Had a pretty busy day today. Went up to the White Hills this morning to do a site check with the Rangers. After dinner I had meetings with our MP Yvonne Jones and MHA Lisa Dempster at the town office to discuss a number of issues affecting the town. Then we went to the gym to discuss rec issues and from there out to the dock to discuss Small Craft Harbours.

 I previously referred to Republicans as lackeys to Donald Trump. Maybe lackey is a bit harsh but you get the point right? The point is most Republicans in the senate are too afraid to speak up against Donald Trump and the things he does. And I say most, not all. Some have spoken out against him on numerous occasions. Like the late senator John McCain. Now he would have made a good leader.

A lot of talk in the media after Justice Ginsberg passed away about President Trump and the Republican controlled senate choosing a new supreme court justice during an election. Trump and his Republican lackeys will have the chance to shift the ideological balance in the supreme court with a conservative justice. Isn't a judge supposed to be impartial? I don't think they are supposed to be conservative or liberal. And that's not the worst part of the whole thing. Everyone is polarised on the issue. Opinions are split along partisan lines. Whatever happened to right and wrong, good and bad. Why does it have to be Republican and Democrat. America has never been so divided since Trump came into power. Make America great again they say. In my opinion there was nothing really wrong with America in the first place. But there sure is now. Donald Trump should be leading the United States but instead he has been assaulting American democratic institutions and dividing the country.

 Quite chilly this morning and yesterday. I don't think we're gonna see anymore plus 30 degree temperatures. Mom and Dad and the kids are gone over to North River again. Their original plan was to send the kids back with David and Jenna because they were gonna stay over for a couple nights to get some red berries, also known as partridgeberries, but the berries might not be ripe yet. Red berries are really good for treating diabetes and Dad gets some every fall. Bakeapples, aka cloud berries, arpik or akpik depending on the Inuit dialect being used, were scarce this summer.

Walked up on top of Black Head yesterday, or "the Base" as everyone calls it here, because there used to be an American radar station there, part of the Pine Tree Line of radar stations built in the late 40's early 50's. Took me about 30 minutes up and 20 minutes down. The old road is in really bad shape, completely washed away in some places.

A bit chilly today today. Been blowing hard now for two or three days.

Jazmin came home yesterday evening from the playground and told me P*** and G***dog was trying to hump her and the other kids. I was savage mad cause he gave her a pretty good scratch. I decided to calm down and wait till today to call about it.

Got to go to Goose Bay Sept. 30 for a CT scan on my back. It has been bothering me for several months and has gotten worse. It is not your typical lower back pain. It is right in my spine.

 Sept. 12-2020

Took James and his buddy Spencer over to North River. Blowing a bit going over. We were at the cabin a bit, had dinner there, some MRE's. Then we went on the 4 wheelers as far as Cat Brook. Cat Brook is in Trunmore Bay which is part of the Wonderstrands. The Yamaha was overheating quite a bit on the way back. Saw a bull caribou. He was right quiet and got really close. We saw him in the same spot on the way back. There was a fire still smouldering in over the bank where the spring is.

Saw the doctor about my back yesterday morning. He is going to order a CT scan. The pain in my elbow is tennis elbow apparently. My blood results were good.

Sept. 11-2020

Kids had their first day of school Wednesday. Very different. they got to wear masks on the bus and in the hallways in school and at the Family Resource Centre, anywhere physical distancing is not possible.

Julie is on different puffers. She says they are way better than her orange one.

Me and James went over across the run to Earl Island in Dad's little square aluminum boat.We walked around the point and along shore inside Earl Island for about half a mile. Saw two big companies of ducks and had a shot at one. Really nice over there. We also saw a caribou. I let James have a shot with my shotgun so he would see what it was like.

 Aug. 28-2020

Wes Bird died today. Mom and Dad and the kids are gone up to the Straits to get some stuff for the house.

Sept. 02-2020

I found out this evening, Penney Flight, a girl I used to share an apartment with in St. John's along with my friend Curt and his girlfriend, passed over a year ago. I was talking to Curt on Messenger and he said that she was murdered. I couldn't stop thinking about it. How can someone do something like that?

Sept. 06-2020

Both the budgies died. One yesterday and one this morning before I got up. Julie was upset.

Mom and Dad and the kids are over to North River for the weekend.

August 25-2020

 Got to wear masks or face coverings now in indoor public spaces. The kids got to wear them in school in the hallways but not in class. Julie starts in person classes Sept 1st. She is 

working at Dairy Queen now, a new place in Goose Bay. She loves it so far, her new job.

Got a lot of mushrooms yesterday evening and this morning. Four bags full 15-20 pounds. Most I ever see I think. Some places there are great big clusters of them.

Got back from an unplanned night at Batteau a couple days ago. Me, Joce and Scott went up to bury Loni's ashes at Sand Banks. It was rough, wet and foggy going up and there was a big sea on. Julie couldn't come because she just started a new job. Good thing she didn't too because she would have been scared. Scott got bad sea sick from Devil's Lookout to Indian Tickle. We stopped in to Indian Tickle to get Faith, Junior, Darryl and Krista. Then we all went to Sand Banks to bury Loni, stopping at Black Tickle to get Jamie.

Good thing I had my GPS because I would have got lost.

Dougie Morris and Suse was with us in their boat. So was Wanda Cabot and Rodney Webber in their boat, which was good to travel in company. Dougie lost his bearings and turned around  in the opposite direction at Devil's Lookout. I had to catch up to him and show him the right way. He had a GPS but it wasn't working properly or something.

It was a long rough ride but it was much better coming back. We stayed at Clyde Morris' cabin at Batteau. We had lots of room, 3 single beds and 2 queen size beds. Him and Willie and Jamie are staying there while they are fishing. Clyde and Willie are fishing for Cod and Jamie works for the Shrimp Company at the wharf in Black Tickle.

 August 14-2020

Got back from Goose Bay yesterday afternoon after a week. Had a lot of anxiety at first but after the first ride it was good. I had a good time, definitely memorable. It was hot. The temperature was up around 30 celsius for days. The thermometer inside the vehicle was reading 34 degrees one day, the highest I ever seen it. It was good on atv though.

We spent one night in building 306 or 305 the moved to building to building 315 which had air conditioning. The thermometer in my room before we moved only goes up to 30 and the needle was gone way past.

Meals at the mess hall were good. Had pizza from El Greco with Joce and Julie at Joce's place for supper.

Really hot where Julie was staying. Turns out the heat was on and she didn't know it. Got her a window air conditioner for $100.

The first day we went down to Mud Lake Road. We had trouble with two machines and it was incredibly dusty. We were filthy by the time we got back. And we got separated from the front of the group. Second day we went on Goose River Resource Road and down to Wilburn Bay. It was really nice down there. Third day we went to North West River on the road. On the way back we were stopped by the police. They were waiting for us. Someone didn't like us on the roads and must have called. Really hot. Fourth day we went up on Dome Mountain.

Our leader was Lieutenant Adams. He was a cool dude and a good leader. Sergeant Miles was at building 295, the Ranger training facility, also. He was our instructor when we were down a couple weeks ago for GSK and shooting practice. Sergeant Hunt came with us on our last trip up Dome Mountain. Our CO, Colonel I don't remember his name, and Captain I don't remember his name also, was there for an award ceremony for a former instructor.

I met a lot of people, most of whom I don't remember their names because I am really bad with names. But they were just like family.

Got a flat just as we were getting back into town. A lot of construction going on on the road but still no pavement.