When the Premier Stopped by ...

Chipperfield's is the kind of place, you just never know who might stop by to enjoy a coffee ... today The Premier of Manitoba, Gary Doer popped in for a coffee before attending a meeting in town ...

Today was one of those stranger than any fiction I could write moments ... I went up for coffee about 10:30 and sat at the table with J-- and a couple of other regulars. I was sitting with my back to the front door, but had a view of the door in the mirror behind J--'s head.

I heard the front door open, and glanced into the mirror to see who was coming in. I noticed a tall man with a very familiar face.

"Huh?" I said, "That's the premier ..." as all of us at the table turned and looked in disbelief ...

It was ... Premier Gary Doer had just strolled in the front door for a coffee ...

The first couple of pictures I took were with my cell phone camera (you can tell which ones those were ...), then I called home and asked the Mrs, to come for a hot apple cider and to bring my digital camera, ... I happily snapped a bunch of pictures of Gary and the folks in the shop to show Ross and Bonnie we weren't hallucinating ...

Gary sat for awhile with some of the regulars, and enjoyed a cup of Chipperfield's Own. In his own indominatible way, answered the many questions fielded to him by those sitting with him. Always the politician, he noted that his Government is aware of the challenges facing places like Minnedosa, and they have to balance the decisions they make with political and economic considerations ... and he noted that any decision will cost him votes one way or another ... Before he left he pressed the flesh and shook hands with all the folks in the shop ...
It wasn't a large crowd at Chipperfield's today, but they had the Premier's attention, and he sat and listened ...

Gary even offered to help the girls behind the counter filling orders ... he glanced around and noted that their set up was "a lot easier than when I had to serve tea on the passenger trains".

A Good Time was had by all ... and we appreciated Gary stopping by ... I hope he won't be a stranger, but will feel welcome to come back any time ... I also hope he enjoyed the visit as much as the rest of us did ...

... it just goes to show - when you have a quality establishment, you attract a quality crowd ... Too bad Bonnie and Ross were away ... Maybe next time !!??

More images of The Premier's Visit ...

J-- and The Premier

Garry Macdowell (town councillor) & The Premier

Gary and his advisor

Yes Ross, we had him sign

the Guest Book !!

Doing Our Part !!!!!!!!

It's a small thing ... the pink ribbon lid plug ...

... but when we gather enough

we can make a BIG Difference!!

--------------------------------------

PLEASE, join the initiative to raise

awareness and money for

Breast Cancer Research at

Chipperfield Coffee Company.

Bring your pink ribbon plugs back

and toss them in the jar ...

... and get ready to guess how many are there !!

J--'s Trivia 'n' Tidbits ... Part 13 ...

"So, did you see the article about the guy who made a down hill sled out of an easy chair?" asked J-- as he approached the table where two other regulars were sitting.

"Yeah, it was on the front page the other day wasn't it?" said one of the regulars.

"It was a pretty cool idea," said Kriss as she set down the cup and the tea pot, "I wouldn't mind trying to go down the hill in something like that ..."

"Looked crazy to me," said one of the regulars, "nailing crazy carpets to the bottom of an old chair and flying down the hill doesn't strike me as a good time."

"I dunno," said the other regular, "give me a cold one and the remote and it would be like sitting at home beside the Mrs, ..."

"Only safer," laughed J--, "the only risk flying down the hill is hitting something on the way down ... "

"Yeah sure," scoffed the first regular, "but I still wouldn't be planting my butt in a chair flying down some hill on a couple of yards of crazy carpets."

"Oh come on," said Kriss, "It's cool idea though ..."

With that, the J-- and the two regulars laughed and Kriss turned and headed back behind the counter to serve the next customer waiting to order.

"So, did you catch the follow up article in today's paper about the guy on the chair?" asked J--.

The two regulars shook their heads as J-- unfolded the newspaper and laid it on the table in front of them.

"Check this out," J--'s finger pointed to the headline on the page open in front of the regulars, "turns out the young fella was on probation and serving a term of house arrest at the time the picture was taken. Turns out he wasn't to be away from his place of residence."

"He was tobogganing when he should have been at home under house arrest?" marvelled the first regular.

"Yup," answered J--, a big smile crossing his face, "I can just see the judge choking on his cheerios in the morning when he opened the paper, saw the picture and and thought to himself - 'I put him under house arrest,' while he looked at the picture."

"Yeah and I bet the guy's probation officer flipped out too," observed the second regular.

"So, what happened to him?" asked the first regular.

"Oh, he turned himself in the day of the article," said J--, "He knew his goose was cooked. So, he walked into the court and faced the consequences of his own stupidity. It says he's serving some hard time now."

The two regulars chuckled as J-- grinned.

"Someone serving time in jail, isn't really funny," observed the second regular, "but the story is kind of funny."

"Well, maybe he'll use his time behind bars to accomplish something," said the first regular.

"Yeah," laughed J--, "he could use the workshops and courses to fine tune his creation and turn it into a unique business opportunity."

"He's got lots of time on his hands," said the second regular, "he might as well take advantage of it. At this point he really hasn't much to lose, and it might pay off when he comes out."

"True enough," laughed J--, "in my time working around the courts, I saw a lot of lunacy, but I have to admit this one was a new one. At first I had to wonder if he was playing with a full deck, but when you consider the ingenuity of his idea, I suppose he'll figure it out, and maybe he'll even turn himself around."

"One can always hope," said the first regular, lifting his mug in a toast to J--'s comments.

"Hey, any body who came up with the idea of tacking crazy carpets on an easy chair and flying down the hill, can't be a total idiot," said the second regular, "maybe he can turn it around."

"When you put it that way, I guess he could," observed J--, "like you said, 'one can always hope' ..."

Latte Art ... Check it out !!!

For more images of Latte Art,

check out Damn Cool Pictures' entry for

December 20th 2006 ...

or click on any of the pictures above.

Maybe the crew at Chipperfields' will be inspired

to let their creativity flow ...

... regardless though,

the coffee at Chipperfields is second to NONE!!

Overheard at Chipperfields' ... Part LXIII ... (part 3) ...

"So dahlin' where can I take y'all for a bite of dinner?" the stetson hatted rancher asked, standing before the gathered crowd of regulars and staff who were stunned into silence, "y'all know of some place nice 'round here?"

"Um ..." Jaydee swallowed, "I didn't expect to see you here again ..." her voice trailed off as her eyes glanced at Ross.

Ross had pulled his fedora down over his eyes and was looking at the floor about three inches in front of his feet.

"Oh dahlin' how could I stay away?" laughed the rancher in a deep southern accent, "y'all done beguiled me, and I juz't couldn't stay away ..."

"But I'm married," interupted Jaydee, suddenly regaining her momentum, and waving her left hand in front of her face. As she spoke the gathered crowd stood spell bound.

"Shoot," said the rancher, "I got me a dozen rings like that. All y'all need to do is swing by a jewellery store and plunk down a few bucks ... it don't mean a thing."

"Mine does," Jaydee protested, her voice sounding a little choked, "This is the real thing, and it means I can't go with your for dinner, and I can't ... I can't ..." Jaydee searched the crowd looking for anyone who might be able to rescue her from this insanity.

"Well, dahlin' that's a nice speech, but unless I meet this here hubby of yours face to face, I'm not gonna believe that y'all not making this up ..." the rancher glanced around the crowd, "so, is your hubby here, or has he let this filly out all by herse'lf where a poacher could lasso her?"

Jaydee searched the crowd looking for someone she could introduce as her spouse. Most of the men were old enough to be her father, or they weren't wearing a wedding band. Her eyes landed on The Rev, who was standing back near the Juke Box, smiling.

"This is my husband," Jaydee said, her voice bordering on a desperate screech. She reached out and put her arm through The Rev's and pulled him towards the counter.

"What the ..." The Rev sputtered, startled.

"Shut up and play along," hissed Jaydee in his ear, "Play along and I'll give you free coffee for ever ..."

The Rev smiled and nodded and meekly followed her to the counter.

"This is my husband," Jaydee lifted The Rev's left hand to show the Rancher a wedding band, then without even thinking or pausing she kissed him full on the lips. The crowd cat called in response, Ross' head snapped up and his eyes widened like saucers.

"Well, I'll be," muttered the rancher taking note of the cleric collar The Rev was wearing, "I wouldn't want to be taking a preacher's lady." He removed his hat and nodded his head slightly, "I'm awful sorry about all this Pastor. I meant no offense, it's just that wife of yours is one pretty lady."

"Um," The Rev struggled for words, "It's not a problem. Just a minor misunderstanding." He offered his right hand to the rancher, "no harm done."

"You're right there partner," the rancher said shaking The Rev's hand vigorously, "you're right."

The Rev smiled and glanced at Jaydee who was still clinging tightly to his arm and smiling a forced smile.

"Thank you," Jaydee's voice sounded relieved.

"You're welcome," The Rev offered back with a smile.

"Well, I think I need to be on my way," said the rancher lifting his stetson and nodding towards Jaydee, "I best be off again ..." He tipped his hat at Jaydee, "It's been a pleasure young lady."

"Well, bye," offered Jaydee after a moment of silence, "it was nice to meet y'all. Thanks for stopping by."

"Have you signed our guest book?" asked Ross, suddenly breaking free of his silence.

"Ross ..." Bonnie hissed as she smacked him on the shoulder.

"Yeap," answered the rancher, "I signed the book when this pretty young filly brought it out to me the other day ..." He smiled at Jaydee, whose eyes were wide, and whose face remained expressionless, "Y'all should know that she sure did do a good job of making me feel welcome." He again tipped his hat at Jaydee, then turned to leave.

"This is one fine establishment," he glanced around as he headed for the door, "but don y'all have lives and jobs and things to get on back to?" He shook his head and chuckled as he headed out the door.

There was a long pause before anyone spoke.

"Well I'll be damned," laughed J-- as he broke the silence, "I think that was pretty close to being one of the funniest things I've seen." He glanced at Ross still garbed in his purple hat and jacket, "and gawd knows I've seen some funny stuff." He laughed as he took in the vista of Ross dressed like a pimp.

The assembled crowd laughed as they began to find seats and move about in the store.

Jaydee's grip on The Rev's arm loosened slightly, she glanced up at him, "Thank you ..."

"You're welcome," he repeated, "but a biit of lead time would be appreciated next time," he observed.

"I hope there won't be a next time," said Jaydee glancing out the front window.

"Me too," added Bonnie.

"She was just being friendly to him ... OW !!" Ross winced as Bonnie pinched him on the arm.

"Ross, you're not helping," snapped Bonnie.

"Sorry dear," answered Ross as he looked down, "but do you like my new look?"

Bonnie stared at Ross wordlessly then slowly shook her head with disdain.

"Oh?" gulped Ross.

"Now about that coffee?" asked The Rev glancing down at Jaydee with a smile, "I remember hearing something about it being for free?"

Jaydee smiled warmly, a look of relief passed over her face. "Absolutely," she said as she squeezed The Rev's arm and released it, "absolutely ..."

J--'s Trivia 'n' Tidbits ... Part 12 ...

"So, did you see the article in the paper today about the drunk jury member?" asked J-- with a broad smile as he approached the table, the newpaper tucked under his arm.

"A drunk member of the jury?" asked one of the regulars, looking dumbstruck, "I've heard of judges being a bit under the weather, so too speak, but a member of the jury?"

J-- smiled broadly as he sat down at the table and unfolded the newspaper ont he table in front of him, "Says here that the woman had straight vodka in the water bottle she was sipping from through the day."

"That right?" said the second regular, "how's they find out what she was drinking?"

"She got rude and belligerent," said J--, pausing to thank Dani who brought out his tea pot and mug, "until then she was just quiet and giggly, then when the deliberation started, she became disruptive, uncooperative and eventually just passed out in the jury's room."

The two regulars started laughing, as J-- sipped his tea.

"Would make the outcome of the trial interesting," observed the first regular.

"Judge threw the case out and ordered a re-trial," said J-- smiling.

"What about double jeopardy?" asked the second regular.

"Doesn't apply here," observed J-- seriously, "everyone involved in the case did their jobs well, the problem was a juror, so the judge can order a retrial."

"I wonder who was winning before the juror passed out?" asked the first regular.

"Who passed out?" asked The Rev as he approached the table, a mug of Chipperfield Blend Coffee in his hand.

"Oh some juror in a court case in the states," answered J-- smiling, "turns out her water bottle was filled with vodka.

"That so," said The Rev, as he sat down, "I had something similar happen back in my first days in ministry."

"Really?" asked J--, his interest piqued, "you were packing around a water bottle full of vodka?"

"No, nothing like that," laughed The Rev, "when I first went into the First Nations' community on the west coast, I went down to the river one day and found a group of guys sitting around drinking out of cream soda bottles. I asked if I could have a sip, and they rather sheepishly said - 'sure'. I took a sip and realized that their cream soda had more than just cream or soda in it."

J-- slapped the table and laughed, "gin or vodka?" He asked.

"Vodka," answered The Rev.

"It's an old trick, though it works better in grape crush," laughed J--.

"Eew," said the first regular, "I heard root beer was best."

"Whatever," interupted The Rev, "back to my story," he was shaking his head as he spoke, "I made some comment about there being more than just cream soda in the bottles, and all the boys took sips and one of them yelled out - 'it's a miracle, The Rev has turned our cream soda into alcohol !!' and they all started saying - 'praise God, praise God ...' and tossed out more than a few 'Amens'."

J-- and the regulars laughed. "You turned their water into wine Rev," chortled J--.

"That's what the boys said," answered The Rev, "and for all these years I thought it was true. But after this," his finger rested on the newspaper article, "I have my doubts ..." His face had a broad smile.

The four men at the table all laughed together.

"Oh we know you can do miraculous things Rev," said J--, "we're just not sure what they are ..."