Following the uphill with engine running ... and downhill with it not ... made it home without further incident. I'd had further trouble, in that the warning lights on the dash that turn on when one turns the key on but go off when the car starts ... had been staying one. And the engine was running much too fast when it was sitting, idling. On Monday morning, checked oil - O.K., down a little, added some. Checked coolant, down a little, added some. Had moved car from garage to by the house ... then it didn't want to start ... after sitting for about an hour, it did. Stopped at the end of the lane to get the mail, turned engine off - wouldn't start. Pushed it back up a slight rise in the lane, pushed it down to get started, but not enough speed to start. Let it sit for a half hour - wouldn't start. Called CAA ... they said it's be about 45 min, later auto meesage said about an hour, but the tow truck arrived in about 45 min., asked what was wrong, I said starter wouldn't turn engine over. He asked about tapping the starter with a hammer ... but couldn't find it, told me to try to start, I said he should, that I'd tried ... ... so he did ... and it started! After some colourful language on my part, I told him that I'd be O.K ... and took off immediately, before the engine heated. I thought after I was on the road that I should have asked him whether he'd come from the city, in which case he could follow me down the road that I was going on for about 6 mi., till I turned away from the city, about a half mile from the garage. More of the operating uphill, not downhill for about 5 miles, till engine began missing some as I was climbing an overpass over a freeway. So, over the top, I stopped at the side of the road for some recuperative/cooling time - though I hadn't seen the heat gauge rise high, but it rises slowly and I'd been running the engine in short bursts. Too impatient, I guess (not wanting to sit, doing nothing? maybe should have brought a book?) ... ... after 10 - 15 min., pushed it a bit, it started rolling down the hill, the engine started ... ... but it was still missing ... and after a few hundred feet of travel .. stopped, so I coasted to the side of the road. Within a mile of the garage, I walked there, they pushed the car in. It seems that the belt driving the alternator had broken, that produces electricity to replenish the battery's charge. Though it seems that the belts running the water pump, power steering pump, etc. were intact, for some reason the water pump wasn't working ... so, with very little water circulating through the radiator to cool it, the water in the motor heated rapidly. Power brakes and power steering were operating O.K. Fortunately, they'd replaced my battery last month, so I'd been running on that one battery charge for all of that time. If I'd known of the need, I could have recharged the battery Sat. overnight, at home. This library closes at 4, so no dice here on Monday, after the garage... and only the downtown London library opens on Monday ... but parking meters near it are rather expensive ... so sometimes I park half a mile away, then walk ... but didn't, yesterday. However ... I'd made a special call to son on Sat. night, saying that I had pizza ... and would bring it on Sunday ... ... but had forgotten, and had supper with son on Sunday. So I took the pizza in on Monday and we had pizza for supper; forgetful Dads can be something of a pain. I'd thought to go to the city library after, but went home instead. So - it looks as though things are back to normal. I'm thankful that, most of the time, when I'm in the car ... it's as full of hot air as necessary ... again! ole joyful

When we got our first hunting dog we bought an electronic collar to stop him from running too far ahead of us. We never learned how to use the collar properly and we didnÂt have much success with it. It wasnÂt always fun hunting with him and we could only walk him with a long leash. When we got our second dog it was my goal to reinforce the come command until it was second nature to her. That worked until she found a feral cat and chased it into a shelterbelt and I couldnÂt find her. She was gone for over 10 minutes and I was worried sick that she had run through the trees and out in front of a car. That weekend we made an appointment with a trainer and purchased a two-collar system. We went through a training session first and then the collars were set for each dog. The collars have a vibration and also a dial for electronic stimulation. The collar is not used for training, rather it is a reinforcement of commands they already know. The dogs are trained so that they are in control of the collar and the level of stimulation. We always "page them" first with the vibration. If they do not obey that command then they will receive a "nick", beginning at a low level. If they do not obey that then the level of the nick is increased until they come. The day we put the electronic collar on our new dog I actually cried, I did not want to have to inflict pain to maker her obey. But now we are able to take both dogs for a walk and let them run in an open area. They know they are not allowed to cross the street, but they will chase a rabbit if it runs across the road. With the collar I can stop them and keep them safe. Rarely do we need to use the collar but it is always on them when we take them for their run. The dogs get excited when they see their collars come out because they know they are going out for their run and have some fun, they donÂt have a negative effect on them all.

Thsnk ya, Sue. Thast should be tasty - I'll try it. I got the devil a couple of days ago for being anti-U.S. Being sneaky, too, sort of sliding the barbs in underhanded-like. I have respect and affection for your country - Sue was from Iowa, kids have dual citizenship. But when you perceive that someone that you care about has problems, are you doing them a favour by keeping your mouth shut? Does a doctor who diagnoses cancer, or some less drastic illness, do his patient any favour if, concerned about the immediate emotional upset to the patient, s/he keeps her/his mouth shut? There's self-interest, too - Canada does 3/4 of our export-import business with the U.S. When you guys get a sneeze - we get pneumonia. Some years ago when I was expressing concern about so much of our business being bought by outsiders, some fellow workers said they didn't care about the owner, as long s they had a job. I said that in some cases, if there is equal profitability in the work of two plants and business shrinks, in some cases the plant in the country of the parent may be kept open, but the one in a foreign country closed down. Some would say that I need not be concerned these days - being retired, I'm not in need of running around looking for employment. But if a major part of the work force becomes unemployed, or working in low-pay jobs, they won't be paying much into pension funds, so ... ... payouts to me may be drastically curtailed. Or suffer cessation. When you drop a stone into a quiet pool ... ... as with under-sea earthquakes, the ripples run a long way. Good wishes to you and yours, Sue. ole joyful

Just spent part of the afternoon arranging with stockbroker to make a gift of stocks that have gone up in value to a major charity, to distribute to a number of others. When I cash the stock, put the proceeds in the bank and write cheques to the charities, come tax time I have to deduct the purchase price from the sale price and pay income tax at regular rate on half of the difference. But when I donate them to a charity, I avoid paying income tax on the capital gain. For the past couple of years I've been able to avoid federal income tax ... largely by gifts to charities, churches and making political contributions. We had both federal and provincial elections last year, so larger political contributions, and larger charitable contributions, helped avoid tax on an increase in income, last year. I like them apples better! ole joyful.