Virtual Front Porch

Um, ok but don't get in my way!

I came of age after the Viet Nam draft "lottery" had ended (still had to register with SS). Like most of my age, I thought there was no way I would go and fight a war like that. I didn't think of those who went or what they faced. In the years since, I have got to know many Vet's from that era, and my respect for them grown irmeasureably. Almost without exception, they are the most kind, generous, giving people. I now know that if I had gone, I would not have survived, or want too, to know the measure of yourself and know you couldn't face what they faced is humbling. The ones that made it back, all have scars some visible, and a lot more that are not. The ones that didn't, are no less so for facing what they did, it is just war, someone isn't going to make it. The active and returning vets of today, have faced much the same as the vets I know did.
Please remember and thank them, not only today, but all year long.

One of the Canadian men I worked with volunteered to go to Vietnam where he did one tour of duty. When he returned and started back to work , he discovered there were two American draft dodger brothers hired by the company. To say that there was some level of animosity between these three would be a huge understatement. These two draft dodgers were often the focus of hard language and disrespect. I remember hearing of the two of them getting beat up a few times. I have the highest respect for John McCain Senator.

The things they subjected him to would kill most. Then he came home and continued to serve.
The draft stoped the year before I graduated. I grew up expecting to go. Somewhere I still have my A1 draft card. We watched Chet Huntlyt and David Brinkly news report on the war every night.

This is what I came home to this morning. There was just enough room to pass. There will be some action when the recycling truck comes by in a day. I have never seen the trailer before today.
There are renters in the house until it get torn down to make space for new construction.

This is what the sky looked like between monsoons and just before lunch. It is possible to see how steep the lane is. The old blue VW is 32 feet below where the picture was taken.

Today is one of those most sad days. The Lower Mainland stood still for a while. Today was the day we all honoured a fallen Police Officer from the Abbotsford Force.
So that the entire Abbotsford Police Force could attend the Celebration of Life for Constable John Davidson, The Vancouver City Police sent enough of their members to cover the shifts.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.4409171

It is always sad when an Officer looses their life.

I was sitting in my truck minding my own business while eating my Sausage n'egg McMuffin. I did notice a guy stumbling toward my truck and he walked right up to the driver's door and knocked. It was my old friend and at one time a machinist where I worked for 37 years. No one could have been more surprised then I. I thought he was dead. He had been in a high speed highway crash while while he was riding his Harley at 125 mph. A car making an illegal left turn drove into his path and there was a broadside crash. Parts of the bike were found hundreds meters away and my friend landed 50 meters after the point of contact. I was told that he was unresponsive and that is the last I heard of him and I assumed he was dead. I found out today, he was in a coma for 7 months.
This has been quite a day.

The house next door has had another renter change and with that comes new renters. this time the new renters drove their unlicensed vehicles to the house next door and blocked all of our available parking. One of the renters dumped his SUV on the apron, at the back of my shop, on my property, and walked away. On the front street one of the new renters parked a PUD single axle in front of our home. My daughter had to park a block away after getting permission form that home-owner. The SUV moved to the upper corner of the lane and blocked about 30% of the roadway. When I got home from breakfast the city parking patrol was at full "boil", ticketing and towing. The SUV escaped into the yard next door and the PUD truck left on the "hook". Our limited parking was blocked for about an hour by a Porsche SUV.
I am just trying to get along and keep peace. There are several other neighbors who are less forgiving and complain often, with little provocation.