Messin' about in the Garden

Oh dear we shrunk Claire

Claire balancing on Andy's head

Instructions: Pull lever and hang on

Claire with lollypop

Gizmo with Claire's lollypop

Andy with the Garter Snake

Claire with the Garter Snake

Well ive been off the road for a week now, its a mixture of a few reasons, firstly 2148 is still sick, it looks like she burnt out a computer and fused a few wires together, the computer has been replaced but they cant get hold another wiring harness, i popped into the shop last night and had a chat with the fitter, he has no idea when the part will turn up.

The second reason is obvious, Claire & Andy are over and i would rather spend time with them than be on the road, my origional plan was to have 4 or 5 days off when they arrived, go back on the road for a week then take another 4 or 5 days off before they left. Well now they will be gone by the time i get back so im taking more time off now then cancel my next few days off.

Thirdly i have got tons of stuff t0 do, all the paperwork is done for the house now, the mortgage, the garage build, the insurance and the handover. Also there is quite a bit of work to do in the garden, Claire and Andy were keen to help so it got done in half the time, Claire, who dont forget is pregnant, as if we could forget 8¬), insisted on cutting the lawn, not to worry though, though because it's one of those lawn mowers that drives its self, so it's pretty effortless, you just pull the lever and hang on.

Andy and i painted the fence and i got one of those gas run weed whackers ($89 from Canadian Tire) not bad eh?

Once all the work was done we had a BBQ using the firepit, on the way back from Lethbridge we had a call from Kev & Lisa so we asked them to come round too. A great time was had by all and we got the food cooked minutes before a torrential down pour. Gizmo got the chance to meet Shelby but i dont think he was to keen.

Anyway this morning we had a little tidy up and Jan (to her horror) managed to find a Garter Snake in the flower bed. Andy was chuffed to bits as he loves stuff like that and even got Claire to hold it.........................

Oh and im going to Laredo TX tomorrow.............

Touristy Stuff Around Lethbridge

It was a busy day today, we got to sort out morgages, house insurance, my knackered truck, insurance for out wood burning stove, drop a check off at the rental broker in Taber and pay the deposit on the house..................

And dont forget we got guests at the moment, anyway we got it all done, shopped till we dropped and still managed to visit Fort Whoop Up. We also did a flying visit to Chin Lakes to see what was there and tonight we are off to Montana's for an "Eat all you Can" Rib night.

We went to Swiss Chalet last night, it wasnt too bad but it didnt live up to its reputation, im proberbly being a little unfair in comparing it to Montana's but its on the same street, serves similar food and perhaps is a little cheaper.................. but !

Service was about average although Luke's 7 Up came out as soda water, the ribs were a little lame taste wize although there was plenty of meet on them, the mash & gravy was pretty good although the chicken was a little dry. 5 hungry Brits fed & watered for just over $100 so price was reasonable, not sure we will be visiting again, all in all 8 out of 10.

The Ethnic Aisle In Canadian Superstore

I was feeling particularly un sensible today while we went shopping, i love going mooching down the ethnic aisle to see what i can find. Well now you can have fun with your chocco boy and wash it down with Cock Soup

Thank Goodness it wasnt Cream of Cock Soup !!!!!

Naughty Kitz

Bit of light entertainment

First Nations Of Canada - Blackfoot

Okay I've covered many First Nation tribes and peoples in this blog but never really said anything about the peoples that originally inhabited the place where I now live, which is the Blood tribe, who are part of the Blackfoot Confederacy or Niisitapi.

Well now it’s the turn of the Blackfoot Peoples to stand tall and proud. This article was inspired by today's visit to the Buffalo Jump

The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi (meaning "original people"; c.f. Ojibwe: Anishinaabeg and Quinnipiac: Eansketambawg) is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana.

The Blackfoot Confederacy consists of the North Peigan (Aapátohsipikáni), the Blackfeet or South Piegan (Aamsskáápipikani), the Kainai Nation (Káínaa: "Blood"), and the Siksika Nation ("Blackfoot") or more correctly Siksikáwa ("Blackfoot people"). The South Peigan are located in Montana, and the other three are located in Alberta. Together they call themselves the Niitsítapi (the "Original People"). These groups shared a common language and culture, had treaties of mutual defense, and freely intermarried.

The Blackfoot were fiercely independent and very successful warriors whose territory stretched from the North Saskatchewan River along what is now Edmonton, Alberta in Canada, to the Yellowstone River of Montana, and from the Rocky Mountains and along the Saskatchewan River past Regina.

The basic social unit of the Blackfoot, above the family, was the band, varying from about 10 to 30 lodges, about 80 to 240 people. This size of group was large enough to defend against attack and to undertake small communal hunts, but was also small enough for flexibility. Each band consisted of a respected leader, possibly his brothers and parents, and others who need not be related. Since the band was defined by place of residence, rather than by kinship, a person was free to leave one band and join another, which tended to ameliorate leadership disputes. As well, should a band fall upon hard times, its members could split-up and join other bands. In practice, bands were constantly forming and breaking-up. The system maximized flexibility and was an ideal organization for a hunting people on the north-western Great Plains.

During the summer the people assembled for tribal gatherings. In these large assemblies, warrior societies played an important role. Membership into these societies was based on brave acts and deeds.

Blackfoot people were nomadic, following the buffalo herds. For almost half the year in the long northern winter, the Blackfoot people lived in their winter camps along a wooded river valley perhaps a day's march apart, not moving camp unless food for the people and horses or firewood became depleted. Where there was adequate wood and game resources, some bands would camp together. During this part of the year, buffalo wintered in wooded areas where they were partially sheltered from storms and snow, which hampered their movements, making them easier prey. In spring the buffalo moved out onto the grasslands to forage on new spring growth. The Blackfoot did not follow immediately, for fear of late blizzards, but eventually resources such as dried food or game became depleted, and the bands would split up and begin to hunt the buffalo.

In mid-summer, when the Saskatoon berries ripened, the people regrouped for their major tribal ceremony, the Sun Dance. This was the only time of year when the entire tribe would assemble, and it served the social purpose of reinforcing the bonds between the various groups and re-identifying the individuals with the tribe. Communal buffalo hunts provided food and offerings of the bulls' tongues (a delicacy) for the ceremonies. After the Sun Dance, the people again separated to follow the buffalo.

In the fall, the people would gradually shift to their wintering areas and prepare the buffalo jumps and pounds. Several groups of people might join together at particularly good sites, such as Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. As the buffalo were naturally driven into the area by the gradual late summer drying off of the open grasslands, the Blackfoot would carry out great communal buffalo kills and prepare dry meat and pemmican to last them through winter and other times when hunting was poor. At the end of the fall, the Blackfoot would move to their winter camps.

The Blackfoot maintained this traditional way of life based on hunting bison, until the near extinction of the bison by 1881 forced them to adapt their ways of life in response to the effects of the European settlers and their descendants. In the United States, they were restricted to land assigned in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 and were later given a distinct reservation in the Sweetgrass Hills Treaty of 1887. In 1877, the Canadian Blackfoot signed Treaty 7 and settled on reserves in southern Alberta.

Estipah-skikikini-kots

Claire and Andy have now recovered from their flights so its time to break camp and go out exploring.

We went to Fort Whoop Up but it only open Wed to Fri...............bugger !!!

We went to the Fort Museum at Fort MacCleod, same................bugger !!!

Went to Head Smashed In, it was open...........................................Whoo Hoo !!!

Its the second time we had been there but it was all new to Claire & Andy, i love the place anyway and i always take loads of pictures.

Anyway we did the usual touristy things, we came, we saw, we took photos, we shopped, we pointed at the artifacts and said "ooooooooo, aaaahhhhhhh", then we left, yep i know, completely predictable but hey, we enjoyed it.

Here is a little discription of what its all about and as usual, please enjoy the pictures.

The buffalo jump was used for 5,500 years by aboriginal peoples of the plains to kill buffalo, by driving them off the 10 metre high cliff. The Blackfoot drove the buffalo from a grazing area in the Porcupine Hills about 3 kilometres west of the site to the "drive lanes," lined by hundreds of cairns, then at full gallop over a cliff, breaking their legs, rendering them immobile.

The cliff itself is about 300 metres long, and at its highest point drops 10 metres into the valley below. The site was in use at least 6,000 years ago, and the bone deposits are 10 metres deep. After falling off the cliff, the buffalo carcasses were processed at a nearby camp.

In Blackfoot, the name for the site is Estipah-skikikini-kots. According to legend, a young Blackfoot wanted to watch the buffalo plunge off the cliff from below, but was buried underneath the falling buffalo. He was later found dead under the pile of carcasses "where he got his head smashed in"

My new truck is buggered...............

Yep its true, 16,000 kms on the clock and she's very poorly. I couldnt get the problem solved at Vancouver so it was a trip round to Freightliner back in Lethbridge to get it fixed under warranty. Well we took her round and came back without her.

She needs parts ordered, the blowers are knackered, the A/C wont run on the Tripak, the headlights are more crosseyed than a Newfoundland Redneck and she keeps on over heating.

So anyway she got a few days bed rest and i had to go H&R in a bad state of trucklessness. I went up to dispatch and explained the situation. Literally within seconds i was allocated a temporary replacement, an even newer Cascadia with only 7,000 kms on the dial, it belongs to a lad called Neil (hubby of Lorna who works in dispatch), it was all new and sparkly and new and clean and very new................ did i say it was new !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway i had 3 days before we had to pick up Claire & Andy so all i could do was a trip over the rocks. It worked well though. When i got back i gave the truck a good scrub out and handed it back, hey Neil i dont know if you read this but if you do thanks for a nice clean truck, i hope it was clean enough for ya when you got it back.

Claire & Andy are here

In the Den

On the Porch

Totem Pole Pose

Thanks to a bit of nifty dispatch work, i was able to leave Kelowna BC as soon as i had taken 10 hours rest and drive straight into Calgary, as i crossed the Provincial line into Alberta i was sent the number of an empty tridem that i was taking from Calgary to Lethbridge so all going well i should be in Lethbridge for the early hours so Jan & I can get out selves back up to Calgary that lunchtime to pick up Claire & Andy (Claire is our daughter who still lives in Swindon Wiltshire and Andy is her fiance).

There was a bit of a drama coming out of Kelowna, the trailer was very nose heavy and i spent over an hour trying to balance it out before i could get going, but once i was a way that was it, plain sailing all the way.

I finally got into Lethbridge at about 05:00 in the morning, scrubbed out the truck ready to hand back and Jan picked me up. We managed to get about 2 hours sleep then it was another 3 hour drive to the airport.

On the way back we stopped off at Tim's for the obligatory "Welcome to Canada" donuts then headed south through the torrential rain back to the 'Bridge then down to Raymond.

After sinking a few "Cold Ones" i decided it was time for Buffalo Wings, as i got up to make them i noticed that Claire had already keeled over and Andy was starting to nod off.

Okay i should have remembered about our own first day here but never mind, all the more wings for me......................................................

Very Quick Update

Sorry folks, had a few problems moving the map over thast few days. I left Lethbidge on Wednesday, took a load into Delta Vancouver, bought a load up here to Kelowna BC and in a bout an hour im taking a load over to Calgary, then down to Lethbridge.

Then were up to Calgary to pick Claire up from the airport, its her first trip o Canada and shes here for 2 weeks whoo hoo !

Okay one last joke !!!

Just a bit of trivia

In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb"

Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone..

Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. Treasury.

Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...)

The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400

The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King David

Hearts - Charlemagne

Clubs -Alexander, the Great

Diamonds - Julius Caesar

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?

A. Their birthplace

Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?

A. Obsession

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?

A. All were invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?

A. Honey

Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?

A. Father's Day

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England , when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down."

It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~

At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!

The Values Of The Goose

Just been looking thru some forums that i used to post on, i wrote this about 2 years ago when i was trading forex, id forgotten i could be so profound ..................

Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter... flying along in V formation...you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way: As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range, than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone... and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs...with people or with geese flying south. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What do we say when we honk from behind?

Finally...and this is important...when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

Restaurant confusion

A couple goes for a meal at a Chinese restaurant and orders the "Chicken Surprise." The waiter brings the meal, served in a lidded cast iron pot.Just as the wife is about to serve herself, the lid of the pot rises slightly and she briefly sees two beady little eyes looking around before the lid slams back down.

"Good grief, did you see that?" she asks her husband.

He hadn't, so she asks him to look in the pot. He reaches for it and againthe lid rises, and he sees two little eyes looking around before it slams down.

Rather perturbed, he calls the waiter over, explains what is happening, and demands an explanation."Please sir," says the waiter, "what you order?"The husband replies, "Chicken Surprise."

....................wait for it, wait for it ......


"Ah... so sorry," says the waiter, "I bring you Peeking Duck"

The Demise of the Trucker’s Lifestyle

First of all please note that this isnt my own work, but i was so impressed with it i thought i had better share it, as truckers it affects us all ......................

By Timothy D. Brady
Aug 8, 2007 1:59 PM

The lifestyle of a trucker has changed significantly over the past 30 years. Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the life of a trucker consisted of hours of driving broken up with time spent in the truckstop.

Truckstops were the centers of the truckers’ business and social network, the place where the communication of logistics took place. Drivers would contact dispatch through the banks of pay phones lining the driver’s lounge. Other drivers, mostly owner-operators, would watch the load board screen for the next load; or be waiting for a return call from dispatch, or hanging loose ’til time to head down the road. In this environment, the restaurant and driver’s lounge were the centers of an over-the-road trucker’s business and social life. This is where business contacts were made, stories told, the scuttlebutt of the industry was shared and friendships developed.

Fast forward to 2007. Today many of the business and social networking opportunities have all but disappeared from truckers’ lives. Truckers have lost the time to interact with other drivers in the social atmosphere that used to exist in the industry. With the use of satellite text messaging, cell phones, refrigerators and microwaves in their trucks, along with the disappearance of the sit-down home-style cooking restaurant and driver’s lounges, the chance for drivers to socialize is quickly disappearing. This is creating an environment of even greater isolation for truckers. Figure in the shippers’ expectations of ever-faster deliveries plus the constantly changing HOS rules, and truckers have real time-management problems.

Humans by nature are social beings. Family and friendships are at the top of our lists. If we can’t have family time or be around friends, we will search out some place to be around other people, even if they’re strangers. How many truckers, while they may have food in the truck’s refrigerator, will opt to eat in a restaurant just so they can be around other people?
At first glance, current studies of human social and business interactions are apparently unrelated to trucking. But look closely at the studies’ findings. There is significant: research that shows longer commutes by workers cause greater isolation and longer periods of stress from dealing with traffic, resulting in negative societal, mental and health problems.

Georgia Tech researchers discovered a direct correlation between longer commute times and obesity. In the study they found every thirty minutes of a commute increased one’s likelihood of becoming obese by 3%. Do you know any truckers who are overweight?
Longer commutes have also been linked with greater occurrences of high blood pressure, ulcers, strokes and heart attacks. Do you know any CDL holders who have any of these symptoms or have had a heart attack or stroke?

Combine the Georgia Tech findings with Harvard political science professor Robert Putnam’s observation in his book, Bowling Alone, that every 10 minutes of commuting results in a 10% reduction in social connections. Even first year psychology students know the more isolation an individual endures, the less happy or even depressed he becomes. If this happens to commuters for every ten minutes of isolation while they’re driving, what are the effects on truckers who are isolated for days and weeks at a time? Add to this the HOS 14-hour rule which causes many truckers to forego a sit-down meal and eat on the run, trying not to lose any needed hours to complete both driving and delivery requirements (including waiting several hours to be loaded or unloaded).

This eventually will wear down even the best of truckers, creating the likelihood that they will become unhappy or depressed, adding to the already evident heath risks.
Other risks that can develop when human beings are isolated from positive social contact with others are: apathy, anger and the inability to have constructive interaction with others. This all can lead to many other anti-social behaviors that would make truckers experiencing this to be safety hazards on the road. Extreme examples would be road rage or worse. Remember a few months ago when a trucker drove through a neighborhood with his tractor running over yards and automobiles in driveways near Albuquerque? Could this have been the result of isolation along with other possible contributing factors?

According to Dr. Sheryl Youngblood, an industrial psychologist and trucking expert, “A strong social network is required to help reduce stress. It is absolutely necessary people have daily conversations with peers, family and friends in order to maintain a social equilibrium. It’s these social interactions which help keep our anger from going out of control.”
According to other research on the effects of isolation on human beings, continued and consistent isolation can lead to alcohol and controlled substances abuse for at-risk individuals, leading to more health and safety concerns for truckers.

In my research of the studies DOT and FMCSA have done concerning truckers, I have not found a single study on the effects of isolation on over-the-road truckers.
Fatigue is an important consideration when looking at HOS reform, but shouldn’t isolation also be considered when developing the Hour-of-Service rules truckers must obey? Is it possible this increased isolation could also be a major contributor to the driver turnover problem?
Something to think about.

The Californian Aqueduct

Ever since I have been driving thru the Californian desert I have been fascinated by the huge canal system that cuts like a knife thru the desert landscape. It looks so clean and so new, but……………………………

From 1905 through 1913, Mulholland directed the building of the aqueduct. The 233 mile (375 km) Los Angeles Aqueduct, completed in November 1913, required more than 2,000 workers and the digging of 164 tunnels. The project has been compared in complexity by Mulholland's granddaughter to building the Panama Canal. Water from the Owens River reached a reservoir in the San Fernando Valley on November 5. At a ceremony that day, Mulholland spoke his famous words about this engineering feat: "There it is. Take it."

After the aqueduct was completed in 1913, the San Fernando investors demanded so much water from the Owens Valley that it started to transform from "The Switzerland of California" into a desert. Inflows to Owens Lake were almost completely diverted, which caused the lake to dry up by 1924. Farmers and ranchers tried to band together to sell water rights to Los Angeles as a group, but again through what historians called "underhanded moves", Los Angeles managed to buy the water rights at a substantially reduced price.

So much water was taken from the valley that the farmers and ranchers rebelled. In 1924, a group of armed ranchers seized the Alabama Gates and dynamited part of the system. This armed rebellion was for naught, and by 1928, Los Angeles owned 90 percent of the water in Owens Valley. Agriculture in the valley was effectively dead.

So there you have it, nearly a hundred years old and still going strong although improvements have been made over the years as cities expanded and the need for even more water became even more critical. For all you budding engineers out there, here's a more technical description…..

The California Aqueduct is a 444 mile (715 km)-long aqueduct in the United States that carries water from Northern California to Southern California. A typical section has a concrete-lined channel 40 feet (12 m) wide at the base and an average water depth of about 30 feet (9 m). The widest section of the aqueduct is 110 feet (33.5 m) and the deepest is 32.8 feet (10 m). The size of the channel varies according to how much capacity that section of the aqueduct was projected to need. The channel and pumping capacities at the start of the aqueduct are 10,300 and 10,670 cubic feet per second (292 and 302 m³/s), respectively. The largest channel capacity is 13,100 ft³/s (371 m³/s) and the largest pumping plant capacity (Dos Amigos) is 15,450 ft³/s (437 m³/s).

The aqueduct begins at the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta at the Banks Pumping Plant which pumps from the Clifton Court Forebay. Water is pumped by the Banks Pumping Plant to the Bethany Reservoir. The reservoir serves as a Forebay for the South Bay Aqueduct via the South Bay Pumping Plant. From the Bethany Reservoir the aqueduct flows by gravity approximately 60 miles (97 km) to the O'Neil Forebay at the San Luis Reservoir. From the O'Neil Forebay it flows approximately 15 miles (24 km) to the Dos Amigos Pumping Plant. After the Dos Amigos the aqueduct flows about 95 miles (153 km) to where the Coastal Branch splits from the "main line". The split is approximately 10 miles (16 km) south-southeast of Kettleman City. After the coastal branch, the line continues by gravity another 66 miles (106 km) to the Buena Vista Pumping Plant. From the Buena Vista it flows approximately 27 miles (43 km) to the Teerink Pumping Plant. After Teerlink it flows about 2.5 miles (4 km) to the Chrisman Pumping Plant. Chrisman is the last pumping plant before Edmonston Pumping Plant, which is 13 miles (21 km) from Chrisman. South of the plant the coastal branch splits off in a South Westerly direction to serve the central coast. At Edmonston Pumping Plant it is pumped 1,926 feet (600 m) over the Tehachapi Mountains.

Once it has crossed the Tehachapi's the aqueduct divides into two branches; the West and the East Branch. The East Branch feeds Lake Perris and the San Gorgonio Pass area, while the West Branch heads towards Pyramid Lake and Castaic Lake in the Angeles National Forest to supply the western Los Angeles basin.

Water flows through the aqueduct in a series of abrupt rises and gradual falls. The water flows down a long segment, built at a slight grade, and arrives at a pumping station powered by Path 66 or Path 15. The pumping station raises the water, where it again gradually flows downhill to the next station. However, where there are substantial drops, the water's potential energy is recaptured by hydroelectric plants. The initial pumping station fed by the Sacramento River Delta raises the water 240 feet (73 m), while a series of pumps culminating at the Edmonston Pumping Plant raises the water 1,926 feet (600 m) to cross the Tehachapi Mountains. The Edmonston Pumping station requires so much power that several power lines off of Path 15 and Path 26 are needed to ensure proper operation of the pumps.

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) operates and maintains the California Aqueduct, including two pumped-storage hydroelectric plants, Castaic and Gianelli. Gianelli is located at the base of San Luis Dam, which forms San Luis Reservoir, the largest off stream reservoir in the United States. The Castaic Dam and Castaic Power Plant are located on the northern end of Castaic Lake.

Now for the British Police Check

......... and you thought the German consulate was bad, now it was the turn of the british to lead the world when it comes to common sense ???

Okay heres the scene, Lyndon and his family come over to Canada and weve been here 10 months, we have to get the immigration process done before the 2 year point or we have to leave for 4 months (note the 2 yea point).

Okay ive down loaded the police forms ......... good so far.

Filled 'em out ................ still good.

Had the photos taken .......... this is 2 easy.

and then.............................

You have to get an official who has know you for at least 2 years to sign the photographs...

Are they crazy or what ?????

If you came over here as we did, not knowing anyone, by the time someone has known you for 2 years then its too late to do the damn immigration anyway.

Luckily for us there is a friend of the family back in UK who is a retired policeman, we phoned the police clearance people up and after a bit of umming and ah-ing they said that would be okay but he had to write on the form that he was retired.

Now heres a weird thought, i assume that it has to be an official like a policeman, doctor, lawyer or Juctice of the Peace because of the integrity these people are supposed to have because of their job. Are these people thought to lose that integrity the day that they retire ?????

Argh, the lunatics are running the assylum !!!

Mud Slide !!!

For 2148

Woke up in Delta, phoned in and was told the trailer was still not ready, pre-tripped the charriot and.......... oh dear again !!!

2 warning lights and 2 warning messages, i phoned Ryder (thats where they are leased from) and they told me their service center was just over the water and could i take it round. This i did but they couldnt find a fault so all they could do was clear the warnings. The fitter's name was Darren and he was from Yorkshire, he's been over here 15 years now and says he would never live anywhere else.

Got back to the Delta yard and got a different load, not sure what happened to the pop but i wasnt complaining, this was a paper load and very light, i should be able to fly up the cocahalla.

Just as it was dropping dark and just between Revelstoke and Golden the traffic started backing up.................. More problems !!!

There had been a pretty bad mudslide the day before and they couldnt stem the flow, apparently the recent warm spell had melted the snow a bit too quick and caused t 2 foot deep mud flow across the road. We were stuck there about 2 hours but eventually got thru, it was a shame i couldnt get any pictures but it was too dark. It was now getting late so i got thru Golden and called it a night.

Next morning it was a couple of hours drive into Calgary where i did a trailer swap and got a load down to Lethbridge, bumped into Manfried at the Husky Cardlock so had a bit of a chat and it was just a short drive back down to the 'Bridge and 2148 got booked into the shop.

And there, dear readers, ends another little adventure..........................