Another week, another blizzard and more snow. When is this winter going to end? I have it marked on my hoar frost calendar that April 16 is wet with either snow or rain. That will be history by the time you read this and we will see if my prediction is right. I also have marked April 28 as a possibility of more moisture. I hope that it would be rain. I am tired of snow.
On the home farm not much is happening. My air seeder is still covered with four or five feet of snow. If I didn't have the wings up I would have no idea where it was. Any ideas I had of finishing my combining in April are going away as days stretch onwards with no sign of any change. Last fall I had three days of combining left and I would have been done. God knows how long now or when I will get a chance at it. The geese have evil plans as I see they have found the field already. The only thing saving what is left of my crop is the snow has everything covered but some hill tops. The problem with dealing with these pesky geese is the same as last fall, where even to plow down there is a Pepsi Challenge and then after that what do you do? Do you drive through a mud field in a four-wheel drive and chase them off? They are back before you get home. In the past putting out scarecrows and cannons was futile as they just landed a small ways away and kept eating. I am beginning to hate geese.
Alberta's Premier Alison Redford has been to Washington for the fourth time trying to get the Keystone Pipeline approved. While there she had a press conference in which a half a dozen protesters stood up and started shouting and tried to disrupt the news conference. They were promptly forcefully removed by large strong men in tight suits. I assume they were the security guards.
I am getting less tolerant of these protesters. They just protest for protest sake. What ever is happening, they are against it. Do they not have jobs or what? How can they travel all over the world to be at places where they can do their protest thing? Do they not have to earn a living at some time. I believe people have the right to have their voices heard but should have a constructive alternative. I have a constructive alternative for those never-ending protesters - grow up, get a job!
I also believe people should be entitled to earn a living. If we followed what those Greenpeacers are advocating, we would all be back in the horse and buggy age, living in drafty housing. The greenhouse gasses they are so worried about is a large part are made by those airplanes they rode in to get to the protest site. Who paid for those airplane tickets anyway? Anytime you contribute to David Suzuki or Greenpeace you are contributing to someone who would take away your living!
As far as travelling another time to Washington, maybe its time to give it up. The benefits of having a pipeline are good for both countries. If the American public can't see that maybe it's time to move on. The answer is already here. There is an American outfit loading railcars at Lashburn. They have 16 small storage tanks at the moment and it is common to see three or four semi loads of oil waiting to unload all day long. They are planning to build a huge storage tank. The protesters can't take the railways away, they are already there. I can foresee unit trains loading 100 cars a day. The solution is already happening, the only downer is enriching the railways more than they are now. Build a giant tank farm at Prince Rupert. I see in the Western Producer that they are looking at shipping oil out of Churchill. Build a giant tank there, too. This would all change the dynamics of the selling of the oil. Instead of, " what would you offer," the deal would be, "here is the oil ready to be loaded in a tanker, we want world price!" It can go anywhere in the world to the highest bidder by tanker. Beats being land locked, taking a poor price.
This past week I became a great uncle, twice! Congratulations to Kerri and Nick on the birth of their baby girl, Harlee Ann and congrats to Allan and Jamie on the birth of their son Lucas Excalibur. Everyone is healthy and well and two households have just become much busier. (And if I remember correctly with a lot less sleep, says Bev!)
Joke of the week: What happened when the circus lion ate the clown? He felt funny.
