to rolling news following the sad news about HRH Prince Phillip's death.  Time to give up on the idea of sleep  and we decided it was time for a cuppa....