News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown, but we're not there! We headed west this morning, and made it as far as Brandon where we're enjoying a visit with Bonnie and Charlie! Along the way, we stopped in to greet Tom & Mariette and offer condolences and comfort over the loss of her brother this past week. Although brief, it was a nice visit—they're very busy with family activities around the memorial, as well as dealing with lots of feelings, memories and grief. It's been a busy week as we've finished up the bathroom project and tidied up whatever we could in anticipation of our being away for a few weeks. The weather has been mild, but a bit rainy, so we only got out to the driving range once. The markets continue to be troubled and I struggled to make any money this week—only one day left to make quota for the month! The Cubs are faltering in the World Series; Cleveland won again tonight to take a 3-1 lead. The Riders played their final game in the old Taylor Field; alas, they didn't close it out with a win. Hockey is beginning to capture more interest, as my old favourite, the Oilers, look rejuvenated. 

Erica was in Saskatoon this week for work. She was able to enjoy some good restaurants and reconnect with the city. It holds many memories from her university days. Eric had meetings on Friday, so he made his way down to Saskatoon on Thursday evening, and, since they were in Saskatoon, Liam found a ride up, and is home for the weekend. They enjoyed supper at Leyda's restaurant ( a gluten-free place) in Saskatoon before heading back to PA. Haaken decided he'd rather stay in Regina; he must really be enjoying it down there! Eric is preaching on Sunday. You can catch it live-streamed on-line. 

Erin and Kristian are doing just fine as far as we know, but we're headed there to find out for sure!! 

Trav and Joanna continue to be very busy with Puck Shots and Bucket Decals. Still they found time to take us out of supper last evening—thanks guys! They have their office downstairs, so they'll maintain stewardship over the house while we're away. That is a comfort to us. Trav's hockey team has now played five games. You can catch up on his write-ups in the blog. 

And that's all for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather was cooler this week, but still very nice, and I got out to the golf course twice with Wendy. Her game has improved so much this year; I wish I could say the same about mine! Work has continued on the downstairs bathroom and it's looking great. Wendy got the painting completed, so, I have been able to install the electrical and plumbing fixtures. I still need to complete the shower stall. Work has stalled in the kitchenette; it will wait for us to return after the family reunion in Dallas. Wendy has also had two days of babysitting this week. The markets have continued to be difficult, and all US indices remain in the red for the month, however at least this week they were all a bit green, and I had a good week making quota again. I am on pace for quota this month, so I hope that I can finish it off well. Baseball playoffs have moved on to the World Series. My Blue Jays failed to get their bats going, and lost to Cleveland in five games, so that's over. Chicago Cubs advanced over the Dodgers in the National League. All told, my picks won the two wild card games; three of four in the division series, and one of two in the championship series—that's a good percentage, but I'd give up all the others if only the Blue Jays could have moved forward! I am picking the Cubs to win it all, and also cheering for them to do so. I assess them as having the best manager (Maddon) in the game, but Francona is great as well, so it should be an entertaining battle. Go Cubbies! The Riders are playing out the string, and broke their winning streak to Montreal in a dreary, rain-soaked Taylor Field, today. 

Liam went to a student leadership conference where he had to carry a log for over one km! Not to sure what the point was, but I'm guessing there was one! He also got a new laptop this week as his old one (a hand-me-down) has been problematic. Not much news coming from Haaken, so we assume school continues to preoccupy his time. Eric/A have made some progress on the downsizing and reorganization front. They've gone through the Tupperware, and cut their investment there in half! Eric made some progress in reorganizing one of the boy's bedrooms into a music room. 

Look fierce—can't hit anything!

Kristian has lost another tooth, the stomach tooth on the other side. So, he has a matched set of gaps now! Armed with his new knowledge he bypassed the tooth fairy protocol and went straight to the banker to arrange financing on his Hallowe'en costume! Erin is feeling much improved, but still needs work to get her neck in better condition. 

Trav and Joanna are over here most days to work in the office downstairs. They also continue to move stuff to the new house bit by bit. They've also enjoyed visits from two grandmothers this week! Sunday, they were out to Nipigon to photograph 22 hockey teams! And the printer keeps spitting out more bucket decals—a licence to print money! 

And that's about enough for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We awoke to a frosty Sunday morning, so we have that out of the way, finally, but otherwise, the weather has continued to be very nice. I managed to get out to the golf course twice between work on the projects downstairs. Wendy is now painting the bathroom. She has it primed, and it's looking pretty good. I've solved my electrical issues; now, I'm looking to add some outlets for the kitchenette area. I have the plumbing plan ready—I'm using PEX this time. I had a bit of practice using PEX on Erin's place, so I've decided to go with that. The drain plan is ready as well, and I have bought the materials, but there will be lots of work getting that in place. I've decided that renovations are much harder than building from scratch! With the holiday on Monday, we only had four market days this week, and the markets were not good, but I was relieved to have a great week on my stuff. The baseball playoffs have moved into the league championship level. Three of my four picks are surviving, and I will stick with my choices of Jays vs Dodgers in the Series. Jays are in tough against Cleveland, and have lost the first two games. Our pitchers have certainly performed well giving up just two runs in each game, but the hitters?! Or should I say the swingers, 'cause they weren't hitting much?! Okay! Blue Jays! Let's play ball! The Riders smashed the Argos this afternoon for their fourth straight win! Wow Riders! 

Eric returned the boys to their respective school—since then, it's been pretty quiet. He had a busy week with meetings in the evenings, teaching a course on anger management, and a conference through work. He's decided he might have too much going on, but isn't sure how to fix it. Liam is practising drums. There is an upcoming performance night called Cheesecake Cafe, and he is thinking about performing there. Haaken is back enjoying school again. He seems very happy in his courses. 

Erin and Kristian had a really good Thanksgiving. On Sunday, Shawn's nephews cooked; there were 19 people. They had another good Thanksgiving at Aunty Alicia's on Monday. Erin ordered some new glasses. When she woke up this morning, she wasn't able to get out of bed for a while. The pain in her neck and shoulder was so intense, she got sick. So, she's running on Advil now. The Jays lost again today—more bad news! Kristian has another loose tooth. Erin made a big batch of taco soup today; it was a hit with both boys. They'll be eating it all week! 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew were here for Thanksgiving turkey on Monday. They continue to be busy with bucket decals and the printer downstairs keeps chugging them out! They're also getting lots of bookings for hockey team pictures. I guess when you have a business, it's hard to complain about being busy! Trav has set up his production office downstairs now, so we see them most days. Trav's hockey team has opened the season with a couple of wins. Game 1, Game 2. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We awoke to a frosty Sunday morning, so we have that out of the way, finally, but otherwise, the weather has continued to be very nice. I managed to get out to the golf course twice between work on the projects downstairs. Wendy is now painting the bathroom. She has it primed, and it's looking pretty good. I've solved my electrical issues; now, I'm looking to add some outlets for the kitchenette area. I have the plumbing plan ready—I'm using PEX this time. I had a bit of practice using PEX on Erin's place, so I've decided to go with that. The drain plan is ready as well, and I have bought the materials, but there will be lots of work getting that in place. I've decided that renovations are much harder than building from scratch! With the holiday on Monday, we only had four market days this week, and the markets were not good, but I was relieved to have a great week on my stuff. The baseball playoffs have moved into the league championship level. Three of my four picks are surviving, and I will stick with my choices of Jays vs Dodgers in the Series. Jays are in tough against Cleveland, and have lost the first two games. Our pitchers have certainly performed well giving up just two runs in each game, but the hitters?! Or should I say the swingers, 'cause they weren't hitting much?! Okay! Blue Jays! Let's play ball! The Riders smashed the Argos this afternoon for their fourth straight win! Wow Riders! 

Eric returned the boys to their respective school—since then, it's been pretty quiet. He had a busy week with meetings in the evenings, teaching a course on anger management, and a conference through work. He's decided he might have too much going on, but isn't sure how to fix it. Liam is practising drums. There is an upcoming performance night called Cheesecake Cafe, and he is thinking about performing there. Haaken is back enjoying school again. He seems very happy in his courses. 

Erin and Kristian had a really good Thanksgiving. On Sunday, Shawn's nephews cooked; there were 19 people. They had another good Thanksgiving at Aunty Alicia's on Monday. Erin ordered some new glasses. When she woke up this morning, she wasn't able to get out of bed for a while. The pain in her neck and shoulder was so intense, she got sick. So, she's running on Advil now. The Jays lost again today—not good news! Kristian has another loose tooth. Erin made a big batch of taco soup today; it was a hit with both boys. They'll be eating it all week! 

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew were here for Thanksgiving turkey on Monday. They continue to be busy with bucket decals and the printer downstairs keeps chugging them out! They're also getting lots of bookings for hockey team pictures. I guess when you have a business, it's hard to complain about being busy! Trav has set up his production office downstairs now, so we see them most days. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has was nice early in the week, but has turned cool and damp this weekend. They're threatening frost tonight, so this may finally be it for our first frost. We hope there's enough time left for some improved leaf colours before they all fall off! I only got out golfing one day, but I've managed good progress on the downstairs bathroom, and I've now turned it over to the painter. I'm sure she can cover over the imperfections I left there! But that will have to wait a bit since she is under the weather. Wendy fell sick early in the week and eventually had to give in and go to the doctor who confirmed she has strep. So, she's on antibiotics and is taking it easy for a couple of days at least. I've now started on the kitchenette. The first challenge there is electrical. Once again there's a surprise to clean up, and then some more outlets to install. It gives us something to do, and it's rather rewarding to see the improved house we have here. After this there is really only one big project and that's the kitchen/dining room—we'll have to save up before launching that one! The markets seem to have not realized the bad month is over; they are continuing to lag. The Blue Jays won the top Wild Card seed, and beat Baltimore in that game to advance to the Divisional Series against Texas Rangers. The have won the first two games, but they still need to win one more. Okay! Blue Jays! Let's Play Ball! My picks are Jays over Boston in the American League, and Cubs over Dodgers in the National League; we'll see how that plays out. The Riders played Ottawa on Friday night, and reeled off their third consecutive win! Yay Riders! Keep it going. 

The boys have returned to the Bailey nest in Prince Albert, and they're thankful to have the family together for the weekend. Liam's doctor's appointment provided positive news. His blood work indicates that he's on the mend. Haaken returned from Regina on the bus, and it was quite an adventure! Earlier in the day the bus depot in Regina was evacuated over a suspicious package, and riders were advised to use alternate locations to catch the bus. However, when he got to the new location he was informed that the threat had been cleared and he should go to the bus depot-downtown- in rush hour traffic! He got there, only to find the bus was full. Fortunately, and overflow bus was brought and he was able to make it to Saskatoon. Whew!

Erin and Kristian have the place to themselves this weekend and they're having a relaxing weekend. They enjoyed a date night this week as well—a special time for mom and son. Kristian lost another tooth, one of his stomach teeth, and was unhappy when the tooth fairy didn't come across with the usual pay off! The discussion that ensued allowed him to figure out the identity of the tooth fairy, so he was able to address his complaint more directly! They will enjoy several Thanksgiving meals this weekend as well. 

Trav and Joanna keep busy. Trav has moved his office into one of the rooms downstairs here. We're glad to have him around, although our renovations make it a bit more difficult for him. They're doing a lot of stencil work for Bucket Decals, but they expect that to slow down a bit. They're taking lots of hockey team pictures already, and also added a high school football team. Some developments at the house saw the successful arrival of the replacement dining room table, and the arrival and installation of the dishwasher—progress! They celebrated a Chinese food thanksgiving supper on Friday evening, and I enjoyed that with them. We're planning our turkey dinner with them on Monday. 

And that's enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather was showery early in the week, but turned nice starting on Wednesday. My friend, Bill, has returned from Europe, so he's relieved me of my lawn-cutting duties. We still have not had a frost, so we're not getting the showy display of Fall colours that we love to enjoy. Wendy and I went golfing for nine holes on Wednesday, and I went for 18 holes on Friday. That was fun, but I've been suffering some gout in my left foot this week, so I'm back on Colchicine. And, it made it a challenging hike on Friday. I have continued to work on the mudding of the downstairs bathroom, and it's just about ready for the painter to take over. The markets have completed a typically dismal September, and I ended up red for the month, sigh! The Jays continue their September slide, but with tonight's win over Boston, at least they will make the playoffs! Let's go Blue Jays! The Riders had the bye this week, so that makes three straight weeks undefeated! Go Riders, Go! Canada completed their World Cup championship this week with a two-game sweep of Europe. Oh Canada! The Ryder Cup is on; it's my favourite golf event to follow. 

The Bailey big news this week was a promotion—Erica was promoted to Manager at Deloitte! Congratulations! Ironically, she had just completed Assistant Manager training in Toronto, but surely that training will come in handy anyhow! Haaken continues studies at U of R. He seems to be enjoying it a great deal, because he doesn't even have time to reply to texts! Liam calls each night, and Eric/A are glad of the connection. He went for further blood work this week, and will follow up with the doctor next week. We hope the tests will show an improvement in his red cell level, as that would indicate that the gluten-free diet was having a beneficial effect. He made a few trips to town to resupply his stash of gluten-free snacks at the dorm. He was very hungry when he ran out last Saturday! Fortunately, old friends from high school (Paul & Crystal Quilliams) came to the rescue with some provisions. It's wonderful how friends help each other out! Eric is teaching a course on anger management to teens; he also presented the church budget as Stewardship Elder at the business meeting. He's not sure which task was more daunting!

Not much to report from Erin's place in Regina. Things seem to be going well for them, including their boarder, Haaken! Kristian has been learning lots of sign language at school as his class has determined to learn American Sign Language this year. Erin says he teaches her some new signing each day. 

Trav & Joanna are very busy as hockey team photography is ramping up, and then Trav came down with a sore and stiff neck this week. He's not sure how it happened, but he was surely crippled up with it, and missed time from work. However, he seems to be getting better. This morning he helped me take out a section of their kitchen cupboards in anticipation of their new dishwasher. It's supposed to arrive on Wednesday, so I see another project on the horizon. Joanna has been taking Wendy swimming, and now she's added Gemma and Andrew to the swimming program. It makes me tired to just hear about it. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been great, and I've managed to catch up, and keep on schedule with my lawn-mowing business. Still no frost here, so the trees are still looking pretty green. We've completed electrical repairs, added backing for the new shower and applied the gyproc in the basement bathroom. My assessment was, "A good taper will get that!" Unfortunately, we don't have a good taper, we just have me, so I've begun the taping and mudding. This time there's a ceiling to do, and I hate drywalling ceilings; I mean, it's in the name, you shouldn't be drywalling up there! Maybe it should be dry-ceiling, but with the mud falling down on my face, it was not any kind of a dry experience! September markets have continued to be volatile, but we did get some green after the Fed decided not to increase interest rates, and I had a good green week. It remains for me to catch up for the decidedly non-green first few weeks of the month. The Blue Jays are in the homestretch, and it appears they are in a fight for the wildcard spot now as Boston has pulled out in front. Let's Go, BlueJays, let's play ball! The Riders won their game over Edmonton on Sunday afternoon! Yay Riders! They played Hamilton this evening and continued to look much improved as they won again! Yay! Yay! Riders! World Cup of Hockey has entered the playoff round. Canada beat Russia in the semi-final this evening and have advanced to the final series next week against Sweden or Europe. 

The Baileys continue to work through their initiation to the empty nest. Trust me, it's not such a great thing—we miss our children. They've decided to get help in organizing and dealing with their stuff, so they've asked a friend to help. Hopefully, she'll neither be scared off or permanently scarred by the experience! Haaken is working through is first month at University, and reports that it's going well. Liam is doing a time-management project at school. One aspect is regular calls home, so they're enjoying that. It's homecoming weekend at Caronport, and Liam is involved in some of those activities as well. Eric volunteered at the Saskatoon fan and comic expo, so he got free admission for the day he wasn't working. On the day he did work, he was playing board games with people—tough job! On Friday, Eric had a meeting in Saskatoon, so Erica went along and worked out of the Saskatoon office of Deloitte. They enjoyed dinner out at the Grazing Goat. 

Erin, Kristian and cousin Haaken are taking care of business in Regina. It was picture day for Kristian this week and he chose the bow-tie look! Fall weather has arrived in Saskatchewan, and the leaves are turning and falling. Haaken took Kristian out to Timmie's for his birthday—Haaken had a long john, Kristian had a chocolate dip! 

Trav & Joanna are busy. PuckShots photography for hockey teams is already underway, and BucketDecals is still going strong as well. This year's edition of Team Red Pants aka Westfort Rangers has now been drafted, and practices are underway. Trav's initial blog of the season describes the draft experience and assesses the team members. Sans Gemma, the family was over for supper this evening—we enjoyed that. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. The weather has continued to be warm, but with too many showers for me to keep up with my lawn mowing responsibilities this week. The trees are starting to turn to the autumn colours, but we haven't had frost yet, so they're mostly green. My potatoes are still growing, but it's about time to dig them up and see how we've done. The markets have continued to be volatile, but I only had two green days, and they weren't enough, so I was left in the red for the week. Wendy has determined we should do the bathroom first, so we've been working on that. We bought a shower unit. I have the new tile floor installed, and we're about ready to apply the drywall. As usual we've been hit with more surprises as we took off the old wall covering and found a mess of electrical wiring hiding there. In this case it was the 220 volt wiring for the sauna—sigh! So, I'll have to reroute that, and put it in a proper box. The Jays have fallen into a losing pattern, and as a result have fallen out of first place. Let's go Blue Jays! The Riders play tomorrow afternoon against Edmonton. We're hoping for a win! Go Riders, Go! The World Cup of Hockey has started. Canada won their opener over the Czechs. 

The Bailey's have been busy with meetings and work at home. Haaken continues to report that he enjoys university. He claims that his assignments are only medium hard! Liam is doing okay at school. He's had a few rough days with Celiac's, but he's getting better again. Erica had a fun work day on Friday; they went to a local paintball, laser tag and corn maze—for work! It was a fun and social event. Instead of joining in that activity, Eric painted his office—he knows how to have a good time!

Happy 11th at Montanas!

It's been a big week for Kristian as he turned 11; he celebrated that most of the week and into the weekend. Grandma got it started by announcing his birthday one day early! He had his birthday party on Friday night at Montanas, so he got to wear the big horns! For gifts, he scored more Lego sets, along with a flying drone. They're having trouble controlling it in flight! 

Trav & Joanna continue to be busy with work, especially Bucket Decals, and I'm sure that's a good thing. They continue to develop their new place as well. Joanna has convinced Wendy to join her for swimming and Aqua Zumba! Trav is scouting possible players for his team this season. The draft is set for next Tuesday. Gemma and Andrew keep busy with school and friends. They both scored great in recent Math tests—congrats! 

And that's about it for this week! 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has continued to be nice, but we've had a few showers, and I've had a hard time keeping up with my lawn mowing schedule. However, after cutting three today, I'm caught up again! September market madness arrived this week as a variety of Federal Bank speakers roiled the markets with their musings, and I suffered four red days—sigh! Wendy held a sales party on Thursday evening, so we took advantage of the motivation to get some more finishing work done upstairs. The place is looking pretty good! We're started on more renos downstairs, but a bit stymied as we can't decide whether to complete the bathroom, or begin the kitchenette! We brought home a load of drywall, and Trav helped me haul it downstairs, so that part is ready to go at least. The Riders lost the Labour Day game on a last play field goal, and also lost today's game by a late touchdown—that hurts. Overall, I have to say they're playing better, and we're hoping the rebuild is beginning to take shape. Go Riders, Go! The Jays have not been playing well since we left Toronto, and they've fallen one game back in the AL East. Let's go Blue Jays! World Cup Hockey has begun. There are only exhibition games so far, but it's been pretty entertaining all the same. 

All is calm; all is bright? The Bailey house is pretty quiet this week as Haaken and Liam are away at school. Liam has had a busy time participating in student leadership, but they did spring him from campus to take in the Labour Day classic in Regina. Eric/A, Erin and Liam enjoyed a good portion of that game—the final Labour Day classic at Taylor Field, as they move into the new stadium next season. Haaken reports that he is enjoying his classes, even his 3-hour evening Math class. The textbook arrived in the bookstore, so now he can work on his assignments! He is enjoying the new living arrangements and getting to know Auntie Erin, and cousin Kristian a bit better. The Labour Day weekend was spent in Regina, and I emphasize spent—they made a significant contribution to the economy! This weekend, Eric/A are busy with their church's fall carnival. 

Erin and Kristian are working through the new arrangements with Haaken living there. Meal time is a much bigger deal, and scheduling must take into account another schedule and evening classes. It has been discovered that Kristian's growth over the summer has pushed him into new sizes, and in the need of new clothes! Shawn helped remove the control board from the oven, so Erin was able to take it to the shop to be resoldered. Once she reinstalled it, the oven works perfectly once again! Kristian is liking his new teacher and new class. He's also getting his work done at school. Good job! 

Trav and Joanna are keeping busy with work. Gemma and Andrew are busy with school. Things continue to develop at the house, and they've added some capacity to the kitchen. They're currently shopping for a dishwasher as well, so we'll see how soon that arrives. The dining room table continues to be an issue; they've currently taken two home, but both have proven unsatisfactory. Hockey has begun again, and the young players are already having their conditioning and evaluation practices. On a crazy note, the league has decided to bring the Westfort Rangers back to life, so Trav gets to coach his old team again—quelle surprise! 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. I began the week on the shore of Lake Ontario as we enjoyed a three-game series with the Blue Jays. They generously won all three games; we were delighted! Then, on Sunday evening, Erin & Kristian took flight to Regina, and I flew up to Thunder Bay. It has been a good week here. The weather has been nice, and we've been enjoying some progress on our projects. I have begun the lawn care business again as my buddy, Bill, is off for a month of holidays. The markets continued to run in fear of the Fed most of the week, but then weaker than expected economic data in the US made them think that the Fed would not be raising interest rates any time soon, so the markets took off again! I had a good week, and including Thursday and Friday, I am now at quota to the end of August. September is historically the worst month for the markets, so I'm trying to be careful. Wendy has been painting outside. She has scraped, sanded, repaired and primed the front window frames. Now she's trying to choose the appropriate colours to paint them. I have begun some more renos downstairs since our suite is unoccupied, and mostly empty. I have some plumbing, electrical, and drywall planned, but Wendy has called a pause as she reconsiders the plan! The biggest game of this season for the Riders is this weekend as they host Winnipeg in the annual Labour Day weekend match. If they can win that on Sunday, it will take considerable sting out of the otherwise dismal results so far this season! Go Riders, Go! 

The Baileys are in Regina this weekend. They are also looking forward to cheering the Riders to victory over the Bombers. They are helping Haaken settle into his accommodations for the year at Auntie Erin's. He is beginning his university program at the University of Regina. Eric was informed this week that he is THE marriage counsellor—nice! Erica has moved into the office of the future; it's bright, spacious and open concept. It's pretty amazing how white noise works! Liam had an abdominal scan in Saskatoon before making the move to Caronport for this grade 10 year. We hope the former is uneventful, so the latter can be full of fun events! 

Erin and Kristian enjoyed the Blue Jay weekend in Toronto before flying home Sunday evening into Monday morning. Erin had Monday and Tuesday off work, so they were able to get resettled, and get Kristian ready for school. He has now begun the new school year, and reports that it's going well. Erin notes that he's excited to go, and that's a good step forward all by itself. The stove is not repaired yet, but she does have a plan to get it done, not it's just to do it! This weekend, she's hosting the Baileys, and getting her new boarder, Haaken, settled in to his room. 

Trav and Joanna and the crew got back on Tuesday night from Toronto. They continue to work on moving their stuff from here and establishing it in the new place. Gemma and Andrew are back at school; I'm certain they are enjoying it a great deal! One of their businesses, BucketDecals is very busy. They got one order this week for 62 teams! Soon, it will be time to push forward on preparations for another season of coaching hockey. Time presses forward, and puts pressure on most of us! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown, but I am no longer there! I'm on the shore of Lake Ontario in a town I would never wish to call home! The weather has continued quite hot, and we've been living under the comfortable umbrella of the air conditioner. Erin arrived on Wednesday so we enjoyed a few days with her, and then Kristian, Erin and I flew down to Toronto on Friday to enjoy a weekend with the Blue Jays. They have cooperated by winning the first two games, and we hope for more of the same tomorrow. Then, they'll be heading for Regina, while I fly back to TBay alone. It's been a good summer with Kristian, and we wish him well as he heads back to school. 

It must be dangerous to have a floor this clean!

Wendy has been taking care of all the critters while Trav & crew are away. She has also been cleaning and polishing while the rest of us are out of the way, so the kitchen and dining room are back to spic and span condition! The markets began in rally mode, but then fear of the Fed set in, and Thursday and Friday were deep red for me. Still, I had a great week, and have gained my monthly quota, and am nearly caught up to the YTD quota. As mentioned, the Jays continue to thrive and are in first place in their division. The Riders continue to not thrive! They put up a good fight against Edmonton, but still fell short. Let's go, Riders! 

Keeping a close eye on the Jays!

Erica's office is moving to a new location, to an office of the future—the future being Monday, I guess! They toured the new facility this week. It was very bright with high ceilings and minimalist furnishings—nice! The move included letting old stuff go! Erica managed to scoop some golf balls to share with yours truly—very nice! This is the final week for the whole family to be home for a while. Liam returns to Caronport on Monday. Haaken continues his preparations for his move to Regina. He has prepared a schedule for Auntie Erin, so they can plan meals and other things. Eric's work is also making changes and renovations; there are exciting times ahead. He had his yearly review and it was very positive! 

Erin worked Monday and Tuesday, and then flew down to Thunder Bay to catch up with Kristian and us. After a couple of days there, she and Kristian flew to Toronto with me for a special vacation-ending trip. We're enjoying several special experiences in Toronto along with watching the Blue Jays. Kristian even managed to score a baseball during batting practice, but nothing for Grandpa yet! They head home to Regina after tomorrow's game, and we will certainly find the house empty. 

Kristian and his baseball!

Trav, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew are also in the Toronto area. They flew down on Wednesday to visit and celebrate her dad's 80th birthday. I'm sure they all had a good time. Tomorrow they plan to take in the Jays game with us. They're planning to fly back to TBay some day next week as Gemma and Andrew begin another year of school soon. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It was hot this week, but it has turned cooler with showers for the weekend. I got out to practice golf a couple of times. It's been fairly quiet around the house. I got the new basketball backboard installed on the garage; Kristian really likes that since it can be adjusted down to a more suitable height for him than the old one. He's been shooting lots of baskets. He continues to work through his touch-typing lessons and is making good progress, but time is running out! I have begun work on the kitchenette downstairs; that will take a while! Now that I have located the drain connection, Wendy wants me to add a vanity in that bedroom—sigh! The markets ran well at the start of the week, but turned down after the FOMC minutes were released, and various Fed Reserve speakers made hawkish sounds! As a result, the week was not up to quota, but I remain on quota to this point in the month at least. Wendy has  been busy redoing the bedrooms to her new purposes. The upstairs room has been revamped for Kristian. One downstairs bedroom has been cleaned out, but now I've created a construction site in there. Come September, we're expecting Travis to set up his office in the other downstairs bedroom. The Jays continue to thrive, battling with Baltimore and Boston for the division lead. The Riders continue to disappoint, losing big to Hamilton today. 

The Bailey's got some answers over Liam's stomach pain. He has been diagnosed with Celiac's disease. So, they are into gluten-free food. After two years of braces, Liam is relieved to know that popcorn is gluten-free! The rest of the family are suffering with summer colds, so it's been pretty quiet this week other than the coughing. The house-sitting gig has come to an end, so they're all back in the apartment. It's nice to spend some time together before the boys head off to school.

Erin got older this week! A happy birthday was enjoyed. This weekend she and Sadie are enjoying a Bourne Marathon. Her oven remains out of commission, but a solution is anticipated, and, in the meantime, she can at least use the stove top. We look forward to her arrival down here next week. 

Travis and Joanna continue to work on setting up their new place. They've assembled two new dining room tables, but both have proved unsatisfactory, and thus had to be returned. They are at least getting to be expert at assembly of that design! Gemma and Andrew are getting their rooms established to their preferences—not necessarily in line with the preferences of the local adults! Minnie has established a safe corner in the new living room. The Bucket Decal business is quite active already this season. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Canadian Lakehead Exhibition!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It has been a rainy week, and I have struggled to find opportunity to get my lawn mowing done. I got one cut on Tuesday evening, and then got 3 done yesterday and another 4 today; so, I only have one left. With the rains, and my busyness, I have not managed to get out golfing this week—maybe tomorrow. I was back to the doctor on Wednesday. As it happened, I was suffering my first severe gout attack since I started my new meds. She confirmed that my uric acid levels are still too high, so she has doubled my allopurinol dose. She also checked out a sore on my face, and decided it should be removed and checked, so I've been referred to a plastic surgeon for that procedure. We went to the Exhibition with Kristian on Friday evening; that was fun, although the large crowds made for lineups at the rides. The markets were good all week, until weak retail sales data on the US side turned the markets into a tizzy on Friday. Still, I managed a great week. Kristian has completed his typing lessons, but still needs to pass his final test. He's doing well. He has also been improving his bike-riding, and enjoys shooting baskets in the driveway. Wendy has been busy with cleaning and rearranging our living quarters subsequent to Trav, Joanna and crew moving out. We are also preparing the next renovation plans; it'll be another busy time! We want to get the kitchenette done downstairs for the in-law suite. The Jays have continued to play well, and are in the picture for first place in the division. The Riders played the second-half of the home & home with the first place Calgary Stampeders. It was encouraging, but still too much of a challenge for the rebuilding Riders as they lost 19-10. I have also watched some of the coverage from the Olympics. 

The Bailey clan hung out in Calgary this week. Erica was in training at the Deloitte office. Eric, Haaken and Liam went to the zoo one day and threw balls at animals, but Haaken refused to play PokemonGo! Erica encountered a man carrying a Pokemon one day as she was walking back to the hotel. She would have captured it, but the man looked a bit scary! She didn't have any balls to throw at him anyway! They enjoyed two trips up the Calgary Tower, once to stand on the glass floor, the other to enjoy dinner in the rotating restaurant. Eric and boys did lots of walking, shopping and riding the C-train. This weekend they're taking the long way home through the mountains—a good week, a good trip! 

Erin has been having a pretty routine week. She and Kristian FaceTime regularly. She has continued to follow-up on her stove issues. Shawn checked the electronics on the control board, and it's dead, so she'll have to order a replacement. She ordered new shock-proof cases for her iPhone and for Kristian's iPad. They were delivered here, so Kristian got his installed already. 

This was the week when Travis, Joanna, Gemma, Andrew and the menagerie moved to their new digs. It's pretty empty here since they all left, but they still have plenty of things to move, so we see them each day for another load. I am not missing the birds, but Kristian is sure missing Minnie. We all are missing the family. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

We've enjoyed another beautiful week on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. The weather has been great, and we've had a few showers to break the heat. We even got by without AC today for the first time in about a month. My friend, also Bill, has taken holidays, so I am running his lawn care business while he's gone. It'll be a couple of weeks this time, but he is also planning a month in Europe in September, so I'll be back in charge then. So, I've been busy grabbing opportunities when the grass is dry, but the temperature is not too hot. The markets were red all week until Friday when great US jobs' data turned everybody green! Our jobs' data was very bad here, but the health of our big friend next door is always more important to our well-being anyway! The Riders continued their losing way, but did put in a good effort for three quarters of the game against Calgary. Durant is back, so we live in hope—pretty typical for Rider fans! The Jays are playing well, and remain in a first place tie with Baltimore. Kristian continues his work on typing, and has completed five lessons this week. Today, he went golfing with us again; that was another good day! 

Erica was sick this week, a visit to the doctor confirmed it—she's sick! Liam got some blood work done, but they're still waiting to hear about the results. They tested for Celiac's among other things. Haaken worked on his own at the townhouse. He is packing for his move to Regina. Eric worked 3 days last week, and 4 days this week. It's time for a break before attempting a 5-day week! Erica is scheduled for coursework next week in Calgary, so the family is making an outing of it. They began the trek by heading to Regina and visiting with Erin. Must be an indirect route! 

Erin has managed a few medical checks this week. She's been given some trial medicine and a prescription for the same as a defence against migraine headaches. Medical advice concerning her skin breakouts is not so helpful. She'll just have to live with it and use steroidal creams when necessary. Then, she had a failure with her range. The burners continue to work, but the oven seems to be dead. She has now received advice on potential repairs, so we'll see where that goes. 

Travis & Joanna have closed the deal, and received their keys to the new house. They are busy moving stuff in, getting set up, and searching for all the necessaries for their own place. Today, they bought a small battery-powered lawn mower for their small lawn. It's basically a whipper-snipper on wheels; I'm looking forward to seeing how it works. Gemma is busy with work most days, while Andrew is usually busy with video games! 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

It's been a beautiful week on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been great, albeit a little too hot for me. We've enjoyed a good week of activities and are beginning to plan the next phase of developments and renovations on the house and yard. Wendy got some of our artwork hung; we're finally getting to enjoy those again. The markets have continued to run well. The TSX was up nearly 4% for the month, and I almost gained double my quota, so I was able to cover for some of the shortfalls I experienced earlier. The Riders suffered a comprehensive beating Friday night in Montreal; c'mon Riders! We hope Durant is back soon, but truly that is not their only problem. The Jays, on the other hand, have continued to play well, and, with today's win, have advanced to first place in their division. That was much fun to watch! I've managed to get out to the golf course a couple of times, and I especially enjoyed today's golf with Wendy and Kristian. We need to go more often! 

The Baileys are home from Estonia, a little tired, but glad to have had that experience. They enjoyed  seeing the young people sharing their faith, and experiencing a new culture. The found Estonia to be very beautiful, and in some ways very familiar. It also has very old places. The old town in Tallinn was fascinating with the bulk of the exterior city wall and turrets in good condition. Home again in Prince Albert, most of them are enjoying house-sitting for friends who have central air! Haaken is batching at home while the rest enjoy the more favourable accommodation! They enjoyed a wonderful visit with Bonnie (nee McMillan) this week as she was touring Saskatchewan. Liam continues to struggle with his stomach issues and has another doctor's appointment in the coming week.

Erin finds it pretty quiet around home these days since Kristian is down here. Kristian has been taking touch typing lessons this summer. He enjoys using his laptop from home even more now that it has a new battery. We had a picnic at the marina on Friday evening, but there were spider webs around, and possibly spiders, so he was pretty wary of that! Erin scored a new set of wheels this week, in her case it was just a pair as she bought a new bicycle! Grandma has renewed her efforts to get Kristian comfortable riding a bike here! 

Travis and Joanna have completed the paper work, so the process of moving into the new place has begun. They prepared a barbecue picnic for my birthday supper today, and we enjoyed that on the deck. They've taken one truck load of stuff over to the new place. I hope to have a trailer available for them to use next weekend which should accomplish most of the move. They've also been shopping for some additional equipment, furnishings and utensils for their new home. We shall miss them. 

And that's about enough for one week. 

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been distressingly hot, and we have spent most of the week inside the house as the outdoor temperatures ran to the mid-thirties! We have had a couple of thunderstorms, but have not heard of any particular damage in our area related to those. Kristian has been suffering with runny eyes and stuffy nose; we now have him on Benadryl, but we're not seeing much improvement. He is working on typing lessons this summer, and enjoying playing with his cousins and Minnie. I have been working on the lawns and garden, and the weeds are taking a beating! We've been enjoying rhubarb crisp, and another picking is available. The combination of sun and rain have the lawns looking better than expected, but I'm having to mow them too often! The US markets are hitting record levels, and we're following just enough to make for another good week for me. April and June did not meet quota, so I'm working to catch up on that shortfall. The Blue Jays are playing pretty well (Sorry, not today!), and are currently in a playoff position and challenging for the divisional lead. The Riders took down the #1 team in the league last night behind backup QB Mitchell Gale—yay Riders! That gives them their first win of the season, and renews the hopes of Rider fans everywhere! 

The Baileys continue their sojourn in Estonia. They have relocated from Tartu back to Talinn, as they prepare to come home. They are having a good and busy time.

Erin has suffered from migraines again this week. We hope some remedy will be found to relieve this. Otherwise, summer in Saskatchewan continues to be hot and that has spawned a few violent storms with massive hailstones reported, and even a tornado or two touching down. Yikes! Then, on Friday, Husky announced that their pipeline had sprung a leak and dropped a significant amount of petro-products into the North Saskatchewan River. North Battleford has had to shut down its drinking water collection from the river. Today, we're informed that the booms have failed to contain the oil, and Prince Albert's drinking water is also threatened. 

Kristian, Matt Murray and the Cup!

Bucket List Item: checked off!

Trav and Joanna were very busy on Tuesday coordinating Matt Murray's day with the Stanley Cup. Some of the payoffs were great pictures with the cup! Gemma has had a couple of wedding celebrations to work, and Andrew has worked some of that as well. The big news has to be the completion of the purchase for their new place! They will be taking possession next month. The house looks ready to move in, so there should not be much in the way of renovations needed.

House for: Travis, Joanna, Gemma, Andrew

And that's about it for this week!

Home Again!

Another week has passed and we have finally managed to get home! We left Regina on Wednesday,

Kristian & Grandma vs T-Rex!

spent Wednesday and Thursday nights in Winnipeg, and drove the final leg to Thunder Bay on Friday. However, the week was more eventful than the brief write-up makes it seem. The Baileys arrived in town on Tuesday in anticipation of their departure for Estonia on Wednesday morning, so we migrated over to Dad's place where Bern, Alicia and Logan put us up for the night. Thanks! Meanwhile Erin was hosting the Baileys. We joined them at the airport on Wednesday morning as they began their trip to Europe. The meeting was brief, but we were able to send them on their way with our best wishes. The parking fee at the Regina airport was a shocker—eight dollars! Yikes! Then we packed up Kristian and headed east for a lovely stay with Tom & Mariette in Winnipeg. Board and room were generous, but Tom was not so kind on the course, as he took it to me at Teulon Golf Course on Thursday! Kristian and Wendy enjoyed a nice tour with Mariette through the new dinosaur exhibit at Assiniboine Park Zoo. Thanks for the nice stay in Winnipeg. Today, we have been surveying our next projects around home. Wendy did some shopping and I did some weeding. The rhubarb needs picking and the potatoes are doing well, but that's the limit of my garden this year. The markets were very helpful this week, and I am already at quota for the month of July, so I can attempt to make up for the lack in May! MLB has been in all-star break, but the Jays have returned to action again, but are failing to return to action in winning mode! Let's go Jays! The Riders played BC tonight and continued to struggle, even more so after Darian Durant fell to injury in the first half. There were encouraging signs for sure. Still, it's disappointing to see them falling to 0-3 in this rebuilding season. Let's go Riders! 

As mentioned, the Baileys have flown to Estonia and have taken up residence in Tartu for the next few weeks. Eric & Erica will provide some of the supervision and leadership with the group. 

Erin is home alone after we took Kristian with us to Thunder Bay. Now, she'll have no one to mess up the house, so she'll have a wonderful time with summer house cleaning!! 

Trav & Joanna had big news this week as their bid for a house has been accepted. There remains work to do on the conditions, but we'll be watching that with them in the coming weeks. Otherwise, our house and yard are looking pretty good, so thanks for taking care of things while we were gone! They have been very busy with their usual work, and this week took on a special project—coordinating and photographing Matt Murray's day with the Stanley Cup! That is set to take place on Tuesday; we are all looking forward to that! 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed, and I have wandered away from the shore of Lake Wascana for a while, but I have returned to it this evening. The big event of the week was the annual Pryder Cup between friends in Bismarck and Dauphin. As has become the norm, the golfers hail from farther afield to contest the event, but the camaraderie is as warm as ever! This year's event was in Bismarck. I drove down to Weyburn on Wednesday, left the car at Kal-Tire for servicing, and rode south with Kerry. We met up with the crew at Washburn Thursday at noon, and played the first round of the competition there. The original Canada vs USA format has been abridged several times due to the availability of participants, and this year it took the form of veterans vs youth. The young guys took the first round, opening up a two-point lead after the stroke play event at Painted Woods. On Friday morning at Prairie West, the old guys roared back to take a one-point lead, only to see that lost in the afternoon scramble matches at Riverwood and Friday ended with the youth holding a slim one-point lead. It was left to the Saturday rounds at Hawk Tree to determine the outcome. Once again the Vets won in the morning to tie up the affair, but the kids took it to us in the afternoon to close out a 2-point win. It was great fun. I drove back home this evening, arriving just before midnight. It's good to be home away from home at Erin's. The week has not gone well for me in the markets either, although I did end in the green, but short of my quota. The Riders are green, but they also fell short, in overtime, to another green team—the Edmonton Eskimos. The Jays are blue, but they went on a tear prior to the All-Star break and have improved their position considerably. 

The big news this week from the Bailey household is that Haaken passed his Learner's exam toward his Driver's Licence. Yay Haaken! Now both boys are practicing for their driving exam. A friend is having a costume party with a Lord of the Rings theme this weekend, so Liam has been working on an Aragorn costume. He also showed off his culinary skills by making Lasagna for the family on Friday night. The boys are exchanging and rearranging their rooms, so the apartment is a bit of a disaster at present! Eric and Erica have been working, and preparing for the trip to Estonia that begins next week. 

Erin and Kristian continue to take care of us. While I was away, Kristian trained Grandma on using the smartphone app to do GeoCaching. They found two caches, and also spent time at the Regent Park pool. 

Travis and Joanna hosted her mom this week, and celebrated their anniversary most of the week as well. It seemed they were eating out at special spots on both sides of the border several times. We look forward to getting back there in another week. 

And that's about it for this week. 

News Update

Another week has passed and we have returned to the shore of Lake Wascana in the middle of the prairies. It bears repeating that we enjoyed a great time in Yellowknife! On Sunday we drove from High Level down to Edmonton and enjoyed the evening and night with Scott and Dolly—thanks very much! On Monday we continued to Sylvan Lake where we were introduced to Jim and Carol's new home—nice place guys; we enjoyed the largest and coolest bedroom in the place! Finally on Tuesday, we headed eastward to Regina, where we are comfortably ensconced with Erin and Kristian—thanks for your hospitality! So, we've enjoyed another blessed week. I had a shorter week in the markets due to the Canada Day holiday, and there was still turmoil due to the Brexit vote, but finally we got some bounce-back and I made some good recovery. However, the month ended well short of my target, so I'll have to pick up the pace in July! I enjoyed golf games on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, I played Tor Hill with Dale; that was just okay, as has seemed to have become my norm lately! It shouldn't take 90 strokes to get around a golf course! Today, I enjoyed golf with Kristian, Erin and Wendy—that was a lot of fun! The Riders have begun their season, but it was not a good start for them either. They'll need to improve in July! Finally, the Jays have dropped off lately. All told, I'm expecting a broad range of improvements this month! 

Liam's Awards

Liam finished his exams and closed the books on grade 10! He won several awards for his year's work, including a $700 scholarship for his ministry achievements. Congratulations Liam! He's back home for the summer. He saw the doctor about his stomach issues and one initial thought was that it might be his gall bladder. The doctor wants to see the results from the tests done in Moose Jaw, and then may need more tests. In the meantime he is on some medication for when his stomach is upset. Haaken came down with a nasty cough this week, so he's been consulting with a doctor as well. He's on medication to clear the congestion from his lungs. Erica was out of town for a few days for an audit and enjoyed being out in the field once again. Eric continues to hold down the fort at home and work. 

GeoCach#1

Lotsa stuff in there! 

Kristian completed his school year on Wednesday. Kristian, Wendy and I got out for some golf practice on Thursday. We introduced Kristian to the hobby of GeoCaching, and he was an instant enthusiast! He kept locating new sites "nearby", and leading us to them. It was amazing how quickly he caught on, and how effectively he navigated the tiny maps on our iPhones! Erin has been dealing with another infection in her hand, but it is showing good improvement. 

Travis, Joanna, Gemma and Andrew continue to hold down the home base. Gemma and Andrew have taken turns cycling Joanna into the ground, or pavement, as the case may be. Otherwise life and business seems to be continuing pretty much as usual, and the photography facet of their operation continues to expand. 

And that's about it for this week. 

Yellowknife Treats

We enjoyed a great time in Yellowknife with friends and family. It was great to be re-acquainted with so many people. Three situations stand out in our hearts and minds. 

Simon and Lenore: This wonderful couple meant so much to our eighteen years in Yellowknife, and we were reminded of that during our time with them in their home and at the cabin. As is her wont, Lenore organized our days and filled them with activities of remembrance and of new adventure. It was a perfectly wonderful and exhausting time! We wouldn't have missed it! 

enjoying a wiener roast!

Willy: He heard we were in town, and that we were staying at Simon & Lenore's place. While we were enjoying most of the week at the cabin, he showed up at their house in town every day, hoping to catch us. Finally, on Thursday, we were there, and we enjoyed a reunion with him. We remarked to each other how special it was to know of the efforts he made to connect. Thank you. 

Tram: She has been a part of our lives for many years. She was a friend to Erica, and Erica was a bridesmaid at her wedding. Tram gave me the honour of walking her down the aisle. But we did not realize the impact she felt we had on her life. Well, she made it clear! She feted us graciously at home, on the lake and at a local eatery! It was heart-warming to be recipients of such largesse. 

at Tram's home!