062 FIRST SIGNS OF FALL

After just writing about the dog days of summer here I am now writing about the first signs of fall.  The PNE has been on now for just under a week and surprisingly has not been rained on. It has been sunny and hot, well at least out here.  It’s been 30C out here and the weather reports in Vancouver are calling 23C hot.  I could use that kind of hot out here.

But I digress, while the PNE is a sign of the rapidly advancing fall, I have noticed a lot more signs along the way.  Despite the heat during the day, there is now a distinct chill in the air overnight and into the early morning.  It makes it pleasant to do the morning walk and makes it a lot easier on Toby.

Some of the trees, mostly alder and cottonwood are starting to shed their leaves.  There is a nice crunch from the dry leaves as we walk down the two trails.  There is even a blush of colour starting to appear on some of the other leaves.  Mostly yellows but there is a hint of red in some of the maple trees along the way.

PRIMARY TRAIL

There have been flocks of birds starting to gather for the long flight south.  I heard a flock of, I think, geese fly over, but I could not see them.  I have been somewhat remiss in not carrying my camera lately, but I’ve been trying it to see if it helps my back along the healing path.  So far so good.

SECONDARY TRAIL

Which provides me a segue way into my next sign of fall and that is my physio treatments have now ended.  I started back in March with my wrist fracture and it has now been confirmed that I didn’t have pseudo-gout.  The wrist healed nicely, but has become somewhat arthritic and flares up just a little.  It’s also a little stiff in the morning, but loosens up in the shower.  The wrist worked itself into spinal decompression which I have carried on all summer.

It caused me to miss time at the lake this year, but it sounds like the weather was not that great anyway.  I just know I did the right thing though, as my back feels better than it has in several years.  I have no pain in my lower back and my range of motion has improved from being able to touch my knees to being able to touch the floor.  I can turn my head fully side to side now as well.

Hopefully this will improve my hockey this season, which is another distinct sign of fall.  The World Cup of Hockey starts soon, but I’m not sure if I want to watch Bettman’s Boondoggle or not.  More importantly is that I just got notification of the start of Kerrisdale Over 50 hockey starting September 14^th which will be my 4^th season with them.  Sunday hockey starts on September 25 and that will be the start of my 45^th season with them.

It started in the 1971-1972 season at what was then 4 Rinks and we were one of their first groups.  We had the god awful start time of 5:00 AM.  We played on the yellow rink.  The changes though.  When we started, you came out of the dressing room and had to go down one step to ice level.  Now when you leave the dressing room you go up three stairs to get to ice level.

We now play at a quite agreeable hour of 8:00 AM in what is now called 8 Rinks, and we step down three steps to the ice on the “new” side of the building.  8 Rinks is a bit of a misnomer as one rink is dedicated specifically for Figure Skating while another has been converted to indoor soccer.

I am the only original member of the group left and when I started I was 16 years old.  Three years before I became a policeman and in fact I was still in high school.  I got into this group because a friend of mine, Mike Kennedy was a goalie and his Dad was one of the organizers.  He said that he didn’t want to be the only 16-year-old player, so they allowed him to invite some friends.  I happened to be one of them.  Here it is the start of the 2016-2017 season and I have not missed a lot of Sundays in all those years.

I missed 4 games after knee surgery at the end of one season.  The most I ever missed was a couple of years ago when I fractured my wrist and then developed pneumonia.  That cost me a full 8 Sundays plus 2 during Christmas break, which doesn’t really count as there was no hockey anyway.

I’m looking forward to getting back on the ice, but I’m also looking forward to what it will look like around here once the fall colour comes out fully.  I’m already imagining Halloween with all the kids who are already in the complex.  It will be fun to decorate and give out candy.  Mostly though I am anticipating winter.  Maple Ridge gets a lot more snow than Vancouver did.  I love snow.  The fact that I don’t have to shovel it, makes it that much better.

061 EXPLORATION DAY

Onwards and upwards, tally-ho and off we go exploring.  We decided to go out and explore the surrounding area a little more and headed up to see a couple of lakes and a landmark area listed on Google maps.  Our first destination was Loon Lake.  We headed off in the truck and up the mountain where we were greeted by a chain link fence, a steel gate and a rather unpleasant lady.  The whole thing looked like a top secret military installation, but in fact, this was the UBC Experimental Forest.  How is a forest experimental?

The woman very curtly told us it was private property and that we couldn’t go in without an invitation or as part of a group.  There was also a very large sign saying NO DOGS ALLOWED.  So we turned around and headed off down the road.  Thinking like a couple of spies, we went down the road and made a different turn, thinking that a lake is public property and we would find a way around.

We went up, down and sideways through a maze of roads and ended up back at the same gate.  The rude woman was no longer there, but there was a rather geeky looking guy, dressed up like he was in a role playing game as a military guard.  He had a combat vest and boots on and I swear a fake radio in the shoulder pocket.

He was much more pleasant than the woman, and explained that yes the lake was public property but we could not drive in and under no circumstances were we allowed to take Toby, so that ended that trip.  Besides, maybe it is a secret military base and if we went in, maybe we would never be heard from again.

Our second destination was a landmark on Google maps called Webster’s Corners.  So off we went down Dewdney Trunk Road until we got there.  It’s a major disappointment as on one side of the road is Webster’s Corners High School and other is an old fashioned looking store which is basically a strip mall.  I’m sure there is some sort of history to it, but didn’t stop to find out.

We reset our goal and headed for Rolley Lake.  I camped here with my family in 1967 when I was only 12 years old.  The only thing I remember about it was playing catch with my Dad on the gravel road.  We did a lot of throwing as I was scheduled to play in the Sunrise Little League All-Star game in two weeks, with a trip to the Provincial Finals on the line.

The other thing I remember is getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.  I ended up with a bit on my left kneecap, which of course I scratched until it was raw.  When swimming in the lake itself, the bottom was just muck and if you put your feet down, you would sink.  I know this because I did and I sank.  The mud got into the raw patch on my knee and I ended up with a severe infection.  Bad enough that the Doctor was going to hospitalize me.

The infection spread up my leg and into the lymph nodes in my groin making it damn near impossible to walk.  I made it into uniform and made it to the game but could not play.  I stayed in the dugout and cheered my team on.  We lost and I had to be carried to the car afterwards.  So that is my only memory of Rolley Lake.

It is quite improved with a very pleasant picnic area and beach and a trail that goes all the way around the lake on a boardwalk.  We started to trek around, but when we ran into the “Danger Cougar in Area” signs, we decided it would be better to turn back to where there were more people around.  Unfortunately, there were more signs saying “No Dogs Allowed” so we couldn’t get down to the water.

Back to the truck and off we went.  There was some thought of trying Stave Lake, but that is basically owned by BC Hydro and because of the Ruskin Dam, you can’t get in without a key.  So it was off to Whonnock Lake.  I thought it was in the States and the place where Caitlin and Trevor go, but that is Whatcom Lake.

We arrived at Whonnock Lake and again got the “No Dogs Allowed” sign, but there was an area away from the beach where he could go, so we went down to the water and Toby wandered right in to have a drink.  This was right near the beach where the bottom was sandy, but 10 feet to the left was a sign saying “Danger Swamp Conditions”.

As we went back to the truck we saw that the parking area was full and saw a bunch of young people in suits and evening dresses and discovered we were right in the middle of a wedding reception at the Whonnock Lake Centre where this is apparently a regular occurrence.  So on that note, it was back to the truck and back home, concluding our adventure for the day.

***UPDATE***

In a strange coincidence that fits into the category, small world, isn’t it?  I just discovered that the wedding reception that we saw at Whonnock Lake was attended by a friend of mine, who I play hockey with every Sunday morning and occasionally on Wednesdays as well.  Who knew?  I only found out yesterday, when someone posted photos of the wedding on Facebook and tagged Eric in them.  It would have been fun to walk up and say hello, without disrupting the wedding of course.  Me in my black shorts  and fluorescent orange T-shirt and he in a suit.

060 DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Here we are into the so called “dog days of summer” and we actually have summer.  Just in time for the PNE when it traditionally rains.  This year it does not appear to be the case as Friday and Saturday have been sunny and hot as hell.  Well, at least out here in Maple Ridge.  The weather report was showing a very pleasant 23 degrees in Vancouver, while it was 34 degrees out here.  Combined with 42% humidity and to quote the Wicked Witch of the West, “I’m melting…”

I’ll admit it, while I do like a sunny day, I prefer them to be just warm enough to wear shorts and a T-shirt, not hot enough to buckle steel.  I do not tolerate heat well, I never have.  I have a lot of extra insulation on my body, and if I thought all this heat was melting some away, then ok, but it isn’t.  I don’t like feeling sticky, persistent headaches and exhaustion.  Before you say it, I am well hydrated as I average about 3 liters of mostly water every day.  In fact, I go through one of those big jugs of water in my water cooler once a week.

Which way to take the blog?  That’s the big question facing me right now.  I have hit a period where it is hard to think of things to write about.  It was easy when I was getting ready to move, doing the move, getting organized and settling into my new area of my new city and just getting comfortable.

Everything in the house is more or less organized or set up now.  Yes, there are some spots still to do.  One being my office.  But being upstairs, this is where the heat comes in.  It’s really difficult to even be on the computer when I am dripping sweat over everything.  The same holds true for the guest bedroom.  Then there’s the garage.  Again the heat plays a factor, but not as much.  There it is just the sheer overwhelming scale of the project that deters.  They will all get done one day.

Things in the overall living area are well set up I think.  We have had several different “parties” over the last several months.  Then there are several more to come.  It is so much nicer, having a space that I can actually have people over and have places for them to sit.  It was virtually impossible in my old basement suite unless the weather cooperated and we could sit at the picnic tables in the yard.

Now, it is not weather dependent.  We can have a BBQ and sit outside on the deck and if the weather doesn’t cooperate, there’s room inside for everyone as well.  Once the clubhouse is built, I could have a really big party if necessary.

Yesterday we had our friend Caroline over for brunch.  We did our morning walk around the neighbourhood had our breakfast and then Renee and Caroline took a longer walk down by the Rainbow Bridge.  I am quite capable of doing the second walk, especially with how great my back is now feeling, but the heat is way too much for Toby at 10.5 years.

When we were sitting around later having homemade cheesecake, Caroline suggested that I could take the blog in the direction of cooking and baking.  I suppose it is an option, although I am reluctant to give away some of my Top Secret recipes.  I’ll have to think about that one.  Caroline made a good case though, I could get my recipes out there for people to enjoy and since I’m not in the position to make any money off them, what’s the worry?

The other thing is that I’m not a professional chef or baker, I just enjoy the creative process.  So far I haven’t created anything that people haven’t loved, so maybe I have something.  My Mom taught me a lot about cooking and baking and I have learned things along the way.  Some of my recipes have been in the family for many years, and I have added my own touch to them and in some cases made them even better.  Or at least, I like to think so.

We shall see what happens.  It’s my blog and it started out to be about the “big move” at 60 but there are no rules about where I can or can’t take the blog.  Now that I am 61 and all moved in, who knows?  We shall see where it leads me and for any of you who are faithful readers.  As they say on TV, “stay tuned for more exciting developments”.

059 CH-CH-CHANGES

Change is a constant, especially with the weather this year (sunny and hot one day, cloudy the next) but even more so with our whole complex.  Every day the changes are obvious as more new units are started and others are nearing completion.  They are certainly working fast.  There will be a retaining wall being started when we do a morning walk and the next day it is completed and the next one started.

Along with the changes are the departures.  A couple of weeks ago, the final unit sold and the sales center across the street from me closed for good.  I mentioned before that this meant that Ken and Jennifer the sales reps would leave as well.  It is strangely sad to see them go, but now walking past to see the sales center office completely demolished inside and ready to be turned into the garage for the unit above.

I saw new neighbours moving into the display suite that I walked through several times and which sealed the deal for me purchasing my unit.  The display suite on the corner has also sold, but I have not seen any action as yet as far as people moving in.

We have met two people who bought interior units in the center of the complex who have turned around and purchased units on the edge and abutting the green belt.  They are now selling their initial units before they have moved in, before construction is even complete for that matter.

We are even having a neighbour, who just got moved in two months ago, selling their unit and moving on.  She re-enlisted in the Canadian Military and immediately got orders transferring her out of the area.  Probably because there is no military bases within commuting distance after the closure of the Chilliwack base.  This is the couple that I bought the “Spitfire” painting from.

Talk about a rapid changeover though.  Yes, ok, we knew about the move a few weeks back, but yesterday I looked out the window at 11:00 AM and they were loading up some final items into their car.  When I went out on the deck for lunch at noon, a moving van pulled up and the new people started moving in.

They are a really cool couple and we were only just starting to get to know them and now they are gone and the process of getting to know the new neighbour begins anew.  There will be lots of new neighbours soon enough as construction continues at this frantic pace.

Another big change is that the construction office which is just across the street beside me is also moving.  They pulled the First-Aid trailer out of there yesterday and they are preparing to move the construction office itself shortly.  Both of the shipping containers have been re-packed and the area around them cleaned up.

Before I know it, they will start digging up the area to begin construction on the final building.  It will take away the sales center parking lot and some of my view out into the bush area, but when checking the map it looks like there will be a gap between the buildings to look through and a couple of more visitor parking stalls as well.  That will give us two beside and two behind.

Another big change is that I finally cleared the are in front of my cooking island and added in three pretty funky bar stools that Jennifer gave me.  These are custom made steel stools and are very heavy and very solid.  They are also very red, but they really work to give the place a real splash of colour.  Not to mention that they are very comfortable and were very popular at our recent family BBQ.

So as David Bowie sang about in his song Changes, things continually change.  This is neither bad nor good, it just IS.  Life is made up of changes.  The change of selling the family house, the change of buying this one and moving to Maple Ridge.  Life moves onward to a chorus of change and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

058 HOT NIGHT IN THE TOWNHOUSE

It was a hot day yesterday at 30C, but a little cooler than the 35C it was the day before.  What made it worse was the 60% humidity, which made me feel like I was melting.  Sweat was pouring off me like I was doing a workout in the gym, but I was sitting still.  I do not tolerate heat very well, I never really have, so I don’t understand people vacationing in Phoenix where it was 120F.

As a result, Toby and I after the morning walk, went up and relaxed in the bedroom in front of the portable air conditioner that I thankfully purchased.  It’s too bad I can’t get air conditioning for the whole house, but there is a limit on what you are allowed in a strata-complex.  This unit is the most powerful one I can get at 14,000 BTU and it only cools the bedroom.  If I leave the door open, none of the cool air reaches the rest of the floor.

I give this preamble because, little did I know, it was about to get hotter.  It got hotter partly because I did my Mom’s baked Rice Krispy Chicken, so running an oven on a hot day, sort of adds to it.  Unfortunately, there is no way to do it on the BBQ.  Anyway, it turned out delicious and after dinner, we did our usual evening stroll.  It felt like the temperature outside had cooled slightly and we did our usual route.

I had planned on watching the BC Lions vs Calgary game in the bedroom, but I skipped the opening kickoff to do the walk.  While we were out, I heard someone yell from one of the units, “yeah, 95 yards”.  When we got back, I bee lined for the bedroom.  The Lions were leading 13-3 and yes, they had taken the opening kickoff back 95 yards for the touchdown.  Oh, well, I’d catch the highlights at halftime.

The Lions increased their lead and then the phone rang.  I figured Renee would answer, but when I looked at the call display, I saw that it was her cell.  She told me that she could hear an alarm and she was going to go look.  A few minutes later she called back and said it was the neighbours and I should come help.  So I grabbed my shirt and headed out with the Lions in a comfortable lead late in the second quarter.

I found Renee and we went looking and determined the smoke alarm was coming from a house a few doors down.  I started walking around the place and was getting a strong smell of smoke.  We didn’t try the doors at all.  But Renee was ringing the bell and pounding on the door, but there was no answer.  After a few minutes, we were certain that we could smell smoke and so Renee called 9-1-1.

ONE RIG

A few minutes later the Maple Ridge Fire Department arrived with two rigs.  They immediately started unpacking gear and hoses, because they could smell the smoke before they even got the rigs parked.  The Captain walked up to the door and was inside before I knew it.  I guess the door was unlocked, because he had no tools in his hand and there was no damage to the door.

TWO RIGS

While the crew was still inside, the family arrived home and was shocked to see a big hose snaking into their house through the front door.  The little girl, Sarah, who is a neighbourhood favourite was heartbroken and sobbing because her cat was inside.  She was inconsolable until one of the fire guys came out and pronounced the fire out and the cat safe.

Apparently, someone left something cooking on the gas stove and went out to get some further ingredients from the store.  That turned out not to be such a good plan.  It caught fire and was starting to spread when the fire guys got inside.  They filled the brand new gas stove with foam, but thankfully the fire did not spread to the point of setting off the sprinklers, or there would have been much, much more damage.

Even though our smoke alarms seem to be very sensitive and they go off so often, Renee still checks.  She has not succumbed to the “cry wolf syndrome” and in this case, it really was a fire.  Her actions saved not only the one townhouse, but maybe the whole block of six units.  In this heat, if the whole block had gone up, it would have easily spread to our building and so on.  She’s the heroine of our little village.

After an exciting show, I went back inside to resume the football game.  What was looking like a blowout was anything but.  Calgary had come back and was only two points behind.  No problem though, the Lions increased their lead again and were 15 points up late in the game.  Unfortunately, Calgary came back and tied the game with one-minute left.  Sadly, they went into overtime and Calgary got a field goal to lead by three.  The Lions got all the way down to the 10-yard line, but Calgary sealed their win with an interception in the end zone. 

057 LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY!

So here we are, the end of July, the 23^rd to be precise and we still have not had any summer.  Two days ago it was sunny and 29C, yesterday it was pissing rain and 14C, today it is so far shaping up to be a nice day.  It looks like I picked a good year to stay at home from the lake.  Really though, in all fairness, with the physio on my back paying dividends, I didn’t dare risk screwing it up.

Caitlin gave me a Fitbit for my birthday and I have been wearing it ever since.  I was doing everyday walks with Toby before, but they were 30-40 minutes and only about 3K.  I think she knew my competitive nature and I am actively trying to get to my 10,000 step goals each day.  The morning walk has increased to an hour and 10 minutes and about 5.5K.  Then an evening walk and I easily hit my 10,000 step goal every day.  The best I have done is 13,500 so far.

A lesson learned from the lake though, is that I am taking days off from the long walks.  I’m still walking but not as far a couple of times a week.  The other day we cut the walk short because Toby was either too tired or too sore.  Really though, so was I.  Physio had really worked me over the day before and it was all I could do to drag my ass out of bed.

This morning it is sunny and warm at 6:30 AM and we will probably cut the walk short because the heat is pretty hard on Toby.  It is good that the weather is nice though, because we are having our first ever community event today.  It is a combined addresses Garage Sale.  It’s been well advertised on Craigslist and the people organizing it, rescued the sandwich board advertising signs when the sales office closed down.  They converted them to advertising for the garage sale and placed them out around the neighbourhood.

TREASURE I GOT AT GARAGE SALE
PAINTING (PRINT) OF R.A.F. SPITFIRE
BY BARRIE A.F. CLARK
MY ABSOLUTE MOST FAVOURITE PLANE

Speaking of rescuing things from the sales center.  I managed to get 4 custom made bar stools.  They are bright red in colour, but I can always paint them black if need be.  These things are heavy as well, it would take an extreme effort to tip them over.  Besides, if I find that they don’t fit in here, I can always sell them.

Amazingly the sales center has closed because the entire complex of 167 units has sold out.  Half of the complex has not even been built yet, but I have heard several references to it being a “village”.  Truthfully, it feels just like that.  I think when all is said and done, if you take as an average of 2 people per household we will end up with a population of approximately 500.  Which is the size of a small village.

We are all really sorry to see Ken and Jennifer leave us.  They were my first contacts here, well at least Ken was.  Jennifer came in later.  The two of them are both so friendly and helpful and always had a smile and a wave whenever you walk by the office.  When they were not swamped by potential buyers that would extend into pleasant conversations.  It seems odd to say that about the sales reps of the complex, but they were both really a part of our community.  They came in here expecting to take 4 years to sell the place out and instead it only took 14 months.

MY FIRST EVER LASAGNA.
IT WAS AWESOME

In addition to the garage sale, Renee is going to walk down to the Maple Ridge Country Fair.  Well at least we think she is going to walk there.  In addition to the coyotes and bears prowling our neighbourhood, we now have a very large cougar.  He was last spotted in a neighbourhood just 4 blocks from here and directly near the path Renee would be walking.  I’ll be staying hope to babysit Toby.

That’s not a bad thing though because like most policemen I do not like crowds.  They can be very dangerous places to be.  Yes, I know it is a country fair, but after years of policing the PNE, I have seen firsthand the things that can happen.  Not to mention, but I don’t tolerate heat very well either.  So, Toby and I will likely cuddle up, and take a nap in the air conditioned bedroom. 

Renee had a great time at the fair and Toby and I cuddled up for a nap in the air conditioned bedroom.  The Garage Sale was a success as well, at least for the first day.  There was a steady stream of traffic in and out, although a few people came in thinking that more homes had opened up.  Unlucky for them, they haven't.

056 RANTING ON

One of the very few disadvantages I have found to my move to Maple Ridge is the apparent confusion if causes to some organizations.  It’s not like I have moved to the deepest, darkest reaches of the Amazonian jungle, I’m 30 minutes down the highway from my previous address.

My battles with TELUS are well documented already and resolved, so I won’t rehash those.  But according to BC Hydro, my address still does not exist and so after 4 months of living here, I have not received my first hydro bill.  It’s scary to think what it will be when my address finally does exist.  I have electricity, so that isn’t the problem, it’s just, how much is my bill building up?  Fortunately, I have been playing it smart and putting money away in a separate account, based on my electricity bills at the old house.

I had a problem trying to donate some clothes to the BC Diabetes Foundation.  I advised them of the pickup and then did everything that was asked by bagging the clothes up and leaving them on the front doorstep with a label on them.  I left specific instructions on how to find my unit as you have to drive around a corner to get in.  Two days went by, no pickup, so I phoned.  The driver advised her that there was nothing left out.

That was a lie and I told her so and sent her a digital photo showing the clothes still there.  She called the driver again and he changed his story and said he could not get in due to construction.  Again a lie and I sent her a photo out my window.  All construction was in an area behind me.  I was going to have to wait 30 days for another pickup but she gave me the location of a drop off box and I ended up doing that.

What really prompted my rant today, is I am a frequent online buyer of things from Amazon.  Mostly movies and books, but some other stuff as well.  Again, I am only 30 minutes from my old place.  There I had available same day delivery service available and yes it was a couple of dollars more expensive, but I liked ordering in the morning and getting it in late afternoon.  I can’t get that here, even though their distribution center is actually closer.  I never had any problems with deliveries in Vancouver.  Out of 8 orders since moving, it’s gotten screwed up 4 times.

The best I can get here is one-day delivery and they usually ship with Canada Post.  Since mail gets delivered to my “Superbox” at 11:30 AM every day, I know when my package will arrive.  Every so often though, they do weird things like splitting my order and sending part by Canada Post and part by Purolator or UPS.  I had one late delivery by Canada Post and the problem is, they just deliver once per day and that is at 11:30 AM.

UPS was right on time, although that was one delivery.  Three deliveries have been by Purolator and two of those have been screwed up.  The first one the package didn’t arrive and tracking info showed delivery was attempted, but unable to deliver.  They even gave a time for the attempt and the strange part about it, was I had been standing outside talking to my neighbour and never even saw a Purolator truck.  Surprisingly the package was able to be delivered the next day.

My latest adventure is partially the fault of Amazon and partially the fault of Purolator.  I am an early riser and at 5:00 AM on Sunday morning I ordered the book 13 Hours the Secret Soldiers of Benghazi as I had seen the movie a few days before.  Coincidentally, the delivery of that movie was another one of the screw-ups by Purolator.  However, I ordered the book and saw an Amazon special for a great deal on the full series of Star Trek Enterprise, so I ordered that as well.

I paid the extra for the one-day delivery and when I checked on the package later in the day, I discovered it would not even be shipped until Tuesday.  OK, I get that Monday was July 4, American Independence Day and a holiday in the States.  But, the Amazon distribution center is in Burnaby.  The guaranteed delivery date was Wednesday.

Amazon split the order and sent the book with Canada Post and the TV series with Purolator.  The book arrived in my mailbox Wednesday morning at 11:30 AM.  Tracking the TV series with Purolator, it arrived in Port Kells, Surrey at 7:30 AM.  A beautiful sunny day, the first in about 10 days, and then I get a notice from Purolator saying my delivery was delayed by weather.  Really?  Port Kells is about a 15-minute drive from my place.

But, weather?  Come on.  Was it too sunny and bright for the driver to be able to see?  A phone call to Purolator resulted in a 45-minute wait on hold before I finally gave up.  I contacted Amazon this morning and within 10 minutes all of my shipping charges had been refunded.  I still don’t have the TV series, but at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that I didn’t have to pay for shipping.  This is sure a bit of bad advertising for the reliability of Purolator.

***UPDATE***

The package from Purolator arrived Thursday afternoon at around 1:00 PM.  Coincidentally, while it was delayed by the sunny weather on Wednesday, the shipment arrived in the middle of a torrential rainstorm, that looked like the heavens had opened up.  Unreal!