River Valley Rambler

New Roads and Traffic Lights

2008-10-25T11:48:00.001-04:00

One of the great things about living in Grand Bay-Westfield is the lack of stop lights. Think of it... we can drive all the way to Saint John and not encounter a single traffic light until we get into the city. For over 20 years I've driven to and from work and only had to contend with two lights on the trip. How many other places can claim that? Quispamsis is riddled with traffic lights. It's not a huge thing but I think the fact we're small enough not to need a light is a plus for a lot of people. I'm not saying that traffic isn't sometimes a problem because it is. Try turning left out of the liquor store on a Friday night. But so far we've managed without traffic controls and most people I think, like it that way.

I bring this up because the province and the town want to know how we feel about the new highway interchange planned for Grand Bay-Westfield. This is the same Highland Road interchange that's been talked about for years. The plan is to build ramps to allow access to and from Highway 7. The design also includes a new core collector road running back into the heart of town. The idea is for this two kilometre stretch of new road to link up with the main business area of town. Some of it would be zoned for commercial development so it would expand the commercial space available in town. Right now there isn't very much room for new businesses along the existing commercial strip on River Valley Drive.

This is an exciting development for Grand Bay-Westfield. Mayor Grace Losier said in a radio interview that this new road would open up over 400 acres in an area that has never seen any development. In addition to the potential for new business this will also allow for the building of new homes. Of course any time development is talked about some people become concerned about 'out of control' development. Most people living here would like to see more stores and services in the town but they aren't prepared to have the area turn into another Quispamsis. This is in no way meant to be taken as a slight toward the Kennebecasis Valley but it's clear the area has grown very quickly with a commercial zone that looks like that found in any other city. I think people in GBW want something different. They clearly want the small town atmosphere preserved. The mayor calls it sustainable growth and says people will have a say in that growth through the review of the municipal plan.

In the meantime you can have your say about the new interchange right now. Proposed project plans and a questionnaire about the project are available on the Department of Transportation's website at http://www.gnb.ca/0113/projects/projects-e.asp. This information is also available at the municipal office, 609 River Valley Dr., Grand Bay-Westfield. Completed questionnaires should be sent to the attention of Mike Taylor by fax (506-453-6714) or by mail to Mike Taylor, Department of Transportation, Design Branch, P.O. Box 6000, Fredericton, N.B., E3B 5H1. Comments may also be e-mailed to mike.taylor@gnb.ca.

So bring on the new road and highway interchange and all the new housing and stores that might result from it. Just make sure it's done properly. And with another way to get on the highway and another road through town, traffic congestion should actually be lessened. I just hope they can do it all without installing a traffic light.

Super Highway

2008-10-02T18:39:00.000-04:00

I can't begin to figure out how many thousands of kilometers I've driven on New Brunswick highways over the past twenty years but it's substantial. Like many people, much of our driving happens in the summer during vacation time. We've made a trip to Ontario almost every year since we've lived here. This summer was no exception. We probably put on over 4,000 km on this trip alone. About a third of the journey happens on New Brunswick highways, so I've gotten to know the road between Grand Bay-Westfield and Edmundston quite well over the years. The drive through New Brunswick always used to be the worst part of the trip, mainly because of the poor state of the two-lane Trans Canada Highway. Not anymore. Today the drive through our province is by far the best part of the journey.

This summer we decided to go through the States on our way to Ontario. As the crow flies, it's a shorter, more direct route through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and upstate New York. Add to that the saving of almost 30 cents a litre for gas and traveling south of the border makes sense. If you've done the trip you know how pretty it is driving through New England too. But I had forgotten about the winding roads and the towns you hit every five miles. It may be scenic but it's a long, hard drive. After spending a full day motoring through the back roads of New England, we had had enough and the next day changed course and took the Interstate right to the Canadian Border in Niagara Falls. In many ways, driving through New Brunswick used to be like that, but again not anymore.

On the trip home this summer we followed our normal route through Canada and got our first taste of the fully completed, super highway through New Brunswick. The last 98 kilometres of the four-lane Trans-Canada in the province opened last fall. Now the entire 516 km stretch of highway from the Nova Scotia border to the Quebec border is a smooth, divided, four-lane highway. It's safer to drive and much faster. I bet we saved close to an hour on the drive down from Edmundston. Usually there isn't much to see along these super highways, just pavement, rocks and trees. But this road manages to retain some of the scenery of the St. John River Valley with vistas of rolling hills and glimpses of the river here and there. It's just a joy to ride on compared to the bumpy highways through much of Quebec.

This highway did not come cheap. It was built in chunks over the years with funding from both levels of government with a total cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Our premier says the new four-lane Trans-Canada is paving New Brunswick's way to a brighter, safer, self-sufficient future. But there are some concerns over the new road. The town of Hartland is complaining that the number of tourists visiting the longest covered bridge in the world is lower this summer because of a lack of proper signs on the new highway. That problem is being looked into.

The new highway also has long stretches of wildlife fencing on both sides of the road. That'll go a long way to improving safety, especially with a speed limit of 110 km per hour along the entire highway. You can't appreciate just how good this road is until you drive it.

Of course that thrill of traveling on a new highway ended abruptly when we took the Highway 7 exit to Saint John. Yes the road has been improved a lot over the last 20 years and crews are out right now putting up moose fencing, but it's no Trans-Canada. At least not yet. The Welsford bypass is going ahead and one day I'm sure the entire highway between the provinces largest city and new energy hub, and the capital city, will become a four lane super highway too. Until then enjoy the new Trans Canada and give credit to the province for making it a reality.

Living Off-Line

2008-09-23T18:01:00.002-04:00

My trusty laptop has been unplugged from the internet for almost three weeks now. It's accompanied us on vacation to places where connectivity is limited or mostly non existent. At my father's house I was able to get on his wireless network and check email but that was weeks ago. Usually this column is written using the online version of Google Documents but right now I'm using the new offline feature that saves the file in the computer until you can connect to the internet again. We're at the family cottage on a lake in northern Ontario. We have a phone so I suppose I could order dial-up internet but it's not worth it for a few weeks in the summer. There is no high speed available unless you subscribe to the expensive satellite service. My neighbour tells me an over-the-air high speed service may soon cover this area but I don't know when that will happen. Even in the nearby town of Parry Sound, I can't get this laptop online. There are no internet cafes or a Starbucks with free wi-fi. The only way to get my internet fix is by visiting the library and using one of their computers.

The funny thing is we have better TV here in this cottage than we have at home. My brother-in-law who was here before us brought up his satellite receiver and he subscribes to almost every channel you can get, including movies. It's a far cry from the cottage life I remember as a kid. There wasn't a television here for the longest time and when we finally brought one up it could only pick up one grainy channel with the built in rabbit ears. Local radio also used to be limited in this part of Ontario. Now there are numerous FM stations that boom in here but when I was a kid and the radio dial was mostly AM, it was difficult pulling in any signals, especially during the day. But that all changed at night. The AM band came alive at night, especially here, far from any interference and I remember spending hours tuning the dial, listening to stations from all over North America. About the same time I discovered short wave radio and the world literally came to me through that little speaker. I think I developed my love of radio by spending many long nights scanning the bands here in this cottage.

But back to the present and the need for internet. I say that because these days I am almost always connected. When you think of it, most of us are. Aside from basic email, we get our news and weather online, we read newspapers and magazines, we watch videos and download podcasts and consume all types of content at the click of a keyboard. It's probably an addiction.

Three weeks without it now and I'm surviving. The truth is it's been a lot easier to ween myself off that digital lifeline than I expected. The usual course of cottage activities keeps one busy, everything from swimming, kayaking, fishing, playing horseshoes and visiting with family. Then there are the ongoing repairs and jobs that need to be done at every cottage. It's also a time to really dig into a book. I always get more reading done here than anywhere else. And yes the radio reception is still fantastic at night.

So I haven't missed the internet very much. It's actually been a nice break pulling the plug. Soon enough I'll once again be tethered to the online world so I should enjoy this short period of digital freedom. My only problem now is finding a way to email in this column.

Take the Bus or Scooter

2008-08-29T12:48:00.001-04:00

"I have a limo that's 40-feet long". Go ahead... sing the rest of it. I know you know that jingle. I took the new Commuter Express Bus into the city the other day for the first time. It was the 8:40 morning run and there were six of us on the bus. I know it's summer but I expected a bigger crowd, especially considering the price we're paying for gas. First let me say I'm not going to lecture anyone because I don't use the Comex either. I know I should but I don't, unless I'm forced to. That morning one of the cars was in the garage and I had no other way of getting into the city. It's perfect if you don't have a car or if you're tired of filling the tank of your SUV or if you have to pay big bucks for parking. These circumstances don't apply to me so I'll probably continue driving my old, not so bad on gas consumption, Saturn to my free parking spot in town. But the Grand Bay-Westfield numbers don't look good.

During one week in June, 347 rides were counted from Grand Bay-Westfield to and from Saint John. That's way down compared to 1019 rides on the KV Express and 931 from Hampton. But all ridership on the Comex service is up over the last three months by about 25% and that's good news for Saint John Transit. But the skyrocketing gas price that is forcing people on the bus is also driving up operating costs for public transit. It's already $300,000 over budget for fuel this year and if this continues it could be half a million in the hole by Christmas. If that happens what options does Saint John Transit have? It doesn't want to do it but it could raise the bus fare. Right now at $3.00 a pop it's the best transportation deal going. Or maybe they'd look at all the routes and cut out the weakest one to save money, the one with the least passengers, the Grand Bay-Westfield Express. No one has said this or even hinted at it but given the amount of money involved you have to think it might be an option they'd look at. Like I said, I'm not preaching here because I'm guilty too of driving my car every day but I sure wish more of us would take the bus because in the long term we just can't afford to lose it.

Everywhere you look people are doing what they can to beat the high fuel prices. Gas-busting scooters are selling like hot cakes. I went over to see Mark Anderson and Wendy Spencer at Cruisers Custom Cycle in Martinon. They carry a line of made in China scooters that range from the 'no motorcycle license required' 49 cc model to the more powerful 150 cc. I took a little one for a test drive and found it fairly peppy and a whole lot of fun. They start at under $2000 and have a top speed of about 70 kph, great for running around town but not meant for the highway. A few dollars will fill the tank and keep you going for miles and miles. But these scooters are not toys. Even though you're allowed to operate the 49 cc model with just your regular drivers license you should still take a safety course. These are after all, low powered motorcycles that share the road with big trucks and you should know how to protect yourself.

People are even riding electric bicycles these days. I was kidding a friend of mine who has one because he also runs and does long distance cycling on a road bike. But I saw him half peddling-half letting the electric motor carry him along on this high tech looking bike and kidding aside, I liked it immediately. I haven't had a chance to try it yet but given the ever increasing price of gas, I'm sure I will soon.

A Warm Summer Run

2008-07-19T20:22:00.003-04:00

I had a topic for this column in mind but that all changed when I went for a run on a warm summer evening in July. It's funny how that happens sometimes. I knew what I wanted to write about but on that run I saw some things that reminded of other things and by the time I got back I started putting together a completely different piece.

It was actually the third evening in a row that I was out running and when I passed by the fields at River Valley Middle School they were packed with people as they had been the previous nights. What must have been about a hundred kids were on the field for soccer practice. Parents were either helping out or sitting on the sidelines watching. There was a lone runner using the track. The ball field next door was equally as busy with a girl's team playing and a men's softball team waiting for their turn. Cars were parked everywhere. Some had music playing. People were gathering in small groups and talking. It was a hive of activity and great to see. This is what an active community should look like.

As I continued on to the trail, I got thinking again about the track and how great an addition it is. Just a few days earlier Grand Bay-Westfield had been the site of another successful Canada Day Run with all the proceeds again going to support the new track. The event was different this year. The half marathon was replaced by a 10 Mile Race and the 10 km run was dropped. The feedback from all the participants was very positive but the number of runners was down this year by a little more than a hundred. The event went off without a hitch and everyone said it was well organized and a lot of fun, thanks in large part to the many sponsors, supporters and volunteers including the RCMP and the River Valley Community Centre. The organizers are looking at some changes for next year including a possible return of the popular 10 km event.

I'm on the Run committee and I know there was one big disappointment we all expressed. Again this year as in past years, the event seems to have been overlooked as a major Canada Day activity in town. It was never mentioned in a write up of Grand Bay-Westfield Canada Day events in the Saint John paper. And just before my run that evening I picked up a flyer from the town that had arrived in the mail that day thanking all the Canada Day volunteers, participants and sponsors who made possible a wonderful day of activities at Brundage Point but there wasn't a single mention of the Canada Day Run. It was signed by the Mayor and all of council. I know the town supports the event because it is a regular sponsor. This annual run has been raising money for charity and bringing a lot of people into the community every Canada Day for the last 7 years. Maybe if it was included in the promotion of events our numbers wouldn't have dipped this year. All the members of the committee are hoping we'll be included next year.

As I continued my run I got thinking about Brundage Point and the great facility it is. Just that morning I had been to the other new River Centre in our region in Hampton. It too is an attractive building, a little bigger than ours I think and just as important an asset to their community. They have meeting facilities and a boat launch site, much the same as we do but they have one attraction that we don't. Rafe Hooper and his local outfitting company 'Osprey Adventures' is operating in the lower level of the centre. He offers canoe and kayak rentals as well as guided tours of the Kennebecasis and Hampton Marsh. Rafe tells me he's been pretty busy since he opened about a month ago. I know the Kennebecasis River in Hampton is more suited for that kind of operation. The river is calm, protected and not prone to the tides, waves and current that we experience in Westfield. They also don't have a cable ferry to contend with when they launch their kayaks. But I think it would be a terrific addition to Brundage Point if somehow down the road we could figure out a way to offer a similar outfitting service here.

I went for a kayak paddle myself just a few days before my run that evening. The weather was perfect and I've never seen the River Centre or the river in general so busy with traffic. Boats were everywhere and people were busy in almost every cottage and camp along the shore. I was disappointed however to discover a new chain gate across the road to Westfield Wharf and the beach. I don't know why it was there and locked on one of the busiest days of the summer. For years kayakers like myself have been able to drive right to the waters edge to unload our boats and then park the car out of the way beyond the gate. It was easy for a number of kayakers to unload at the same time and launch from a sandy beach in protected water. Now it's a lot more difficult to do. I had to pull up to the locked gate, unload my kayak and carry it by myself through a narrow gap in the gate and all the way down to he water. With two people it might be OK, but if you're on your own it means a lot more work, if you're able to do it at all. The only other alternative is to put in at the boat launch on the other side of the ferry. But it's meant for power boats on trailers and it's all concrete, pavement and rocks, not the kind of surface that is kind to a wooden kayak like I have. If the locked chain across the gate remains, I'll have no choice but to launch by the government garage on the Nerepis River. I'm sure many other kayakers will do the same. I spoke to the town manager about the situation and was told the chain is there to prevent people from launching boats on the old ramp because it isn't safe anymore. The town wants everyone to use the new boat launch on the other side of the ferry. I can understand that. I was thanked for my call and told they would look at the situation. I hope something can be done because blocking off access to the water doesn't make any sense when you're trying to attract more people to the river centre.

As I continued my run that evening I witnessed an event that I knew I had to write about. It was one of the most ridiculous, dangerous and careless things I've seen in a long time. An ATV with two people on it was tearing along at high speed on the railway tracks. That's right.... on the tracks. From my vantage point it looked like the tires were right on the rails, if that's possible. Either way they were going fast. With helmets on and the engine noise, I suspect it would have been difficult or impossible to hear a train coming. And at that speed they could have easily slid off the rail or hit it and tumble down the embankment. From what I witnessed I think these two idiots are lucky to be alive. Kings County has already experienced five fatalities this summer in motor vehicle accidents. We don't want anymore.

Yes I did get worked up about a few things on this run but overall the positive outweighed the negative. I came home feeling pretty good about the community and especially good about this wonderful summer weather. And I'm ready for many more evening runs. Next time it's the column I didn't write this time.... about beating the high price of gas and taking the bus.

Tracks, Trails, Tourism and Taking out the Trash

2008-07-11T14:55:00.003-04:00

The trail choppers are back at it again. First it was the railroad that cut and slashed trees by the side of the walking trail along River Valley Drive in Grand Bay-Westfield. Now NB Power is cutting down trees along the other side of the trail beside the road. They're clearing trees and branches from under the power line that runs along the side of the road. I know they have to do this. Tree limbs that touch or could easily fall on a line are a hazard. But like NB Southern on the other side, why are they so eager to cut down the trees? Why can't they selectively trim the offending branches around the wires as I've seen them do on many other streets? Has no one bothered to ask them to cut judiciously along that stretch of road because the trees form an important buffer for the trail? On some stretches the trees have been cleared right to the road. We might as well pave the trail and call it a sidewalk. At least the cutters are cleaning up after themselves. Crews are following behind with a wood chipper to grind up the branches. But there is still plenty of downed brush that has to be dealt with.

NB Southern left everything it cut lay by the tracks all winter. In the spring the railway said it was going to clean up the mess and it did, to a point. A clean up was done on the southern section of the trail, for which everyone who uses it is grateful, but there are still tree limbs and branches strewn by the side of the tracks at the north end.

I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in the city the other day. He told me about going to the landfill and asking if you could still drop off old paint. He was told yes you can do it every Saturday but come early to avoid the long lines of people from Grand Bay-Westfield dropping off their weekly trash. He asked why are they doing that... don't they have garbage pickup? My friend couldn't believe it when he was told there was no garbage pick up in the town. He was even more surprised when he found out he was being told this by the new deputy mayor. He asked me how a town this size that always looks so clean doesn't have its own garbage collection. I explained how I can go to the landfill in off peak hours and drop off my trash for just a few dollars. I did tell him however that with this setup it's sometimes difficult to compost on a regular basis. He left me shaking his head.

There was a big crowd at council the other night. An unusually large group of spectators showed up at the June 23 town council meeting. They came to hear a presentation by ADI Limited, a consulting firm reviewing our municipal plan. The parameters of the review and some of the process involved was explained to council and the public. Some people wanted to give their input right away but this wasn't the place. There will be a series of sessions where the public will have input into the plan. These will be scheduled early in the fall. It's good to see so many people are interested in having a say in the new plan.

As well a number of residents gathered at the Brundage Point River Centre to hear a presentation about tourism development in the area. Local resident Laurel Reid, a consultant in the tourism industry prepared a detailed report making about 20 recommendations on how to develop and implement a tourism plan. Again it was great to see so many people interested enough to come out on a beautiful, warm evening to hear the presentation. I think most people left the session excited about the tourism possibilities in Grand Bay-Westfield.

Finally I just want to say how wonderful it is to run on the new track at River Valley Middle School. I've sneaked on there a few times already, usually at the beginning and end of my regular run along the trail. I usually do a couple of laps which translates into half a mile. Even though I'm slow it makes me feel good to know the distance I've traveled. Our new track will feature prominently in the Canada Day 10 Mile and 5 km race. Local runners and walkers as well as visitors will be able to test out the track because it forms part of the race route. About the only time I'll stay off the track is when the field is being used for soccer practice. I don't mind the kids but it's the comments and stares from the soccer moms who are sitting in chairs by the side of the track, that I want to avoid.

Snow in June

2008-07-09T19:30:00.002-04:00

We were out walking one warm evening recently and I thought I saw snow gently falling from the sky. I knew it wasn't but if you squinted a little, it could almost be snow. The wind that night was making it 'snow' dandelion seeds. They seemed to be falling everywhere. I was delighted.

Now most people would look upon dandelion seeds blowing in the wind and feel much the same as if it were real snow falling in June. They'd see the seeds as a plague, spreading the dreaded weed throughout the community. They'd be right because that's how nature spreads the plant. But I see these seeds floating through the air as proof that people are using less pesticide and herbicide on their lawns and I see that as a good thing. It's not that I love dandelions. I also sometimes get a little annoyed when the stems stick back up above the grass just a couple of days after I've mowed the lawn. But I'm getting better at just accepting that as the natural way my lawn is. I know pesticide is not the answer.

Dr. Robin Walker was speaking in Saint John recently. He's vice president of medicine at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax and a professor of pediatrics at Dalhousie University. He was invited here by the Canadian Cancer Society which is lobbying for a ban on the use and sale of cosmetic pesticides in New Brunswick.

"There is sufficient evidence to conclude that pesticide exposure can be harmful to children," Dr. Walker said. "Research suggests that some of the substances found in pesticides may increase a child's risk of cancer, as well as have neurological and reproductive effects."

The doctor says the science shows a link between pesticide use and a risk of cancer. He isn't opposed to pesticide use when there is some kind of tangible benefit to be gained, such as in some agricultural applications or to control the spread of disease bearing insects. But he draws the live when it comes to purely cosmetic use. He says even if the risk is extremely low it just isn't worth exposing our children to potentially dangerous chemicals just so our lawn is green and dandelion free. It just doesn't make sense.

And people are beginning to realize this. According to a poll commissioned by the Canadian Cancer Society, in November, 2007, 70 per cent of New Brunswickers support a ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides, while 79 per cent believe pesticides used for lawn and garden maintenance have the potential to pose a health risk to people. Ontario and Quebec already have bans on cosmetic pesticide use in place.

Now when I go for a walk around town and I see that perfect, weed free, green lawn I tend to stay clear and cross to the other side of the street. As beautiful as it looks there is a sense that something unhealthy and dangerous is lurking underneath. In fact, those perfect lawns are becoming less attractive to me all the time. I much prefer a lawn with a good mix of grass and clover and yes even the dreaded dandelion. For me it's a sign of a healthy lawn, a place where children and pets and adults too are welcome and safe to play.

Honouring Our Lifeblood

2008-06-13T20:37:00.000-04:00

Blood they say, is the gift of life. They also say... we all have it in us to give and many people in our area are generous givers. I saw that first hand last month when I was asked to be the MC for the Canadian Blood Services Donor Awards Ceremony at Lily Lake Pavilion in Saint John. This is an annual event honouring those people who have reached milestone donation levels of 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400 and even 500 blood donations. In addition a bone marrow donor and some of the organization's community partners were also honoured. It was an amazing evening of giving.

These regular, long time donors recognized at the awards are all truly exceptional individuals. You could see that in every one of them who came up to accept their award. The highlight of the evening had to be the presentation to Kenneth Gould, the second New Brunswicker ever to have donated blood an astonishing 500 times. The day he made that 500th donation he showed up at the clinic wearing a tuxedo. Ken received a group hug on awards night from all the staff present. In fact it was clear that all of these long time donors had developed a special kind of relationship with the staff at Blood Services. That only makes sense because to donate that often you make a lot of visits to the centre and you do become, in a sense, part of the family. That was evident at the Lily Lake Pavilion.

I started donating blood again about two years ago. For a long time I was under the impression I couldn't donate because of the medication I was taking for asthma. It turns out that used to be the case but isn't any longer. In fact the rules regarding who can give are changing constantly. The chances are pretty good that you are eligible to give blood. Giving blood isn't easy for everyone. Even for these regular donors it still takes a commitment of time and even if they don't admit it, some personal discomfort. I don't think anyone really enjoys having their finger pricked to test their blood, or answering all those personal health and lifestyle questions required before every donation. And getting a needle put in your vein and bleeding into a bag for the next ten minutes isn't like watching your favorite TV show in an easy chair. Personally I get freaked out by having my blood pressure taken. That tight squeezing feeling of the cuff around my arm drives me crazy and my blood pressure up. Sometimes it takes two or three tries before they get a reading low enough to allow me to donate. The truth is I'm not very good dealing with anything that has to do with blood. It makes me uncomfortable. And yet I'm willing to put up with it on occasion because I know it's the right thing to do. I always feel great after I've given blood.

My donations are just a drop in the bucket or bag, compared to what these regular donors honoured at the awards ceremony have given over the years. I just can't imagine 500, 300 or even 50 donations. But people do it. We can all do it. Even just giving blood a few times makes a difference. It's all about saving lives and we can play a part in that by just rolling up our sleeve.

So my congratulations and thanks go out to all the blood donors named at the awards. That night I made a public commitment to donate on a regular basis. It used to be easier to do because clinics were held regularly in Grand Bay-Westfield. You got a call to set up an appointment and just showed up at either the legion or the middle school. But that bi-monthly clinic was canceled recently and hasn't been rescheduled. I hope it comes back because that makes it a lot easier to give regularly but even if it doesn't I'm going to try to go to the clinic in Saint John every time I'm eligible to give blood again.

When you really think about it... donating blood on a regular basis is probably the best gift you can give to others.

All About Watches

2008-05-31T11:56:00.002-04:00

I got thinking about watches and timepieces recently. It started when I tried to find a new strap for my old Timex watch. It's one of those Ironman digital watches. I've had two or three of them over the years and they're great. They're cheap and just about indestructible. Even the batteries in them don't seem to wear out. As the old commercials used to say, 'They can take a lickin and keep on tickin'. But eventually the watch strap will break and that's what happened to me. I had a difficult time finding the right strap because Timex make a lot of different styles of these watches. I finally found the correct one in a store and tried to attach it to the watch. They had the proper tools and I've done this before. It's usually a simple procedure. But I couldn't get the thing to stay on. The clerk behind the counter tried and failed. I took the new strap to another jewelery store and they attempted it and failed. I don't know why the darn thing won't stay attached but it just won't. I still haven't given up though.

So I had a watch that worked but no strap to keep it on my wrist. I found another watch but the battery was dead. It was then I discovered some old and almost forgotten wind up wrist watches. One was an almost original Mickey Mouse watch. I say 'almost original' because I don't think it dates back to the late 50's or even the 60's but I'm pretty sure I picked it up sometime in the early 70's. I wound it up and amazingly it worked. Old Mickey kept pretty good time too, for about 6 hours and then he got tired and just stopped. I found another old wind up watch too. I got this one in the late 70's and I think it was actually a pretty expensive watch at the time. I'm not sure where this one came from but I remember I picked it up from a guy I worked with for just a few bucks. This is a diving watch made by Orator with all kinds of extra goodies including a stopwatch and it says it has 17 jewels, whatever that means. I did some checking and discovered that the jewels used in watches are usually rubies, sapphires, garnets or diamonds. After 1900 most of the rubies were actually synthetic. Jewels are used because they can be polished and made very smooth and they let metal watch parts slide easily. They're also extremely hard and don't wear down very quickly. Usually the more jewels in a watch the better it is. My old diving watch has only seventeen jewels but it still keeps good time. It's thirty years old and hasn't been used for at least the last twenty years and the thing is still accurate. It's a cool watch and I'm wearing it again. The only problem is it weights a lot compared to my light and battery powered digital wrist watch.

During my search for watches I also discovered two old pocket watches. Unfortunately neither of them still work or at least I can't get them to go. One is probably from the 19th century and when you open the back it says 'Remontoir'. I did some research and that can either be the make of the watch or the French word used to describe a type of Swiss spring mechanism used in the watch. There is also an engraving on the inside cover that I can't quite make out. I have no idea where this watch came from. The other is a newer vintage pocket watch made by Westclox. I found out this particular model was first made in 1932 but I don't know how old this watch actually is. Either way they're great to have and look at even if I don't know the story behind them.

I was reading an article about pocket watches and found out how important they were for railroaders from about 1891 to 1969. The CNR even issued a standard pocket watch to all railroad employees that had to meet a long list of requirements. Each watch had to have at least 17 jewels and was checked for accuracy once a month by the railroad approved watchmaker. This was done of course for safety reasons because train traffic was controlled by a time schedule and two trains traveling on the same track could have disastrous consequences.

So now that I've discovered an old wrist watch that keeps such accurate time I'm doing something again that I haven't done in many years. I'm winding a watch by hand. And you know there's something therapeutic about taking the time every morning and evening to simply wind a watch. I can't explain it but it just feels right. Oh and about that broken watch strap that started all this .... I finally got it replaced. After numerous failed attempts by myself and others to attach the new strap, I took it to a pro, jeweler Mike Hamm on the west side. He had the strap on in about 30 seconds.

Tidy Trails and Turtle Mountain

2008-05-13T17:51:00.002-04:00

(This is the latest column in River Valley News. Just today my wife and I were walking along this trail and were almost run over by two older kids on bikes. Bicycles are not allowed on the trail. It's clearly marked as such. These kids were racing as fast as they could up and down the hills and around the bends. We got out of the way just in time. It was around 5:00 pm when the trail starts getting crowded with people walking after supper with young kids and pets. Someone could get seriously hurt. These kids on the bikes are old enough and should know better. )

It's nice that we can once again walk along the River Valley Drive Trail through Grand Bay-Westfield. The wet areas are drying out and the town has added more crushed gravel to parts of the trail, making the base underfoot smoother and more secure. We can witness the approach of summer with every step we take. More leaves are budding every day and plants of all kinds are poking out of the ground. It's one of the nicest places to be in town at this time of year.

That is until you turn your attention toward the train tracks. Those trees and bushes that were needlessly mowed down last fall are still lying where they fell. Now I know the railway has to trim brush along the line for reasons of safety. But it's clear in many places along the trail they overdid it, knocking down fairly large trees standing well back from the tracks. Even if this was the standard sized path they normally clear along the rail line, surely they could have exercised some caution and common sense here. This is an urban area with backyards on one side and a popular walking trail on the other, a trail that already has a limited buffer of trees and brush between it and the tracks. It's sad to look at what they've done, but it's done. We can't put those trees back. It'll take many years for nature to repair the damage.

But some of the harm that was done can be corrected by at least clearing up the mess left behind. And I have some good news on that front. I put a call into the Irving owned NB Southern Railroad to find out if they had any intention of cleaning up the slash. The answer is yes. A company spokesperson got back to me and said they will be sending a crew out to do the work within a few weeks. Now I don't know if this was the company's plan all along or if my inquiry prompted them to take action. Or perhaps someone in authority from the town contacted them and asked for a clean up. I some how doubt that because when I called the town about it last fall, they didn't seem very concerned. Either way, I'm delighted to hear a crew from NB Southern will be coming to pick up the scrub lying on both sides of the track. It'll make the loss of the trees easier to take if we don't see them left strewn about and rotting on the ground.

While we're on the topic of trails, I had a wonderful hike to Turtle Mountain the other day. A group from the Saint John Outdoor Enthusiast's Club was supposed to go but canceled at the last minute because they were told the road was wet and messy. That wasn't the case at all. The road and trail are in great shape, except for a few wet areas that you would expect to find at this time of year. The day was sunny and not too warm, perfect for the long 14 mile hike to and from the mountain. I've done that hike many times and skied the trail in the winter and I've never seen much wildlife. However this time we were treated to a wildlife fiesta. On the way in and again on the way out we saw fresh moose tracks. It turns out we were chasing two moose ahead of us on the trail and we didn't realize it. We were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a big bull and a juvenile. We also got scared by a partridge and saw another one running across the tail and we scared a large snake sunning himself on a rock. The wildlife was a nice bonus to what turned out to be probably the best hike I've ever had to Turtle Mountain. It's a full day hike but well worth the effort, especially if you've never gone.

Spring Things

2008-04-30T15:35:00.008-04:00

It seems like winter is finally loosening its grip. I'll even admit it's been long this year. You probably know if you read this column that I'm one of those rare people who actually enjoy the winter. It's been a fabulous season for skiing and I can't seem to stop. The snow still lingers and calls out to us addicted types. It was warm and sunny yesterday afternoon as I raked the lawn but earlier that morning I had been to Poley Mountain with another snow loving buddy and we skied the now closed slopes. It's a great work out walking up that hill carrying our skis. I know some of you are shaking your head and wondering about our sanity. The weekend before we were in the Chic Choc Mountains of Gaspe for some late season telemark turns and we found ourselves skiing on mountain tops through about 12 cm of fresh snow. Even closer to home, Crabbe Mountain near Fredericton has so much snow it plans to stay open until the beginning of May, if weather and willing skiers permit. That's the thing, at this time of year people aren't very interested in skiing any more. They want to move on to summery things. I do too. I want to get out kayaking and hiking but it's tough when the snow is still there tantalising us. Even when I'm raking the lawn I have to look at two small piles of snow still clinging to life in the shadiest part of the yard. So it's hard saying goodbye to a stubborn winter that's been a lot of fun but I know it's time to turn the page and move into another season.

But the remnants of winter still have a way of haunting us. People living near the water are especially concerned what the spring may bring. There is so much snow still on the ground up north that folks living in low lying areas beside the St. John river are worried about a high freshet this year. For good reason too. All that snow melt has to go somewhere. Here in Grand Bay-Westfield the Riverside Park area seems to get hit the hardest. It's been about three years now since the area was last flooded by high water. People are most concerned about a quick melt accompanied by heavy rain. So far nights have remained cold, easing the flow of water into the river. Everyone including the provincial EMO is hoping that continues. Nevertheless people in Riverside Park are moving things to higher ground and preparing for the worst. We'll all be watching the water levels over the next few weeks.

Something else people are watching is the progress of the new running track at River Valley Middle School. Construction has started again and the track looks like it's getting close to completion. Even in its unfinished and rough condition the track looks to be smoother than some of the roads around town. The winter has taken a toll on the pavement. Some particularly bad stretches of Woolastook Drive have so many pot holes and heaves that I don't even drive along there anymore if I can avoid it. I need to replace the struts in the car so you can imagine the kind of ride I'm getting through town. When you drive into Saint John through the business section of Grand Bay-Westfield that entire right hand lane is a mine-field from the Irving to the Sobey's entrance. I go to work for the early, early shift these days so fortunately when I drive through that area there is no traffic on the road and I can veer over into the other lane. But I've seen drivers do that to avoid the bumps when the road is busy. Not a good idea.

Bad roads lead us to the municipal election on May 12th, another sign of spring this year. There is a full slate of quality candidates running for mayor and council. Our job now is to choose. It's our duty too because unless we do our homework and pick who we feel are the best candidates for the job, we really have no right to complain about the job they're doing after the fact. So go to the candidates meeting, ask questions and most important of all, vote on the 12th.

As for me, I have more yard work to do and maybe, just maybe one more ski to get in.

Telephone Poles in the Woods

2008-04-16T13:40:00.008-04:00

It was the oddest thing to be way back in the woods and come across a clearing with a telephone pole standing in the middle of it. Just a single pole with the insulators still intact and a few inches of wire still attached. It was a telephone line going nowhere because there were no other poles visible in the thick woods surrounding the clearing. I first came across this years ago x-c skiing in the woods back of town. My skiing buddies and I figured it was a remnant of an old and long abandoned telegraph line that might have run between Saint John and Fredericton many years ago. We were partly right.

I got thinking about the poles again when I was out skiing this winter and came upon a number of them in a bog. They were standing almost upright and spanned one edge of the bog. Until then I had only seen a single pole in the woods. (I took photos of the poles in the bog and posted them at rivervalleyrambler.com)

Even with this new discovery the story behind these telegraph poles still remained a mystery until I met Richard Likely walking his dog one afternoon this winter. Richard knows the woods around Grand Bay-Westfield like the back of his hand. He’s been hiking and skiing these trails for many years. In fact he cut many of them. We got talking and I asked him about the poles. Not surprisingly, he knew quite a bit about them.

He said he heard the story from his father and from Ken Cox, the former head of NB Tel. He told me these mysterious poles were not for the telegraph, as I originally thought but for a special telephone line. According to Richard it dates back to the second world war when U.S. President Roosevelt was in regular communication with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London. Our own PM Mackenzie King felt left out of the loop so he ordered a special telephone line built from Ottawa to Cape Breton and then by underwater cable to London. The line was used during the war years and then abandoned.

I tried to research this telephone line on the internet but couldn’t find any mention of it. I did discover an interesting history of undersea cables. Apparently the first transatlantic cable ran from Newfoundland to Ireland and dates back to 1856. It operated about a month before it failed.

Richard Likely went on to tell me that after the war the telephone poles were in high demand by the locals. They’d cut them down and haul them out of the woods and take the wire as well. That’s why there are so few poles around today. Richard said his father told him that people would steal the poles but leave the cross-arms laying in the woods. This he said was a mistake because the 4 x 6 cross pieces were made of knot free BC fir that was far more valuable than the poles. People here didn’t realize it. He said in those days it was a big job hauling the poles out of the woods because there were no snowmobiles or ATV’s.

So that’s the story of the mysterious poles that appear occasionally in the woods around here. I got thinking it would be fun to try to follow the line but I’m not sure enough poles remain to do that. I attempted it this winter on skis but quickly lost sight of the next pole in the woods. The surrounding trees tower over the telephone poles now and make them difficult to spot. It would be an interesting adventure and maybe one day I’ll try it.

It’s still a mystery to me why a number of the telephone poles with cross arms still remain standing in this bog. I suppose when people were cutting them down and hauling them away, they couldn’t get at these poles very easily because of the water. Maybe they never thought of coming out in the winter when the ice would make the job much easier. Whatever the reason, it’s good that a little trace of this history still remains, hidden for the most part but a great delight to find.

When the Earth Moved

2008-04-01T13:44:00.004-04:00

I just got back from an amazing two weeks of skiing in western Canada. Getting there and returning had some challenges but that's a story for another day. Likewise the experience of skiing at a mountain lodge only accessible by helicopter is another incredible experience worthy of a detailed account. I'll save that for later too. What I want to tell you about now is that instant during a sunny, blue sky day on a backcountry slope in the Purcell Mountains when the earth moved.

I know the avalanche danger has been high this winter in the mountains of western North America. There have been record numbers of slides and deaths because of an unstable snow pack. The first day we arrived by chopper at this luxurious lodge situated in a beautiful alpine meadow, 7,200 feet above sea level, we all received the mandatory instruction in avalanche rescue. We learned how to wear and use the avalanche beacons. We practiced using the device to search for a victim buried under the snow. Our guides showed us the proper way to use the probes to poke through the snow and how to dig out around the buried person using our collapsible snow shovels. We were told how to locate the victims head and work at freeing his breathing passages. This is the same routine training people receive when they enter the backcountry, either to go heliskiing or like us, attaching skins to our skis and climbing into alpine areas using our own power. Nobody ever thinks they're going to need the training. That would be a wrong assumption.

On our second day at the lodge we headed out early for a full day in the backcountry. The sun burned our faces as we climbed through the trees to a higher elevation. This one particular slope was steep at the top, about a 30 degree pitch, steep enough to avalanche but then it quickly flattened out. That proved to be a good thing. There were six of us in the group and two guides. I skied down last because I was shooting video of the others making turns through the untracked powder. Everyone else had skied down and stopped on a ridge just out of my sight but they could all see me. I put the camera in my pack and started down the slope. My first turn was to the left and I could see two large fracture lines in the snow. I thought to myself that doesn’t look good. As I initiated my next turn something didn’t feel right. I looked down and saw the snow under my skis cracking and swirling. I glanced sideways and saw that I was moving down the slope along with all the snow. I instantly knew I was caught in an avalanche and I got scared. This wasn’t supposed to happen, especially to a maritimer on his first backcountry expedition into the big mountains. Fortunately the slide was short lived. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I can’t remember hearing any sound either. Luckily I was at the edge of the slide and skied off to the side toward some trees. The moving snow covered my downhill ski and tried to pull it down but I managed to shake it loose and ski away. As quickly as the slide had started it ended. Everything was silent and I was fine. I couldn’t see the others down the slope and didn’t know whether to yell for help or just get out of there as quickly as possible. In the end I skied down as fast as I could keeping well away from the avalanche. When I joined the others I realized they had seen the whole thing and were more concerned about my welfare than I probably was. The guides told me I did exactly what I should have done by skiing out of the avalanche. Believe me, it was an easy decision to make.

We all went back to examine the slide. The guides called it a level one slab avalanche caused by a persistent weak layer of snow. They even knew the day it formed back in February. The slope slid for about 60 feet and left a debris pile over a meter high. This was a small avalanche and there was no danger of being buried in it but I could have twisted an ankle or worse if I’d gotten caught up in the mess at the bottom. Our guides measured the slide, dug in the snow and took photographs. It was an excellent opportunity for them to study an avalanche close up.

Leaving the area we had to traverse across a steep slope with overhanging cornices. We did it one at a time to minimize avalanche exposure. After my experience I was understandably shaken a little and surprised by how quickly I skied across that slope. I think it was the fastest I’d moved all day.

That night the guides presented me with a special drink made up of a number of different liquors and topped off with a mountain of whipped cream. They called it appropriately the ‘Avalanche’. I drank and enjoyed it, thankful that I was there and able to.

It was a small slide but a gigantic eye opener for me and the others in our party including the guides. The risk of avalanche is always there in backcountry alpine areas and has to be taken seriously.

Caboosing Around

2008-03-07T16:35:00.005-04:00

I grew up living beside the tracks in the west end of Toronto. The trains rumbled by constantly and most of the time I paid little attention to them. They were just part of the neighbourhood and I took them for granted. I didn’t dislike trains. I guess I just didn’t care or think much about them.

These days I know a lot of people who would love to have grown up beside the tracks. They’re train fanatics. Maybe it’s because trains generally and passenger trains in particular seem to be on the decline. Whatever it is, there’s nostalgia for trains and everything associated with them.

I’m catching it too. You know I’m not really that old but I can remember seeing steam engines go by the house when I was kid. I have vivid memories of my mother running to the clothes line after a big, black, smoky steam locomotive roared past the house. She had bed sheets on the line and didn’t want them to be covered in soot. Even though I clearly have those memories, I’ve questioned it because steam engines have been gone for a long time. I wondered if somehow I had imagined it. But I did some research on the web and discovered that steam engines were used in the Toronto area into the late 1950’s. I think one of the last ones was retired in 59. So I would have been 5 or 6 at the time but old enough to remember the smoke and noise and power of those mighty machines.

I’ve been thinking about trains because recently I had the opportunity to meet a couple model railroad enthusiasts. These are the guys who still play with toy trains and in some cases have been doing it for over 50 years. They build elaborate recreations of railways and rail yards with buildings and rail crossings and towns and mountains. The layout can take up an entire room in the basement or in some cases the entire basement. The trains, especially the newer models come equipped with chips that make the sound of rumbling diesel engines and the clickity-clack of the cars rolling along the rails. They even make their own smoke. These guys love trains, both the model versions and the real thing.

Then I came across a notice from the town of Grand Bay-Westfield informing us the town is trying to find a new home for our caboose. It’s been there on a rail siding beside the NB Southern Line serving as our Tourist Information Centre for many years. It’s a wooden Canadian Pacific Railway caboose dating from the 1912 – 1930 period. The railway got rid of cabooses on the ends of trains back in the 1980’s, replacing them with a high tech box that tracks important information about the operation of the train. Efficient I suppose but not nearly as nice to see as an old red caboose.

The town doesn’t need it anymore because the Visitor Information service has been moved into the new Brundage Point River Centre. The town says it doesn’t want to sell it, just transfer ownership to an individual or group who will conserve it as an important part of our railway heritage. Understandably they don’t want the taxpayers to have to pick up the tab for the continued maintenance of a caboose we no longer need and we don’t want to pay for the cost of relocating it to another location either. So that leaves it totally in the hands of train lovers. I truly hope some group comes forward to claim the little caboose for part of an exhibit or a business or maybe even another tourist information centre somewhere else in the province. I want to see it go to a good home. After all, it may one time have seen service at the end of train pulled by a steam locomotive that thundered by my old house one summer day, many years ago.

Outdoor Tidbits

2008-02-24T18:57:00.004-04:00

I have some outdoors related information to pass on. There's a rumour going around about plans for a dirt bike track in the area. None of this has been confirmed but the location is thought to be somewhere out back of highway 7 near the exit that brings you to the flashing light. If it is true and depending on what form it takes, I know it's going to cause concern for some people. We all know about the controversy created by the motocross track in West Saint John.

I also have a little news about the Loch Alva Protected Area. A committee is busy looking at access and land use issues. I know a chunk of what was initially included as protected has been cut loose from the designation because of mining interests in the area. Once that happens forestry companies are allowed to cut in the area. There is fear on the part of some people that this wedge of formerly protected area may soon be clear cut. It's unfortunate because this is one of the more accessible areas for people living in Grand Bay-Westfield. It's also home to many camps and recreational trails. It would be a shame to see this area cut. I'll keep you posted.

And finally a comment from someone who used to live in the area concerning a column I wrote recently about the disappearing access to woods trails. This email came from Karen Gorham. She writes, "I just read about your disappearing trails. That is so sad. I grew up near Crystal Beach. I do like the outdoors. I have never been to Spencer’s camp. I now live in Ontario, but come home often. I enjoy going bird watching in NB. I hope something can be done about the disappearing trails and about the garbage that is left around."

Thanks for the feedback. If you have any comments, community news or events, photos or anything of interest to people in this area that you want to pass along, email them to rivervalleyrambler@inbox.com.

In Praise of Snow

2008-02-19T13:31:00.003-04:00

Another day... another storm. What is going on with this winter? It's seems every three days or so we get another major system coming up the coast dropping snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and then torrential rain on us. Could this all be related in some way to climate change? Whatever the cause, it's made life miserable for a lot of people. Snow is one thing, tough to move, but we can play in it. I like the snow. Freezing rain and rain just turn to ice and that can be deadly. Driveways and parking lots have been transformed into instant skating rinks a few times this winter. The over 70 mm of rain we received one day in February caused roads and basements to flood. It even forced a boil water order for much of Saint John. You don't want rain in the winter. Snow is much easier to get around on then ice. I think snow gets a bad rap from a lot of people and I suspect after all the rain we've had this year and given all the problems it's caused, I hope people look more fondly on good old snow. After all it is winter and this is Canada.

Musical Night a Success

2008-02-17T09:44:00.014-04:00

The theatre at River Valley Middle School was full to capacity on Friday night (Feb 15-08) for the community celebration of our musical heritage. The Grand Bay-Westfield Heritage Committee lined up a stellar cast of local performers to entertain the crowd. The varied program included everything from young Elvis impersonator Edward Mitchell from Harbourview High School to the popular country and bluegrass sounds of Reg Gallant, Jerry Cormier, Allison Inch and Murry Sheils to the impressive and powerful voices of the Saint John Men's Chorus. In between we heard performances on piano, traditional folk songs, original songs written about the area, step and highland dance demonstrations and much more. I'm not going to single out an individual performance because they were all terrific.

As the MC for the event I introduced the evening by saying it reminded me of something that could have happened in the community back in the 19th century. In fact I invited the audience to pretend they had arrived by horse and sleigh, a wood fire was burning in the front of the hall and they had all come for a night of musical entertainment provided by their friends and neighbours. That used to be the only way to enjoy music before the days of radio and digital players. That analogy worked for me especially when all the performers and the audience, accompanied by Bertis Sutton on the piano, all sang together 'Back to the River St. John'.

It was a great night. Hope you enjoy these photos all taken by Diane Bormke.

Music of the People

2008-02-13T20:28:00.004-04:00

Heritage takes many forms. It's our history and our beliefs. It's old buildings and museums. It's the way we lived our lives in the past and still do today. Our heritage is also found in our culture. Part of that culture can be found in the music we make and enjoy.

Years ago, before radio and records and digital anything, music was sung and played by family and friends. It was performed live and people would gather together to enjoy their own special style of music. Making live music in a community setting is rare today but it's happening tomorrow night (Friday, February 15) in Grand Bay-Westfield. It's a show featuring our own local performers in honour of National Heritage Week and it's called 'Music of the People'. The concert is free and hosted by the Grand Bay-Westfield Heritage Committee. It starts at 7:00 pm in the River Valley Middle School theatre. I'll be the MC of the show and a canteen is being provided by the Home and School Association. Here's the lineup.

Piper – Donna Nason

DVD – Video of NB Heritage

Reg Gallant, Jerry Cormier, Allison Inch & Murray Sheils

Allison Inch and Rhonda French – Step Dancer

Doug Losier and group

Noah McCormack on the piano and with his teacher Trish Sennett

Mary Rose Daigle on guitar and piano

Edward Mitchell – Elvis impersonator

Jordan Fisher – Piano

Harbourview Choir

INTERMISSION – Canteen courtesy of Home and School with proceeds to assist with new playground at Westfield School

Piper – Donna Nason

Janna Sherlock – Piano and Song

True North True – Beth Palmer, Lorne Blagdon and Doug Kelly

Brandon London

Bertis Sutton – Piano and Song

Kaitlyn Greer – Highland Dance

Laura Sennett Piano

Erin Boudreau
Saint John Men’s Chorus

Bertis Sutton and Audience – ‘Back to the River St. John’

It promises to be an evening of great entertainment. Hope to see you there.

Sick of Storms and Flooding

2008-02-13T19:06:00.003-04:00

It's been a miserable day. The snow and then the rain, especially the rain has made a mess of everything. You know I love the snow and winter but another storm every second day is getting difficult. The torrential rain has nowhere to go because of the ice and snow and it's pooling in all low lying areas. The result is flooded streets. I've never seen as much water on the roads as I've seen this afternoon. In Saint John the bottom of King Street was flooded and smaller cars that stalled while trying to get through the axle deep water were left abandoned. Here in Grand Bay-Westfield parts of Woolastook Drive were under water. River Valley Drive by Scholtens turned into a small lake and the highway coming into town had some dangerous sections because of all the pooling of water. I know people are dealing with flooded basements too. It's a mess and it's probably going to get worse because the rain is supposed to continue into tomorrow. The drive into the city is going to be fun in the morning. Be careful.

The Return of the Rambler

2008-02-10T18:07:00.000-04:00

The Rambler is back. After taking a break for the last few months the River Valley Rambler has returned from retirement. It made sense to end the Rambler at the time because most of the content in the column concerned outdoor activities. At the same time I was launching a new column, blog and podcast called Doing Stuff Outdoors so I decided to focus exclusively on outdoors content. It's worked very well. The Doing Stuff Outdoors program and blog is now heard and read by people all over the world. I invite you to check it out at doingstuffoutdoors.com.

But the demise of the Rambler column limited my ability to write about the local River Valley area. Sure there are plenty of outdoor related topics to write about in this region but there are also many other interesting and important things going on. I felt constrained restricting the column to only outdoor content. At the time of the change the River Valley Rambler blog reverted to postings of previous columns from years past. I was surprised to find that quite a few people still checked into the site regularly at RiverValleyRambler.com. Something else happened that encouraged me to bring back the rambler column in this paper and in a new and expanded web site. The popular Bay Info web-page dealing with community events and news shut down at the beginning of the year leaving this area without a regular web presence. At the same time people were telling me they missed the old River Valley Rambler. We're also heading into an exciting and busy period for Grand Bay-Westfield and the surrounding area. Development seems to be happening everywhere and there's a municipal election coming in the spring. The time is ripe for the return of the Rambler along with a redesigned web-site. The Doing Stuff Outdoors column will remain as a source of information about outdoor activities and will alternate with the Rambler column in this paper. But the exciting and interesting content is what I hope will develop online.

I'd like the new RiverValleyRambler.com site to fill some of the gap left by the closing of Bay Info. It has provided a valuable service to the community and I thank the producers of Bay Info for their efforts. RiverValleyRambler.com will continue mainly as a blog providing readers with a collection of thoughts, comments, reflections and ramblings about life in the River Valley area of New Brunswick. It will also contain posts of some of the old columns that have proved popular with some readers. I will endeavor to post new content and photos as often as possible. This is new material in addition to the regular column you'll find published in this paper. But for that to be successful I will need your help. I'd like to fill the site with useful and interesting information and stories about life in this community. That's where you come in.

If you have a story suggestion send it to me. If you've written a story about a person or an event happening in the area send that along as well. If you have birthday or anniversary wishes to pass on or community news of any kind send that too. I'm looking for all sorts of local content. If you have some great photos of the area, old or recent, send them too and we'll find a place for them on the Rambler site. If you know of something interesting going on in the community let me know about it and we'll pass the information along. In addition to photos and text, I'm planning to include video and specialized audio content on the site as well.

More than anything else I'd like the River Valley Rambler to become a place you visit on a regular basis to find out more about your community. I'd like you to be able to go to it often and always find something interesting, entertaining and useful there. But for this to work I'll need your input. I can't do it all myself.

The River Valley Rambler has a new email address. Send your stories, suggestions, community events and photos to rivervalleyrambler@inbox.com and check out the new site at RiverValleyRambler.com.

Disappearing Trails

2008-01-29T17:29:00.000-04:00

(This is a column recently published in the River Valley News. It should concern everyone who enjoys the outdoors in this area. Contact me at rivervalleyrambler@inbox.com)

I was skiing along one of the local trails recently when I met another trail user going for a walk. We chatted about the weather and soon the conversation turned to the changing face of the backcountry this winter. We both commented how logging operations and the plowing of some roads have cut off access to some of our favorite trails. On parting the walker suggested that if this continues we may soon have to drive to Rockwood Park in the city to get access to the outdoors. Those comments have remained with me as I've explored more of our informal trail network in the Grand Bay-Westfield area. Given what I've seen so far this winter, I fear there may be some truth to those comments.

The clear cutting is everywhere. Trees are being downed right to the edge of long time back county trails and roads that have been used by people for generations. The logging equipment and trucks are tearing up the roads, making it impossible to ski on and difficult and even dangerous in places to walk. I haven't heard complaints from ATVers and snowmobilers but I'm sure the cutting is having an impact on their enjoyment of the outdoors as well.

A major cutting operation is underway over at the four corners by the ball fields at the end of the Britain Road. The forest on both sides of the trail is leveled for a considerable way. By the old Grand Bay dump and off the Mitchell Road a new logging road extends far into the forest. The old ski trails behind the Westfield Golf Course are long gone, swallowed up in clear cuts that now extend toward the highway. This isn't a new cut but I was skiing there the other day and lamenting over the loss of that trail system. It was the only wooded trail actually made for non-motorized use in this area. One of the most popular trails around here is what some call the Backland Road beside the Golf Course. It has also seen a lot of cutting this fall and the loggers have kept the road plowed through the early part of the winter. Plowing of course makes it almost impossible to ski. Further along the trail just past the Spencer's Camp property, a new road has been cut through the woods. It doesn't look like your typical logging road because it's considerably wide. The most troubling aspect of this road is that it cuts right across the existing trail to Loch Alva. Hikers, skiers and snowmobiles have used this trail for many years. The new road chops it in half and blocks it entirely with an eight-foot ditch across the trail. ATVs and snowmobiles now have to detour to Spencer's camp to get back on the trail. Skiers and hikers can still take the old trail but must negotiate this huge ditch to get through. It doesn't seem right that a road can be built right across an existing trail like that. My skiing companions and I have explored that new road. It continues for some way and actually has two branches. I don't know who built it or why but I don't think it's a logging road. My guess is it's for a new subdivision sometime in the future. Either way, someone went to a lot of trouble and expense to build a road that right now goes nowhere.

During our explorations of the area we discovered evidence of some peoples total disrespect for other peoples property and for the environment. I hadn't visited Spencer's camp for years but the place is in ruin. Some thoughtless people went through the property and broke every window in every building. Windows and doors were forced open and ripped off the hinges. Nothing escaped the vandalism. Whoever is responsible for this had to work hard to inflict that kind of destruction. What a wasted effort.

It's also sad seeing all the garbage left around in the outdoors. Out by Belvedere Lake we came upon a spot littered with empty beer cans and bottles. They had just been tossed and left there. This was at a trail intersection and the evidence points to thoughtless snowmobilers or four-wheelers. I can't understand why people would do that. I know most hikers or skiers would never even consider leaving their garbage strewn about like that.

So even though the skiing was great, these incidents took away a little from the enjoyment of the outdoors. Given what I've seen so far this winter, especially in relation to clear cutting and trail access, perhaps it's time to consider some kind of trail plan for the Grand Bay-Westfield area. We're blessed here with a backyard full of some of the most beautiful country you'll find anywhere. But that access and the woods themselves are disappearing quickly. Maybe we need a designated trail system and some kind of protected area. We should at least start thinking about it because more and more, access to outdoor recreation plays a significant part in attracting and keeping people in a community. It really would be a shame if we had to travel to the city to enjoy the outdoors.

Christmas Greetings

2007-12-24T08:33:00.000-04:00

(This is a column originally published for Christmas in 1992. Hope you enjoy it and may you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2007-08)

The Christmas spirit touched me early this year and I'm not sure
why. Normally I don't think much about the holiday until it's almost
here but this year is different. I found myself humming Christmas
music weeks ago and I keep day dreaming about, of all things, going
for an old fashioned sleigh ride. I've never been in a horse drawn
sleigh in my life and yet there I am, at least in my imagination,
riding through the woods and over the hills toward a far off village.
I can hear the jingling sleigh bells and feel the cold on my cheeks.
It's like living in a Christmas card. This is strange behavior for
someone who tends to be a little like Scrooge at this time of year.

You see I love Christmas itself, I just don't like all the fuss
and planning and hype that goes along with it. I'm uncomfortable with
the Christmas buying frenzy that's underway now and I feel the holiday
has become much too hectic for most people. And yet, I still find
myself in this mysterious Christmassy mood.

Even the Christmas chores, as I call them, couldn't destroy the
seasonal spirit that's infected me. Putting up the outside lights is
always a miserable job. They're tangled, bulbs are missing and it
takes an hour of fiddling just to get them working. In my wisdom this
year I decided to put them up the day of our first big snow storm of
the winter. My fingers were frozen, strings of lights decided to stop
working just after I placed them at the very top of the tree. These
are the joys of Christmas. It was a frustrating afternoon but you
know once the job was done and the lights were sparkling in the trees,
that darn Christmas feeling came back again.

I probably shouldn't be feeling this way. The last few months
have been difficult and painful for a lot of people. More then ever
before, I've seen the toll this damn, never ending recession is taking
on peoples lives. Times are tough for everyone and many families are
just scraping by. Others are dealing with sickness in the family or
the death of a loved one. For many people there isn't a lot to be
happy about this holiday season.

Maybe that's why Christmas seems so special this year? Maybe
it's just the tonic we need to help us get through these difficult
times. After all, isn't the magic of Christmas partly about sharing,
and caring for others and hoping for a better future? I think it is.

Yes, I'm looking forward to the holiday this year. I guess the
spirit of Christmas has really worked it's magic on me. Who knows,
maybe those Christmas Card sleigh rides of my imagination will turn
into the real thing. I have to go. The tree still has to be
decorated and I think I hear sleigh bells.

Merry Christmas.

Allen's Wall

2007-12-10T20:28:00.000-04:00

(This is a column originally published in November, 1992. As far as I know, the wall is still there and still a mystery.)

It's not every day you go on an archeological expedition to the ruins of an old fort. It's even rarer if that fort is in your own backyard. But that's what happened one day this past summer on the Kingston Peninsula. Allen Gorham lead an expedition of sorts to the site of an old rock wall he's known about for years.

"When we were kids we came down here to play and look for Indian arrow heads and cannon balls and stuff." Allen says laughing, "Of course we didn't find any because we didn't even know what an arrow head looked like. But I've been told all my life that this wall is part of an old French fort."

The wall or fort or whatever it is stretches for about 200 feet through the woods at Gregory Point, just below Crystal Beach. It's about four feet high and three feet thick in most places and is made of field stones and boulders. It stands about a hundred feet from the waters edge, where the river bends and flows toward Westfield and Grand Bay. It's been here for a long time and yet few know of it's existence. But that could change.

Allen Gorham invited a special guest along on this expedition to the wall. He's Dr. Chris Turnbull, the Provincial Archeologist. Chris had heard about this rock structure before but never seen it. He was getting excited as he followed Allen along the beach and then through the woods toward the site. Dr. Turnbull has done this sort of thing before. He often gets asked by people to check out something on their property or an unusual structure they know about. In fact some of the most exciting archeological sites in the maritimes have been discovered this way.

After a careful examination of the wall, Chris Turnbull admitted he's never seen anything quite like this before. "The problem is that forts usually aren't just simply long walls like this, they're small enclosed areas." he said. "And French forts in particular are usually very small structures." He believes it's of European origin because native societies generally didn't build rock walls like this but he can't understand why it would be built here.

"Archeologists of course deal in probabilities and it certainly is a rock wall, it was put together by people for some reason but as to exactly when and for what reason we'd have to undertake some digging along here to uncover some artifacts." said Dr. Turnbull. "People have been living in a disposable mode for a long time and that disposal is the stuff we use to date things."

This expedition has been a great success for Allen Gorham. He's been assured by the expert that his mystery wall is indeed authentic and historic but to find out any more is going to take some digging both in the ground and in the archives. And Dr. Chris Turnbull promises this will happen at some point but he can't give Allen a date. That' OK though. The wall's been here for many years. It and Allen can wait a little longer.

For now this stone structure is being officially called "Allen"s Wall". "I'll go for that." Allen says with a hearty laugh. "I'll finally have something named after me."

Wanderlust

2007-11-24T16:12:00.000-04:00

(This is a column first published in November, 1992. Geoff and Margaret returned and did some work on their boat a few years after this. They again went back to Australia and left the boat at the marina. Some time ago, I can't remember exactly when, they returned again and put the Skookum back in the water. They sailed away and I don't know where they are now.)

I think we all have a little bit of wanderlust in us. It's a desire for adventure and a yearning for travel. It's a feeling of freedom, of going where you want, of living your life the way you want, not the way society expects you to live. Sometimes it takes very little for this wanderlust to surface especially in these stressful times. It was rekindled in me recently when I met Geoff Payne and Margaret Hough.

This young Australian couple sailed into Saint John Marina one sunny day in late October. Before they knew it the 40 foot yacht that had been their home for the last four years as they sailed half way around the world, was out of the water and on land. "This is our home. It's not just a boat." said a laughing Margaret, "This is all we've got. For somebody to lift it out of the water and put it on land is quite frightening really."

Over a cup of soup in the cozy cabin I shared in their adventure. Geoff told me how it started, how he decided to build this boat out of steel using his uncles plans. He built it in Kamloops, British Columbia and called it "Skookum" which means good and strong in west coast Indian language. Then he sent a telegram to Margaret in Australia saying: "Boat launched... exhausted... Geoff."

Together they began a four year sailing odyssey. The Skookum took them all along the BC coast, down to the Galapagos Islands, Easter Island, then around Cape Horn to the Falkland Islands and eventually to Antarctica. They would sail for a few weeks and then go ashore to
explore, meet the people and if possible work. "In the Falkland Islands I turned to drafting, roofing and finishing boats." said Geoff, "Margaret was a bar maid, fence painter, waitress and
agricultural laboratist."

Their lifestyle on board the boat was kept simple. "There's a lot of things you just cut loose when you do a trip like this." said Geoff. "No automobile, entertainment, rent, phones. No tv. All those things are gone. We live a simple life. Keeping the food up is all we need."

Every day is an adventure for Margaret and Geoff. They never know where the wind will take them. They could be out at sea for weeks at a time, isolated from even radio contact with the mainland. If something happened they don't expect anyone to come looking. They have to be self sufficient. They've survived wild seas and successfully maneuvered through an ocean of icebergs in the fog without radar.

t's not the life for everyone. It takes a special kind of person. "The hardest thing is getting up and going." said Geoff, "There was every temptation with a good job earning a good salary to stay on. Buy more, get involved with a house and a mortgage. That's the time you have to make the decision to go."

The wind and the waves brought Geoff and Margaret to our part of the world and here the sea bound portion of their adventure ends for a while. The Skookum is high and dry and will be cared for over the winter by the marina staff while Geoff and Margaret continue the adventure over land. They've picked up an old car and plan to drive back to B.C. where the expedition started four years ago. But they'll be back. After all their home is here. They look forward to
continuing their round the world voyage but not before experiencing the joys of sailing the St. John River.

I finished my soup and looked at the last few pictures of their travels. I had to get back to work, back to the reality of everyday life. But for a few minutes I was sharing in their adventure. It's comforting to know that in this complicated world in which we live it's still possible for two people like Geoff Payne and Margaret Hough to set sail in a small boat and go wherever the wind takes them.

That's wanderlust. That's freedom.

From Welsford to Nepal

2007-11-11T19:40:00.000-04:00

(Here's another column from 15 years ago. I can't remember how Steve, Don and Jonathan made out on that climb. I met up with Steve Adamson last winter on an ice climbing adventure. I know the family is still involved with climbing. Enjoy this look back to Onctober, 1992.)

It's a long way from the 600 foot top of Bald Peak in Welsford to the 24,000 foot summit of Mount Pumori, standing next to Everest in Nepal. But right now three generations of a New Brunswick family are making the trip. Steve Adamson of Welsford is leading a climbing expedition to this Himalayan peak. Joining him on the climb are his 6 year old son Jonathan and his father Don. Fifty years may separate them but it doesn't matter for this climbing family. They left for Pumori in mid September.

It's a sunny, early summer day in Welsford. Steve, Don, Jonathan and a group of their friends are picnicking on Bald Peak and rock climbing. They use the cliff on the top of Mount Douglas to practice their climbing technique. Steve's been coming up here for years. Six year old Jonathan has been climbing since he was two and he can scramble up the rock face with little effort. He'll be accompanying his father and grand dad to base camp at 16,000 feet. That means a three week trek through the lowlands of Nepal, 10 to 15 miles a day carrying a pack. Jonathan is looking forward to it.

So is his grampa Don from Rothesay. It's his third mountaineering expedition. "My goal is to get Steve to the top even if I have to push him up there myself." Don says with a laugh. "I'll go
to base camp and see what happens after that. It would be nice to get to the top but I'm not banking on that."

Steve is hoping to reach the summit this time. It's his fourth climb and he's gathered together a team of experienced climbers. On his expedition to 26,000 foot Anapurna, Steve came face to face with the dangers of mountaineering. He was caught between a rock face and a crevice when a rock fall started rumbling down from way up the mountain. "The rock fall lasted about 15 minutes and there were boulders literally the size of houses just bouncing around me and
there was nothing I could do." said Steve. "You just hope your luck holds out. My luck ran out a little bit but it still held in the end."

On that same trip Steve was also caught in an avalanche. You learn a lot from experiences like that. "What it teaches you is things like taxes and constitutional debates are pretty insignificant when you're out in a snow storm just struggling to stay alive and where you can be snuffed out in seconds by an avalanche." Steve said thoughtfully. "It really puts everything in perspective."

Don was along with his son on that Anapurna trip and although they failed to reach the summit they did successfully climb a lesser peak together. It was a high point for both of them. Dons biggest concern about this trek is altitude sickness and the giant leeches they may encounter on their hike to base camp. "The monsoons tend to bring them out." he says, "They drop out of the trees and land on you. If we survive the leeches we've got it made." Steve says he knows a technique to avoid the leeches. "You travel in single file so the person at the end gets most of the leeches and being the expedition leader I'll be at the front of course." Steve says with a
laugh. "And being the oldest I'll be at the back." complains Don. "See how the strategy for this expedition is already forming."

All kidding aside, climbing this mountain is a quest filled with danger and adventure. Steve says he does it simply because it's fun. He can't think of a more enjoyable thing to do. And if he can reach the summit it's a bonus. "When you get to the top of a mountain you didn't conquer the mountain by any means, you were just lucky enough to be allowed to climb to it's top." Steve says, "It and nature are still in charge."

Right now the Adamson's are on the other side of the world making their way up the mountain and facing who knows what kind of conditions. But on that summer day on Bald Peak the sun was shining. There were no avalanches to worry about. Mount Pumori was far, far away. But it's snow packed summit loomed nearby, in the thoughts of three generations of the Adamson family.

A Grand Bay Fairy Tale

2007-10-30T15:35:00.000-04:00

(This is I think my favorite column. It was written in October, 1992. When I read it today I can't remember all the issues that inspired it 15 years ago. I know Grand Bay had a new town council that seemed to get along after years of a previous council that did nothing but fight among themselves. I also know there was an issue over a town sign in both French and English but I can't remember the details. And I have no idea what the reference to a fox is all about. Either way it still reads like a fairy tale and I like it. Hope you do too)

The old man is standing on top of the hill, looking down at the Grand River and the forested valley that is his home. A tear runs down the old mans cheek. He is weeping for his town. The darkness has returned to the Bay folk.

In ancient times the Bay folk were ruled, as they still are, by the Grand Council. These wise men were elected to rule the land and keep the Bay folk safe. But this Grand Council turned out to be not so wise. They argued and fought among themselves. The needs of the Bay folk were forgotten. Eventually the Grand Council of the town of Bay in the land of New Brun became a laughing stock. The good New Brun people couldn't believe that members of the Grand Council would fight among themselves. Soon the New Brun people wanted nothing to do
with the poor Bay Folk. The laughing and humiliation continued for many years until the Day of Reckoning. On that day all the Grand Councilors of the Bay, who turned out to be not very wise, were thrown out and replaced by a new Council. The Bay folk rejoiced. Surely these new Grand Councilors, both men and women, would stop the fighting and deliver them from the darkness. They did and the darkness was lifted. Once again the birds sang in the forests, the fish returned to the Grand River and the Bay folk were happy.

The old man wipes his eyes, now full of tears as he weeps openly for his community. The fighting has returned and with it the darkness. You see the wise members of the new Grand Council decided in their wisdom to put up a big sign on the road welcoming all who come to the Bay. They wanted the sign to be written in both the languages spoken in the land of New Brun, so all would feel welcome. But a group of Bay merchants, led by Borm the town crier wanted the sign written in only one language, the one spoken by most of the Bay folk.

The Grandest of the Grand Councilors, the leader Fen disagreed with Borm and the others. Soon news of the dispute over the sign spread throughout the land. And the good people of Nouveau Brun laughed at the foolishness of it all. Once again the Bay folk were the laughing stock of the land. (And to make matters even worse, the Fox's were on the run again in the Bay and try as they might, the Grand Council couldn't control them.)

The old man wiped away his tears and headed down the hill. "Why must it always be like this?" he sighed. "Why can't we all get along?"

The old man walked home slowly, in sadness and shame.

Disability and Accessibility

2007-10-13T09:01:00.000-04:00

(Here's another old column I found and dusted off from September 1992. The funny thing about going through these old Ramblers is once I read them I can actually remember writing them even it if was 15 years ago. I also find I feel much the same today about the things I wrote about as I did back then. This column is no exception.

It goes back to the days before amalgamation and when Grand Bay had its own police force. The names are familiar and so are the problems. I miss those regular wheelchair basketball games. They did create a needed awareness. I assume accessibility is better today than it was 15 years ago. I sure hope it is.)

I had three experiences recently that forced me to open my eyes and look at things differently. So often we go about our lives with blinders on until something happens that makes us stop and think and hopefully see. What I saw and experienced helped change my perception of what it means to be disabled.

It started with a visit to a friend at the Regional Hospital who was about to have some repair work done on his artificial knee. His old one just wore out and needed replacing. He was confident the surgery would be successful. Later that day, as I went for my usual run I thought about my friend laid up in the hospital. I felt fortunate because my knees still allowed me to jog and do whatever else I wanted. I felt sorry for my friend. But then I remembered the time he took me exploring in a cave. I was the one having trouble getting around down there, not him. He's the one always anxious to go hiking and canoeing. I realized my friend doesn't let an artificial knee get in the way of his enjoyment of life.

A few days after that hospital visit, I found myself in a wheelchair. I was a player in the 3rd Annual Wheelchair Basketball Game at Westfield school. As usual the team from Grand Bay/Westfield took a beating from the Saint John Maverick's Wheelchair Basketball Team. There were plenty of laughs as our team members awkwardly tried to play the game sitting in a wheelchair. Westfield councilor Allen Day had trouble staying in his. He kept flipping it over on himself.

Norm Adams of the Grand Bay Police couldn't quite figure out how to dribble the ball and drive the chair at the same time. As for me, I'm useless at basketball standing on two feet, let alone in a wheelchair. But we all had fun trying. And it opened my eyes again.

Peter Brooker, one of the organizers of the game, wanted to show everyone there, players and spectators, that being disabled does not mean the end of one's life. The disabled can participate in any community activity as long as the barriers are removed. "Access is a right. It's not a privilege." says Peter, "Once people and politicians realize that, then we might eventually have a barrier free society." Peter is happy to see more ramps and elevators for the disabled being installed in the Grand Bay/Westfield area. But of course, much more needs to be done.

That same week I experienced another eye opener in the form of an obituary notice in the newspaper. The headlines read Hollywood actor Anthony Perkins dies of AIDS. Anthony Perkins, if you don't know became famous by playing the murderous Norman Bates in Alfred
Hitchcock's film Psycho. Normally I would have just glanced at the article and turned the page. But something caught my attention and held it. Perkins released a statement just before his death. This is what he said: "There are many who believe that this disease is God's vengeance but I believe it was sent to teach people how to love and understand and have compassion for each other. I have learned more about love, selflessness and human understanding from the people I have met in this great adventure in the world of AIDS than I ever did in the cut-throat, competitive world in which I spent my life."

Surely living with a disease like AIDS has to be one of the most disabling experiences one could have. And yet Anthony Perkins faced it with courage. He didn't let the disease rob him of his humanity and he actually grew as a person by the experience.

My eyes have opened a little. I still have a lot to learn.

Remembering Horse Farming Days

2007-09-19T16:44:00.000-04:00

(Here's another Retro-Rambler from September of 1992. Bill Lennan was organizing his third Horse Farming Days event on his farm at Carters Point. He did it for a number of years back in the 90's to introduce people to horse farming and raise some money for the IWK Hospital. They were always enjoyable events, something you could bring the entire family to. I miss them.)

Dot stares at me with her big brown eyes as I rub her nose. Jim snorts to get my attention because he wants his nose rubbed too. Jim and Dot are horses, big muscular work horses, a mixture of Belgium and Percheon. They're the kind of draft horses farmers depended on to get
the work done in days gone by. On the last weekend of September you'll have a chance to see Jim and Dot and over ten other teams of work horses at the 3rd Annual River Valley Horse Farming Days.

"We got some potatoes to dig and plowing to do, oats to thrash and some more to cut." says Bill Lennan with a big grin. He's the organizer of this weekend long demonstration of the way farming with horses used to be. The event takes place on his farm at Carters Point on the Kingston Peninsula. Last year over 300 people showed up to watch the teams plow up four acres of field on a hill overlooking the St. John River. They came from all over southern New Brunswick and even Nova Scotia.

This year in addition to the plowing Bill's going to dig potatoes with some old horse drawn potato diggers. The thrashing machines will be back and the old "Make and Break" engines used to power them. There'll be an old fashioned binder there to cut and wrap the grain. Bill also hopes to have a blacksmith working on site and have a demonstration of an old cider press. "I'd like to get some entertainment, some music this year. Maybe get some square dancers in if I can get a floor built in time. They'd kinda trip on the grass wouldn't they?" Bill asks with a smile. The only thing he knows for sure is the horses will be there. Draft horse owners from all over the area come because it's one of the few opportunities they have to work their animals and show people what horses can do. It's a celebration of simpler times, the way farming was done in the days before tractors.

"The first tractor came to this settlement of Carters Point in 1939 so up until then it was all done by horse. Even in the 40's dad plowed a lot with his horses. The haying was all done with the horses for a long time after that. The first tractor we got here on this place was in 1953." says Bill.

He doesn't work the family farm anymore. But Bill still has his horses Dot and Jim and he still enjoys hitching them up to the plow. He can't explain why he loves it so much or why he goes to all the trouble of holding this event every year. "It is ridiculous when you think about it." says Bill. "Work myself pretty well to death getting ready, worry and fret and you always forget something. But you look forward to it. Each year when it's over you start making plans for the next year."

The 3rd Annual River Valley Horse Farming Days is on Saturday and Sunday from about 10 am to 5 pm both days. Admission is free and there's a canteen and washroom facilities on the site. Bill's farm is just 3.5 miles above the Westfield Ferry, past Crystal Beach. He'll have a sign on the highway pointing out his farm. Just follow the road past the house and down to the river. Jim and Dot will be waiting for you.

Ya Hoo's on the Road

2007-08-25T11:32:00.000-04:00

(Here's another column from the summer of 1992. My sense is that careless driving isn't as big a problem now as it was back then, especially among young people. But then again, the New Brunswick RCMP recently released statistics on the number of traffic deaths in the province and how most fatalities are the result of people not wearing seat belts or the improper use of t seat belts. This problem is more serious among young people despite all the warnings about seatbelt use. So either way this column is just as relevant today as it was 15 years ago.)

The wife of TV's Mr. Dressup didn't know it was coming. The car drove right up on the sidewalk where she was walking in downtown Toronto, pinned her against a store front and killed her. The same thing happened to a pro football player in the United States recently. He was working at home in the garden when a truck ran him down and killed him in his front yard. And then there was that terrible school bus accident that killed a young girl in Chatham while her mother watched from the house. Freak accidents? Yes, but they're happening more and more and one begins to wonder how safe we are anywhere, especially as pedestrians.

There are few sidewalks in Grand Bay or Westfield. That means if we're going to walk or jog or ride our bikes we have to do most of it on the road. Every time our kids go out the door they're sharing road space with the cars and trucks. It's a workable situation if everyone, drivers and walkers, follow the rules, but that doesn't happen all the time.

I'm a runner and I often jog through the streets of Grand Bay. One of the greatest threats to pedestrian safety I see are these creatures I choose to call the "Ya Hoo's". They're usually in their teens or twenties and are normally nice enough creatures, until they get behind the wheel of a car. Then something happens to them, usually on a Friday or Saturday evening. For some reason they feel compelled to drive fast and carelessly around the streets of our neighbourhood. The "Ya Hoo's" squeal tires and kick up clouds of dust as they wheel at breakneck speeds through our quiet residential streets. On a recent Saturday night jog I witnessed one speeding car load of "Ya Hoos" barely negotiate the curve at the bottom of Woolastook Drive. On another occasion a car load of drunken "Ya Hoo's", in a hurry to get to the party, passed me on a curve just as we got off the Westfield ferry at Hardings Point.

I understand the urge of the "Ya Hoo" to want to drive fast. I think it has something to do with hormones at that age. But whatever the cause, driving fast and recklessly on the same streets where people are walking and jogging and kids are playing is bad business. Someone is going to get hurt or killed if the "Ya Hoos" continue to play their deadly game.

If you're a motorist (Ya Hoo's included) there are a few simple things you can do to help keep our residential streets safe. Slow down. Drive the speed limit or below. Those could be your kids playing on the street. And when you pass by a pedestrian give them as wide a berth as possible. I think some drivers make a game of trying to drive as close to pedestrians as possible without knocking them down.

Pedestrians have responsibilities too. Chief Arnold Landers of the Grand Bay Police says there are important rules to be followed, like walking in single file on the left hand shoulder of the road, facing the oncoming traffic. Groups of walkers, (especially kids) should remember to keep to the side of the road. Drivers find it annoying negotiating their way through a group of kids walking five abreast who refuse to get out of the way. If you're out walking after dark wear something light and preferably reflective so the cars can see you. And if you're a cyclist, make sure you follow the rules of the road and wear a helmet.

It is possible to keep our streets safe. But we all have to do our part.

Historical Westfield

2007-08-16T21:03:00.001-04:00

(Here's another column from the summer of 1992. It's about a summer project collecting the history of Westfield back in the days when there was a separate Village called Westfield. I don't know if Susanne ever got that book together. I do know that history is being made this weekend in Grand Bay-Westfield with the opening of the new River Centre at Brundage Point. Hope you plan to take in the activities.)

Susanne Sutton, like other university students, is doing some traveling this summer. But her traveling is taking her back in time. She's riding on the memories of others, back to the early days of her community. Susanne is the official historical researcher for the Village of Westfield. This is the first time the village has ever hired anyone to research it's rich heritage. And it's turned out to be a great summer job for Susanne.

"It's a very humbling experience because I've been living here for 20 years and I thought I knew quite a bit about the village but I don't know anything." says Susanne. "What I know is a drop in the bucket.

It's that desire to know more and that natural curiosity that makes her perfect for this job. Susanne has always been interested in history and heritage. In high school she wrote a short history of the village as part of an exchange program. This summer she's building on that early interest with her job as historical researcher. Susanne is busy meeting residents and recording their personal stories and memories on audio tape. She's also collecting old photographs and
other objects of historical significance. Right now all her time is consumed by just gathering this material. She'd like to compile it into a written report or book but doesn't think she'll have the time this summer.

"I feel like it's my baby now." Susanne says with a smile, hoping that a way will be found for her to finish what she started this summer.

Susanne knows about the official, recorded history of the village. Indians inhabited the area first followed by French traders and then the Loyalists arrived. The very first Loyalist settler was Henry Nase of New York. Others soon followed like John Coffin who was a General in the British army and a member of the Legislative Assembly. The Parish of Westfield was established in 1786.

But it's the personal history that Susanne enjoys the most. There are few written records so Susanne depends on the stories and memories of residents, passed on by word of mouth. By far the biggest story in the villages past is the great fire of 1921. Everything in Westfield is dated pre or post fire. It covered a huge area from Ononette to way up the Nerepis. A few people have their own memories of the fire but many others know of it only through their own family stories. Some people even have mementos, like the woman who cherishes a side board that was saved from the flames by being thrown in a marsh.

Susanne has also collected a lot of information about the Maple Inn. This place has special memories for many people in Westfield. It was an old fashioned Inn overlooking the Nerepis. Isabel Norman owned and operated it and she had guests who stayed every summer as well as
boarders. The Maple Inn closed in the late 1950's. In her research, Susanne has come to know the people involved. She has many old photographs of the place and the people. History has come alive for her.

Some of the best stories Susanne hears she can't use. "People say if you turn off the tape recorder I'll tell you a real good one." Susanne says laughing. "I love those stories but I'm not including them because people have asked me not to."

This summer job has taken over Susanne Sutton's life. She lives here so she's immersed in it all the time. Susanne looks at her village differently now. She sees old buildings and knows something about their past. She can see things that others can't because she's aware of what used to be. "The more you find out," she concludes, "The more you realize there is to find out."

Little Boys, Summer and Frogs

2007-08-11T20:33:00.000-04:00

(Here's another retro-column from the summer of 1992. My son Brendan mentioned here was a little boy then and is now an adult. Where has the time gone?)

Little boys, summer and frogs go together. If there's a pond, there are usually frogs in it and boys on the bank trying to catch them. I have an eight year old named Brendan who is frog crazy. It started early in the summer when Brendan discovered a tadpole gold mine in the ditch running the length of the field at River Valley Junior High School. Tadpoles of course turn into frogs and then little boys turn into froggers.

One of Brendan's early frogging expeditions was a walk through a bog on the Kingston Peninsula with members of the Saint John Naturalist's Club. While everyone else was searching for bog plants, Brendan kept an alert eye out for frogs and he caught two. Don McAlpine, a Grand Bay resident and a zoologist at the New Brunswick Museum was on the hike that day and gave Brendan some helpful pointers on the care and handling of frogs. Don knows all about them. He's the eastern Canadian co-ordinator of the International Declining Amphibians Task Force. This group is concerned about the dropping populations of frogs worldwide. In some places they've become extinct. Don patiently explained to Brendan how to carefully hold a frog, how they need clean water and most important of all, how the bog is their home and the place they should stay. Brendan let his frogs go and came home happy for the experience.

A few days after the bog walk Brendan visited a small pond up the hill from our house in Grand Bay. He found plenty of frogs there. They were dead, lying on their backs in the mud with holes in their bodies. Some had been mangled and squashed. Brendan and his friends did manage to catch five live frogs that day although they appeared to be injured too. The kids brought them home and put them in a wading pool in the back yard. Unfortunately, a few hours later, four of the frogs were dead, either from the sun or from their injuries. Brendan and his friends felt bad.

When the kids returned the one remaining live frog to the pond they discovered why the frogs were dying. Two neighbourhood boys, nine or ten years old and armed with a pellet rifle, were at the pond shooting frogs indiscriminately. They wounded some and killed others. They must have been at it for a long time judging by the carnage on the shore and the number of injured frogs.

"It's hard to believe how in this day and age, with so much talk about environmental issues and preserving wildlife, that kids would do such a thing." Don McAlpine says sadly. "It underlines how much more needs to be done."

This was a senseless slaughter of wildlife. But I think Brendan and his friends learned something from it. Brendan says he won't bring frogs home anymore because he doesn't want them to die. He'll still catch them but he won't take them away from the pond. He'll look at them and then release them. And if he does, chances are other boys in other summers will also have frogs to catch and enjoy.

Naturalist's Club Celebrate Anniversary

2007-08-03T08:31:00.000-04:00

(This column was first published in the River Valley News in the summer of 1992. I remember spending that Saturday with the club as if it were yesterday. It's hard to believe it was 15 years ago. The Saint John Naturalist's Club is now 45 years old and still going strong and as far as I know, always looking for new members.)

The weather forecast called for showers. Instead the sun shone, bright and hot. Even the mosquitoes stayed away. Ok, some mosquitoes. Mother nature herself seemed to know something special was happening on the Kingston Peninsula that last weekend of June. And it was special. Mother natures soul mates, members of the Saint John Naturalist's Club were having a 30th anniversary party. And they couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate nature.

The tents started going up Thursday at the home of Allen and Janet Gorham on Pancake Hill, just below Crystal Beach. By Saturday there were tents everywhere. It looked like a mini Woodstock Festival. Close to 70 members of the Naturalist's Club made the trek to the Gorham's that weekend. Some came from as far away as Sussex. Others just canoed across the river from their home in Westfield. It was a powerful gathering of like minded people, according to Linda Caron, the president of the club and a resident of Grand Bay. "We all needed to spend some time together as a group." says Linda, "And for more then just the hour we spend at our regular meetings."

Janet Gorham, the former president of the club, invited the group to her home for this 30th anniversary party. She wanted this to be a special celebration. The Saint John Naturalist's Club was started back in 1962 by David Christie. On Saturday night he was the guest of honour at an anniversary supper consisting of among other things, beans. But not just any pork and beans. This old fashioned treat cooked all night in a big iron bean pot, buried on the beach in the embers of Friday nights fire. After the bean feast, awards were handed out and all members enjoyed a slice of anniversary cake decorated with yellow lady slippers, the new symbol for the club. Mitzi Withers of Bayswater designed a club pin depicting the yellow lady slipper in honour of Tom Page, a recently deceased member. The new pins arrived just in time for the anniversary weekend.

It wasn't all eating and meeting. The naturalists got out and explored nature too. Saturday morning saw the group hike to a bog on the peninsula. They call it Allen Gorham's bog. He's been coming here for 44 years and he says it hasn't changed a bit. Birder Jim Wilson led a group of bird watchers through the bog. Botanist Molly Smith did the same with a group of plant lovers. The kids loved finding the insect eating pitcher plants and the round leaf sundews. Frank and Mitzi Withers had a knack for finding last years cranberries and forcing everyone to taste the bitter things. Jocelyn Steeves, the bird house lady of Westfield, kept an eye out for bog birds and Don McAlpine of Grand Bay kept an eye on his kids. One of them disappeared in a sink hole and got soaked up to her arm pits. Even experienced bog hopper Molly Smith had to be rescued from one soggy spot that wanted her boots. Everyone survived the adventure and learned a lot.

There was still time in the day for a swim in the river, a paddle in the canoe and more hiking. Or if you preferred, a little snooze in the tent. Saturday night after supper the party ended with a bonfire on the beach. These naturalists may know about nature but most know very little about music. Anyone listening to their campfire sing song could attest to that. Maybe it was the "Campfire songs of Newfoundland" song sheets they were using? But everyone had a good time. The 30th anniversary party ended with a bang. It was a huge success.

"It's nice hanging around with these people." says president Linda Caron, "There's a lot of energy in this group. You learn a lot." And what better place for a group like the Saint John Naturalist's Club to gather then here in the River Valley, a place of incredible natural beauty. Happy 30th Anniversary.

The Early Days of Recycling

2007-07-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

(Before there was a Crane Mountain Landfill... before the recycling bins we have now... there was a movement in the River Valley to get on the recycling bandwagon. This column from the summer of 92 describes those first green attempts.)

On most clotheslines around here at this time of year you'll find clothing hanging out to dry. Not on ours. Oh sure there'll be the odd shirt or pair of socks drip drying out there in the fresh Grand Bay air. But the clothes are never alone on our line. Most days they share space with about a zillion plastic bags, clothes pegged and flapping in the breeze. We take all the plastic bags from milk and bread and everything else that comes wrapped in them, wash the bags, hang them on the line to dry and then re-use or recycle them.

We do the same with glass jars, aluminium cans, cardboard and old newspapers, except we don't hang them on the clothesline. We recycle in this house and that's good according to all the experts. The Fundy Solid Waste Action Team urges us all to follow the three R's of waste reduction, Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.

Being environmentally responsible isn't the easiest thing to do in the River Valley. We can take plastic bags to the Co-op or Sobeys for recycling but cans, glass and news print have to go into the city. We drop the stuff off regularly at Saint John Recycling on Rothesay Avenue. Storing it all in the house until there's enough for a drop off and then making the trek into town is sometimes inconvenient. But that's about to change.

Recycling is coming to us. Brand new recycling containers are standing near Pauls Restaurant. They're called bells. One is for aluminum cans and the other for white glass. There's also a specially designed container just for newspaper. We have the Kiwanis Club of Western Kings to thank for this. Vaughan Morris is the chairperson of the Kiwanis Recycling Committee. He came to the conclusion this would be a good project for the Kiwanis after noticing his wife loading the car with glass and paper for a trip to the city. The business community and the Chamber of Commerce soon became involved with a pledge of financial support for the project. They're going to try it for a year but Vaughan is confident it will continue.

"We've watched these environmental problems happen and we've let them happen." Vaughan says. Eventually he'd also like to go into the schools with programs to educate younger people about recycling. "We have to do things to help our community that will have a bearing 25 years from now." says Vaughan.

The official opening of our local recycling depot is on Saturday, May 23/92. It's being held in conjunction with "Green Up Day". That's appropriate because both contribute to making the River Valley a cleaner and greener place to live. Now that recycling is easier to do let's hope more of us around here start doing it. And who knows, one day there may be more plastic bags hanging on clothes lines than socks.

The Bird House Lady of Westfield

2007-07-20T21:43:00.000-04:00

(This weeks Retro-Rambler column was first published in the River Valley News on June 25/1992. That was 15 years ago. I don't know if Jocelyn still makes her bird houses or not.)

Jocelyn Steeves is sitting on the front porch of her Westfield home enjoying the morning sun. From here she can see all the way up the Long Reach. In between sips of orange juice, Jocelyn is making entries in her bird diary. She keeps records of bird sightings for the naturalist club. It's quiet this morning, except for the occasional car passing by and the birds. They're everywhere. Blue jays, rose breasted grosbeaks, sparrows, all taking turns at the feeder and all chirping loudly.

Jocelyn is known as "The Bird House Lady of Westfield". She has sixteen purple martin and tree swallow houses scattered around her property as well as numerous feeders. When Jocelyn moved to Westfield eleven years ago there were no birds around here. That changed when she started building the houses and feeders. It's a hobby she's had since she was a kid. Jocelyn makes them all from scratch in her shop above the garage. She sells them at craft sales and from her home and people are buying. Her biggest bird house is an apartment block for purple martins. It weights about fifty pounds and has up to sixteen separate compartments for the birds to live in.

"A lot of people are surprised that a woman is making these bird houses," Jocelyn says, "They expect to see an older, retired gentleman doing the hobby." Many of her customers come back year after year to pick up something new and to ask questions. Lately she's even had requests for bat houses. "Maybe that's the next thing I'll get into," she says with a laugh.

As a bird watcher and naturalist, Jocelyn is troubled by two things. There are no purple martins this summer. She lost them all during a cold, rainy spring two years ago and they haven't returned. Last summer she heard three of them but there hasn't been a peep from the purple martins so far this year. Her houses have been home to generations of the birds. Now they sit empty and silent. She doesn't know where the purple martins have gone and she misses them. Jocelyne's other problem is her cat. One of her four felines likes catching birds. She's attaching a bell around the cats neck to warn the birds but if that doesn't work she'll have to tie the cat up. It ust won't due for a bird lover like Jocelyn to have a cat that loves birds too. But for completely different reasons.

On the brighter side, Jocelyn is pleased to see more birds then normal at her feeders. Usually by now the numbers are down but not this summer. And nine pairs of tree swallows have made Jocelyn's yard their home. They've moved into her bird houses to live and to raise their young. And for Jocelyn Steeves, the bird house lady of Westfield, that's what it's all about.

The First Rambler – Hiking to the top of Bald Peak

2007-07-12T15:39:00.000-04:00

(This is the first post in what I like to call the Retro-Rambler series. Over the last 15 years I've written over 350 columns for the River Valley News. I'll be weeding through them and posting some of these old columns on a regular basis. Think of it as a trip down memory lane. You may be surprised by how little has really changed over the years. We're beginning with the very first column written for the paper. Hope you enjoy the new format for this blog. Please leave your comments and be sure to check out the new column and podcasts at doingstuffoutdoors.com)

When you first stand on the summit of Bald Peak, the combined force of the wind and the spectacular view literally takes your breath away. The Nerepis Valley stretches out to your left. Off in the distance you can see Grand Bay and a few white dots that are actually houses in Brandy Point. In front of you sweeps an endless carpet of trees, broken occasionally by a lake or bog or man made microwavetower and behind you, the even higher summit of Mount Champlain rises. This looks and feels like big mountain country and it's right here in
the River Valley.

A hike to the top of Bald Peak in Welsford is always an adventure for our family. We've been making the trek every fall since we moved to Grand Bay. I first heard about the trail from Dave Goss. He told me about a hike that starts behind the Welsford school and leads all
the way to the top of what is actually Mount Douglas. A huge rock caps the summit and that's why it's called Bald Peak. He also said it was a perfect lookout to view the fall foliage. Boy was he right. This walk has become an autumn tradition for us and for many others as we
soon discovered.

In all the years we've made the climb, we've only ever seen one other person on the trail. But the mountain was crowded this sunny Thanksgiving Sunday. Before we had parked the van we spotted another family getting out of their car. They were friends from the city and
this was their first attempt at the summit so we hiked together. We met others on the trail. Percy and Pat Perrin of Grand Bay were on their way down. We met and passed Grand Bay town councillor Michael Murphy and his family. Mike had his young daughter perched on his
shoulders. The peak was even busier as climbers leisurely soaked up the view. Five students from the Community College in St. Andrews were rock climbing on the fifty foot cliff that crowns the summit. John and Susan Sheehan of Grand Bay were there with their kids and a
relative who used to live in South America. She commented the mountains in Peru are higher but the River valley is just as pretty.

When we arrived at the peak we found Dave Jones lounging in the"Devils Chair". He's the Saint John police officer who patrols Rockwood Park on horseback. He used to live in Welsford and remembers coming up here as a child. This is where his father told him the
story of the "devils chair". It's actually a large boulder on the summit with a natural hollow in it for sitting. Smaller rocks nearby are the "Devils Foot stool" and a few feet away, indentations in the rock or "the devils foot prints" are clearly visible.

The hike up Bald Peak can be done by anyone of any age at any time of the year. I've made the climb in the snow on Boxing Day and in the spring. (I once took all the kids attending my sons birthday party.) In the new book, "A Hiking Guide to New Brunswick" by Marriane and H. A. Eiselt, the 2.5 km (1.6 mile) return trail is described as being of moderate difficulty with a return hiking time of an hour and a quarter. The clearly marked trail rises 650 feet to the summit. It starts behind Welsford school and to the right of the schoolyard. A short dirt road to the left will lead you to the base. You'll know you're there when you see a collection of old rusted vehicles. Don't worry, this unsightly junk will soon be forgotten once you start on
the climb. The trail is sheltered from the wind so at this time of year you probably won't need a lot of extra clothing for the hike but you'll need a warm jacket for the top. Normally running shoes are fine for your feet although if it's been raining rubber boots are a good idea. We usually take a back pack along full of apples, chocolate bars and other treats for the summit. A camera and binoculars are a must.

The fall foliage may be past its prime but there are still plenty of good reasons to make the trek. The climb is exhilarating. It's good exercise. It's something the whole family can do together
and it doesn't cost a thing. The view from the top is spectacular and makes it all worthwhile. Just one climb up Bald Peak and it will probably become a fall tradition for your family too.

Last Rambler

2007-06-29T20:34:00.000-04:00

Summer is here officially and it's the season that marks the end of certain things. The end of school for another year. The end of work for a while and the beginning of summer vacation. This summer I'm also marking the end of two things that have been important to me for many years.

Last Friday I went to the old YM-YWCA on Hazen Avenue for the last time. As you know the Y is moving to a new temporary location in Prince Edward Square Mall. The old building that was put up the same year I was born in 1954, has a date with the wreckers ball. It's coming down to make way for a new Justice Complex to be built on the site.

I've been a member of the Y for most of the last 15 years. I would visit the facility almost every weekday to go for a run or work out on the equipment or just enjoy a relaxing sauna in the steam room. And every time I'd go, I'd meet friends there. Going to the Y was the break in the day that I always looked forward to. I'll still go to the Y and I'm sure the new facility will be nice but I'll still miss the old place.

For about as long as I've been going to the YM-YWCA, I've been writing this column. I can't remember when it started but it has to be close to 15 years ago. It feels like it anyway. This column is going to be the last River Valley Rambler. It doesn't mean I'm going to stop writing a regular column in the River Valley News. I'm just making a change.

If you've checked the blog recently at rivervalleyrambler.com you will have noticed another name and links to another site called Doing Stuff Outdoors. It's the home of another project I've started that includes a regular audio podcast and soon I hope, an on-line video program about outdoor adventure and recreation. It's a place to find audio and video adventures for outdoor enthusiasts. And I'd like to expand the site to include more written content and photographs. I realize I can't do everything and managing that project along with writing regular columns and other content for the River Valley Rambler blog is just becoming too difficult.

So starting with the next edition of the paper I'm changing the name of the column from River Valley Rambler to Doing Stuff Outdoors. It's not really a stretch since most of the things I've written about here over the years have had something to do with the outdoors. This allows me to better focus my energies in an area that I'm really interested in and I hope you are too. In addition to this column about outdoor activities in this area, I'll also be posting other outdoor related content from all over the world on the site at doingstuffoutdoors.com. This is in addition to the podcast that I hope you'll listen to and subscribe to in iTunes and other podcast directories.

And as for the River Valley Rambler... well it isn't disappearing altogether. The site on the internet will still be there. I like to think of it now as the retro-rambler. Over the years I've written over 360 rambler columns, almost one for every day of the year. I'm going to go through these past columns and post some of what I think to be the more interesting ones and give you another chance to read them. Maybe I'll put all 361 of them on-line. They'll be updated on a regular basis. So be sure to check out the site at rivervalleyrambler.com.

So this is the end of some things and a new beginning for others. I've enjoyed being the River Valley Rambler for these many years and I look forward to continuing and building on that tradition by writing about outdoors people, places, adventures, fitness, gear and many, many other topics.

Doing Stuff Outdoors-09 Podcast

2007-06-29T20:19:00.000-04:00

In this edition of DSO, the adventure podcast for outdoor enthusiasts we’re going to meet a man who combines his love of art with his passion for the outdoors. Cory Trepanier is a painter who throughout his career has expressed his artistic vision by painting some aspect of the outdoors. Often he brings his whole family with him on these excursions into the wilderness. His latest project is a three year expedition into the Canadian north. It’s called ‘Into the Arctic: An Artists Journey to the North’. He’s also produced a television documentary about his family adventure that includes spectacular scenery, frightening storms and encounters with grizzly bears. Cory Trepanier is our feature interview today on
Doing Stuff Outdoors.

Lorne Blagdon returns with another edition of Trail Magic, his ongoing series about life hiking the Appalachian Trail. This week he talks about how bad thru-hikers smell after days and weeks on the trail. He comments on the pain of blisters and how some stores along the trail try to gouge hikers. But when the going gets tough is when the real trail magic happens.

Next week we have a special tenth anniversary show on DSO. For program number ten we’re going whitewater kayaking in the world famous Reversing Falls in Saint John, New Brunswick. It’s the second annual Reverse Freestyle Kayak and BoaterX competition bringing together the best freestyle kayakers from the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario and Maine. We’ll take in the action and meet some of the paddlers. Be sure to join us on the next edition of Doing Stuff Outdoors.

Doing Stuff Outdoors-08 Podcast

2007-06-23T12:06:00.000-04:00

Today on Doing Stuff Outdoors, the adventure podcast for outdoor enthusiasts, we meet a man who's experienced adventure close up. Ray Zahab is a Canadian adventure racer, ultra-marathoner, rock climber, coach and motivational speaker. In 2006 Ray along with two others embarked on an epic 111 day, 7000 km run across the Sahara Desert. It's an amazing story and Ray Zahab will share it with us on this podcast.

On All Things Outdoors we'll tell you about a new highway being built to the base camp of Mount Everest, we'll talk a little about hiking sandals and we'll tell you about the 'Patch', a special place in the mountains where snow lingers late into the summer.

We also have interesting correspondence from listeners in Australia and the UK. If you want to contact DSO with your comments, story suggestions or just to say hi, you can reach us at doingstuffoutdoors@yahoo.ca

Doing Stuff Outdoors-07 Podcast

2007-06-16T10:36:00.000-04:00

On this weeks show we'll take you for a kayak paddle on the mighty St. John River in New Brunswick, Canada. For part of its run this river forms the border between Maine and New Brunswick before it empties into the Bay of Fundy, home of the highest tides in the world. Gary introduces us to his home-made sea kayak and his favorite river.

Also this week running guru Alex Coffin is back with some advice for people who want to make the switch from walking to running. He'll have some tips on how to make the transition without injury.

On 'All Things Outdoors', the new name of our news package we'll look at one possible impact of global warming.

And we'll share an email with a listener from Australia who's getting ready for the ski season down under.

Featured Podsafe Music this week is from Brian Turner.

Next time on Doing Stuff Outdoors we will have a feature interview with a man who ran across the Sahara Desert.

Send along your comments and suggestions to doingstuffoutdoors@yahoo.ca

Rivers and Runs

2007-06-13T18:11:00.000-04:00

It was hot and humid in Saint John today and I expected the same when I headed home to GBW. Instead the wind picked up and the temperature started dropping. The clouds rolled in and by the time I got in the house I started closing windows. I don't know what gives with the weather anymore but I'll take the heat anytime I can get it. Had it been as nice as it was this afternoon I likely would have taken the kayak to Westfield Beach for an evening paddle. You can do things like come home from work and paddle for an hour when you live in a place like this. I know people in Toronto who would love to be able to do that.

So no fun on the river tonight but the old St. John is looking good. I was at the ferry landing a couple of days ago and the new development is looking good too. The building is up although not yet finished. The parking lot is paved and the landscaping is underway. The new river centre is supposed to open some time in July. I'm still not sure exactly what will be in there initially. I know the town's tourist information centre is vacating the caboose and moving into the new river centre or trailhead building or whatever it's officially being called. I hear eventually there will be some food services in there. And a kayak/canoe rental operation is also supposed to be somewhere on site. Whatever it houses it'll be a welcome addition to the community.

If you're coming on July 1st for the Canada Day Half Marathon you can check out the new development as you run by the ferry landing. The run this year promises to be bigger and better than ever. Organizers are hoping for 500 entries. As usual the run begins and ends at the River Valley Community Centre. In addition to the half marathon, 10k and 5k there will be a special nordic walking category in the 10 k event. Nordic walking is walking with the help of poles. It's the newest fitness craze because it also gives your arms and upper body a good workout. And of course the 5 and 10 k events are also open to walkers so you don't have to be a runner to participate. The race begins at 9:00 am with the awards ceremony scheduled for 11:30. All the money raised this year goes to support the building of a running track at River Valley Middle School.

So it doesn't get any better than celebrating Canada Day with a run by the river in Grand Bay-Westfield and then going for a paddle or a swim in the river. My Toronto friends are jealous.

Doing Stuff Outdoors-06 Podcast

2007-06-07T14:56:00.000-04:00

In this weeks show we go to Scotland for a feature interview with Cameron McNeish. He’s a wilderness hiker, backpacker, author and broadcaster. With 16 books to his credit and appearances on many outdoor radio and television programs for the BBC, Cameron is one of the UK’s best known mountain walkers and commentators. In this edition of ‘Doing Stuff Outdoors’ Cameron talks about his life in the Scottish Highlands, his love of wild places, his work as an environmentalist, his many adventures in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and his joy of being able to walk in the footsteps of his role model, John Muir. Check out his website and podcast at The Wilderness World of Cameron McNeish.

Also on the program Lorne Blagdon shares some more Trail Magic with us. This time he takes us to Springer Mountain in Georgia for the start of his through-hike on the Appalachian Trail. He’ll tell us how to survive encounters with poison ivy, heavy rain and big bears.

Also outdoor news about the sale of two major ski areas in Maine, Sunday River and Sugarloaf USA. And we’ll tell you how you can be a part of the show. We want to hear your stories of adventure in the great outdoors. Tell us about that mountain you climbed, that beautiful trail you hiked, your last kayak trip or the crazy thing that happened to you when you went for a walk in the park. Just email us and tell us how to get in touch with you and we’ll give you a call. We want you to be on ‘Doing Stuff Outdoors’. It’s your show about your outdoor adventures.

Email us at doingstuffoutdoors@yahoo.ca

And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Odeo, Podcast Alley or other podcast directories.

Doing Stuff Outdoors-05 Podcast

2007-06-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

We’re trying to get the show out a little earlier each week so it’s available by the weekend; since many of the topics we cover on Doing Stuff Outdoors are activities many people do on weekends.

So on this edition… a feature interview with Lou Dawson. He is a writer and photographer who specializes in writing about backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering, and is well known as the first man to ski down all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks. Lou is the author of Dawson’s Guides to Colorado’s Fourteener’s, several other books, and numerous magazine articles. In 2005 Lou was inducted into the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame. Lou Dawson’s popular website and blog is called www.WildSnow.com. In the interview Lou tells Gary about his early morning backcountry ski trips into the mountains and his life as a ‘total outdoorsman’.

Alex Coffin is back with another running tip. He has some suggestions for those fair weather runners who hibernate all winter and then grab the sneakers come spring.

In outdoor news we have the story of a hero on Mount Everest and good early season snowfalls in Australia.

Our music this week includes two good podsafe tunes from Citizen Six and Brain Bucket.

Next time on Doing Stuff Outdoors we’ll visit the Wilderness World of Cameron McNeish. We’ll have a feature interview with mountaineer, lecturer and author Cameron McNeish, long recognised as one of Britain’s best-known outdoor commentators.

Bears, Bugs and Bambi

2007-05-30T12:59:00.000-04:00

Finally spring is beginning to feel like spring, maybe even a little like summer. The temperature is getting higher. We're even seeing some sunshine on occasion. The grass is growing and leaves are bursting out. Life is returning after the winter. And that means the critters are back and they want to play.

I was out for one of my regular runs a few days ago. I usually take a short cut through that little path in the woods between Woolastook Drive and the middle school. I was coming through there, head down concentrating on my footing as it was a little muddy when I looked up and saw the rear end of a white-tail a few metres away. I almost ran into two deer standing in the middle of the path. I startled them as much as they surprised me because as soon as we locked eyes, they tore off into the woods. It was just a matter of a few seconds before they completely disappeared in the foliage. It was cool going for a run in the neighbourhood and almost bumping into a deer. But I'm sure that gardeners in the area feel differently about Bambi and her buddies after they’ve devoured flowers and other plants growing in the garden.

Deer aren't the only critters on the prowl in Grand Bay-Westfield. Neighbours of mine are complaining that a bear or bears are back. They've gotten into the garbage and made a nuisance of themselves. The bears were a problem last summer in the Valley View and Morningside area and Natural Resources set a trap. This spring there have been a number of complaints from the same area and DNR is likely going to bring back the trap. The bears are only doing what comes naturally to them. And if there's garbage in containers they can get at it’s exactly what they do. I've been told that compost is also a big attraction for the creatures and given the collection schedule of both compost and garbage it means that the stuff is being stored sometimes for a long period. If it isn't kept inside a shed it can prove to be an enticing attraction for the bears. DNR suggests that getting rid of the garbage and the compost may get rid of the bear problem.

Moose are back in full force, not in the community but on the highway. My son is doing a lot of travelling between Fredericton and here and almost every time he's on highway 7 he sees a moose. Drivers beware and slow down.

When it comes to summer critters though it isn't the furry variety that gets me scratching. The black flies are here and they're hungry as usual. These pests chew through your skin until you bleed and then they lap up your blood. It sounds disgusting and it is. They'll be around for a few more weeks and they'll get worse before they get better. Long ago I vowed I wouldn't let those pests prevent me from enjoying the outdoors. But I refuse to get eaten alive. So the only solution is bug dope and it works. I hate smearing the stuff on but if you don't want to be trapped indoors it's the only solution.

Next come those other flying bloodsuckers, the mosquitoes. I never find them as irritating as black flies, maybe because we don't seem to be plagued by them as badly. But I know how uncomfortable they can make things. Again the bug dope is probably your best bet. Also wear light coloured clothing and cover up as much as possible. With mosquitoes it's best to restrict outdoor activities to the daytime and avoid early morning and dusk when the insects are most active. Also get rid of any standing water in your yard. Mosquitoes breed anywhere there is water, in old tires, wheel-barrels and old pots. Dump out all the water and do it now before they start to breed.

And last of all; remember how many spiders there were last summer? They were everywhere and they were huge. I've already seen a few this spring. They look bigger than they should be. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Doing Stuff Outdoors-04

2007-05-27T12:43:00.000-04:00

This week on the podcast Gary talks to someone near and dear to him who has just returned from an extraordinary outdoors adventure. Rory Mittelholtz is Garys 20-year-old son. He spent the winter working and snowboarding in British Columbia at Panorama Mountain. For part of that time he was working at a heliskiing operation and got to go out on a few trips. Listen as Rory makes his father jealous by describing all that untracked powder he discovered in the mountains of BC.

We begin a new segment on Doing Stuff Outdoors about running. Alex Coffin is our guide. He is a competitive runner and marathoner, a coach and trainer. Alex owns two running stores in Saint John, New Brunswick called Alex Coffins Fitness Shop. Today Alex talks about his love of running.

Lorne Blagdon and his daughter hiked the Appalachian Trail. Every week he comes by to tell us more about the adventure in a series called Trail Magic. Today they get ready to begin the trek in Georgia and they come up with their own trail names.

In Outdoor News learn more about a new exhibit detailing the history of the National Ski Patrol. And meet a 75 year old who is one of the oldest and the first black woman to visit the North Pole.

Next week on Doing Stuff Outdoors we have a feature interview with mountaineer, writer and photographer Lou Dawson.

Podsafe Music Links

Charlie Crowe
Bob Hughes

doingstuffoutdoors@yahoo.com

Doing Stuff Outdoors-03

2007-05-21T13:43:00.000-04:00

We begin a new series in this edition of DSO called 'Trail Magic'. In 2003 Lorne Blagdon and his daughter Naomi hiked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Lorne wrote a series of newspaper columns on their adventure and every week we'll talk about a segment of the trip beginning today with a definition of trail magic.

Gary gets frustrated with the lousy spring weather in his part of the world so he searches for summer by calling to Florida where the sailing is great. We also get a detailed account of why the May long weekend in Canada used to known for firecrackers.

Looking through the outdoor files we'll tell you about a see-through boat, grass skiing in Britain, the first woman to hike the AT and a reality TV show about the outdoors that's now a podcast.

Podsafe Music

Christopher Wright
2006 Pl@stic Soul

doingstuffoutdoors@yahoo.ca

Just When You Thought It Was Almost Summer

2007-05-16T20:47:00.000-04:00

YUK....There's snow in the forecast tonight. Possibly 10 to 15 cm in some places. I hope not here. Sussex area is supposed to get about that much. So it's timely to pass on an email I received today from Poley Mountain. Maybe it's good I haven't put my skis away yet....

Just a quick note to update everyone on how things are going here at the hill! First - can you believe it! They are calling for snow tonight! That is why I though this would be a good day for an update ...your thoughts may stray to skiing...
I would like to thank everyone for a great season - it started out a little rough - but ended strong! We had a successful fundraiser with our "Bringing it Home" Relay - and with the support of the Waterford Valley Development Association, we raised a total of $7200.
Bill and his crew are busy marking the new trails to be cut this summer. In August they will be installing snowmaking on Phil's Folly and Snowberg, and as soon as the snow is gone in Newfoundland - they will be travelling to get our new lift!
We are working hard to get the brochure out in the summer - and season pass sales will start in September - check the website in August - we are working on having online registration for your passes!
Hope you are having a great "off season" - and we look forward to seeing you next season!

Doing Stuff Outdoors-02 Podcast

2007-05-13T20:51:00.001-04:00

Welcome to episode 2 of Doing Stuff Outdoors, a magazine show featuring adventures for outdoor enthusiasts. In this edition we take you along for the first kayak trip of the season. We paddle along the Nerepis River in New Brunswick. It’s a tributary of the mighty St. John River that empties into the Bay of Fundy. We encounter high water, wildlife and a motorized nuisance.

We’ll also check out two big mountains where the snow lingers and the lifts are still operating. Mark Nelson of the Outdoors Pro blog fills us in on spring conditions at Mount Bachelor, Oregon. And ski photographer Paul Morrison explains all the late season delights at Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia.

Also on the show outdoor news, music and more.

Links:

Outdoors Pro
Denis Kitchen
Whistler-Blackcomb

Slippery Sand

2007-05-12T07:33:00.000-04:00

Now a few words about sand. Not what you find at the beach but the kind that lingers in layers on our roads every spring. It may just be me but I think there’s more of it after this winter than other years. I know the town is in the process of sweeping it up. Some of it should be gone by now but until it's all been swept you should be aware of the problems it can cause.

It’s can make walking difficult at the side of the road. And it certainly isn’t easy pushing a stroller though the piles of sand. But it can also be dangerous, especially if you’re riding a bicycle. I’ve heard of one accident this spring where a cyclist tumbled off his bike on a curve and ended up in hospital. It was most likely a result of loosing control in the sand. So until it’s all cleaned up, ride with caution. By the way, car tires can also slide on sand.

I’d like to know what they do with all that sand leftover from the winter and if it can be used again next year. I’m going to try and find out the answer.

Garage Sale Season

2007-05-10T06:57:00.000-04:00

I’ve said it many times before but I’m not a shopper. Going to the store is usually something I don’t enjoy. The same is true when that store is other people’s lawns and garages. We’re into the flea market season now. You can’t go very far on a Saturday morning without seeing parked cars along the road and crowds of people heading up a driveway to pick through stuff.

Last Saturday morning my wife and I took our granddaughter out for a walk in the stroller. We hadn’t gone far before we hit our first garage sale. I can’t say I was dragged in because I agreed to it but before I knew it I found myself along with everyone else picking through other peoples junk. I don’t mean to say there wasn’t anything good to be found there but to me it is junk. I have a basement full of crap I’d love to get rid of and probably a lot of it would be scooped up at a garage sale. That’s my biggest problem with lawn sales. I’ve got enough of my own junk and I don’t feel like adding to it with other peoples.

Now I know you can find some gems at these sales. And I like getting a bargain just like anybody else. And I realize a lot of people love these yard sales and plan their Saturday mornings around them. Just so long as I don’t have to go. But I know they’re very popular so here’s what I’ll do. If you have a yard sale coming up in Grand Bay-Westfield or the River Valley area send me an email with the details at midwoodmedia@gmail.com and I’ll post a weekly garage sale update on the blog at rivervalleyrambler.com.

By the way I was in need of a handsaw and I found three of them at that yard sale. I got them all for three bucks and that’s a deal.

Harbour Bridge Holdup

2007-05-09T06:28:00.000-04:00

I guess I've been spoiled because I rarely have to deal with traffic congestion during my daily commute between Grand Bay-Westfield and Saint John. My travel times are usually before or after rush hour. The other day I left for home around 4:30. What a mistake.

Harbour Bridge is down to a single lane in both directions. It took me about 25 minutes just to get over to the west side. My impatience was part of the problem. Once I discovered the Chesley Street ramp to the bridge was closed, I decided to try the Reversing Falls Bridge. Another mistake. It was bumper to bumper. It took almost ten minutes just to get to Green Lee Shoes where in an impulsive act of frustration I turned off, drove up to Douglas Ave. and back to the closest open ramp to the Harbour Bridge. What followed was more bumper to bumper waiting. Like I said, it took a good 20 or 25 minutes to get out of Saint John. I don't think I ever experienced that before and I wasn't prepared for it. For me it's usually a non-stop commute both ways.

Work on the Harbour Bridge is continuing all summer. I guess I'll have to learn to be more patient and not to leave work early.

Fun at the Fundraiser

2007-05-07T21:49:00.000-04:00

I found myself crowded together on a recent Saturday night with close to 200 other people from Grand Bay-Westfield in a little pub on the west side. It was a fundraiser for the running track at River Valley Middle School. It was crowded. You had to be patient waiting for a drink. The auction went on a little too long. But the food was good and everyone I spoke to had a great time. And a nice chunk of money was raised for a worthy community project.

But more than that, this event brought people together in a way that hasn’t happened since the last of those community dances at the arena. A number of people said how much fun it was and how it reminded them of those dances. I can’t remember when the last one was. I know there weren’t enough people attending to make it worthwhile. Those big dances were essentially fundraisers for the River Valley Community Centre. When people showed up, like they did to the early dances, they were huge successes and a lot of fun. We don’t have many opportunities to come together as a community in a social environment like that. I think most people at the track fundraiser came away thinking it might be time to give a dance at the arena another try. I know I’d go.

Doing Stuff Outdoors Podcast -01

2007-05-06T14:59:00.000-04:00

Give a listen to the first episode of Doing Stuff Outdoors, an audio and video podcast for the outdoor enthusiast. In this first episode you'll be introduced to the concept of the program. You'll hear some outdoor news and go along for the last ski of the season. Hope you enjoy it.

River Valley Running Track Meeting & Fundraiser

2007-04-29T13:33:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder about an important meeting coming up for anyone interested in finding out more about the planned running-walking track at River Valley Middle School. On Tuesday, May 1st the River Valley Track Association is holding a public information meeting about the project. The 400 metre track is to be built around the existing soccer field. The Tuesday meeting will go from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at the River Valley Middle School Theatre.

And then on Saturday May 5th, there's a community fundraiser for the new track. It's a Steak & Stein Fun Night being sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and it takes place at Buccaneer's Pub on Main St. West. Tickets are $15.00 each and that gets you a steak supper and a drink. There are door prizes, auctions and music for dancing. It should be a great time for a good cause. There are still some tickets available and you can pick them up from any member of the Knights of Columbus or by calling Keith at 738-8185.

Beware the Spot Check

2007-04-29T09:20:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how easy it is to break the law and not realize it. My son just returned from British Columbia where he spent the winter. Actually he was in BC for most of last year with the exception of a few months last fall. So he's back and he's driving home from a visit in Fredericton in a car that still has BC license plates on it. Two of his buddies are in the car with him and they get pulled over at an RCMP spot-check in Oromocto.

It turns out when they check the records, my sons car is no longer legally registered. He hasn't registered the car in New Brunswick yet but he and I both thought the BC registration is still valid. Apparently British Columbia has public auto insurance and it's tied to the vehicle registration. When he got home his BC insurance was about to expire so he insured the car here. So he has proper insurance but because it wasn't BC insurance his registration is no longer valid.

After being told this by the RCMP officer my son called me and I spoke to the officer. He explained the situation and said because the car wasn't legally registered he'd have to take it off the road. And that's what happened. The car was towed and the plates were taken off and thrown on the back seat of the police car. My son said there were a pile of license plates that had been taken from unregistered vehicles stopped during the spot check.

I just want to say that the RCMP officer was polite and helpful and just doing his job. He explained to both of us exactly what had to be done to register the car and get it back on the road. This is where the story takes an interesting turn.

The next day my son takes my car and drives up to Oromocto to do what he has to do to register his car. And wouldn't you know it he gets stopped by the same cop at the same spot check. A few minutes later I get a phone call from the same said officer who says to me 'You aren't going to believe this but your registration is expired too". Not just that. My insurance card was also out of date. By this time I'm sure the cop was thinking... "What is wrong with this family?"

Here's what happened. The registration had expired about five days before this. We got the card in the mail weeks ago but completely forgot about it. In the same way the new insurance card arrived but again I didn't put it in the car. The officer could have nailed me big time but he didn't. He said he didn't want to do it again so he gave me the chance to register the car by phone right away. I didn't know I could do this. I called Service New Brunswick on a toll free line, gave them my license plate number and insurance information and paid by credit card. I called up that kind RCMP officer with a confirmation number so he knew the registration went through and I was off the hook for a pretty hefty fine. I owe a big thank you to that unnamed and understanding cop.

So the moral of the story is ... don't file away or ignore all those letters you get from the Motor Vehicle Branch or your insurance company. Oh yea... and don't forget about your vehicle inspection sticker either. It was set to expire too but fortunately I had the inspection done just a day before the spot check.

Drunken Boaters and Rules on the Water

2007-04-24T06:23:00.000-04:00

(Also posted on Doing Stuff Outdoors)

Fishing season opened this past weekend. I noticed a few early season anglers out trying their luck. Most of them were in small aluminum boats equipped with a little outboard motor, usually just under ten horsepower. These are the kind of basic boats you find on most lakes, used for fishing or traveling back and forth to the cottage. They're not high powered cruisers or ski boats, just your basic work-horse model that has been used and enjoyed by outdoors people for years.

I came across an interesting story on line from Iowa. The Iowa House has approved a drunken boating proposal that excludes boaters who use small motors. Under the bill, impaired boaters with low-powered motors less than 10 horsepower would not be subject to criminal charges. Critics of this bill say the law is ridiculous and drunk driving should be treated the same way whether in a boat or a car.

In Canada if you're caught driving anything under the influence you can be charged. That includes all boats. We also have a relatively new requirement where everyone who drives a powered boat of any size is now required to have a special boaters license. It's called an Operator Competency Card. It doesn't matter your age or how long you've been around boats, if it has a motor you need a license to drive it. This includes everything from the biggest yacht to a little aluminum boat with a 4 horsepower on the stern.

This law came about a few years ago because of problems with personal watercraft, also known as jet-skis. People got on these high powered things and drove like maniacs. After they started cutting canoes in half and killing people the government stepped in. Requiring all boaters to know the rules of safe boating and pass a test is not a bad thing. But it seems they've used a blanket law to really target a specific problem. Personal watercraft and high powered boats that travel at high speed on small lakes could be a problem. If the operator is reckless or ignorant of the rules, these craft are dangerous. But the 60 year old angler who knows the lake and has trolled around in his little aluminum boat for the last 40 years is not going to be a threat to himself or anyone else.

Boats without motors don't need an operator competency card. I don't need to pass a test proving that I know the rules of safe boating to paddle my sea kayak. And yet I need to know a lot of this stuff when I'm paddling in ocean water like the Bay of Fundy where knowlege of tides and current is critical. Where's the common sense in all this?

Back to the drunken Iowa boaters where again common sense should prevail. That fisherman in his under ten horsepower aluminum boat enjoying a beer while he's casting is not going to be a danger to himself or others. If he's pissed up and chasing windsurfers he should be busted. I've known people who have been drinking all night and then decide to go for a paddle in the kayak. Bad idea and dangerous. A friend of mine almost drowned doing that. So I guess it's back to common sense and one important rule that I think should be mandatory for all boaters in all size of craft, powered or not. Wear a life jacket at all times. It's not good enough to have one for each person on board if they're not actually wearing them. Accidents can happen, even in tiny aluminum boats and a life jacket can save your life.

Earth Day for Outdoors People

2007-04-22T21:32:00.000-04:00

(Also Posted on Doing Stuff Outdoors.)

Earth Day has come and gone. In this part of the world it was a beautiful spring day, probably one of the nicest days we’ve seen so far. Winter has had a tendency to hang in longer than normal this year.

People celebrated Earth Day here in much the same way as in other places around the world. Children planted trees. Both kids and adults participated in beach cleanups and park cleanups. There were musical concerts and hotdogs and burgers. In Rockwood Park in the middle of the city of Saint John people could go for a hike and even try out rock climbing. It was a festive day and I’m sure everyone participating enjoyed it.

The message to help the environment and take care of the earth is the same as it has always been since the very first Earth Day in 1970. Picking up garbage on beaches and trails is a good thing to do. Encouraging people to recycle, use energy efficient light bulbs and turn the thermostat down are all good ideas. It’s what we all should be doing every day. And given all the media attention about global warming and the sorry state of the environment, none of this is new or surprising, especially for those of us who love the outdoors.

For outdoor people every day we spend outside hiking or skiing, riding our mountain bike or just going for a walk is a celebration of Earth Day. We know how special it is following a trail through a forest and discovering a waterfall we didn’t know was there. We know how breathtakingly beautiful it can be climbing a mountain on skis and standing on the summit breathing in the view before jumping into knee deep powder for that floating descent to the valley below. We know how awe inspiring it is to see a whale breach or stare at a summer night’s sky so full of stars it almost hurts our eyes. We all have our own special outdoor moments. Adventures and experiences that we always remember, that help make us who we are. If we are true outdoor people we always treat the forest and water and air with respect and love. We don’t need to celebrate Earth Day once a year because we do it every time we go into the outdoors.

Celebrating 60 Years

2007-04-20T20:07:00.000-04:00

The Royal Canadian Legion Branches 68 and 69 on the west side are celebrating their 60th Anniversaries all this week. Branch 68 is the only all female legion branch in Atlantic Canada. All the members are women who served in the military during the 2nd World War. They were in different services. Some worked building airplanes. Others were military nurses here in New Brunswick and overseas. When they returned after the war a few of the women got together and decided they wanted a legion branch of their own, separate from the men. And they did it, actually receiving their charter a few days ahead of Branch 69.

I had a chance to spend a little time with some of the members this week. I attended the official opening of the anniversary festivities and it’s good to see these women know how to enjoy themselves. They’ve shared a bond for many years and have so much in common together. They told me how it’s nice to be able to sit and talk with friends who lived through those times. There are fewer and fewer people around who did.

That’s the issue facing these women today. One of their youngest members just turned 81 and there are only 31 of them left. Membership is open to all women who have served in the Canadian military but few are interested these days. I was told how the members would love to have some of the women serving in Afghanistan join their ranks but all agree that’s unlikely. So this group who have shared so much over the last six decades will try to hold the branch together for as long as they can.

The other thing I noticed about them although they won’t admit it, each and every one of these women is a feminist through and through. Not in the traditional way we’re used to today. These women are strong, independent and know how to take care of themselves. After all they did it through one of the most difficult periods of the last century. They know what women can achieve. They’re proud of their own accomplishments.

We look at them now and see 31 elderly women. Some need assistance getting around. But when you talk to them you can hear the strength even in what may be a feeble voice. These ladies (and I think that’s a term they don’t mind) really led the way for women today. In a sense they were the early players in the women’s movement. They opened the doors for women and even though many of the men didn’t want them serving during the war, they did it anyway and they made a difference. Women worked making ammunition and aircraft, freeing up the men to fly the planes and fight for freedom. These women are responsible for winning the war every bit as much as the men are. I think every young girl, and boy for that matter, should spend some time getting to know these incredible women while they still can. They can teach us all a lot.

So I salute them and thank them for what they’ve done and for what they continue to accomplish. Happy 60th Anniversary Branch 68 (and Branch 69 too) May you enjoy many more years together.

Wedding Bells

2007-04-17T05:34:00.000-04:00

My wife and I were asked to participate in a Marriage Preparation Course this past weekend. No it wasn't for us. We've been happily hitched for almost 30 years now. No we were asked to lead one of the sessions and share some of our marital experience with the young couples. Our topic was communication. This is the second year we've done this and it's as much an education for us as it is for the soon-to-be-weds.

Last year the group was more typical of what you'd expect to find in a marriage prep course. They were mainly younger couples while this year the group seemed to be a little older. A number of them already had children. Many had been living together for some time. We talked about how they had met and discovered that two couples first got together on the internet and one couple had that unique Canadian experience of meeting in Tim Horton's. They were open and honest and their stories were wonderful.

I don't know how much they got out of the session but I know we learned a lot. We talked about communication in marriage and how important it is. We gave them some exercises and shared some stories and they all listened intently and participated fully. In the end, as it was last year, the whole thing was a positive experience. Meeting people like this who obviously love each other and care enough about what they're about to begin to come to a course like this, gives one much optimism about the future.

New Favourite Place

2007-04-14T18:01:00.000-04:00

I’ve heard someone call it ‘her new favourite place to shop’. It’s been a favourite of many from the west side and the river valley for years. It’s Olson’s Meats and Produce on Lancaster Ave. I was in there today, a Saturday and I couldn’t believe the people. They were lining up in the parking lot to find a space to park and they were shoulder to shoulder inside the tiny store. I’ve only been in the place a handful of times but every time I’m there it’s crowded like that. There’s probably a good reason for it.

One can find things in there you can’t get anywhere else. I looked at a package of something today and didn’t have a clue what it was. I think some kind of battered or salted fish, but I’m not sure. Whatever it was it looked good. The cheese selection is great, the meat is fresh and the prices are pretty good. Anytime we’ve been there we’ve found some real deals. This time it was precooked, packaged turkey that you’d pay triple for elsewhere.

I’m not a shopper but I like going in there just to look around. It reminds me of an old-fashioned neighbourhood store, the way shopping used to be before the era of malls. You can actually smell the food in there. And you can get just about anything you want. Easy to see why it can become someone’s new favourite place to shop. Now if it just wasn’t so crowed all the time.

New Brunswick Video On-line

2007-04-12T17:26:00.000-04:00

(This is the River Valley Rambler column published in the River Valley News on April 19th, 2007)

Video is everywhere on the internet these days. I even have it on my blog. If you go to rivervalleyrambler.blogspot.com you can view a 6-minute video of the New Years Eve Family Celebration held at the community centre on December 31st. I put the video together for the River Valley Chamber of Commerce, one of the sponsors of the event. You’ll see and hear friends and neighbours skating and enjoying the bonfires and fireworks display. It’s worth checking out just to see the impressive fireworks. The entire show is featured on the video.

It’s nice to be able to view some local video content on the web. If you haven’t checked it out you’d be amazed at how much of it there is. I put the words ‘New Brunswick’ into the Google Video site and it produced over 2,000 results. Some of those hits have nothing to do with our province but many do. You’d be surprised at the kind of video content posted there and on YouTube.

The New Brunswick Offroad Club has all kinds of video clips of four-wheeling adventures on the back roads of the province. Fires are popular. The first NB site to pop up shows a fire in Sackville from last summer and there’s even some great footage of the recent tire fire in Moncton. If you’re a train buff, there are numerous videos of trains shot at crossings all over the province. You can even catch segments of the ‘Fishing Musicians’ television show hosted and produced by Glen Ferguson of Bathurst. There’s a lot of professionally done stuff on YouTube and Google Video. You can watch all of the marketing and tourism videos produced by Enterprise Saint John and the city including the latest that compares Saint John to Calgary and tries to entice expats back to the province. I watched a nine-minute feature about a hot air balloon flight in Sussex that was especially well done. Two balloons were flying side by side and there was excellent footage of swooping low over the trees and dunking the basket on the surface of a lake. (I've added the video to the blog following this post... check it out)

There are a lot of family videos on there too. Plenty of birthdays for babies and kids jumping BMX bikes and skateboards. There’s music and dancing and just about everything you can imagine. It would take more than a day to go through all the material on there from or about New Brunswick. I’m amazed, but from the little sampling I did it’s all good stuff. Even the family videos were largely well done and certainly interesting. There’s something about watching real people living out their lives for a few minutes on video that is very appealing, almost addictive. I guess that’s why sites like YouTube are so popular.

So check out some of this local material for yourself. If you’re interested be sure to watch the Grand Bay-Westfield New Years Eve video on Google Video or on my blog. I’ll keep it on there for a while. I also want to feature more local video content on the site on a regular basis, some that I have produced and also material from you. So if you have video about the River Valley area that you’d like to share with others contact me at midwoodmedia@gmail.com. And keep watching.

RE/MAX Tandum Flight in Sussex New Bruswick by getsmith

2007-04-12T16:05:00.000-04:00

Remembering Our Soldiers

2007-04-10T15:31:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted anything new to the blog for a few days. Part of the problem is the topic I'm struggling to write about. It's the only thing around here people are talking about and thinking about. What do you say when six soldiers die in Afghanistan? Five of them are from Base Gagetown here in the River Valley area. Three of them are New Brunswickers.

I don't know any of them personally. The closest connection I have is to the young man from Saint John, Private David Greenslade. He was just 20 years old, the same age as my youngest son. He graduated from high school the same year as my son. They might even know each other. I heard the interview his parents gave. I don't understand how they found the strength to do it. His mother said all they can do now is to tell people who didn't know David what kind of person he was. How he was positive and full of energy. How he cared about his friends and how proud he was to be serving in the Canadian military. David was their only child.

This whole tragedy is almost too sad for words. Not just for the Greenslade family but for the families and friends of all the men who died. Their only choice in this and ours too is really to just carry on. That's what the colleagues and friends of these men are doing back in Afghanistan. The mission goes on. So does life. All we can do is try to get to know them a little for who they were and then remember them.

RamblerVision

2007-04-05T16:01:00.000-04:00

I see snow flakes coming down and rain and slush and all that wintery stuff we thought and hoped we were finished with. So it seems like a good time to take you back to a bitterly cold night from this past winter. Despite the chill there was a warm glow in the hearts of everyone who participated. It was New Years Eve and hundreds of people from the community flocked to the arena for a night of skating, bonfires and fireworks. This was the 2nd year the River Valley Chamber of Commerce sponsored the annual family celebration with the help of a large group of volunteers. The night was a huge success. The fireworks were fabulous.

I put this video together for the Chamber of Commerce. It features a lot of people you probably know. Maybe you're in it. It ends with the entire fireworks display from that night. I had never shot fireworks on video before and I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

This is the first of what I hope will be a regular Video feature at RiverValleyRambler. I'd like to see this site become a source for all kinds of video content from the local area. I have more video segments in the works and if you have video you feel will be of interest to people in this area be sure to contact me. Hit the play button. Watch the video. Tell your friends to watch it. I hope you enjoy it.

Pause for Reflection

2007-04-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

There was some disturbing news from British Columbia yesterday. Two skiers were killed in an avalanche on a mountain about 230 kilometres north of Smithers. They were taking part in a helicopter ski trip. For most people it's the kind of news that makes you stop and think and feel sorry for the victims and their families. But when I heard it... my heart stopped for a second. My son Rory is in British Columbia. He's actually working for a heli skiing operation. His job is to do some cooking, dish washing and cleaning around the lodge but when there's an empty seat on the chopper, staff are allowed to go along. Rory's been out on a few trips already this season. He's called up to tell me how magical it is to be at the top of mountain where no one else has been and float down through a foot and a half of fresh, untracked powder snow. I'm jealous.

Thankfully Rory is working at Panorama Mountain near Invermere, not in northern BC. But every time you venture into big mountain backcountry, either by your own power or with the help of a helicopter, you face a possible risk of avalanche. Even on my recent trip to the Chic Choc Mountains of Gaspe we encountered potential avalanche areas. It's a reality of being in the mountains. It won't stop people from traveling into these beautiful wild areas but hopefully when a tragedy like this happens, it'll give everyone who goes to the backcountry a pause for reflection.

Flushing Fee Deadline

2007-04-02T14:41:00.000-04:00

I hope you paid your sewerage bill by today. This was your last chance to get a $15 discount on your annual sewer bill in Grand Bay-Westfield. Fifteen bucks doesn't sound like a lot when your bill is over $250 but a saving is a saving. I'm still not used to paying a fee for flushing. In other places I've lived my contribution to the cost of running the municipal sewage system was included in my taxes. Even though we've lived here for 21 years now, we only just started paying sewerage in the last two years. Up until then we were on septic. I clearly remember being told by the real estate agent when we first looked at the house that a sewer line was coming to my street anytime. After that a line was promised in every election campaign. Well it only took about 18 years to get it hooked up. I'm not complaining. I'm happy to be connected to the system. There were just too many septic tanks in too small an area for my liking. So I'm paid up and glad to know that when I flush there's a system in place to make sure everything goes where it's supposed to go. By the way, I drove by the town's sewage treatment facility today just to check it out and make sure things were operating properly. It looked good from what I could see. I just wanted to make sure my $255 was being well spent.

River Valley Rambler - This and That

2007-04-01T14:44:00.000-04:00

Since I started writing the blog at rivervalleyrambler.blogspot.com/ I've changed my approach to writing. Instead of compiling a longer piece on one topic I've started thinking of content in terms of shorter chunks about various ideas. So I'll try that with this column.

First of all I hope by the time you read this we're not into a federal election campaign. It seems Stephen Harper is chomping at the bit to call an election. I don't know why. Isn't he already the Prime Minister? We don't need an election and I know most Canadians don't want one. We're being electioned to death, especially here in New Brunswick. We just had a provincial election. We've had our share of by-elections recently. The last federal election wasn't long ago and the municipal elections aren’t that far off anymore. Please stop. I appreciate my right to vote but I don't want to do it every few months. I also don't want the government to spend my tax money on an election I don't want.

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I seem to have misplaced my driveway, or at least a good portion of it. The torrential rains that fell after the snow and freezing rain washed away a lot of gravel. It didn't really wash it away. It just moved it into the ditch. Now the drive looks like a mini grand canyon with deep river valleys meandering down its length like snakes. Instead of thousands of years of erosion, this only took a few hours of rain to accomplish. My driveway is on a fairly steep hill and washouts like this happen every 2 or 3 years. It's usually in the spring when the driveway is clear but ice and snow remains piled up on the side and that leaves the water only one place to go.

So I got out the wheel-barrel and shovel and went to retrieve what I could of my driveway from the ditch and snow bank at the bottom. Some of the deeper holes I filled one shovel full at a time. After I raked and smoothed things out it still looked like Niagara Falls had come down the driveway but at least it was patched up enough to allow us to drive up and down without fear of losing an axle.

This just didn't happen to me. The torrential rains took out a lot of driveways and ditches in town. It also flooded many basements. When you live on the side of a hill like many people in Grand Bay-Westfield do, running water is always going to be a concern.

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Finally and still with the theme of running water, I read a terrific article about the St. John River in the latest edition of Canadian Geographic Magazine. It's about a lazy summer paddle in a canoe through the islands upriver of Fredericton. UNB professor Mark Anthony Jarman writes the story. Brian Atkinson took the beautiful photographs featured in the piece. It details the experience of paddling that part of the river along with an historical context. That's what you'd expect and it's the kind of writing tourism departments like to see because it's good for business. But what I really like about the piece are the extra, not so positive elements that Jarman has added. He writes, for instance, about bones and skulls of missing-persons from upriver washing up and lodging in the roots of butternut trees every year. I didn't know that. He writes of the glory days of river steamers and then adds how they collided or caught fire and how their boilers had a tendency to explode. He mentions the shooting and looting and burning and scalping that went on in the river valley in the past. Jarman doesn't dwell on the negative but he doesn't gloss over it. By adding these elements he makes the article more interesting and compelling and honest. It's great writing and having it published in a national magazine has to be good for the province.

(Find this column, past columns and other unique content of interest to the area by going online to rivervalleyrambler.blogspot.com/)

Walking and Running

2007-03-30T20:39:00.000-04:00

With the snow and ice almost gone it's time to get back outside on the roads and trails for those regular runs and walks. I know most serious walkers don't let the winter stop them but it's always more enticing when the weather improves. I went for a run yesterday on the trail along River Valley Drive. It was in surprisingly good condition for this early in the season. There were a few muddy patches in low lying areas to watch for but on the whole the trail was dry and in pretty good shape. The town usually does some maintenance on it every spring including adding new gravel in spots so once that is completed the trail should be great. It sure is a well used and appreciated addition to the community.

However I did notice some ATV tracks on the trail. I hope motorized vehicles don't become a problem. They aren't allowed and either are bicycles but kids ride them along there all the time. I can't blame them for wanting to but really it's a safety issue as more and more people walk along that path.

I've posted some pictures of the trail. I shot them on a tiny digital camera I picked up at Guardian Drugs for under $20. It looked interesting so I had to give it a try and to my surprise it actually worked, not very well but it does take pictures.

The local runners group is getting into high gear with regular runs on Saturday mornings. More about that later. In the meantime, the River Valley Drive Trail awaits. Enjoy!

Last Snows of the Season

2007-03-29T18:51:00.000-04:00

We made it back after 6 days of backcountry skiing in the Chic Choc Mountains of Gaspe. The trip this year was as wonderful as in past years although the snow wasn’t what we expected. Even late in March in these mountains, you can find powder. Not this time. Warm temperatures and rain made it’s way even up to the 4,000-foot level and created hard packed and icy conditions. But the warm temperatures, sunshine, fabulous vistas and companionship of good friends made up for it.

As I mentioned in the last post, we stayed in a hut that used to be part of a mining operation. It’s about 2,500 feet up and surrounded by mountains. We skied the 12 kilometres into the hut while a snowmobile brought our food and most of our gear. The accommodations were basic but comfy. Unlike most huts in the park, this one had electricity so that meant a fridge and stove and most important, a hot water heater. The shower was appreciated by all of us.

When you go on these trips you basically ski, eat and sleep. Our days were full. One morning we headed off on a trail to another cabin 10 km away. A bit of new snow had fallen overnight and that made the trail conditions better than expected. There was a lot of up and down and the return 20 km trip tired us all out. Being in the mountains the idea is to ski up to the top and the hard pack snow known as ‘boiler plate’ made it a challenge this year. We used skins on our skis to get a grip on the snow but often needed to dig in our metal edges to stop from sliding off the trail. The trip along the switchback, up the headwall surrounding our hut takes about 45 minutes. We went up twice and spent part of one day playing in the plateau at the top. It’s a vast area of rolling hills and snow covered stunted trees that remind me of a fairyland.

Another highlight of the trip was an avalanche chute we discovered near the cabin. From top to bottom it provided us a ski run about the size of Poley Mountain. We skinned up part way and skied down on our heavier telemark skis. The warm spring sun softened the snow nicely every afternoon. The avalanche team came by every couple of days to check conditions and told us the snow around us was stable and safe. The burning sun was probably the most dangerous thing we encountered and had to repeatedly smother out faces with sun block. We all came back with a tan.

I could go on about the trip but suffice it to say that the Chic Choc area of Gaspe is a special place and one that I return to every winter. We left winter and snow behind when we came home. The skiing is over for another season. It’s time to move on to other things and there is plenty to do here in the River Valley.

Backcountry in the Chic-Chocs

2007-03-21T19:34:00.000-04:00

The blog is going to be quiet for the next few days. I'm giving winter one last kick at the can by going to Gaspe for some real backcountry skiing. The Chic-Chocs Mountains as they're called are the closest thing we have here in the east to real big mountain terrain. They are the northern end of the Appalachian Range and these are huge mountains. Mount Jacques Cartier is the highest peak in the Chic-Chocs at 1,268 metres elevation. This range offers above tree line skiing with the chance, if you're lucky, of skiing past a heard of caribou on the way up. Over the last few years the area has become very popular with telemark skiers and backcountry snowboarders. There are no chair lifts in the Chic-Chocs. Every vertical foot you enjoy on the way down you have to earn by climbing up. We have synthetic skins we stick on the base of our skis to help us climb the real steep trails.

A group of us have made this trek to Gaspe for the last few winters. On the last couple of trips we took advantage of the network of trails in the Park de la Gaspesie and skied hut to hut for five or six days. A snowmobile brings your gear along to each hut and that leaves you with only a daypack to carry on the trail. There is no electricity or running water in the huts. That's part of the charm of the expedition.

This time we're doing something different. We're staying at a place called Mines Madeline. It's a full day ski uphill to our hut which is actually an old bunkhouse left over from the mining operation that used to be there. The camp sleeps eight and the place has all the comforts of home, including power and showers. I can get by fine without electricity but it's going to be really nice to be able to have a hot shower at the end of a long day of skiing.

Because of the elevation the snow comes early and stays late. You can usually find plenty of powder in the higher bowls even at this time of year. This is also avalanche country so you have to listen to the daily bulletins and ski with care whenever you're in the open areas.

I'm packed and ready to go. I'll be back with another post when I get back.

River Valley Rambler - Kite Skiing

2007-03-19T16:20:00.000-04:00

Kite skier Rob Campbell was giving me a demonstration of his sport on a windy and bitterly cold day in Millidgeville. We were out on the ice of the Kennebecasis River. We both had our skis but Rob felt it was too windy, especially for me as a first timer. Instead Rob brought out one of his smaller kites to show me how it works. He anchored the kite on the ice with a sandbag as he unwound the lines. With a pull of the line he launched the kite. It shot straight up in the air and lifted Rob a few feet off the ground and dragged him about 50 feet over the ice before he managed to dig in his heels and stop himself. That was my first introduction to kite skiing.

As the name implies, it combines a kite and downhill skis or a snowboard. The kite pulls you over the snow or ice, sometimes at breakneck speeds. Rob says the fastest he’s gone according to his GPS is 44 miles per hour. He knows of skiers who have exceeded 60 miles per hour, over 100 km per hour behind a kite. That’s just crazy.

You don’t have to go that fast though. Rob says a 20 km per hour wind is perfect, especially for beginners. I tried to meet up with Rob a couple of times to give it a try but every attempt was just too windy. I’m hoping to go before the ice becomes unsafe.

The generic name for this sport is traction kiting. You can do it on the snow with skis or snowboards. On the water it’s known as kite surfing or kite boarding. On the land you can use a modified skateboard or as Rob has, a three wheeled buggy contraption. In short, if it rolls, slides or sails it’ll work behind a kite. Rob Campbell and some of his fellow kiting enthusiasts were hoping to set a world record a couple of weeks ago by kiting on land, water and snow all on the same day. They started out at New River Beach where they ran their buggies over the sand. Then they were supposed to put on wet suits and try kite surfing in the Bay of Fundy but again it was just too windy. Then the plan was to finish off the day by kite skiing on the Kennebecasis. Unfortunately it didn’t happen but Rob says he still intends to do it.

New Brunswick is a great location for traction kiting with our access to the sea, the rivers and lakes and of course snow and ice in the winter. Rob Campbell says enthusiasts from other places would be envious of the opportunities we have here in this province. Come summer I’d like to give kite surfing a try too.

On another note, I’ve given this blog a try at rivervalleyrambler.blogspot.com/. It’s been a lot of fun so far and I want to thank the people who have commented on it. I get the sense there have been quite a few visitors already. I’ll try to post new content as often as I can. Ideally I’d like to do it on a daily basis but that may difficult, at least initially. You can also read this column on the site about a week before the newspaper comes out. In addition I’m trying to include photos with the stories as often as possible and even video on occasion. For example this column about kite skiing will have some pictures accompanying it on the blog. Eventually I’d like to post schedules for planned outdoor activities by various groups in the area and around the province. I’d like to see it become the place to go online to find out what’s going on and to publicize outdoor events and outings. If you have a hike planned for example, you could use the site to invite others to join you. So if you have any story ideas or suggestion or coming outdoor adventures you want to share, post a comment on the blog or email me directly at MidwoodMedia@gmail.com. And if you haven’t done so already check out River Valley Rambler online at rivervalleyrambler.blogspot.com/

Bad Behavior in the Woods

2007-03-18T18:52:00.000-04:00

If you’re out in the backcountry a lot you meet all kinds of people. Most are great, whether they’re skiers, snowmobilers or four wheelers. We all share that love of the outdoors. But sometimes you come across some real jerks out there.

A couple of weeks ago three of us took off for a little ski from what’s known as the four corners in Westfield. We parked beside the ball field where the Britian Road and the Campbell Road meet. It’s a busy place in the winter with trails leading off from that junction in all directions and plenty of snowmobile and ATV traffic. We skied for a couple of hours and on our return, as we got closer to the car we heard a group of ATV’s nearby. It sounded like one or a few of them were just spinning around in circles kicking up the snow. It went on and on. A short time later we saw the group from the top of the hill. There must have been about ten ATV’s most of them those racing models with rear wheel drive. They’re a lot noisier and faster than the four wheelers. We could see what appeared to be mostly kids driving them, spinning the tires and chewing up the trail as they went. When we reached the car the driver’s side was completely coated in snow. A moron on one of those machines had spun around in circles doing donuts a few feet from the vehicle, kicking up a spray of snow and pebbles on the car. It was on so thick I had to scrape the windshield. Thankfully it was my old car and not the new van belonging to a friend we were originally going to take.

About a week later I was skiing again with one of the same guys and we came upon a pile of empty beer cans and bottles and other garbage just tossed in the snow. It was at a beautiful spot where the Robin Hood and Little John Lakes connect. It is at the beginning of the trail to Turtle Mountain. No doubt a large group of riders were out for the day enjoying themselves and decided to leave their garbage behind for someone else to deal with. This is just thoughtless and selfish behavior. People using the trails should know better. Thankfully the kind of people who do these kind of things are in the minority.

Spring Fling at Poley

2007-03-17T08:45:00.000-04:00

I know you’re probably getting tired of reading about skiing. But the season is almost over and locally at least much of the snow on the trails is already gone. We’re getting some new snow this weekend but it’s supposed to turn to rain. Spring in New Brunswick! That’s why earlier in the week I planned to go where I knew the snow was going to be good. On Tuesday, probably the nicest day of the week with 10-degree temperatures and sunshine, I packed up my downhill skis and drove to Poley Mountain.

The spring skiing was fabulous. All 23 trails were open although the rocks were already showing through on some of the back trails. Thanks to the courteous staff at the desk I even got a deal on the lift ticket. It was a ‘2 for the price of 1’ day and I ended up sharing the cost of the ticket with another fellow who like me, snuck away for an afternoon of skiing on a beautiful day.

I mainly skied by myself. It’s nice doing that sometimes. There were no lift lines and I got a lot of runs in that day on just about all the trails. There were some new steep ones cut through the trees that I hadn’t tried before. That was fun.

I got to meet some interesting people too. In the chairlift on the way up the hill I discussed the state of municipal taxes with a skier from Shediac. I rode up with a young couple from Halifax who were at Poley enjoying the Nova Scotia March break. They told me the skiing was much better here than at home. I also rode up with a couple of kids from PEI who were here on a school trip. They were first time skiers and both of them lost one ski while they were getting on the chair. Don’t ask me how they did it. All the way up they kept asking me how to get off the chairlift with only one ski. They did it successfully.

It was a fantastic day and one of the few times I’ve downhill skied this year. It’s likely going to be my last too. It was a great way to end the season

Rutted Trails

2007-03-12T20:14:00.001-04:00

Just a short post today… actually a bit of a rant. I attempted to go for a ski this afternoon. It was sunny and warm, about 6 degrees, certainly spring conditions. I drove to the Backland Road, probably the most used trail in the Grand Bay-Westfield area. Given the deep freeze and then the rain, I knew trail conditions weren’t going to be the best. They’ve been icy and crusty for the last week but the hard packed trails that have a lot of snowmobile and ATV traffic are usually passable. With the sun and mild temperatures I figured the snow would soften and maybe produce some pretty good spring conditions. Boy was I wrong.

That trail that’s been in great shape for the last month is now a rutted mess. Four wheelers tore it up so bad you’d have a difficult time walking on it let alone skiing. The tire ruts are deep and full of water. Even a snowmobile wouldn’t go down that trail now. It’s probably destroyed for the rest of the winter.

This trail in particular is really multi-use. People walk and snowshoe along it. Many of us ski it. The horseback riders use the trail as well. And yes there has been motorized use all winter too. Snowmobiles and ATV’s share the trail with everyone else and there hasn’t been a problem until now.

When it’s cold and the snow is hard and packed down everyone can use the trail without damaging it. But when it’s wet and soft, care has to be taken. A walker or skier or even a horse wouldn’t have much of an impact. A snowmobile would probably pack it down and improve it. But a four-wheeler makes a mess. I can’t imagine it would be much fun riding either. After seeing the damage, it’s too bad this person or persons didn’t stop and go somewhere else. There are plenty of places to ride besides the popular walking trails.
Thanks a lot.

Wax or No Wax

2007-03-10T19:54:00.000-04:00

To wax or not to wax… that is a question that has plagued skiers since skiing began. I’ve always had waxable cross-country skis. When I first started skiing there were no such things as waxless boards. In those days the skis were made of wood and in addition to waxing we had to pine tar the base. That meant burning this black tar into the wood with a torch, a messy job but I still love the smell of it. It brings back happy skiing memories.

But back to the wax. In the spring or when the temperature is above freezing or if the snow is crusty or icy, waxing becomes difficult. The skis glide just fine but it’s tough getting a proper grip under your foot to propel yourself forward. It’s in these kinds of conditions where waxless skis excel. The raised pattern on the bottom of the ski gives you the grip especially in these hard to wax conditions. Many of the people I ski regularly with have no-wax skis and although they sacrifice a little glide in good snow conditions the things work great in the crusty crud kind of snow we get a lot of here.

I struggled up the hills today on my waxable skis while my skiing buddy Jim walked effortlessly up the hills. Another skiing friend who considers himself a purist who would never settle for waxless skis actually picked up a pair this winter. He would say he did it because they were such a good price he couldn’t afford not to buy them. But even he admits they work well in certain conditions. Most people who buy Nordic skis these days choose waxless. I think I’ll have to pick up a pair for myself.

River Valley Rambler - Guess I'm a Blogger

2007-03-07T19:53:00.000-04:00

I guess with this column I officially join the ranks of internet bloggers. A blog is a web site where you post your thoughts and opinions in writing and share it with the online world. A true blog is interactive so readers can comment on your comments and you develop this kind of interactive community on the web. Blogging started back in the 90’s sometime and now there are hundreds of thousands of blogs on every conceivable topic imaginable.

My new blog is called… what else, River Valley Rambler. I figured since I’ve been writing this column in the River Valley News for longer than I can remember I may as well throw it out on the web as well. The blog will feature all the regular columns written for the paper from now on. In addition I’ll go back and look through some of the past 352 columns and post some of them from time to time, sort of a retro-rambler. I can also post photographs and other content on the site. For example I’ve included a column I wrote last summer after my wife and I became grandparents for the first time and I added a picture of our new granddaughter Ava. It’s worth checking out the blog just to view that photo of Ava, probably the most beautiful baby in the world. Well she is to us.

When you have a column your deadline is whenever the paper is published. So in the case of the River Valley News I come up with a new column every two weeks on average. But with a blog there is no publication date or deadline. You post something new whenever you want. I try to keep each column to about 500 words but blog postings can be any length you want. So for these reasons my blog at rivervalleyrambler.blogspot.com is going to be more than just the biweekly columns. I call it a collection of regular columns published in the River Valley News as well as thoughts, comments, reflections and ramblings about life in the River Valley area of New Brunswick with special emphasis on outdoor recreation and activities. That sounds like a mouthful but what it really means is if something of interest is happening in the area, chances are you’ll be able to read about it in the blog. This is especially true if it has to do with the outdoors and activities like hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, skiing and so on. This column has always had a focus on active living and outdoor adventure and the blog will build on that. I hope at some point the web site will be the first place for people to go to find out about outdoor activities happening in the local area.

So far you’ll see postings and photos about skiing, walking and snowmobiling on some of the local trails. Conditions by the way have been fabulous. There’s also a story about an annual ice climbing festival that occurred on a frozen waterfall on Ministers Face on Long Island in the Kenebecasis River. It attracted ice climbers from all over the Maritimes. By the time you read this in the print edition of River Valley News there’ll probably be other postings on the site. You’ll never know exactly what you’ll find there. That’s part of the fun of it. Down the road there will be information about other projects that are in the works that will include video and audio and other content online.

I invite you to check out my new blog and visit as often as you like. I hope you’ll leave comments and suggestions for stories and other content you’d like to see online and in this column. Bookmark the site. It’s easy to find at rivervalleyrambler.blogspot.com.

(Visit rivervalleyrambler.blogspot.com for previous columns and new content about life in the River Valley)

Ice Festival

2007-03-02T18:28:00.000-04:00

It’s a surprisingly long way across the frozen Kennebecasis River from the Rothesay Yacht Club to Long Island. People packing climbing boots and backpacks were crossing on foot, headed for the hundred foot frozen waterfall on a cliff known as Ministers Face. I made the trip on skis and passed a number of the ice walkers on the way. We were all going to the annual Ice Festival, the walkers to climb the frozen waterfall and me to shoot some video of them doing it.

This gathering of ice climbers from around the region started about seven years ago. They do it every year if weather and ice conditions permit. It started out as a small gathering of friends who climb and has grown every year. Most of the climbers this year are from the Fredericton and Saint John areas and many of them are first timers. Experienced climbers go first and using foot long ice screws they attach the safety ropes to the frozen falls. Ropes are also looped over trees at the top of the falls. Climbers attach spiky crampons to their boots and with the help of ice axes, pick their way up and down the ice wall.

There were five or six climbing ropes dangling down the ice. Climbers attached themselves to the rope with the aid of another climber controlling the rope; pick their way up the face. The ice was a wall of climbers all day long. There were between 20 and 30 people taking turns while I was there and when they weren’t actively involved in the sport they were talking about climbing. It’s obviously a very social activity and after the climbing ends for the day the climbers all gather for a potluck and a slide show from previous festivals. That takes place at Steve Adamson’s house nearby.

Steve is known as the grandfather of climbing in New Brunswick. He’s only 47 but has been climbing for 33 years. And not just on ice. Steve has climbed mountains in the Rockies, the Alps, Andes and the Himalayas. He’s the guy who first climbed many of these frozen waterfalls in New Brunswick. Steve says this part of the province is pretty hard to beat when it comes to ice climbing. Besides Ministers Face there is good climbing in Welsford and in the Sussex area.

Steve pointed out to me that ice climbing could be dangerous. If something goes wrong you have to know what to do. Ice can break like glass and people can fall. Experienced climbers can tell how stable the ice is by the look and colour of it. All that being said the climbers out this day obviously love their sport. They say it’s both a physical and mental challenge. Steve Adamson says it would be unthinkable for climbers not to go ice climbing in the winter.

I was offered the opportunity to try ice climbing many times that day. I politely declined, preferring instead to capture the experience on video. When the shooting was over I packed my gear, put on my skis and headed for the mainland about a mile away across the river. I like my ice horizontal.

Super Ski Trails

2007-02-27T18:34:00.000-04:00

These days I’m working the early morning shift at CBC Radio. That means being in the office around 4:30 AM. It’s really the middle of the night but the upside is I’m finished work around 12:30. That makes it possible to indulge in some midweek skiing, something I haven’t been able to do very often. And it’s great.

I’ve skied for eight days straight. One day was spent at Poley Mountain doing some telemark and downhill turns but most of the time I did some cross country sliding on the local trails around Grand Bay-Westfield. With the recent snow they are all in great shape.

My favorite is the Backland Road behind the Westfield golf course. I’ve followed that twice in the last few days all the way to Loch Alva. ATV’s use the trail all the time as well as snowmobiles and they flatten the middle of it nicely and chop up the snow. It’s like skiing on a groomed trail and it’s the place you want to be especially with the heavy crust on the snow. That trail is always fast. It’s being well used too this winter by walkers and the occasional horseback rider. I never saw the horse but it left behind some road apples.

The trails across the highway on Highland Road to Round Lake and beyond are also in great shape. Snowmobile traffic has groomed them up nicely. The day I skied the Caribou Lake trail toward Welsford the snow was hard packed and icy but by the time I reached the lake the snowmobile groomer had gone through and loosened everything up. Heading back to the highway is mostly downhill and was very fast. Almost too fast.

The temperatures are getting warmer but snow is in the long range forecast so conditions should remain good for x-c skiers. The local backcountry trails are in better shape now than they were at any time last winter so get out the boards or snowshoes out and enjoy them while you can.

River Valley Rambler - Becoming Grandparents

2007-02-23T20:16:00.000-04:00

My wife and I are now grandparents. Our daughter Christine and her husband Greg had their baby on August 21st. Her name is Ava Mary Mason. She is the most beautiful baby in the world. Well she is to us of course.

I’m still not quite sure what to make of being a grandparent because I’ve never been one before. It signals another change in life for sure. Grandparents are usually perceived to be older members of society but that’s not always the case anymore. I know people who have become a grandparent in their early 40’s or younger. So age doesn’t really have a lot to do with it although there is something very senior-like being referred to as ‘Grandpa’ by your friends.

And that brings us to what our granddaughter will actually call us. Our kids called their grandparents Gramma and Poppa. When I was a kid I called one grandmother Nanny and the other Grandma. I suppose in the end it doesn’t really matter what you’re called. The relationship you develop with your grandchild will be based on a lot more than a name. So what does it really mean to a grandparent?

I think of that when I hold little Ava. She’s so tiny and life for her at a few weeks old consists of mainly eating and sleeping. She looks at you sometimes but I don’t think she’s really focusing on who you are yet. I look down at her and wonder about what kind of person she will be and where life will take her. She’s at the beginning of an incredible journey and she doesn’t realize it yet. She’s content just to be and I’m content just to hold her.

Maybe being a grandparent is just about being there for your grandchild. You’re not the parent this time. You don’t have the ultimate responsibility for raising the child. You have a role to play of course to help and support your children and theirs but you’re no longer the primary caregiver. You take a step back from that. It means you get to enjoy the grandchild without assuming all the responsibility. That’s the fun part.

Grandparents can play with their grandchildren, take them on outings, spoil them and at the end of the day hand them back to their parents for the harder stuff like disciplining. It’s a perfect situation. You get to hold the baby but pass her back to her mother when her diapers need a change. At least that’s the way it’s worked out so far. I expect I’ll soon have my turn at changing diapers. Having four kids of my own, I know how to do that.

Probably the secret of being a grandparent is really no secret at all. It’s very simple. All you have to do is love your grandchildren. The rest of it will come naturally after that. And when I look at my new granddaughter that part of it is really easy to do.

River Valley Rambler - Local Trails

2007-02-21T18:27:00.000-04:00

The town of Grand Bay-Westfield has a fabulous waterfront development and trail building plan in the works. We can see the progress every time we pass by the Westfield Ferry Landing. Work on the Brundage Point trailhead is well underway. I wrote about the entire development plan in an earlier column and it includes the extension of the trail system along Route 177 and the development of a backcountry trail network. The plan is a good one and when completed will certainly be a welcome addition to the community.

We don’t have to go far to see how a well planned out and maintained trail system can contribute to the quality of life in a community. The city of Fredericton has over 70 km of trails to explore within the city limits. The non-profit and voluntary Trails Coalition looks after these trails year round. The Coalition members include the local Outdoor Enthusiasts club, area bicycle clubs, a running club and the x-c ski club. There are 17 trails in the city and about 9 recreation areas. I’ve walked on some of the trails in the summer and recently I had the chance to ski on a few of them this winter. This superb trail system is one of the best things about Fredericton.

There was about 10 cm of fresh snow on the ground the day I took my skis to Odell Park. A network of ski and hiking trails winds throughout and around the park. In the winter the trails are groomed for x-c skiing but the groomer hadn’t been out that day yet. Plenty of other skiers had though. If you have the trails people will use them. I skied almost ever trail in the park that day. The snow conditions were perfect. The park is located on the side of a hill so some of the trails are challenging, especially on the way down but what a ride! It’s a fabulous place to ski and it’s right in the city.

I still had some legs left so next I went to the UNB Woodlot and Game Refuge beyond Regent Mall and toward New Maryland. Skiers just call this place “The Woodlot”. I don’t know how many kilometers of trails there are but it’s a lot. I wanted to ski for about half an hour but got lost and ended up experiencing a lot of what the Woodlot has to offer. I eventually found the trail out to my car about an hour and a half later. The trails were all freshly groomed, packed and tracked by machine. The local Wostawea Ski Club looks after the trails in the winter and they were wonderful that day.

It was an absolute treat to ski on well maintained groomed trails. I don’t have an opportunity to do that very often. Most of the skiing we do in this area around Saint John is of the backcountry variety. We either break our own trails or share them with ATV’s and snowmobiles. This is the kind of skiing I like but I have to admit how nice it sometimes is to have that groomed track and not to be concerned about motorized traffic on the trail. I have no problem sharing our vast trail system here. There’s plenty of room for everyone who wants to get out in the backcountry and explore.

But if we are to become known for our trail system and waterfront here in Grand Bay-Westfield I think we’ll have to make sure that some trails are reserved just for hiking, walking, skiing and perhaps mountain biking. Hikers will not come to explore our trails if they’re overrun with ATV’s. It would be ideal to have a section of forest somewhere nearby with a few kilometers of linked trails on it just for non-motorized use. If the trail is there people will use it just like they do in Fredericton. And if we ever get a winter with reliable snowfall again, I bet skiers would use the trails all the time. I know I would. And if enough of us do, maybe just maybe we could have groomed trails and form a club. It’s a big attraction in Fredericton and it could be here too.

River Valley Rambler - Grand Manan Trial

2007-02-01T10:24:00.000-04:00

One of the more interesting court cases in New Brunswick over the past year was that of the so-called ‘Grand Manan Five’. The ‘boys’ as they were called on the island, faced various weapons and arson charges after a riot broke out and the home of an alleged crack dealer was burned to the ground. The crown said the five took the law into their own hands. The defence said they did what they did to protect themselves and their families. In the end the crown did get some convictions, although not for the shooting spree that occurred. We know that during the riot a lot of gunfire was exchanged between the two groups and police say it was a miracle that no one was killed. Of the five, one was acquitted; two were convicted of arson, one for unsafe use of a flare gun and one for unsafe storage of a weapon. They were sentenced to house arrest.

I attended the trial in the old Charlotte County Court House in St. Andrews for the entire two weeks. It quickly became clear there were two other groups on trial in that courtroom in addition to the five accused. Even though they weren’t facing any charges everyone in the court formed an opinion about the group on the other side of the street the night of the riot. Some of those guys who took the stand for the crown were scary individuals. They were not the kind of people you’d want living next door to you. It’s unfortunate but the police and their actions were also in a sense on trial. Relations between the RCMP and people on Grand Manan are still bad a result. In fact the mayor of the island has just asked the province to conduct an inquiry into how the police responded to the riot and the aftermath. In the days following the incident about 70 extra RCMP officers arrived on the island to keep the peace. Islanders are saying it was overkill and the police should have paid more attention to the drug problem on the island before everything got out of hand.

I do respect and value the police. Listening to the testimony throughout the trial it became clear how difficult a job it is especially in a situation like what happened that night on Grand Manan. But at the same time, things came out during the trial that left me and I think others in the court, somewhat troubled by the actions of the RCMP. We heard testimony from islanders who said the police on Grand Manan knew something was going to happen. Some even said on the stand that some officers told them they wouldn’t be quick to respond if a fire broke out at the alleged drug dealer’s house.

We also watched the video interrogation of the five accused. An RCMP officer took the stand and explained in detail the tactics police use to conduct an interrogation. We were told how they bend the truth and out and out lie to the accused to get them to admit to something. We heard all about the good cop-bad cop technique. We were told how during an interrogation the police are more like actors, putting on a well-rehearsed show to play on the emotions of the accused. After the explanations we watched the various interrogation techniques being employed in the questioning of these five islanders. Even though almost all of them said they wanted to wait for their lawyer before saying anything to the police, the officers continued the questioning, sometimes for up to two hours. Eventually the accused all gave in and told the police exactly what they wanted to hear.

I know this is normal police procedure and they’re trained to do this. At no time during the interrogations were the police heavy handed or out of line. They were doing their job and doing it well. But watching it was a real eye-opener for me and for others in the court. The mayor of Grand Manan said publicly that he didn’t care much for those police tactics. After watching this I know if I ever find myself in a situation where I’m being interrogated by police, I’m going to keep my mouth shut, or at least try to, until my lawyer gets there whether I’m guilty of anything or not. We got a real behind the scenes look at how the police operate and I know it made a lot of people in that courtroom uneasy.

It’s clear after this incident that a lot of work is still needed to improve relations between the RCMP and people on Grand Manan. It also became clear that like elsewhere in New Brunswick, there is a serious drug problem on the island. The community and the police have to mend those fences in order to deal with it properly.

River Valley Rambler - Wacky Weather

2007-01-18T11:36:00.000-04:00

It’s the first column of a new year and I vowed I wasn’t going to comment on the weather. But it’s January and as I write this it’s almost 15 degrees outside, the grass is green, my skis are in the corner gathering dust, everyone is talking about the weather and I can’t help myself. Now I know by the time you read this we may be buried under 50 cm of snow, although I doubt that very much. Winter has completely disappeared and although I don’t like that, I know many people are celebrating. But today at least as I write this, the balmy weather is what people are talking about, so I am too.

Let me start by saying it’s not supposed to be like this. It’s a Saturday afternoon in early January and it’s pouring rain. I should be in the backcountry skiing right now. Instead I’m listening to a Toronto radio station on the internet and hearing stories about roses blooming and Blue Mountain, the largest ski resort in Ontario laying off 1,300 people and shutting down for the first time in its 65 year history. There’s also a news report of a massive avalanche in Colorado that covered a highway, burying cars and sending some vehicles plummeting down the mountain. Also today I spoke to one of my son’s friends who is working at a ski resort in BC and he said he’s never seen so much snow. It started snowing there in October and hasn’t stopped. What gives?

Earlier today I was using my ham radio and spoke to a station in Louisiana. The operator said it was 50 degrees outside and raining. It was warmer here. I made contacts with other amateur radio operators in places like Ireland and Ohio and they were all talking about the weather too. The fellow in Cleveland told me he lives in what is normally a snow belt but this year the golf courses are still open. He works in the business of making environmental controls for industry and he said he doesn’t believe this is all a result of global warming. He said climate change is cyclical and there’s something else at work here. I don’t know what to think anymore. I’m sure man made greenhouse gasses are responsible for most of the climate change we’re experiencing but there could be more to it. I know a few hundred years ago, long before cars and smokestacks, the river Thames in England froze solid for a number of winters. And we know that palm trees used to be found in what is now the arctic. Whatever the cause, something is going on.

Here at home, Poley Mountain ski area is closed today. It’s managed to make enough snow to open some runs but this rain is hurting. Snowmobiles have largely been silent so far this winter and that’s hurting businesses that depend on the provinces ‘White Gold’ winter tourism campaign. Some people are so disgusted by the weather they’ve put their snow machines up for sale at bargain prices.
It’s not just the winter sports enthusiasts who find this difficult. The thousands of woods workers in the province who make a living by cutting down trees and hauling logs are mostly out of work now because of the warm and wet winter. They need frozen ground to haul out the wood. The mud is making many logging roads impassable.

It’s now two days later. I stopped writing when I heard the forecast of a major winter storm approaching us. I didn’t really get my hopes up but I thought I’d better wait and see what the storm brought. Old man winter huffed and puffed and tried to blow in some snow and cold but failed. Early in the morning we picked up maybe 5 cm of wet snow but it quickly turned to heavy rain and that was the end of it. I’m hoping other areas of the province got some snow and held onto it but I think this rain is widespread. It’s pouring out again right now. Maybe it’s time to give up on winter.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what life would be like here without a winter as we’ve known it. Imagine a temperature that only rarely dropped below freezing? Aside from the disappearance of snow it would drastically change everything we’ve known and expected. Some of that change may be good. But I know a lot of it won’t be, even for people who generally dislike the winter.

I still think we’re going to get a good dumping of snow. We’ll probably be buried come March. Even so the backbone of the season has already been broken. And I’m afraid winter may never be the same again.