Author: Garry
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What you leave behind
People are watching.
Day 7 It’s hard to believe, but we may find ourselves leaving behind springs of water when we pass through the desert (Psalm 84:6.) Imagine that. You’re in a low spot, tired and weary, walking through a desert season in life, but you look behind you and notice that every place you have stepped is becoming lush, filled with life. In front of you, you see dry places, but behind you, you see life. If you’re a parent or a mentor with someone following you, they get a completely different view. Imagine what it looks like from their perspective. They’re in a desert, too. It’s hot and tiresome, but they look up and see flowing waters. Your willingness to fight changes others’ perspectives. People see you running to your Father even when it’s tough, and those who follow you may be filled with life.
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Farts in a Bag
You know how you can sense when you’re about to fart? You just know you have a second or two to decide if you can let fly safely. Perhaps your in a close quarters situation and you can attempt to hold it in to avoid any potential embarrassment.
I have those sensations of an impending fart but discretionary farting is no longer an option. The air flows freely and somewhat noisily as it reverberated around in the bag. Sometimes it’s no big deal and other times you want to crawl under a rock. Such is life these days.
Another exciting experience is waking up in the morning to discover you’ve apparently been farting quite a bit during the night. The bag is full and bulging like you have the Hindenburg attached to your stomach and it’s trying to lift off! All hands on deck! Prepare for an emergency evacuation!
Sorry, I just had to let it all out ?
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Passing of a friend and mentor
I recently learned of the passing of my friend Gary Wilstrop who was a very big influence in my life during my teens and twenties.
I’d lost touch over the year until I learned that Gary was in the HSC hospital from a mutual friend. Shirley and I went and visited only to learn that a guy who had the world by the tail was a partial paraplegic as the result of a dune buggy accident. We visited a couple of times and then lost touch again as Gary & Donna moved to Neepawa to be close to their daughter.
Every once in a while I’d google him to see if I could learn anything. This morning I did.
Gary Michael Willstrop
May 20, 1940 ~ October 16, 2022 82 Years Old
I’m saddened but left with so many good memories. I’ll try and capture a few of them here
It started on Bereton Lake in the Whiteshell where my parents had a cottage right next to the Willstrops. Mr & Mrs Wilstrop, Gary & Donna and Walt & Joan (Gary’s sister). Gary was a cool, outgoing, fun loving and adventuresome guy and the whole family took a young teenage me into their lives. We spent countless weekend hours together in spite of our 12 year age difference. I’m not sure how they put up with me hanging around so much but they did and I’m glad for it.
Memories
Tea and Toast. In the early evening I’d go next door and climb up on a few stones so I could poke my nose into their living room window. More often than not the whole family would be sitting around the one dining table having tea and toast before bed. I’d get invited in to join the group and hangout with the adults who were all telling stories, jokes and laughing so much.
Sailing. One year Gary & Donna got a sailboat, a very nice mahogany Y Flyer. Nobody exactly knew how to rig or sail the thing but Gary new a guy. A fellow on the lake also had a Y Flyer, the only other one and he became the sailing instructor. Ever change I got I went sailing with them and learned the ropes myself. Hanging out on the trapeze was the best. During the week I remember washing the sails and vanishing the inside of the hull as a way of earning my keep in the hopes of more sailing adventures.
Gary and Walt had matching red Honda Trail 90 motorcycles. What teenager doesn’t want to ride a motorcycle? There were many adventures riding various trails around the lake and occasionally I got to drive! Underage and without a license. ?
Grouse hunting. Guns! Another magnet for the younger me. Gary had 410 and 12 guage. When I was allowed to go hunting with Gary, Walt and Mr. Wilstrop I remember having to get some high top boots for tromping around the bush. I don’t remember anyone getting any grouse but many hours were spent looking and just hanging out was it’s own reward. I was just tagging along and never had a gun. But, one day, Gary decided I should try the 12 guage and attempt to shoot a floating javex bottle some 10′ off the end of the he dock. I still remember the kick! Three shots later and the javex bottle was never in any danger.
On my 18th birthday my Dad gave me a 22 rifle. Thanks Dad! I’m pretty sure mom wanted no part of that gift. A new gun, in December, and no place to try it out. Gary call me up and says to come over on a Saturday to their hours in Westwood and dress warm. We get on his snowmobile, with our 22s, and ride down the street, through a field, across the perimeter and out into the country.
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Going Nuclear , again
Turns out Manitoba is getting back is the nuclear game with a new reactor at the Pinawa site. I like it!
In the March 1, 2023 issue of the Winnipeg Free Press there is an article titled No such thing as ‘absolutely safe’ nuclear reactor by Dave Taylor. Dave is clearly not a fan of nuclear.
I’ve had a renewed interest in nuclear reactors since I listened to the Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist podcast Episode The New Age of Nuclear: Oklo’s Amazing Small Reactor That Reuses Nuclear Waste
If you are of a certain age you’ll remember the “Not you fathers Oldsmobile” advertising, well the the nuclear reactor proposed for Pinawa, a Small Modular reactor (SMR), is “Not your father’s nuclear reactor”.
It appears that Manitoba is going with StarCore Nuclear for the Pinawa Demonstration site. I found the StarCore web site very marketing heavy, a bit like a bad sales job. Personally, I think the technology from Oklo is far better and I especially like their plans to reuse existing nuclear waste. Their web site is extremely minimalist and you have to do a bit of digging to find out more about them.
The Oklo Aurora SMR is a very exciting development! I’d put this in my neighbourhood.
Artist’s rendition of the Oklo Aurora SMR Unfortunately, nuclear has a lots of stigma attached to it thanks to Three Mile Island, Fukushima & Chernobyl. Of course, nothing is absolutely safe. Cars are not safe, lots of people die every year in car fatalities and yet we still drive. Fatalities related to nuclear incidents are infinitesimal when compared to car deaths, but we’re in-sensitized to car deaths and just accept the risks. Nuclear accidents are sensationalized to the max. Movies are made about the accidents and fear is pushed (sold?) to the general public.
Oklo is facing that fear and over regulation with the NRC rejecting their application to build and operate a 1.5-megawatt fast reactor in Idaho. Thankfully, they are not deterred and have re-applied. Oklo Relaunches NRC Licensing Process for Nuclear Microreactor
We, the planet, needs to reduce the use and reliance on fossil fuels. The urgency of how fast this needs to happen, if at all, is quite controversial. However, to me it seems that solar and wind, while getting al the attention, won’t do the job soon enough. Bringing solar & wind technologies to the scale to impact the use of fossil fuels is much farther away than the use of nuclear. Countries around the world, like Germany, that were shutting down their nuclear efforts are quietly extending they nuclear programs in country to get their quicker and reduce their dependency on fossil fuels from other countries, like Russia, that are becoming increasingly expensive and unreliable. France on the other hand never backed away from nuclear and gets 70% of it’s energy from nuclear and is building 6 new reactors and considering 8 more.
Until solar, wind and fusion can do the job at scale, nuclear energy is the way to go if we want to meet all these aggressive climate change goals by reducing or eliminating fossil fuel usage
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Wired
Right on time the electricians arrived just before 8:30am to start on the electric wiring repair where service enters the house.
We’re about to find out how well we can cope with a short (hopefully) power outage as they replace a section of the wire between the meter and the mast.
8:44 – power is off
After about 30 minutes the electricians are done. Now we’re waiting for the city inspector.
90 minutes later and the inspection arrives. After 5 minutes the inspection is done and passed. Now we’re waiting for Hydro to do the reconnect. It’s 12 noon
So at 2:20pm there is still no hydro guy. I call and after a couple of transfers and a call back, “he will be there in 30 minutes “. House is cooling a bit but here on the sofa under a sunny window it’s pretty nice.
3:12 and hydro is here and 3:45 the power is back!
New wires connected to the mains Made a few changes around the house during our outage. We still have a land line but all of the handsets are wireless and depend on power to the base station. All except the old school phone in the basement shop. This is not super convenient. I thought the bedroom corded phone would be ok but nope, it’s plugged into the wall too! So, I replaced it with the old phone from the lake, where there is no more land line.
The main bathroom doesn’t have any windows so it’s a little dark. I just happened to have purchased some battery operated cabinet lights, also handy in a power outage.
Cabinet lighting
