River Lake Retreat!

Another week has passed, and we find ourselves on the shore of the deepest lake in North America, Great Slave Lake. While we have spent many years here before, this week was not mundane. On Sunday we enjoyed a gathering with our longtime congregation here, but there were few people who we recognized—still, a precious time. Then, on Sunday afternoon, we began a visit with our long time friends, Simon & Lenore. Simon began some repairs on the RV. The biggest challenge was the bed and after a spate of problem-solving and a lot of adjustments, we came up with a successful solution. On Monday, after another lovely breakfast, courtesy of Cindy— thanks, we began our River Lake excursion with Simon & Lenore. It began with a tour of Robertson‘s wonderful taxidermy—must be seen to be believed.

Then, we headed out to the cabin on River Lake. Our week there involved daily excursions, organized by the cruise director (Lenore), a wide variety of games, and excellent dining experiences! it was an amazing week all around: amazing setting, amazing experiences, amazing people! On Friday afternoon, we returned to the city and began preparations for our next experience. We are looking forward to heading out on the big lake. But not before Simon helped me with two more repairs to the RV: the backup camera, and the stairs. Today, we took it easy with a tour of the museum at Giant Mine and of the diamond centre. This evening we visited with Randy & Leslie, and Dave & Lee. The world has carried on badly without us, and the markets have followed suit. The USA indices remain red for the month, and there are not many trading days left. The Blue Jays continue their floundering ways, but primed me with false encouragement by playing a good game today. The Riders faltered late, and dropped their game against Edmonton on a last second field goal.

Erica wrote: “Eric flew back on Monday and worked at CFS, got the motorcycles licensed and started cleaning the house for guests. Erica arrived back on Friday and promptly drove to Saskatoon to pickup the neighbours from the airport. Liam is heading back up this weekend, and Andrew & Aura are supposed to be here next week… however their plans include a train ride through BC and this week's train was cancelled. We are joining our friend Mark for music this Sunday and our choices will be honouring Brian Doerksen, Canadian singer/songwriter who passed away on July 21st.”

Kristian reports that he helped out with the weekly burger barbeque at work—good work if you can get it! Erin got Kristian a membership at the YWCA, so he also took a gym orientation to learn the various machines. Erin enjoyed a quiet week at work and a beautiful day in the backyard today.

Joanna’s mom fell and broke the end of her fibula, so that is not good. Joanna plans to head down there next week. The health concerns remain for Marigold and that is a worry as well. Thankfully, the forest fire situation has eased.

And that’s enough for this week.

Way up north!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Things are not going well there as forest fires rage across the northwest and many are losing homes and businesses. So far, the main damage in Thunder Bay is the smoke, and even though we are far from there, we have great concern for our family and friends back home. Our first night this week was in Manning as we enjoyed the sights around Peace River and, after a short drive, the museum in Manning. It was a voluminous display including the almost mythical 15 30 tractor. 

The 15 30

Then on Monday, we drove up to High Level and checked out the museum there. We stayed on the parking lot of the visitor centre.

Camping on Great Slave!

On Tuesday, we finally reached the Northwest Territories. They offered showers at the information centre and I found the seven minutes for a loonie was lots. We parked for the night in a gravel pit just short of the two waterfalls on the Hay River, that is Alexandra and Louise Falls. The gorge has been eroding around those falls, so most of the walkways were closed. Wednesday featured the short drive into Hay River, I think it was the first trip there for mom, although she remembers going in briefly when we were on our way to Fort Smith one summer. Anyway, we got the full dose of it this time. Mom did laundry, then we toured around looking for a nice spot for the evening/night and we found a beauty right on the big lake, on a nice sandy beach. Some of the sand away from the water gets soft—that’s where I got stuck! Fortunately, I have a small hydraulic jack and I was able to get some relief so we could close the steps, then a generous neighbour came by with his truck and a tow rope and pulled us free—yay! On Thursday, we continued the tour including Lady Evelyn Falls, the crossing of the Mackenzie, and settled for the night on the shore of the river in Providence.

Bison

Friday saw us driving through herds of bison to the newly developed Territorial campgrounds on the North Arm of Great Slave. This was our first time paying for a campsite, but we did enjoy having electricity without running the generator. Saturday, after the usual pancake breakfast, we drove into Yellowknife and enjoyed the reunion with cousin Cindy, who is hosting us to conclude the week—thanks Cindy—great week for sure! Otherwise, the world continues its troubled way; the Orange War continues to rage in the Middle East and the economies of the world continue to suffer as a result. Only the TSX is in the green for the month. MLB was off for the All-Star break; the Blue Jays have now returned to action, but are not playing any better! Riders have the week off, but are in a good position in the Western Conference. 

Erica writes, “Liam arrived back in PA on Sunday night. His plan—work on the upstairs bathroom. We have a number of little projects including repainting. I sent him back for several different sample pots of paint until we found one we all agreed upon. He finished most of the projects and headed back south on Friday. This weekend, he is taking motorcycle lessons. Eric is up north and I joined him on Wednesday. It’s been a busy week.”

Erin has reported of progress in the garden. The tomatoes are developing nicely, 

Looking good!

and onions and chives are growing like weeds. Beans, peas and peppers are developing. Strawberries are a failure so far! Kristian reported finding a dead bird at work. Apparently, it had crashed into the window...

Sigh!

Travis and Joanna are struggling with smoke-filled skies in Thunder Bay. It is a disheartening situation for sure, but the government is spending their energy trying to excuse themselves from blame. They need some substantial rain sans thunder and lighning to douse the fires without starting new ones! Updating the family, Travis notes, "Gemma has completed more than 1/2 of the requirements of being the primary “baby catching” as a midwife. Andrew is just finishing up his 6th straight 12-hour shift as a nurse (so he’s only working 1/2 days)." They are also concerned over their first Pomeranian, Jasmine's health, so we hope they find a solution to that! 

And that's enough for this week. 

Flyin'

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We started the week on the shore of Lake Wascana, living at Erin and Kristian’s. They always host us so well, and I continued to suffer with my cough/cold, so, we delayed our departure another day, and finally took off on Tuesday. We drove through our old hometown of Earl Grey after lunching with Garnet & Debbie in Southey—thanks! We planned to spend the night at the Lions Campground in Lanigan. But, it was full, full of water, full of mosquitos, and full of campers—surprising! We drove on to a previous point I had seen near Plunkett to boondock; it was lovely! On Wednesday, we continued up #2 to Prince Albert where we plugged in for the night at Eric & Erica’s place. They were both up at Stony Rapids, so we did not visit much! On Thursday, we continued to Lloydminster where we boondocked at the Gold Horse casino. They were very welcoming, and even let Wendy win some money from the VLTs. We toured the Lloyd Museum, and Wendy delighted to find an important artifact of civilization—she believes it's an early Kirby!

Granny and the Vac!

On Friday, we moved on to Athabasca, and today got as far as Peace River—just flyin’ I tell ya! There was a time when Wendy drove Dauphin-YK in one run—crazier times for sure! Global politics continue to suffer in the Orange chaos. The war has flared up again in the Middle East, and things have returned to the unsettled phase. The world of sports is seeing the finals of the World Cup and of Wimbledon, but we don't get TV coverage here in the RV. The Riders are thriving in football, and the Jays are doing a bit better lately. We hope they come back from the All-Star break in a winning mode!

Eric writes, "Eric and Erica have been back up in Stony this week working up there. Erica had to head home early to deal with things in Prince Albert for a few days so our schedules don’t match, but we will see each other for a few days at a time. While we were away, we had some company pull their RV into our yard. Liam is planning to be back and forth to PA this summer to do some work finishing the bathrooms. We have not heard from Haaken or Greg/Kiersten this week so hopefully all is well."

Erin and Kristian have been relieved of their hosting duties of Grandma and Grandpa, but have taken on the care and feeding of Kali! Is that a good trade?! Erin has been paying attention to the World Cup, but now that Belgium fell in the quarater-finals, she may have to reconsider the Jays—thankfully, they are playing a bit better. Kristian is assisting at a wedding today of his youth leader at church. Nice recognition, buddy! 

Travis and Joanna celebrated their 17th Anniversary this week—congrats! McCains Deep and Delicious for the win! Otherwise, they always have the four dogs looking for attention, and a regular dose of work. 

The four grand-dogs!

And that's enough for this flight! 

Love!

56 years!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown, while we have travelled westward and are found on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the rain-soaked prairies. We are trying to follow the Three Rule—drive no more than 3 hours a day; arrive by 3pm; stay up to 3 days. On Sunday morning, we enjoyed a fine breakfast with the Knutsons and an uplifting assembly with the local congregation. Then, we resumed our journey west. This time, we were trying to drive at 90 km/h, to see how that worked out. We stopped in Brandon for coffee with Charlie and Bonnie, a nice time for sure. Then, we continued to Elkhorn to visit with Bill and Angie, that was also an encouraging time. We accepted their invitation to spend the night, and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of oatmeal porridge prepared by Bill. They were off early to Brandon to commence the next phase of his treatments. We continued West, driving through my childhood haunts of Fairlight and Wawota and stopping in to see the new camp buildings at Clearview. We found where Bernard and Alicia were camping and enjoyed some wonderful coffee that Alicia had prepared and which matched her description! Then, we drove up to Kennedy where we visited with Ray and Ellen along with Heather and Sydney. And finally, we caught up with Dave and Heather out at their camp and enjoyed a good time of conversation, games, and supper. We retired to the RV for the night and woke in time to have a sumptuous breakfast. Fatefully, that was our last good decision of the day. Wendy was determined that the road to Regina passed through Weyburn. I explained that the path to Weyburn passed through Kisbey. We were both wrong! The road to Kisbey was blocked and led to many kilometres of orienteering, through the back roads, through the MUDDY back roads! Several U-turns later and a many mud holes later, we found another grid road heading down to Forget that allowed us to get to the highway and then onto Weyburn. We enjoyed lunch with Kresten and Star and their kids and a tour of their new house. Then, we were finally able to complete the trip to Regina. we have spent the rest of this week parked in Erin‘s parking lot and enjoying the comfort of her air-conditioned home. Taking into account the muddy roads and driving against prevailing winds, we found no particular difference in fuel usage, but we will keep experimenting! We had a few small projects here, but now we are ready to continue the trip toward Yellowknife. Wendy and I have each picked up a cold, so we were able to bark at each other for our 56th anniversary today! We haven’t decided exactly when we will head north yet, but the plan is for Monday. Otherwise, the world continues its troubled ways, the Orange War flares up from time to time, and the economic situation becomes more dire. The world of sports is profoundly focused on the World Cup, but I still have time to follow the Jays and the Riders both of whom won yesterday, but then the Jays got slaughtered today! 

Erica writes, "Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! We enjoyed a week at the cabin—a place we rented on Emma Lake with our friends, Guido and Tina. It rained for most of the week, but we had some moments to get out on the boat and do some fishing. Of course, the best day was Saturday, our last day! It makes me wonder at the luxury of my youth where we spent most of the summer at a cabin. If we wanted to do that now, we would need another high paying job to pay for it. Economics has definitely changed in the last 35 years. Liam has been with us all week and we have had a few minutes here and there to discuss our house renovations. We had planned to finish up the kitchen this summer, but with Eric's and my new jobs taking us out of town and a few other expenses, we have decided to scale down our plans for this summer, and wait until next summer to finish the kitchen. This summer will be focused on finishing up the two bathrooms and a few other small projects. Eric is preaching this Sunday and all three of us are playing on the worship team. Then, Eric and I return to the north on Monday."

We arrived at Erin and Kristian's place on Tuesday. We all celebrated Canada Day on Wednesday, then they were back to work. I was able to get the downstairs sink working properly—it was plugged with something, but Wendy's Norwex descaler made overnight work of that.

Egg Chair/Trellis Area

Then, I turned to work on the back patio area. I got the flower boxes ready to go, and repaired the trellis. Erin bought new plants, and she planted those, and I laid out the irrigation system. Looks like she is set for another growing/harvesting season. She has already been picking peas, and I see some tomatoes and strawberries ripening. 

Travis and Joanna are managing their own store back in Thunder Bay. They also took care of sending me a package with my compression stockings that I had left behind. Thanks! I did notice leg issues while driving without it, even though we're not putting in long days following the Three Rule! They also take responsibility for tracking us down when we fail to update everyone on our daily activity. Hey, someone has to take responsibility! 

And that's enough for this week. 

We're off!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. This weekend finds us in Carman MB, visiting with Glen & Kim. As I noted last week, I intended to leave on Monday, so we left on Thursday! We drove out through Atikokan to a truck stop near highway 11. We enjoyed the sites, and a tour of the museum in Atikokan. On Friday, we toured along through Fort Frances and Rainy River and up highway 71 to Kenora where we visited our grandson, Greg, and his wife Kiersten—thanks guys! Then, today, we drove into Winnipeg where we found out that Costco only allows you to put $200 worth of fuel into your vehicle! At least, we enjoyed a visit and lunch with Tom & Mariette—thanks! Finally, we drove out to Carman to spend the night with Glen & Kim—more thanks! We plan to continue west and hope to get to Regina on Monday or Tuesday. In these early days of RV travel, I am experimenting with different driving speeds and seeing how that effects fuel usage. We drove to a max of 80 km/h from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg and scored 20.5 L/100km. Now, I plan to test 90 km/h on the next section to Regina. An earlier test at 100 km/h cost 23.9 L/100km. We did manage to clean up somethings around home before we left, and we have a house-sitter to take care of the rest! The markets have remained Thanks Amanda! The Riders lost this week to Toronto—sigh! The Jays are playing poorly still, but we have high hopes all the same. 

Erica writes, "We enjoyed a mostly quiet week at home. Highlight was taking in the Chilliwack concert right here in PA. The bass player is from PA, so that is an interesting factoid. Liam is heading back up today and will enjoy a weekend at the lake with Eric and I and the Stenske’s. Haaken reported that his application for financial support has been approved by Community Living BC, so that will be a good safety net in place for him. We had our Rotary Windup on Monday. I passed on the presidency to another Rotarian; I’m glad to take a break from that. :)"

Kristian has nothing new to report this week. Erin has been extra busy at work as she catches up for her recent days off. The Jays have not been fun to watch lately, so she has enjoyed being able to switch over to the World Cup soccer games for some entertainment. 

Mölkky: look it up!

Travis completed the labels for my Mölkky game, and I have it along with me for the trip—thanks man! And, wonder of wonders, he has been able to retrieve his stolen car. Thanks to his posting about it on several media sites, folks were on the look out, and one noted it and phoned him one morning about 1:30AM. After confirming his action with the police, he was able to go over there and drive it home. "No damage," he reports, "but sadly, they did not fix the muffler, either!" Rosie celebrated her birthday this week. 

And that's about enough for this week! 

Here Comes the Solstice!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown, and brought us to the Summer Solstice—how can it be that daylight is getting shorter already?! My doctor called with feedback on the Sleep Apnea study—I'm sleeping well, which is a bit surprising while having all those probes attached! I have completed the preparations of the RV for summer travel. I hope it serves us comfortably, even while the fuel fills fill our credit card! The electrical is not completely repaired, but the generator is working, and that's the main thing.

Luggage rack

The trailer hitch luggage rack arrived, so I got that installed. That significantly increases our storage space. Wendy still has some choir business to complete before we can leave, while I've been pointing to heading out on Monday—that won't be happening! Our summer house-sitter, Amanda, has moved in. The Orange War continues sporadically. Investors take confidence in the idea that Trump has given up and wants out. Naysayers point to the fact that it was Israel that got him into this mess, and they do not want it to end. So, the markets continue to whipsaw and are failing to gain value. The Stanley Cup playoffs have ended, with the Canes wining it all, as I was hoping. Football continues with the Riders winning in Calgary this evening—yay Riders! The Blue Jays continue to struggle along below .500, and you know that's not good, but they did win today! 

Erica writes, "Eric has started getting some bookings for therapy and learning more about the job. He picked up the truck reserved for mental health therapists, so we have two trucks for a few days. On Wednesday, I took a group from the Ministry out to the clinic where Eric works. I greeted him as I normally would, then explained that I always give the first mental health therapist I see a small kiss! [Seems to be a wise practice!] Mystery Train is playing at the local music festival, Rock-the-Ville at Albertville, so I came back on Thursday. Liam arrived on Friday; we are heading out together on Saturday. I’m hoping to have a couple of recordings to share! Haaken, Greg and Kiersten all are doing well. Haaken continues to work on the pitch bible for the show he is creating. I hope some day he can create it and share it with the public."

Erin and Kristian have been hosting Uncle Travis all week. They went to the Mandalorian/Grogu movie on Wednesday. Kristian had a work party on Thursday evening where he learned to play pool! Erin took the week off work to celebrate her only brother! But she was still pestered with work calls each day! 

Trav eating his pizza;
Kristian heading for seconds!

A good time was had by all until Friday morning when they got news that Trav's car had been stolen back here in TBay. That kind of put a damper on things. It still has not been recovered. Joanna has been enjoying having Gemma home. They, along with Andrew, were over for a celebratory brunch in honour of Joanna's birthday on Thursday. She suffered the same downer as the rest of us on Friday morning when she looked out to see Trav's car was gone! 

And that's about it for this week. 

Beautiful June Days

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. While we have watched in horror as storms raged across the prairies, the weather has been beautiful here, and we are thankful. We have been able to make some progress on several of our initiatives. The back yard fence is progressing, but much remains. The lawns are looking about as good as I have planned—my goal is to allow them to live, but not thrive so much as to require frequent mowing! The rhubarb is ready for picking. I have cleaned the firewood out of the garden area, but we have not intended to plant a garden now for several years as we're planning to be away during most of the summer. We have a house-sitter lined up for those months, who will also take care of mowing the lawns. Wendy had her concert on Monday night, so her choir practices are ended for the summer. The generator has been repaired (I hope) with the installation of a new AVR, but now a fresh concern has arisen over the house battery; it doesn't seem to hold a charge well, so, I'll have to get that tested. It was newly installed just last summer, so this is a bit of a puzzle, and I can assure you, it is not fun crawling underneath there to uninstall it! The on-again, off-again Orange War has the markets whipsawing. We hope that the fighting will end soon. The Blue Jays are getting some players back from the injured list, so, we hope they starting getting better results. This evening, the Riders had their first game of the season against the BC Lions, and won an exciting contest. The Stanley Cup playoffs are through five games and the Canes have the 3-2 lead. This week was the Canadian Open in golf, so I've paid some attention to that. 

Erica writes, "Eric and I are both up north this week. Eric has been getting settled in at Stony Rapids and his new job in Black Lake. Some locals remember their teachers, Mike Koops and Sheena Koops and are pleased to make the connection. He spent three days learning the new job and two days in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) training. It uses eye movement to connect with various parts of the brain during trauma reprocessing. I left him to fend for himself and went up to Uranium City. The place was roughly half the size of Yellowknife in the 80’s. Now it’s a few houses and buildings and a forest that you can drive through and see streets and cul-de-sacs, the remains of houses, fire hydrants and fences through the trees. In one place I could barely make out the roofline of several 3-story apartment buildings. There is a closed and empty high school. In some ways it is sad. But, in another way, it was hopeful to see how the forest has taken back the land—it was interesting to experience. I returned to Stony on Thursday to find that my quiet sanctuary has been taken over. The fridge and cupboards have been filled, and we have to make proper meals again. I kind of enjoyed my quiet evenings of popcorn and bagged salad. On the upside there was a cup of coffee by my bed this morning. That was lovely. I don’t have anything to add from the kids this week, so, I assume they are all well!"

Erin and Kristian braved another thunderstorm in Regina. It included some hail, but that does not appear to have done any damage to their vehicles or their condo. Erin has put in extra time at work this week so she can take a break for Trav's visit next week. Elly has been misbehaving by running away, so she has been banished to indoor locations only! Kristian upgraded to delivering a customer's car and bringing back their loaner. He also scored another work BBQ, and a work supper at the Keg, mmm, good steaks there! 

The big event in the Travis & Joanna family was the double graduation for Andrew and Rosie. They have both completed their Practical Nursing program, so we enjoyed their ceremony yesterday. It was followed by a lovely BBQ dinner and family evening over at their place. Gemma and Jonas are still here, so it was good to catch up a bit with them. They're back to work next week in Vancouver. Travis is set to head to Regina tomorrow to spend a week with Erin and Kristian. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

What is so rare...

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been lovely, with only one too hot day (31°) when we put on the AC and retreated to inside the house! RV preparations have continued; I got the hitch installed yesterday, and I've been working with the mechanic trying to problem-solve on the generator. We put on a new breaker switch, but that didn't produce regular electricity. We have now decided that the AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulator) is the problem, so we have a new one ordered, and expect it to arrive next week. I have finished the side fence, and have moved on to the back. It is higher, so I may need help moving the panels once I get them released.

Back Fence

You can see how much the ground has shrunk away over the years—it may have been fifty years since these were installed, and that gap is higher than Kali. We've enjoyed a couple of fires in the fire pit—shouldn't be long until the mosquitoes arrive! Wendy has been extra busy with choir as their Spring Concert is this coming Monday. There have been practices, extra practices, home practicing, and lots of arrangements to be completed. The markets continue their erratic way in the Orange Days of our Lives! All of them are in the red so far this month with the Nasdaq leading the way down at -5.4%. No one seems able to conclude which way to jump, except for the corrupt insider traders. Football has begun in earnest, but the Riders have this week off. The Blue Jays continue to struggle with injuries and poor performances—C'mon Blue Jays, let's play ball! At least they won today! The Stanley Cup finals are tight at two games to one in the best of seven series.  

Erica writes, "Liam is back in Caronport. We miss him around here. Now it’s back to just Eric and me and we are making plans to go up north next week. This will be Eric’s first trip and he’s doing a lot of thinking about what to take. He also had a doctor’s appointment and several tests and it turns out he’s getting old. We wrapped up the week by renting Song Sung Blue about a Neil Diamond tribute band. It was nostalgic. Greg and Kiersten celebrated their 2nd anniversary on Monday, June 1."

Erin and Kristian had a pretty much routine week. Erin is still short-staffed, so she's having to work extra to keep up. She did pick up hooks for the patio lights and hanging baskets. Now, the gardening boxes are ready for development. Kristian is not finding time to practice golf, so I'm figuring grandpa can stay ahead for one more year! 

Travis and Joanna joined us for cards and cornbread last evening. It was a lovely time, and I have to thank the women for throwing the card games in our favour! Joanna reports that she has finished off one of the African Violets, and that the others are well beyond their life expectancy by this time! Gemma arrived today for a visit. We are all glad to have her home! Puckshots has picked up the photography assignment for the girls' softball league here. 

And that's enough for this week!

This May End!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been beautiful and hot, finally, and I even had the AC on one day here in the house. There is an amazingly brief period between furnace and AC! Outside work has beckoned as I have continued preparations of the RV along with yard work, and the annual battle with dandelions! Both lawns are freshly mowed, which seems to encourage the emergence of yellow heads. The generator in the RV runs fine, but was refusing to produce electricity, so I took it to a local small motors mechanic who seemed to understand how generators work. We put it through its paces, flashing the field, testing the voltage regulator, brushes and stator, before finally concluding that the problem was the breaker switch! I have contracted another firm to put a new hitch on, and that was supposed to be accomplished yesterday, but they ordered the wrong part—maybe next week! I got two more panels done on the side fence—just one more to go there, and then I can move on to the back fence. On Wednesday night, I took part in a sleep study to assess whether Sleep Apnea may be the cause of my high hemoglobin.

19 probes attached, now sleep!!

That was a complicated way to get a bad night's sleep! Wendy has been busy with her usual choir work—they are in the final stages of preparation for their Spring Concert. Wendy has begun the bedding plant program, pricey—used to be able to fill the flower beds with $50! She has also been preparing the guest room for our summer house sitter. We expect Amanda to move in soon, and then take care of things while we're away. The main markets have not done much in the face of the Orange War. Even after that concludes, there will remain a lot of world-wide economic damage to be repaired over the next years. NHL playoffs have reached the finals featuring two teams I did not pick to be there! I'll be cheering for the Canes over Vegas. This is the final weekend of preseason football, but Riders have a bye in week one action, so they will be a bit behind the rest to start the season. The Jays continue to struggle with the injury bug, but are making some headway and had made it back to .500 before their terrible meltdown today! 

Erica writes, "We have enjoyed having Liam home all week. He blessed us by organizing the middle room into usable office space and helped us with other chores around the house. Thank you, Liam! Eric has been attending a conference in Boston, virtually… starting at 6:30 AM! He says it’s worth it. I’ve been working from home and thinking more about central air as the temperatures climb to over 30°. Haaken has continued to work on some paper work to get additional support in BC. We didn’t hear much from Greg this week."

Warm summer evening!

Erin enjoys her patio in the summer, both on sunny summer days, and warm evenings. She has begun a new phase of her work at Taylor Motors. It will involve further upgrading and another promotion—we are so proud of her! Kristian continues his work, and even detailed his mom's car when she was over at the main dealership for some meetings. Kristian writes, "Lately it has been getting slow at work, so, I’ve been working with some of our lube tech workers. I also had my first work bbq yesterday. I got my hands on a cute Lego set that I’ve been waiting for since I saw it come out."

Yikes!

Joanna reports that the African Violets, against all the odds, are still surviving! Andrew has joined Gemma & Jonas in southern Ontario, visiting other grandparents. Joanna's work hours are gradually being reduced as she looks to end her employment there. Travis has been keeping up with his work and lamenting the NHL playoffs along with me. 

And that's enough for this week. 

May we continue?

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been comfortable, but does not have the heat we've been expecting for this time of year. The golf courses are open, but I haven't been out yet, although I have been practicing—it appears my swing is as good as ever!! Sigh! I have continued the preparations of the RV for our first summer of use. It used to have a trailer hitch, but it broke, and was removed, so I'll be replacing that. The generator has failed, but I've found a local electrical shop willing to investigate and repair. The yard is looking green, translation: the lawn mowing season has begun! The perennials are showing themselves, and Wendy is planning the installation of bedding plants. I am enjoying playing in the shop and I am also continuing the major project of rebuilding the backyard fence. The markets remain troubled over the economic issues tied to the Orange War. Now, with the local Iranian neighbours, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates calling for the war to be over, we are starting to be hopeful. The NHL playoffs continue in the semi-finals. I have only one team left, and they are down 2-0 in their series with Vegas. I am cheering for the Habs in the Eastern series against the highly favoured Canes. The Blue Jays are hitting a bit better to match their excellent pitching and are now on a 4-game winning streak. The football preseason is coming to an end: Go Riders Go! 

Erica wrote, "This week in the far north I got to land at the Uranium City airport, as we picked up a board member and then flew back to Fond Du Lac. Along the way I enjoyed beautiful views of Lake Athabasca and some of the sand dunes in the distance. At Fond Du Lac, we stayed at Haley’s Lodge, which is a beautiful home with many rooms… but they were full so we stayed in the addition which was two ATCO trailers. It was a bit like being back at the cabin in reverse as you had to leave the warmth of your bed to make the mad dash back to the main house to use the bathroom. The main dining area was “help yourself” with coffee, juices and various snacks like Dads Oatmeal cookies. When someone asked if they had orange juice, the answer was no, but they have red and purple! So I enjoyed purple juice and a Dad’s cookie! We had some catered meals during our meetings which featured caribou! It really felt like being back in Yellowknife. I returned home on Thursday night. It’s a fun adventure, but it’s also good to be home! Eric has been keeping busy with regular work, teaching for University of Lethbridge, and making plans to start his new job up north with me. Liam drove to Caronport on Tuesday to deal with some business there and then returned to us on Friday for a visit and to play in our worship band. He arrived in time to see Mystery Train play at the Army and Navy!  He is newly single so he has a bit more time to hang out with us old folks. Greg’s big news is he won a bull moose tag for this year’s hunting season. I’ve already started sending in my order for moose meat! We haven’t heard from Haaken, but I’m sure he’s doing well."

Erin and Kristian are enjoying the arrival of warmer weather in Regina. She delights to sun on the patio! Kristian is helping out by working extra time at work while they are short-handed—what a good employee! Erin has also had a remarkable week at work. We are so proud of them! Erin found a way to hang her patio lights: 

lacks a bit of presentation!

Travis and Joanna are keeping up with work and the dogs as per usual. We enjoyed an evening over there for dessert, dogs and hockey! Then, they returned for cornbread and cards tonight—fun! Andrew and Rosie are about to finish up their clinical time before they graduate from the RPN program. Gemma and Jonas are in southern Ontario visiting other grandparents and will end up in Thunder Bay sometime before 10 June. Joanna has bought some African Violets which she is planning to kill off soon! 

and her broccoli sprouts

And that's enough for this week. 

May Long!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Spring has developed very slowly, but the warm weather has finally arrived and the golf courses have opened. We hit a high of 28° yesterday, which is even warmer than I like! It has been a busy week, but Victoria Day weekend has arrived, known locally as May Long! This marks the earliest it can be, but it still marks the traditional start of gardening and camping season. I have unwrapped the camper and brought it out of winter storage and around to the driveway. Since we just bought the RV last November, it is our first time de-winterizing and preparing for summer usage. It had already been winterized before we bought it, so it has been a learning experience for us.

The original awning had long since failed, but we have purchased a new one, and yesterday, we got it installed. I have tried out the fridge, microwave and range. I have hooked up to the garden hose, and flushed the antifreeze out of the plumbing. Then, I connected the water heater and confirmed that operation. I guess I could have tried out the AC yesterday, but that is awaiting another warm day. We are planning a few short local outings, and then planning to embark on a trip to Yellowknife beginning at the end of June. We intend short drives, and one or more night stays at various locations along the way. We expect a little longer stay in Regina, whenever we get there, as I want my mechanic there to check over the vehicle. Wendy has been helping me with the RV, but also doing a lot of gardening, getting the flower beds ready for the perennials to show themselves.

Mölkky

I built a set of Mölkky pins, Wendy painted their faces, and Trav is preparing the number decals. They're supposed to be round, but we'll see how these ones work! The markets continue to confound, but at least they're green so far this month. The Blue Jays are playing poorly, and their star, Vladdy Jr is in a 0 for 22 slump which surely does not help! The NHL playoffs have nearly completed round 2, and, so far, only one of my picks has survived to the final four. 

Erica wrote, "It was a very sad week! After a very exciting on the road win in Everett, the Raiders lost the next 4 games. The season is over, but they did win the division title and they gave us an exciting season. Liam was home for a visit this week. I got to see him before leaving for Stony. His meds have been working and he’s put on some healthy weight! He also suffered through two of the Raider losses. Eric has accepted his half time position at AHA (Athabasca Health Authority). He will start in June. He will continue to work part time with CFS (Catholic Family Services). After some discussion it appears this is actually good for CFS, too. They have some younger people who could grow into their roles, so Eric can continue to mentor them for a bit! Win-win! Kiersten was recognized as a mental health champion—we are so proud of her. I’m continuing to work up north, trying to fix processes and get work caught up. I had the pleasure of working “on-call” as we had several people away in the manager and director level. I got to step in a bit here and there to help where I could—though apparently, I’m not cleared for surgery—LOL! I do have a wee bit of medical training from our visit to Africa!"

Kristian noted that one of his colleagues in the wash bay is off for a few weeks, so they have brought in another worker to help take up the slack. Erin is enjoying the long weekend in Regina despite the weather. While checking out the window, she noticed that some folks are overcoming the new rules on attaching items to the privacy fence! She has similar patio lights, and we're brainstorming a way to hang them over her patio. We had extensions added to the end posts of the fence, and then the lights swagged out from the house, across the yard, and back to the house. It was very nice, but when management replaced the fences, they decreed that nothing could be attached... 

but, they attached their patio lights!

Travis and Joanna remain busy with work and dogs! But their prominent activity in our regard was taking us out for a nice meal at Applebys to commemorate Mother's Day. Joanna and Wendy will be shopping for a new duvet as part of that appreciation. Then, the mothers let Trav and I win at FastTrack for a change! 

And that's enough for this week! 

It is Spring. Isn't it?

A plan originated from Kristian who included the aunts and uncles and grandpa to develop the budget for this year’s Mother’s Day! So, we have been able to do the following for grandma/mom: flowers, a nice dinner at Applebee’s, ice cream at Merla Mae’s and a new duvet! Thank you children/grandchildren for your thoughtfulness! 

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. By this time, we're expecting mid-twenties, but we're not seeing it! Most days were only around 10°, and maybe one day over 20°. I managed a bit of work in the shop and in the yard. I'm preparing the remaining fence sections to become straight, plumb and level. That will keep me busy for the next weeks, I'm expecting. I have begun preparing the RV for our first camping trips. I plan to bring it around to the driveway next week. Wendy keeps too busy with the dogs, and the choirs, and me! We had company one night as friends from Yellowknife were travelling east and spent the night with us. The markets continue to be wildly troubling with hundreds of points up one day, and hundreds down the next. Fortunately, I have managed to remain on quota so far, but I keep wondering whether there's a crash coming! The Stanley Cup playoffs are well into the second round. Although I managed five accurate picks in round one, two of my misses were very bitter as the Oilers and Pens lost, and I had also projected them to win this round! So, I have only two live picks left of the four in this series. Baseball season continues, but the Jays not are playing up to my expectations. 

Big news of the week from PA: Raiders take a one game lead on the opener against Everett on their ice. Game 2 is Saturday night. Erica has been home all week which has been nice. Mystery Train had a gig at Mr. Mike's on Thursday evening—the music was enthusiastically received. She has been preparing for the Rotary annual Lobsterfest Fundraiser which will be held on Saturday night. We hope it will be a lot of fun and will raise funds for Rotary’s community projects! Eric is ironing out the details on his plans to balance two jobs. He also has a temporary third job at the moment, teaching a night class for University of Lethbridge. He’s a busy guy!
Eric adds, "The rest of the family is, I assume, getting ready to shower Erica with love for Mother’s Day!"

Erin writes, "Still busy with month end and still short staffed. But I was invited to Toyota’s annual accounting year end supper on Thursday, so, I got fancy steak two weeks in a row. Last week our software company took the VW managers out. Not sure if I told you that. The job I have is hard and stressful sometimes, but the perks are nice :) And the weather’s getting nicer too. I went outside this morning but it was a bit chilly so came back in.  Kristian asked me to have a movie night for Mother’s Day, with snacks. It's an avatar movie; I didn’t know there was another new one. Should be fun though!"

Travis and Joanna have returned to reality here in the north. I hope they brought warm weather with them.

4 in the bed...

In the interim I have been struggling through with four girls in my bed! 

And that's enough for this week! 

Forever Young!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Our big effort and big feature was our Spring Concert with Silver Sound Choir. It was themed around the song Forever Young, and covered many of what we imagined as uplifting songs.

by the not so young! 

If you click on the poster, it should take you to the YouTube of the concert—see if you pick out your favourite senior citizens, and enjoy! The weather has been cool and rainy until today. Apparently, this is the alternate weather curse for retirees: poor weather all week, and good weather on the weekends! Wendy keeps busy with her choir work and the current batch of dogs! The Orange War continues and has now driven up our fuel price by almost 62%, as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. Another month is in the books and the USA markets have joined the TSX in the green for the year—that certainly helps! The Oilers and Penguins have both disappointed me by losing in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The second round has now begun, and I have two live picks remaining to advance further. The baseball season moves into a second month. The Blue Jays are playing a bit better, but still are under .500, and in third place. I hope that as more players return from injury, they will become more consistent. 

Erica writes, "Liam was here to celebrate Eric's birthday, play drums on worship team, visit his new specialist doctor, and catch up on Reno plans. We enjoyed the visit; it was over too soon. The doctor thinks his results are looking good. He headed back on Thursday as he had an appointment for his new medication back in Moose Jaw. Kiersten, and presumably Greg, celebrated her birthday Friday. I’m told they will continue with a party tomorrow. I was up in Stony for a few days, trying to get yearend transactions entered. When I left PA, it was winter. Upon my return the snow is almost all melted. This was a much nicer return than the blizzard last Friday. Eric has received an offer to work up north in a half time position: 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. He’s been in discussions with his current employer to try make this work. This way we can enjoy this adventure together. On Friday night, we were back at the hockey rink for game 5 of PA Raiders vs Medicine Hat Tigers. Go Raiders Go. Raiders won and lead the series 3 games to 2!"

Erin and Kristian have been carrying on their work as per usual. There has been a major improvement in the weather and they have been able to begin the reestablishment of their back yard functions.

The question of how to hang the patio lights remains up in the air, while the lights do not! Kristian has developed a possible solution that may also provide a option for hanging the planter baskets. 

Travis and Joanna remain on the beach under the hot southern sun. They report temperatures around 30° each day—not my kind of thing, but they enjoy it. 

Oh, look! A hammerhead!

And that's enough for this week. 

Gone to the Dogs!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Travis & Joanna have headed for a warm weather vacation, and we've inherited two energetic Pomeranians: Marigold and Jasmine.

Kali, Jasmine, Marigold

Together with Kali, it makes for quite a busy and noisy household! Wendy got them all groomed and posed this morning! Her next challenge will be to get them all posed in one photo! Our week has been fairly quiet otherwise. Wendy had her usual choir business and practice. We had our Silver Sound practice. I did a bit more work in the shop. I'm sanding the wooden lawn chairs and wondering whether I should be applying a stain or a finish (or both)... The markets had a wild and negative week as reality resumed, at least briefly, over the Middle East chaos. I keep hoping Trump will declare victory and go home, so normal business operations can begin the path toward recovery. It will take many months to clean up that mess—I am not looking forward to the fuel costs for our camper trip this summer! Fuel was 99 cents a litre when this started, got to 158, and has settled at 145 this week. Baseball season continues; the Jays are playing a bit better, but injuries are a big story so far. The NHL playoffs have begun and my picks are doing pretty well except for the two teams I care most about: Oilers and Penguins—sigh! OIlers are down 2-1, and Pens are down 3-1! C'mon guys! 

Erica writes, "I enjoyed another week up north in Stony Rapids. It’s been busy trying to get things wrapped up for yearend and budget prepared. There were no further issues with my apartment. The weather has been bipolar—as I type this I’m in the airport in Saskatoon. The plane couldn’t land in PA. We were advised this was not an issue as we would be flown to Saskatoon, and then bussed to PA. That sounds great, except when we got to Saskatoon there was no bus, no flight agents and no instructions. So, we’ve been calling and talking to multiple people and it sounds like we might have a bus. Some of the people have given up and made their own arrangements, but the rest of us are waiting. This is the fun of travel in the north. By the time the bus showed up our group of ten was only three, so we enjoyed a big coach bus to ourselves. I made it to PA for the first intermission of the Raider game. It’s round 3, game 1 against the Medicine Hat Tigers. We’ve contracted with a local company to come help us with sorting and organizing tomorrow morning. So, I figured I’d better get home." 

Erin and Kristian suffered through another week of wild weather in Regina. They've enjoyed all of that they can stand! Kristian has completed his cat-sitting task. He says things are rather slow at work these days, but it's going okay. Erin just wants Spring to arrive for certain, and let her get operating in her back yard. 

Travis and Joanna got work and business cleared up at home and have headed to warmer climes... poor kids! 

Suffering in the Sun!

And that's enough for this week. 

April Showers

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has turned very nice with several hard rain-showers and the snow is disappearing quickly. The rhubarb is up, the fairways are showing up on the local golf courses, and I'm rehearsing my swing once again! The shovels and snowblower are put away; the golf cart and lawn chairs have been brought out. We got our Spring round of Covid shots on Friday. There have been quite a surge of Covid hospitalizations, so we're glad of the protection. 

Levelling Ramps

I got the levelling ramps built for the camper. The top level fits fairly well on the tires, and you can use 1, 2 or 3 levels, but even at maximum correction, that's only 4.5", so we will need to find fairly flat parking spaces. I'm looking forward to getting it out of the backyard parking space soon, and beginning preparations for our first RV experiences. We hope to make a few local trips before embarking on the big trip to Yellowknife in July. I have also completed one shelving project in the shop, but have plans for two more sets. You can never have enough places to lose your tools and other paraphernalia! The Orange War continues, and Trump keeps trying to find a way out. He continues to make wild claims that many suspect are simply to manipulate the markets! At least all indices are back in the green for the year, so that helps me. The Stanley Cup playoffs have begun, and that will be the big sports story for the next months. Oilers are playing the Ducks, while the Pens are playing the Flyers. Travis runs playoff brackets for multiple family members. We showed our expertise last year by allowing the Dogs to easily win! I'll be cheering for the Oilers and Pens, but I've picked the Avs to win it all. Baseball is active in the early season, but the Jays are not playing well, and are suffering from multiple injuries. I was happy enough to see McIlroy win the Masters, although I was cheering for Rose. 

Eric writes, "Erica flew north this week to an exciting discovery—water issues at the place she stays. Eric is holding down the house in Prince Albert. The Raiders won in four and now we wait for the third round. Snow again this week but it’s melting well." Erica adds, "I had to bunk at one of the other houses due to the broken water pipe. Fortunately, maintenance was already working on the issue and my place was ready for me on Thursday evening. We have an extra statutory holiday this week, but I’m working through so I can take the day back at home."

Erin and Kristian endured another mini-winter in Regina. Kristian was glad to have his new tires providing an extra measure of safety. Kristian has been expanding his work experience into customer service as he takes care of some aspects of their seasonal tire change.

He also has branched off with another gig starting this week: he's cat-sitting! 

Travis had a nice week in Vancouver with Jonas and Gemma, celebrating her birthday week. He got back on Wednesday. She's now getting to an age where she can celebrate for a week, whereas, at our advanced age, we tend to celebrate for a month! Joanna has cut back on her work schedule and enjoys that respite. 

And that's enough for this week. 

Real Spring? Really?

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has improved a great deal, and we've seen double digits above zero, and even nights where it remained above zero. So, we're getting a lot of melting, and we're encouraged, that this, indeed may be Spring! The shipping season has begun, and the salties are arriving for their loads.

Still some left! 

Wendy's choir was moved to Wednesday because of the holiday, but then it was cancelled due to a bomb threat at the school. We had our usual choir practice on Thursday morning. When I ran the RV this week, I found there was some dripping from the kitchen skylight area, so I will need to get that repaired. I have chosen a design for a set of levellers, and have begun constructing those. I will build two sets so I can raise either side, or the front, or the back.

New Toy for Wendy

Wendy was the happy recipient of an Air Fryer courtesy our Indian family in Winnipeg; he was our first student resident downstairs. Now, he's married with a daughter, and has named us as the Canadian grandparents! We enjoy the recognition. Trump seems to think he is a Sith Lord, and threatened the genocide of a civilization this week! The USA is now a terrorist regime, engaging in War Crimes! Fortunately, he backed off, and we've all breathed a sigh of relief, but he's back this weekend with more criminal threats against Iran. The world economies and the stock markets continue to suffer in the turmoil. Basketball ended with Michigan winning the championship. The NHL is in their final few games. The Pens have clinched a playoff spot this week, and the Oilers may do so today. The Jays are struggling under the injury bug which has cut into both the pitchers and the hitters. And the Masters is on—I don't watch much golf on TV anymore, but I still take interest in the majors, and this is the first major of the year. 

Erica writes, "We returned home from the visit to beautiful British Columbia. PA held on until we got home to give us the last (hopefully) blast of winter—an exceptionally large snowfall. Eric got stuck in the alley Wednesday and had to work from home. The snow is rapidly melting now, so we use a canoe to get to the car. We are now watching the second round of the Raiders playoffs. Erica points out that Cootes (Canucks draft pick) is in the playoffs, but the Canucks are not. Raiders won their first game last night. Greg & Kiersten news: Kiersten is presenting at a conference in Toronto later in April. Liam is wrapping up classes soon. Mercedes is working. Haaken is doing some paperwork that hopefully will help address some of the supports he should have already had." 

Special Detailing Client for Kristian!

Erin and Kristian are enjoying the nice weather in Regina, but not before they had another Alberta Clipper blast through. Erin got the new tires for Kristian's car, and also had it serviced over at VW. Kristian is busy with some Spring clean up around home for the cat area. He also bagged up the SarCan recycling and hauled that over there.

Two Ton Garden Box

The backyard is pretty much all thawed out, but now they face the challenge of getting the garden boxes moved back into place by the new fence. Erin estimates their weight at two tons! [She USED to be good at math!]

Travis, Joanna, Andrew and Rosie joined us for an Easter family supper on Monday evening. As usual, we closed the evening with a high stakes FastTrack tournament, and the Men fought back from a two-game deficit to win it in five! Jasmine is pretty much healed and back to normal. Their back yard track meets are just about over, although we still have lots of snow in Thunder Bay. Travis is out in Vancouver this weekend, visiting Jonas and Gemma in preparation for her birthday next week! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Showers!

He is Risen! He is risen, indeed!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We have moved into April, and as noted in the canon, “April showers bring May flowers!” That forms the backdrop of my contention that all precipitation falling in April through October is rain, so it is not a surprise that we’re have a white, fluffy rain shower today. The milder weather finds me puttering about a bit in the shop. I have a few projects on the go, with the most pressing one being a set of levelling blocks for the camper—shouldn’t take long once I choose a design. Wendy has her unusual level of business (makes me tired just to watch!), along with the two choirs. This week she prepared batches of peanut butter-chocolate-marshmallow fudge, and some butter tarts—mmm, frozen butter tarts! Otherwise, we did make a side trip on Thursday to LifeLabs as we both had some bloodwork due. We are deeply distressed by the melon felon’s war in the Middle East. It seems no atrocity is too dastardly for him and his henchmen. Of course the markets remain distressed as a result. Through the end of March: TSX: +4.4%; DOW: -2.9%; S&P: -4.7%; Nasdaq: -7.6% As a result, my ETF plays on the USA indices are losing money, and only my TSX plays are keeping my head above water. In the world of sports, Basketball is completing the championship run with Michigan taking on UConn in the final. NHL is completing the regular season with more teams clinching or being eliminated regularly. My Oilers have ascended to top spot in their division, but it’s a tight race. The Penguins are also holding down a playoff spot. The Leafs have been eliminated from the playoffs. The Blue Jays started the season well, with a strong pitching staff, but have stumbled since with underwhelming hitting, sloppy defence and injuries. C’mon Jays! 

Erica writes, “We are out in Victoria this week, visiting family. We also had an appointment with BC Community Living to get some support for Haaken. Eric has an interview for a half time job in Stony Rapids with AHA. Hopefully he is successful and then he also works the same weeks I am up there! Eric has been watching curling with Sheena. They are cheering on team Canada, and I hear they are doing well. Liam and Mercedes are doing well. Mercedes got a job with Brown’s Social House in Moose Jaw. Nothing to add from Greg and Kiersten.”

Erin and Kristian enjoyed an extra dose of winter in Regina. They are very ready for better weather. Kristian is looking forward to getting new tires for his car. Erin has the service folks at work on the assignment. Erin has had a busy week at work, but she’s enjoying a quiet long weekend. 

Joanna has returned from southern Ontario, but has brought her concerns for her mother’s health with her. It seems they will need to consider changes to her level of care. Trav made a quick tour to Winnipeg for the AEWrestling event there. We have plans to get together for a celebratory turkey dinner over the weekend, sounds like it will be on Monday. We’re always glad of those events. 

And that’s about enough for this week. 

Spring

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been decidedly spring-like with some melting each day and a few snow showers to add to the sloppy mess. We had Marigold over for a few days; she and Kali formed quite a sloppy, sandy, muddy pair by the time they got back from a walk. We had our usual choir and chorus rehearsals, and I tried out the new cornbread moulds!

Individual Cornbreads

Travis came by to try out the cornbread! I had my dental cleaning last week, and Erika, my hygienist, took note of what might be a chipped tooth, so I’m scheduled to go back next week to see the dentist. The Orange War continues to trouble the economy of the world. The TSX has rebounded into the green, but the USA indices are all in the red, with the Nasdaq down over 10% this year. So much winning! With the damage he has done, I expect it will be a long time before the Oil prices return to normal. Gasoline is now up 49.5% here since he attacked Iran. Einarson lost the Curling World Championship to Switzerland, and her team has now broken up. There are many teams going through a transition as we begin another Olympic Quadrennial. Some players are retiring from competitive curling, so we’re expecting a very different slate of teams come Fall. The Men’s Championship has now begun, so I’ll have another busy week! Our rep, Dunstone, started off with two wins, but lost to Scotland today. The regular season has begun in baseball, and my Jays have opened with dominant starting pitching and two wins. NHL is down to the final ten games. Pens and Oilers are still holding playoff spots, but nothing is locked down yet. March Madness continues, but without my Jayhawks. After this weekend’s action, it’s down to the final four. 

Erica writes, “I spent this week in Saskatoon at the AGM for my work. I enjoyed meeting our board members and the community leadership. It was a good week. Eric came over on Thursday, then, on Friday we flew to Calgary to hang out with Margaret and her WFG (World Financial Group) crew.”

Erin writes, “We had a surprise mini winter this week, but it’s back to spring today. I took Friday off just for a break. Next week is going to be very busy with month end while my good accounting girl is still helping out at Audi. I’m also starting to train one of the other part time receptionists to help out with payables. And my Jays have started the season on a winning note!” Kristian reported that diesel price has jumped 50 cents per litre in Regina, but his car only needs a fill up about once a month. 

Joanna was down to Toronto for most of the week to care for her mother. Travis was taking extra care of Jasmine who had her spaying surgery this week, so we took care of Marigold for a few days. 

And that’s enough for this week.