DIARY
Rowena
now has a yellow line
by
Robert LaFrance
Talk about some mealy-mouthed
explanations for the cancellation of the Energy East pipeline!
One news organization said it was
because the National Energy Board had tightened its environmental regulations
and made it uneconomical for the Trans Canada Pipeline; another said it was
because of two new pipelines, one going into the U.S. and one going to Burnaby,
BC, so Energy East wasn’t needed.
There was a third reason, carefully
unmentioned. Quebec didn’t want it, and no federal political party will go to
the washroom if Quebec says don’t do it. And Quebec is not going to do ANYTHING
that benefits Canada east of Cabano and Matapedia.
Moving on to a more cheerful
subject, I have just had a report that the people of Rowena are giddy with joy
at the recent change to their infrastructure and, I might add, that change once
again illustrates the power of the press.
Specifically, the recent work
involves a change that I have mentioned in this column at least twice over the
years: Rowena now has, according to what was reported to me, a brand new yellow
line down the centre of Highway 390.
It all goes to show that when I
speak, government listens. It was only three years ago when I first suggested
that Rowena’s fine citizens (wish I could say that about my crowd) need and
deserve a yellow line on their road.
It reminds me of the days when the
estimable Bernard Lord was Premier of our Picture Province. We couldn’t get a
pail full of chipseal put on our road no matter how often I whined. I thought
all the time that it was because someone thought I and my neighbours were on
the wrong side of politics (I am not a member of any political party), but it
turned out that those who made the decisions merely wanted to use the money for
more important things, like fact-finding trips to St. Lucia in February.
St. Lucia does have a lot of facts,
to be sure, especially when it’s –31ºC here.
***********************
Referring to the climate and weather
in country of India, the year 2017 has produced a great ‘Indian Summer’. Of
course by the time that this column appears in print, it will be –31º with two
feet of snow on the ground, but right at the moment it is a great fall.
Even the rain we received yesterday
wasn’t the downpour with wind that usually arrives the minute the maple trees
turn to their brightest colours. I realize that sometime in the next few weeks
the leaves will all fall down, but I’ve been busy taking photos of the red ones
we have now.
I even picked a raspberry this week,
but that’s not a record for here. Back about fifteen years ago I had a second
crop of raspberries and have the photo to prove it. I took that day’s copy of
the Telegraph-Journal out to the berry patch and got a passer-by to put down
her rolling pin long enough to take a few ‘snapshots’ as they used to be
called. She wanted me to also take a photo of her, but I said that my digital
camera was out of film.
Still talking about modern
technology, I have sent several emails, without reply, to Toyota Canada with
whom I have a severe bone to pick.
Their first letter in return was
from a Japanese guy named Sean O’Reilly who wrote, among other things, that if
I wanted to place a formal complaint with the company I should “talk English
you muttonhead!” which I felt was a little rough. He had no idea or inkling
what the phrase “a bone to pick” meant.
He had sent his toll-free number, so
I immediately (after lunch) called him back. I told him that I had ‘an issue’
with the colours of his Corolla models, notably the red ones. “How
*&^%$*&* many red Toyota Corollas did you let loose in Canada in 2014?”
I queried. “Two days ago I came out of Clarks’ grocery store in Perth-Andover
and, weighed down by whole wheat flour, pineapple juice and toothpicks, I opened
the door of what I thought was my red Corolla and put in those staples.” (Yes,
I had staples too.)
“Lo and behold,” I continued, “THAT
red Toyota belonged to a farmer from Four Falls, so I moved to the next one. An
Anabaptist usher was actually sitting in that car when I put in my groceries.
In despair, I searched for my own car, seeing 43 red Toyota Corollas, and then
realized I had brought my grey Yaris to town instead of the Corolla. I beg of
you, help!”
He didn’t help, beyond offering to
paint my Corolla for a mere $4000. Like Sampson when he first gazed on Delilah,
I was tempted, but finally declined. My next vehicle will be a HumVee.
-end-
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