Rhys 8 Years Old

In 1964 I emigrated from Belfast to Vancouver looking for remunerative employment with the US funded Distant Early Warning Line in the far north of Canada and a career I later deduced with the US military industrial complex.
I first found the Mid Canada Line and had to relocate to Montreal to be interviewed and possibly hired. Thus my first and lasting love, Vancouver to Montreal, of long distance train journeys.
While being trained for assignment in the Arctic a fellow classmate encouraged me to accompany him to a National Hockey League game at the old Montreal Forum between the Montreal Canadians and the Detroit Red Wings, at the time there were only six teams in the league. He encouraged me to cheer for Detroit, it was his warped sense of humor that first made us friends, but being perceptive I realized I risked the Montreal fans throwing me over the balcony of the nose bleed section and there and then I became a life long Montreal Canadians fan.
A few days ago my son Patrick sent me a photo from Boston of my grandson Rhys about to go on the ice for the first game of the season.
Could I reach back and tie another old life experience to a more recent one – maybe. But this one and Rhys are too good not to reflect on.

Walking around Kitsilano In The Morning

Feeling poorly and failing recently with my attempts to make an appointment with a doctor, they are not taking any new patients I looked up a nearby Walk In Clinic and strolled over being sure, since it was Saturday morning to get there at 09:00 when they open. 
When I arrived the young receptionist assured me that there was an open slot at 14:30and as I don’t yet have a government Medical Services Card, if a fee of C$125 was acceptable then I could walk back in at that time.

Currently the government sponsored medical insurance scheme costs C$37.75 a month. Next year there is no charge to users.




I opted to walk back on a quite street and encountered 5 young men who greeted me with good morning sir. Well I said I can tell by your accents that you are Irish, where are you from. Dublin they said, and I told them I am from Belfast and we chatted for a bit. I asked if they were moving here permanently but they said no they first had to return home to finish their university studies but they might move here as it is a beautiful city.

Saying goodbye I commended them for getting an early start to their day. 
Oh no they said we are walking home from last nights outing. 
So that merited a picture.

Made me feel cheerful about Ireland and maybe the world 



The main obligation is to amuse yourself. S. J Perelman

Life Is What You Make It

He is frequently seated outside the Kitsilano Community Centre in a Vancouver suburb around noon

When passing I inquired as to how he had succeeded in life to the point where most mornings he was sitting in a comfortable chair in the sun having a cold beer while most other people are rushing past prisoners of their mobile phones.

After a minutes reflection he allowed it hadn’t always been easy, there had been some rough patches but he stuck with it and here he is.

He agreed that if I stop by again he will share some history on his accomplishment. 




Want what you have. 
Do what you can. 
Be who you are.