News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been very comfortable, and I've managed to get over to the golf course several times! I'm trying to get my game in shape for a trip to Dallas in October, where my brother and my nephew are waiting to beat me up! Wendy has pretty much completed upgrades on one side of the door—it's looking promising. I have begun work on my dust management plans for the shop. But now Wendy has decided it's time to add crown moulding in the bedroom and family room downstairs. So, dust control to the back burner; crown moulding to the top of my agenda! We continue to use the hot tub, but it also continues to frustrate as the thermostat works erratically. We'll be shutting it down soon and draining it for the winter. I managed another lawn mowing this week, and look forward to not doing that many more times! We're hearing of snow on the prairies already, so, you never know. It's been another down week on the markets, with weak US GDP data not enough to convince investors of rate cuts. Still, I was up nicely through Thursday, but then, I got Trumped on Friday. He came out with speculation about preventing investment into China! Never mind that the continual complaint of a generation of US administrations has been for China to allow foreign investment! Anyway, Friday was a deep red day, and my gains of the first four days bled away, sigh! The Blue Jays are playing out the final series of the season. There are hopeful signs for the future. The Riders dominated the Argos for an easy win in Toronto this evening. This puts them into a tie for first place in the west. Yay Riders! 

Eric and Erica enjoyed their tours around Amsterdam. Their extensive postings on FaceBook with both photos and descriptions helped us enjoy the trip as well. They have now returned to Prince Albert. Erica writes: "We are back from the Netherlands after a great anniversary trip. This week we took a journey north to see the huge dike, and we went to Haarlem to see the Corrie Ten Boom house. It was a wonderful trip. Now we are working through the adjustment in time zone. This morning we woke up at 4 AM really hungry! Haaken is working on some of his own personal animation projects and trying to figure out how to get them out to the public and gather a following. He also continues with work. Liam has completed some additional vaccinations so he now is going back to the specialist for some new medication. We are hoping this will heal his intestines so he can return to more normal health."

Kristian scored amazingly in his Sunday night bowling. I seem to recall his average topping out at about 70 two seasons ago, and about 120 last year. Well, Sunday night he bowled four games with an average of 186! Wowsers! He had a doctor's appointment to followup on his medical history. The doctor has promised to monitor his thyroid activity since that's often affected by Pendred's Syndrome. He'll need to get some blood work done for that. He missed one day of school this week with gastric distress. But, he got back for Friday and his class trip to the Science Centre. This weekend, he's celebrating his birthday one more time with Callum. Cute story, the boys approached Erin today with a request for cheese pizza for supper. They explained that they didn't want her going to the bother of preparing a supper, and then it going to waste while they ate pizza! Erin has rearranged her living area to accommodate the new cat and her climbing apparatus. 

Dog/Cat Fight in Living Room!

Lucy enjoys watching the Riders!

Trav and Joanna are here most days pumping out the customer orders. They're also back into hockey team photography for the new season. Gemma stopped by one day, so we were able to catch up with her a bit. She's enjoying her classes and feeling a bit more comfortable with university life, and the loss of so many classmates who didn't manage the transition from high school. She's an excellent student! Andrew is needing some upgrading as he starts his pilots course. His high school sciences were not up to muster for the program, so he's taking Physics—math, but all story problems! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed; the shores of Lake Superior continue to expand in the unexpected rainfall we're experiencing in my hometown. We hear of much rainfall to the west of us as well, and wonder whether the farmers are managing to get their crops off. This week has been more dry than wet, and we've enjoyed that, but it seems to have settled into a rainy weekend, sigh! I did get out to practice golf a couple of times. We've managed some progress on our renovations. Wendy bought a table and stools which we've installed—the table for the kitchenette downstairs, the stools for our kitchen eating bar upstairs.

New See-through Table

Island CounterTop still to come...

We tried out the new eating bar for breakfast this morning, and it worked perfectly. The kitchenette is nicely adorned with the new table down there.

Soon-to-be: Sliding Door

We've begun the next installation which is the sliding/barn door for the kitchen toward the side entry. I have the hardware installed, and Wendy has begun refinishing the door. We have found a tenant for the extra room downstairs, and the door will provide an extra measure of privacy for all concerned. I had a good week in the markets. I was all set up for a great week, but then Trump happened on Friday—the Chinese trade delegation packed up and went home, and the markets turned south quickly and hard. Still, I managed almost double my weekly quota which helps me catch up a bit. We're in the final third of the season in the CFL. The Riders have the bye this week, and Calgary took advantage by beating Toronto and moving ahead of us. However, Hamilton did us a favour by knocking off Edmonton. It seemed too much to expect Montreal to beat the Bombers tonight, but they came through for us with a last second win! The Blue Jays are playing out the final sets of series of their season. They have now won three straight series which is encouraging, and they've guaranteed themselves to not lose 100 games, yay Jays! Sigh!

The Baileys are off this week on their long delayed 25th Anniversary trip. They are in Amsterdam. They just got there on Thursday and are still adjusting to the time zone change.

Old style windmills are still there!

Their plans include the Anne Frank house, windmills, cheese making tour, Corrie Ten Boom house, Canal Tour, wooden shoes and, hopefully, they can see the dike that holds the ocean away from all this land. There are many stories that captured her attention to Holland as a child! They would also love to see Starry Starry Night, but it’s not on display at the Van Gogh museum. Maybe they can listen to Don McLean's tribute to the famous painting! Liam reports that he is busy with work and touring with RU. Haaken reports he is enjoying work. He got his first paycheque this week. Now he needs to put together a budget.

Kristian was away this weekend at a church youth group retreat at Echo Lake. He got back tonight. Last Sunday, he was ill, so he did not bowl. We hope he's ready to go this week. Erin had Lucy to the vet today to get her second round of vaccinations. Erin still has her garden in operation and is hoping to harvest some more strawberries before the season turns. Kristian lost the last of his baby teeth this week. He had to go to the dentist for a filling, but other than that, his teeth are looking good, and no reconstruction is being considered.

Trav & Joanna continue to be very busy. This week, work had to take a back seat for a while as Minnie went in for surgery and dental care. She is recovering quickly, and appears to have lots of energy. Gemma and Andrew are thriving in their new school year. Their schedules are quite varied and it's hard to tell who's coming or going, or when!

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 dry-wet-dry-wet... all week. Today was sunny and dry, and I was able to get the lawn cut, and practice some golf. We've accumulated a lot of rain this summer, and the Lake is much above normal levels. Wendy has done some experimenting with keto tortillas, and has succeeded in producing some good ones that she then turned into taco bowls, so we enjoyed taco salad a couple of times this week.

Very Yummy!

Last week, I had built a fire in the fire pit, but when we finally got around to having a fire tonight, it was well-soaked, so it took a while to get going. We eventually were able to enjoy supper out on the deck including brats roasted over the fire. I've been working on the crown moulding in the kitchen. We thought we were short of material, but Wendy found a 7' length that had been hiding, and we've made it. I never done crown moulding before, and I have to admit it looks sharp.

Finishing Touch!

Wendy has resumed her barber shop singing with the Sweet Adelines. She took an appointment with her chiropractor on Friday. On Friday evening, we had a meeting with a pilot who is looking for a place to stay while in Thunder Bay. I'm still waiting for the notification of my appointment in Toronto for surgery on my eye. The markets have alternated red-green with the weather! Unfortunately, there were three red days, and I ended up red for the week, sigh! The Jays are down to their final games of the season. They are sitting with 91 losses and trying to avoid the ignominy of a 100-loss season. The Riders hosted Montreal this evening and managed a last minute field goal to escape with the victory.

Eric and Erica are trying to wrap up a few things before they leave next week for a trip to the Netherlands. This included some work on the porch so they could get a coat of primer on and seal the freshly exposed wood.

Railing, Columns are Primed

Liam is back to work at the Tunnels of Moose Jaw and practising with the new RU members who are learning their moves. On the medical front, he has now concluded all his Hepatitis shots and can go back to the specialist for some new medication that will hopefully help him feel better. Haaken has has two weeks of work now and is enjoying it. He also finished an animation project and the customer reports they are happy with his work. He’s hoping this might lead to more animation work.

Kristian had his first evening of bowling on Sunday. It seems they're bowling four games each session this year. He seemed to run out of gas, as his fourth game was not up to expectations. He is enjoying his second weekend of birthday celebrations; I thought it was only we old folks that celebrated so long! There are rumours of a third celebration being planned for next weekend.

B-Day2, with Omarion,
Cake saved for B-Day3!

Kristian had an appointment with an ENT specialist this week; he is being referred to a surgeon in Saskatoon so they can start learning about the process for a cochlear implant.

Travis and Joanna keep busy. We enjoy having them here regularly. There seem to be a lot of orders in advance of the hockey season. Joanna got new tires on her car this week. Gemma and Andrew are through the introduction to their new classes.

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 variable with sunshine one day and rain the next. I haven't managed to get out for golf despite there being several nice days. I've been working on the hot tub controls, and have finally managed to get the high temperature switch to work effectively, so, we continue to enjoy that. I'm now having to build my own bonfires, so that activity has slowed down. I've managed to get the lawns mowed again, and both are pretty much back into shape. Wendy has continued to develop her plans for the new kitchen, gradually adding shelves and moving more of our supplies and equipment into them. We enjoyed company on Wednesday as Dave & Heather stopped in to overnight with us on their way east. On Friday, I had my followup appointment with the local ophthalmologist. He has confirmed a diagnosis of bilateral pterygium, and is sending me to another ophthalmologist in Toronto for surgery to remove at least the one that is obscuring the vision of my right eye. The one on the left eye is not bothering my vision so far, but is obviously a concern for the future. Wendy did an exchange on the flooring for the back entry. It's now a brown colour instead of the grey. Naturally, since this is new material, the time clock on acclimatization has been restarted! And since it's a new colour, Wendy is reconsidering the stair nosing solution—another project onto the back burner! The markets have turned onto the "Good News is Bad News" scenario again. We got bad news on Tuesday showing the USA factory activity contracting for the first time in three years (now what happened during the last three years to slow down factory output?!), but that turned to good news for the market since it should push the FED to drop interest rates soon. Likewise, we got great jobs numbers here on Friday, but that was seen as bad news since now the BoC will not reduce rates. The USA jobs numbers on Friday were weak, so the markets took off on this confirmation of the need for a rate cut—sigh! As a result, the TSX did not have a good week, and, while I was in the green, I fell short of quota once again. The Riders won the Labour Day classic, and today they played the return engagement tagged The Banjo Bowl in Winnipeg. A two-game sweep was not to be as the Bombers completely dominated them in Winnipeg. The Blue Jays are playing out the string and featuring their September call-ups—not seeing much of that ballyhooed talent so far! A special Canadian memory this week as Bianca Andreescu won her first major championship at the US Open over Serena Williams. 

Highlight of the week for the Baileys—Haaken got a job! He has been hired full time with Tim Hortons—a job to pay the bills while he works on his animation. He has a project he’s working on and hopes that will lead to more opportunities. Liam’s back with RU and has a busy schedule this fall with that and his Tunnels of Moose Jaw job. For the first time in many years, they have no one going back to school! Eric/a are back at work and home renovations. In line with her scheduled surgery this December in Germany, Erica has refreshed her GoFundMe page, LINK There is no charitable receipt with GoFundMe. But their church is accepting donations to go toward that surgery. If you want a charitable receipt, you can mail payment by cheque to: 

First Baptist Church Prince Albert Benevolent Fund

1351 28th Street East 

Prince Albert SK  S6V 6T4 

Memo line: Surgery Fund

Kristian has started back to school.

Back-to-School 2019

There have been complications working into a new classroom, and new teacher. The FM system is not working, so his ability to hear the teacher has been further compromised. However, while the sheer effort of it makes him quite tired, he is enjoying it. He notes that his brain is adapting to the new hearing realities, and that the situation is getting better. He starts bowling this Sunday evening, and has declared his goal of a 150 average this year. Go get 'em buddy! Today, he got a new pet kitten for his birthday!

Happy 14th Birthday!

Introducing: Lucy

Travis and Joanna remain busy. Joanna had the extra activity of a colonoscopy this week—never first choice for a fun activity! They also got a new bird.

Introducing: Mozzy

Gemma and Andrew are back at university and college; they posed (reluctantly) for the obligatory back-to-school photo! 

Back-to-School 2019

And that's about enough for this week! 

Happy Labour Day!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. While we started and end the week here, we also made a trip to Winnipeg. We left on Sunday with the biker convoy. Kristian rode with Eric/A for the first hour, then transferred to the car for the remainder of the journey. We enjoyed catching up with Dean, Kelly and crew on Sunday evening, then moved in with Tom & Mariette for the duration. They had just returned from a western Canada tour, but proved easily up to the task of hosting—thanks! We planned to golf on Tuesday, but rain and wind intervened, and the golf outing was cancelled. We drove home on Wednesday. The trip went well. Wendy and I got out for some golf today, so that partially makes up for the miss earlier. The weather was blustery most of the week, but seems to have settled a bit now. Without my best helper, I had to build my own bonfire this week—it worked out fine. We've also been enjoying the hot tub each evening. We haven't really gotten back into renovations, but Wendy has kept at the shopping; today, she picked up some material for the side entry flooring. I have assigned it to acclimation for the next while! She has settled on the plan for the stairs, so I can begin the woodwork to prepare the oak noses for that. I sold out of the market last Friday, and with travel early this week, did not get bought back in until Thursday. I remain with only a partial buy during these chaotic times, and am now facing September which is historically the worst month in the markets, sigh! The Riders are hosting the Bombers in the traditional Labour Day matchup tomorrow—Go Riders, Go! The Blue Jays continue to play out the string. Now that it's September, we'll expect to see even more of the young talent being called up. We hope it's talented, at least! 

Erica writes: "We left home 3 times this week, first from Thunder Bay, then Kenora and then from a brief stopover in Regina—all places we’ve called home. It was good to see friends and family, some of whom are old, and others whom we’ve just known for a long time. Liam was with the RU team at a camp at Lake Winnipeg. In fact, we passed just under him on the map during our travels. Haaken is working with BC government for a job in BC and getting some supports as a person with a disability. We are hoping and praying for some progress. However, as it is summer, many people are on holidays and will call back in September. This weekend, I’m working on a request for prayers and financial support for my next Lipedema trip. I’ll have more to share by next weekend. I’m also pondering how we can effect real lasting change to help others who don’t have the resources (or friends with the resources) to help pay for surgery. We have heard that BC has paid for one person. There are also a few private insurance companies in the US who, upon several appeals, have paid. And there is currently a class action lawsuit in the US against one major insurer. We have a meeting with our Saskatchewan government this fall. I’m just not sure how far we can get with our small group of hippy women. Prayers are appreciated!"

Erin welcomed Kristian home on Monday, and now he's getting geared up for the opening of his grade 8 year. He has some new clothes, in surprising sizes, and has most of his supplies ready to go. We're glad to see his excitement at getting back to school. Soon, it'll be another bowling league starting up, and he'll be back into the familiar routines. Grandma built a birthday cake for him, and sent it out to Regina with the Baileys. 

Coming soon to a birthday...

Travis and Joanna keep busy with their various jobs and contracts. It's good to hear the printing press grinding out the product downstairs. It's not nearly so nice to hear it beeping when it has a problem! Gemma has returned from England and is preparing for year two at Lakehead University. Andrew is getting amped up for his entry into the aviation program at Confederation College. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We've enjoyed a week of family and friends, with lovely weather as well.

Tee Pee Fire

Lit up beautifully!

Log Cabin Fire

Kristian is with us, and he has prepared a variety of fires in the fire pit for us to sit around, sing around, and create Keto-'smores! ("How do you make Keto-'smores," you ask? It takes a lot of imagination!) Eric/A brought out their instruments; we enjoyed singing to the accompaniment of ukulele and guitar. Eric and I got out for a round of golf on Friday—that was great fun, and Eric reports his shoulder is complaining less. Win-win!

New cover on Picnic Table

Kristian and I re-covered the picnic table. We also resurrected the hot tub cover, and got that operational.

Fun in the Hot Tub

Kristian enjoyed playing in the hot tub. His friend, Kelvin, dropped by one day and they both played in the water for a long time including hosing down Grandma when they got the chance! Eric/a have been here since Tuesday; that called for lots of visiting with long time friends here.

Visiting, Eating...

...Talking, Eating...

...Eating, Chatting...

---Singing, Eating!

We enjoyed a particularly nice evening on Friday with a large group visit, much eating, and singing, and more eating. It hasn't been a particularly good week for our keto diets, and we're both up 4 pounds from our indisciplined summer trip, so... next week! The kitchen/dining area renovations have been tested and come through in shining colour! The markets continue to struggle under the threat of Trump. This week, he extended his battles against his own FED chief, China and Europe. I finally took the unprecedented step of selling out—first time I've been completely out of the market in about ten years. That saved about $1300 on Friday alone, and I managed to have a green week. I don't have a plan for Monday, yet! The Jays have had a tough week of play on the west coast; they have played well most games, but have not achieved many wins! The Riders played Ottawa tonight and extended their win streak to five. Next week is a tough Labour Day battle against the first place Bombers—Go Riders, Go! 

Eric/A have been here most of the week. They drove the car, with trailered bikes, to Kenora late last week and rode the bikes here on Tuesday. It's been a great and busy week. Haaken continues with his post graduate life, working on projects and looking for a longer term posting. Liam is completing his summer work, and getting back to work in Moose Jaw. 

Erin has spent the week celebrating her birthday. She texts and chats with Kristian while he's here. He'll begin the trip back home on Sunday, riding the bike! 

Dark Rider!

Trav, Joanna and Andrew remain busy with their work. They joined us for several family activities this week as well, and also took Eric/A out one evening. They enjoyed time around the fire pit as well. Gemma continues her vacay in England with many cultural, educational and social activities. 

That's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we are home on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. We began the week in Gravelbourg where I enjoyed leading a musically themed worship program for the congregation. Then, on Monday, we waited, successfully for Kristian's passport to arrive. So, we headed east on Tuesday, driving to Winnipeg and renewing our acquaintance with Dean, Kelly and family. Of course, there was a lot of discussion about Mexico missions, and our recent work there. We completed the trip to TBay on Wednesday. It is good to be home. And Kristian is with us, so that's extra special. On Friday evening, he demonstrated his prowess at firing up the back yard fire pit, and we enjoyed S'mores. Today, we took in a special celebration at Fort William as they put on a dramatization of an American attack on the fort back in 1814.

Fighting at the Fort

Otherwise, we've begun cleaning up the yard and garden. Kristian helped me prune out the dead parts of the cedars.

Out with the old...

I got the lawns mowed, and Wendy pulled lots of weeds. I've seen the rhubarb, but have not managed to access them yet. We also got out for a ride in the old Cougar!

Cruising in Style!

The markets have been terrible with wild swings reflecting the chaotic activity of Trump. The DOW was down 800 points one day, sigh! I continue to play safely, but even that is subject to losses these days. I am also keeping most of my money out of the market until it becomes more predictable. The young Jays continue to inspire, especially with home run hitting, but they remain far behind their competitors with no particular chance of catching up. The Riders have this week off. The Bombers solidified their first place position with another easy win, and even more so as Calgary lost to Montreal tonight.

Eric and Erica are working on the plans for another surgery in Germany. It would be in mid-December. Wendy is considering going along on this trip. They were hosting Eric's mom and nephew Aiden. They drove up to visit Liam at camp, and also visited Waskesiu. On Sunday, they took Sheena and Aiden down to Davidson, and their next hosts. Erica is dreaming about what the kitchen/dining area will look like! 

Hey, if you're gonna dream!

Meanwhile, they turned their attention to their trip east. That required a dump run to empty the trailer for the bikes. Now, they're in Kenora. We look forward to their arrival here mid-week.

Erin is home alone in Regina. This at least allowed for a date-night with Shawn on Thursday as they went out in an early celebration for her birthday. Kristian sent flowers... good call! 

Happy Birthday, Mom!

We found Travis, Joanna and Andrew here in TBay. I couldn't even keep track of them last week! Gemma is in England for a family visit and vacation. They had some sad news with the passing of their cockatiel for reasons that are unclear. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. The weather has moderated some, and we're enjoying the break from the heat. We began the week enjoying prolonged festivities of my birthday. Eric/A treated me to a round of golf; I enjoyed that with Eric, Erin and Kristian. In view of her upcoming birthday, we treated Erin to a power cart for the round, and Kristian really enjoyed that! I played quite a bit better, and surprised myself with a +7. Erin played her first full round of golf. Eric got in his first golf of the season as he's being bothered by a troublesome shoulder. We have continued installation of the lift with the addition of call buttons at top and bottom so the lift can be brought to the desired level. Then, we began drywall repairs in the living room and hallway. Cracks have appeared in both the walls and the ceiling, so we carved out the troublesome areas and applied acrylic spackle which, we hope, will withstand small movement pressures and give a nicely finished appearance. Our time here is near an end, so there may remain some sanding, priming and painting to be completed after we leave. I've been working on a musical presentation for Gravelbourg for tomorrow. The markets continue to suffer in Trump's trade wars. We hope he loses interest in that soon! At any rate, I had another red week, sigh! The Blue Jays continue to impress with their effort, and their home-run hitting. Some of these new kids certainly show potential. The Riders had an historical win in Montreal, as they won the only regular season game ever cancelled early due to weather. This afternoon, we enjoyed a visit with cousin Grace. It was nice to catch up with news from that side of the family. She has a nice place here in Regina, now.

It's been a quiet week for the Baileys. Liam is up at Quest Camp working as a cabin leader, and Haaken continues his job search. They got the back room and the middle room cleaned up and organized in time for a visit from Eric's mom, and his nephew, Aiden. So, they have three habitable bedrooms!

Kristian has been with us much of the week as Erin returned to work on Tuesday, but then, she fell ill, and had a day at home, albeit an uncomfortable day! She is still a bit under-the-weather this weekend. Kristian also got some playtime in with a classmate who has had a serious fall from a diving board, and is suffering the after-effects of a concussion. He's having to take it easy without screen-time—how can he exist?! Kristian got his cast off on Friday, so he begins the rehab and strengthening of his left arm. The doctor was satisfied with progress on his arm. Tonight we at least got out for a bit of golf practice.

Joanna has joined Gemma in southern Ontario. Travis and Andrew are batching it back in TBay.

Someone's cooking very well!

We look forward to getting back with them next week.

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. It has been very hot most of the week, but I was glad to get out in a relatively mild weather on Monday for another round of golf with Dale. I seem to be stuck on playing approximately bogie golf now. On Tuesday, we celebrated my official birthday by driving down to Shaunavon to check out a lift for dad here at 55 Laird. It passed muster, so we went to work to move it home. That did not go easily. We couldn't get the bolts undone from the concrete base. We eventually broke three of them, undid two others and used a side-grinder to cut the final one off! Then, we had to lift the whole contraption into the back of Bern's truck and haul it home. It was quite a day!

Lift in Place

On wheels

On crutches

It installed nicely, and works great to allow dad to get down to ground level and back up to the main level of the house. He confirmed the function (under supervision!) with both his wheel chair and on crutches. Bern & Alicia left on Thursday for their next camping trip. We expect them back next weekend. This weekend, we're enjoying having Eric/A and Liam down from PA to help celebrate my 69th birthday. I made up another ice cream cake for the occasion. We also bought a tenderloin and enjoyed filet d'mignon! High on the um, cow, wouldn't you say?! The markets suffered under their worst week of the year as Trump opened a new front on the trade war, sigh! I suffered losses as well, although I managed to have a good completion to the month of July. The Riders continued their winning ways taking down Hamilton on Thursday night—yay Riders. The Jays are playing better despite that they've sent away their best pitchers. It's pretty discouraging to see the management give up on winning, but encouraging to see the players still out there trying each day.

Eric reports, "We got a coat of primer on the back bedroom and moved boxes out of the middle room into the storage room in preparation for visitors this summer. Mom and Aiden are coming to visit as they Journey around Saskatchewan. Haaken continues to look for work, primarily in animation but also for employment in the meantime to establish himself in BC. He has given himself a deadline of the end of August to have work. Liam has been working at camp. Telling stories to the kids in his cabin to entertain and put them to sleep. He is joining Erica and me in travelling to Regina for the weekend."

Erin had a full week of work while Kristian was enjoying himself at Teen Camp at Kenosee. We took him down there on Sunday, and picked him up on Friday. We enjoyed a visit with Aunt Ruby on our way home Sunday. We stopped in for coffee with Ray & Ellen on the Friday trip.

The Camper!

We missed having Trav, Joanna and crew with us during the family celebration, so it was good of them to call via FaceTime and catch us up on the official date. They are all keeping busy, and now Gemma is off to southern Ontario. Joanna will be joining here there for family time.

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and we remain on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. The weather has continued to be hot with thunder storms brewing nearly each day. I have managed to get out twice for golf, on Tuesday here in Regina and yesterday over in Moose Jaw. I kept my driver in play quite well despite it being very windy on Friday. I found a source for surplus pallets here, and picked up one with walnut boards to make a planter for Erin—nice to have a walnut planter!

Lookin' purdy!

I think this about completes the project for Erin's gardening, although there's room for at least one more planter on that dividing fence. Otherwise, I watched the market activity, and managed to have a good week despite the turmoil in the world. The US came out with weak economic numbers, so the pressure will be even higher on the FED to add some artificial sweetener in terms of a rate cut next week. Trump doesn't like the GDP dropping back to 2. He also keeps a watch on the markets and notes he's lagging far behind Obama's gains, so he'll be adding his own pressure on the FED. It makes it harder to know how to play the market, for sure. The Riders played their return engagement in BC tonight, so we got to watch them again. And, they won again! Yay Riders! The Bombers ended their winning streak with a loss in Hamilton. The Blue Jays seem to be spending most of their energy is trying to figure out how to trade away their best players—yikes! They did put up a big comeback win today.

Liam is visiting in PA this week before heading to camp. They enjoyed having him home. Eric completed and submitted his syllabus and is now working on course material for the class he will be teaching. Haaken has been working on more applications. He’s also completing paper work to formally move to BC now that he’s done school. Eric and Liam got some sanding done on the back room. They are hoping to get primer on this weekend.

Erin and Kristian enjoyed another week of summer heat. Kristian got his new glasses.

Lookin' good, Seein' good!

Erin managed to get the application completed for Kristian's passport, now we're waiting and hoping that it arrives in time for our trip back to Thunder Bay. Kristian was on hand for the unveiling of the new Toyota Supra, and enjoyed getting to try it on for size!

K-Car, perhaps?

Kristian and I got out for golf practice one day, and he felt good about how much he was able to do despite the cast. Today, they're taking in the wedding of Erin's half-brother here in Regina—dress-up occasion!

Astrid, Shawn, Liam
Erin, Kristian

Travis has made the decision to get back into coaching hockey, and he's moving up to AA. He's looking forward to coaching the Midget AA Westend Bruins this coming season. His BucketDecals sideline has become the largest part of his business with a world-wide collection of clientele. Joanna keeps busy during the summer with a restaurant job. Gemma is working over the summer while preparing for year 2 in Lakehead University. Andrew is also working and anticipating beginning aviation courses at Confederation College.

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed; it finds us on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. We started the week at North Bend where I was the featured guest speaker Sunday morning. On Monday, we drove over to the Okanagan and settled in with John for a couple of days—thanks brother! We managed to get an oil change on the vehicle and worked in a visit with Warren and Evelyn. On Wednesday, we continued eastward after a coffee with Janelle in Enderby. We got stuck just east of Revelstoke for 3.5 hours while a fatal accident was investigated and cleared. That got us behind schedule, and we settled into a hotel in Calgary in the late evening. On Thursday, we drove down to Medicine Hat for coffee and a visit with Don and Kathy—thanks folks! Then, we continued to Regina with a station stop in Swift Current for coffee, potty, and ice cream. I'd not had haskap berry ice cream, or anything, for that matter. It was delicious—a delicate flavour and not too sweet! We arrived into Regina in the dark, only to find the Lewvan lost in construction restrictions—yikes! We took it easy on Friday, just doing a bit of shopping for Dave's birthday celebrations (held this evening), and enjoying a bbq at Erin's. The markets have remained roiled between rate cut expectations and Middle Eastern unease. I managed only a small gain. The Blue Jays play good ball some days, like today; I'm still hoping they can avoid the 100-loss season! The Riders hosted BC tonight; it was good to be able to watch them on TV after being away for all the early season games. Nice win, Riders! Bombers continue their undefeated season. 

Eric & Erica flew out to Victoria on Thursday to celebrate Haaken’s completion of his degree in animation. The school held a showcase on Friday where each student’s demo reel was shown. Erica reports, "We might be biased, but we think Haaken’s was the best! He is still waiting to hear on a job so keep that in your prayers. While we are here we get to celebrate Aunt Aura’s birthday. Liam is single again and he has a week off from work so he’s coming up to PA for a visit next week. Eric got a call from Briercrest and he has been asked to teach a block class at the Masters level on Plans and Interventions in Counselling Therapy. He’s excited for the opportunity."

Erin had the week off, but it was so full with various appointments that she still felt quite busy. She and Kristian both were prescribed new glasses. Hers have arrived, but we're still waiting for Kristian's. He had an appointment with the audiologist who confirmed that he has lost some of his already meagre hearing in his right ear. That hearing aid has been reprogrammed, but it will take some time for this brain to adapt to the new signals to bring about better hearing. He also got his cast replaced, and is now sporting #3—he chose black this time! He tells me that he'll be able to practice golf again now with this cast, so we'll see how that goes—certainly won't have to worry about cupping his left wrist! 

Travis and Joanna continue to hold down the fort in TBay (I guess that must be West Fort!). Joanna reports that Wendy's plants may or may not be dead! They are beginning to get some sizeable Bucket Decals orders already. 

And that's about enough for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed, and we find ourselves on the shore of the Fraser River at the home of How and Lady Di—thank you! We began the week in Hemet with Uncle and Aunty. That was a great time of rest and recovery after our sojourn in Mexico.

Uncle, Aunty, Wendy in the wind!

First off, I got to lead the singing on Sunday morning, and we followed that up with a boisterous sing song on Sunday evening—great fun! On Monday, they took us on a tour of the wind farm near Palm Springs—over 2000 windmills producing electricity from the strong winds through the pass.

Over 2000!

It was quite a sight. They also drove us down to the oasis toward the eastern end of that desert; it was amazing to see how the water was seeping up courtesy of the San Andreas fault. We thought about the early travellers who came upon this, and wondered what possessed them to proceed further! On Tuesday, we continued our journey northward. We drove up to San Francisco, enjoying the sights along the way. On Wednesday, we got to drive the crazy approach to Lombard Street, and the even crazier descent down the switchbacks of this steep but beautiful one block of San Francisco.

Crazy Lombard Street!

But beautiful!

We drove across the Golden Gate, but didn't see all of it due to the fog which shrouded the towers.

Golden Gate

We drove up to the redwoods, and even got to drive through one of them.

Coming through!

After driving through it! 

We stopped for the night in southern Oregon. On Thursday, we completed the drive up the interstate to Canada. The traffic was bad, even on the interstate, so we did not make good time, but we cruised into our cousin's place in Chilliwack, ready for more rest and relaxation. Thanks Tony and Lisa! On Friday, cousins Craig and Vicki took us golfing, so that was fun as well. Then, today, we drove up to Yale for the community bbq and celebration featuring Uncle Bordie and cousin Brian and their group of guitar pickers! It's been a fun week! The markets have not been having fun, at least not for me. The FED spoke dovishly, but then more data came out showing US inflation heating up, so investors remain nervous despite expecting the FED to cut rates this month. Baseball had their all-star break, but are now returning to play. Blue Jays are staring at the prospect of 100 losses this season—let's go, Blue Jays, let's play ball! The Riders have this week off, I hope they're using the extra time wisely! I've been severely reprimanded over my comment last week about the "first place" Calgary Stampeders! I'm still dealing with all the Blue and Gold bruises inflicted by an irate Bomber fan! So, it is only due that I recognize the Bombers continue their undefeated season. I only hope it doesn't carry on through the Labour Day classic and the Banjo Bowl! Go Riders, Go! 

Erica writes: "Haaken finished up his animation class and now has just one class left, which will wrap up next week. We are travelling out to Victoria on Thursday to attend his culminating activity. The college doesn’t have a formal convocation ceremony. Rather they have a presentation of the students’ work on Friday evening. We are looking forward to that. He is waiting to hear on a job, so please pray for that. We are hopeful that God has a good place for him to use his gifts, and make a living. Things are winding up at my work so it’s been quieter and I was able to take Friday off. It was nice! I managed to do some more scraping on the front posts. We are pricing out the cost of replacing the handrail and spindles. The wood isn’t in bad shape, but there are some rough edges on the handrail. Eric got some sanding done on the back room upstairs. We are getting close to ready to apply another layer of mud. Eric’s mom is planning a visit in August and so we are hoping to get it painted—we shall see! Liam continues with the Tunnels of Moose Jaw."

Kristian spent the week at Kenosee for camp. He reports enjoying it immensely, and is looking forward to the next session of teenage camp. They've also been able to get him scheduled for an appointment with the hearing specialist next week, and he's also preparing for cast #3 on his broken arm. We hope all that goes well.

Joanna is currently down with family in southern Ontario. Otherwise, we've not heard much from Thunder Bay.

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

This week begins on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in Ensenada MX. The climate is mild here down by the ocean, but unfortunately, we're spending the week inland at Ojos Negros where the temperature soars in the upper 30's most days—we're not used to that, and we don't like it! The bigger crew from Canada is arriving, and we're meeting them down at the Ocean, and guiding them up through the amazing, rock-strewn hills into Wine & Cheese country, although truly we are surrounded by massive irrigated fields of peppers, chilis, jalapeños and the like.

Ojos Negros-Rocky Hills

They use drip irrigation on well-hilled rows of the plants that run on for miles. The workers, our clients, are out daily performing the manual tasks of weeding, staking and supporting the plants. Some mechanical support is used as tractors straddle the rows to improve the hilling. Our crew is assigned to the task of building a new classroom/office structure, refurbishing a two-classroom building we installed here some years ago, repairing a roof that had been installed, badly, by others, and generally sprucing things up.

New Classroom/Office for Ojos Negros

Wendy had begun the painting last week. She kept that process going with the new siding materials, while also repainting the older building, and keeping all the equipment cleaned and in good operating condition. This calls for long days in the direct sun with primer and paint setting up way too quickly in brushes and rollers.

Looking Good!

Wendy fell ill during the week and is currently receiving a regime of injections. Apparently, I get the joy of administering the final shot—bottoms up! I spend most of my time on a school system tour. I am assigned to analyze the situation here and make recommendations for improvements. I am finding some good establishments, and a lot of ramshackle situations. The dilapidation includes both the buildings and the systems being used. Nearly all locations suffer from the degradation of time and the depredations of vandalism and theft. Some locales depress us with their dysfunction, but most seem to be trying to make a positive difference in the lives and futures of their children. One is exemplary, but due to its site, on the side of a mountain, it's not even a place where we have the technology to build. We press the educational authorities to allocate them more, or better land to expand their school. As ever, I find that good principals assemble the resources to provide a good educational situation, while poor, vision-less leaders wallow in poor-old-me hopelessness. It's more than a little depressing. I also take some time to complete work on the construction of roof trusses at the beginning of the week, and struggle with drywall, taping and mudding toward the end. On Thursday, we celebrated our 49th Anniversary, and were feted with a cake!

49th Anniversary Cake

Friday evening we had a celebratory supper in Ojos Negros. On Saturday, we braved the US border: 4 hours, 45 minutes in line; 45 seconds to clear, sigh! That was complicated by an untimely visitation from Montezuma's Revenge! Finally, we got back to Hemet, and the comfort of Rob & Sharon's home—thanks! The holidays impacted the markets with lower than expected volumes, but the bigger story toward the end of the week was the strong jobs data out of the US. This puts the lie to the need for rate cuts. Investors who have been pining for the artificial sweetener of rate cuts fled the market on Friday. I have not been able to follow sports action much for my favourite teams, but I did take note of the Riders big win in their home-opener on Canada Day! They hosted  first place Calgary this evening as the underdogs at home. They put up a good fight for the first three quarters, but they were not up to the task—Go Riders, Go! 

Eric and Erica enjoyed the holiday Monday quietly in PA. Their small group got together for BBQ and a bit of rain! They missed some of the excitement—a tree across the way was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Wow! But still, they got tired and retired to bed before enjoying the fireworks. They must be getting old! Liam is back in Moose Jaw this week with work. Haaken continues applying for jobs. He had had some initial interest from a studio, but we don’t know much as he had to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement. But he does have to do some testing so we will see. Please pray for his success. Eric/A are preparing for a trip to Victoria to take in Haaken's project presentation and his graduation. 

Kristian got his new fibreglass cast on Thursday.

Green, but not enough to help the Riders!

It still precludes pool/swimming activities and he's off to camp next week! More troubling is his hearing loss in his right ear. At this point, we don't know whether it relates to actual hearing loss due to his head injury, or whether it is some other factor. He reports his ear mould is not fitting properly subsequent to the accident. 

Trav, Joanna and crew are managing things in TBay. Travis reports harvesting the lawns, and getting a good yield! Gemma is working three jobs currently, and Andrew, after completing his graduation, is also working for the summer. 

And that's about enough for now.