A Post Beginning April 1, Ending May 31, 2025

One of many Ottawa's grand buildings 

 

This is not a TravelZoo advertisement. However a visit to Ottawa and then Montebello to visit Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello in Quebec was the end result of an on-line Ad. 

Have you found it easy to spend your money while sitting in an easy chair with laptop at the ready? I have. But I'm trying not to be reckless and overdo the practise.

Terryl and I filled the car with food and drink before 8:00, topped up the hybrid's gas tank at 8:15, headed east to Ottawa and arrived at 14:30 on March 23, 2025 in Montebello Q.C. J0V 1L0. The 6.5 hour drive was perfect under cloudless skies all the way.

When we drove up the circular driveway and stopped our car the Doorman came out, opened the door for Terryl and brought our luggage inside. After a routine checkin the same man escorted us to our room overlooking the Ottawa River. While we walked to the elevator we passed six grand fireplaces housed around and circling the largest wigwam-themed-chimney I've ever seen. 

This  four-story-centred six-sided tower burns six fireplaces warming and comforting Montebello's guests

This wigwam-shaped resort hotel allows one to walk freely on four floors with the top floor reasonably close to the top of the wigwam. There are six spokes jutting away from the centre of the building housing the rooms. There are memorable photographs on these walls:

Stephen Harper and friends

I see Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Pierre Trudeau.

Stephen Harper and George W. Bush

My Great Grandfather Garfield Leonard McDonald

If and when we revisit this place I'll have my clubs in the trunk for a quick nine holes. Please take note of the excellent stance and grip employed by the old timer who has a special name to be sure.

            I'll add a few shots of our own right now.

The Log Cabin grew and grew into a magnificent hotel on the Ottawa River.

A succulent bit of Cod perfectly cooked.

This chair needs the repair shop one more time.

Backgammon anyone?

Life Sized Artwork Covers The Timbers

We enjoyed our stay at Montebello and considered staying another day until we woke in the morning to a forecasted snowfall that changed our minds. We packed it up and hit the road to Ottawa at 8:15. The huge road snow-shovels eat up the two-way highway seemingly faster than our 50 klicks per hour for almost two hours before the snowfall subsided and we finally reached Ottawa. 

I asked Terryl to open her window while we trolled Wellington and Sussex Street for a few more pictures in Canada's seat of government.

What's This?

The sun is shining on this bright and windy day of April 8, 2025. Yesterday we looked for some (almost real looking) plants and actually found them at 60% off at the first store we stopped at: Michael's on North Queen. These beauties will add greenery and grace to our balcony in a week or two. We've loved the balcony and always spend plenty of time enjoying the fresh breezes with welcomed sun and/or shade at various times in spring and summer days.

Today I hit golf balls in the Brampton Golf Club's Simulator room. Eric, one of our golf pros told me to move the ball slightly forward in the stance, and that club speed can be increased by moving to a longer club. It worked.

This season I'm dialled into Rick Smith who has trained golfers of all levels for 30 years. These films come to me from Performance Golf Zone and for a small fee I can see and re-see a slew of Rick's films that are solid builders of a quality swing even for an old-timer like me.

Six days earlier:

Today is one day after The Orange Idiot declared April 2, 2025 as Liberation Day and hit the world with [he called them Reciprocal?) tariffs to Make America Great Again (MAGA). At 09:30 on April 3rd the stock markets tanked. For example Apple dropped 9.25%, Walt Disney 9.24% and Amazon 8.89% and so on giving us the worst down day in  five years. The Canadian dollar went up a cent and the USA dollar went down.

As I write this on Friday evening April 4th the scenario has repeated yesterday's nightmare and the stock markets plunged right up to the final bell.

The world's governments are reeling under the shocking burden Donald Trump foisted on every country that makes or grows things to sell into the USA markets. He explicitly declared in so many (many) words that any country that sells more goods to the USA than buys goods from the USA is not trading fairly which leaves the USA in a trading deficit. Example: in 2023 America purchased $431.2 billion dollars of goods and services from Canada; in the same year Canada purchased only $270.0 billion dollars of goods and services from the USA. Shall we set these numbers on a per capita basis? 

$431.2 billion dollars divided by 350 million American people = $1,228.57 of purchases by each person in America; Therefore $270 billion dollars divided by 40 million Canadian people = $6,750.00 of purchases for each person living in Canada. My mathematics clearly state that Canada on a per capita basis spends five times what Americans purchase from Canada. Who's not trading fairly Donald J Trump? 

On April 6, 2025 across the plains and cities of the USA one sees countless displays of disgust for the Trump Administration in the form of Public Gatherings in significant locals. There are Town Hall meetings with citizens bellowing unpleasant threats directly at their Government's departments demanding justice for all, and a definite increase of verbal and written activity from current and former Democratic leaders denigrating Donald Trump's Executive Orders that are diminishing their institutions with firings and closures.

Listen to their news broadcasts; it's all there.

This is part of an article from The Washington Post today complete with abbreviated f... words.

"Inside and outside the White House, advisers say Trump is unbowed even as the world reels from the biggest increase in trade hostilities in a century. They say Trump is unperturbed by negative headlines or criticism from foreign leaders. He is determined to listen to a single voice — his own — to secure what he views as his political legacy. Trump has long characterized import duties as necessary to revive the U.S. economy, at one point calling tariffs “the most beautiful word in the dictionary.”

“He’s at the peak of just not giving a f--- anymore,” said a White House official with knowledge of Trump’s thinking. “Bad news stories? Doesn’t give a f---. He’s going to do what he’s going to do. He’s going to do what he promised to do on the campaign trail.” (This was written by Natalie Allison and her colleagues)

The United States is a vast and diverse country and an old and resilient democracy that won’t quickly fold into authoritarianism and illiberalism the way Russia or Hungary did. The habits of freedom, 250 years old, still run deep in our bones — deeper than anything this president can ruin over the next few years. But that certain idea of America that once typified us, and for which we were once so admired, is evaporating. (written by Brett Stephens)

I'll have the last word here. My carefully selected investments over the last 34 years have increased in value slowly and steadily. The top line may have lost some value from time to time but it always bounced back quickly. Trump's Liberation Day on April 2, 2025 changed all that. Currently my paper losses are over 10% and there's nothing I can do about that. Or is there? Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway have a load of cash that has been building for six months (the day Trump was elected). If Buffett starts to buy again I'll do the same. However, I don't believe the world's Financial Reports will be positive as long as Le Grande Orange wears a King's Crown atop his combover pretending to be presidential.

At 9:30 April 9 the market responded to Trump's change of mind. Again? Following a deluge of inquiries from around the world but especially from the billionaires living in the USA directed at Trump exclusively, the Grand Idiot paused his pre-ordained Tariffs one more time.

The stock market bounced up almost across the board. Those that had the cash and had put it to work made up to 20% profit on the day. [That's about  2 1/2 years of normal profit.] 

On one hand he takes it away and on the other he gives it back. Maybe he just can't make up his mind! 

I telephoned Nesbitt Burns on April 9 around 14:00 regarding investing into TSE's low entry point. We agreed to consider an overnight plan they would prepare. Christopher Campbell called at 14:30 with their plan to buy Eli Lilly and Amazon at these suppressed values. He then gave a detailed account of these two titans of Industry and, after several enquiries I agreed and we went ahead. 

Warren Buffet would be proud; Not because today's decision was something he would have done today, but that my plan has always been to invest and hold for as long as possible to make the most of Buffett's three prized principals of investing: 1. Buy and Hold 2. Don't try to Time the Market 3. Buy only great Companies and if you buy in lower than their real value that's a bonus that will serve you well.

At this political moment in time the USA is uncertain of the world wide position of importance it has held for half a century. Politically they follow Trump's infamous phrase and directives to 'Make America Great Again.' On most days he'll say words like, "I don't want to be concerned about the rest of these countries that have been cheating us for years." 

Full Stop.