Today Is Your Day Boomer

Today is your day Boomer! We spent the final weekend of September camping at a beautiful lake in the southern BC interior.....joining many Boomers who like to "camp camp" in the cooler, less-busy spring and fall seasons. Positives: mixed sun and cloud weather made for good camping conditions, visited with friends and spent time hiking and eating with them, saw a beautiful in-forest waterfall, went fishing...twice, our dogs got lots of walks, used our travel trailer one final time, the BC Parks campground was in great shape, we paid the half-price rate of 11.50$, and had time for naps and reading. Negatives : the crowds arrived on Friday night and the noise level skyrocketed, generators....ahhh! generators, we had numerous mice invade our trailer, my one younger dog barked at everything and anybody, fire wood cost 12$ for a bundle of seven, I caught zero fish...not even a bite, and I suffered all 4 days with a severe tooth ache! Boomers, the good, bad and ugly of camping.

Today is your day Boomer! On the day after another assassination attempt on Donald Trump, do you care if so-called "celebrities" are endorsing their favourite presidential candidate? I guess these people believe their across-America influence is so great that they can help shape voters' minds. Or, are they just passionately-political people who want to get involved somehow? We know singer Taylor Swift came out in favour of Kamela Harris right after the recent debate and she is, perhaps, the most influential global superstar to get directly involved. If not getting votes for Harris, she certainly has inspired people to sign-up as new voters....almost 400,000 at last count, and Swift's endorsement will certainly get more young women to the polls this fall. What about other famous faces? Harris: George Clooney, Robert De Niro, Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo, and Matt Damon. Trump: Elon Musk, Hulk Hogan, Dana White, Dave Portnoy, and Kid Rock. My take is....you would thin

Today is your day Boomer! Not to brag Boomers, but my small home town just made a big tourist list. Summerland, B.C. was just listed as number one on a must-see lineup of communities in Canada that have a very-European look and feel! According to HGTV, "these charming communities offer a unique blend of Canadian hospitality with European charm. So when a trip to the continent isn’t in the cards, these 10 Canadian towns will give you a taste of Europe." The blurb on Summerland goes like this: "Summerland, situated in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, evokes the charm of wine regions found in France, Spain or Italy. With its Mediterranean climate and atmosphere, it offers stunning mountain vistas, rolling hills, delightful winery tours and a variety of attractions." Wow, I should go there! Two more selections are Canmore, Alberta and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia with most of the others in Quebec and Ontario. Want a complete list? Visit www.hgtv.ca and visit "a ta

Today is your day Boomer! It is bear season Boomers....depending on where you live, the black and brown furry things are seemingly everywhere, trying to find food as winter approaches. A neighbour of ours had a bear on his roof yesterday snatching apples from an overhanging tree! So, many people carry bear spray when out walking or hiking. Is it effective? According to bearwise.org, "bear spray is the safest, easiest to use and most effective way to deter an aggressive bear. Research shows that using bear spray protects people from serious injury or death more than 90% of the time." Okay....what else? Some tips please: (1) choose genuine bear spray, not the look-alike products. It has been thoroughly tested. (2) keep the spray accessible, easy to get out (3) carry your own individual spray, even if in a group (4) read the instructions ahead of time, and store safely (5) avoid accidental discharge: Keep the safety clip securely in place until you need to use your bear spr

Today is your day Boomer! Is this picture kind of like you Boomer? Are you a victim of Baby Boomer bulge....that annoying weight gain around your waist that never used to be there when you were younger? From the University of Alberta, here is more info on your extra fat and what you can do about it: "As hormone levels drop (testosterone in men, and progesterone and estrogen in women), the body's fat distribution shifts from subcutaneous-the fat under the skin that is spread evenly over the body-to visceral fat that protects aging internal organs and gathers around the mid-section. As well, muscle mass, which helps burn fat, starts to shrink. Other contributing culprits to weight gain include genetics-the body's natural instinct to hoard calories-and stress, which also tells the body to store energy for times of need." Which basically means when we hit middle age, we start to gain about one kilogram per year! Yikes! What to do? Well, more exercise and a better diet

Today is your day Boomer! What an interesting political evening it was on my TV set. It was the great presidential debate with Harris vs Trump on the sets of over 100 million Americans and many Canadians....including lots of Boomers like my wife and I. We watched the whole thing, snickered many times, commented regularly, and then viewed the media reaction afterwards. My comments? Harris easily won, she showed true confidence and ability to publically speak, was well prepared, and baited Trump into numerous personal attacks where he huffs and puffs and likes to repeat himself. Trump, himself, was in attack mode but it was mostly a focus on the past and present....very little on the future of America. Commentators say he lied 33 times in 90 minutes; Harris did this only once. Trump kept interupting the ABC News moderators and was actually granted almost 5 more minutes of talk time. But...the moderators did correct him 4 times publically, and they did not do this to Harris. She

Today is your day Boomer! Yes, Boomers, we are getting to that age when our hearing starts to decline. For most of us, it is gradual...mild to moderate hearing loss, but it can be life changing. Check out the prices for prescription hearing aids....thousands of dollars, and even Costco specials are expensive, albeit cheaper. How about a new small idea from a big old company instead? Apple says it is readying over-the-counter, inexpensive Air Buds for people with mild-to-moderate hearing problems. Apple said its hearing aid feature will boost frequencies “so sounds are clearer and more vibrant to your ears.” The company also said the feature will use “machine learning to make real-time adjustments as you go about your day.”(CTV News) They are called Apple AirPods Pro2 and they cost only $329 Canadian. Sounds good, right? Cheaper, no need for a prescription, avoid ear doctor costs, can play music for you too, and look kind of stylish(see picture). Negatives: not available in Canad