Spring 2025

It has been a while, so here are some pictures from the last few months.

Ruby took a Parkour course at McCann's Dog Training Centre. She loved it so much that she started to get on things frequently. Her world became decidedly more 3D after the first class or two. 

In April we had our annual poster day event and apparently I am now the face of the program! Should have worn the same shirt to confuse people. 

Ruby continues to grow and learn. She is very comfortable and often smiles for us. 

Also in April, I passed the 5 year in remission milestone. My oncologist says I am weird enough that he will keep me coming in every 6 months all the way to 10 years (usually the frequency drops at 5 years).  

In May, Wendy and I went to the Canadian National jigsaw puzzle championships in Georgetown. Wendy competed in individual, pairs (with our great niece), and the team competition. Her team went to the finals and came in 13th in Canada! I volunteered to be a spotter while Wendy competed. 

Our crabapple tree bloomed very nicely this year (not a guaranteed show). The reasonably cool weather made the blooms last longer than normal.

Ruby and I went on lots of walks and she frequently does parkour on the benches along the way. 

I got back into stained glass a bit more this spring. This one is the beginnings of a mosaic-like set of 4 panels in a repurposed window frame. 

We took Ruby on her first 5km hike in May. Weather was perfect and she loved it!

I was invited to be the guest speaker at a high school in Hamilton for their Relay for Life (raisin money for the Canadian Cancer Society). Over 400 students participated and I decided I needed to do a quick selfie before we started the survivor lap around the track. Great event in perfect weather!

Instead of going to Tennessee with our friends Terry and Theresa, we decided to cancel and book a cottage up near Midland. On the way up, Wendy and I stopped at Casino Rama. 

While at the cottage we did some hiking, some soaking in the hot tub, and a whole lot of nothing much. A very relaxing week.

Fresh baked croissants with chocolate, by the water

At a raptor rehabilitation facility, Wye Marsh

This is actually a degrading lily pad. Looked too interesting to not take a photo.

Forest fire smoke made for interesting sunsets

S'mores!

Back at home we switched the house lights to Pride mode for June.

It has been a busy fall!

 I guess it has been many months since the last post - this one will be a big catch up post before we head into the Christmas season.

Ruby continued to adjust to her new family, and learning new things.  She chases her tail, loves the back (patio) room, and absolutely adores going out in the back yard. She also has quite a side-eye/sassy attitude at times.

Ruby loves to be outside in the yard!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8QRN8aXJxmCHe6ii8 

In October, Wendy and Eric visited Manitoba and were able to be part of the Thanksgiving celebration. While in Portage, Wendy got her hair coloured – all pink this time. Adam was up in Attawapiskat (west side of James Bay, about 1100km north of home) for work, and Ruby was with Parker and Jaclyn at their place. During our week of vacations, we also went to a hockey game, toured the Western Canada Aviation Museum, visited Camp Hughes (1.5 hr west of Portage, where Eric’s grandfather trained prior to heading to France during WW1), and did some hiking at the Spirit Sands in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

Arriving in Winnipeg for a week long visit!

The Thanksgiving crowd

We all fit around the table!

Fully pink!

Spirit Sands - there was nobody there!

Spirit Sands rope ladder

Sand was in whatever direction you looked

On returning home, Ruby started Level 1 puppy training class at McCanns (15 minutes from Dundas). Adam took part in some November 11th activities and we actually got a photo of him in uniform! Jaclyn had a big birthday celebration in November and we went out to dinner with Jaclyn and Parker plus her father and brother before going to do some (dark) bowling. Adam travelled to Wainwright AB for a Canadian Armed Forces training course and graduated around the same time that Eric’s parents celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

Comfy and happy

Jaclyn's birthday party

Captain Seidlitz

She is a happy girl!

At puppy class

In December, Eric’s classes ended, and Wendy’s office moved within the hospital. Ruby learned all about snow (she was originally from San Antonio TX) – she seemed to enjoy it. 

We also began our most recent renovation project to change the look of our living room fireplace and mantel. It was too formal for us and hadn’t been updated since 1964… so a refresh was in order. We will show more details in a later post, once it has been completed. 

This week, Ruby graduated from her Level 1 puppy class this week to move on to Level 2. 

Getting ready to be evaluated

She passed!

Next post will after our fireplace renovation is completed... and, in all likelihood, it will be after Christmas as well.

All the stars align!

In advance of the eclipse and my 60th birthday, CBC did a news piece as a human interest story.  

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/cancer-remission-birthday-eclipse-1.7163872 

Been busy since the summer...

 It has been quite busy around here since the summer!  One of the biggest changes is that Parker moved out and went back to school. He is now living in St. Catharines with Jaclyn and going to Niagara College for the Law Clerk (2 yr) program. 

Parker's stuff being put in a U-Haul truck

Parker and Jaclyn's new place

In early September, Adam bought a truck! He needed a new vehicle and this one gave him extra space to carry all his stuff. It is a hybrid, so gets very good mileage for a vehicle of its size. 

Adam and his Ford F-150

Eric is back at school for another term, and is teaching slightly fewer courses than last year.  He even went out with his first-year cell biology course Teaching Assistants for dinner! 

Eric and his co-instructor Chari with the TAs

Wendy has been very into puzzles this fall, and she even competed in a speed puzzling contest (Eric worked as a spotter). The Great Canadian Puzzling Competition was held in Georgetown and was the largest ever puzzle competition in Canada.  She competed in both individual and team competitions. 

Wendy's team competition group

Eric the spotter!

At the Great Canadian Puzzle Competition

We had Thanksgiving at our place this year. Lots of fun with Jacob and Laura, and lots of food!

Jacob loved Kerplunk!

Puzzles happen a lot in our house

Parker serving the pie and ice cream

Wendy and I took a trip to Denver for the annual Thyroid Cancer Survivor's conference (ThyCa). We had a rainy day of sightseeing and then got the chance to meet in person a surprising large group of anaplastic thyroid cancer survivors. The group was so large that we ran out of chairs at one of the meetings. In previous years they would often only get 3-5 ATC survivors, but things seemed to have changed quickly, and this time we had 15 in one room!

Dinner at the hotel

At Wings Over the Rockies (Air and Space Museum)

At the International Church of Cannabis (for a light show)

Inside the International Church of Cannabis

Inside the International Church of Cannabis

Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer survivors, plus some world experts

Eric even had a surprise on Halloween where one of his students dressed up as him!  She even drew on a grey beard.

She even faked Eric's ID badge!

Eric and Chari along with the Assistant Dean Stacey and some dinosaurs

Over the next while we are heading to do some cross border shopping in Grove City PA (with Parker and Jaclyn), and Adam is heading to Dawson Creek, BC for a Bell Helicopter engine course.  Wendy and Eric are planning for a short trip to Barrie after Christmas. We are also planning Baltic cruise from the Netherlands (with friends Mel and Murray) with several days in Amsterdam before the cruise and a brief trip to Dublin Ireland afterwards. Will be busy!