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IN THIS ISSUE

• Dixie Augusteijn takes up her tale of a trip to Alaska and the Yukon
• Jack Peaker believes we should adopt Cuba as a new province
• Marco de Muinck forwards an article that has a bearing on my birthday
• Gerrit de Leuuw sends revisions to Alberta's driving rules
• The Department of Finance has warned against a fraudulent e-mail
• Here is a copy of an actual statement demanding payment for $.00
• Gerrit also suggests a website to test your knowledge of things Canadian

Dixie Augusteijn is back with another installment of her account of

AN ALASKA/YUKON TRIP

Before leaving Palmer and the musk ox, we had another huddle over the map and the Milepost, deciding how we were going to portion out our remaining time. Since the RV had to be turned in, cleaned, the morning of the day we were leaving in the evening, Chris decided it would be wisest to reach Whitehorse the night before and clean the van in the morning before taking our luggage to the airport and then returning the RV.

To leave Alaska, we had the choice of either returning to Chicken or taking the much shorter way to Haines and crossing with the ferry to Skagway and the beginning of the famous Chilkoot Pass. This would allow us more time to see things, but it did mean we must not miss the ferry. It was not a difficult decision; with a couple of days' hard driving we could get into Haines the night before, ready for the ferry crossing in the morning.

The highway lacked the immense expanses of the Top of the World Highway, but with the Yukon Dawson range on our left and the Wrangell range on our left, we were surrounded by colour, the wonderful blue-grey of the mountains streaked with bright yellow ribbons of the aspens, and then a touch of white from a waterfall or a small glacier. The valley opened up to the Kluane wilderness and for miles we skirted blue Kluane Lake. How tempting it was to linger!

We did break this drive on a small cutoff to a small Indian camp where they were smoking fish. A drying shed was off to one side, and I don't know if they were using any special wood for the smoking. I took some movies of the fish going up the river. It was a peaceful spot but we had to push on.

Each day we drove until after dark but always found good parking places with hook-up and water. We stopped briefly at Tok - which we had passed through earlier but had taken the northern branch to Fairbanks - and spent a short time in an outlet store there where I bought myself a small beautifully-ornamented pill box, which they said was from Russia.

We pressed on and did reach Haines in the evening. We recognized the place from our friends' pictures. It was there by the water they had seen a mother bear and cub. We were not so lucky.

In the morning we went to the landing and the largest ferry I have ever seen, loading vehicles of a size I didn't think would fit in. I was able to get a front seat for the long ferry crossing but it was very misty, so my pictures were not spectacular. Arriving in Skagway, we got to an RV park in front of the big cruise ships. As there were three of these huge ships in harbour, the place was alive with tourists, and Skagway was the only place where we felt it was being 'fixed up' for more atmosphere. On a cruise, Skagway is as far as the ships go. (A cousin who did the tour a few years back took the train at Skagway through the Chilkoot Pass to Whitehorse, then by bus to Yellowknife, back into Alaska through Denali to Anchorage, from where she flew home.)

Surprisingly, what you first notice about Skagway is the lush vegetation. There are flowers everywhere. And everything seems to be sporting a fresh coat of paint. One exception was a building front in mosaic effect made from driftwood, quite unusual and very attractive. We visited the shops and in one were allowed to hold a huge chunk of gold; I forget how much it weighed but it was very heavy. They had some interesting crafts. There were the finely-woven baskets, and another basket which looked as if it had been knitted from baleen. I particularly liked some glass globes containing replicas of colourful jellyfish. They also had these in paperweights and now I wish I had bought one.

Back in the Yukon, we were able to relax and decided to spend an extra day in and around Skagway. Elizabeth and I went to the Jewell Gardens on the outskirts of the city. We did not go to the tearoom but roamed through the extensive gardens, where everything seemed to grow. The season was past for the small fruits, but there were apples and pears. What I was surprised to see were artichokes! We can't grow them here [in Ontario]. There were several varieties of Swiss chard, all very colourful, and every sort and shape of cabbage. One large bed was given over to herbs, beautifully laid out in a 'knot' effect. Then the flowers - most I did not know but recognized sweet peas climbing up a trellis, and all the begonias and lilies - it was a gardener's dream. In the middle they had a raised bed, with a wooden and stone retaining wall, landscaped to represent the old sourdough trail up the mountain, with a miniature railway beside it.

I don't know if this garden, which must take considerable upkeep, is a sort of experimental place because I would not think the tearoom would pay expenses. But it was a very lovely place to visit.

Jack Peaker has a novel idea on how to solve what he believes is Canada's major problem:

CANADA NEEDS A TROPICAL PROVINCE

A sandy beach, in the shade of a palm tree, sipping a Cuba Libra ... it's February....

"Not in Canada," you say.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Peter MacKay, may be encouraged to negotiate such an arrangement now that Fidel Castro is no longer active. He could help solve one of Canada's major problems and at the same time become a Father of Confederation.

The idea is not a new one. Both Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden in 1917 and later, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, promoted the annexing of Turks and Caicos.

There are many billions of dollars leaving Canada for citrus fruits, vegetables in winter, bananas, sugar, etc., plus more billions being spent by Canadians seeking a warmer climate in winter months.

There are other reasons too why Cuba should become Canada's 11th province:

Sports - we instantly acquire a winning baseball team at much less cost than those Blue Jays, plus win future summer Olympics.

Language - Spanish becomes Canada's third official language, and French-English tensions are reduced.

Holidays - June 14 is the birthday of Cuban hero Che Guevara, and goodness knows we need a long weekend in June.

Canadian dollar - no more problem with the Canadian dollar being worth less than the America dollar.

Better music - CRTC regulations would ensure that Ibrahim Ferrar and the rest of the Buena Vista Social Club are given equal air time with the likes of Celine, Shania, and Paul Anka.

Cheap cigars, cheap rum....

Health Insurance - as seniors get more and more senior, out-of-country insurance gets more costly and more difficult to get. [Ed. note: The last time I crossed the border, it cost me $100 a day for health insurance because I was over 80, and took two pills a day.]

Imagine all those snowbirds wintering in the province of Cuba instead of in Florida, which is 70%smaller than Cuba. Think of the tourist dollars being siphoned straight back into the Canadian economy.

The population of the U.S. is ten times that of Canada because of their warmer states. But if we had warm sandy beaches in February....

Why not?

Marco de Muinck forwards this article that reflects some of my reactions to my 85th birthday, which is tomorrow:

REFLECTIONS

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all.... I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams, but here it is - the winter of my life - and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go, and where did my youth go?

I remember seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me, and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But here it is. My wife is retired and she's really getting gray; she moves slower and I see an older woman now. She's in better shape than me, but I see the great change. She's not the one I married, who was young and vibrant ... but, like me, her age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day. And taking a nap is not a treat anymore - it's mandatory, because if I don't on my own free will, I just fall asleep where I sit! So now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things. But at least I know that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last, this I know - that when it's over, it's over. Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done ... things I should have done. But indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime. So if you're not in your winter yet, let me remind you that it will be here faster than you think. Whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly! Life goes by quickly, so do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not. You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life, so live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember.

"Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who came after. Make it a fantastic one."

- Author unknown

Gerrit de Leeuw writes that he has already adjusted his driving habits to comply with the

ALBERTA VEHICLE MOTOR HANDBOOK CHANGES FOR 2007

Just in time for the start of 2007, please read this to brush up on the rules of the road to reduce the number of traffic incidents on our roads. Direct from the Alberta Motor Association driver's training handbook...

1. Turn signals will give away your next move. A confident Alberta driver avoids using them.

2. Under no circumstance should you maintain a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, because the space will be filled in by somebody else, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.

3. The faster you drive through a red light, the less chance you have of getting hit.

4. Warning! Never come to a complete stop at a stop sign. No one expects it and it will result in your being rear-ended.

5. Never get in the way of an older car that needs extensive bodywork, especially with B.C. or Sask. plates. With no insurance, the other operator has nothing to lose.

6. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in, giving a vigourous, foot massage as the brake pedal violently pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it's a chance to strengthen your leg muscles.

7. Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right. It's a good way to prepare other drivers entering the highway.

8. Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as a suggestion and are not enforceable in Alberta during rush hour, especially in Calgary.

9. Just because you're in the left lane and have no room to speed up or move over doesn't mean that an Albertan driver flashing his high beams behind you doesn't think he can go faster in your spot.

10. Always brake and rubberneck when you see an accident or even someone changing a tire. This is seen as a sign of respect for the victim.

11. Learn to swerve abruptly without signalling. Alberta is the home of high-speed slalom-driving, thanks to the Department of Public Works, which puts potholes in key locations to test drivers' reflexes and keep them alert.

12. It is tradition in Alberta to honk your horn at cars in front of you that do not move within three milliseconds of the light turning green.

?13. To avoid injury in the event of a collision or rollover, it is important to exit your vehicle through the windshield right away. Wearing your seat belt will only impede your high-velocity escape from danger.

14. Remember that the goal of every Alberta driver is to get ahead of the pack by whatever means necessary.

15. In Alberta, 'flipping the bird' is considered a polite salute. This gesture should always be returned.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We British Columbians have always wondered about Alberta drivers. These rules may explain why they stand out from the pack.

The Department of Finance has issued this warning:

E-MAIL FRAUD ALERT

Some Canadians are receiving e-mails fraudulently identified as coming from the Department of Finance Canada that promise a tax refund if an appended form is filled in and returned.

The e-mail is not from the Department of Finance Canada. There is no such refund. Do NOT fill in the form, as it will compromise your credit card and social security information. If you receive this e-mail, simply delete it. We have already notified appropriate law enforcement authorities.

We always thought this kind of invoice was an urban myth, but here is a copy of an actual statement sent to a client (whom I know very well, but whose name is obscured in case he ever wants to deal with this company again):

Gerrit de Leeuw forwards this site which will test your knowledge of Canada:

http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_jul2004/Canada_Quiz.htm

It may be true that you can't fool all the people all the time, but you can fool enough of them to rule a large country. - Will Durant