November 11, 2014
Remembrance Day
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| Mi Node Is Pugged ub |
I woke up this morning at 6 a.m. unable to breathe. I've been in bed most of the last twenty four hours so its not like I needed to sleep. I took a few moments to write my no blog today blog. Had a long steamy hot shower and then started popping pills around 9 o'clock. By 10:00 we were ready to go pick up Mama Lee. Just as the lovely Lisa and I were preparing to walk out the door Peter showed up. Mama Lee had invited him the day before. He must have been on the bus at 9 o'clock in PoCo. She told him that he was coming for lunch. Always a good motivator for Peter. What she didn't tell him was that we would be standing around in the park in 4 degree temperatures for an hour and a half. As I have mentioned before Peter has some mental issues. He didn't know it was Remembrance Day. He showed up in a t-shirt and an open necked jacket. I offered him a hat, scarf and gloves but he said no.
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| Mama Lee in the front row. |
I dropped Mama Lee, the lovely Lisa and Peter off at the cenotaph then drove the block and a half and parked in the underground at Jen and Christians. Then with the grandkids in tow Christian, Jen, myself and the kids walked up to the Cenotaph at Blue Mountain Park. This sounds like it went quite smoothly but, not really. I had the lovely Lisa's cup of tea and a blanket for Mama Lee.
By the time we walked back up to the Cenotaph, there was no way I could get through the crowd to get the blanket and the tea to Mama Lee and the lovely Lisa. They were sitting right up front with the veterans. We were late. The grandkids missed the bands.
The marching band from the cadets as well as the Highland Pipe band. When the ceremony started I lifted Bella up onto my shoulders so she could see. She was so quiet and watched so intensely. We have been talking about Remembrance Day for the past week. I don't know if she really understands the concept of Remembrance Day. She's only six years old. Last week she thought it was a celebration and there was going to be a party and cake. I tried to explain to her that it wasn't really a celebration that it was a Memorial. A time when we show love and respect and honour the men and women who gave everything, so we could have what we have.... Freedom! It is not now, nor has it ever been free. It has been bought and paid for in the blood of our country's youth.
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| Willy Curley proud to carry the flag |
Willy Curley was part of the honour guard carrying the Canadian flag this year.
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| Davey Fletcher |
David Fletcher past president of the Ridgeway Legion was the MC and did, as usual, a great job. Though French spoken with a Glasgow accent is damn near gibberish. I kept Bella up on my shoulder through the entire ceremony including the first few laying of wreaths.
There were fifty-two wreaths being laid this year. About fifty more than the Grandkids could take.The cenotaph is in a copse of trees and gets no sun. The Kids were getting cold. Jen Christian and the kids headed home. I was finally able to work through the crowd and find the lovely Lisa and Mama Lee. I gave Lisa her tea and the blanket for Mama Lee. About twenty minutes and thirty wreaths later we made our way through the crowd and back to the car. At least Mama Lee and I did. The lovely Lisa was still at Blue Mountain Park looking for Peter who had somehow managed to wander off.
The other thing that was going on at the Remembrance Day ceremony was the heightened security. I've done quite a bit of traveling. I was ringed by armed soldiers in Havana, Cuba on the fiftieth anniversary of the Revolution. On street corners all through Mexico and even in Washington DC and New York City. But I have to say I was taken aback to see a police Officer in full body armour and carrying an automatic weapon in Blue Mountain Park.
I guess we're not in Kansas anymore!
I had tried to get hold of my friend Al Mcleod who was also at Blue Mountain Park. I was never able to because he turned off his phone. The lovely Lisa ran across him when she was looking for Peter. Al is a veteran and a talented story teller. Oh yeah, and a letch!
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| Al and the poppies stencilled in the Park |
I got Mama Lee into the car and then drove up toward the park to meet Lisa and Peter. Once I had collected them we drove to the Red Star formerly the Austin Diner. It was crazy in there. I talked to the new owner of the place. He's ethnic Chinese and a recent immigrant he didn't know what Remembrance Day was. Nor did he know that the Cenotaph is in his neighborhood. I think he'll probably have more staff on next year. We had chinese food.
I took Mama Lee home and the lovely Lisa took Peter home to PoCo. That's Port Coquitlam for anyone not familiar with the lower mainland. She texted me that she was stopping at Mark and Lea's for a quick visit. When the lovely Lisa came home we went down to the Legion and hooked up with Willy and Annie. Needless to say the Legion was jam packed.
There was a Navy Band playing World War two songs. They had already fed the veterans by the time we arrived and now were setting up a buffet for everyone else.
I'll tell you that there's not a crowd that has more fun than a legion crowd. They dance from the first chord the band plays until the band stops playing. For the first two hours there was no room on the dance floor. It was filled with the 35 members of the Navy Band.
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| It's a long way to tickle Mary |
After the Navy Band they had a four piece combo with keyboards, saxophone, guitar and drums. They were called Men in Black and the keyboard player was a woman, and at 70 years old she was the youngster in the band and, pretty hot for the legion!
They played tunes from the forties and fifties and the dance floor was packed.
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| Willy and I |
We spent a couple hours there. Saw lots of people we haven't seen since our summer party and it was great to catch up. We got home about 5:30. As usual the lovely Lisa goes to work in the middle of the night. I have Papa Squatch Dayscare tomorrow
the lovely Lisa will soon go to bed and I will watch the Canucks game all by my lonesome. Which I did. On the Blog program I use it keeps track of my audience. How many people and from what countries. About a month ago, I got one view from the Ukraine and one view from Russia. With all the conflict going on in their lives I'm surprised they take a few minutes from their day to read about what a Fat Bastard 6000 miles away, they don't even know, is doing. Who ever you are, where ever you are, be safe.
That's all I got
Till next time
Peace out y'all
P.S. I'm feeling much better. Not so achy but still my throat is quite sore. Thanks for all the good wishes and the good advice. Hot water and lemon!
©2014 Dave Squatch Ward
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