The Ryder Cup

Darren Clarke lost his wife to cancer a short time ago. Watching the Europeans win the cup and seeing Mr. Clarke crying on his caddy's shoulder was heartwarming to say the least.

I worry

I'm not terribly impressed with Jim, Kevin and Colin going hunting for a week but I would assume there will be a few laughs had during that week. As long as there is no wildlife killed then how bad can it be? If there is don't tell me. In fact if Kev actually killed something I wouldn't talk to him for 25 years. Jim, well he still has that hunter instinct. The Neanderthals had it and it's tough to let it go I guess. And why Colin is going hunting I'm not sure. Colin is going to kill something? If he accidently did, I wouldn't talk to him for a hundred years (if he lives that long).

But I shouldn't worry. Hello. I should probably worry more about them accidently killing each other. I presume Kevin will be naked for the week and out hunting at 3am. I've never seen him carry a gun with clothes on in the daylight, I hope it isn't too nippy. I shouldn't worry too much though, Jim's e-mail to me:

"Actually it is kevin, colin and I hunting for a week, next week actually. Staying in a travel trailer, hot tub, granny made up cabbage rolls, beef stew, chicken pot pies, etc, should be good!"

Let's get together here: remember the days when Jim would go out alone and spend 12 days sitting in one spot while waiting for a deer to appear? And now he's got a hot tub, travel trailer and cabbage rolls? What happened to our fearless hunter? I'm an old fashioned person and a hunting trip should entail a little bit of deprivation. But not with Jim anymore apparently. If I ever cross the Gobi Desert I want Jim with me. I assume by the end of the week the deer will be in the hot tub and the three muskateers will be lost somewhere in the woods.

If I ever go on a hunting trip there are two persons whom I wouldn't want with me: Kevin and Colin. One can assume that the wildlife are dancing around and clapping their hooves with glee knowing those two persons are on the way to their forest.

The week from Colin's perspective:

Day one: "Gee Dad this is fun, when do we get to leave?" "Shaddup and keep loading the gear. How many rocket launchers have you uncrated?" "one" "throw it in the trunk" "then there will be no room for the Wiser's". "forget the rocket launcher, the grenade launcher will have to do, did you remember our swimming trunks for the hot tub, and don't forget the sour cream for the cabbage rolls, and above all don't forget the wine glasses, oh yeah and the camoflauge outerwear and your Bud" "I think I'm going to have fun roughing it Dad and to think we are going hunting with a famous hunter like Uncle Jim" "exactly, have we got room for an E-Z Boy?"

Day two: "Dad?" "yes" "I don't see Uncle Jim, it's 5am, can he be out hunting already?" "possibly, he does like to reconoiter" "Dad isn't that a nice deer over there, a six pointer I would say, why is he not afraid of us?" "he knows we aren't going to shoot him, but if that was a cat I could shoot it" "we are on a deer hunting trip aren't we Dad?" "yes" "that is a deer" "true" "but we aren't going to shoot it?" "are you crazy or something?" "I'm confused"

Day three: "Dad?" "yes" Uncle Jim has been sitting behind that bush since we told him Chuck the Six Pointer was in camp and he hasn't moved since" "ignore him, turn up the temp on the hot tub and pass me another chicken pot pie" "what if Chuck appears and Jim shoots him?" "what are the chances of that?" "remote"

Day four: "Dad" "yes" "do you like eating deer?" "no, it's too gamey for me" "Chuck agrees with you" "where is he by the way I haven't seen Chuck or Jim for a few days" "I'm not sure, Uncle Jim said something about tracking spoors and Chuck has gone to the high country for a few days to visit his friends, the bighorn sheep" "I miss Chuck"

Day five: "Dad" "yes" "I think we have to hunt for Uncle Jim" "we are parked in a paved parking lot for gawds sakes, six miles from Cranbrook, no one can get lost, he'll show up, the Wiser's is running low, maybe we should visit Brenda, Jim will never notice we are gone, he's got the spoor thing to worry about"

Last day: "Dad" "yes" "we gotta do this next year, we'll invite Uncle Don" "Uncle Don doesn't do hunting" "aah, well, I forgot about that"

The Classic Series

Some pictures need to be posted more than once. These are only a few of them. I could not survive without Ger, Julie, Bob, Rob, and Neil sending me pictures. And Ger is a virgo. He understands me completely. I must admit that I am up there in oddness. I have to temper my brain for public consumption but I know whatever I write, Ger will get it. That is the highest compliment I can give to a person.

Thank you

Yay

I haven't been feeling up to par, but I really appreciate everyone looking at the blog. The Douvilles are winning the race as far as pictures go but it's close. If Ger sends some soon then it's tied. I know it takes some effort to send pictures so I feel honoured. Neil sent some great ones, some of which I've posted and more to come. This is an e-mail which I think is beautiful:

'New Denver was great! We went the night before and stayed at a B & B - very quiet old, big farmhouse. The garlic fest was extremely busy with about 7,000 people thru the gates. We sold just under 400 lbs of garlic and even a few onions. We are now into hockey season - Karen and I have both started playing with our teams. Marcel on the midget rep team for his last year, and he's also playing on the school volleyball team. They won their first tourny of the year last weekend here. Nice to see him play well. Next year at this time we'll be empty-nesters. Hard to believe. Colleen is in Regina this weekend at a big college tourny'.

I tend to think of Marlene and Anna and them telling me how difficult it was to see the last one go. Can anyone imagine Gail leaving home? Well, I would have killed myself. And Julie? I couldn't survive.

I certainly will regret it when the Canucks lose this year. We've got Roy, Kev, Col and Robin to consider, and dear departed Max. But I'm cheering for the Maple Loafs. I know I'm a softie and can be cajoled into almost anything by my nephews, but I will not switch allegiance.

I just want to say a special hello to Anita and Ty. Good people.

The Family

For me this could be the greatest picture in the history of mankind. I look at the kids and see the Douville and Storm family. And Gail is showing off her kneecaps. And Karen too.

It must run in the family. I'm thinking of Bob's kneecaps, but perhaps he's been outdone.

Thank you Robin, great pic. Colleen is in Regina this weekend at a volleyball tourny.

Hi Kev

It looks like the Europeans will win. Many golf writers predicted the U.S. would win. I know we didn't, the Europeans have the heart and soul and the Americans don't. Maybe this is obvious but any golfer playing against an American is going to focus.

Imagine (thanks John)

Imagine there's no heaven

Or no hell below

above only sky

Imagine there's no countries

Or no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living a life in peace

You may say I'm a dreamer

Imagine a world with no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger, a Brotherhood of Man

An optical illusion

I presume it is an optical illusion that it is Friday. I hope not. I took a new route home from work on my bike tonight. I enjoy seeing parts of TO that I never have seen before in my twenty-some years of living here. Of course the problem being is that I'm in rush hour traffic so I don't get a lot of chances to look around and gawk at the surroundings. I guess because I leave for work at 7am and Toronto is a 9-5 city but gawd the difference between biking to work and biking home is quite different. Up until a couple of weeks ago I enjoyed the bike to work more because it was a hell of a lot more peaceful (a lot less traffic). It's been a subtle and gradual change but now I enjoy the bike home more. I don't think that is particularly a good thing. I'm kind of getting to be a maniac on two wheels (if it's possible for a sixty-year old person to be a maniac). Of course many cyclists still wizz by me It doesn't bother me too much really. I'm not great, speed-wise, at going up the three steep hills that I encounter going to and from work. But fewer cyclists are passing me now. Not bad, I guess, for a sixty-one year old guy who loves his family from afar. Which is not a bad thing. I could of course just catch a bus out there on the spur of the moment and arrive on one of my family member's doorsteps: "hi, it's moi" "whom?" "moi" "hi uncle don, are you passing through?". "not really, I'm here to stay" "where?" "here" "for how long?" "forever" "forever?" "well at least until I pass away" "how long will that be?" "my heart is palpalating so it could be any minute now"

If you click on any of these pics you will get a full-screen image of course. For me, the bottom one is the wierdest. Not a thing moves, but it moves. I may be an optical illusion actually. I feel that way sometimes.

Wierd People

Yay Loretta. Her and Karrie are normal. They like to canoe. They like to get on the river and canoe and take it all in (yes I see Justin, he's cute) The bald eagle, the moose, they even paddled (what is the difference between an oar and a paddle by the way?).

Jim likes to think that the July long weekend is an outdoor adventure. It is that. But when me and Kevin canoe by the crowd because it's too raucous, you know it's a party too.

Being from Toronto and living the hustle and bustle, it would not be a bad thing to experience the quietude of the Moyie and just listening to nature. So far it hasn't happened. Which is a good thing of course.

But a couple of canoes (at the most) and peace and quiet would be nice too someday. Just me and the river and a bald eagle. When I bike to work I think how nice that would be.

Agh

I don't know why I look stunned. Apparently stunned is my natural pose. And I never take my shirt off, it must have been really hot that day. Is that Shayna? She is so cute. Yay. I just realized something. I'm whiter than Kev. Kev looks bronzed next to me. I guess the biking thing working. That is slightly heartening. This week I made another hole in my belt so my pants stay up.

I put off the doctor's appointment again until next month. I think I was supposed to go in April and I keep putting it off. What is she going to tell me? I presume it will be quit smoking, drinking beer and ogling young women. I have to have a bit of fun don't I? I suppose if I have to I can quit the beer and cigarettes. If my eyes go then I jump off the nearest tall building.

I sometimes wonder if I shouldn't at least remember one of these pictures being taken. I don't remember Ger even having a camera with him. I remember him talking. That I remember. Ger seems to have the inordinate talent of capturing uncles in wierd poses.

Hello

This picture says it all. This is a great, great picture. Actually this picture makes my day, week, month and year and maybe the century. I love everyone in the world. All persons, everyone. In the history of mankind. So everyone can tell me I'm good for nothing. If someone was threatening me with an uzi and I had to tell someone who whom my favourite persons might be, it might be these three. Proba bly not much doubt about that. I pretty well think they know that too.

The string theory

In spite of these two dregs from society, there is a way to treat younger persons. Treat them with respect.

Even these two. Which is tough. Hello. See all the hustle and bustle in the background? They are ignoring it, yay my people. Where was I by the way? I don't see me. Shouldn't I have been somewhere in the picture?

My theory is that the first canoe trip is great. The second one is the best....and it only get's better. But of course the young persons have to deal with the old persons (like Ger and Kev). Whom are loony. Hello. No not really, seeing Col drive up that hill to try to straighten his bumper was rather exciting and everything worked out.

My theory is that a lot of work goes in to the canoe weekend. For the rest of the year one can leave, but not then, put up with the foibles of our family, sit back and enjoy it. But of course if we all did that it wouldn't be fun. Continue on. Do what you do.

And of course one of the great things about the canoe weekend was Justin. I was impressed. But the thing is don't worry about the old persons. They are crazy Hello. They need a little outing once a year. If Ger can't get annoyed at Karri and Kev can't hide under a tire at least once a year then the string will be broken. Maybe one of my fave times during the weekend was listening to Ger talk about Karri. Maybe one has to travel 5000 km's to appreciate how funny that is. And Kevin of course. And Jim. I hesitate to say anything but I must. Enjoy every moment of it. Hello. Col might have tried to impress me and he did (see pic above). My theory is: like father like son. I don't know why persons in the family have sudden urges to impress me. I wouldn't bother, the pain is worse than the gain.

Hello

I may be moving to Vancouver soon. Not sure I can take another winter in Toronto. I don't think so.

Hello

I try. But it was Cummings not Riondel where Leo had his 70th. This is Devon of course. Who is going to be 21 in June.

May I just quietly kill myself. I remember Neil when he was an annoying young person who didn't mind me too much. It doesn't seem that long ago.

I'm going to bike a lot today. Or kill myself, one of the two.

Amazing really.

A touch of class

Aah Lorraine. Lorraine loves children, dogs and, I hope, elderly persons (not mentioning any names). Lorraine is a complete pleasure to be around and she 'gets' everything that Bob and I might joke about and she is waaay ahead of us but me and Bob don't talk about that.

Bob is classy too. He's showing off his right kneecap for the camera. My eyes wanted to look at the beautiful fountain in the background (or on Bob's and Lorraine's new puppy, isn't he cute), but no, the focus is on Bob's kneecap. I'm thinking if you compare Bob's kneecaps to Kevin's kneecaps, Bob wins. I didn't mind Neil's kneecaps actually. Ger might win the nice kneecap contest though, I've seen his. They are up there.

..and a little 'touched'

I resent this pic. I was as one with the flora and fauna for a moment or two. I'm thinking this is the only chance I can away. I would have walked farther into the flora and fauna but it was rocky terrain and Kev was in a rush.

I was trying to emulate The Great Grand Poobah's: Look off into the distance and appear to know something (the pillow under my t-shirt is probably rather obvious). I had sixteen seconds to pose for this shot and it is hard to make a pillow look like a stomach so quickly. I'm hoping the Great Grand Poobah's will forgive me for this. Only The Great Grand Poobah's can look like Great Grand Poobahs.

And I was thinking at the time, which really put me out of the running for The Great Grand Poobah.

Neil

This is a picture of Neil taken this past March at Little Shovel Pass near Jasper. Neil and three friends set up a camp and Neil slept for five nights in a snow cave in -25 Celsius temperatures (I'm not making this up).

Neil is wondering what that funny-looking, hairy creature walking up the other side of the mountain is. He's thinking it's either a yeti or the snow-blindness combined with the high-altitude lack of oxygen he's experiencing.

Isn't he cute? (Neil, not the Yeti)

Leo's 70th Birthday

This and the picture below were taken at Riondel on the occasion of Leo's 70th birthday.

Lookin' good!