Home  >> Stories  >> The Tale Spinner #2016-20

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IN THIS ISSUE

• Kate Brookfield writes about the last days of their spring holiday
• Mike Yeager visits another city in Vietnam
• Shirley Coutts warns of another credit card scam
• Shirley Conlon has plans for her golden years
• Tom Williamson has a different suggestion for retirement
• Rafiki forwards a story about a dangerous situation
• Interesting sites are suggested by Barbara Wear, Carol Hansen, Catherine Nesbitt, and Zvonko Springer

Kate Brookfield continues her travel notes on her blog at Word Press:

SPRING HOLIDAY

May 5th: Weatheral to New Lanark

We left my friend´s house in Weatheral early. It was election day in the UK, and she had a full day planned for her. She told us how supportive friends have been so she is not left alone too much. Her two daughters both live in Scotland, but thanks to Skype, she sees and chats with them every day. I was pleased to see them as the last time I saw them they were about eight and 10, and and bathed our two kids, aged three and five. They remembered! I doubt that my kids do! They each have three kids of their own, and interest in the grandchildren is an added incentive for my friend to cope with grief and her own health issues.

Our drive to the next destination at New Lanark took us into Scotland at Gretna Green and through the towns of Annan and Dumfries. This was familiar territory for us as Michael´s parents lived in this area. Also, I had my broken ankle fixed in Dumfries Hospital in 1999, and we spent a year in this part of Scotland

In New Lanark we stayed at the Old Mill, a World Heritage site. The mill was built by a visionary, David Owens, who believed in giving mill workers decent living conditions and treating the workers with dignity. There is a choice of accommodation to suit all types of tourist, from the more luxuriant hotel to a hostel with single rooms or dormitory for back packers, and others on travel budgets. We stayed in the hostel and had a private room. http://wp.me/p7neuK-9K

May 6th: After leaving New Lanark, we drove along side roads in Scotland, enjoying the scenery. We stopped at Dawyck Botanic Garden. The daffodils were still in prime display. Rhododendrons and azaleas and flowering shrubs added to the stupendous colour. The gardens are under the care of the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh. The species were well labelled. Some of the trees were magnificent for their size and age. http://wp.me/p7neuK-a6

May 7th: After visiting the gardens at Dawyck, we continued our drive through Scotland, mainly along coastal roads where possible. It is still early spring, with trees coming into new leaf. I have never seen so many brilliant shows of massed daffodils and narcissi. We crossed the bridges at the Firth of Forth and the Tay. Our destination is the Carnoustie Golf Hotel, our last place of stay in the U. K. We leave here on Tuesday, May 10, for a flight to Iceland and a one-night stay in Keflavik, which is just outside Rekajvik.

http://wp.me/p7neuK-aa

May 8th: Stonehaven and Dunnator Castle

Michael wanted to take some rock samples for date analysis from the rocks at Stonehaven only exposed at low tide. We took the coastal route, but it is not possible to see the sea from the road. Apart from stopping at a Macdonald´s for coffee and breakfast, we drove straight to Stonehaven, but were too late as the tide was too far in.

The server at Macdonald´s recommended the ice cream at Auntie Betty´s when we told her where we were going to Stonehaven. (I have noticed how the Scots in general are friendly and interested in knowing about your destination and where you are from.) So we found the ice cream shop, and it was very good. As soon as we came out of the shop, it started to rain so we had to run for shelter in the car.

We walked around Stonehaven and visited a local museum in the Tollbooth. We discovered that the first air-breathing animal was discovered here. We then drove to Dunnottar Castle further down the coast. By this time the sun was out again, and there were many people enjoying the beauty spot. http://wp.me/p7neuK-ag

Auntie Betty´s Ice Cream shop was closed, so we went into Stonehaven´s main street for a brunch. We then drove into Arbroath to see the Signal Museum, but it was closed on Mondays.

Arbroath is famous for being the place where the Scots resolved to get rid of the English in Scotland. "The Declaration of Arbroath" was made April 6th, 1362. Some are still trying! Arbroath also has some ancient Pictish stones, but one needs to make arrangements in advance with the Abbey to view them. So all we saw were pictures of them.

Another place of interest in Arbroath is the harbour with people fishing. On our way out of town we stopped at a church, where a service was starting, and the the people coming to church were all friendly. I was intrigued by the inscription on the back of a tombstone. I think it was unusual to consider God female. Unless "her" refers to the child? Probably, as the other side of the tombstone reveals a lot of untimely deaths of children, but also some who lived long lives.

After leaving Arbroath we followed to coastal route into Angus and Aberdeenshire. We followed the Eskdale into the Highlands and went to Edzell Castle and gardens. This was an amazing castle with the tower almost complete, so we could climb up and see the rooms. A plaque informed us that inside the castle life was safe and that football was played in the large courtyard.

The walled garden was set in formal style with box hedges around healing herbs. The walls had old stone carved sculptures on the three sides. One side had the seven Cardinal Virtues, another the Liberal Arts as known at the time (grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, arithmetic, music, and geometry), the third side had Roman gods. Set in the walls were cavities with containers of soil where I imagine plants will be set later in the season.

Just outside the castle were two fields of daffodils and narcissi. I recommend a visit to this castle. http://wp.me/p7neuK-aI

May 9: Weather reports showed the north of Scotland was the hottest spot in Europe at 25 Celsius. Madrid and most of Europe were still at 12 to15! I sat on a seat gratefully placed for cliff top walkers to enjoy the view. And what a beautiful view!

We returned to Stonehaven early that morning for Mike to take some rock samples. This is an interesting place for geologists, where several systems join. Time and tide wait for no one, so we had to be here for low tide.

While he was out on the rocks to get his samples before the tide came in, I took the cliff top walk, enjoying seeing the wild flowers that were familiar to me when I lived in the UK, but do not see so much in Canada.

Stonehaven has many claims to fame: the designer of the Cutty Sark, Hercules Hinton, was born there; Robert William Thomson, known as the "father of modern transport," was born there. He is also credited with inventing the first self-filling fountain pen. The most astounding claim is that it was the first place where the earliest air-breathing animal was found.

We learned this fact in the free museum in the Tollbooth. This museum is now run by volunteers, as the city stopped its support. It houses lots of memorabilia donated or lent by locals. The upper part of the toll booth was where people went to pay taxes, and below was the prison. The museum is in the prison part. http://wp.me/p7neuK-at

Carnoustie to Edinburgh, our last day in the UK. Reverse of journey here.

In Monifieth, the next town, we had a great pizza at the Italian restaurant. In Dundee, we took the Broughty Ferry, the old route across the Tay before the bridges were built. We had breakfast in Jolly´s Hotel. http://wp.me/p7neuK-aM

May 11, Keflavik to Toronto: In a B&B in this quiet little place near the airport, but it was still $20.00 for the taxi drive from the airport. Not much to do here except watch the grass turn green and wait for the lupins to open out. This place we stayed gives a bed but the other B is not up to much! Our room was called the Music Room and had lots of musical instruments on a shelf above the beds. URL: http://wp.me/p7neuK-aZ

Waiting at Keflavik for our flight back to Toronto with WOW airlines. http://wp.me/p7neuK-bj

Safely home! Thanks to all who followed us on our trip. I hope you enjoyed seeing new places as much as we did. A big thanks for the likes and comments. It is nice to know the blog is being read and enjoyed.

Here is my own welcoming garden. Note the new roof! I now have to pay for it! http://wp.me/s7neuK-home

Mike Yeager writes about a visit to another city in Vietnam:

DANANG

We took the overnight train from Phan Rang-Thap Cham to Danang. I like to call it the "cockroach express" because the train car was infested. We were in the regular seats, the uncomfortable kind. We decided not to get a sleeper compartment because they were tiny, and you had to share the space with strangers and probably cockroaches. The last time I was in Vietnam I had to battle critters. On guard duty, which I pulled once a week, the bunkers had rats, poisonous centipedes, and lots of mosquitoes to deal with. The bathrooms on the train were nasty, and got progressively worse as the night went on.

It was an excruciatingly long night of travelling. For the first couple of hours, when it was still light outside, Katie and I enjoyed watching the countryside roll by. The landscape looked like the Vietnam I remembered, acres of rice paddies with lush green mountains in the background. Missing were the thatched huts and small villages, replaced by substantial concrete houses, paved roads, and small shops.

Katie, along with everyone else in our car, eventually fell asleep. That left just me and the cockroaches. Early in the morning, when it was still dark, a group of young men entered the train and came into our car. They were talking and laughing, not seeming to care that everyone on the train was trying to sleep. They began playing cards in the back of the car and never bothered to lower their voices. When I stood up to stretch my legs, they all became quiet and looked up at me as if I might be some sort of authority who was going to come down on them. I smiled and gave them a friendly wave. They waved back and returned to their boisterous card game. I could not be mad at these young men who were trying to have a little fun. I was happy they were alive. During the war there weren´t any young civilian men. They were all fighting and dying, for either the South or the North. After a couple of stops, the young men exited the train and we returned to the steady rhythmic sound of wheels on track. We were relieved to finally arrive in Danang at six a.m.

Even though my basecamp at LZ Bayonette was only about 60-70 miles south of Danang, I had only been there one time. I flew out of the airbase for my five days of R&R in Tai Pei, Taiwan. My flight was filled with American Marines from Khe Sanh. They told me about the conditions there, the almost constant shelling by the North Vietnamese, and their having to live and crawl around in the mud. This was a rowdy bunch of guys and they were determined to have a good time in Tai Pei, and I can´t think of anyone who deserved it more.

Danang is Vietnam´s third largest city, with around 750,000 people. Our hotel was within walking distance of My Khe beach, the 20-mile-long curved stretch of beautiful white sand that we used to call China Beach. Many US soldiers took in-country R&R there, but I don´t think they would recognize the area today. Danang is on the way to becoming a premier tourist destination. Large hotels and resorts are popping up everywhere, especially near and along the beach. The Han River runs right through the center of town and both sides are being developed for tourists as well.

If a friend was travelling to Southeast Asia, I would highly recommend a few days in Danang. The city is open and spread out, not nearly as hectic as Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. The hotels and restaurants are good, and the beach and mountains are beautiful. All over Vietnam the people were friendly and gracious, and that was true for Danang as well. Also Hoi Anh is only about an hour´s bus ride away, and one should not visit Vietnam without going to Hoi Anh, which was our next destination.

ED. NOTE: For Mike´s photos of Danang, click on http://tinyurl.com/hpgut59

Shirley Coutts forwards this warning:

THIS IS MUST-READ ABOUT YOUR CREDIT CARDS!

This is a heads-up for everyone regarding the latest in credit card fraud. Royal Bank received this communication about the newest scam. This is happening in the Midwest right now and is moving across the country.

This one is pretty slick, since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.

This information is worth reading. By understanding how the Visa and Master Card telephone Credit Card Scam works, you´ll be better prepared to protect yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from Visa and I was called on Thursday from Master Card.

The scam works like this:

Person calling says - "This is (name) and I´m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at Visa. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I´m calling to verify. This would be on your Visa card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?" When you say, "No," the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching, and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address). Is that correct?" You say, "Yes."

The caller continues, "I will be starting a fraud Investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1-800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-Visa) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this control number." The caller then gives you a six-digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here´s the important part on how the scam works: The caller then says, "I need to verify that you are in possession of your card." He´ll ask you to turn your card over and look for some numbers. There are seven numbers; the first four are part of your card number, the last three are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the last three numbers to him. After you tell the caller the three numbers, he´ll say, "That is correct. I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?"

After you say no, the caller then thanks you and says, "Don´t hesitate to call back if you do," and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. We were glad we did! The real Visa Security Department told us it was a scam, and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. We made a real fraud report and closed the Visa account. Visa is reissuing us a new number.

What the scammer wants is the three-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don´t give it to them. Instead, tell them you´ll call Visa or Master Card directly for verification of their conversation.

The real Visa told us that they will never ask for anything on the card, as they already know the information, since they issued the card! If you give the scammer your three-digit PIN number, you think you´re receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement, you´ll see charges for purchases you didn´t make, and by then it´s almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of Master Card" with a word-for-word repeat of the Visa scam. This time I didn´t let him finish. I hung up. We filed a police report, as instructed by Visa. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening. I dealt with a similar situation this morning, with the caller telling me that $3,097 had been charged to my account for plane tickets to Spain, and so on through the above routine.

This warning is verified by Snopes at http://tinyurl.com/29h5t

Shirley Conlon has decided

NO NURSING HOME FOR ME

No nursing home for me. I´ll be checking into a Holiday Inn! With the average cost for a nursing home care costing 188 per day, there is a better way when we get old and too feeble.

I´ve already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn. For a combined long-term stay discount and senior discount, it´s 59.23 per night. Breakfast is included, and some have happy hours in the afternoon.

That leaves 128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies.

Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge, and washer-dryer, etc. Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap.

For 5 worth of tips a day you´ll have the entire staff scrambling to help you. They treat you like a customer, not a patient.There´s a bus stop out front, and seniors ride free.

For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there.While you´re at the airport, fly somewhere. Otherwise, the cash keeps building up.

It takes months to get into decent nursing homes. Holiday Inn will take your reservation today. And you´re not stuck in one place forever - you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city. Want to see Scotland? They have Holiday Inn there too.

TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem. They fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience.

The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks to see if you are ok. If not, they´ll call an ambulance ... or the undertaker. If you fall and break a hip, N.H.S will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.

And no worries about visits from family. They will always be glad to find you, and probably check in for a few days mini-vacation.The grandkids can use the pool. What more could I ask for?

So when I reach that golden age, I´ll face it with a grin.

ED. NOTE: These figures are obviously for Great Britain, but probably the same facts hold true for Canada or the US.

Tom Williamson has a different idea:

PATRIOTIC RETIREMENT

How about putting the very elderly pensioners in jail and the criminals in a nursing home?

That way the pensioners would have access to showers, hobbies, and walks. They´d receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs, etc., and they´d receive money instead of paying it out.

They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly if they fell, or needed assistance. Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.

A guard would check on them every 20 minutes, and bring their meals and snacks to their cell.

They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose. They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counselling, pool, and education. Simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ´s, and legal aid would be free, on request.

Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens. Each senior could have a PC, a TV, radio, and daily phone calls.

There would be a board of directors to hear complaints, and the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.

The criminals would get cold food, be left all alone and unsupervised. Lights off at 8:00 p.m., and showers once a week. Live in a tiny room and pay $300 per week, with little hope of ever getting out.

ED. NOTE: I think perhaps this is a too-rosy idea of life in a prison, and maybe a too-sombre idea of life in a retirement home.

Rafiki forwards this story about a

DANGEROUS SITUATION

An airplane was about to crash. There were five passengers on board, but only four parachutes.

The first passenger, Holly Madison, said, "I have my own reality show and I am the smartest and prettiest woman at Playboy, so Americans don´t want me to die." She took the first pack and jumped out of the plane.

The second passenger, John McCain, said, "I´m a senator, and a decorated war hero from an elite navy unit from the United States of America." So he grabbed the second pack and jumped.

The third passenger, Donald Trump, said, "I am going to be the next president of the United States, I am the smartest man in our country, and I will make America great again." So he grabbed the pack next to him and jumped out.

The fourth passenger, Billy Graham, said to the fifth passenger, a 10-year-old schoolgirl, "I have lived a full life and served my god the best I could. I will sacrifice my life and let you have the last parachute. "

The little girl said, "That´s okay, Mr. Graham. There´s a parachute left for you. The smartest man in America took my schoolbag."

SUGGESTED SITES

Barbara Wear sends the URL for a video of Hawaiians singing a moving version of "Hawaii Aloha" as part of the movement Playing for Change:

Carol Hansen forwards this link to a dance performed in Britain´s Got Talent that leaves the judges and audience in awe:

Catherine Nesbitt sends the URL for a video of cat logic:

Zvonko Springer shares this link to a video of Adrienn Banhegyi from Austria, the world´s best jump roper:

From the Good.News site, here is the story of a bride who received a replacement wedding dress from kind strangers after the Fort MacMurray fire:

The recent breakthroughs in robotics and artificial intelligence raises the question about the possibility of humans becoming obsolete in a few years:

In this video, Michael Moore is interviewed by Annette Insdorf about his new film, "Where To Invade Next," in which Moore visits nine nations to learn from them how the U.S. could solve some of its problems:

In this TED talk, Sangeeta Bhatia talks about a tiny particle that could roam your body to find cancerous tumors years before they can harm us, enabling scientists to save millions of lives:

To check out the features of the "freedictionary," which changes daily, go to