So, you know that it’s about time to head home when you find yourself just sitting around wondering about the world’s most cerebral problems. Problems, such as; when exactly did a Petroglyph morph into a bit of common urban graffiti?

Maybe it’s just a need for this folklorist city boy to head back to the urban jungle, back to a condo on the corner of chaos and mayhem. So, yes, our run south will take place on Monday.

Monday we’ll leave a safely tucked-in Northern Comfort to fend for itself as winter nears.

Two days from now we’ll venture forth on southbound I-75:

”I like the ambience of I-75, but the turnpike has better food.” ~ Hardin

Now, I am unsure whether or not I can drink my morning coffee quick enough before it becomes ice-coffee. We’ve already seen a snow-shower (yesterday) and more are expected later today. Right now the temperature is 29F and tomorrow morning won’t be much better.

Nietzsche – has been credited with the idea that there are a finite number of things in the universe, and an infinite amount of time. This explaining why things happen over and over again.

As I was closing down Northern Comfort I went through my mental list of tasks to perform and I mentally began to refute Nietzsche, there is not an infinite amount of time. Not to get it all done anyway.

Listening to Marcia I am close to believing that there actually is something we should label “inverted” time. She mentions a quickly “running out of time” anytime I’m not packing something, storing something, cleaning something, readying something, or preparing something.

On the other hand, maybe Nietzsche has something since this past week feels a lot like ‘Deja vue’ from this time a year ago. Anyway, a list in printed form a few pages long has got to be gone through. It’s just about checked off.

Main item remaining? Late Sunday, it’s a climb into the freezing lake water to pull the water line. As always, saving the best for last.

Let’s lift the budget limit – again. Even though the Feds’ received record setting tax revenues, ways to spend it faster have been found.

To alert us to the dire need for lifting the limit an old ‘Billy Club’ was quickly hauled out. You’ll remember that club; “national parks will have to close”, “granny’s Social Security check won’t be mailed”, “airport travel will slow down due to TSA and FAA funding issues”, and so forth.

Notice, it’s always services affecting the tax-paying public which get skewered? Never a peep about re-aligning incoming dollars or, heaven forbid, shrinking any of the bureaucracies. So, to see just how dollars are spent a quick look at the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA.

You know what the EPA is – one of the many Federal agencies which keep us and the environment hale and hearty. Were you aware that they have a PR machine which spends $169,000,000 of your hard earned dollars to help ‘spin’ what they do into an acceptable format? In other words, that PR group’s main function is to keep the public with their pitchforks and the torches at bay as a continuing stream of new regulations flows forth.

Their public response is that they ‘require’ these funds to make the public aware of all the great and wondrous programs they put in place. Not mentioned is how this group was used to manage the recent “oh-whoops” events where the EPA itself caused major pollution (one for which a private company would have been fined hundreds of millions). These were magically spun by their PR group.

There, now don’t you feel a lot better seeing how carefully and prudently your money is being managed?

Animal Planet – While walking with Marlene we spotted a couple of Ravens. I mentioned that these birds, exceedingly clever, have a four-foot wingspan. Marlene then added that when they fly over the “whoosh, whoosh” made with each wing-beat is totally audible—almost as if some flying dinosaur from eons ago resurfaced.

Bob-the-Forester early this summer talked with me about doing a four-day canoe trip. Around a hundred miles further north of us it’s a loop using the 14 mile length of Lake Wakami as the core to the trip. It requires 8 portages and the remote area means that plenty of wildlife including Moose and Wolves can be seen.

Anyway, it stayed just a plan. Too many things got into the way and so it is, just a dream. Maybe next spring I can dream again.

Fini – Enjoy visiting with your family Tevita.

Canadian Thanksgiving dinner was enjoyed by our whole gang at nearby Wakomata Shores Resort. A slight miscommunication caused a bit of concern when we came upon a locked door – especially since we were in the middle of nowhere (a 20-minute drive off the main highway into the forest). However, soon the host, cook, and dishwasher emerged from the woods and shortly piping hot delicious food was brought out. We had a blast! Actually, I ached from laughing.

Now, best get ready for Marlene and I to make our final 3-mile morning walk. Then off to to the last social event of the season – a live auction. This one is in Bruce Mines.

Finally, a quick stop at the grocer’s to get my winter stash of herbal tea; a Peppermint, Ginger, and Fennel blend readily found here and more difficult to source at home. Also, with the weak Canadian dollar, well, I can’t lose.

Make it a great week and stay safe.

Cheers.

Dirk