It’s been a busy week here at Northern Comfort.

This has been the week of the carpenters. Yes, that is plural. One we feed ‘Loonies” and his name is Hugh. The others we feed ‘Terro’ and there are too many of them to name. Those are black and about half an inch long and whereas Hugh is building, these are tunneling.

We discovered we have an infestation of Carpenter Ants. And yes, Terro is a poison. We have now embarked on gaining the upper hand.

“Well, reading Twitter’s a lot like staring at an ant farm, except without all the productivity.” ~ Wayne Gladstone, Notes from the Internet Apocalypse

What Hugh has been constructing is a fine rail system around our decking and rails on the stairs.

Early next week he’ll install the spindles and then we’ll be finished [and our insurance company will then also be happy].

Just so you understand, I’ve been the Master Terro distributor. With the work Hugh has been doing I am his sidekick, ‘dirk-the-schlep’. With him I am also very good at listening to the many, many fine tales of the north.

Travels – After quite a dry spell the rains have rolled in. Yesterday morning it began with morning-long fogs.

So what do Marcia and I do? We leave the area. Early next week we’re doing a “planes, trains, and automobiles” adventure to Halifax, Nova Scotia as our starting point.

It’ll be a short(ish) flight to Toronto. Then a few hours train trip to Montreal which is then quickly followed by a 24-hour overnight train to Halifax—yes, complete with sleeper and ‘bubble’ viewing cars.

After spending the night we’ll pick up a car and head out for our adventure and the various B&Bs we’ve booked in the Maritime provinces.

Amongst our ‘must-dos’ will be a stop at the historic Lunenburg boat yards where the Bluenose schooner was built (the one pictured on the back of the Canadian dime). A visit at the hugely picturesque Peggy’s Cove, and a stop at an annual Lobster festival.

Then it’s off to Digby where 30-foot Bay of Fundy tides power the world’s only commercial electric generating system using tidal energy. After a ferry-boat ride and crossing on the world’s longest bridge (14Km) it’ll be a stop at the Anne of Green Gables homestead on Prince Edward Island. And so it goes to eventually meet up with our neighbor, Bulent, back in Halifax (he’ll be there for meetings).

Sounds good doesn’t it? We’re beyond excited with anticipation.

I’m not sure about having our ability to generate a post next weekend.

Health – issues under a single payer government run system.

Personally I like candidate Bernie – disagree totally, but like the person. One slight difficulty with Bernie’s beliefs, it’s his timing. It couldn’t have been worse now that Venezuela is demonstrating the type of success that can be achieved taking ‘Socialism’ to its outermost reaches.

Anyway, Bernie is a major proponent of the “single-payer” government health care system and I believe he’s sucked Hillary in that direction.

What follows is a true event related to me while visiting with my acquaintance Andy Stutzman, an Amish fellow. Last Monday several of us were at Andy’s farm. One person had, had a mini-stroke during the winter. This led to talk on the fragility of life. Andy then mentioned that even as we were talking his brother was in Mexico preparing for imminent surgery.

Turns out that the brother had some issues and a test discovered that he had a growth on his Kidney, the size of the Kidney itself.

Now, Ontario Canada has a government run single payer system and so two weeks previous Andy’s brother, as part of the diagnosis, was referred to a larger Health Care facility for further evaluations – this was located in Owensville. His ‘emergency’ referral was set for some time this coming JULY – TWO MONTHS of waiting!

Asked, what would happen should the folk at Owensville decide that surgery would be necessary? He was advised that then the surgery would be performed in London, Ontario – first available date? NOVEMBER!

The Amish community took up a collection, made the calls, and had medical staff in Mexico awaiting the brother’s arrival. Andy said that they had done this before in serious cases.

The doctors were US trained and top notch and the facility first rate. “Why Mexico” I asked? “Cost” was the immediate answer. It appears that the Mexico facility is a true independent business. It doesn’t carry the load of regulatory stuff and the huge demands with requisite layers of approvals by the insurance world (much mandated) – it’s a cash-based operation, and it is good, and it’s affordable, and it’s responsive.

And just maybe, maybe Andy’s brother now has a chance.

Maybe Bernie should focus on promoting solutions which gets government out of the way rather than more involved. Is that my Independent and Libertarian streak talking?

Fini – Last evening we went to partake in our first Fish Fry of the season at T-town’s Legion Hall. Excellent and the Labatt’s 50 lager was stunningly cold!

Yes, I have been doing my 3 to 5 mile morning walks regularly; even yesterday morning in the fog. It was good that traffic was extremely light, although one or two large Chip carrying double-trailer highway-trains blew past.

With a distance of 130 miles between two small towns and a curvy, narrow dark road with little to nothing on it, it’s always a bit of a wonder of just how alert the driver is.

I think I am ready for a new generation of driverless trucks. In the meantime, I try to make eye contact and give each driver a small wave as I am walking – it’s a safety thing (although I also try to be cordial).

What we have not seen at all are the logging trucks. Normally these beasts fly by day and night. For these parts that’s a bit of an oddity.

To everyone, make it a great week and everyone, stay safe.

Cheers.

Dirk