News Update

Another week has passed and we are far from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown. However, Saskatchewan seems determined to fill its own lake with all the rain we're getting here!

On Sunday, we drove down to Stoughton on the occasion of the interment of our sister-in-law, Diane. That is a tough event at any time, but we were determined to make it there in support of our niece, and family.

I have occupied myself with the task of picking rhubarb, cutting it and preparing it for the freezer. We managed to get four ice cream buckets into the freezer and still had enough left over for a pie! Wendy has been caring for Kristian, but has also completed the task of getting and installing bedding plants and flowers around her dad's yard. The garden is somewhat delayed due to the over-abundant moisture, but it is coming along fairly well anyway. I expect the rhubarb will be ready for another picking when we get back from BC.

I have only monitored the markets a little while travelling, but it has been another disappointing week anyway, as all markets lost value. So, I have again been unable to post a gain, and am certainly experiencing a discouraging month. However, I remain convinced that this will turn around, and I just hope it's soon! I have managed to get out for golf practice and even one rain-shortened game.

Kristian is travelling with us. He and Wendy have both been suffering with sore throats, so they went to see a doctor on Friday and are now on antibiotics for the next while. We expect they will be feeling better soon. Kristian has been a wonderful little companion and is getting on well with extended family here.

Wendy is off to Horse Creek this weekend to a ladies' retreat and trail ride. She intends to confront her fear of horses and actually go for a ride, but she is also walking on a sprained ankle, so that's complicating the issue.

Erin and Trav are back in Thunder Bay, taking care of their jobs as well as the lawns and gardens. We look forward to their arrivals in BC next week.

We plan to head west on Monday as we continue our trip. There are rumours that the TransCanada will reopen over this weekend through Maple Creek, so we are hopeful that we won't have to make a multi-hundred kilometre detour around the washed out area.

And that's about it for this week.

Golf 2010

The week started off with Fathers' Day; and a great start it was. My children provided a round of golf (to be played later) at Predator Ridge near Vernon, BC. That is now scheduled for this coming Friday. They also provided funding to upgrade my golf equipment! You can see how much they have learned about golf—elite courses must be played from time to time; some new piece of equipment will surely be the missing ingredient in my golf game!! Anyway, it is a wonderful set of gifts. Thank you, my dear children, for your thoughtfulness. I have been agonizing a bit over how to rationalize the exorbitant green fees that Predator Ridge commands, and now the issue is solved! And as for better clubs, well, that's another challenge. I have had some clubs targetted for several years, but I have been unable to get my brother, Tom, to pass them along! However, I shall wait until after the Family Reunion to actually make a purchase. I know my brothers and nephews will have clubs I can try out, and I wouldn't be able to make such a buy with out consulting my nephew, Jon, since he was my main source of support when I bought my current clubs twenty years ago!

I have been practicing between rain showers here in Regina. I even got out for a round on Thursday. I managed to complete fifteen holes dry, then it started raining a bit, and by the time I completed the sixteenth hole, they chased us off the course due to the lightning in the area. It was just as well; we had a deluge—twenty-seven millimetres of rain in half an hour. Yikes!

So, my golf game is not in prime shape, but my heart is full, and I am certain that the new equipment will lead to excellent golf very soon!

News Update

Our dear friend, Marti Elford, is just completing a tour to Zambia. Her excellent blog is recommended.

Another week has passed and we have wandered far from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown. On Wednesday we drove up to Kenora, and stopped overnight with Eric/A and the boys. Then, on Thursday, we continued the tour westward in pouring rain to Regina. We noticed a lot of surplus water in the ditches and fields throughout Manitoba and across eastern Saskatchewan. On the radio, we heard lots of lamentations about the rainfall and the difficulties with seeding and growing crops. After resting on Friday, we drove down to Gravelbourg on Saturday morning, to observe the interment of Auntie. We enjoyed time with family, and were grateful to have the chance to say good-bye. Kristian was delighted to play with a large variety of new cousins he'd never met before. It was a very good day.

The markets seem to be showing some resiliency lately, and as a result, I've been making some recovery as well. I am close to profit territory on several of my holdings now, so it's encouraging. Until then, I remain stuck at 10.8% gain, as I'm closing in on nine months of work.

The garden is flourishing, and Erin will care for it while we're away. Thanks, Erin! We have Kristian with us, so we'll take care of him in return!! The rainy weather has delayed the garden here in Regina, but there is a lot of rhubarb ready, so I'll get to work on picking and cutting that.

Erin and Travis remain busy at work, but will fly out for the family reunion later.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has cooperated nicely as we got some more rain, and enough sun to get out to the golf course a couple times. The markets were difficult, but there was some progress as the week went on, and I am encouraged. I didn't make any sales, but I now have some of my holdings into profit territory. I've been stuck at 10.8% long enough! The garden is progressing, and Erin will take care of it while we travel for the next few weeks. The back lawn is looking great, but the reseeded portion of the front is doing poorly—just didn't get good germination in the unusually warm weather this spring. I'll have to over-seed in the Fall when things have cooled down. The Chicago Black Hawks finished off Philadelphia to win the Stanley Cup, so I'm celebrating along with them. The Blue Jays and the Riders will dominate my sports' attention for the next while.

Wendy is continuing to recover from her damaged ankle and knee. She's getting around pretty well, but she is still experiencing an unfair amount of pain. I think she's got our travel arrangements in place; we plan to leave here next Wednesday. We're currently dealing on a Mac Mini computer for her. We were hoping to get it delivered today, but not so far!

Erin's work has been getting more and more busy as summer comes on. It's going well, and she still enjoys most of it! We're taking Kristian travelling with us next week, so she's fretting about how much she'll miss him.

Trav keeps busy with work. He got a lesson in website hosting this week, as one failed. He seems to have that on the road to recovery, as the files have been found, and the hosting arrangement re-established. He was instrumental in helping us get Wendy's new computer.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been beautiful, and we've even got some rain to help things out for my lawns and the forest lands of northwestern Ontario. It is very welcome. The rain barrel is full again! The bedding plants are in; Kristian enjoyed planting the tomatoes, and even helps me water them as long as he can still stand on the paving stones. He doesn't like to stand on the dirt! The markets have continued their troubled way, and even took a big turn downward at the end of the week. Another small country holding the markets hostage—this time Turkey. We hope people will get better thoughts into their heads over the weekend. I did not manage to make any money this week.

I had some surprising success with my whipper-snipper this week. We got a battery-powered one some years back, and last summer it failed. It seemed unable to recharge. I tried to figure out why and looked for a replacement battery. I eventually left it out on the deck over the winter. Well, this week, I turned my attention to it again, and it has decided to work! Maybe the tough love over the winter convinced it to behave!

Wendy has continued with her regularly scheduled events, and this week added a crash and burn to the menu! She seems to have misstepped, possibly on a rock, and fell to the pavement, twisting her ankle and getting road rash on her knee and hands. So, she's been hobbled, but is showing improvement by now. She got all the rhubarb crisp prepared and into the freezer, and the rhubarb patch is ready for picking again. She also has our schedule ready for the trip west.

Erin and Kristian continue with their usual events as well. Kristian is adding a few special year end school events as June progresses. He has a wonderful personality, and seems well-liked by teachers and classmates. He is communicating expressively and we can understand most of it. Some letters continue to give him great trouble, but he will persist cheerfully trying to hear and say them. Otherwise his speech is not unusual for a four-year old. It seems work is getting busier for Erin as summer comes on. She continues to sleep through Blue Jay games—enjoying their struggles and victories. This week she had a special treat as she became aware that her little brother from Medicine Hat was in the world championships for ball hockey being played in the Czech Republic. She even got up early this morning to watch the final game on-line. They won in over time! Congratulations, Eric!

Trav continues to do well at work, and has assisted us with a project this week as well. He has started to enjoy the Stanley Cup finals where Chicago and Philadelphia are currently tied 2-2 in games won.

And that's about it for this week.