Of the GroundHogese Empire

From: Your faithful servant Captain Punxy Phil of The Springcruiser Shaydow
Stationed near: Starbase Bryson in the Lawrence Quadrant

We believe that a great opportunity exists for expansion in this quadrant. The defending fleet is aging badly and not being updated! Captain Kirby’s ship – Noncompismentus has lost all of its visual arrays and must rely on directions from the Mother Ship or Standard Olfactory Sensors to locate targets and navigate, Captain Rudy’s ship – Vengeful Snarl has lost warp drive capability and has only very narrow bandwidth communication capability. Ensign Dweezil – of the Hissing Chat, has not been spotted in the last Creplah and is believed out of commission. Pater Familialis is still as lethal as ever but the Ion Cannon has not been used since the Smelter of Nonferrous Metals has shut down! Something appears to be wrong with the Mother Ship though. Although the ship is moving at higher speeds, it has lost almost a third of its mass! Upper GI (Goundhogese Intelligence) is analyzing the situation for possible conclusions.

We believe that an opportunity for expansion in this quadrant exists especially if we align with the Squirrelons. Overtures to the emissaries of the Crowlon Empire have been unsuccessful. It appears that their trading ties to Starbase Bryson are too lucrative.

I realize that after declaring victory over a Creplah ago we have suffered many losses and this struggle goes badly. Even though your Imperium Index has fallen we should “Stay The Course”, not “Cut and Run” and commit massive resources to regain the upper hand! Under Emperor Oily Hide also advises that his connections with the privatus sectorus will net us much “Mauve Clover” in the campaign.

Cold outside!

Closing is almost concluded. No moose as of this writing – probably the final count. But I did hear shots today. During pelting ice ball squalls I drained the lower water system, antifreezed the traps stored the pump and water tank and put the lawn furniture in the sauna and locked it and chained the boats at the beach as well as a thousand other small closing chores. Janet went into town to make, the last of the season, bank deposits. Get this – its Friday the 13th and Janet’s deposit was $666.66. Yeegads! Then the teller told Janet, “Well this will be your last deposit!” Janet went aaaaaa! She hastily added “For this season!”

It has been snowing here on and off for the last two days with some nocturnal accumulation of about an inch or less (~2.45 cm for the metric crowd). It has been windy and in the low 40’sF all day. OK weather for closing as it gives me great incentive to GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE! But actually its always a bitter day that we leave here no matter what the weather conditions. Luckily I got the vaunted Antisnow Generator back online at home before I came back here to close!

Janet is busily planning her 50th birthday shebang (I should say SHEBANG!) for next spring. We have the hall booked and a preliminary music play list and are getting the invite list updated.

For a long winters nap.

The lake never looks the same with out the docks at the beach. Janet says the lake doesn’t look right – I sort of think it looks more feral. The lake temp was 50 F. It was a beauty of a day warm, partly cloudy, in the 60’s F, slight overcast with a southerly breeze. Perfect day to “muck about” at the beach dropping the docks and storing them, pulling up boats etc. The Firth Lady was unrigged and put on her trailer for storage in the shop and her beaching slip was pulled up so the ice doesn’t take it in the spring.

We heard several shots so there is a possibility of some one bagging a moose but its no one here at camp. The moose season is yet young though. It’s cooling off tonight so its time to stoke the fire (Hey the lodge temperature is down to around 75F!) and eat a delicious supper of fried zucchini, pork teriyaki and boiled potatoes.

And lightening shot out of his ass!

A new Land Speed Record (LSR) has been achieved! The silver VW tdi bug piloted by yours truly has done it again! This record is topped only by the sheer audacity of the pilot to attempt it in broad daylight and hitting Toronto in the teeth of the rush hour! What balls he has! The run of 650 miles was completed in 9 hours 24 min.s besting the last LSR of 9 hours 45 min.s handily. The average speed of this run was 69.25 mph. Remember this is inclusive of all stops to refuel, eat, etc. Yegads! – Was that a cyclone that just came through? No mammy, that was a bug.

I am now back at camp for the moose season and closing ceremonies. The weather today is gorgeous, the trees have turned colo(u)r and the lake is begging to be fished – but NOOOOOO I know better. The temperature of the lake is in the fifties and it would certainly yield no fish to my pathetic angling attempts. Besides there is much to do in the way of closing. So off I go on another perfectly ordinary day….. Aye yi yi yi your mother swims out to meet troop ships. Sing me another verse worse than the other verse waltz me… (I think he’s happy to be back)