Merry Christmas 2017
So, it has come to that time of year where we pause to reflect on all that has happened over the last year and prepare our annual holiday letter.
We will start off with the sad news first – with this year seeing the loss of two of our long-term companions. Merlin, our polydactyl cat, started exhibiting digestive difficulties in February and after trying some medical procedures and specialized diets (including kangaroo and goose), just two weeks later, he had to be put down as we noticed a leak of fluid from his abdomen indicating an abscess. Keelan suggested our next cat not be black as all the cats he remembers have been all or mostly black and all have had relatively short lives. Mom told him that she would not be getting a new cat of any kind and if he wanted one he could get any color he wanted as long as he remembered it was his (little did she know how quickly he would follow through).
On the morning of May 4, Daman went outside as usual, suddenly started to yelp in pain, and was unable to move. We called the emergency vet service and the three of us took him to the vet. The vet recognized immediately that there was nothing to be done and within the hour, he was put down. Keelan drove Deb and himself home while Pat walked home in honour of Daman. For many days, we were all lost as many of our routines included his twice a day walks and frequent cuddles. Pat is missing his walking companion immensely – and his weight and waist line show it.
On a much lighter note, Deb was wondering what kind of new years resolution to make and decided to see if she could declutter 17 items every day for a month. The first couple weeks were easy with 17 items of clothing, winter clothing, kitchen items, reading glasses, books etc. and donated them to Salvation Army, small toiletries to her work, and a few better sporting goods to the second-hand store. The crunch hit the last week where she resorted to 17 recipes that she doesn’t use thrown away and then 1.7 mm of old paperwork shredded a day for a total of over 10 cm. It was a bit of a challenge at times, but a good way to start the year.
Last winter was the snowiest winter on record in our area. At one point the snow banks were nearly 7 feet high on either side as you tried to walk down the sidewalk. Pat had difficulty with Daman finding a place where he could do his outdoor duties as the snow was so deep except on the shoveled paths. Deb continued to walk to work and at one point was walking on a path through the field that was about 2 feet above the ground with the unpacked snow around her another 2-3 feet higher. It was lots of work but really quite beautiful.
Pat began the year being hobbled up with surgery just prior to Christmas on his left knee. It has continued to get stronger – and better over the year – with the lateral strength and stability back. However, there is some arthritis in the knee (probably from a childhood injury and dislocation of his knee cap), and he still hobbles the first couple of steps until it loosens up and he gets moving.
By the time March came around, he was well enough to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the warmth and walking around Veradero with Lisa and Keith – our friends from Creston. We had two weeks at Club Kawama (one of the older original resorts in the town of Veradero) – with a side trip to the Bay of Pigs and into Havana – with Roly – the tour guide we had used on our last trip. The girls tried their skills at scuba diving in the Bay (Deb is hooked) while the guys enjoyed the local museum. Had a great prepared lunch waiting for us at a private restaurant in the rural area of Playa Larga and then travelled on to Havana. Roly had arranged for a wonderful Casa in a non-tourist area followed by a late supper at a private restaurant/club belonging to someone from the revolutionary days. The next day was a tour of Havana and Mantanzas before returning to our resort. Pat and Keith developed a good relationship with the Fernando – at the Cuban Beach bar close to where the girls took in the sun. Pat also seemed to have arranged to have a Mojito waiting and ice-cold bottle of water waiting for him every day coming back from his walk at a little sidewalk stand off the resort. Great trip – great time, great friends.
In May – Keelan found a kitten of his own– Mew – another polydactyl kitten. He has taken full responsibility that it is his cat – and Mew has responded accordingly. She tolerates us – and will occasionally grace us with her presence or kitty attack – but will run to Keelan at the snap of his fingers. Being an insatiably curious cat – she is constantly looking for new things to explore and consider her play ground – right up to the top of the closet walking on the hangers, sitting on the side of the tub while one showers, playing with the water in the sink, and getting into every cupboard or drawer left open as soon as your back is turned.
With the renovations completed at the cabin – and having a smaller place to maintain in town – we were successful in spending much more time out at Moyie. We got back to really appreciating the break that the cabin provides, usually one night each weekend– it is well worth it as stress relief. We can play games, walk in the campground and trails or just visit. Being there, having the time and space – we started to sort through all the things that we have accumulated over the years, with the moves that we’ve made we found that we had many repeats of things when we finally got them all together in one spot. The local Salvation Army felt that they hit the jackpot when Deb brought in over a dozen sleeping bags (and we still have 8 at the cabin) a tent or two, or three etc. There is still much to go through but we got a good start this year
The garage at the cabin (which Keelan has claimed as his shop) is really starting to take shape-it has been the location of a few repairs on vehicles and other things. More recently it has become home to a 1993 Jeep YJ that has become a shared project with Keelan as mechanic and Pat as grunt/muscle. Although it drove into the garage under its own power – there are several things that need to be fixed or upgraded and the plan is for it to be on the road next summer. It will never be pretty, but was bought to have something to comfortably do some back road exploring without worrying about scratches or breaking down.
Deb and Keelan continue to be active in the local Archery club – with Pat only coming out to shoot for the 3D shoots. Arlene, Ross and Devon came to visit and brought Mick on the weekend of the summer shoot. It is very frustrating to all of us when Mick can pick up his bow once a year and maintains enough of his accuracy that he is able to beat both Pat and Deb. Devon picked up a club bow and showed that he remembered his shooting from his childhood, Ross shot with his camera and Arlene enjoyed the walk and experience. During practice times at the outdoor range, Pat uses the opportunity to get a ride out and then hike over the back side of the community forest into Cranbrook. As the old maps have not considered the private property that has been purchased up in the area – he’s had to do some circumnavigating around ranches and farms to get out and only once had to be rescued by Deb at dusk. He now knows the area well and has several different routes that he has mapped out. Most of the time he goes by himself – but has taken Deb, Lisa and Keith up for a stroll on a Saturday morning.
Deb enjoyed her annual family reunion up at Loon Lake, the weather was great, we stumbled our way through a game of golf and fishing produced a nice fresh feed and a little to take home. We had an advance celebration of Cam and Lara’s upcoming wedding in October with a few funny gifts and a little razzing. In July, she also went on her annual girls kayaking weekend – given the earlier height of the water level due to all the snow, they decided to go to a provincial campground rather than risk no beaches remote camping. It was a beautiful place and they paddled upstream one day to find a family of coyotes calling to each other. Deb got a brief look as one came to the water as we started to retreat. It was however a little smoky due to the wildfires mostly up north at that time but that was soon to change.
Our summer at the cabin was cut short when one of many of the BC Wildfires resulted in the cabin being placed under an evacuation order for three weeks. Once again, we are grateful for the fire fighters who did a fantastic job of fighting the fire with no damage to anyone’s property. It was somewhat ironic for the fires to hit our area at that time as about a week and a half earlier, Pat had volunteered to be part of the Provincial Wildfire response for the Ministry and was on call 24/7 days a week for about a month. Despite the work involved in coordinating all the provincial responses and the long hours – Pat seemed to be in his glory – doing something that he felt was worthwhile. The only break that he had was for Mick and him to take a pre-planned 4-day trip to Vegas to give Mick a break before returning to school. This is the second trip to Vegas for the two of them – and they concentrate on food, music and exhibitions. Among the highlights this year were the Bellagio Gallery Muhammad Ali exhibit, and the Body exhibits at the Luxor and Bailey’s. The break was great for both of them.
In the fall, we headed South for another holiday. Pat and Scott headed out at the beginning of October, picked up the car in Cincinnati and went to Washington where Scott got his fill of Smithsonian Museums and civil war history. Kelly and Deb joined them in Charlotte and we took a 2-week tour through Georgia, Florida and touched on Alabama. The Keys were still recovering from Hurricane Irma, with about 70% of the businesses open and every business had help wanted signs. We talked to a trucker who thought they would be on the Keys hauling away the hurricane damaged property until at least Christmas. It was kind of strange being there vacationing in all the damage, but the businesses were happy to have people returning so that they could get back on top. As is usual for us, we packed the days full with places to go and things to see. We had lots of laughs and a great time sharing an area we love with Kelly and Scott. Besides, Pat says it was a slow and relaxing holiday – only involved two oil changes … After dropping us off in Atlanta to fly home – Pat had a week by himself to slowly work the car back to Cincinnati. He really enjoys his time exploring and hiking on his own – at a far less hectic pace.
Mick continued with his internship at Hitachi ID until the end of August. He really enjoyed being able to just focus on one thing and not 5 classes. He seemed to like the work and the feedback he received was very positive. They had previously had computer science interns as opposed to Software engineers and they seemed to see a difference in approach – enough so that Mick was orienting two new interns to take his place before he left. He is now into his final year which includes a ‘Capstone project’. They must get an industry sponsor and complete a project start to finish and then present it. The project that they are doing – is different enough that they had to do outside the facility to get an academic advisor – who could knowledgeable assist them. Mick is working in a group that includes two of the guys who were part of his fab four in third year and a new recruit. They are building some kind of new compiler for IBM. Mick has been put in the position of project manager, not really something he would have sought, but will be great experience. While we still don’t fully (or really at all Deb says) understand what he does, he seems to… and he likes it. He has one fun course this year – the history of Jazz which has been an enjoyable change of pace. The professor quickly learned of Mick’s knowledge in jazz and was surprised to hear he was an engineer.
Keelan is continuing in his work toward automotive technician. He completed second year in April and does his third-year training starting in January. He continues to work at Dixon’s Service Centre but unfortunately, times have been tough and they had to lay him off last winter and he just heard today that they were laying him off again. Although he has liked in the smaller shop and the ability to do more things than in a dealership offers, he also understands that the opportunities there will be limited and has been keeping his eyes open for new opportunities.
At the beginning of November, Pat got the opportunity to take Deb to Victoria and a dinner at the Government House and a presentation. This was to acknowledge Pat’s 25 years of service with the BC government. The reception and the meal were wonderful – and one of the few times that you see Pat in a tie and dancing …
We wish you health and happiness in the new year and a Christmas season shared with friends and family.