Road Trip:

Virginia and I took a late September road trip from Calgary to Seattle (Calgary - Cranbrook - Spokane-Seattle - Kelowna - Calgary, about 1,400 miles). A wonderful time of year to travel with the fall colors and lighter traffic than in summer.

The photo to the above was taken in Kelowna at the Cedar Creek Winery overlooking Lake Okanagan.


We stopped by to see an old friend in Seattle. We had not seen Peter(OJ) or communicated much over the past 20 years, but OJ and I went to boarding school together and the three of us to University - it was good to see him.







Virginia liked the entrance to the Abercrombie and Fitch store... I wonder why?

Proud Grandad!

On September 7, 2006 I became the very proud grandfather to Hannah Louise, a most beautiful little baby girl.

Hard to believe that my baby Isabel has had a baby of her own, Reid and her are doing great. They have made their Mother and I extremely happy. All I want to do is sit with Hannah, feel her warmth and watch her little face. It will be so much fun to be a part of her life.

Mt. Assiniboine

Last weekend I went on a 3 day backpacking trip with a few friends, it was spectacular, again. It is the fourth time I have made this trip - stuck in a rut? maybe. But what a rut, absolutely stunningly beautiful country. From Sunshine Meadows over Citadel Pass into the Valley of the Rocks and, after about 29k, Mt. Assiniboine: "the Matterhorn of the Canadian Rockies", with about another 28k to go it is over Wonder Pass and down to Marvel lake and then the Bryant Creek Trail out.

Og Lake: 1st night camp, with Mt Assiniboine in background:

PINCH ME!!

OK I have only had it for a few days but I cannot wait to take it out on the track (August 1st).

Why do I fall for sports cars?

Family

Just got back from a fairy-tale Bermuda wedding: "James and Gambrill get married". The setting was picture perfect and the ceremony touching. The wedding, the reception, dinner, fireworks.... it all had a feeling of being in a movie it was just so beautiful and well done.

It is always surprising what you take away from events like this, and this time it was no different. My 'Bermuda nieces and nephew', Louise, James and Sarah have a love that is special. Watching James lean on his sisters, the sisters agonize over their brothers anxious moments leading up to the wedding day, helping out in so many ways and just be so damn happy for James and his bride, Gambrill, it was a joy to see.

But could not help reflecting on the fact that I have never been close to my brothers and really don't think about my relation to them except at family gatherings like this wedding, then I leave the event depressed over the fact that we never do talk and I really don't have much interest in talking anyway (not sure which is worse). I didn't even get a call from my eldest brother, who lives half way around the world, despite being on a small island for 10 days with him: like to have lunch? Hey, I did not call him either. I think the days of sitting around and re-living stories of our childhood have long past, it just is unfortunate that in our family it never happened, so the memory does not get re-enforced and eventually there is none.

"My heart hurts"

It was a very sad day in our house yesterday and these were the last words I heard before falling to sleep last night. I felt the same way but I just could not say it so well: "My heart hurts".

Sarah brought a puppy into our lives 3 1/2 years ago, a puppy she named 'Jouet Chanel'. We all have fallen hard for this little dog, a dog who like Sarah was given the happy gene. Jouet just makes everyone smile, she thinks she is the biggest dog in the neighborhood and she has the heart of a lion.

Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration syndrome(SARDS) may affect any pure or mixed breed of dog. Affected dogs are generally between the ages of 7 and 14 years of age, with females predominating over males. Studies have shown that these pets have total destruction of the visual cell layer (the rods and cones) of the retina resulting in blindness.

Jouet is 3 1/2, the youngest dog the Ophthalmologist has ever seen with the syndrome. A true shock. It happened over the course of 4 or 5 days, from sighted to blind. She now seems a bit confused and quite tentative, certainly looks to be picked up and loved. It will take some training of both Jouet and us but with any luck all will be well.

Ronald Regan, Sonny Bono, Gene Autry, Bob Hope, Frank Sanatra, Gerald Ford and Dinah Shore.
What do these people have in common? They all have streets named after them in the Palm Desert area.
Weird how the area (Coachella Valley) feels. 130 golf courses! Unbelievable. Really not a very large community, but every development is built around a course. Extremely 'golfcentric'.

La Quinta Resort and Club, Palm Springs, California.





Now I like golf but this place is way over the top. I do believe I would burn out and hate the game for ever - the issue is that there is not that much else to do, you are in the middle of a desert. You feel like you are in a time warp; like people expect the rat pack to walk down El Paseo Dive.
Virginia and I did have a good time during our week visit: golf, shopping, pool side and great restaurants. Here she is with a diner companion.

I came across this newspaper article and because I was a 'Montrealer' and fondly remember quite abit of what Mr. Fisher writes about, including having been at the Dec. 31/75 Red Army game, I have attached a link to this very well written story.

The Montreal Gazette
Saturday, March 11, 2006


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2 weeks in the Los Cabo, pretty well heaven. Thinking about buying a condo down here, something like 350 days of sunshine a year, great golf and the Sea of Cortez is just stunning. Visited a small down on the pacific coast 'Todos Santos', it was all you could ask for with the exception of a golf course. Might return on a shopping trip.

Easy to get carried away when you are a Canadian on vacation from the winter blues and you stumble on weather and beauty like this. Met a few guys gofing who just sold everything back home and made the move. Inspiring.

Only 3 more days until we go home, will try to get another golf game or two in and maybe just spend the afternoons on the beach. Watched whales play late this afternnon as we enjoyed drinking a couple of margarettas. Damn every day has been mid 80's and sunny, the locals tell us it is always like this. Nights cool off to maybe a light sweater for a 9:00 pm dinner.

Staying in a small hotel, Casa del Mar Spa and Golf Resort (something for everyone), very nice place on the beach and across the street from Cabo Real Golf Course - great layout!


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I am in Toronto on business, a trip that I would have really not looked forward to a while back but now Margot is here I look forward to getting here and visiting with her. We have our regular spots where we like to eat but tonight we stepped out and went to a new place: Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar. It was great. We had a good time killing a couple of bottles of wine and eating some very good food, a tapas menus, so we had a variety of very good dishes.

Last night Margot, Gavin Brauer and I went out to 'Lee Gardens', our fav Chinese diner here in Toronto. Highly recommended for your next visit to this part of the world but be prepared for no frills Chinese dining. Always fun to get together with Gavin who I used to describe as the son of a friend of mine. Now I just call him a friend.

Business travel: there is no glamour in business travel. It is weary making. I came to Toronto on a 6:15 flight out of Calgary, 3 1/2 hours was to get me into Toronto at 11:45 with the time change. But no; a light dusting of snow meant that Toronto was down to one runway and my flight was put into a holding pattern for an hour before we landed. You know that does not sound too bad unless you have a fellow freakin' out 3 seats to your right - an increase amount of anxiety manifested by swearing and punching the wall/window and seats - and the fellow in the seat in front of you puking. LET ME OUT OF THIS TIN CAN!!!.
I am, at times, slightly claustrophobic, I am not sure it is being confined in a plane that really gets to me. I think it is being way to close to too many people in a confined space that really gets me.

Airports, flights, taxis, hotels, meals alone, taxis, flights, airports.

Toronto: Margot, a good thing.


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Guess not...

Sarah is back home.... we got the "Daddy I want to come home" telephone call, and of course Daddy gave in immediately. I was a boarding school kid, really loved being away from home and being with schoolmates, I can never remember feeling homesick. So to get a telephone call from Sarah telling us she wanted to leave Santa Barbara was a bit of a shocker.

Anyway I flew to Los Angeles and Sarah picked me up at the airport, got treated to my first burger from "In-n-Out", and we were off to Las Vegas. Spent the night at the Hardrock and time teaching Sarah the basics of Blackjack - we lost $100.00.

Two more days on Interstate 15 and we were home. It took us a total of 25 hours on the road in a Civic jammed packed with Sarah's stuff, and we actually had a good time. Lucky for us the weather cooperated and we had clear road conditions.


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Guilty Pleasure....

Sarah leaves for school in Santa Barbara this weekend following an extended Christmas break. We will miss her as she is the baby of the family and with her leaving all three of our kids are no longer at home. I miss having the 'kids' around but I also enjoy the quiet and alone time with Virginia.

Am I allowed to feel good about my children no longer living at home?


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Mr. Ken King, President of the Calgary Flames Hockey Club, was kind enough to take my good friend Boomer, his father Woody and I on a tour of the Calgary Saddledome, home of the Calgary Flames. Here is Boomer with Mr. King in the home team dressing room.

Go Flames Go!! 

Note the pail of Double Bubble gum on the right side of the photo: a nutritional must for any pro athlete.

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I took this photo in May, 2005 while on an expedition to the North Col of Mt. Everest. This is base camp on the north side of Everest (Tibet) at the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier (approximately 5,000 meters).

Check out Jagged Globe - a top notch mountaineering expedition company.
Jagged Globe


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I am madly in love with this women.

My daughter Isabel and her husband Reid just told us their news - we are going to be GRANDPARENTS!!

All I can think of is Isabel as a baby. I have images of her running through my head, like flipping through a photo album. Seems just like yesterday. Now she will be a Mom, unbelievable.

I never knew my Grandfathers, but I witnessed my father and my father-in-law as grandparents and saw how much love and joy they found in their grandchildren. I can't wait.

Isabel Louise....


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Canadians work all there lives to save up some money so they can die somewhere warm, vacations to southern locations are just little teasers.

I am looking forward to heading south for warm weather, sand, ocean, golf and just getting out of town with the girl of my life.
This photo was taken in February 2005, we were staying at Ikal del Mar, a secluded refuge carved from the primitive Mayan jungle near Playa del Carmen. An absolutely tremendous place to kick back and relax.
Ikal Del Mar


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The post holiday season winter doldrums have set in, certainly this photo that my daughter Margot sent me cheered me up. Margot, her sisters and friends went dog sledding on Christmas Eve near Canmore, Alberta; can there be a more "winter in Canada" activity?

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Initial Blog

I am sharing with you a photo taken by my friend Gavin of his father and me while on a back backing trip in the Canadian Rockies. My favorite photo of 2005 - it just captured a moment perfectly.

Welcome to 'touque'.