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.