Friday June 7/13

Friday June 7/13 update  # 476

Happy 45^th Birthday to our son Todd who is now a doting Grandpa.   I started off by driving way to the south side to surprise my son but he had apparently left early, claiming sickness.  I could have gone to visit Ash at his shop again but didn’t want to get stuck that far in south central Edmonton during Friday rush hour.

So I headed back north and decided to pop in and check out West Edmonton Mall, just to see if anything had changed.  The big brass whale was gone and they were now charging for the dolphin shows but, other than that, everything was remarkably the same.  One other change is that the lounge where we always danced was now a sports bar, how boring.

I wanted to phone a few friends in the area but my cel phone had died without warning so I just continued north.  I wove my way near Tony House’s place and stopped in to say Hi.  Tony is a friend of long standing and I roomed with him there in 99-00 before I moved to Calgary.  He is the sharpest (and cheapest) accountant I know and he took over our taxes a few years ago, much to our relief. 

I then just headed back to Jill’s place.  I had to stop midway in the street because there was a duck procession across my path, a mother and about 10 ducklings.    The mother jumped the curb and kept going and it took a few moments to discover that the little ones couldn’t mount the curb until they scooted up further where it was slightly lower.   A couple of them had to take more than one run at it but eventually they all made it.   I kinda wished I had switched to video instead since it was so darn cute.

Dawson was under the weather all day but then was eating like a normal teenager before too long at home. 

Jill had a dinner with her cheerleading cronies so I offered to drive Danai to a free Gym Night at their gym.

I then headed over to watch Boston take Pittsburgh out of the Playoffs with my old neighbor Kevon again.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Thursday June 6/13

Thursday June 6/13 update  # 475

Thank you to Mavis for reminding me that I had forgotten to finish the missing key mystery.  I had meant to sneak that in later in my narrative, in chronological order.  When the key didn’t turn up at Kevon’s, either in the loveseat or along the route to the car there, that left only two alternatives, my car or the sidewalk at Jill’s.  A search of my car did not produce any results either.  When I returned to Jill’s from all my visiting I began to scour the route from the front door to where I parked the Buick.    The concrete was devoid of anything so I went over the edge of the lawn as carefully as I could, trying not to disturb anything that could just conceal it further.   The grass was long and the edge had a lot of dried clipping complicating matters so I went over it 3 times trying to eyeball things from different angles so maybe I could catch a glint off it.  I was about to give up when I just spotted the top edge of it near the front sidewalk, right where I figured I would be reaching into my pocket to retrieve my car keys.  The key was well hidden, pointed down, and thankfully almost impossible to see unless you were actually hunting for it like I was.   It was the last place I would have wanted to lose it, to compromise the security of the house, but providence was on our side, thank goodness.   The key is now attached to the rest of my keys so this will not happen again.

It is unusual for me to sleep with the window wide open but the evenings have been so warm here.  That means the rising east sun shines right in and so I was up at 5:30 and came down.   I expected to see Ash getting ready for work as I was certain he was downstairs at this time yesterday.  My old brain had it wrong again, he comes down at 6:30 so I was thankful that they don’t have creaky floors so I did not wake anyone.

Everyone was off to work and school before long.  In a couple of weeks only Ash will be off to work alone because the other 3 will be off on summer holidays from school.   I went back to bed until 11:30 as I didn’t really have anything planned until mid-afternoon.

When I finally did get rolling I stopped at Rexall Place (the old Edmonton Coliseum) and got a couple of shots of the statue of Wayne Gretzky hoisting the Stanley Cup.  Edmonton City Council has approved the construction of a new downtown arena.  Why taxpayers are supporting millionaires is beyond our comprehension again.  Apparently they will get ½ of concession revenues in return.

I wanted to be well on the south side before rush hour so I went to visit Ash at his Sunble Signs shop.  He inherited the company name which is well respected in town.  It is amazing to see the capabilities of sign-making with today’s new technologies, from plain wall signs to wrapping vehicles.  There is a lot of superfluous equipment that Ash would like to divest himself of, because many jobs are much easier to sub out to others.

We ran over to the Vimy Sports School (the former Bonnie Doon High School) to pick up Dawson after school and returned to attend to a string of customers that came by to pick up their signs and decals.

My final destination was to meet with my cousin Jeanne at her home for supper.  She was outside with her dog Benji and ready to go for a walk so away we went after putting supper in the oven to cook.  Benji was off his feed today for some reason and wasn’t his normal self.

Jeanne’s good friend Mend, a podiatrist originally from Thailand, joined us and we had a superb time, laughing and joking, and especially enjoying the Shepherd’s pie, corn on the cob, and fruit crumble plus cheesecake for dessert.  They were both very interested to know more about Ecuador so I showed them the slideshow that I had prepared for Mom on my previous trip n January.  They sure liked what they saw.

We all took Benji for a second walk and came back and yakked and laughed some more.  I couldn’t believe my watch that it was almost midnight so it was sadly time to depart.

I took a couple of shots out my car window of the downtown of Edmonton then a shot of the pyramids at the Muttart Conservatory but not proper time shots on a tripod.  I didn’t expect to get much of a result but, thanks to PhotoShop, I was able to salvage them somewhat.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Wednesday June 5/13

Wednesday June 5/13 update  # 474

I was a little frantic last night and this morning because I had somehow lost the key to Jill’s house.   Therefore my first stop today was again at Kevon’s to check out the loveseat I had been slouching on while watching the game.   I was certain it must have fallen out of my pocket while I was reclining but our search proved fruitless.  We checked along the sidewalk and also where I had parked to no avail.

I continued south and joined Ken and Bea at their house for lunch.  They had been friends with our family since we were almost the first people they met when they moved here from Ontario back in 1982.  Jill and their daughter Terri were inseparable for many many years.   Ken still works (he’ll be 75 on June 29) because it gets him out of the house, while Bea is enjoying retirement from nursing.  They celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary a few months back.  Tomorrow morning they are headed east to visit family and enjoy many milestone celebrations.

I then slipped east to visit with my oldest Edmonton friend, Ray.  He is a character that loves to cook, collect “stuff”, listen to the oldies, and used to be a heavy smoker.  All this has taken its toll on him as he struggles to walk and breathe.  He listed me his doctors and specialists, and there had to be at least 10 he mentioned.  They recently removed a large tumour from one of his lungs and he was forced to quit smoking.  He had asked his main doctor when he could resume smoking and his doctor said he could start any time but then he would always need to drag oxygen with him.  While he still craves smoking, he now discourages smoking in his house.  He still has his last pack of cigarettes on a table as a reminder that he has made the conscious decision to quit.

The sky was beginning to darken for a predicted thunderstorm so I hurried home.  There was enough time so I took a walk around the pond that is just to the east of the back of the house.   Usually there is a lot of waterfowl in the area but the pickings were a little slim today.  The neighbour’s gorgeous cat joined me for the first leg and was a friendly companion.

Today we saw ducks with ducklings, red-winged blackbirds, sparrows, and a strange blue-headed bird that we could not identify.  The highlight was a muskrat that joined the party and swam right underneath me.

The thunder made me beat a hasty retreat and the wind was pushing me in the door by the time I made it back.  I moved some of the patio furniture on the deck because I was worried the wind was going to carry it away.

It was quite windy but otherwise the storm was pretty tame, not too much rain or whatever.  Then I spied a rainbow, no, a double rainbow, so I hurried to grab the camera again.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Tuesday June 4/13

Tuesday June 4/13 update  # 473

The weather has been absolutely delightful since arriving in northern Alberta.  Let’s hope it will hang in there for me.

I was trying to see some old friends today but the timing wasn’t right yet.   I spent all morning getting the previous day’s Blog prepared as it takes twice as long on this old laptop.

I did end up stopping in at my old workplace at Northgate ?Buick? to see who was still working there.  It was amazing to see many of the same faces that had been there when I started there on 1980.   Notably there were many absent faces and I was saddened to learn that two of my co-workers had passed away in the past year.  Peter P. had fallen down his basement stairs and broken his neck.   Tony B. had died after an 8 month battle with cancer.   While I have many good nostalgic memories of working there, Hearing those stories made me very glad of our decision to retire early and get out of the stressful jobs we both had. 

I never even noticed what it is called now, the main sign still says Nothgate Pontiac even though GM has eliminated the Pontiac line.  They sure had a lot of inventory on the lot and they said that business is extremely slow.   I don’t wonder why…  The first unit I passed, a used Buick Enclave SUV was sale-priced at almost $45,000!!  Good grief!!   I can remember when our most expensive Buick Riviera broke the $20,000 barrier in about 1982.   They are also doing many renovations and there is no room for a customer to park.

I tried to pick up a webcam here but seriously couldn’t find anything under $30, and that was for a measly 1.3Mp    Electronics in Ecuador are generally close in price but the same webcam probably costs $12 there.  I checked Wal-Mart and London Drugs and was shocked at the prices for simple electronic stuff.

I made it back for supper and was planning to go watch Danai’s cheer practice but Jill said it would be boring for 2 hours, she just visits with the other Moms.  

Then my former neighbour Kevon called so I went over and spent the evening watching the hockey game with him and his Pekingese named Aphrodite.  To say Kevon is a different duck would be an understatement.  He talks a blue streak for 3 hours straight contradicting his ideas constantly and I have learned just to let him talk and vent.   I am one of the few people who can actually contradict him once in a while and he will actually listen.  He is a nice guy and will offer to help you in almost anything but his penchant for shocking oddball statements does alienate a lot of others.  I still make a point to keep in touch with him though as he has been a good friend for 35 years.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Monday June 3/13

Monday June 3/13 update  # 472

I knew I should have left at 5am but had decided that rush hour should be over by about 8:45… Wrong!!  The Deerfoot was a parking lot almost immediately so I pulled off for a quick breakfast at the A&W on 130^TH Ave but that didn’t help either.  It was pouring buckets to boot and the traffic had not abated one bit.   I finally asked the Garmin to find me a detour (Thank God I had just updated all the maps) and it brought me nicely over to the newly constructed ring road, Stony Trail to 17 Ave SE.  What a breeze to drive on there!   It must be a well-kept secret because the traffic was negligible.

As a result I was about ¾ hour late getting to my son’s place in Wetaskiwin.   The rain had quit around Red Deer and the weather was positively balmy when I reached Todd’s.

I arrived on the perfect day because not only was it Todd’s day off, but he had been drafted to look after his grand-daughter Sofia.  It was so cute to see him being the doting Grandpa and hovering over the baby with such nervousness.  Todd will turn 45 on the 7^th and calling him a Grandpa sure makes me feel old.

My Great-grand-daughter Sofia is just a sweetheart, not fussy at all and truly a delight.  Todd was certain to follow my sage advice for babies:  Keep one end wet and the other end dry!   It works!!  This little one is pretty windy too, so she must certainly take after our side of the family.   Oh, did I mention she was cute as a button too?   Definitely takes after our side then… lol.

Todd is very involved in gemstones and is a partner in a claim in BC where they have uncovered some amazing rocks, including some that were not expected to be on this continent!  Some day these stones are going to be worth a pretty penny!

Ashley, the pretty partner of our grandson Cody came over to help later in the afternoon too, followed by Janet’s Mom.   His gave Todd a reprieve to be able to go pickup Grandson Tyson, who is now 10 years old, from school.   Last time I was here in Februaury Tyson got engrossed in a video game and hardly spoke 3 words.  This time we had a really long conversation and I gave him some links to some of our family history.  He say he really enjoys school, especially science and social studies.

Before long Janet arrived from work to ply her Grandma charms on Sofia but I guess it is well known that Todd is the one that can generate the smiles from Sofia.

After a lovely supper of burgers I was back on the road to get to Edmonton to tag up with son-in-law Ash and Grandson Dawson at the soccer centre on Victoria Trail.   Dawson was playing goalie in back-to-back inline hockey games.   He is almost 16 and is so darn tall now.  The games were exciting but the aluminum bleachers gave us numb bum.   We had a surprise visit there from our old friend Ken Johnston, then a second surprise when Dawson’s other Grandpa, Gordie, joined us too.   It sure was a pleasant reunion with all those guys.

When we reached north Edmonton my daughter Jill and Grand-daughter Danai were waiting for us.  What a delightful day to be amongst my loving family.  

Thank you to Bella for letting me come north to enjoy Bryna’s wedding, Mom’s 97^th, Todd’s 45^th, and many more events!

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.   

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Snnday June 2, 2013

Snnday June 2, 2013  update #471

Another dreary drizzly day today.  If the days continue to alternate with nice sunny days I could live with that, but the forecast says rain Monday, sun Tuesday.  Hopefully the weather will be better in Northern Alberta tomorrow.

I did a few household chores today then went in to see Mom at 3pm.  Even though it was drizzling she was game to get out and go for a drive.  We drove slowly down Elbow Drive then veered west to their old house.  She always enjoys a visit there to see any changes to her old neighbourhood and she went on about the amount of trees, and how they will be joining together over the streets soon.  It was a good day overall because she really enjoys the greenery, flowers and the colourful lilacs that are in bloom.

We swung through downtown and I’m kicking myself that I never stopped to get a photo of downtown from Bow Trail, but it was raining pretty good at the time.   The Bow and Elbow rivers are both exceedingly high at the moment and it wouldn't take much to have some flooding problems.  We continued to MacLeod Trail and headed back south and stopped in at O’Sullivan’s for supper, and a pee break.  Saturdays they have their prime rib special so today they had a prime rib leftover special and it was not really very good at all.  

It was raining buckets when we got back to Mom’s residence.   I wanted to take pictures of her apartment only but she insisted on checking her hair so she could be in the picture.   Too funny!  We had some long hugs because I am heading to Wetaskiwin and Edmonton in the morning to see my kids and grandkids.  Itold her I would probably stop in on my way back through, on the 10^th.

I topped up my tank with mid-grade gas at $1.34 per litre.   Almost another $40 again  That really makes me choke when the gas price in Cuenca is $1.38 for a US Gallon, ¼ the price!

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday June 1, 2013

Saturday June 1, 2013  update #470

I needed that!  I forced myself to stay in bed for almost 12 hours and that has recharged my batteries.  Miraculously I did not even hear any noise from the annual Soap Box Derby happening on the hill below the house.  The humidifier that we use for white noise must be effective.

I did my email chores then set this computer for a needed Defrag.   It showed 43% defragmentation when it began, and 0% when it finished 5 hours later.

I decided that if the deer weren’t coming to me, I would go looking for them.   I drove down near the library and walked along the river, first east, where I didn’t see anything, then west where I managed to spot 3 different deer in 3 different areas. 

On the way back I stopped at the Okotoks Museum.  The next door there was an Art Show in front of the Station so I stopped in and happened to see Robyn Thibodeau, whose mother I know very well, and whose sister used to live next door to me in Glorond Place.  One Metis lady had some incredible metal art over top of stained glass that were just magnificent.  I couldn’t believe that she only wanted $52 for this great art and I was so sorry that I had no safe way to transport this to Ecuador.  Some artists just take your breath away with their talent and artworks.

I then actually took a drive around Glorond Place but it was pretty quiet.  My jungle of a backyard has been stripped away and there was no activity anywhere in the complex.

I came home and decided to check on my water barrel to see why it is not holding water.  Sure enough, there was water left in it over the winter and it froze up and cracked.   I am not a happy camper over that because I customized this barrel to grasp the maximum amount of drippage from above.   Maybe I will try gluing then duct-taping the crack when it dries up a little.

I did a little laundry while watching the third period of the Chicago-LA game, my first hockey action in many months.   It just isn’t interesting if Edmonton isn’t playing.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this new camera lens??  What a difference to have such good glass in front of your eye.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday May 31, 2013

Friday May 31, 2013  update #469

I tried out a curved memory foam pillow we had, higher and firmer than my normal pillow, but all that gave me was a sleepless night.  I got up at 3:15 and before sunrise had done my laundry and updated my Garmin Maps.  The sky and clouds were so tinged dark blue above the Rockies that I had to take a shot for you.  It is still drizzly and cool but it is always nice when we get a view of the mountains.

I also got into cleaning up this slow computer and in the process discovered a free VPN download via Cnet. 

I hoped like heck this would work well here but this computer is just too slow for any streaming content and I can’t stand a program that tries to take over everything, adding search tool-bars, etc.   I just wasted my time and uninstalled it.

About 9am I went and crashed until noon before getting up again and trying to feel somewhat reasonable.  I met Leonie at the Royal Bank and picked up some money to take to Mom.   Then I headed to the CIBC to throw some money on our credit card bill.

Next I stopped at Ardiel’s to see if I would be able to renew my Driver’s Licence which isn’t due Until January and I was surprised when they said yes…  Driver’s Licence pictures rank just a cut above passport photos, but not by much.   The say I should get the real thing in 2 weeks.

I still had some time to kill so I stopped in at McFarlane’s, my old job, but most of the main folks were not around.   I will stop in again when I get back from Edmonton.

Then it was off to shopping with our good friend Mavis at Costco.   I had mentally set myself a limit of $100 to spend there, so I was quite pleased with myself when the bill was $104, after the 5% GST!   I then stopped in at Safeway to pick up a couple of items for Bella before heading home.    

Mavis had done a few more shopping errands before coming to pick me up and take me for supper at the Duke, the hotel formerly known as the Willy.  Fish and Chips were the special and they did not disappoint.  That was one of the things on my Bucket List to do while in Canada and I hope to repeat that before I leave.

We returned home and paid a quick visit to Ted and Janet next door, the stalwarts of the neighbourhood, who both look tremendous for being in their late 80’s.  Mavis knows them well from all their church activities together.

Mavis then came in for a bit to chat while we played 3 hands of Cribbage.  I found it amusing that in her English upbringing they call the Crib “the box”, and instead of saying “go”, they say “no”.  Mavis is such delightful company and we also went through some of our photos since she was there in November, because I have brought my external hard drive with me.

Hope to hit the sack somewhat early tonight, but doubt that will happen.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Thursday May 30, 2013

Thursday May 30, 2013  update #468

We all collapsed into bed last night after a very exhausting day but happy that Mom has reached another huge milestone in her life, 97 years on this planet and still looking very fit.

We had our alarms set for 7am as Lou was determined to be on the road by 9am.  I made a quick breakfast per their instructions and they managed to get away earlier as a result.  They are always gracious guests and we enjoy their company.   Time just kep escaping us since we only managed to play cards for about an hour one night.

One they left I decided to tackle cleaning out the garage of the winter dirt, etc.  I literally shoveled piles to the door, then swept and scooped it all up before firing up the pressure washer to complete the job.  Then I continued and washed down the front of the house.

The neighbours probably thought I was nuts, washing my car in the drizzle, but the car needed a quick wash and wipe down to remove a couple of years of grime.   There really was a white Buick under all that dirt!

I realized how much I really missed having the convenience of a vehicle, although I am really hesitant to drive far considering the gas prices are almost 4 times what they are in Ecuador.   I also rearranged a few things in the garage so I could get at my work bench.  I still know where everything is and managed to repair a few things, including the little wind sock that is attached to our tiny tree.  It is incredible to contemplate the amount of “stuff” we have spread throughout the house and garage.   I would love to bring so much “stuff” to Ecuador but we really don’t have room to put most of it.

We got news that Germain and family have made it home safely and we wish the same result for Lou and Yvette and Fern and Eileen as they have departed today.

Debbie stopped in to finish her packing to head to Hawaii with her family.   I am jealous because I have never been there.   Some day… Just add it to the list…

I decided to get out of the house and scout out a small boom-box for Mom that will play CD’s so she can listen to her beloved Daniel O’Donnell.   I didn’t see much at Canadian Tire so I went to The Source (Radio Shack) next and found exactly what I was seeking, and it was on sale so I grabbed it.  I also found an Epson printer/scanner on sale for $40 so I grabbed that too.  The darn cartridges are $60 so it is cheaper to buy the whole new unit!   Anyway, I was quite pleased with my outing and the new printer works really well.  I used it to make some simple instructions which I taped to the new boom-box.  

I then called Mom to see if it would be OK if I came in the morning but she said she preferred if I came tonight so I went right over.  I don’t think I could make anything any simpler for her, with no complicated electronics, and 3 simple instructions:  Install CD, Play, Stop…..   She is so resistant to anything new but I am hoping her desire to listen to her beloved Daniel O’Donnell will take precedence and she can just hit Play….

Her late husband’s son, Paul, came over for a delightful visit as well so it was a good evening overall.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday May 29, 2013

Wednesday May 29, 2013  update #467

This morning I got another Eleggant Hooks order ready for mailing and cleaned up our “production” area downstairs.   Now it will be easy to find everything we need to process orders.

Yvette asked me to doctor up one of the photos from the wedding with our attending family and spouses.  I did a few touch-ups, removing glare, etc and changing the sky from grey to blue. 

Then I had to try to make a nice birthday card for Mom using only my laser printer.   The result was actually pretty good using a photo of Mom taken only a few days ago.    If anyone wants my color HP printer just say the word, because it will be junked on the weekend.   I never did like that darn printer that was always trying to out-think me and wasted so much of my paper, ink, etc.!

The time went so quickly and we wanted to leave about 2pm so I could stop at the Post Office then go to Costco for gas.  Lou has a Costco card but they wouldn’t take my American cash so Lou took my $80 and put it on his American Express card.   He gains 4c on the transaction and I don’t lose about 6c on the usual exchange.  Lou and Yvette are headed home via the US in the morning anyway.   My gas gauge was on the red line and my tank is about 70 litres and the gas was$1.249 so I figured it would take $80 easily.   Well I squeezed in $79.97 and decided that was close enough.

We then headed in to spend some time with Mom before jumping in the Buick for the short trip to the Boston Pizza at Avenida.  Fern, Eileen and Leslie were already there and Leonie and Brian pulled in right behind us.  Karen joined us a few moments later so we were 10 around the table.   Mom had suggested Boston Pizza so she could have her favourite “Meateor” pizza.   A good time was had by all.

Happy 97^th Birthday Mom.   We are proud of you!

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al  

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Tuesday May 28, 2013

Tuesday May 28, 2013  update #466

After getting to bed at 2:30am I wasn’t too swift today but I still was determined to tackle a few chores delegated to me by Bella.   We needed to sort out a few matters for our Eleggant Hooks so we would have enough of everything to sell as we wind down the company.

There were about 1,000 hooks to be cut down to a proper length so I vised in one arm of my little bolt cutter and went to work.   That left my two arms free to feed the jaws with the left hand while I pushed the cutter with the other.   Once I got into the rhythm, and then got good at estimating the proper length required, it was moving quite quickly but my arm was sure tired by the time I finished.

By then Lou and Yvette had returned from lunch and Yvette came to help me rip apart a lot of the kits with odd-sized hooks that Bella had put together.   It broke my heart to undo all the many hours of work that poor Bella had invested in doing all these extra kits but the fact is we need those odd-sized hooks to sell on the website.  Without those extra sizes available our business would dwindle down to nothing. 

We took a break for an unusual Tuesday night Wing Night, this time at Original Joe’s.   The wings are just as good as at Foxy’s and are less money.  I really enjoy those weekly get-togethers with the old gang.

Once we got home Yvette and I got cracking again and then we drafted Lou into helping.   Debbie arrived home and she got drafted too.  Slave labour is necessary to get anything accomplished so they were grumbling that they wanted fifteen an hour for their hard work so I begrudgingly agreed to the fifteen cents per hour.

Anyway, we can hardly move, or see, late this evening but we finished the tasks and can breathe a lot easier now.  We have 2 boxes ready to go to our hideaway in Idaho and I have to now make arrangements with our “mules” to get them across the border.

Also I have to concentrate on getting a Birthday card ready for my Mom’s 97^th tomorrow and all I have available is my BW laser printer.  That should be a real challenge to get a decent result.    It is going to have to wait until the morning because I just couldn't do it any justice tonight.

I am going to junk my other GD HP color printer that dictates how often you have to buy their over-priced half-empty colour cartridges or the damned thing won't operate.   Somebody kick me if I ever buy another damn HP!  They are the biggest rip-off artists on the planet.

Anyway, I am tired and cranky and it is time to head for a soft bed.

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al  
Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Monday May 27, 2013

Monday May 27, 2013  update #465

I have been having a lot of trouble lately with friends not getting my emails.   I suddenly realized they all seem to be on Shaw.ca.   I Googled the Shaw site and it appears they have been having this problem all month (and I suspect a lot longer than that too) and they claim to have a solution, but obviously not…..  They admit to losing most incoming emails and are not overly apologetic about it either.   Good grief!   People are running businesses and need a reliable email provider.   If you are on Shaw, and are getting emails from me (or not!), please let me know.

I started off the morning by packaging a few orders for Eleggant Hooks and had to phone Bella for advice on how to replenish our optional hooks since a couple of the bins are empty after today’s orders.    Bella has sent me a long, convoluted way to do this so I will try to figure that out in the morning when my brain may be able to decipher the orders from headquarters.

Next I zipped in to Calgary to meet Bella’s brother Laurier’s wife Wendy at the Timmy’s at Avenida Shopping Center.  Gosh Wendy looked great.   I think I gained all the weight that she has lost.   We were having a lovely visit when I look up to see my brother Fern coming in the door.  Fern lives about 80 kms from Laurier and Wendy on Vancouver Island. 

We were trying to time everything so Fern and I could visit Mom at 3pm when she gets up from her rest.  Mom was waiting for us and almost broke down with tears of joy when we both came in.   Mom knew that Yvette, Lou and I were going to Leonie & Brian’s for supper so she hinted that she would like to come along.  My big Buick is her favorite because it is so easy for her to enter and exit and she doesn’t get out very often so we told her to get ready for the trip.   I called Leonie to give her a heads-up to add one more plate and off we went.  Yvette and Lou were sure surprised to hear that we had this extra special extra passenger.  We actually made it to Leonie’s, west of High River shortly after 5pm and there was one of those huge funnel-type rainstorm clouds hanging just in front of the Rockies.  Naturally the camera was out to record this along with all the neat things in Leonie’s yard.  I love going out there just for the sights.   I love the old stone shack on Ian Tyson’s property down the road where he goes to meditate and write songs.

Brian cooked up an enormous chicken feast (he usually does wild meat, deer, bear and the like) and we really enjoyed ourselves and overate like usual.  Nicole and Jeff and their three cute girls joined us and we had a lot of laughs.   Brian showed off the custom knives he made as wedding presents for Bryna and Dan.  I am a big fan of the Damascus steel blades that he fashions to a razor-sharp edge.

Mom was getting tired so we departed about 8pm and she commented on the long one-hour drive back.   I pointed out that dear Leonie makes that trek every Sunday to spend time with her but I am not sure that registered.  Mom is really tough on Leonie, who is the sole family member in the area now, and it really isn’t fair, but oncoming dementia signs are creeping in periodically.  On the good side, Mom had a wonderful outing, behaved herself, and she looks fabulous for being two days shy of age 97.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my new 15-85 lens?  This lens is incredible and doesn’t blow very many shots at all.

I was up until 2;30 processing the photos but didn’t have the stamina to stay up and finish the Blog, so my apologies for the lateness.

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Sunday May 26, 2013

Sunday May 26, 2013  update #464

We were up early today to run into Calgary to meet all the family for brunch at Swiss Chalet at 11am.   It sure was nice to see all the family except the youngest, Normand, who had work commitments in Saskatchewan.   Germain, Billy-Jo and Deanna were going to head towards Jasper and see if would be possible to camp around there, otherwise they would just head home to Saskatoon.  Laurent & Cathy had also intended to stay around for a day or so but their grand-daughter wasn’t going to make home until real late so they headed home to Medicine Hat.  Yvette & Lou, and fern & Eileen, are intending to depart on Thursday after we celebrate Mom’s 97^th on Wednesday.

After brunch we came back home and I immediately went to work on processing 152 photos.  I have save the RAW files for doing a proper job once I get back home but, for now, I have just worked on the JPG’s so everyone can see the photos.

Lou and Yvette and Fern went back to see mom at 3pm and apparently she was in a pretty good mood, so that is a positive.  Lou and Yvette returned with a few groceries to replenish what we have used of Debbie’s.

I am exhausted, so this will probably be a very early night.  

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday May 25, 2013 The wedding

Saturday May 25, 2013  update #463

I downloaded Picasa to see if I would be able to process the RAW shots but it is just terrible.   It is so slow and really has so few options that it was just wasting my time.

We stopped at Timmy’s for a quick bite before going to the wedding at St. Michael’s in Black Diamond.  Bryna was just radiant today, but then she always is with her ready smile and hearty laugh. 

Today, at age 30, she married long-time boyfriend Dan Ronald.   The priest was the same age as them, being a classmate of Dan’s at Holy Trinity, and he had us in stitches with his candour.   It is not often that you hear a priest admit that he has to work with folks sometimes that he doesn’t like!  Our little great-nieces Erin and Emma were a hit as the cute flowergirls.

The reception was at the beautiful Dewinton Community Hall and I shouldn’t have been surprised to find my old clients, Harry and Martina of Hansel & Gretel’s Catering, were there to serve the supper. 

The reception didn’t hold many surprises, but there was a great slideshow of both the bride and groom growing up which was a trip down memory lane.    The DJ was very good and the music was very loud as befits a crowd of young people.   My Mom didn’t feel up to coming to the wedding or reception and that is good, she would just have complained about the loudness.   As it was most of the older folks departed very early, even me, after I danced a couple of dances with my sister Leonie.

That was the day's excitement.   Cheers, Al    Please see all new photos at

http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday May 25, 2013

Saturday May 25, 2013  update #462

I awoke this morning to a strange feeling.   It was extremely light and quieter this morning and I could only hope it was for the right reasons.  Yes, the rain had stopped, the sun was attempting to shine through the clouds and YES, we could actually see the Rockies this morning!  Oh what a feeling!

Lou and I were up early to go for breakfast before going to the famous Okotoks Collector Car Auction which has been happening for over 40 years.  I remember going in 1977 with John Gilbert in his ’58 Fairlane retractable hardtop which garnered a lot of Looky-Lou’s.

It was kinda nice to get in at the senior’s rate of $7.  Grey hair does have its advantages.  Lou is quite a car buff  while I am more of a car buffoon these days.  Once upon a time I could guess the year and make of a vehicle at night just by its oncoming headlights and marker lamps.  Not today though, they all seem to look alike, with monochrome paint jobs and no style whatever.   My favorite cars are easily from the 30’s mostly, with running boards, lake pipes, skirts, rumble seats, etc.   Give me a Packard or a Duesenberg and I’d be in heaven.

The show today had a lot of the usual suspects with most of the vehicle offerings being from the 60’s and 70’s, mostly rebuilt muscle cars.  It is always fun to see a beautiful stock vehicle with original paint and equipment.

Some of the vehicles were auctioned for way less than we thought and many for way more, like a 66 Parisienne for about $15,000.  We figured it would go for around $6,000….  Glad it wasn’t our money being spent.

I was disappointed not to see more people that I knew from town.   This event attracts people from everywhere, sellers, buyers and aficionados.

We have the wedding later today but I doubt I will get much processed until late tomorrow so we will just put that on hold and get out this Blog early today.

Note the photos of the cars are right from the camera in JPG mode in the interest of expediency.

My present software won’t handle RAW photos so I am going to try to download Picasa because I think that may be my only option here.   I will take the wedding photos in both formats.

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday May 24, 2013

Friday May 24, 2013  update #461

Today was a day filled with great anticipation as I awaited the delivery of the new 15-85 lens.   I waited until almost 2pm before checking the mailbox as I had a suspicion they would just drop off a card and not do a delivery to the door.  Well I was correct so we had to drive to the Southridge Post Office and get it.   I would like to say it was worth the wait but I am kicking myself for not getting it sooner, it is magnificent and I can’t wait to put it through its paces, especially tomorrow at the wedding.

I fooled around with the two remote controls and will need more practice with that, especially when the instructions are in Japanese-style English.   Lou is jealous of the wide end of the lens, although that is one thing that surprised me.  It is 72mm and I had honestly thought that the width was 58mm like the other 2 lenses….   Now I have all the wrong close-up lenses and other filters….

Bella wrote to say that she discovered a tooth problem with Pancho now so he is going in for a cleaning and maybe some extractions.   I hope he doesn’t end up toothless like poor Peso.

Lou and Yvette are off to visit friends they worked with in the High River Campground tonight while I was off to visit with friends at the Regal Beagle in Kensington in Calgary.   Road construction on Crowchild held me up and even taking another route caused me to be 10 minutes late, but I was still the first one there.  Keith showed up shortly therafter while we waited for Shannon and James to join us.  They had had car trouble and had kept in contact with Keith.   They had set the place and time for our get-together about 20 blocks from their home and then ended up not showing up at all.  I had come 45 kms so I was not too impressed with them.  Anyway, Keith is always good company so we had a good time in spite of the poor food service at the Regal Beagle.  We retired to Keith’s place for a bit and had a good chat with Bill Lemieux from upstairs.   I have been invited back for a BBQ on the 16^th.

The forecast continues to be awful for the next 5 days so we will have to make the best  of  things for Bryna’s wedding tomorrow.   Rain, rain, GO AWAY!

Sorry, since our meet-up tonight was a bust there were no photos taken.   I had only taken practice photos during the day with the new lens and they certainly weren’t anything worth posting.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al  

Thursday May 23, 2013

Thursday May 23, 2013  update #460

Bella told me that Pancho has been moping around the house, whining and looking for me.  It is nice to be missed.

The rain was relentless today so we just got caught up on things and had some breakfast sausage for brekkie then delicious corn on the cob for lunch.   Lou was showing off his “hat with hair” which is really hilarious.

I had meant to pop in to the Post Office to see what procedures they will use for my parcel tomorrow but I turned the wrong way without thinking.

We drove into Calgary to see Mom for 3pm and had a nice visit before going to visit with my brother Germain, his wife Billy-Jo and her daughter Deanna.   We had quite a few laughs, mostly at the expense of poor Stinkerbell, Billy’s 13 year-old deaf Chihuahua.    Germain said he felt it was cruelty to animals for owners to dress up their dogs in silly costumes, etc, and yet I had to admit Stinkerbell looked great in a Sou’wester!

Then we went to Chianti’s for a delicious meal before making it home.

Plans are already set for most of us for tomorrow evening to go into Calgary to meet old friends.

I think we are playing cards in a few minutes so I have to rush….

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday May 22, 2013

Wednesday May 22, 2013  update #459

Well I didn’t get lost and after 26 hours of travel I finally made it home to my welcome bed in Okotoks.  Really there were no hiccups en route, just a slightly late plane from Dallas-Fort Worth which the pilots tried to make up on the way to Calgary.   We arrived only 15 minutes late and I rushed to meet my ride only 10 minutes late.

I slept really good that night and tonight, again exhaustion simply taking over.

The weather here is dreary and drizzly wet and I understand the river levels are dangerously high here.   We certainly don’t want a repeat of the 2005 flood when the heavens opened the day after we moved into this house.   It is disappointing so far to not see the Rockies nor my deer friends.   The rain is supposed to continue until Saturday so we hope it clears up in time for Bryna’s wedding.   We have seen Prairie Chickens, the same couple that return here every year, but no chicks yet.   I also spotted a squirrel which is something new for this neighbourhood.

I had many chores to attend to right away, mailing some important papers for Mark & Karen, picking up mail, getting royally screwed on money exchange at the bank, depositing money on the credit card, getting a US money order to pay New York taxes, etc.   The crooks at the Bank take the US cash I have convert it to Canadian, keeping about 6% royalty, then convert it back to a US money order, again keeping about a 6% royalty.   Buy Canadian Bank stocks, these turds make a fortune!

I also had to hit the Dollar Store to pick up a few items.   Boy I sure missed that convenience in Ecuador.

I picked up a few groceries so that we would have something to munch on here because the fridge is pretty bare.

My brother Fern had mentioned that he stops at a 7-11 when he goes to the US and gets a Go-Phone really cheap so he can have some form of mobile communication.   I dread the thought of traveling without a cel phone so I gave it a try.  I picked up a cheap but fancy phone for $59 and added $25 of airtime that is good for 365 days so it will be useful for when Bella arrives here in November too. 

I went to the Southridge Post Office and refused acceptance of the package of the wrong lens that was sent to me as instructed.  Today I have to go to the Downtown Post Office to see if I can arrange to get the proper lens tomorrow when it arrives.

I am making appointments already to meet several people during my stay here.   It is always a juggling act to try to mesh schedules with everyone.

Yvette & Lou had called when they reached Canmore that they would just meet us all at Foxy’s for our Okotoks group’s usual Wing night, which they did.  It was so nice to see Gord (Em is sick with a hacking cough), Margaret & Frank, and Paul & Jackie.  Jackie had just retired yesterday from McFarlane Agencies and her smile was wall to wall.   It is still so nice that this group has maintained this get-together all these years.

When we returned home it was nice to see Debbie, our house-sitter, who I haven’t talked to in person since we left for Ecuador.   We all had a good chat and a few laughs before we headed downstairs.

I took a few photos with the new 75-300 lens and crossed my fingers that my version of PhotoShop Elements 6 would handle the RAW files but no such luck.   It does not recognize Canon’s RAW CR2 extension and I could not find any way around it, yet.   I really hate to have to take photos in JPG mode, especially the wedding photos.  I think I will take those in RAW and just wait to process those when I get back to Ecuador…   this computer is so darn slow, and the fan starts to give an annoying whine that gives me a headache….

Something is wrong with our cable connection because the feed to the big TV is really poor.  It works just great with a DVD but not with the cable.   We moved cables, even bypassing the VHS, changed splitters with no change.   Also, the stereo we have hooked up will not shut off!   If we shut it off, it restarts itself in Demo mode within 10 seconds and has annoying lights flashing like crazy.   It was easier just to leave it on the setting Aux 2 for use with the DVD because then there was only 1 light on.  This crazy combination has me thinking that maybe a lightning strike has fried some electrical and that we will never solve the issues….

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Monday May 20, 2013

Monday May 20, 2013  update #458

Today is a catch-up day for Bella and a final packing day for me.   I am trying to kill some time in the long day so I started by uploading more photos for sale.  Sooner or later I will have to start into my 2014 shots to replenish my work for sale.

It was raining on and off all morning so I watched a shoot-em-up movie then, in the afternoon, decided to head downtown again to see if that DG Artes store on Calle Larga was open.   This was our third try in 4 days and still no luck.   So I took a leisurely stroll down the Escalinata to the south side to catch the #15 home.   I was impressed that a bus driver actually waited for me to cross the road to catch the bus and I thanked him profusely.   I got off by the Monay Mall and walked down the hill just for the exercise. 

As I was crossing the river I saw a fisherman at work with a seine so I caught a few sequences of his throw.   He never caught anything while I was watching.   I am sure the trout were shy.

I had meant to stop at Coral to pick up some munchies for the bus ride but of course I forgot so I had to stop at one of my local tienda grocery stores to pick up some cookies and chocolate.   At one store, the teen was so engrossed in a video game he wasn’t even watching the counter, even though I stopped there twice.   You snooze, you lose.

So later I will shower ans be ready to catch a cab sometime after 10 to the bus station.   I probably will be lucky to arrive home in Okotoks tomorrow night by midnight.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Sunday May 19, 2013

Sunday May 19, 2013  update #457

Bella is off to Bridge again today and keeps getting disappointed by the people who say they are coming but who don’t show up.   

I was up early enough to get cracking at my laundry, etc. so I’ll be ready for the trip tomorrow night.

Turning on the computer was not a good experience this morning because the first message was from the folks I bought my new lens from, Merkle Camera in Toronto.   They are asking me if maybe they sent me an 18-200 by mistake!!  Then they wanted to send me a label so I can send it on to the rightful purchaser…   I replied that they better have sent me the right lens because I need to photograph a wedding on May 25!   I checked the tracking and the lens has reached Calgary by Canada Post.  This has sure ruined my good mood in a hurry.    I mean this email has no apology for not sending me the right lens,… nothing!    Now, in a subsequent email he says he wants me to refuse the first package and he will send me the right 15-85 lens by Friday, IF HE CAN FIND ONE!!!    Doesn’t that just give us the warm fuzzies……

Since the gorgeous morning was clouding over quickly I decided to upload more works for sale even though weekends are very slow for views.  It was a good decision because it rained heavily for about 10 minutes just as I was finishing.

The rain did not stop some sort of holiday celebrations going on in the neighbourhood.   Someone had been chattering on a bullhorn for hours already.   I had hoped to check it out but they must have stopped for church, or because of the recurring rain.

I am almost packed now which is really simple because I am not really taking much with me.  I am actually putting my sling bag plus my carry-on inside my big suitcase otherwise it would just get crushed in transit.  I am not looking forward to being stuck in tight seating for 25 hours starting tomorrow night.

Sorry no photos today as I concentrated on the upcoming trip.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   

Saturday May 18, 2013

Saturday May 18, 2013  update #456

Bella is having a stay-at-home day, getting caught up on her hobbies.   She is sitting under her mist fan, which I had not seen in operation until today and it really delivers as advertised!   Bella made another of the crocheted cowboy booties for babies so you will get to see it today.  

I was only planning to slip downtown to see if that art place was open then continue on to Joe’s.  However I got a call from my little language buddy, Juan, and the plans changed.   I showered and shaved while he drove over to get me and then we went to the art place only to find it closed again.    We decided to do a little walking around El Centro.

As we passed the church a couple of blocks north of the Coffee Tree I mentioned that I thought it was supposed to be a museum but I had never found it open.   Juan said the religious museum was on the far back side so we went to check it out.   It turns out it is “museum day” so entry to all the museums was free today so we wandered through.  Some of the old photographs from the nunnery were spectacular.   In many rooms they had photos of the nuns working with very old implements, and these old implements were actually on display in front of the photograph.   I though it was an ingenious way to display these.

We then wandered downtown to find the Old Cathedral closed and then surprisingly, also the big Cathedral too!   I had never ever seen Immaculate Conception closed, especially not at 4pm.   Very unusual.

After wandering back through the San Francisco market we made our way back to Calle Larga and checked out the Remigio Crespo Toral museum.  There was one statue that was so lifelike I wanted to talk to it.   I had seen most of the exhibit before, especially the old tile map of early Cuenca on the floor.   One of the tiles showed the hanging tree and I am sure I never noticed that part of it before.

Then we went over to Joe’s where Juan renewed acquaintances with my old friends Jim Mola and Chris and Bettye Petersen who he had met before in his travels with me.  Juan is a likeable little guy and just laughed when I introduced him as my boyfriend.  He and I sat with Alex from Romania and Irma from New Orleans (but Cuenca-born).  Juan was pleased to have someone to converse with in Spanish.   The meal was tasty and everyone ate more than their fill.  Alex figures he ate two whole chickens and I figured Juan ate three!   I kept looking under his chair to see where he was putting all that food!  I am sure he ate his own weight in pollo tonight.  Alex had bought a bottle of wine and served everyone, and Juan had 3 glasses of wine to boot.    I laughed on the way home when Juan said he was heading home to sleep.   Small wonder!

I will be posting 2 photo blogs tonight, one for the museums, etc, and one separately for Joe’s.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday May 17, 2013

Friday May 17, 2013  update #455

Again I was up early and working on things before crashing back to bed.

Bella was off to the weaving store with her newest baby booties made like cowboy boots.   She left them there so I did not get any photos unfortunately.

I uploaded possibly my final set of photos for sale before I head to Canada, although I may have time to upload another set on Monday.   I don’t bother on the weekends because they just don’t get the views then.

I dug out my fancy suitcase and tried to re-mould the corner where the baggage handling morons had broken a hole through the fiberglass.   Good old duct tape to the rescue once again.   Slowly but surely I will get packed before Monday night.

I caught up a little with my Clancy book to while away the afternoon before we headed downtown.   Our bus driver took us half-way, then got out of the bus, checked the back tire and got on his phone.    It was obvious we were not going anywhere soon so we just got off and hailed a taxi.   I could not see anything obviously wrong with the tire  but we couldn’t hang around forever, we were people on the move!

We headed first to the art store where we bought the figures on our living room wall.   Because of the configuration of the new furniture we really do need 2 more figures to balance things properly.   Unfortunately the store was not open since this fellow definitely determines his own hours.

Next on the agenda was to drop off the 9 movies I had borrowed from Carolina Bookstore.   We didn’t watch all of them and at least 3 were in Spanish.  We were also meeting the purchaser of my Projector, a fellow who was buying it as a gift for his wife at the bookstore.   Everything went as planned and we headed to the south side to the Chill Grill for burgers and to meet with Karen.and Mark. 

I got a few shots of activities in Parque De La Madre on the way by.   There were many gazebo tents set up, all empty, so there must be something happening there tomorrow.

Mark has agreed to take my place as the photographer for Joe’s while I am away, and I OK’d that with Joseph.   The instructions aren’t too difficult and Mark is a professional.   I tried the Chill Grill burger this time and it was much better than the Ranch burger I had last time.   Oddly all they had to drink was pop, ….no juice, beer, or even ice.   Very strange indeed.

I want to take this time to thank my faithful Blog followers.  There seems to be a core of 25 for this one, about 35 that follow the photos, and I also get an average of 55 hits a day on my Cuenca Residency blog.   THANK YOU ALL.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Thursday May 16, 2013

Thursday May 16, 2013  update #454

Happy 13^th Birthday Danai!!!

Bella hasn’t budged today, this is her day of rest.

I gave away the Canon Battery and Charger that my son Todd had found in Edmonton.  It didn’t fit my camera as we thought it might and I had tried selling it a few weeks back without success.  However everyone wants something for free.   The lady who took it lives on the other side of the river and knows our cat-sitter.

I am getting bites on my ad for the Projector so I hope it goes quickly and I can breathe easier about all the camera equipment I have bought.   I really hate to let it go but realize my uses for it will be extremely limited, and I do need the money now.

I slipped out to OperAzuay to see the latest their vans leave on Monday night.   The lady said 9pm, meaning I’ll be sitting in the airport for 7 hours, no thank you.   I stepped out and spotted the #7 bus at the corner so I caught that to the bus depot.   They have buses leaving right until 1am but I would need to catch the 11pm bus to arrive at 3am.  Because the flight leaves at 7am I need arrive prior to 4am, so that is the best I can do, and the bus is only $8.   This means a travel odyssey of over 25 hours probably, oh joy…..

Leaving the bus station and walking over to Huayna Capac I ran across a few interesting sights.   First was a hoop street performer, then a chopper-style moped (I want one of those), then a flower arrangement made to resemble a puppy, just too cute.   

Oh, and the menacing skies were a treat, one that we have learned to mostly ignore.   I was wrong yesterday, the river is down closer to 2 feet so we could hope those clouds break open in the Cajas and fill up the rivers again.

The back of San Blas may not be quite as interesting as the front but that yellow dome is still a sight to behold. 

Chili for supper, then a good movie is again on tap for tonight.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/