The weather has cooled off slightly as it is not that "cooker" 30C. We seem to have some small evening showers caused by that extreme heat. On the whole not bad harvest weather.
On the home front, we took on some custom swathing so we are into roller bearings, sections and guards. That is just the way it is when swathing.
Dorothy Swartz sent me a couple of clippings from the newspaper. In one clipping the RCMP are seizing vehicles in British Columbia from people who were speeding. They are putting the people out on the road, including women and children. This is policing in the extreme. There are two ways police can operate in society. They can either work with a consensus where the community feels justice was delivered in the end. The second system that they seem to favour is confrontation. I suspect they are trained in confrontation policing. It is definitely not right, but that is what they do.
The other article was where executives of Alberta Health are taking huge pay increases up to $150,000 bonus. This of course is ridiculous! Why the Alberta Government allows it to happen is beyond me. This definitely is not right!
This week I lost my life long friend, Lorne Topley. We didn't actually start out as friends, we were mortal enemies. Lorne played hockey for the Lashburn pee wees and I played hockey for the Waseca team. The first time I met Lorne, I was skating down the ice and this guy appeared before me and I knocked him down. Feeling very smug with myself I just turned at the other end to come back and a freight train hit me, flattening me on the ice! A voice said, "Take that you *%@." That was Lorne. We had other fights under the stands when the big guys, the Lashburn Flyers and the Maidstone Jets played, just like boys do. Later when we were about 16 we were both trying to date the same girl. She went off and went out with someone else. Lorne drove into my yard and said, "Hey, do you want to go fishing?" And that is where it all started. Our families have been intertwined ever since. We have gone to weddings, funerals and anniversaries together. I can clearly remember the shock of his dad passing away at the age of 48. I didn't know what to do and so I went to their house at the farm. The family was there and they welcomed me in like I was one of theirs. That is just what the Topley family did and taught the younger generations to do the same. We have helped each other back and forth in farming, politics and travelled many miles together just enjoying each other's company.
This is what our daughter Melissa sent to me. I think she has captured the spirit and essence of the person we all knew as Lorne Topley. She writes, "Since I can remember, Mr. Topley has been a staple in my life since childhood. He was always offering to put 'chicken poop' on my big thumb so I would stop sucking it. I believe he even offered to put it on my bottom lip when I would pull the pouty face, which I can still do quite well I might add! He had the best barn kitties in the country. I would try my hardest to bring them all home! Needless to say, I never won the battle and that is where the pouty face came into effect! Mr Topley gave the most beautiful speech the day I married my best friend. He had a way with words and seemed to know when I needed advice and always gave it to me, black or white/yes or no, and I understood. His smile was infectious. You couldn't help but always smile back at him. His laugh was as contagious as his smile and it was genuine and authentic. And the hugs! Who could ever forget the hugs? I knew when I saw his truck, I could find Mr. Topley and get the unsurpassed hug of my life! His hugs were free, warm, kind and sincere. At times it seems so difficult to comprehend that God called you but I can only hope that up above, the fish are plenty and your hook is always in the water. I'm sure going to miss you 'Cheeky.' Love, Mel aka Peachy"
Lorne and I phoned each other once or twice a week to see how each other was doing and catch up on all the family happenings with children, and grandchildren and life in general. I used to tease him, calling him Poacher or Big Hat but it was always in good fun. There was always a lot to talk about and I am really going to miss you, my friend.
