Solidarity Forever!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown, bringing us into September. We have been enjoying fine weather with a few showers and a couple of breezy days. I've kept busy watering the new lawns, and hoping for successful germination of the newly sown seeds. I have also engaged in more clean-up and trim around the yard, and am planning the next projects in the shop. Wendy has continued her recovery, and is doing well. She resents the forced inactivity, and chafes against the restrictions to her plans. However, she takes some consolation at the prospect of improved health in the near future and over the longer term. I had an appointment with my doctor on Tuesday over my hearing issues. She noted wax build-up in both ears, and has prescribed oil drops each day until next week when I can get them flushed out at her office. We hope this will help. The markets have continued to be troubled over the prospects of severe rate hikes. Strong economic data both sides of the border have exacerbated the issue as we are once again in the time of "Good news is bad news"! Economists here are predicting a soft landing, while USA pundits are calling for the economy to be forced into recession to combat inflation. In any case, it has made for falling markets, and I have, once again, sold out of my speculative holdings. In the world of sports, college football has started and I enjoyed watching the Sooners win their first. Riders play the Bombers tomorrow in the Labour Day game—a tough assignment for the Riders! The Jays are still not playing up to my expectations and are barely hanging on to a playoff spot. Still, they're playing meaningful games in September and that's always a good team goal. In world women's hockey, we'll be playing our arch-rival USA in the gold medal game tomorrow. 

Erica writes, "Eric’s niece, Marina, is here for a visit this weekend. My work gave us an extra day off on Friday—so I have a four-day weekend! I had a talk with the city this week about our back lane that isn’t a lane. We can organize our neighbours to agree with making the lane legal, which might mean some expense, or we can build a storage building with an overhead door. We also have a request in with SaskEnergy to get our gas line marked. That should happen next week. So hopefully we can design an appropriate storage building. We haven’t heard much from the boys." 

Kristian has begun another year of schooling. One of his classes this semester is Construction, so, I can see that I shall soon be unemployed in that regard! Erin has worked through some plumbing issues, thanks to Shawn. Her main floor half bath had developed a leak, but all is well again. 

Travis and Joanna keep busy with the Ulrich Design contracts, with the family and with the pets.

Two Sad Boys!

The boys have been "to the vet to get tutored" as Larson put it! Darby is also suffering with a sore leg, and is on medication for that—hard to see in a pup! 

And that's about enough for this week! 

Developments at Home!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been favourable, and we've settled back into life here. The schedule of our return was to accommodate Wendy's surgery. She had pre-op on Tuesday and surgery on Thursday. She is now in the recovery stage, and is doing very well. She still takes some pain-killers, but at a lower pace than was prescribed for her.

Filling in the low spots

I have spent most of the week working on the lawns. I got a load of topsoil for the front lawn as it had developed some unwelcome contours due to being built on muskeg. I have it level again, but still need to reseed part of it where the added soil is too deep to expect the old grass to grow through. Then, I also scored some sod to fill in the trampoline cut-out in the back lawn. The markets were troubled all week as investors anticipated what the central bankers might do, and what Powell would say in his speech at Jackson Hole on Friday. He spoke for eight minutes and knocked over a trillion dollars out of the stock market on that day alone! Needless to say, it was not a good week for me in the markets! In the world of sports, the Blue Jays came off the road winning series over the Yanks and the Sox. Now, they need to get busy on their home-stand where they just suffered two shutout losses. The Riders beat BC last night—yay Riders! Women's World Hockey is on from Denmark, and Canada is one of the favourites as usual. 

Erica writes, "Liam finished up his work at camp and is back in Caronport. He is planning to spend another year with RU. We are enjoying the last few weeks of summer. I enjoyed a work party out at Elk Ridge and Waskesiu. Eric is enjoying the quiet before the storm. He expects this fall to be busy. We had a quick chat with Haaken and he is doing well, and Greg continues to heal. That’s about it for us." 

Erin and Kristian are closing off summer with a nice break. Kristian is finally home after four weeks at camp this summer. He enjoyed it all a great deal!

The multi-driver!

Erin got some days off this week, so on one of those Kristian took her golfing. He brags that he was able to drive her out to the course without her becoming scared! They rented a cart, so he got to drive to the course, on the course, and also at each hole! They are also preparing for school to start next week. 

Travis and Joanna are quite busy with Ulrich Design business already. Prospects are for a busy year as things return to normal. We hope there are no flies in that ointment! Trav has been working all week on software installs for the new printer. He had to buy a new laptop to accommodate that, and as is often the case, it's more complicated than the sales agent suggests! 

And that's about it for this week. 

Home Again!

Another week has passed and we have migrated from Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies by the Red River on the edge of the prairies to Lake Superior in the Precambrian Shield! The trip went well except for a weather hiccough on Thursday when my proposed golf game got rained out! We drove to Winnipeg on Tuesday, and enjoyed the hosting by Tom & Mariette—very thankful! We were able to have short visits with some other friends in Winnipeg. Then, we completed the trip to Thunder Bay on Friday. We were just in time to help Gemma and Jonas pack up for their trip to BC. We were very glad of the chance to say good-bye and wish them well in their new endeavours. Now, we're engaged in the process of moving back into our own house and yard. Gemma took care of the lawn (actually, Jonas did that!), but we'll need to catch up with the garden and climbing vine—both have been growing exuberantly! The neighbour's shrubs, raspberries and vine are also encroaching on the side of the driveway. We also have surplus items from Gemma to work through. Some of those will be welcomed to our collection of stuff, others will be passed along to Travis/Joanna, and some will be discarded. Investors have been wavering this week as central bankers have responded to the less dire inflation data with reaffirmation of their plans to raise interest rates. Still, I was able to achieve quota once again. In sports, the Riders put up a dismal display against the Lions and were beaten soundly at home—c'mon Riders! The Blue Jays have turned it around a bit, winning four straight to end the week. In the World Junior Hockey, Canada squeaked the gold medal over Finland in OT! 

Erica writes, "Eric got curious this week and decided to take down a small part of the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom. We were hopeful it was just wall board instead of lath and plaster. What we discovered was—it is both! We, also, now know how they made the smooth curved inside corners in the ceiling. The wall board was nailed in place over the corners, creating the curve. I’ve started experimenting more with intermittent fasting with the diet doctor. I’ve added in a few 42-hour fasts. The first longer fast was pretty easy as it was right after the fabulous meal at Mabel Hill. The last two have been more challenging. However after the most recent fast, I had very little pain and stiffness in my hands. (For those who are concerned, I am taking some vitamins and minerals and regularly meet with my diet doctor counsellor to make sure I’m being healthy) I’ve also noticed an improvement in my energy. Liam concludes his work at camp this week. We hope to see him up in PA sometime soon. Haaken is doing fine in BC, still hoping for a positive response to his job application. Greg is continuing to heal out in Kenora. (For those who don’t know, Greg came to live with us when he was 15 and is another son to us.)" 

Kristian enjoyed another week at camp, taking in Creative Week. He declared it was the best of the four weeks he spent at camp this summer.

He likes to draw!

Erin enjoyed having the house and pets to herself, although work was not so trouble-free since her office was short-staffed, and Erin had to keep up with multiple assignments! Good thing she's not just a great employee, but also very clever! 

Joanna is hosting her sister up from Toronto. Travis has purchased another printer after using parts of his oldest printer to repair number two. The new printer basically provides the same functionality as the earlier two, but has a much greater productive capacity. The flood of orders that have begun arriving is keeping them busy, and portends a regular season of business this year. That would certainly be a welcome return to normalcy for them. Andrew is doing better, but has decided not to start college in the fall semester—get well first! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Ready for Home!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. Our time here for this trip is drawing to a close, so we're trying to complete projects, clean up and pack up with the anticipation of heading home next week. Wendy is still working on the basement here at Erin's, but the painting is completed, the ceiling of the main floor has been bleached, and significant progress has been made both on the main floor and the basement. I got out for a final golf game with Dale on Thursday. I didn't golf consistently, so I wasn't happy with that, but I enjoyed the game anyway!

Lookin' Good!

We visited with Dad regularly—he is thriving at Selo Gardens. We enjoyed Thursday evening at Don & Sandra's for coffee and Canora Poppyseed Cake! Today, we celebrated Erin's birthday with cheesecake and another round of golf with Erin and Kristian. The markets were green this week, and I managed a full monthly quota just this week. Apparently, holding the inflation rate flat for the month of July was enough to encourage investors that the central bankers will not be as aggressive with interest rate increases. Thanks Uncle Joe! Year over year inflation remains much too high, so, I'm still expecting harsh rate increases in the near future. In sports the Riders had the bye week, and tonight, they showed the benefit of that as they won an away game in Edmonton. Blue Jays have added some players during the trade window, but have not been performing well lately. 

Erica writes, "I spent the week up in La Ronge and Eric made do on his own. I got some good news of a promotion at work! I’m very thankful. Eric is preaching this week and we are are on for worship team this Sunday, as well. We haven’t heard much from the boys, but they all seem to be doing well. We haven’t heard any news yet on Haaken’s job application so please keep praying for him."

Kristian has been at home this week. He has been helping Grandma with the downstairs work, and taking me for drives to prepare for this driver's test.

Happy Birthday!

Erin is preparing for her birthday by adding a new barbecue and an egg chair to the back deck. Nice! Kristian and I put those new purchases together for her. He's heading back to camp this weekend for Creative Camp Week at Kenosee. 

Okay, what comes next?

Travis and Joanna took an opportunity for a holiday trip to Minneapolis. Looks like they had a good time. Gemma is taking care of the animals and both houses, even as she packs up and prepares to head west. It sounds like Andrew is feeling a bit better. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Another week of Adventure!

Another week has passed, and we have travelled from the shore of the North Saskatchewan in Sherwood Park to the shore of the North Saskatchewan in Prince Albert to the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. As the last weekend turned, we were enjoying a family reunion in Sherwood Park, featuring much visiting and fun, and three rounds of golf! I enjoyed it all immensely thanks to the planning and preparation provided by Scott, Dolly and Tori. Great job, folks! We are already looking forward to the next reunion being considered for Dallas. We closed the weekend with a sloppy round of golf on Monday. The course had endured 35mm of rain on Sunday, and often required a lengthy trek to get out of the casual water. It probably should not have been played on at all, but we matched the course with some sloppy play of our own, and still had a good time! Then, on Tuesday, we drove over to Prince Albert to adjust the front and back gates, only to be greeted by other issues! The city (no fault of the city, thank you very much) had got sand into the water supply, and it had plugged up several lines. It seemed whichever lines that were used first after the sand incident were plugged. So, the upstairs bathroom sink had no water coming out of either the hot or the cold side; and the washer had no supply from the cold side, and limited supply from the hot side. I was able to open up connectors and get the lines cleaned out. Then, I cleaned out the screens, and all were working well when we left. Then, on the drain side, even bigger problems. It's an old house, and we've seen issues with the drain lines before. It seems the plumbers forgot one of the basic rules of plumbing, "It doesn't run up hill!" The upstairs bath sink drain was plugged when they first moved in. Turns out it had drainage capacity about the size of a pencil! So, that's been replaced with a catch bucket! This time it was the kitchen sink that wasn't draining. We suspected the sand may be interfering there, but it turned out it was exacerbated by an uphill drain there, too! We did manage to get it to flow part way, but the old iron part of the line was completely clogged, so I cut it off, only to have the sewage water flow back at us! Yuck, that's not supposed to happen! So, I built a new connection for that into the 4" drain from the main floor bathroom. Now, it's running happily again. The plumbing work was unanticipated, but sorely needed.

I can see some light!

I planned to check the gates I installed last summer, and make adjustments. Both were rubbing a bit, so I adjusted them, and they're swinging freely once again. We had less success on the garage building front. The city claims the back lane that's been in use by the city for over 60 years, is not, in fact, a legal lane! The city says it's property of the lots behind the Bailey house, and they won't give a building permit that involves driving over someone else's property. Stay tuned! On Wednesday night, the Bailey's took us out to eat. It was a meal unlike any I've ever anticipated or experienced—truly fit for a king! I am unable to recall how many courses there were, nor the number of items for each course. It was at a place named Mabel Hill in Nipawin where they focus on farm-to-table menus. I recall wings, ribs, steak, new potatoes, green beans, arugula, many sauces whose names I've forgotten. It ran on for about three hours and was capped off by coffee and two desserts! Wowsers! Thank you, Eric/A—it was certainly an over-the-top experience for us! On Thursday, we drove down to Regina, where we are now hosted by Erin & Kristian. Investors are at a stage where good news is bad news, and thus they responded to the excellent jobs data from the USA by selling stocks, as it raised the fear that the FED would feel free to raise interest rates by 0.75%! So, it was not a good week overall, but the TSX has come in on my charts, so I'm working on a shopping list of stocks to consider next week. The Riders have this week off to lick their wounds; we hope they come out firing next week. The Jays are doing well, and added some players at the trade deadline, so we anticipate their good results will continue. 

Erica writes, "We started out the week in Edmonton at the Ulrich reunion. We made a motorcycle trip of it and clocked over 3000 km. By the end we were able to do up to 2 hours at a time! We made it home on Monday, just in time to get ready for some family. Mom and Dad stopped for a two days and upon their departure our kitchen sink, bathroom sink, washing machine, back fence gate and maybe front fence gate are all fixed. In addition we have started a minor fight with city hall! Imagine what could be accomplished in a week! We also enjoyed a wonderful meal at Mabel Hill in Nipawin. Liam had a specialist appointment this week and found that many of his levels have returned to normal but he still has a lot of inflammation in his bowel. We had a quick chat with Haaken and he has applied for another animation job. We hope he gets it! Please pray for his success. Greg continues his program of healing. He is working on writing a novel and drawing, both of which he enjoys and also help him recover from his brain injuries. We hope and pray for his continued healing." 

Kristian is home from camp this week and next, but then plans for a fourth week at Kenosee for the Creative Camp beginning on the 15th. We plan to begin heading east then, so it works out well. He is at the Exhibition today with the school group for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing. It's nice that they keep sponsoring social events for the crew. Erin has been very busy with monthend accounting after a holiday Monday put them a little behind. Today, she and her mother went shopping for plants and flowers for the back yard and to take inside for the winter. They look good! 

Travis has rebuilt his main speciality printer, so he's up and running once again. Andrew continues to ail, and is a concern for all of us, especially his mother! Gemma is caring for our house and yard, wrapping up her time in Thunder Bay and preparing to move to Vancouver. Busy times for all of them! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Special Days!

Another week has passed and we have continued our wanderings away from our hometown. The weather has been hot, hot, hot in the Okanagan where we spent the early part of the week. It has been more comfortable here in Edmonton where we have ended the week. On Wednesday, we took a 3.5 hour pontoon boat ride on the Okanagan sharing remembrances, sharing the sights that John loved so much, and finally dropping his ashes into the Okanagan. It was a special time for sure. We were able to share it with family and friends, and particularly were delighted to spend some days with dear friends Warren and Evelyn in their Vernon home. After that we turned our wheels north and east for a two-day drive to Edmonton. Eric/A were supposed to ride along with us on their bikes, but they ran into tire troubles north of Kamloops and were a day late getting here. We're enjoying the hospitality of niece and nephew, Dolly & Scott, along with our niece Tori. They are hosting more of the family at a reunion here. The food, fun and activities have been plentiful and meaningful. We capped off today with fireworks and a birthday celebration for Scott and myself. Thanks folks! Eric/A is here with us; and I heard from Erin and Travis & Joanna, so it was a complete family remembrance—thanks. Kristian has been at camp all week as a camper this time. We enjoyed a golf game today, and plan for more over the weekend. The markets continued their upward momentum and I was able to achieve a monthly quota for only the second time this year—it helps! The Blue Jays are playing better, but are not cutting into the Yankee lead at the top of the division. The Riders are not playing well at all—dropping their postponed Sunday game to Toronto, and then dropping another on Friday to the BC Lions. Changes are needed there! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Heading West!

Another week has passed and we have moved west to the shore of the South Saskatchewan River on the western edge of the prairies. We opened the week at Glen Elm in Regina, where I was the featured speaker. Then, we took Kristian down to Kenosee for his second week as Junior Counsellor. We got to meet quite a few old friends there at the camp. Then, we headed back by way of Weyburn, so we could take in a visit with Aunt Ruby. I don't think she knew who we were, but she made a great show of chatting with us anyway!

Dad & Mom's Marker

We stopped by the cemetery where Mom and Dad's marker is. Then, we drove back to Regina. An early storm this week cancelled the Tuesday morning golf, but I was able to get out Thursday with Dale and Garnet—very enjoyable! 

Wendy has completed the painting,

Cat Approved!

I built a planter from the pallet lumber and the scaffolding 2x4s,

Planter from Pallet Wood

and we also cleaned up another couple of projects. Now, we're on our way to Vernon BC. It has been a good week. We've been able to get down to visit with Dad each day. He is doing well. The markets have whipsawed, as has been too common lately, but at least we gained some good value this week, and I'm back on quota for the month. Baseball was off for the All-star game, but the Blue Jays have returned to action with a bang—28-5 over Boston! They also won today! Yay Jays! The Riders have crashed to earth in more ways than one. They lost to Toronto in the Touchdown Atlantic game, and they returned home with 13 players and 5 staff in Covid protocol, with both #1 and #2 QBs sidelined! Their game has been pushed back one day as they expect to get enough players off protocol to field a team tomorrow, however #3 is listed as the starting QB—c'mon Riders! Makes you wonder what it will take for people to take Covid seriously again. We've met plenty of people in the last couple of weeks who seem to be taking no precautions at all, but our hospitals are filling up with the unvaccinated, and "elective" surgeries are back on hold! Sigh! 

Eric and Erica have joined us in Medicine Hat on their trip to Vernon. They are riding their bikes—quite a trip. Today, we met with them in Swift Current, and also with Liam at Maple Creek on our way west. He is recovering from his basketball accident, and continuing to work at camp out there. At least he reports improved health, and for that we are grateful. 

Erin has been hosting us all week while we work on projects at her house. She is glad to see the painting completed, but has ideas for more projects there as well. Kristian has been away at Kenosee all week where he is working as Junior Counsellor. He reports another good week, and is looking forward to two more weeks there as a camper. 

Travis and Joanna are about ready to produce a book on Bringing Up Puppies! It looks like they're having lots of fun with the boys! Andrew had a medical scare, and is currently under doctor's care to determine the cause the remedy for his illness. We anxiously await an update there. 

And that's about it for this week. 

Hot enough for ya?!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. The weather is very hot with frequent thunderstorms from the daytime heating. We had an alarming time early in the week as we came in contact with potential covid infection. I isolated until Tuesday and our contact was able to report seven days clear testing results. Except for that interlude, we have been able to get down to visit Dad each day, and Wendy was able to carefully visit even those days as she had not had the close encounter I had had. I have managed to get out for three golf games, timing them to be through by about 10:00 before it gets uncomfortably hot. The golf went well, and, even better, I was able to walk three games with only one day of recovery between each—encouraging! Wendy has completed two stages of painting, so I have been able to remove all scaffolding now, and she has only the lowest six feet to complete. I am considering what to build with the now-surplus pallets, but first it needs to cool down outside. I have no interest in working outdoors in 35° weather. We got the windshield replaced in our car on Friday. It had one major stone chip, and a lot of pitting. We hope the new one survives our the rest of our trip! I am scheduled for another 6am golf game on Tuesday, and then, we'll need to prepare for our trip west. Investors reawakened their fears of recession as the Bank of Canada raised the prime rate by a full percentage point. The markets lost value this week, and so did I. The Riders lost their game this week to Toronto. It certainly was a winnable game, but a late pick-six proved the difference. Let's go Riders! The Blue Jays have been on a downer, losing 9 of 10 games at one stretch. C'mon Jays! 

Erica writes, "We are starting to get glimpses of the long range weather for our trip to BC. So far it is looking pretty good, if a bit hot, for a motorcycle trip. We have parcelled out our trip into shorter days so we can hopefully avoid the heat of the day and work within the confines of our middle aged bodies! Five hours on a bike is fun, but more then that and my legs turn to jelly! 

With audio chat up to 1.2km—Nice!

We ordered new helmets last weekend and are picking them up today. The bikes have been serviced and new back tires get installed on Monday. The current tires are pretty bald. Unless the weather changes to storms the whole way, we plan to ride out to Vernon over four days for Uncle John’s memorial, and then take two days up to Edmonton for the Ulrich reunion. Liam is still working at the camp near Maple Creek. He has been affected by allergies like his mom and dad. Eric is doing some proofreading for his brother Neil. Haaken got a new bed this week. Greg continues to work on healing."

Erin continues to put us up in her basement—we're liking that. Wendy keeps working on painting and other renovations. The stained ceiling is now stain-free. It's amazing what a bleach spray can do! Kristian has been at camp all week working as a junior counsellor. He reported that the kids behaved well, and most of them sang the group songs. He got back Friday night. He and Erin took me golfing this morning. Very enjoyable! 

Travis, Joanna, Gemma, Andrew and an assortment of animals remain behind in Thunder Bay. We get frequent reports on the progress and misbehaviour of the puppies—what a pair! Gemma cares for our place, and manages our mail. Thanks! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Into the Dog Days!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. I started the week with an appointment for my car to have the A/C looked at. The A/C wasn't functioning this spring, but I did a DIY recharge before we left, and we had a cool trip! Dave & Rich had recommended a local mechanic, so I took it there. He checked it over, pronounced it fit, and never even charged us. He could not find any leak even with the dye in the coolant I used. The weather is heating up, and producing the usual range of uncomfortable days followed by thunderstorms. We are comfortably ensconced in Erin's basement here in the Queen City, and making good progress on her painting assignment! We collected some pallets, salvaged some other lumber, and only had to buy very little materiel. Then, Kristian and I built the scaffolding so Grandma could reach the 18' ceiling in the stairwell. 

Working on the 12' Platform!

Wendy has completed tier 1 on the 12' platform, and, this morning, I reassembled the scaffolding just 6' off the floor. She has begun repair work at that level, and soon will be priming and painting there. At least, with the stairs, the area-to-be-painted is reduced as she descends! 

Tier 2 Work has begun!

I picked the rhubarb at 55 Laird and prepared a crisp. We picked up some soft-serve ice cream from Dairy Queen, and Dad really enjoyed the treat. (We did, too!) I did a repair job on Kristian's bar stool. It's one that we salvaged from the dumpster. It had a broken lower rung, and that appears to have been the issue that got it thrown away. It serves nicely at the island eating bar for him. The markets have been slowly, and not-at-all surely, turning around. I managed to make quota this week, and two of my targets are getting close to my buy-line! The Riders won again this week, this time over Ottawa—yay Riders! The Blue Jays are not flying well at all, as they dropped five straight to fall back, but still in a playoff position. The main issue seems to be injuries to the starting pitching. 

Erica writes, "Liam tested out his Ulrich genes with an attempt at a basketball dunk. Turns out he’s more Bailey than he thought. He sprained his left wrist, but at least did not suffer another break. Good thing, as he is left-handed. Greg is doing some writing with his time off. He trying to write a novel. He gets feedback from beta readers. We hope this is enjoyable for him and helps with his mental rehabilitation. Haaken is doing fine out in BC. I golfed at a Texas Scramble tournament today and enjoyed myself. My team was amused with my game of a 9 iron and putter. But I managed to get a couple of best balls in the short game. So, I feel good about that. We enjoyed a new-to-us restaurant in Nipawin last week. It’s a farm-to-table eatery featuring locally grown food. It was a good time with good friends."

Erin has had a busy week at work, but that has been considerably aided by having an extra vehicle around to attend to some of Kristian's appointments. Kristian and I got out golfing once—fun times for sure! Kristian had medical appointments and a haircut in preparation for his next three weeks at camp. We look forward to hearing how that goes. 

Travis, Joanna and crew are holding down the fort back in Thunder Bay. Gemma is managing our place—thanks. The pupsters keep growing, and, somedays, improving! Today, Trav & Joanna celebrated another Anniversary—Congratulations! 

And that's about it for this week. 

Happy Canada Day!

Another week has passed, and we have migrated to the shore of La Rivière Rouge, and then onto the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. We have established residence here at Erin & Kristian's for the next while. I played nine holes of golf on Monday, my first play of this season. It was not pretty, but I did finally manage one par, and even better I was able to walk, which led to my attempt at 18 holes on Thursday at the Fly-In Club in Steinbach. I was very pleased to manage to walk 18 holes, and I also played better, so a very satisfactory experience. We enjoyed two nights in Winnipeg at Tom & Mariette's place—thanks folks. I was also able to make contact with Dean, Kelly and family. Dean golfed with us on Thursday! I got to catch Cassie's pitching, and was delighted to see how well she is progressing. In summary, we finished our obligations in Thunder Bay on Monday and Tuesday, then headed west on Wednesday, and arrived in the Queen City on Friday! 

Front door from inside

Today, we have started preparing for the renos here. We picked up some pallets to use for the scaffolding so Wendy can paint. Otherwise, I have completed three months now out of the markets except for my dividend stocks, and still I manage to lose money! I surely look forward to when the markets turn upward again. In sports, Colorado finished off Tampa Bay to win the Stanley Cup! The Riders regrouped from the beating by Montreal and returned the favour tonight—Yay Riders! The Jays are struggling with injuries, but are holding up pretty well. 

Erica writes, "Eric’s week at work has been chaotic. They are trying to hire more people, as with summer there are more referrals and no shows and it’s just part of the season. I finished up the week and am ready for a few days of sleep. It has been a busy month and season. I picked up a book on how to learn Danish by reading. So, now that summer has come, maybe I’ll have time to check it out. Haaken, Liam and Greg are all doing fine, celebrating Canada Day across half the country. We celebrated Canada Day with our friends, the Stenskes. It was supposed to be an outdoor BBQ, but it rained. So, we played guitar, uke-banjo and ukuleles around the living room table instead of the fire pit."

Erin and Kristian spent some time getting ready for their summer guests and we're thankful to have a place to settle in comfort. We're enjoying them and their animals! Wendy has started preparations for the painting project here. 

Trav & Joanna, Gemma & Jonas, and Andrew sent us off with a lovely barbecue and pizza supper. Gemma will be in charge of Kensington Manor while we're away. We're certainly glad to have her there. Gemma & Jonas plan to move to Vancouver mid-August. We wish them well! Andrew is working at Superstore and readying himself for school in the Fall. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Summer!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Summer projects have the house and yard looking great, and we wonder why we are heading out on a summer trip instead of staying here to enjoy the place!

The House in Summer

Deck, Back Yard, Yard Girl! 

Gemma will be taking care of the place while we're away, and we're glad to have her manage that. Wendy has completed the staining on the lower deck, and done lots of weeding. I have rebuilt the picnic table, but there's still some trim work to do there. The markets have continued to be troubled, but late in the week took a green tack as a new thesis has taken hold: it holds that the rate increases and monetary tightening by the FED will drive the USA into a recession, so the result will be that they don't raise rates so much after all! In sports Colorado has Tampa Bay on the brink, but the Bolts are still fighting—game six coming up on Sunday! The Riders took a beating in Montreal on Thursday night, and lost a key receiver, so there'll be some regrouping needed there! Jays are playing pretty well, but no one can keep up the Yankees so far this season. 

Eric and Erica had another busy week in Prince Albert with late evenings. They've managed to duck around all the thunder and hail so far! Headline for this week is: Eric is preaching on Sunday! So, we'll be catching that on-line. On Monday, Sask Lipedema has a meeting with the Minister of Health! We hope this results in some action and support. Liam continues working at Cypress Hills Camp for the summer, Haaken and Greg are also doing well.

Kristian is working his way through exams at school; that is now completed successfully! Congratulations Kristian—on to grade 11! Erin is managing her work and household. The cats are now tolerating each other. 

Travis completed his pet-sitting assignment as Joanna has returned from England. As often is the case, travel sometimes has hiccoughs, but we're glad they have successfully negotiated them all and made it back to us. We went out with Travis one evening to mark Father's Day. First time to Boston Pizza in a long time. The changes to the menu did not impress us, but we had a good time and a good meal anyway. 

And that's enough for this week. 

Happy Father's Day!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather was cool, windy and showery for the first half of the week, but has switched to sunny and nice for the weekend!

Our new front door!

The big saga of the week here surrounds the purchase of a new front door, and involves more than one week! Wendy has been wishing to replace our old, solid core wooden door for about (let's see, how long have we been here?) twenty years! Originally it was at the end of a short, dark hallway, so I got rid of the hallway, which necessitated moving the light switches (gang of four) so they were now behind the door! As you may well imagine, this did open up the hallway, and reduced its length to about 1 metre, but did nothing to removing the desire for a new door that swung the other way, and had a window in it! As we walked around the nearby (and not so nearby) neighbourhoods, she would delight in pointing out the windowed doors that evoked her interest. Finally, she settled on a half-light door; she wanted fancy glass that let in light, but didn't allow one to see through. And, she found one—at Home Depot! Well, sort of—it showed up in the online listings, and in their inventory, but not in the store itself! It was a virtual door! The workers there assured her there was no such door in the store. They opined that it may be on a customer's cart, and just hadn't gone through check-out yet! (I could have advised them that such an excuse would not fly with Wendy!) During the entire episode, we took numerous trips to the store. No, they assured us (in person, not just on the phone) there was no such door. There were also many phone calls—that virtual lady who "answers" the phone cannot be trifled with either! Wendy ordered one on-line (it'll arrive mid-July while we're in Saskatchewan!), but she was undeterred, (Do you understand that faintly resigned-look I wear on my face?) and finally, last Saturday, Wendy found the door. It had been "misfiled" among a batch of other-sized doors! It was up in the top storage area, but not out of her range of search. Ah, they agreed, we will sell you that door. So, she bought a second door; it, they assured us, would be made ready for pick up tomorrow. And so it was that Sunday afternoon, we cleared out the back of the Santa Fe in readiness for the new door, drove over to Home Depot, presented ourselves at the pick-up desk, and, the helpful clerk (also an apparent rarity!) there checked through his inventory, and assured us there was no door! He prepared a "pick order" for the folks in millwork, who, we knew, had no idea where the door was. In undue time, a fellow from millwork arrived to get the pick order, and Wendy went to supervise over there. Soon, she beckoned me to come over there. The door had been brought down, but the latch-side jamb was broken. The threshold is attached with two screws to the bottom of each jamb, and the wood (MDF) was broken off where the screws should attach. Ah, they agreed, this is not good! Ah, they assured, HD will reduce the price by about $20 to $30 and sell the damaged article. Ah, I'm thinking, for a $100 reduction, I'll take it. So, on Monday we were back to HD to try to discuss with someone in management what kind of reduction we might be offered. But, by this time, there was someone helpful in millwork who assured us that would never happen. They do not sell damaged goods, he explained. The door had been dispatched to trash, by which he means Habitat for Humanity Re-Store! At this point, Wendy had paid $650 for each of two doors and had neither! This kind of discrepancy does not sit well with her! She cancelled the in-store purchase of the non-existent door, and we made our way to Re-Store, but alas, there was no door. The helpful clerk there informed her that she should phone in regularly, and could thus find out when the door arrived from HD. On Tuesday, she advised us that the cube-van had been dispatched for commercial pickups, so we headed back to Re-Store. Sure enough, as we peeked through the window into the processing area, we could see our door. But no, the unhelpful fellow there informed us, it would not be processed today—better come back tomorrow. Back to the helpful lady strode Wendy, who after some consideration, processed the door, and assessed a value of $260. After some examination to assure ourselves it had not been further damaged in shipment, we bought our door, loaded it in the Santa Fe and took it home! Sigh! Some epoxy and screws repaired the broken area, and I installed the door on Wednesday! Looks good, I think, and the surrounding story is even better! Other news: Golf good! Markets bad! Hockey good! Riders good!

Erica writes, "Not much happening around the Bailey household this week… we got our summer tires on! It rained, a lot. And Eric is working on figuring out some new programs at work. All is well with us!"

Kristian's classes have completed, but he is heavily into yearend deadlines and exams. This week, he decided to give his bike to a Ukrainian refugee family—nice touch, buddy! Erin has scheduled the RAV4 for hailstone dent repair, and arranged a loaner. They are also getting our room ready! 

Joanna has been away in England this week, a bitter-sweet week to be sure. We look forward to her return next week. I got the bookcase re-assembled over at their place, making the final delivery of shelves today, and picking up the rest of my tools. It looks serviceable. 

Rebuilt!

And that's about it for this week. 

Heating up! Turning red!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather continues to heat up, and we're enjoying it so far. We only decided to use the central air one day. The lawns are growing too quickly and I'm already tired of mowing! Fortunately, my new-to-me battery-powered lawn mower works great. I am able to do three complete mows of both lawns on a single charge. We have continued work on the back deck. Wendy likes the process of installing three boards, then she applies a final coat of stain, and after that dries, I can install three more boards! Besides, by the time I drill pilot holes, and screw down three boards, it is pretty much a day's work for me! We have completed the decision-making, and issued a contract for new shingles, fascia, soffits and eavestroughs. Wendy has also ordered a new front door with a half-light, but we're not certain of a delivery date yet. I would like to install that before our summer trip. Wendy is not experiencing much difficulty with her shingles, but the vision problem still troubles us. The markets have turned red again as inflation fears lead to interest-rate-hike fears lead to recession fears! Pundits and investors alike have twisted themselves into knots trying to decide how to play this. We had almost recovered enough for my charting system to give the buy-signal, but now we're back to the waiting game. In the Stanley Cup playoffs the Colorado Avalanche finished off my Oilers and have moved on to the final series. They will be playing Tampa Bay Lightning. This is my first round of picking 100% correctly, although I hated to see my Oilers lose. I'm picking Avs to win it all. The CFL has begun, and the first week of games is complete. My Riders played Hamilton tonight and managed to start the season on the right foot—yay Riders! The Jays are playing well in baseball. I have too many options for what to watch next!

Erica writes, "Eric and I returned from Vancouver on Monday night. Vancouver is so busy—I don’t think I want to live there. Liam is busy working with a camp in the Cypress Hills area near Maple Creek. His work has expanded to include social media content which he enjoys. Haaken and Greg are doing fine."

Erin and Kristian carry on with their usual routines in Regina. Kristian has received good news over his application to Clearview Camp. So, he'll be there two weeks as junior counsellor, and then attend another week as a camper. That means we'll miss some of our expected time with him this summer, but we're also delighted that he's getting this camping opportunity. Erin is finally getting her vehicle booked for last summer's hail damage. Today, she let the cats get together—it did not go well. 

Joanna has flown to England with her sister and her step-mom. They are returning her father's ashes to his ancestral home. I'm sure it's an emotional trip for them.

Digging under the Fence!

Trav has been taking care of the pupsters while they try to escape the yard! Gemma has flown down to Toronto to take care of the home and dog down there while Grandma is away. 

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 comfortable, but not as warm as we expect for this time of year. At least it has been conducive to making progress on the deck building, and Wendy has been keeping up with the staining. Wendy has been diagnosed with Shingles, however whether it's our vaccinations, or the early intervention with anti-viral meds, she is not suffering much so far. She is experiencing vision issues in her right eye, so she was referred to an ophthalmologist over that. I also have a couple of indoor projects on the go as I'm rebuilding a book case for Travis, and doing some electrical work here at home. We are determined to get some major roof repairs done this year, and I've been getting quotes for shingles, eavestrough, fascia and soffits. In line with the latter, we've decided to add some pot lights to the front of the house, so I'm drilling the holes into the old plywood soffits, and will fit them into the aluminum once that is installed.

New Soffit Lighting

Also this week was the provincial election. I worked as a Deputy Returning Officer in charge of tabulating the votes. That went pretty smoothly, but the turnout was dismayingly low. We set a record for the worst voter turnout ever, so as it played out, 18% of the voters gave Premier Ford another majority government! The markets remain difficult, but have been steadily improving recently, so I managed to make quota in May—first month this year! In world hockey it was Finland again beating us in the final to win the gold. Another round is complete in the NHL playoffs; I managed to pick just one winner of those four series. I'm picking Avs and Lightning this time, but cheering mightily for Edmonton. I hate to be right about this prediction, however, my poor Oilers are down 3-0 in their series. The CFL has completed the preseason, so regular games are beginning next week—Go Riders, Go! 

Erica writes, "This week was busy with work. We got the car back on Monday with a new rear window and continue to do research on whether our lot has enough space to build a garage. On Friday, we headed for the coast. A good friend is getting married, and we managed to find some really cheap Westjet tickets! We look forward to celebrating with them. Liam has moved down to a Maple Creek area camp for the summer, where he is working. Haaken continues to work at Costco and on developing his animations. We pray that an opportunity in animation comes for him soon. And Greg is making wedding plans."

Erin and Kristian had a quiet week in Regina. The new cat is settling in nicely; the old cat? Not so much!! Erin keeps them separated during the day.

Great work!

Kristian's school club, Deaf Crows, but together an informative presentation titled "Deaf Shame, Deaf Same". It is being hosted at one of the Regina libraries until June 25th.

One of the displays

The hot weather in Regina even has them running the Air Conditioning already. 

Travis and Joanna had a celebratory week.

And smart, too! 

Gemma's convocation was on Friday, and we got to watch that on livestream. Her Honours B.Sc. with first class standing in Biology and Chemistry should provide some open doors when she decides how to continue her education. Travis and Joanna took a brief trip across the border for an early celebration of Joanna's birthday—nice! 

And that's it for this week. 

Green!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been nice all week, but has turned cool, cloudy and rainy for the weekend. I have made some progress on the lower deck rebuilding. Wendy has completed the first coat of stain, and is now doing a second coat after each few boards that I get screwed down. This works well, because that's about a full day's work for me anyway! I've kept practicing golf, but the dampish weather this weekend has interfered with my plan to play nine holes. Wendy was scheduled for surgery on Thursday, but after going through pre-op on Wednesday and then fasting and waiting for hours on Thursday, it was cancelled. She'll now be looking at an appointment late summer. I had my training day on Wednesday for my work as Deputy Returning Officer in next week's election. I also managed a bit more yard work in the annual battle with the dandelions. Investors seem to have finally begun buying again, and the markets had a fine week, and I cleared a month's worth of gains despite being less than 50% invested. If they'll keep this going, I may look to make more buys next week. Another round of Stanley Cup playoffs is mostly done as all series but one required less than the full complement of games. Oilers surprised and delighted me by beating Calgary in five games! Now, they'll be playing the Colorado Avalanche in the semi-final. Go Oilers, Go! Carolina will host the Rangers for game seven in that series with the winner advancing to play the Lightning; I'm picking the Lightning there. In the west, I am, once again, picking against my Oilers, sigh! The Blue Jays have been suffering from a lack of hitting lately, and have fallen away from the league leaders. 

Broken Window!

Erica writes, "We had a smashing good morning on Sunday. It started with a broken rear window! We took the bikes to church and played in the band, which was a smash as well. It is very busy season so I should have been working all weekend. Instead I took the weekend off and worked long days the rest of the week—fun times! The broken window has got us thinking about a garage. We are discussing design options and investigating code requirements along with Dad."

Welcome Elly!

Erin and Kristian have added another cat to their family in Regina! This is not my idea of a good time, as I couldn't imagine having one pet cat, much less two! Sadie seems to be taking it all in stride. We'll see how Lucy adapts to the arrival of Elly. 

Travis and Joanna continue to be exhausted from their efforts to train and control their new puppies—they are certainly bundles of energy. Otherwise, they continue with work on their business. Gemma's school year is over; her convocation should be soon, and then it's on to post-graduate options! Andrew is working at Super Store, and should be over to work on his chair soon. 

And that's about it for this week. 

May Long!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been nice, the golf courses are open, and we've been able to get out for regular walks. The lunar eclipse was iffy on Sunday night, but the clouds moved aside in time for us to see the full eclipse and the light orange moon. I've been over to the golf course several times to practice. I may try nine holes next week. Spring came very late this year, and the snow cover was substantial, so it has taken many extra days for the courses to dry out enough to play. In my best year for golf, I completed 20 rounds before the end of May, but I was also about 15 years younger then! We don't have particular plans for May Long celebrations. I'm getting some yard work done, including mowing the lawn. I also plan to get in some golf practice. This week the polls opened for early voting in our provincial election. Wendy and I went to vote on Wednesday. They were recruiting election workers, so I applied and have been hired for entry of the ballots into the computers. The markets have continued to whipsaw red and green, but at least I had a good quota week—not having enough of those this year! The second round of playoffs have begun for the Stanley Cup. Only the Oilers advanced of my three favourites, but at least most of my picks have advanced. Oilers are playing the heavily favoured Calgary Flames—Go Oilers, Go! I have picked Flames, Avs, Canes and Panthers to win this round. What? I didn't pick my Oilers? Yeah, I thought it was the least I could do for them! Football has opened training camps. Riders first preseason game is against the champion Bombers—Let's Go, Riders! 

Erica writes, "On Tuesday the Saskatchewan Lipedema Association met with the Saskatchewan Party to share our information on Lipedema. After our meeting, we attended the legislative assembly and we were introduced to both parties. Eric attended a conference this week, virtually. It was hosted from the east coast, so he got to get up very, very early! Greg, Haaken and Liam are all fine. We are looking forward to a good long weekend. We hope to get out for a motorcycle ride."

Kristian had his interview for camp counsellor via Zoom. It ran for about one hour. Now we (especially he) are waiting to hear the outcome. Erin continues to struggle with the effects of her covid infection. She is starting to feel much better the last few days. Kristian is working to get control of his eczema again now that UV treatments are back on. 

Travis and Joanna keep busy. They got their first contract for Bucket Decal work for the Lacrosse League. But, I think the pupsters are even greater time-consumers! We've been over a couple of times this week to visit the grand-pups and to plan a building project for a new storage structure downstairs. Andrew is getting back in gear for completion of his Adirondack chair. Gemma is all graduated now with a First Class standing for her Honours B.Sc with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. This week she had a flat on her bicycle, so Jonas and I changed the tube for her. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Lunar Eclipse!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been great, especially during the days, although we've had two nights of heavy rain in thunderstorms. Anyway, the comfortable weather has allowed me to get back to my deck project. It's moving forward well, despite a few change orders! There is a lunar eclipse tomorrow night, about midnight Eastern time, and we're hoping for clear skies to watch that. I have kept at my preseason golf preparations, swinging the club every day;  today, I even got over to the driving range—yep, I can still hit a hook! Sigh! We completed Mother's Day flower deliveries on Sunday—that will pay for a few rounds of golf later! Wendy keeps trying her keto sponge cakes; she had another success this week with a lemon-flavoured one. The ones that crashed were also very edible! She also made another batch of keto ice cream—very tasty! Travis brought pizza and we celebrated Wendy and Joanna with pizza, cake and ice cream on Tuesday evening. Wendy has chorus practice each week, and still seems to have a lot of chorus related business in her role as treasurer. The markets have remained frenetic and I am all sold out of my trading stocks. Still, my dividend payers came through with a bit of money this week. Positive market movement toward the end of the week is encouraging. The pandemic infection rate appears to be easing although we're suffering from a lack of data collection, so we don't really know. Gushue beat Koe (again) in the Grand Slam final in curling. This is also the last event of this curling season, and many of the teams are changing personnel as they get set for the next Olympic Quadrennial. The NHL playoffs are completing the first round this weekend. Five of the series are requiring a seventh game, two of those games remain to be settled tomorrow. Of my three teams, Leafs are out, Oilers win and advance, and Pens play tomorrow. 

Erica writes, "This week we got some exciting news: Greg is engaged! We are very happy for him and are glad we got to meet Kiersten when they visited us a few weeks ago. It’s been a very busy, late night kind of week at work for me. Eric got both bikes out and running. He has been enjoying his all week. I hope to join him soon!" 

Erin continues to struggle along with the lingering effects of her covid infection. At least she's well enough to manage work and homemaker duties so long as she takes it easy. Kristian continues with his regular routines of school, home and UV treatments. He's had a bit of a setback on the eczema front as he missed a few UV treatments while Erin was in isolation.

Travis & Joanna continue to be very busy. They should soon be getting to the off-season, and a lower level of activity. One thing for sure, those new pups will keep them busy around the house. They've now begun training them for walks on the leash. 

They went to Florida, I got...

And that's about enough for this week. 

Happy Mothers Day!

Mother's Day Flower Deliveries

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been beautiful and we've been enjoying getting out for some walks and cycling. I'm back to the renovation of the back deck. The deck boards that are still needing stain are up on the saw horses awaiting Wendy's attention. I'm working on leveling the joist system, and then I'll begin applying the decking. I must have about three fourths of the needed boards already stained and ready to go. I'm also working on replacing the top on the picnic table. And I try to take my requisite practice swings with a golf club each day. The fairways are still soggy, and the greens are still under the tarps, but we're getting close. The driving range should open this week; some private ranges are already open. This weekend, we're doing the flower deliveries for one of the local florists along with Trav and Joanna. Given the fuel prices, it's not as lucrative as it has been in previous years, but we enjoy getting around town, and learning more street locations. Google Maps hasn't let us down yet. The markets have continued their troubled and troubling ways, with the USA indices, in particular, bouncing wildly. This week I suffered three red days, and two green days to end up about flat. The difficult markets have me under 30% invested, but so long as they're red, I'm relieved to be out. Maybe I'll need to start playing the short side! Nah! Wendy keeps quite busy with the Sweet Adelines singing and business. In the world of sports, we have moved well into the Stanley Cup playoffs. I have picked Florida, Toronto, Boston and Pittsburgh in the east. In the west, it's Colorado, Minnesota, Calgary and Edmonton. Some of my picks (looking at you Florida) are already looking shaky! In curling, it's the final Grand Slam of the season being contested in Olds, Alberta. My guy, Koe, has done well, and has advanced to the final against Gushue. On the women's side its Einarson vs Gim (Korea). 

Erica writes, "Eric and I took a quick trip to Saskatoon—stayed over in town and enjoyed a nice dinner out. We also caught up with Darcy, Neil and the girls. Eric got the bikes out and running. Well, one is running. The other needs a new battery. Other than that it was a pretty basic week. Everyone is doing well here. Eric used his Christmas and birthday money to buy a new Apple Watch. He got the latest technology which includes an EKG. I asked him what it said. He replied, 'Apparently, I have a heart.' "

Erin writes, "For news, there’s not really any. I’ve just been so tired still. Sometimes, I struggle just going up the stairs. But other times I feel fine—it’s weird. I still have coughing fits and tightness in my chest. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday. Kristian got to see another Toyota Supra up close. On Wednesday, after his light appointment, we stopped by work because we had one in the shop."

Travis & Joanna had to make the quick acclimatization after returning from Florida. They have been very busy catching up on things and working with the new pups. A lot of Puck Shot business awaited their return, and Trav also had some issues with one of his printers. Then, they're working on the flower delivery this weekend! 

And that's enough for this week. 

May Day! M'aidez!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather is improving, and the snow is (finally) disappearing!

Two Months ago...

Now

I have serviced the snowblower, and put it away for the season. I've also pulled out the lawnmower, so I'm ready for summer! I've also found a guy to re-grip my golf clubs, so another summer prep is done! I'm still waiting on a guy who has been repairing my rototiller all winter long—it's not ready yet! Wendy has been putting in long hours getting our income tax documents ready for our Chartered Accountant—we got those submitted today! We had another physio session this week. I thought I was going to be done, but the therapist had other ideas! If they can figure out something that hurts you, they set up an exercise regime to tap into that pain! Anyway, we both have some additional exercises to do for the next two weeks. I did manage a 5km workout on Thursday, but I was a bit uncomfortable after that, but I'll keep at it. We got out cycling today—that was good, although pedalling really works the knees! The markets have continued to whipsaw with the variance in the news cycle each day. Overall, it was another red week to complete a red month. All the indices I follow are in the red so far this year, and so am I. The NHL season has come to an end, and my three teams advanced to the playoffs: Oilers vs Kings; Pens vs Rangers; Leafs vs Lightning. In World Curling—Mixed Doubles: Canada advanced to the playoff round, but lost out to Norway; Scotland won the gold medal there. Senior Men: Canada won over Czechia. Senior Women: Switzerland won over USA. 

Erica writes, "We started the week with a full house, but Greg and Kiersten left on Sunday and Liam left on Monday and we are back to an empty nest. Eric and I spent the rest of the week recovering from all the fun. We’ve both been dealing with spring mold and pollen—plus we are getting old! Speaking of which, Eric celebrated his 52nd birthday on Thursday. We had a low-key celebration with friends, Appies and an amazing chocolate peanut butter cake made by our friend Guido."

Erin was able to return to work this week. She is not 100%, feels pretty congested, but is getting better every day. Kristian babysat Shawn's cats this week; he learned that cats drink from toilets. He has also returned to his regular routines at school. Shawn, Astrid and Liam were in Winnipeg for Astrid's synchronized swimming event. 

Travis and Joanna spent the week in Florida, finally returning this evening. Gemma was also down there, and got home yesterday. So, the pets will soon be returning home. Minnie has been very easy to care for. Mozzie (the budgie) has terrorized me whenever Wendy lets her out of the cage. My head must look like a nest, or something! We spent some time at their house this week dealing with the flooding caused by the torrential rainfall last weekend. Some repair work remains to be done. Some other development needs to be installed to forestall any reoccurrence! 

And that's about it for this week.