Today the Wreckhouse winds peaked at 114 KPH and as expected someone tried their luck once again. Same story and almost the same photos. A few decided to hold up and wait for the winds to calm and around 6:30 PM Traffic was flowing through. Still no Signage there!


The Photos are all starting to look alike to me and
I suspect the Stories are also the same.

Several Tractors with escorts pass through when the winds calmed out with sections of a new Home.They stayed at the Cape Ray turnoff all day until it was clear.

With the longer days we have been getting out and about a bit more and it's always great to capture Video and a few Pics when we do. Here's our latest from last evenings ATV ride. We discovered 8 - 10 Arctic Tern Nests near the community and I suspect there are quite a few more. We had to be careful walking in places because the Eggs are camouflaged pretty well in places.

She kept her Helmet on in case the Terns decided to Dive Bomb us. They usually do when the chicks are hatched and can inflict a few cuts on your head.







 A Video from last evenings ATV Ride.

Yesterday my Eight year old Granddaughter and I made a hike to the top of a mountain in South Branch. We hiked the Mark Rock Trail to pay respects to a fallen Soldier,Sgt. Craig Gillam who died Oct. 6-2006 in Afghanistan.

A video and some photos of our Hike here.

Paying respect to a fallen Soldier.

Craig Gillams Memorial at Mark Rock.

                                                                       South Branch Mountain

June 11th was Jacques Cousteau's 100th. Birthday. I remember the Reels of film we watched in school on his explorations and the TV Documentaries. Quite a man!

... and they say there are no Hero's left?

 
So click on the link and look at an inspiration to all men out there. Stuart Ashby, I salute you.

He said: "When there is no public transport I hitch-hike. I don't think anything of it. Enough people stop to get me from A to B and people are interested when they find out where I am going."

What a Guy!

"Stupid is as stupid does."

A few shots from the old Radar Site,Table Mountains.

We made an ATV ride to the top of the Table Mountains Monday and i captured a bit of Video on the way over to the Radar. Still playing around with the Software and i really do need a Tripod because of the winds. Also need to play more with the fonts,colors and yeah,check/double check my Spelling.

So if anyone is interested here's some Video of the Table Mountain with a bit of World War Two History thrown in.

St. John's Named A Smart City

From VOCM News:
According to Maclean's Magazine, the City of St. John's has been named one of Canada's smartest cities by the Canadian Council on Learning. With the discovery of more than two billion barrels of accessible oil off our coast, the fate of St. John's -- once a hard-luck port town -- changed dramatically. Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose oil fields have provided about 14,000 jobs in spin-off industries. Technip, a local subsea engineering firm, is using its "Engineer here, live here" campaign to lure Newfoundlanders back from Houston and Calgary. St. John's has also managed to focus on investments in the arts, sports and recreation, and formal education, making the capital city a bustling Atlantic centre.

Our Composite Learning Index score has shot up from 65 in 2006 to 80 this year, helping us to jump 10 spots in the ranking to 14. Although Victoria has been named Canada's smartest city, the CCL has appointed St. John's as the city which has shown the greatest improvement.

A few weeks back Bay Roberts,NL was voted by another Magazine as one of the worst places in Canada to live. So it looks like the Townies are one up on the Bay Guys.

Recently drove through Gros Morne and shot a bit of Video.

A few Photos and Video from a recent early morning run into Gros Morne.

First time trying a Video using Digital editing.I should of improved the quality before I uploaded to Youtube. I'm sure things will improve as I experiment more.

1920 x 1080 Resolution that would be similar to Digital Cinema Technology. I purchased my first so called Movie Camera in the 70's, a Super 8 camera that i took on Fishing and Hiking trips that allowed me to capture maybe five minutes of Film. Later in 1989 I purchased my first VHS model that allowed unbelievable filming on a two hour VHS Tape. I purchased several others when the size of the things got smaller and lighter. With todays Tech I would now be able to editing picture sequences digitally and more easily then i did with the VHS.

I hope to be able to give this new Playtoy a test in Grose Morne next week capturing the Moose that roam the area there.

An amusing one for today.

Lest we Forget ?

Tim Hortons staff eligible for Afghan war medals

 Changes to military policy spur controversy. Click here for the story and latest winner of the Canadian Double Double Medal.

CBC NL Article: 

Moose strategy not enough: quadriplegic 

Newfoundland and Labrador's strategy to curb moose-vehicle collisions will fall short of its goal, says a man left severely disabled by such a crash.
The government announced this week it will issue 2,154 new moose licences for the next hunting season, on top of more than 27,000 existing licences, in a bid to bring down the number of collisions on the province's highways.
As well, it will spend more money to cut brush along the roadways.
But Corner Brook resident Ben Bellows, who was paralyzed from the neck down after his car struck a moose in broad daylight on the Trans-Canada Highway near Clarenville, said many lives will still be destroyed or severely changed.
"It's not just me," said Bellows. "It's my wife, my family, my children."
Bellows supports a campaign to put high fences along the highway in areas where moose are well known to be found.
"It's a no-brainer," he said.
"The moose is the problem. The moose is on the road. It's not supposed to be there."
Bellows challenges those who argue that a fencing system would be too expensive to construct.
"What about the cost to me?" he said. "My bill ranked up to $500,000 — what about that cost? What about the cost of my pain?"
Earlier this week, Environment Minister Charlene Johnson said new measures, including an extended season and early promotion of Sunday hunting, would allow hunters to reach more remote areas.
In turn, she said, a wider hunt would mean fewer animals later heading towards highways for food and space.

Recently an announcement was made to cull Moose from our Two National Parks on the Island. It made me wonder does that cull help make up the 2,154 Charlene Johnson announced?

It's Daffodil Days from March 27 - April 3,2010. This morning Volunteer members of our local Fire Department delivered them door to door in our community. I suspect in our small community every family has had a relative touched by Cancer. The Fire Chief told me he had 55 more homes to deliver to when he dropped our Daffodils off this morning.

HOPE BLOOMS. 

                                                         Click to open Photos.


Apparently someone tried to run the Gauntlet again today. The plates say Minnesota and the results are the same. The winds which peaked at 156 KPH today turned the Rig over which was going West. Like most accidents it appears the Driver may of had to break the Windshield out to escape. The winds gusted around 100 KPH when i was shooting this and I was quite happy when my Nephew decided to accompany me on my latest little excursion out there to shoot a few photos. Met several RCMP Officers out there checking the area. It's probably going to be a RCMP Member,an Ambulance Operator or Works Services individual who becomes the first casualty out there while trying to help someone in trouble.

Today in the Wreckhouse winds have exceeded 150 KPH and I'm wondering if anyone has attempted to run it? Hopefully not! A few days back my Granddaughter and i made a short walk to the little pond in the area on a calm morning. That place has such beauty when the winds are calm and hopefully our short walks will soon turn to longer hikes there.

A few shots from our little walk.



She had to test the light ice that formed on the pond throughout the night.

Seeking Canada's best bathroom

From CBC News::::

Had a bathroom experience lately that left you speechless — in a good way?
Nominations are being accepted for Canada's Best Restroom Award, which honours public washrooms across Canada that are "immaculate," "inviting" and "memorable," according to the award's website.
The contest follows a U.S. competition. Past winners south of the border have not only boasted spotless facilities — they have also included spectacular views and impressive fixtures.
The contest, appropriately sponsored by Cintas Canada Ltd., a company that sells bathroom-management supplies among other things, is accepting entries online until May 10, 2010.
"There is no question that restroom hygiene plays a big role in determining customer satisfaction and repeat business," said Cintas Canada marketing manager Leslie Molin in a release. According to Cintas' website, 95 per cent of people surveyed "say they avoid establishments with dirty restrooms."
Ten finalists will be announced in July, whereupon the best bathroom will be decided through internet voting. While the only prize is bragging rights, and attention for victorious washroom, the winner will be announced in September at an awards gala.

I sometimes dread the thought of using Public Restrooms but i will give credit where credit is due. When shopping out of town I avoid certain places and one of the Stores that I have no qualms about using the Restroom is Kents Building Supplies in Corner Brook. I shop there about once a month and have always found the Bathroom there immaculate. On the other end of the scale is the Restroom in a Service Station near St. Georges on the TCH. I have never went there yet and found it tidy no matter what time of Day i dropped in. I wonder how anyone can actually eat at the Restaurant there if they use the Bathroom when they enter?

From VOCM News.

O'Rielly Family Holds News Conference

It will be two weeks tomorrow since Donna O'Rielly left her job at a New Brunswick shopping mall, and disappeared from her closest family and friends. Her family believes she was abducted in the parking lot. They have offered a $25-thousand reward as a final effort in asking the public, or even the person responsible to come forward with information. RCMP continue to treat her disappearance as a missing persons file. O'Rielly's daughter, Karen Streek, says it's hard for the family to remain optimistic.The 54-year old O'Rielly lived in this province before moving to New Brunswick.


Meanwhile RCMP in Moncton have released two still images from mall surveillance video the night she vanished. Police say the two images show a man and a woman separately at the rear entrance to the mall near the food court at different times. They believe the individuals could have been in the parking lot at the same time O'Rielly was leaving work from the south entrance on February 26th. RCMP hope releasing the images will identify these people who may offer more information that could help the case. They continue to treat O'Rielly's disappearance as a missing persons file, but her family insists she was abducted. O'Rielly lived in Isle aux Morts and Gander before moving to New Brunswick. The last time O'Rielly was seen was on surveillance video released by police showing her leaving the mall that night.

 

Farewell and thanks for the memories. Years ago when the news in this Province was pretty dismal you always gave us a little smile when you came on the airwaves. I blogged about Billy back in 2006.

Well-Known Open Line Caller Passes Away

A long-time caller to VOCM's open line shows, and a well-known local character has died. Bill "The Moon Man" Sweeney passed away suddenly at St. Clare's hospital on Saturday. He was 72. Bill was a frequent caller to VOCM Nite Line in particular, and former host, the late George MacLaren, was the man who gave him his famous moniker for Sweeney's contention that man never landed on the moon. Bill endeared himself to many, and alienated just as many people with his sometimes argumentative style, all inflected with a devilish sense of humour and a skewed look at life. Bill Sweeney is resting at Barrett's Funeral Home from where the funeral will take place on Wednesday at 12 noon.