News Update

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

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

First Baptist Church Prince Albert Benevolent Fund

1351 28th Street East 

Prince Albert SK  S6V 6T4 

Memo line: Surgery Fund

Kristian has started back to school.

Back-to-School 2019

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

Happy 14th Birthday!

Introducing: Lucy

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

Introducing: Mozzy

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

Back-to-School 2019

And that's about enough for this week! 

Happy Labour Day!

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

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

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

Coming soon to a birthday...

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

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

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

Tee Pee Fire

Lit up beautifully!

Log Cabin Fire

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

New cover on Picnic Table

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

Fun in the Hot Tub

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

Visiting, Eating...

...Talking, Eating...

...Eating, Chatting...

---Singing, Eating!

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

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

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

Dark Rider!

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

That's about enough for this week. 

News Update

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

Fighting at the Fort

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

Out with the old...

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

Cruising in Style!

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

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

Hey, if you're gonna dream!

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

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

Happy Birthday, Mom!

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

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

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

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

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

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

Someone's cooking very well!

We look forward to getting back with them next week.

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

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

Lift in Place

On wheels

On crutches

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

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

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

The Camper!

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

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

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

Lookin' purdy!

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

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

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

Lookin' good, Seein' good!

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

K-Car, perhaps?

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

Astrid, Shawn, Liam
Erin, Kristian

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

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

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

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

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

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

And that's about enough for this week! 

News Update

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

Uncle, Aunty, Wendy in the wind!

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

Over 2000!

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

Crazy Lombard Street!

But beautiful!

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

Golden Gate

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

Coming through!

After driving through it! 

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

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

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

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

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

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

Ojos Negros-Rocky Hills

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

New Classroom/Office for Ojos Negros

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

Looking Good!

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

49th Anniversary Cake

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

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

Kristian got his new fibreglass cast on Thursday.

Green, but not enough to help the Riders!

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

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

And that's about enough for now. 

News Update

This week begins on the shore of the Colorado River, on the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon-Spectacular!

It is a spectacular sight which we're seeing for the first time. We spend the day at the Canyon, and then retire to Williams AZ for the night. On Monday we drove to California. It showed 41° as we drove across the desert, and we were certainly glad to have the AC in good working order. We actually caught up with Rob, Sharon, Tony & Lisa as the Palm Springs airport; we look forward to visiting with Tony & Lisa when we get back to Canada. Rob & Sharon toured us around Hemet, including the 25th Anniversary re-release of Forrest Gump! Thank you dear Aunt and Uncle! We look forward to getting back to Hemet next Saturday. After some rest, and a lot of conversation, we headed south on Wednesday. We met our contacts at the San Diego airport, and then followed them south into Mexico and finally to Ojos Negros.

Rocky Hills near Ojos Negros

Thursday saw us back and forth to Ensenada, picking up groceries and supplies. Friday and Saturday, we were working at the site. Wendy took charge of the painting area, and I worked on construction of the roof trusses and the gable ends.

Priming all the wall panels

The heat was oppressive and we both took a little too much sun as well, but excellent progress was made and we're ready for the bigger team to arrive tomorrow (Sunday). 

Eric and Erica closed off this week in Regina. Eric had a conference on single session therapy where he learned to fix all your problems in 60 minutes or less. This reminds me of a Bob Newhart sketch, “Stop it!” Anyway, they made a weekend of it, visiting with Erin and Kristian. Liam was off work and Kristian was off school so they took in a tour of Stonehall Castle - the only medieval castle in Canada. The building is circa 1920’s, but the current owner has spent 13 years and millions of dollars to renovate it into a 1620’s castle. They all enjoyed the tour! Haaken has applied for a few more jobs including one in Victoria. Eric/A will travel out there in a few weeks to see a presentation of his work and figure out where he will go from there. Please pray for guidance and for the right job for Haaken. He heard that the studio in Kelowna is interested. They are going to have him do some testing to see if he is a good fit for them. He will hear more this week. So pray that this process goes well for him.

Kristian is holding up as his arm heals. We look forward to hearing of progress on that. It seems their neighbour across the back lawn has moved, so that may improve their yard usage depending on what the new occupants are like. Of course they also had the pleasure of hosting the Baileys toward the end of the week.

Travis and Joanna are holding down the fort in Thunder Bay. They celebrated with Andrew as he graduated from high school. Congratulations Andrew! Congratulations all of you! Joanna proved her heart and worth as she intervened in the aid and rescue of a women who fell and broke her leg at an event they were attending. Yay Joanna!

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and taken us farther from home! Tonight we're in Albuquerque, so we need to remember to avoid that left turn! We began the week in Lawrence KS where we enjoyed the excellent BnB of Aunt Helen, and the company of friends and family. Thank you! On Tuesday, we drove down to Stillwater OK where we enjoyed the hospitality of Jack & Joanne, and Steve & Jenny—thank you all! I got to take his 1946 Harley for a short cruise–I've never even seen a motorcycle with a hand shifter before! It was a bit of strange on the weight and balance as well! I also got to take my best girl for a drive in both a '29 Ford and a '35 Chev.

1929 Ford Model A

Both vehicles were a delight to drive around a few blocks. Of course, we got in lots of reminiscing about Zambia, and were able to solve all the problems there once again!! They had suffered a loss, as Jack's brother recently passed away, so we shared condolences as well. On Thursday, we drove over Okeene OK and reconnected with part of the Calder family who we also know from Zambia. Rod is currently away in South Africa, but Sue and Josh were there, so we caught up with them, and remembered many shared memories and made a few more! Thank you for your kindnesses. This morning we enjoyed breakfast, and then got back on the road west.

Got to drive on Route 66!

I missed one turn, so we put on a few extra clicks, but still made good time and rolled into Albuquerque in time for a nice supper. It's been a rich week, and although the markets teetered over news from the middle east, I managed a good week and made quota. The Jays have managed to win a couple of games—from Boston no less! Yay Jays! The Riders played in Ottawa behind their backup QB. Their QB is looking at several weeks to overcome the headshot from game 1. Anyway, the offence played very well, but the defence was sorely deficient and they lost again. Let's go Riders! 

The Bailey's got their roof rebuilt and re-shingled just in time for the rain.

New Shingles brought Rain!

There were quite a few boards that needed to be replaced once they got the old shingles off. It sounds like it was a good thing they got it done this year. Now they just need to pay the bill—yikes! Erica had a meeting in Regina and was able to swing by Moose Jaw on the way home and have a visit with Liam. He is living the life of a paid actor! Next weekend he has training to become a paid camp worker. Haaken has applied for a few more jobs. Some places indicate they are interested in diversity and hiring individuals with disabilities so they have been talking about how to accomplish that.

Kristian had a crash and burn week. He fell at school, breaking his radius and bending his ulna. So, he's in a plaster cast for a couple of weeks and then they hope to switch to the lighter fireglass version. He's been quite a trooper through all this.

Tough break, buddy!

Papa and Uncle Dave signed the cast!

The big event of the week, probably the year, in Thunder Bay was Joanna's birthday celebration. We managed an early occasion to mark the event, but it was official this week as she celebrated the 20th anniversary of her 30th Birthday! Congrats all around!

Happy Birthday!

And that's about enough for this week.