And All This Is Going On

If you were thinking that no postings on this blog would mean that nothing is going on, you could not be more mistaken. I don’t even know where to begin. How about with my last posting showing a bus being threatened by a dinosaur?  Yes, the place was Drumheller, Alberta. Of course! Nowhere else people can climb up into a giant like this like it was the Statue of Liberty. Driving bus is still my occupation and I enjoy it a lot, especially when the cold air masses have vanished giving room for some nice warm summer days. Today’s temps reached 26C (80.6F) and for the first time I was wandering around in shorts. I can do that if I have the day off, right? Doors and windows are left wide open and the furnace is suspended from job! Well, let me tell you about yesterday. I was out at an Indian Reservation picking up the smallest of all students at their elementary school. And I got about 30 of the cutest girls and boys into my bus. Everybody was dressed Sunday-style, the girls with coloured hats and small handbags. It simply was a lot of fun. And where did we go?             To the ZOO! Edmonton has a small but very nice zoo located in the river valley. The sun was shining out of a cloudless sky and it was almost too hot to do the walk-around. As a driver I got in without a ticket and this time I had my NIKON DSL with me. When I walked into the Elephant’s house the space was empty. A sign informed visitors that he was gone for a walk. But even outside I couldn’t find him. He must have taken a walk to town. The zoo has a tiger, a snow-leopard, lynx, (sleeping at the time) and many other exotic animals. Of course most kids like the monkeys. Maybe because they can jump so nicely from one branch to the other, and maybe because they resemble humans…??? At least I could now cancel my trip to City Hall, where I suppose a lot of monkeys can be found.   On the Provincial level we got a hot debate about whether raised minimum wage would “hurt” the economy. Yes, yes….reps of the hospitality industry are now stepping up to claim that raised minimum wages of $15/hr. by 2018 will do immense damage. How so?  Wouldn’t higher wages have to be paid by every employer? And aren’t business leaders aware of that raised wages are part of product price calculation?  And aren’t the same people aware of that a raised income will result in more consumer spending? And isn’t consumer spending incidental and crucial to making a good revenue? So why are these business owners whining? Shut up folks and read up about Henry Ford. He knew how solid incomes could help HIS business of selling tin lizzies to his workers. Yes, one doesn’t have to be a professor or rocket scientist to understand this. Just being a little less blocked in the head would go a long way. Strangely, gas station owners can raise their gas prices with 12 cts./LITER in one night. For our American friends, that’s 45cts/gal!!! IN ONE NIGHT! So, do their employees are earning more from today on?  Dream on! And following the evening news I just learned that yet another OSB-built (commonly called: plywood) apartment complex is going up in flames. As Europeans we have always been wondering how it can be legal to build multi-family housing (and huge hotels) out of cheap OSB sheets. Apparently all of the city’s fire crews are currently trying to douse the flames. Of course, they won’t succeed. But maybe they can prevent the fire from spreading to the next complex. And speaking of fires, a lot of forest and grass fires are currently burning in the province. Fire crews have even arrived from Ontario to help out. Bea and I are seriously preparing for departure to New Brunswick. I still hope we can start the migration on June 7. Should be able to invite some friends to our porch for coffee and ice cream on my 63. birthday on June 15. So I guess, there you have it. At least most of it. Thanks for dropping by!