IPE

I went to Armstrong today to Interior Provincial Exhibition. Its the 112th annual ! Very impressive, Small midway but lots of commercial and agricultural exhibits. I had a great visit with my cousin Diana and her husband Ron who have a booth there. If you're in the neighborhood, take in the fair. Its easy to see why its so popular.
Later this week , I'll probably be attending the PNE in Vancouver. I guess its either feast or famine as far as fairs go !

Salmon Arm

Just spent an afternoon in Salmon Arm. The drive from Vernon is very pleasnt, 60 km thru a scenic valley and forest. Salmon Arm is a very beautiful little city. The downtown area is old, but well preserved. There is a great boardwalk out into Shuswap Lake that we enjoyed. Lots of little cofee shops and restaurants downtown too.
Tomorrow the Interior Provincial Exhibition is starting in Armstrong. I'm hoping to meet my cousin Diana Miller and her husband Ron there. I haven't seen those two in probably 20 years.
I've been pretty productive in my shop the last few days. I've been concentrating on a few birch vessels as well as rough turning some of the Tree of heaven that I picked up last week.

CFL Power Ratings

Compiled by Malcolm Kelly

1. WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Overall record: 7-1
Streak: Five wins
When you are suddenly running with the big boys, the paradigm changes. Minnows are all about winning regular season games, no matter how badly they might have played. The big boys are about winning Grey Cups, and this Bomber team can do that. So let’s get to work on why the Cats were able to hold the defence to just one sack and throw for 350 yards. Bombers should have lost this one, and they know it. Coach Paul LaPolice was grumpy this weekend after beating Hamilton. That’s good. Winning coaches are grumpy coaches.

2. CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Overall record: 6-2
Streak: Four wins
Great game between two excellent teams as the Stamps beat the Als. When you are old enough to remember Tom Forzani as a rookie (1973), it’s a little chagrining to see his son Johnny grab his first two touchdown passes in the CFL. How about defensive end Robert McCune, formerly employed by the United States Army, giving a half time speech that sent the White Stallions galloping out to dominate the second 30 minutes? The last three of those were spine tingling as the Stamps eventually forced Anthony Calvillo into a rare interception to wrap things up.

3. MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Overall record: 5-3
Streak: One loss
For the first time in a while it’s possible the East final may not be in the Olympic Stadium at Montreal. The Als are now four points back of upstart Winnipeg in the race to the regular-season wire and home field advantage. Calvillo’s late interception is what happens sometimes when a Hall of Fame QB meets a hard-charging defence, so no long-term worries there. Injuries, however, continue to be a concern. Cornerback Mark Estelle looks to be out for quite a while with an injury, and that makes a vulnerable pass defence even more so. Corners are darn hard to replace and the Als have lost two of them.

4. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Overall record: 4-4
Streak: One loss
Well, well, didn’t those kitties show up with their claws sharpened and ready for a back alley brawl with the Blue Bombers? Didn’t win, but they sure showed they can compete. Next goal is a little consistency, especially on defence where the secondary just has to be strengthened. Fortunately, NFL cuts begin in earnest this week, so bodies can be found. Cats lost to the Bombers due to a couple of really dumb errors, but that can be fixed. Hamilton goes back-to-back with Montreal now and needs a split.

5. EDMONTON ESKIMOS
Overall record: 5-3
Streak: Three losses
Here’s the recipe moving forward. Get healthy, especially in the receiving corps and the offensive line. Don’t get your shorts in a knot about the three losses that should really have been four. Keep rebuilding properly. Shoot for a surprise playoff appearance. No team in the CFL is in a better spot than the Esks, who shocked everyone with five straight wins to start the season and bought a lot of good will. Worry about taking care of longer term business, especially increasing the depth and Canadian content. Back-to-back with red-hot Calgary is daunting, yes, but don’t forget the goal is to be a contender every year for seasons to come.

6. B.C. LIONS
Overall record: 2-6
Streak: One win
Last season at this very moment the Lions took off on a hot run that turned a 1-7 start into an eight-win season, plus playoff spot. Doing it again means the Leos must continue the outstanding defensive effort shown against Edmonton. Coach and GM Wally Buono has to straighten this thing out because he may be gone, his hand-picked successor Mike Benevides will be gone as defensive boss, offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine will be gone (that would make a lot of Lions’ fans happy) and so would a bunch of the players. Now or never.

7. TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Overall record: 2-6
Streak: One win
While everyone else disappeared for the bye week, Orlondo Steinauer came back early to begin working on new schemes for the defence. The just-promoted coordinator can become an instant local hero if he can get the defence back to where it was last season (excellent) and give Toronto a chance at a playoff spot. Argos actually are just a point behind the final post-season berth in the West, if you can believe it, and play two-win B.C. back-to-back followed by a game in Saskatchewan against a club they’ve just beaten.

8. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Overall record: 1-7
Streak: Four losses
Can you just see the first chat between new/old coach Ken Miller and his team? “OK folks, there’s no need to panic now …” Of course not, management’s already panicked for you by firing Greg Marshall after just eight games in his first year. There were 11 guys who caught passes for the Chicago Bears in a Saturday NFL exhibition game, and none of them were Andy Fantuz, so there might be some good news on the horizon. Back-to-back with the red-hot Winnipeg Blue Bombers will show right away if the Riders’ problem is the coaching, or the roster.

Swaggerville at Staggerville !!

Yes but its Miller Time ! Winnipeg is bragging about sweeping the Riders in the next two  games. Talk is cheap, lets see how the 1-7 Riders respond under Coach Miller against the 7-1 Bombers.

Rams win 1st one.

This gives them 1 more home win than the Riders ! Actually , the Riders won their exhibition game , but that was so long ago, who even remembers?

REGINA, Sask. – It took 55 minutes for them to find the end zone, but the University of Regina Rams were still able to lift the lid on the 2011 season with a 15-7 win over the Manitoba Bisons on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference game at Mosaic Stadium.

First-year running back Michael Kiapway scored on a nice 13-yard run just past the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter, giving the Rams their first major of the game and extending their lead to eight.

Manitoba's Anthony Coombs scored the lone major of the first half, hauling in a 10-yard pass from Khaleal Williams five minutes into the second quarter. The Bisons took a 7-5 lead into halftime, as the Rams got an 18-yard chip shot field goal from Chris Bodnar in the first quarter and added a pair of points on a conceded Bisons safety in the second.

Bodnar's second field goal of the contest – a 39-yard effort – gave the Rams an 8-7 advantage early in the third quarter. Neither team scored again until Kiapway's major late in the contest.

Kiapway ended up with a game-high 77 yards on 10 rushes for Regina, while newcomer Jay Smith led all players with 44 receiving yards. Quarterback Marc Mueller played the first half for the Rams and was 9-for-18 with 79 yards. Adam Grilj, Jamir Walker, and Joey Dwyer all registered interceptions for the Rams, while Justin Edralin and Zach Gorski tied for the team lead with 3.5 tackles.

Coombs led the Bisons with 64 rushing yards, while Williams completed seven of his 13 pass attempts for 112 yards and a touchdown. Stu Schollaardt had three catches for 39 yards for Manitoba, which was led defensively by Evan Gill's 5.5 tackles and a sack. The Bisons also had three interceptions, as David Berg, David Ferrier, and Riley Coates all had picks.

The Rams open up the Canada West schedule at home next Friday at 7 p.m. against UBC. Manitoba will entertain the Calgary Dinos on Saturday in Winnipeg.

(Courtesy Cougar Athletics)

Rams open season today

REGINA, Sask. – The University of Regina Rams open up the 2011 season on Saturday afternoon with a non-conference game against the Manitoba Bisons. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

The Rams lose just four starters from last year's squad that finished in third place in Canada West with a 5-3 conference record. Headlining the returners are first-team All-Canadians Adrian Charles and Jamir Walker, second-team All-Canadian Brenden Owens, and conference all-stars Chris Bodnar and Akiem Hicks. Also back is fifth-year quarterback Marc Mueller, who has led the conference in passing yards in each of the past two seasons.

Manitoba, a team which finished in fifth place in the Canada West standings in 2010 with a 2-6 mark, will be led by fifth-year defensive halfback Pete Adams. Adams, a conference all-star in both 2009 and 2010, broke up eight passes last season and was third on the Bisons with 37½ tackles. Also back for Manitoba is fourth-year quarterback Khaleal Williams and his three leading receivers from last year, including Stu Schollaardt, Quincy Hurst, and former Ram Jared Ralko.

Regina and Manitoba met twice in 2010 with the Rams emerging victorious in both contests. Regina took a 45-11 win over the Bisons in Regina on Sept. 3 and also took a 41-19 road win on Oct. 16 in a game that saw Charles scamper for 222 rushing yards, the third highest single-game rushing total in University of Regina history. The teams will also play each other two times during this year's conference schedule, meeting on Sept. 30 at Mosaic Stadium and again on Oct. 29 in Winnipeg.

The Rams kick off the Canada West schedule at home next Friday against UBC, while Manitoba opens up at home against Calgary on Sept. 3.

Tickets for Saturday's contest against Manitoba will be available on game day at Mosaic Stadium ($10 for adults and free for students and children). Live statistics for the game will be available at the brand-new http://www.canadawest.tv/.

(Courtesy Braeden Konschuh)

Bye bye Christy !!!

We got the word that the HST will be no more in BC today . The referendum favoured a return to the PST and GST , so the Liberal faux pas is going to cost our porvince in the neighborhood of 3 billion dollars to revert back.
My feeling is that the HST should not have been thrown down on us in the first place the way it was. No mention of it in the last election, then we find out that the Campbell gov't was already discussing plans with the feds! This was a government out of touch with the electorate. Are we doomed to suffer because of this fiasco? My fears are yes.
First, we have to pay back the 1.6 billion that the feds gave BC for the transition to HST. Taxes will go up, and for someone like me on a fixed income, that can be a hardship.
Secondly, businesses have to reconfigure their equipment for the change back for the 2nd time in 2 years. Who do you think will pay for that?
Third, items and services that were not taxed with the previous system, that became taxed under HST, will probably stay taxed by this government so that the revenue may continue. The Liberals won't be saying anything about that, but just wait and see. They have a "Plan B" in the works. I'm scared that we won't be any better off because of the bungling by our Liberal gov't. So Christy, you got some 'splainin' to do. Smiles aren't going to get you through this one.

Great day !

What started out as a trip to pick up some salmon, turned into a busy day. We were fortunate enough to get a lead on some fresh sockeye salmon on a tip from our good friends Betty Ann and Merv. We got 3 wonderful sockeye for grilling and a pink salmon that will be great for chowder. On our way home we came across an arborist who had just cut down a beautiful Tree of Heaven. Not only did I get 4 huge pieces, but also 4 other pieces of dry birch. I turned a small birch bowl and rough turned a bowl of the green wood too. Here is a picture of the tree after it had been trimmed. The arborist has also told me that he will call when there is some interesting wood available.

Its a shame that this beautiful tree had to be cut down, but it was interferring with the power lines. The owner of the property also has a maple that he has to cut down to, but that won't be till next year.

Whew !

Now thats what we call a summer day ! It was 32 downtown today and almost as hot at home. No complaints here ! Since we live on the side of a mountain (we think of it as a mountain), we have the cooler mountain breezes in the evening and it isn't quite as uncomfortable as in the valley.
Its incredible how tasty the fresh fruit is here! After living on the prairies for 57 years and getting fruit that has been stored and transported east, we never get tired of the abundance that we have here in the Okanagan. We truely feel blessed.
Tomorrow we're getting some fresh (frozen) sockeye that was just caught by a local person who has a commercial license. That should be a treat this weekend.
Here is a picture of one of the flowers we have growing out front.

Its called a dinner-plate hybiscus.

 Good night !

As the Rider world turns

So Coach Miller is back and getting all kinds of flack because people are saying that he was behind the firings of Marshall and Berry. So what ! 1-7 doesn't cut it. The offense was last in every category so the defense was on the field too long and wore out. The players are happy that those two are gone.
Now there are no more excuses for the players. Put up or move over ! The team has 10 more league games and hopefully 3 more playoff games left  this year. They're 2 games out of a playoff game, but BC is improving . I think Riders will have to go 7-3 to have a shot at the playoffs, 8-2 realistically. Every game vs BC and Edmonton have to be wins.
The team starts off with back to back games against Winterpeg, the best team in the league. The Labour Day Classic is in Regina next. Can they turn it around in time? Is Miller a miracle worker? Can Fantuz save the day? Is Richie next on the chopping block? Will Scott Schultz grow hair? These and other questions will be answered on " As the Rider world turns " !

Been a while

Just had a great week with family from Montreal visiting. in the meantime, the Riders have lost 2 more games and the head coach and offensive co-ordinator were both fired. Wow, it was a shocker as the news broke just as TSN was going live in Armstong. I went to watch Sportscentre Live with Jay and Dan. These 2 guys are real entertaining and the whole production was fun and very professional. Sure a lot better than those posers at Sportsnet.
I've spent a little time in my shop. I'll post a few more pictures this weekend.

I'm back

Busy ,busy, busy the last few days. Appointments and getting ready to host relatives from PQ and Vancouver. It should be fun this weekend! Now if only the Riders could (would) stomp the Stamps on Friday, everything would be great!

1-5

and I don't mean = -4 ! Riders lost again Friday night in BC. Everyone is very frustrated . The offence can't score or move the ball. Too many penalties and dropped passes. This will be an interesting week in Riderville!
Here are a few more of my pieces.

Its hard to tell but this is a round natural edge pine bowl. Very colorful !

This a small may tree bowl originally turned in Regina but I refinished and thinned it today.

This is an endgrain, natural edge pine bowl . I'm really pleased with how this one turned out.

A natural edge Box elder burl bowl.

Enjoy the weekend. Its going to be +30 again for the next few days here in Vernon.

Newly finished

As promised, here are some pics. I finished these 3 this evening. This is a shallow box elder bowl.

The 2nd one is a thin may tree bowl. I salvaged the branch from a neighbor in Regina when I started turning 3 years ago. I thinned it and refinished here.

This is a piece of birch I found last fall. I finish- sanded all three with a mixture of paste wax and mineral oil. Helene will use the birch bowl to display her jewelry . The others will be sold at some point. I'm curious to see how the finish holds up.

GO RIDERS !!!!

New sanding technique

I'm borrowing a sanding technique I saw on You-tube. Carl Jacobson uses a mixture of paste wax and mineral oil (in the ratio of 10:1) when he is finish sanding . He goes through the grits from coarse to fine with the mixture. It keeps the dust down and gives a good finish. Clear paste wax is preferred . I've been taking some of my old bowls and been thinning them and finishing the bottoms better.  I'll see how they look tomorrow.
As I mentioned before, I'll post some pictures this week.

Busy day.

Green is the color, but football isn't quite our game ! A record of 1-4 stares at the Riders and they play the winless Lions in Vancouver on Friday. Enough about football for now. Today was a finishing day, lots of sanding and some sealant on about 8 of my pieces. I've been using wet-dry sandpaper with good results but I'm looking forward to a shipment from sandpaper.ca . A stronger brand of paper would make it easier. I was sanding in the sunshine and one of my pine bowls started to crack in the heat. I'm guessing the there was too much moisture in that bowl. I'll post some more pictures this week when I'm done.