What is your favourite month of the year? Mine is July, which it just so happens to be right now, and I’ll tell you why. It’s the month Canada day is in and it’s the one celebration that nobody has figured out a way to wreck yet. You don’t have to worry about offending some group when you wish someone a Happy Canada Day. You don’t -at least not yet- have to figure out a way to wish them Happy Canada Day without actually saying the words. Like “Joyous Nations Celebration of Independence “ or better yet “Favourable Confederation’s Diurnal Course”. Look that one up, it really means something!

                                     The Bowron Lakes, BC.

To me, Canada Day does so much more than recognize the date of confederation. It is a day that I can celebrate how grateful I am to have been born here and live here. I suppose I could say the same for B.C. Day, butI kind of celebrate that every day. I put up my flag every year and it stays up for the whole month. I used to adorn my vehicle -and I really mean plaster it-with anything that said Canada .I still put a couple small flags on my truck, but I used to have a great ’85 5^th Ave that I would do up like a float in a parade. During my military stint if I was lucky enough to be in Victoria for the celebration, I would drive that baby around downtown Victoria like it was the Mayor’s car-and I was the mayor.
 
I almost always book holidays in July and this year was no different. I took 2 weeks and Karen and I went camping at several different spots outside of town. The B.C. Service campsites provide great little spots and we didn’t run into any crowds at all. Lots of wildlife and one of the best parts I liked was that we didn’t have to tie the dogs on. Chimo, my big English Mastiff, loves to sit out in the evening like Musaffa up on Pride Rock. He truly has the majestic look when he’s taking all of nature in as the day surrenders to nightfall. Of course it wouldn’t really feel like camping without a nice fire, so no fire ban in our area meant roasting smokies nearly every night. It was actually kind of sad to pull back into town, but we will still get away for the odd weekend again this summer.
 
I hope you plan to block out at least some time during the month of July and partake in some of the many experiences Canada has to offer. Oh ya and, Happy Canada Day to you.

Mike & Karen.

Hello and welcome to summer 2018! After a crazy busy spring that saw me mostly not home, its good to be able to finally have a chance to get at the “honey do” list that has been building since last summer. The winds of winter tore the fence apart in Mackenzie, damaged the roof and siding, including the chimney, and even wrecked the clothesline in Prince George by snapping off part of a tree. Now that we’ve had a chance to tidy everything up, Karen and I can get at actually doing the repairs. I don’t really know why but I find it therapeutic. 

Speaking of the harsh weather the storm in Prince George on Wednesday last was spectacular. If you are on FaceCrack (Facebook) go on Hell Ya Prince George to see all the pics and videos posted there. The picture here shows a couple people who know how to adapt to change riding around in a canoe on 5th ave and Tabor. You just don’t see these things in Prince George so people definitely had their cameras out.

The other picture is of a recent visit from my “tiny” son Jeremy and 2 of his friends. This is taken at picturesque Bijoux Falls, near Powder King, about 40 minutes out of Mackenzie. He was visiting from his home in Victoria, and that is another reason I like summer so much. Nobody in their right mind travels that far in the winter without a good reason. But in the summer, way more of my friends and relatives are willing to come up this way and visit.

Karen and I are planning a camping holiday to start on the Canada Day long weekend. We plan on going where there are no other people, and are willing to relocate as many times as we have to to see that that happens.There are so many great camping locations around Mackenzie that we will find a great spot eventually. Horseshoes, bean bag, ladder toss, and crib will fill our days, as well as some exploring and mosquito slaying.

As always, the invitation to stop in and visit is open so if you find yourself heading up this way, send me a text or email and we’ll try and get together. Until next month, slather on the sunscreen and take care.

Mike & Karen

About the month of May:

May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. It is also a month within the northern season of spring.  May is a month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore May in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of November in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa.  The month May was named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified with the Roman era goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May.

Contrary to rumors attempting to dispute the fact, Mike actually did have a mother as this undated photo taken in Pentiction proves beyond a doubt. 

Also seen here is a fairly recent photo of Karen with her Mom taken during a visit to Codroy Valley, Newfoundlound.

Until next month, 

Take Care!

Mike McMillan

REMEMBER: "If you're too busy to laugh, your too busy."- Anon

Hi there, welcome to the mid-April newsletter of 2018. This month was a bit like the weather for Karen and myself-unpredictable and full of change. As you can see in the pics below, while the daffodil count was in full bloom in Victoria, we woke up to 6 more months of winter. I hadn’t had my first coffee yet when I  I saw the snow and unfortunately I  got so angry that I broke my own rule. Yep, you guessed it, I was so upset I posted it on facebook. Of course, as soon as you do that somebody lets you know that your problems are minuscule compared to theirs, so the other pic shows what was happening on or about the same day in Karen’s home town in Channel-port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland.


I think there is probably a morale to this story, maybe something about not bitching about how bad you have it. At least don’t do it on facebook.

Plans changed for us and due to stuff beyond our control we cancelled our trip to Edmonton, so Karen did not get to see her Rod Stewart concert. Fortunately he was also appearing at the Mackenzie Legion on Saturday night, so as long as she could get her fix in somehow, right. It really didn’t break my heart to not be able to drive to Edmonton this time of year, for as you probably know, I will do anything to get out of driving anywhere in winter. The devastating tragedy that hit the Humboldt Broncos only serves to solidify my resolve. I’m confident in my own winter driving skills and my own reliable vehicle. I just don’t trust those I’ll be sharing the road with.

I will chorus the many others who remember that it is on these team trips where lifetime bonds and memories are formed, and they are some of the greatest memories and best longest friendships I have. One particular trip my teammate Audrey and I made was 52 hrs by bus from Mackenzie to L.A. I could write a book about the adventures of that one trip alone. Arriving at the L.A bus depot at 11 o’clock at night was something every 16 year old small town boy should experience at least once in his life. I also recall 14 of us crammed into one motel room during one crazy week where we drove to Spokane Washington and then back up to Kamloops for the BC championships. Woke up to have a pee only to find somebody sleeping in the tub!

The wind and weather has taken its toll on our properties and if it ever settles down I will see if I can find my shingles, eavestrough, chimney cover and doggy wading pool etc. Its basically been really good weather to do indoor stuff. This weekend we will be going to the play at Theatre Northwest called The Best Brothers, which I’m told is a hilarious comedy. 

I’m also getting ready for another school session early in May, only a month long this time and then I am done. I recently attended a 4 day workshop for some more real estate training, as you can see in my “thanks for coming out” photo here with Dave Dubeau.



Don’t let the smiling faces in the picture fool you, the workshop was gruelling. Long days and lots of training jammed in, even on St. Paddy’s Day!

That about wraps it up for this update. I am sorry I didn’t get to visit anybody due to our trip being cancelled but just remember, its just as far to my house as it is to your house. (plus we have a Timmies coffee machine!) 

Until next month, 

Take Care!

Mike McMillan

Hello there, greetings from the melty not-too-far north BC. The ever-present “they” say that in addition to having more snow than in recent years, now the fast melt we’re experiencing is going to cause floods. It’s always something and we are a hardy breed up here, but the risk of floods could make venturing out of town this month a little more of a challenge.

Karen and I took in our fourth performance by our favourite performer, Johnny Reid. This soulful sensation always delivers and always, always involves the whole audience in his numbers. We met him backstage again and of course, Karen got a kiss from the Scottish charmer. I asked him about some odd lyrics to one of his songs -Given up On Me- and he shared a quick story with us about how the verse of the song came about.
 
Down on the corner, there’s a flashing neon sign, makes me think that I’m not all that I can be. As I fight back tears of rage I take my place upon this stage, nothing left but this ol’ shadow and me.
 
It was written during a dark time early in his career and he’d just been told by a producer that he had seen a lot of talent and that Johnny didn’t have it.  He may as well pack it in as he was never going to amount to anything. It’s a hell of a thing to shake the confidence of young talented man, and many may have called it a day for their dreams right then and there. But Johnny dusted himself off and if you fast forward about seven years and his first couple Juno Awards later, he met the man again. He was all smiles, hugs and handshakes and didn’t even remember meeting him seven years earlier. Johnny reminded him  about the encounter and still got no glimmer of recollection from him.

Even though the guy’s words had eaten at him and angered him and moved him to writing it into a song, the producer never ever thought about his own words again.

Don’t ever let somebody else’s words or actions, no matter who that person is, hold you back from being all that you want to be.

Early next month we are off on a road trip to Edmonton to see Rod Stewart. If you are living somewhere on that route, hopefully, we get a chance to grab a coffee or beer and swap some lies.

This pic of Karen, Johnny Reid and myself was backstage 2016

All the best,

M.L. McMillan