Brought My camera to Work

[holdfast]

I got bored so I figured why not post some Pictures. As you know I live in the city Of North Battleford Saskatchewan. I moved there upon retiring from the Military. I never lived in Saskatchewan but I heard of this place when posted in Wainwright AB for four years. I'm a Montreal Boy I guess and if I called anywhere home it would be Ontario as I lived there 15 Years of 25 years in the Military. I moved to North Battleford in 2006 just before housing sky rocketed in 2007. I bought at $104,000 and probably could of started bidding to sell at 200,000 the following year. I had a job as a Pressure truck Driver before I even moved from Wasaga Beach and secured it during my House Hunting trip. Since then Ive worked Driving Roll off and a short stint repairing RV trailers before landing my present job. I work as the town maintenance man 20 minutes North in a town called Meota. Its a resort town in the Summer. It has 250 year round citizens and everyone knows each other. My bosses would be the Mayor and the Town council and everyday would be the Administrator. I like the job as its outdoors and nobody looks over my shoulders. They love my work ethic which was the way I was brought up and of course my job when I was in the Military was probably the most physically demanding in the CF.

 

My morning starts off by taking off around 0700 hrs. Straight Highway to Meota with a Couple of Grain Elevators and Ranches/Farms in between.

 

 

Of course I have to stop at my favorite place and have a Timmies before leaving the small city.

 

 

My first stop will be to my Shop.

 

The Tractor I have used it for snow removal as well as grass cutting. Last week I had the PTO hooked up to a humongous water pump. Soon Ill be using it to fill in Potholes and level some of the dirt roads. I never drove a tractor till this job and Ill tell ya the air conditioning and Heater is sweet, especially with the toons on.

 

 

My first stop will be the Fire Hall. I will look after the Hall as well as the Equipment. Fill the Air Tanks, extinguishers, truck with water and fuel as well as Maintain it. Supposedly the plan is that I would be the first to arrive and get the truck started as everyone else is on call.

 

 

We just got this van and we are rigging it as our command Post. I also must ensure the Radios are Charged

 

 

 

The Mayor stops by and tells me that the Lagoon is leaking so I have to Pump the water from the Ditches before it floods the farmer Fields. Too Easy, done this a lot in the Army. Built ice Roads and Bridges and of course the floods of Winnipeg. Maybe Ill see some varmints.

 

 

Yup, great job, outdoors, by myself, GOOD EXCERCISE, what I always wanted when I retired. NO STRESS

and the pay along with my pension, added up to what I used to make.

 

 

Oh and the critters. Seen these with pink tails Bigger than this in Iraq

 

Check out the hole a Gopher leaves behind as a nuisance to livestock

Cute little critters, where is my 22

 

The Kids in school are on break this week so I have a chance to wax the floor at the Community Centre. Its only used for walkers in the Winter, K-5 school one a day and me. Oh yea, funerals, weddings or family get togethers.

 

I must say, the floors are like glass. learned this in the Army in Boot Camp.

 

 

Yup Got the place all to myself at lunch.

 

My Gym for circuit training. I also bring the Dog to work on Fridays as I will keep going North to Big River. I will keep him occupied kicking a Basketball running between weights.

 

 

Well time to tour the Town. I will assist in Construction, Maintenance and Utilities including drinking water.

 

 

Got to put up Barricades as we have an underground water leak. Yup rusted Curb (Valve) Big Larry is going to try to relieve the water pressure to replace the Valve. Man did it do a number to the Road.

 

 

 

I guess Ill check in and see if anything came up. Maryanne the Administrator. A great Boss. Never worked for a female but she is great. Tough but Fair. Anyways I would never want her job. She is it for this town. Everything, even the scape goat especially when taxes rise. I did basically a similar job in the Army, only we Called it Operations. Yup, in Ops, I was the FOB. (FOCUS OF BLAME)

 

 

Almost forgot. I also pickup Garbage on Tuesdays.

 

For PRO CASTER

 

Thought I would mention after you called me a Hick, that I have picked up worse when I was in Iraq. Think of every time before a body was moved, we the Engineers would check for Booby Traps before disposal. Kind of thinking of my Army Boss, a fellow Canadian, doing the same job in Rwanda.

 

 

 

Oh, I get to go on a Safety course for heavy Equipment. I guess after a year I should of had a Safety course for driving a Tractor. Well at least I got to play with other Equipment.

 

 

I refused an Arm Wrestle, with the Female Grader Operator in the foreground. I was scared.

 

 

So this town now has a Post Office, General Store, Car Wash, Curling Rink, Hair Dresser, Bank and Hotel Bar. Its on a lake Called Jackfish Lake. Its a shallow lake but there is Jack in there. Up the Road is another lake Called Murray and it produces 20lb plus Jacks. Mostly under the Ice. There is also a Regional Campground and Seasonal dwellings. Its a good town with little to no crime. Lots of Retirees

 

 

I wonder if the Hicks are having a Klan meeting (LOL) I'm Kidding

 

 

50/50 Draw hosted by the Lyons club. Who ever gets closed to the sinking wins.

 

 

At one time this place Bustled before transport got easy. It had everything. Grain Elevator and of Course the railway.

 

 

And Lots More.

Edited June 29, 2009 by holdfast

[HTHM]

Wish I was back there again! Who knows I might pick up some work out there again... Thanks for the drive around town.

[Fisherman]

Is that dog of yours humpin that basketball..

[JohnAB]

holdfast, good pics. Obviously I have been into Meota a lot thru my years as I was born in North Battleford and we have a cabin on Murray. Most of my relatives still live in NB or just north of it on farms and my mom moved back to NB in 2007 after my dad passed away. Will be back down that way probably on the May long weekend.

[keiths]

Great post, wow to the pics. That fish plant sign, does it say how deep to plant them? Mine never seem to grow, lol.

[Joey]

Very intersting day you have Holdfast. Thanks for sharing with us, I appreciate the effort, pics and time it took to compose this report.

 

Joey

[John]

Thanks for sharing Holdfast, great photos.

[TJQ]

Very intersting day you have Holdfast. Thanks for sharing with us, I appreciate the effort, pics and time it took to compose this report.

Joey

 

 

YA!! What she said!

[tizfun]

Great post, thanks for sharing... love all the pics... Seems like the perfect place to retire....

[rob v]

Retire ? - I'm sure you're looking forward to it some day ! You look pretty busy to me.

 

Looks like a great place to get away from it all. Does the better half enjoy this seclusion also ?

Edited April 29, 2009 by Rob V

[holdfast]

Retire ? - I'm sure you're looking forward to it some day ! You look pretty busy to me.

 

Looks like a great place to get away from it all. Does the better half enjoy this seclusion also ?

 

Well there is an on going one way discussion that Im Losing. She would Prefer that we stay in North Battleford. Me, I want to Retire in Big River, however Im Game to move to Meota which she is against. I hate the City.

[holdfast]

holdfast, good pics. Obviously I have been into Meota a lot thru my years as I was born in North Battleford and we have a cabin on Murray. Most of my relatives still live in NB or just north of it on farms and my mom moved back to NB in 2007 after my dad passed away. Will be back down that way probably on the May long weekend.

 

Lets Hook up. You Know where I work now. Or just PM me.

[pigeonfisher]

YA!! What she said!

 

 

What he said!

 

Thanks for the trip around your town.

[Raf]

hey holdfast thanks for showing us a tour of the town, always appreciate seeing a new place

[tinbanger]

been said already

 

but thanks for putting that together.

 

TB

[pikehunter]

 

Thanks for sharing your day. You have a great job! Lots of variety in your week giving you lots to do and no tedium and no reason to be bored.

[nancur373]

I will assist in Construction, Maintenance and Utilities including drinking water

 

Do you have a Water Operator's License?

 

BTW Great post.

[holdfast]

No Operators Licence. That is why I don't touch the Chemicals. However since its a small town and the Water Shed Operator is alone I may have to open and close Valves at the Pump House Station while he is at the Plant. Unfortunately I must of visited the Human Resource officer for the City of North Battle ford on a weekly Basis with an updated Resume for about three month straight trying to land a job as an Operator for the water Plant. But ALAS, They chose someone in the Union before an outsider even though they had absolutely no Experience. What I had going for me was that for Two years I was a Water Supply Supervisor in 1 CER who was responsible for a Brigades worth of Soldiers. We are talking 5,000 plus Soldiers. I also sent ROWPU units with Operators to Turkey, Honduras with the task of Producing drinking water for Refugees and Earthquake Victims with the DART.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys...round/rowpu.htm

 

I don't have a civie Ticket, but hell it would be easy for me to learn on course, as I have a good Knowledge of Purification. That was also a Combat Engineers Job.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Military_Engineers

 

But thanks for asking. To me its basically the same system but on a larger Scale

Edited May 1, 2009 by holdfast

[holdfast]

Oh I forgot

 

Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit- Great piece of kit that our Canadian Company Zenon Produced. My Guys have put demos on using it to an Omanian and Saudi Generals and Diplomats as well as other countries that were interested in the Unit that Zenon was trying to sell. Here's a secret

 

It'll Purify Water in a Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare Environment.

Edited May 1, 2009 by holdfast

[capt bruce]

No Operators Licence. That is why I don't touch the Chemicals. However since its a small town and the Water Shed Operator is alone I may have to open and close Valves at the Pump House Station while he is at the Plant. Unfortunately I must of visited the Human Resource officer for the City of North Battle ford on a weekly Basis with an updated Resume for about three month straight trying to land a job as an Operator for the water Plant. But ALAS, They chose someone in the Union before an outsider even though they had absolutely no Experience. What I had going for me was that for Two years I was a Water Supply Supervisor in 1 CER who was responsible for a Brigades worth of Soldiers. We are talking 5,000 plus Soldiers. I also sent ROWPU units with Operators to Turkey, Honduras with the task of Producing drinking water for Refugees and Earthquake Victims with the DART.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys...round/rowpu.htm

 

I don't have a civie Ticket, but hell it would be easy for me to learn on course, as I have a good Knowledge of Purification. That was also a Combat Engineers Job.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Military_Engineers

 

But thanks for asking. To me its basically the same system but on a larger Scale

 

 

Sounds like those guys from Walkerton , seven people died and almost entire town was sick ," But Im smart guy , hell I can learn as I go " lmao , sounds like you town managers know what they are doing , "Ticket ,I dont need some stupid ticket " Hold fast you break me up , too bad hee haw is not on anymore you could be a star ....

[holdfast]

Sounds like those guys from Walkerton , seven people died and almost entire town was sick ," But Im smart guy , hell I can learn as I go " lmao , sounds like you town managers know what they are doing , "Ticket ,I dont need some stupid ticket " Hold fast you break me up , too bad hee haw is not on anymore you could be a star ....

 

I hope I'm allowed to defend myself here.

 

Capt Bruce ( So your a Captain eh) I think you have a reading problem.. Never did say that I touched the production of Purified water in the town. Did say that Ive helped the Utilities guy with the valves at the pump house. Read my Lips, PUMPHOUSE.

 

Never said anything about learn as I go. I did say that it would be easy for me to learn on course to get a civie ticket. And just because you have a ticket don't mean squat because you got to start from the Bottom and work op. For your info, while still in the Military and I was feeling it out for a job. I turned down an offer to be a maintenance man for the village of Vilna Alberta which the job description also included looking after the water plant. They were willing to send me to school; for it.

 

As far as Walkerton is concerned, I believe the problem developed because those that were responsible were complacent and incompetant. Trust me It would not happen on my watch.

 

Now Capt Bruce, seems to me you may have a jealous streak, Maybe you hate the fact I did well in my Trade in the Army. You don't become a Warrant Officer responsible for 40 men, including 4 Sgt four Senior MCpls and a Mentor to my Officer who is probably a real Captain that has a lot less TI and Experience as his Warrant Officer.

 

Now re read my Posts and see if there is anything in my post that has anything to do with Walkerton and the rest of the Garbage that you insinuated while you were Hallucinating. I'm finished with you, so Pm me because obviously you've Hijacked this thread