From BATUS to BATUK

A flurry of social activity this week has insured that Jim had a good send off to Kenya. On Wednesday the village was out in force for the annual Guy Fawkes bonfire and fireworks with chili and mulled wine on hand. The local fire brigade were very much in evidence (see photo) lest Ralston's one annual fire were to get out of hand!

Friday was the belated mess Halloween celebrations, the evening took on a Rocky Horror theme and we had cast members from a local production join us and perform a few songs from the show.

As with all fancy dress functions the British Army tackled the theme with a fever unmatched by any other profession. Photographs of the night have a strictly limited circulation, so I'm afraid all I can offer you is a photograph of me in a rather wonderful red fur coat I acquired temporarily as a result of a game involving trading the clothing we were wearing. Jim's bow tie which I traded has yet to find its way home!

Saturday daytime was the annual BFBS hockey tournament, an all day event during which the six Batus Hockey League teams and an amalgamated ladies Devils team play 15 minute games and compete for a cup.

Then we rounded the week off last night with a Murder Mystery Party. The game was "Nip Tuck & A Murder" and was based around the world of cosmetic surgery. Once again the local charity stores did us proud and everyone turned up in wonderful outfits including scrubs splattered with fake blood!

Then after a frantic few days and nights, Jim packed up his belongings and headed for Kenya this afternoon. He'll be spending 6 weeks at the British Army Training Unit Kenya and will hopefully return the week before Christmas.

To keep me out of mischief while he's away, he has bought me a new sewing machine, a rather fancy Pfaff Expression 3.0, you'll no doubt see a few of it's creations on this blog in the next few weeks.

On a final note, weather is still hovering around 10c every day and no sign of snow yet, long may it last! Being back on snow watch again reminded me of a great joke email I had last year which sums up our first winter in Canada, it follows below...

Aug. 12 - Moved to our new home in Canada. I am so excited. It's so beautiful here. The mountains are so majestic. Can hardly wait to see them with snow covering them.

Oct. 14 - Canada--it is the most beautiful place on earth. The leaves have turned all colors and shades of red and orange. Went for a ride through the beautiful countryside and saw some deer. They are so graceful. Certainly they are the most wonderful animals on earth. This must be paradise. I love it here!

Nov. 11 - Remembrance Day. Deer season starts soon. I can't imagine anyone wanting to kill such a gorgeous creature. Hope it snows soon. I love it here!

Dec. 2 - It snowed last night. Woke up to find everything blanketed with white. It looks like a postcard. We went outside and cleaned the snow off the steps and shoveled the driveway. We had a snowball fight (I won). When the snow plough came by we had to shovel the driveway again. What a beautiful place. I love Canada!

Dec. 12 - More snow last night. The snow plough did his trick again to the driveway. I love it here.

Dec. 19 - More snow last night. Couldn't get out of the driveway to get to work. It's beautiful here but I'm exhausted from shoveling. ****ing snow plough.

Dec. 22 - More of that white s**t fell last night. I've got blisters on my hands and a sore back from shoveling. I think the snow plough hides around the corner until I'm done shoveling the driveway.

Dec. 25 - Merry ****ing Christmas! More frigging snow. If I ever get my hands on the sonovabitch who drives the snow plough, I swear I'll kill the bastard. Don't know why they don't use more salt on the roads to melt the ****ing ice.

Dec. 27 - More white s**t last night. Been inside for three days now except for shoveling out the driveway after that snow plough goes through every time. Can't go anywhere, the car's stuck in a mountain of white s**t and it's so frigging cold. The weatherman says to expect another 10 inches of the stuff again tonight. Do you know how many shovels full of snow 10 inches is?

Dec. 28 - That ****ing weatherman was wrong. We got 34 inches of the stuff this time. At this rate it won't melt before summer. The snow plough got stuck up in the road and that bastard came to my door and asked to borrow my shovel. After I told him that I had already broken six shovels shoveling out all the snow he had pushed into my driveway, I damn near broke my last one over his ****ing head.

Jan. 4 - Finally got out of the house today. Went to the store to get food and on my way back a damned deer ran in front of the car. Did about $3,000 damage to the car. Those ****ing beasts should be killed. The bastards are everywhere. Wish the hunters had exterminated them all last November.

May 3 - Took the car to the garage in town. Would you believe the thing is rusted out from all that ****ing salt they put all over the roads.

May 10 - Moved to Florida. I can't imagine why anyone in their right mind would ever want to live in such a God forsaken place as Canada!