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Up date on the Army Run

26/9/2019

Received this from the Army Run yesterday
2019 Canada Army Run 5K finish
Hello,

You are receiving this message because your finish time was impacted by the unfortunate congestion at the 5K finish. It is our goal every year to have participants finish the race on their terms, which unfortunately did not occur in some cases. There are a number of factors that led to this issue, including on-site construction, corral size and aspects of the post-race product slowing down crowd flow. All of these issues are being addressed to prevent this issue from recurring in the future.
You will find on your www.Sportstats.ca official time that an adjustment has been made to your overall finish time. We were able to do this because we had timing systems throughout the course, including the following locations:

Wellington and Kent, before the first turnaround
1 km before the finish
An announcer’s mat within the last 100m

With this technology, we are able to determine reasonably accurate pacing data on our participants. We have taken that pace, and extended it to the full 5K distance to reflect the time you were on track to achieve.

We understand that paces may have slowed down or sped up in that time, however we want to reflect the best available data. We have made this adjustment to your finish time, no further adjustments to 5K times will be made.

We would like to offer you $10 off registration for next year. Please use the code "20195K" when registering, and this code does not expire.
V
V
A much better time and the $10 off is a very nice gesture. It seems as if they did realize that the finish was a great way to end the run.

Here are the updated results:
OFFICIAL TIME 33:34
OVERALL PLACE 4081/11115
BIB 23450
CATEGORY M 75-79
GENDER M
CITY OTTAWA
PROVINCE ON
COUNTRY CAN
GENDER PLACE 2454/5116
CATEGORY PLACE 1/32

Another one Done and Dusted Canadian Army Run 22 Septembe

22/9/2019

I was unimpressed with my time for today’s Army run. Lots of walkers — even within the first 100 metres. I never knew there were so my long upward inclines in Hull. There were much more up-hills than down hills. And then the jam up in the last 25 meters before the finish line. I was grumbling about my time and not being impressed with the finish time but my laps, 2, 3, and 4 were good and then to see my category place took some of the disappointment about the finish time away.

Unofficial Results for the Army 5k Run from my GP
DISTANCE 5.19K
CUMULATIVE TIME 34:39
MOVING TIME 34:19
LAP 1 6:50 - unimpressed with the number of walkers even in the first 100 m and continuing
LAP 2 6:05
LAP 3 6:27
LAP 4 6:22
LAP 5 6:47 - big jam up before the finish line. Shoulder to shoulder walking or not moving
LAP 6 1:47 - last .19K jam up hardly moving at all.

Official Results for the Army 5k Run
DISTANCE 5K
TIME 00:34:33
OVERALL PLACE 4112/11133
BIB 23450
CATEGORY M75-79
GENDER M
GENDER PLACE 2470/5122
CATEGORY PLACE 1/32

I had been training off and on since March, first for the Tamarack run in May and then on a more or less steady basis for this one. Now that the race season, for me, is over. It will be just doing a run 2 or 3 times a week until early next year when I will start training again for the Tamarack 5K in May. I got a notice yesterday that if you did that run this year there is an early sign up starting tomorrow (Monday 23 Sept). I may as well sign up early and save a bit of money. Unless something unforeseen happens between now ant then I plan on running it. Hopefully with a little better time and placing. Although I don’t count placing 3rd in that run as being disrespectful.
It was a good day for running at 8am it was mostly cloudy, the temperature was a comfortable 77c wind was south at only 11 kms.
I should be getting some 'official' photos via email later in the week and will post them in a separate blog.

Later in the afternoon I took a couple of rose cuttings to see if they will sprout. If they do I have a plan for them.

Took the Christmas light down from around the front window because it is going to be replaced with a new one tomorrow.

Don and family will be over for a roast lamb Sunday dinner.
Now to do a bit for the Microgreens Experiment.

Has it been 6 months since my last posting?

14/9/2019

It seems as if it has been forever since I posted something here. I really have no excuse for not keeping things up to date but it seems as if sometimes other things just seem to get in the way.
Spring and summer went quite well although Spring seemed to be cooler than usual which put the planting a little bit later. Most of the seeds went into the allotment garden in the first two weeks of June rather than the last two weeks of May.
The tomatoes went in between the second and last week of June which is also quite late. This year I planted eight different kinds of tomatoes; 42 Days, Black Cherry, Bonny Best, Red Brandywine, Giant Belgium, Gray’s Sweet, Indian Strip and Martini’s Roma. Plus one row of ?? tomatoes. Some how the name label had been lost. All of the tomatoes did fairly well but they did not seem to produce as much as previous years. I am going to have to rotate the crops for sure next year.
I also tried some different kinds of squash but did not have good luck with that. I only have Butternut and Spaghetti that survived. And even then there was an infestation of Squash Bugs on them. Yes that is the name of the pest. I also tried pumpkin and have one large and one small. That should be good for Halloween as well as a pie or two. Adrian wanted me to plant some corn so I tried some Early Bantum. The cobs are very small so I don’t think it is worth trying that again. Haven’t harvested any yet so can’t tell what it tastes like.
I have started two 42 Day tomatoes as well as some lettuce and basil in hydroponics indoors to see how that works out. So far the tomato plants are doing quite well and the lettuce is slowly coming along. Bought a heater and air pump for the hydroponics to see if they help. Back in the Spring one of the owners of the hydroponic store told me to add an air stone to help things along. So finally getting around to it.
The past couple of days I have looking on the net and learning about growing ‘microgreens.’ I bought some containers from Dollarama and window screen (as per Jeb the Gardener) from Home Hardware and have the containers ready. I put Sunflower, Radish, Swiss Chard and Spinach in water to soak for 24 hours. Will plant them tomorrow.
So much for the gardening. What else has been happening. Not much!
Sadly my brother John passed away in December and in January I went out to British Columbia to attend his memorial. I had the pleasure of overnighting on my arrival with an old navy colleague, Ken and his wife Debbie. Ken was kind enough to drive me to Quailicum Beach, where I met and stayed with John’s wife Bernadette. On the trip back I simply took the bus and again stayed with Ken and Debbie before flying back to Ottawa. On the return visit we made arrangements to meet up for drinks with another two other colleagues, Darcy who was the Military Policeman at the Canadian Embassy in Damascus while we were both there and I had not seen since my departure in 1997, and another navy colleague Paul who was a young private back in 1974.
Wendy and I went on a Caribbean cruise in March and visited our friends in Florida before the trip. I will have to make a special page for that trip.
Went to Upper Canada Village to see Mieka on her last day of ‘Time Travellers.’
Ran the Tamarack 5K Race. Placed 3/23 in age category with an official time of 34:36. A little slower than I would have liked but because of the cold, cold winter not much training was done until almost the middle of April. Being away almost the whole of March did not help either. Although I did do some treadmill running and walking onboard the ship.
OH3 water station for the Marathon for the same event.
Training for the upcoming Army 5K race on the 22nd of September. I want to get my time down to closer to 30 minutes. Would be overjoyed to get it below that level.
I have been posting silliness pretty regularly on Facebook.
That seems to be it for now. I am going to keep my fingers crossed to try and keep this thing more up to date.
Watch for an update about the March Cruise.

Below are three of my favourite tomatoes.

Adding pages to reminiscing.

24/2/2019

I have added a couple more sections under Reminiscing but have not made the announcement publicly yet. I will wait until I have finished to 2008 the year that I retired.

Well, the weather forecast has come true - we did get our freezing rain over night and a bit of a drizzle during the day. It does not look very nice out there. A good day to stay indoors for sure

I get e-mail ads from Royal Caribbean on an almost daily basis so have been looking at cruises for 2020. Already! You can't start too early and everything is on sale with 60% off the second traveller. I see a couple of 10 and 11 night cruises out of Fort Lauderdale for March but also some 7 night one out of Tampa. Checking the prices a back to back out of Tampa for 14 nights in total is only slightly more than a 10 or 11 night out of Fort Lauderdale. The only problem with the Tampa ones would be visiting pretty much the same ports. Will have to check with 'The Boss' about that.

Finally

23/2/2019

Yes I have finally made it back on here. I certainly do not know where the time goes but it just does seem to flit away sometimes.

I am getting back at the reminiscing again and have copied all of the previous entries and will be adding them under a new menu heading of Reminiscing. I think that makes a bit more sense than adding them kind of willy-nilly as blog entries.

Once I get the separate write-ups entered I will add a couple of photos as well.

Our days are drawing closer to our next cruise. We well be leaving here on the 06 March to drive to Florida, spend a couple of days with our friends there and do some bird watching and sight seeing. Then proceed to Fort Lauderdale for a 10 night cruise to the Easter Caribbean retuning on 25 March. From there a drive home with a stop over in North Carolina to visit some newly found relatives. Back hope and hopefully this year the snow and cold will be gone.

I have started some hydroponics again and the first batch of herbs are doing quite well. A second batch has been started and coming along as well as a few in soil as well.

I am debating on starting seeds before we head south or wait until I get back. Everything you read about starting seeds for transplanting is start 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting which would be the middle of March. Beginning at the first of March would be about 10 weeks before transplant. I have done that in the past and the results vary. Will just have to wait and see how I feel the last week in the month or the first week next month.

Sadly I have become a "fair weather" runner. This winter has been brutal for running with the sidewalks covered in ice and snow and the roads not much better. To make up for that I have started a more or less regular walking routine which should help. I am planning on doing some treadmill running on the ship.

I have finally signed up for my two races of the year - the 5K in the Tamarack Race Weekend in May and the 5K Army Run in September. I did very well last year and hope to be able to do the same this year. Of course I would be happier to beat last year's times.

That should be about if for now.

Is winter here already?

28/10/2018

I am just sitting here looking out the window and wondering if winter has already arrived. It started to snow sometime last night and then a bit of rain mixed in. The mixed rain and snow continued over night and there was a bit of accumulation on the ground this morning.

According to the official Canadian Weather Service the statistics for the Ottawa airport for yesterday: 27 October 2018:
Max: 4.7 °C Min: -1.7 °C
Total Precipitation: Rainfall: 2.6 mm Snowfall: 3.4 cm Total 7.6 mm

The snow has continued on and off during today as well. It is a good thing that I put my garden "to bed" yesterday. Did things a bit differently this year. Instead of pulling up the tomato plants and composting them I cut them down leaving the roots in the ground to compost in-situ and just laid the bush on top of the ground to compost over the winter. In the spring I will probably just dig what is left into the soil. Because I left what was left of the tomatoes on the plant no doubt I will be getting some tomato plants sprouting next year.

I pulled the sweet potato plants and was surprised at the number of tubers that were attached to the roots. Sadly they were only about the size of a pencil so not big enough to save for eating. I decided to see if there were any more buried in the soil so I started digging up with a garden fork. When I dug up the sweet potatoes and got a few. For the amount of return based on the cost of the individual plants (about $2.00 each) I don't think I will be purchasing any next year. If I have any left over and they sprout shoots I will plant them. It will also be interesting to see if any grow from the small ones that I just turned over in the soil.

NO regular potatoes next year. I didn't get a one from this years crop. I am not sure just what happened because the plants looked well and healthy at the beginning of the summer. I was just covering them with straw as I had done with good success in past years but this year one of my neighbours suggested that after a couple of initial covers I just leave them and let photosynthesis take over. So that is what I did. And then along came a horrendous number of Japanese Beetles and even with spraying with insecticidal soap they completely decimated the plants leaving only a few stems above ground. So not sure if it is my fault, the beetles fault or a combination of both but not going to bother next year.

During the upcoming week, supposed to warm up by Wednesday, I will do the garden in the back yard and decide on where to plant my garlic. If I decide to plant it here I will have to get a bale of straw from the farm, if I decide to plant at the garden there is already a bale there. I will also have to spread what is left of the top/garden soil at the garden. I think I will use it to fill the rows that I was using for the potatoes. Just put the soil over the straw that is already there and then plant some root crops next year.

Over all I am fairly satisfied with my vegetable gardening this past year. A few changes for next year are in the offering. No pole beans, no one eats them, only a few green beans at a time, the same with lettuce. I was also told more beets. A couple of different planting times for carrots, did that this year with fair results.

Now that winter is fast approaching it is time to start looking for an ocean cruise to somewhere warm next March.

Bermuda Cruise Trip Log

22/10/2018

Date 2018 06 October
08:06
Depart home. Cool and cloudy 7c
Trip = 670Kms ETA 15:31 on quickest route to Hotel

09:12
Enter Quebec
09:20
09:25
Rest stop in Rigaud

09:47
Toll on Highway 30 - $2.80. This route not showing on GPS
ETA 15:24

10:19
Enter Highway 10. Traffic is slow for a very short time both ways
465 Kms ETA 15:18

11:00
12:18
Arrive at Canada/US border
2 very long lines then 5 Check points. Reach the check point at 12:18 and quick through
Took 1 hour and 18 minutes to go 1 km.
399 Kms ETA 16:24

12:20
Enter I83

12:32
13:07
Lunch in St Albans
ETA 17:00

14:15
14:30
Gas - Berlin Vermont - Sprinkle of rain
and Visitor Center
268 Kms ETA 17:20

15:16
Enter New Hampshire
188 Kms ETA 17:14

16:08
Enter I93 ETA 17:09

16:15
Enter I293 toll $1.00

16:42
Enter Massachusetts ETA 17:04

17:02
Arrive at DoubleTree by Hilton in Bedford Massachusetts

Sunday
07 October
Day One
of cruise
10:17
Depart Hotel - Did not note distance to car park

11:20
Arrive at car park. Very hard to find. Not actually at address give. I believe that the address given in actual an exit ramp for the lot.

12:00 approx
Board ship, lunch in Windjammer buffet and lounge until cabin (3564) is ready and bags are delivered. One of Wendy’s bags missing because tag had come off but delivered shortly after cabin attendant informed that it was missing

17:00
Depart Boston Cloudy, cool and rain

19:00
Supper - My Time Dinning - Casual
table 507 for entire cruise Waiter - Mario Assistant Waiter - Gabriel
Bill - Shrimp cocktail, N.Y. Strip Steak, Creme Brûlée
Wendy - Beet & Orange salad, Fish of the day (Swordfish), Pavlova

22:00
Tropical Theatre - Adult Comedy Snow = Lucas Bhon.
Probably an R rated show, very good quite a few laughs

Monday
08 October
Day Two
of cruise

CRUSING
08:14
Position 40º22’81”N 068º47’02”W
speed 10.6 Knots, course 156º, travelled 174 nautical miles 17ºC, cloudy

15:00
Bill 2.5 miles in 31:33 at speed 4.8 mph on treadmill

19:00
Supper = Formal
Wendy - Seafood Voilvont, Duck a la ‘range, Creme Brûlée
Bill - Lobster Bisque, Beef Tenderloin, Peach shortcake

22:15
Tropical Theatre - Vibe-Ology
Musical Revue of singing and dancing 1950-90s. Very good, enjoyable
CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR

23:15
Position 37º48’03”N 067º18’56”W
speed 11.9 knots, course 155º, travelled 344 nm 24ºc/77ºf
cow towel

Tuesday
09 October
Day Three
of cruise

CRUSING
08:46
Position 36º14’47”N 066º26’68”W
speed 12.5 Knots, course 156º, travelled 446 nm 75ºf mostly cloudy

Clocks went ahead one hour

19:00
Supper - Casual
Wendy - Waldorf salad, fish of the day (Red Snapper), fresh fruit
Bill - French Onion soup, Prime Rib of Beef, Blueberry crunch

20:30
Tropical Theatre - Scott Cavanaugh
Juggler & Comedian - 1st place in world juggling contest, very good very funny

21:35
Position 33º55’16N 065º11’25W
speed 11.6 Knots, course 155º, travelled 597 nm, 25ºc/77ºf

Wednesday
10 October
Day Four
of cruise

DOCKED
Kings Wharf
08:00
Arrive in Bermuda

08:21
Position 32º19’58”N 064º49’85”W
speed - course - travelled 719 nm mainly sunny 25ºc/77ºf

08:50
12:00
Ashore - When I was there almost the complete Dockyard was derilict. Now it has been cleaned and a fully functioning tourist attraction. Entered The Keep a National Museum saw old transmitter site where I worked for a month or two. Toured Commissioner’s House, continued strolling around the grounds, saw the Dolphin Quest where I inadvertently went swimming while we clearing the brush around the xmitter site.
There are more builds there than I remember, mainly because of the condition of the area as well as had to remain in the emitter building. A tour of The Keep is certainly well worth a visit.

12:00
17:00
Rented a deluxe scooter which would carry two people. Wendy hopped on the back and we were off. Along South Shore Road to Horseshoe Bay which is now a fully functioning tourist spot - loungers, snack bar, bar. Lunch there of fish cake sandwich (fair). Off to Daniel’s Head our old navy base. The Base is in sad shape all of the tourist huts have been more or less destroyed. I did manage to get inside the fence and wander the antenna pad and to the old ops building. The beach appears to be well maintained and is open to the public. The glass bottom boat still visits the same spot.
Had a light spot of rain at Horseshoe Bay. Typical of Bermuda summer rain in a very small area for a short period of time. Winter rain is a more constant drizzle

19:00
Supper - Casual
Wendy - Arugula salad, New York Strip Loin, Penna Cotta
Bill - Fish cake (much better than the one at Horseshoe Bay), Penna Cotta

21:30
Tropical Theatre - David Bailey
Singer, Good. Did a nice medley of Elvis songs without trying to imitate Elvis.

Thursday
11 October
Day Five
of Cruise

DOCKED
Kings Wharf

Forecast 26ºc/27ºf Mainly Sunny

07:55
24ºc/75ºf

09:00
17:10
Scootered to St George’s took a couple of wrong turns which simply made the trip a little longer than the more direct route.
Walked around the Towne visited St Peter’s Their Majesties Chappell, the oldest Anglican Church outside the British Isles and the oldest Protestant Church in continuous use in the New World. Lunch at the Whitehorse Restaurant and Pub.
Took another wrong turn leaving and ended up in St David’s - simply another scenic tour.
A quick stop and look around in the city of Hamilton and then back to the ship.
My GPS says 47 kms for the return trip

19:00
Supper - Formal
Wendy - Tomato and watermelon salad, Fish of the Day (Barramundi), Trifle
Bill - Seafood risotto, Beef Bourguignon, Chocolate soufflé.

20:30
Tropical Theatre - Rock and Roll cover band - ROOKIE
Extremely good, very professional 1950’s and 60’s rock and roll.

21:45
Tropical Theatre - Love and Marriage Game
3 couples, newly wed, 20-30 years wed, over 40 years wed
funny - couples had to come up with the same answer as their spouse

Friday
12 October
Day Six

DOCKED
&
SAILED

Forecast for Bermuda 27ºc/81ºf Mainly sunny

07:54
Actual 25ºc/77ºf

09:00
12:00
Ashore
Wendy - Around Dockyards shopping
Bill - One last scooter ride along South Shore Road to junction of Middle Road and return. Stopped at several places for photo op.

12:00
Said we would meet up back on board for 12:00 met each other in dockyards.

14:00
17:00
Lazed around on deck to watch the departure

15:30
Depart Bermuda

19:00
Supper - Casual
Bill & Wendy - Caprese salad, Lobster, Baked Alaska

20:30
Tropical Theatre - Stage to Screen
Broadway Revue - very good. Lots of Broadway singing and dancing.

21:40
Position 33º47’66”N 065º06’62”W
speed 19.1 Knots course 333º travelled 833 nm 26ºc/79ºf

Saturday
13 October
Day Seven

CRUSING
08:00
Position 36º40’27”N 066º39’13”W
speed 18.5 Knots course 335º travelled 1021 nm 24ºc/75ºf Mainly sunny
Forecast cloudy 12ºc wind 13 Kp/h

10:45
On Deck

13:30
Pack for departure

14:30
Bill - ran on treadmill .52 mile in 6:34 @ 5 mph then walked 1.5 mile
a little difficult because of a bit of rock very windy on upper deck

19:00
Supper - Casual
Bill & Wendy- Pork tacos, Tiger Shrimp, Cherries Jubilee

20:15
Band Rookie playing in Centrum. Again an excellent performance

22:00
Tropical Theatre - Adult Comedy Snow - Craig Murphy
Very funny and mildly adult

22:45
Position 40º45’80”N 068º56’89”W
speed 18.2 Knots course 337º travelled 1289 nm 12ºc/54ºf

TIME GOES BACK ONE HOUR

SUNDAY
14 October
Day Eight

Arrive BOSTON

ENROUTE
HOME
06:40
Arrived Boston and docked
Position 42º20’59”N 071º02’02”W
travelled 1442 round trip 7ºc/45ºf. Quite a difference from this time yesterday

07:45
Cleared US Customs and Immigration on board ship

08:30
Disembark

08:55
On shuttle bus to car park

09:10
Depart car park. Trouble getting out of car park - invalid code on ticket
Attendant manually opened gate
Set GPS to shortest route 661 Kms arrive 17:25
through Boston to I28N

09:56
Entered I93N eta 17:52

10:18
10:33
Enter New Hampshire 188 Kms ETA 17:14
Enter/depart rest area
548 Kms to home ETA 18:05

11:07
Enter I89 548 Kms to home ETA 18:03

11:40
11:49
Rest area 484 Kms to home ETA 18:09

12:10
Gas - Lebanon New Hampshire

12:15
Enter Vermont
445 Kms to home ETA 18:22

12:25
12:55
Visiter Center sandwich lunch
431 Kms to home ETA 18:54

14:10
Exit I89 to I2 - up the Champlain Islands
287 Kms to home ETA 18:43

15:00
Enter New York
224 Kms to home ETA 18:30

15:55
Enter I22
146 Kms to home ETA 18:17

16:04
Enter I37
132 Kms to home ETA 18:15

16:20
16:38
Gas & Tims - Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation
113 Kms to home ETA 18:32

16:50
Enter bridge to Canada - Canada US border 16:51

16:54
17:07
Canadian Customs - short line
100 Kms to home ETA 18:35

17:42
Enter 417
57 Kms to home ETA 18:25

18:16
ARRIVE HOME.
We never set the trip meter on the car so unsure of exact return Kms

CFS Bermuda - Then and Now

21/10/2018

Today most people would know of the Canadian Forces Station that was in Bermuda as CFS Bermuda. However when I first arrived there in July of 1966 my Navy tap tally read HMC Radio Station and it was know as Naval Radio Station Bermuda. It certainly was a change from my posting at NRS Frobisher Bay, now Iqaluit, Nunavut.

My departure from Frobisher in July 1966 was on a NordAir DC4 with snow falling and the temperature was just below freezing. After a month’s leave with my family it was off, I believe on a Sunday, to Bermuda on, I think, a Trans Canada Airways (TCA) Vickers V952 Vanguard. When we landed I can still remember the pilot giving the weather, sunny and air temperature 94ºF, humidity 94% and sea temperature 94ºF. Although the weather at home was good this was just a slight difference than when I left Frobisher.

Getting to the base was a little difficult because the taxi driver did not know were it was! He first took me to the U.S. Navy Base (NOB) and luckily the guard at the gate knew where to go. Of course the only information I was given was report in on a certain date, no address or instructions on how to get there. So that day two of us learned that the station was at Daniel’s Head - the opposite end of the island to the airport.

The taxi dropped me at the combined All Ranks Mess and Cafeteria where I was welcomed at the bar. One of the other lads took me to the Single Quarter’s Barracks and stuck me in a room. Then it was back to the mess for a cold one.

The next day, being Monday, I did my official check-in with the cox’n CPO1 Charles Tupper who happened to have been my Divisional Officer during my trade group 1 course at HMCS Gloucester and also the cox’n during my time in Frobisher. After checking me in and putting me down for “Manual Party” which, as the name implies, was manual working around the station. This was a routine that all new junior ranks went through for about a month before going on shift. He then got in touch with another lad on manual party and instructed him to; “take Neelin to Triminghams and get him a uniform.” Triminghams turned out to be an up-market clothing store where I purchased two pairs of Bermuda shorts, one navy blue, the other black, a couple of pairs of knee high black socks. It was then off to NOB to get a pair of Corefam (patent leather) never need to shine shoes. That was our uniform; manual party-our dungaree work shirt, civilian-Bermuda shorts, knee socks and Corefam shoes. Once on shift it was our Navy gun shirt and the civilian shorts/socks and shoes.

At that time there were only 35 of us on the station. I think it was twelve single men, including both cooks and a P1 supply type who lived “on board”. The remainder were married men who lived “ashore” in rental accommodation. The only person with an allocated house was the only officer, our Commanding Officer (Lt J. A. McDonald) at that time. In 1967 the base began to increase in size and I believe there was a second officer posted in.

For shift workers a shift consisted of three persons on shift, manual party usually had 3 or 4 and there were a few ‘day men’ including our technical and clerical, supply staff.

Because there were so few of us single men our rations were very tight. To compensate for that the cooks would not prepare a meal for us if they knew that we had worked the midnight shift so would probably be sleeping. We would also inform the duty cook if we would not “be home” for a meal. With that and supplying fresh caught fish to the mess we did manage to eat very well.

One thing myself and a couple of other fellows did was on our long days off, we would rent a room at the Mariner’s Club (Sailor’s Home) for £1 a night. It saved us the long ride back after a night in Hamilton.

The station was relatively remote so personal transportation was a must. Most of the other single men were driving Lambretta or Vespa scooters. I on the other hand opted for a motorcycle. Within a week or two I was at the Honda shop and put in an order for a Honda 90cc motorcycle. It was then practicing on a borrowed scooter, arranging for a driving test, passing, picking up the cycle and I was away to the races. My Honda 90 did me in good stead but I wanted something a little more powerful for carrying a passenger up the many hills so the next year it was a Honda CB125 one of the most powerful civilian motorcycles.

In 1967 with the amalgamation of the three Canadian forces into one unit NRS Bermuda ceased to exist and became Canadian Forces Station Bermuda. 1967 was also the year the new operations building had been completed and moved into. The shifts now increased to 6 or 7 per shift resulting an influx of personnel, up to 75. Up until this time headquarters and operations were housed in the same building. One minor glitch during the construction of the ops - during one storm the rear wall of the building was blown over. Prior to my time there the operations building consisted of a simple ‘shack’ on the beach. Also our transmitter site was moved to Royal Naval Dockyards, which was almost completely derelict. A group of us on manual party were assigned to clean up the area around the building that we would be using. I was one of the ‘lucky’ ones that then did a month or so on shift in that building. Believe me it is a good thing that I did not believe in ghosts. I was all alone on shift and it could be a bit scary after driving past Casemates Prison into the completely dark and deserted Dockyards.

On one of my short stints on manual party in 1967, Cecil Whitecross, one of our gardeners and I planted a row of Bermuda Cedar trees on the beach as a Centennial Project.

April 1968 was a time of civil unrest resulting in rioting and looting, mainly in Hamilton but throughout the island. As a result the Bermuda Governor declared a state of emergency, evoked a curfew and called in British Forces. A Royal Navy frigate on Caribbean patrol was dispatched and docked on Front Street, Hamilton. With the authority of open fire on rioters, looters and those disobeying the curfew the location of ship ensured the safety of Front Street.

A British Army unit of Irish Fusiliers were also sent to the Island and bivouacked on ‘our’ main beach. During their deployment the beach was out of bounds to us and our quarters were out of bounds to them. Although an officer made daily alcohol and cigarette purchases at our small commissary on a daily basis. The Army’s main function was to provide protection to the Royal Naval base in the Dockyards area as well as protecting our station. One of the things they did to protect us was to set up a machine gun emplacement inside the operations area perimeter fence behind an oleander bush beside the road. This emplacement was manned 24/7 and it was a bit nerve=wracking to hear the cocking of the gun when making our nightly patrols.

Unlike the later years, during my time the only recreational facility we had was a raft that was situated about half way between the main beach and the reef. An understanding was reached between the base and a deep sea fishing boat the “Coral Sea” captained by Boyd Gibbons and his brother the mate, Teddy Gibbons. A arrangement was made where the boat was booked for every Monday during the summer. The boat was paid a set fee by the recreational fund whether the boat went out or not and individuals who did go out paid a nominal amount in addition. I did take advantage of this every chance I had.

July of 1968 saw me leave this wonderful island for a posting to CFS Gander, arriving in August and in September up to CFS Alert.

I missed the closing ceremony of the station because I was working for External Affairs/Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and was post to London, England. I had not heard of the closing until Wendy and I returned from a trip to New Zealand so more leave and the extra cost of attending was out of the question.

For many years I have wanted to make a nostalgic trip back but the cost seemed to be prohibitive. I never gave up searching for a cruise, which is less expensive than flying and then accommodation, and lo and behold I found one that would give use two full days and a long morning in Bermuda. A deal I could not pass up.

There have been quite a few changes since I was posted there. Dockyards is now a well maintained vibrant port complete with numerous tourist shops and bars. The Mariner’s Club is still there but has been subdivided and the original dining room has been extended into an upmarket restaurant that is rented from the club. Sadly the club was not open when we stopped by and rather than wait until it opened and deal with the traffic out of Hamilton we decided to just head back to the ship. Most of the old rehydration hangouts are no longer in existence, The Horse and Buggy is now a shopping arcade, the Mangrove Bay Bar, where “Uncle Ralph (RIP)” served up the best lemonade on the island is now the Country Squire Bar and Restaurant. Unlike when Uncle Ralph was in charge it no longer opens at 8 am but at noon.

The old base while in a dilapidated was not as derelict as I thought it might have been. I had heard that at one time it was inhabited by squatters and littered with garbage. This was not quite the case on my visit. The main beach is now a public beach and some of trees that we had planted have grown. The main area has been fenced off and is generally inaccessible to the public. I did manage to get inside the fence by taking to the beach and then climbing up onto the old antenna pad. All of the tourist huts have been destroyed either by vandals or storms but there is very little litter around the site.

I am happy that I made the effort to make the trip back and at least try and visit some of the old sites. I had forgotten how twisty and hilly the island was. Would I do it again - while the island is expensive - in a heart beat.

SADLY I DID NOT TAKE ENOUGH PHOTOS WHEN I WAS THERE.
That and the fact that I left most of the ones I did take with my parents have been lost.

And the ones that I do have may not be very good. Regardless of year I labeled all of the old photos 1967.

Enjoy the slide show of what is left of the base and the few photos that I have managed to salvage.

7 Night Bermuda Cruise - 07 - 14 October 2018

18/10/2018

The Royal Canadian Navy originally had training bases in Bermuda during WWII and in the 1950’s. Her Majesties Canadian Radio Station Bermuda (later Canadian Forces Station) was reopened as a part of the North Atlantic High Frequency Direction Finding network based at Daniel’s Head from the summer of 1963 until its closure in 1992.

While I was in the Royal Canadian Navy I had the opportunity to be posted to HMC Radio Station/CFS Bermuda from August 1966 until July 1968. Consequently, for several years I have wanted to make a trip back to Bermuda.

   After a year in Frobisher Bay, Northwest Territories (now Iqaluit) it certainly was a major shock! Going from snowing and freezing when I left Frobisher in early July and arriving in Bermuda to sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 30 Celsius(mid 90’s Fahrenheit) was quite a change. That combined with being above the tree line and harsh landscape to lush greenery and a multi-multi-coloured blue sea. Needless to say that the opportunity to enjoy the single life of living in one of the tourist capitals of the world made making the trip to work much more pleasant.

   As I previously, mentioned I had been wanting to make a return visit but the price of airfare and hotels seemed prohibitive and a cruise, arriving on one morning and leaving next afternoon seemed to be too short. Not wanting to give up I continued to search for an optimum cruise and found one with a more than reasonable price and offering two nights in Bermuda, arriving on Wednesday morning and departing Friday afternoon. This would give us basically two full days and a long morning in Bermuda. An opportunity that I could not pass up.

   The ship, Royal Caribbean’s “Serenade of the Seas” would be leaving Boston, Massachusetts and docking at Kings Wharf, Sandy’s Parish, Bermuda. When I was stationed in Bermuda the dockyards area where Kings Wharf is located was derelict and mainly in ruins.

   In the summer of 1967 the Canadian base obtained one of the buildings to locate a new radio transmitter and it was a major job to clear the overgrown brush and clean up the area immediately around the building to make it more or less accessible and liveable as it would be manned 24/7. Believe me when I say that it is a good thing that one is not superstitious and afraid of ghosts when working alone on a midnight to eight shift. It was a delight to see the changes that had been made to accommodate the cruise ships and accompanying tourists.

   The same cannot be said about our former base. After the closure the site was obtained by 9 Beaches Resort from 1995 until its closure in 2010. Since then it has deteriorated and is now fenced off and falling into complete disrepair. There is still access to the beach which appears to be very well kept.

   On Saturday, October 06: I put quickest way, (also the CAA route to the hotel) into the GPS and we set off for an overnight in Boston to board the ship “Serenade of the Seas” on Sunday morning for an afternoon sailing. The trip was uneventful until we reached the border crossing where it took an hour and fifteen minutes for us to reach the checkpoint. The delay, was simply the amount of traffic crossing into the United States. There seemed to be very little traffic on the two lane road leading to the crossing so it was a surprise when we reached the long line leading to the five check booths. The actual check was quick and easy and we were once again on our way tao arrive at our overnight hotel DoubleTree by Hilton in Bedford, Massachusetts which turned out to be an hour away from the dock.

   I had prepaid for a weeks parking at one of the cruise ports parking lots. But what a job to find. After looking for the address, which turned out to be just an empty lot, and asking nearby people of they knew where it was I went on foot to try and discover just where it would be. Finally the reception desk at a hotel said it may me behind their building. Off I went, on foot, and finally discovered the shuttle bus to the port and that was the parking lot location.   Back to the car and into the parking lot then board the shuttle bus, which waited for us, and off to the ship.

   Boarding was quick and pleasant, all bags to the check-in area and onto the ship. A soup and salad lunch in the Windjammer buffet and lounge around until our cabin was ready and bags delivered.

   Happily at 4pm, Sunday, 07 October, we left the cold and rain behind as the ship headed slowly out to sea for two days of slow cruising, and putting the clocks ahead one hour, to arrive at a bright, warm and sunny, Kings Wharf at 8am on Wednesday, 10 October.

   Note: See Trip Log for a more detailed description of events.

   Wednesday, October 10: the morning was spent wandering around The Keep, touring dockyards and the Commissioner’s House which are all a part of the National Museum of Bermuda. As I mentioned the area certainly had a major makeover and it was a joy to walk freely around The Keep, see our old transmitter building, in which I had the pleasure of working for about two months, and then the refurbished Commissioner’s House. The view from the ramparts of the tranquil multi-blue sea was captivating. While wandering around I was looking for what we called “the swimming pool’ which turned out to be the Dolphin Quest centre. I called it the swimming pool because I ended up swimming there one day when we were taking a lunch break from clearing the area.

   I wanted to rent scooters which would give us the opportunity to travel where and when we wanted to go. Wendy was very leery about renting and riding her own scooter. However, at the scooter rental shop they had a deluxe scooter which would take two people so that was our choice. Apparently my driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road did not frighten Wendy and she was happy to go for a trip the next day.

   That day we made the initial trip out of dockyard, though Somerset and onto the South Shore Road for a stop at Horseshoe Bay. Horseshoe Bay has gone through the transition to make it much more touristy than when I was there when it was simply a beach. Now you can rent lounge chairs and there is a quick snack bar and a full bar. After a quick lunch of fishcake sandwiches it was back on the scooter and off to Daniel’s Head. It was a disappointment to see the condition the old base was in. But the beach area is very well kept and some of the Bermuda Cedar trees that Cecil Whitecross and I planted in 1967 as a Centennial Project were thriving. I managed to get inside the surrounding fence by travelling along the beach and climbing up onto the old antenna pad. The pad is beginning to get overgrown and the huts which had plastic/tarpaulin type walls had either been destroyed by squatters, a hurricane, or simply aging badly only added to the overall despair of ‘the old place’. While the buildings and some areas were not doing well the beaches were still pristine and the major beach which is open to the public is well maintained.

   The glass bottom boat which now offers snorkelling still makes the trip to the area off Daniel’s Island and the sunken wreck. In fact there was a glass bottom boat there while I was touring the antenna pad which brought back memories of swimming and snorkelling there and also sharing a beer with the operator of the glass bottom boat while he waited for passengers to be delivered to him.

   While the area may be in disrepair and falling to wreck and ruin it only brought back fond memories of not only the good times at the mess or beach parties, but the friendships that had developed, the joy of living on a tourist island and, believe it or not, also the work environment. None of these memories can really be erased or relived except in only our fondest memories.

   Thursday, October 11: It dawned another bright and sunny day and after breakfast it was off on the scooter to the far end of the island to visit St. George’s. While I found no difficulty is motoring around on the scooter with Wendy on the back I did make a couple of wrong turns which took us on an alternate route to the town. While it may have been an alternate route it was still a very pleasant scenic drive along the ocean. The one hour ride allowed us to view the various shades of blue of the ocean which are always an enchanting sight.

   The Towne of St George’s is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was Bermuda’s first capital. It is also home to the oldest Anglican Church outside of the British Isles, and the oldest Protestant church in continuous use in the New World - St Peter’s, Their Majesties Chappell.

   We wandered around the towne’s narrow streets and King’s Square for a photo op at the pillories. Lunch was in the White Horse Pub and Restaurant. Of course there as a visit to St Peter’s and a wander through the graveyard which houses the last remains of gentry, commoners, governors and privateers, as well as a separate resting place for slaves and free blacks.

   Departing St George’s it was another wrong turn which took us to St David’s and a top up of petrol. Then once again a missed turn for the route I had hoped to take to Hamilton so it was again along the North Shore Road to Middle Road and into the city of Hamilton.

   While Front Street has remained unchanged except for the change of names or merchandise in the stores the side streets have gone through a bit of a change. Gone are most of the old haunts that we used to visit; the Horse and Buggy Pub is now an arcade and the movie theatre is now Butterfield’s Bank. The Mariner’s Club where I spent many an hour enjoying the camaraderie around the bar as well as meals in the small restaurant area was still in operation. However, it also had changed, the original restaurant area has been renovated and expanded and is now rented privately. The hours of operation have also changed and it now does not open until 4pm. Sadly because we arrived before 4 and wanted to miss the evening rush hour traffic we decided not to stay until it opened.

   There were no wrong turns on the way back to the ship so it was pleasant drive along Middle Road.

   Friday, October 12: Our last, partial day in Bermuda. I am not sure if Wendy, after the one hour each way ride to St George’s and through Hamilton, had had enough of scootering but she decided that she would spend the time wandering through Dockyards to do some shopping to take home. Because we had the scooter until 1pm I opted to take another tour along South Shore Road which would give me the opportunity to stop and take some photos.

   We bid each other good-bye and went along on our merry ways with a plan to meet up back on the ship around noon. My trip along South Shore took me to the junction of South Shore and Middle Road where I made a U-turn and headed back. Along the way I noticed that the Parakeet Restaurant was still in operation but several other establishments were either gone or I missed them. I did take the opportunity to stop and take some photos of the bays along the way.

   As it happened just after I returned the scooter and was walking back to the ship I hear Wendy call out Bill, and there she was with two arm loads of presents for the family.

   It was back on board and the ship slipped away at 4pm, leaving behind the warm sunny weather to the cool/cold dreary weather to the north.

   Saturday, October 13: A day of cruising and sitting on a wind swept deck in the noticeably cooler and much cloudier weather.

   Sunday, October 14: Back and docked in Boston at 8am. U.S. Customs and Immigration were actually onboard for non-US citizens which made that part of exiting much easier. After clearing US Customs it was a quick and easy exit off of the ship, to the shuttle bus and to the car.

   Not only did we have trouble finding the parking lot at the beginning of our trip, we also had problems leaving the lot. For some reason our pre-printed parking voucher came up “invalid code” when we tried to exit. After a short delay, and calling on the intercom, an attendant appeared and manually opened the gate. Once we were out and on our way I thought than perhaps, because I had printed out two copies of the voucher the copy may have been what I was using and that is why it came up as invalid. No matter we were on our way. This time along the shortest route which the GPS said would only be about 45 minutes longer that the quickest route.

   Crossing the border into Canada at Cornwall was a much quicker experience that exiting in Vermont.

   Arriving home we were greeted by the entire family and Heather had prepared a delicious chicken Sunday dinner for us all.

   My overall experience of the trip; I would do it all again in a heartbeat, including renting the deluxe scooter. All the Bermudians (Onions) that we had contact with were very friendly and helpful. Bermuda is still a peaceful serene and beautiful laid back island. Except for the old base there was no evidence of garbage or trash anywhere. Even the old base was fairly trash free except for the ruins of the huts.

   However, I would not need to go back to Daniel’s Head to see the old base or if I did it would just be a quick stop and not the one hour or so wander around. A trip to St George’s and Hamilton may be missed allowing us the opportunity of visiting one or two of the other historic/tourist places. I missed the Swizzle Inn, and the Mangrove Bay Bar now The Somerset Country Squire Restaurant and Pub perhaps next time?

CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR SLIDE SHOW
Lots of photos

19 March 2018 - Setting sail

4/5/2018

The drive from New Smyrna Beach to Port/Fort Lauderdale took a bit longer than expected because of highway construction which slowed traffic to stop and go. At one point it took us 50 minutes to go a total of 9 kilometres! And then just as we took the exit off of I95, and while we were still on the exit ramp the GPS said that we had reached our destination - the Park & Go cruise ship parking area. After a couple of U-turns we made it to the parking lot which had a direct access from the exit ramp.
After pulling into the Park&Go under a shaded canapé the attendant unloaded the RAV and put the luggage onto a shuttle bus. Once the bus was fully loaded we said good-bye to the Rav and it was only about a 3 minute drive to the ship. The driver unloaded our luggage and a porter put it on a cart and that was the last we saw of it until it was in front of our cabin.
Ship check-in was a breeze. We received our Ship's Passes which you use for any transactions on the ship and also to go ashore and rebound. Your credit card is linked to the pass so while on board no need to carry anything except the pass and your good humour. The airlines have a lot to learn from these people.
Once checked in it was off to find our cabin, change into our 'cruise clothes' and then off to the buffet for a spot of lunch.
When we returned to the cabin there was our luggage by the door so it was time to unpack and hang this in the closet and stow the suitcases under the king size bed.
The ship departed right on time so we waved good-bye to Port Lauderdale for a relaxing week and a half to see and explore some new and exciting places.
After doing some minor exploring it was time for supper. On booking I opted for "My Time Dining" and picked the time for 7pm every night.

Supper 19 March on board ship Serenade of the Seas cabin 3540
19:00 supper
Wendy - Mushroom soup, horseradish baked salmon, hazelnut chocolate cake w chocolate sauce
Bill - Shrimp cocktail, prime rib of beef, creme brûlée
8 choices for each course

YES! There were 8 choices for each course and we later found out that the top four changed daily while the bottom four were constant. The four constant were could be considered your standard meal i.e. Shrimp Cocktail, New York Strip Loin Steak, Creme Brûlée

Because of our supper time we missed Tropical Theatre entertainment with comedian Mike Pace.

All in all, even with the bit of rough start with traffic and getting a little lost, it was a pleasant first day sailing.