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.

Hints of summer, a new resident at the Seidlitz bed and breakfast, and multiple short trips

Spring is sort of here... and is still here... and it is June already. Even with our chilly weather, we have still gone out to do a few things.

First off, we have a new person living with us! I know, eventually that statement is not going to surprise anyone... Staying with us this summer is Wendy's cousin's daughter (Christine). She volunteer's at the hospital with Wendy's manager. This opportunity for some healthcare system experience could prove useful for her future goals.

Hiking at one of Hamilton's many waterfalls

Although a month later than normal, our crabapple tree bloomed gloriously this May. It was so cold out that the blooms also lasted far longer than expected. Guess they were needed for insulation.

One day, Wendy was looking at a picture of her father (Ron) and his older brother (Roy) and decided to take a photo of their two grandchildren (Parker and Christine) holding the photo. This also gave me a chance to try out the portrait mode on my new phone (Google Pixel 3a, if you are interested).

We recently decided to go into Toronto to take in a Blue Jays game, stopping first at our niece's place nearby for lunch. Leanne, Scott, Elyse, and Brynn joined us at the game and sat in the next row from Wendy, myself, Ying, and Fanfan. The girls seemed to have a great time; the dads found the one discount beer stand on our level (hint, instead of buying an $11 beer, the same one costs $5 at the Dugout Deals stand on each level of the Rogers Centre).

Ying and Fanfan under the CN Tower

Scott photobombing our selfie

Elyse taking it all in

Brynn likes the camera

Fanfan also loves the camera

 Since the game was a "Junior Jays" event, the girls got to go onto the field after the game (the Jays won by a mile) and ran the bases. Fanfan wasn't completely sure what the big deal was, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

On the field

Our spring flowers are in full swing now (yes, in JUNE), but they will soon wilt as the heat comes rushing in later in the month.

Last week Wendy took a trip with her manager to attend a conference in Detroit. It was purely a work trip, but she noted that her hotel was directly beside the border crossing as you come out of the bridge from Windsor. They decided to drive there, since it would be too much hassle to fly.

Another last minute trip was scheduled after Adam called us last week and asked if we could come up to North Bay on the weekend to attend the Annual Parade and Banquet for the Cadet Squadron where he is a civilian instructor. He acted as the MC for the parade, and this occurred in the hangar at his college. Over the course of the long day, we got the full tour (inside the aircraft as well - including the 727), and learned how he helped move all the aircraft around to accommodate the parade. We also got to meet many of the people that he has talked about over the last year.  If all works out, the next time we are up in North Bay, we may be able to get a guided tour of the NORAD facilities at 22 Wing, the air force base next to the college. Adam may  no longer be a civilian in the next few months, but that event may appear here in a later post.

The MC at work

The weekend ended with a nice breakfast at our hotel, where they said Adam could come to eat for free. Small towns are great!  Long drives home through Toronto cottage country traffic... not so much.

One last note, here is a photo to show Christine in her uniform at the hospital. Although we frequently drive in together to work, Wendy is the only one who see her 'at work'.

Coming up this week, I go to a conference in New Orleans that I stumbled upon only a few weeks ago. Wendy won't be able come along, as I will arrive Friday late afternoon and leave Sunday noon (I need to get back to teach on Monday). Too expensive for 1 day (while I am in conference). Looks like it will be a very interesting meeting (it is called the Teaching Professor Conference!), and the weather there is likely going to be very hot (30-35C, plus humidity).

Later this summer will see a short trip to Calgary and Banff, then a week at a rented cottage on Sauble Beach (Lake Huron). Glad I bought a new carry-on bag - it will likely pay for itself in the next several months!

Things are looking up

This week is looking a lot better than last week. Everyone is home from the hospital (both of Wendy's parents) and Adam got promoted!

Yes,  Adam finally achieved Chief Warrant Officer (WO first class). This is the highest rank for cadets... meaning that Adam has been through every rank possible since he started at age 12. He ages out a little over 1 month from now,  as you stop cadets when you turn 19. 

To make the week even brighter,  Adam got a part time job! He will work at the new No Frills grocery store in Ancaster.

Everyone is happy that things are back to a normal schedule after Adam returned from Roatan last weekend. Adam got 5 higher certifications for scuba while he was away (search/rescue,  night,  nitrox,  navigation,  deep).  He will have to explain these to everyone...

Maddy knows exactly where her treats are,  and she expects that she will get them in the morning if she sits near them to remind us where they are. 

Here she is casually sitting by the drawer - but we know that she is barking frantically inside her head trying to get us to notice.

Quiet weekend for all

It was a nice and quiet long weekend, so Wendy and I did a couple of hikes with Maddy in the Dundas Trail system. I took one of my old cameras because my good camera was missing (more below). The shots below may be a little better than from my iPhone, but not drastically so.

Got to keep taking photos of these, while they last!

Just an interesting pattern

Dandelions look more delicate as they age

Parker survived another grass cutting episode without any visible damage to anything. He did get freaked out somewhat by the 'frickin wasps' (his emphasis...) that were flying through the back yard. They appeared to mostly be bees, but he wasn't believing the biologist on that one. He spent a lot of time bogging down the engine on the lawnmower. In fact, I think Parker had to restart the lawnmower at least a dozen times - it stalled every single time he plowed into the really tall grass.  And there was a lot of it! I did say to him to go slowly, but he decided the pain of mowing the lawn would go much faster if he went much faster. No such luck.

Adam was away at a cadet Field Training Exercise (FTX) from Friday afternoon until Monday after supper. Below is a picture of Adam on top of a shelter that he build this weekend.  Below that is just a photo of him working in the office at cadets. Apparently an FTX is considerably more dirty than office work - he had to change before he could eat dinner on his arrival at home.

I should note that it seems like Adam really likes to use my good Nikon SLR camera... now I know where it was all weekend...

Adam on a structure he built

WO2 Seidlitz

Stanley was away from Friday until Sunday morning, but on Monday he really enjoyed having a day off from school. He stayed in his PJ's the whole day!

Tonight we were asked to go at the last minute to a concert at Parker's school. He claims he didn't know that there was a concert (with him in it) tonight. Luckily, the grade 8 jazz band was the first act and we were able to exit from the back discretely.  The principal even held the door open for us as we left. I took a few photos of Parker on stage (with the old camera again...). Some of these have him focused on playing his trumpet, and some are with, ahem, a little less focus.

Parker playing trumpet (centre, back row)

Parker with focus

Getting ready to play

Waiting to play

Still waiting to play

Tired of waiting

If you are interested in seeing and hearing a 36 second excerpt from the concert, that video is pasted below.