Week ending Oct. 3, 2004
It's been a very busy week; fishing, mountain climbing, partying and more. But not much has been accomplished at home. So I'm going to take a moment and show the unique developments of my trees.
This dogwood tree (which I call Eddie) has languished for a couple of years. It didn't have a dominant header branch to develop upward. Earlier this summer I pruned the upper twigs and left a single upward leader to develop as a central stem. Eddie responded enthusiastically and poured all its growing vigor into this upward stretch. Next year I'll watch to see if it continues fully as an extension of the trunk and develops into healthy tree with an altitude attitude.
Here's two other suspicious specimens near the house. The leftmost is a Norway Spruce. The centre one is a White Spruce, (originally grown from seeds at work by my friend Rolf). Both are one-of-a-kind in this area. But both have developed cones with fully developed seeds.
How did they get pollinated? Who's the father of who? And what will the seeds grow to become? I've taken seeds from the White Spruce already, and will try planting some to discover the answer.
Enough of trees. For something completely different, here's a sample of some of the jams and preserves that Marit prepared this year. We had to take this to our upstairs storage area because her cupboard area in the kitchen was becoming far too crowded. It's been a bountiful year.
These rambling comments are being written rather late on Sunday night. We've just returned from celebrating the birthday of a neighbour, Anne Lehnert. She won't let me tell her age, but she and my mother would have been the same age now. Mom was born in 1914.
And I'm afraid that the fatigue of yesterday's climb directly across the water in the Beaufort Mountain range still plagues me. With my two neighbours, John and Rob, we completed a strenuous trek through the through the forest and along the ridge crests leading to Mount Henry Spencer. No trails, and no markings. Just "bushwhacking". We couldn't complete the final intended destination because of time. If we weren't back at the logging gate when it closed at 6:00 PM, the Search and Rescue organization would be notified. And that would be just too embarrassing.
Next week I'll highlight more local development. Maybe my root cellar.
Week ending Oct. 10, 2004
Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. We are celebrating the end of a fine summer and our bountiful crop from the garden.
I did not harvest any of the wild turkeys that are roaming free in this area; (ours came frozen from the supermarket). But the mashed potatoes came from our garden, the broccoli was picked a few hours previously, and the "makings" of the pumpkin pie were growing on the vine yesterday.
Lise and Erik drove out to spend this weekend with us; Gary had to remain behind and work through this holiday. Joining us for the feast were Anne Lehnert, her cousin Inge who is visiting from Germany, and our next door neighbour Bo Filter.
In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated earlier than in the United States. Being much further north, the harvest is completed earlier. And we don't feel as thankful and festive a month later in the midst of a snow storm.
This week the rains have returned, the winds have been gusting, and the early dawn has been feeling rather cold. Fire in the stove has been a morning ritual now since last Tuesday.
Still, some plants continue to add colour to these shortening days. In Marit's garden these roses, "Joseph's Coat", still brightened the wall of our garden shed at noon today.
I'm not sure how to describe my feelings now as this root cellar is almost finished. A sense of accomplishment? A satisfaction of completion? More realistically, just simple relief. I'll finish the doors early next week and then move in the potatoes and the rutabagas. One additional comment on this structure; although it looks impressive externally, the inside storage area is considerably smaller. This is not an impressive cavity.
For those of you who knew Dick and Leonore Pollock; seasonal residents on this street for almost thirty years: We just learned that Leonore passed away last night in Victoria where they have been residing these past four years.
They were missed when they moved permanently from this island. And our condolences go out to now to Dick in the loss of his wife.
Week ending Oct. 17, 2004
The wood stove didn't get very much use this week; too warm. But as the week ended, so did the sunshine. This afternoon the rains finally started again and the temperature has begun dropping.
The waterfowl that depend on this area for their winter feeding area have started returning. Surf scoters and white-winged scoters are back. And there were a very large number of horned grebe when we did our monthly bird inventory last Tuesday. I've also noticed the bald eagles are back in the area around our house. Their favorite trees on the neighbouring property have been destroyed; sacrificed for the view. But the eagles appear to have accepted the tree in front of our house as a substitute.
If you're struggling to find an eagle in the top picture, there isn't one. Just a tiny image in the centre of the ferry making a wide pass to avoid a tug towing a log boom.
There's been a lot of work in the garden this week, cleaning it up for winter. In one bed, after preparing it with seaweed and manure, next year's garlic has been planted. Most other areas have been dug over, raked, and seeded with a cover crop of winter rye.
Not only is this beneficial to the soil, but the neighbourhood bird population is ecstatic over the smorgasbord. Even a pheasant is again paying regular visits and I haven't seen any of them for many months. Obviously I'll have to set up my winter bird feeders early next week again.
Wednesday could be considered a mini-holiday. I drove Anne and Inge (her cousin visiting from Germany) up to Mount Washington for a tour. It was beautiful, but even in the sunshine, the light wind was rather cold. On Friday, Marit took them on a tour over to Hornby while I finished the shovel work in the potato field.
My "hill" of pumpkin has been quite productive this year. For some reason Marit is reluctant to start processing and using these delicious vegetables. Maybe the dozens of butternut squash sitting atop her kitchen cupboards are too intimidating. I may have to search the internet for some interesting pumpkin recipes and try some baking myself in the next few months. Does anyone have some tasty suggestions; preferably sinfully sweet?
Realistically I should practice more care in the kitchen. Today I experienced a "senior's moment". After inserting the coffee and water in our single cup coffee maker, I forgot to put the mug under the outlet when turning on the brew. It doesn't taste the same slurped off the kitchen counter.
Week ending Oct. 24, 2004
It's getting cold!
At dawn yesterday the thermometer by the door said 2 degrees but the grass was covered by the first frost of the season. Not a killing frost; the sensitive plants survived. But it's a warning.
Most of the garden has been harvested and stored. The bed of leeks will overwinter in the garden. And the lettuce will remain as long as possible. One last lone cauliflower is almost ready for harvest. And the tomatoes are still surviving under a tent of plastic.
The Beaufort mountains to the west have been snow-capped this week. And the most northerly peaks we can see from our deck, Mount Washington and Mount Albert Edward in Strathcona Park, are solid white silhouettes.
If all our rain has come down as snow up in the mountains, there must be a good base already. On Tuesday we had almost 50 mm (2 inches) of rain. With all the moisture, the mushroom crop is prolific. A couple weeks ago Marit brought home a big bag of wild chanterelle mushrooms after her Wednesday ladies hike. They were much tastier than the shaggymane mushrooms I had found earlier.
I think the god of water delights in teasing me. The recent downpour has shown me an error in my root cellar construction. The wet soil has caused the timber cribbing to bulge out on two sides. I've had to excavate and install some anchoring devices under the soil. After the dirt settles and solidifies the anchor, I'll remove the brace. Notice that the doors are installed, and the nearby bird feeders are in use.
The birds were rather slow this year. I took them at least two hours to discover the feeders. And I have a new visitor; a Stellar Jay. In the 23 years that we have owned this property I have never seen a Stellar Jay on Denman Island. Friday was the first.
The Trumpeter Swans are returning already. The weekly inventory doesn't begin until November but I've been advised that swans were already at the marsh where I was assigned to count.
Yesterday I thought I heard a familiar bark. Today the sound was obviously confirmed; a chorus of early arrivals. Sea lions. And to eliminate any doubt, two surfaced and snorted just off the beach. Another noisy winter coming up.
And Inge, I hope you had a good holiday here on Denman Island. I was glad to hear you got home to Germany safely and on schedule. We're glad to have met you; see you again in 5 years.
Week ending Oct. 31, 2004
It's Halloween evening as I write this log. This afternoon's bonfire is the closest to fireworks that I can show.
This house, just up the street from us, is the same house I showed 5 weeks ago. It had been barged to Denman, trucked across island, and moved onto blocks at this site. The owners have moved in earlier this week and cleanup of the lot is now being done; certainly a lot faster procedure than our construction project. Cheaper too.
Despite the sunny skies shown in the pictures, there's been a lot of rain lately. The last two storms have dumped over 100 mm of rain. And tonight around midnight another big storm is forecast to arrive. So far the power hasn't failed. And that is especially important now with the end of daylight saving time. Its surprising how early the darkness now begins.
The last few corners of the garden have been cleaned up and prepared for winter. Tomato bushes have been cleared and the remaining green tomatoes put in boxes. One final cauliflower was brought in. Marit's delighted reaction was "If I have to process one more vegetable I'm going to scream".
From our pumpkins this afternoon, she prepared a second pumpkin pie for Halloween. It was even better than her first one yesterday;this time she remembered the sugar in the recipe.
And now something gruesome for Halloween.
< On Thursday I was on the beach and watched an otter swim nearby, climb onto a rock near the water's edge, and proceed to leisurely eat its dinner. When finished, it slid back into the ocean and swam off leaving the remnants of its meal on the rock. Being curious, I put on hip waders and retrieved the scraps. It had been a duck; probably a female bufflehead that had just returned this week to its winter feeding area.
I contacted an eminent biologist on the island, Jenny Balke, who advised me that "Yes otters eat ducks! And just about anything that is convenient and easy to catch. They are opportunistic top predators." She also confirmed that otters apparently attack the ducks from underneath.
Obviously I just witnessed a ducks version of "Jaws!" ...Just when they thought it was safe to go back in the water...
Week ending Nov. 7, 2004
This weekend cancelled, due to rain.
The week hasn't been all clouds. Midweek, especially Wednesday, was beautiful. I took the morning off and went for a long walk, about 12 kilometers, and forgot to bring my camera to record the fall colours.
Marit, who does more walking and hiking than I do, came back from her Wednesday hike with another bag of chanterelles. Those mushrooms like warm rain and our current storm track suits them well. Coming directly from Hawaii, it's known here as a "pineapple express".
But when the clouds finally clear we can expect freezing nights, and icy mornings. Most of the garden plants that have been hanging on as long as possible will give up for the year.
Some of the magnificent, but cold sensitive plants, like the purple fountain grass in the centre of our ornamental grass bed (below), will be fatally hit by the frost. The landscape changes.
Some vandals tried to dispose of our plants early. At 7:15 this morning the deer breached our back gate, possibly opened by the wind, and made a raid into the garden. There were two of them, a buck and a doe. When I went out and opened the main gate to allow their escape, they panicked. The buck raced around the yard charging my fence expecting to burst through. He was wrong. Repeatedly. The fence was mangled and damaged, but remained intact.
When he finally staggered out the open gate he paused to give me a very indignant look. Only one antler remained on his head. That could be serious this time of year. Does prefer a mate who is well and fully adorned.
The fence has been repaired, but I haven't found his other antler yet.
In quieter landscape development, The target is finally the front roadside area of the property, (where it shows); the north part anyway. I'm slowly cultivating the ground, literally one handful at a time, extracting all weeds and their persistent lateral roots. Then a covering of wood chips over newspaper should keep it in fine shape until next spring when it will be planted with more shrubs, trees, and groundcover plants.
The rhododendrons that have already been planted have been circled by cages of burlap or fabric to protect them from the cold drying winds. We're hoping this will help them through their first winter with minimal damage.
And time is now counting down to the Denman Christmas Craft Fair, only four weeks away. Marit seems to be spending most of her spare time at the loom, creating quite a number of weavings that will be put up for sale at the "spinners and weavers" booth.
Even these days of fading daylight are interesting times.
Week ending Nov. 14, 2004
It was a dark and stormy night.
Heavy rain and strong winds. Fortunately the power didn't fail until after the morning coffee had been prepared. Thanks to our backup generator, we were still able to watch the big football game this afternoon. We must be one of the few people on Denman or Hornby who could watch the Vancouver Lion's fantastic victory.
The sunrise shown in the top picture wasn't taken this morning. It actually signalled the start of the week, last monday.
Most of the week has been fog-bound. The sound of the ferries horn has echoed regularly across the water.
Occasionally the sun broke through to illuminate the final displays of the season. The bottom picture is the Piercy farm just down our road.
Throughout the week Marit has continued the activities in which she has become very proficient; weaving and mushroom picking. Twice she has brought back more wild chanterelles from her hiking expeditions.
Me, I've just quietly nursed a cold but couldn't take good enough care to even keep it for the whole week. It's gone.
Friday evening, Erik came over to join us for the weekend. He helped out by carrying up a stack of logs I had cut on the beach. Too bad they were so heavy and awkward. He's been icing his arm now for two days.
Addendum, Monday the 15th
The power was restored around 5:30 Sunday evening and the storm abated somewhat as I drove Erik back to the ferry in Nanaimo. Then, about the time his ferry departed, the storm hit again with renewed strength.
Power was out everywhere up Vancouver Island; the trip home was black; not even traffic lights on the upper highway. Power was also out again on Denman and it wasn't restored at out house until 2:30 this afternoon. As I lay in bed listening to the near hurricane force gale pounding rain against the house all night I couldn't help but wonder how the catamaran ferry was managing on the trip back to Vancouver. (A bit rough apparently but he made it.)
Astonishingly, the sea calmed almost immediately when the wind dropped this morning, and we had a "window of opportunity" to complete our monthly water bird inventory (that should have been done on Sunday). There were a lot of birds swimming in the strait; they hadn't been blown away.
And Erik, I've couriered the articles that were accidentally left behind. They should arrive before noon tomorrow.
Week ending Nov. 21, 2004
The real McDades.
Last night we were privileged to have a performance by "The McDades" in the Denman Island community hall. It was a good concert and a large portion of the island's population turned out to enjoy it.
The McDades are a Canadian band originating in Edmonton. They write many of their own songs; their music being very energetic and having a strong Celtic flavour. There was a lot of foot stomping in the audience and I noticed at least one viewer compelled to leave her seat and commence Irish dancing off in the corner.
The two "McDades" having breakfast in the top picture are Shannon and Solon; (sister and brother). They stayed overnight at out house; very congenial guests. Apparently we have something very rare on Denman Island; a home with no allergy causing pets. So we were chosen as billets. Tonight they are performing on Quadra Island, and tomorrow, Saltspring. I highly recommend them.
Last Tuesday I dutifully patrolled the shores of this, my assigned marshland, searching for Trumpeter Swans. For the third week in a row, the report was "none". (I guess zero is just as valid and meaningful as any other number when doing a population census). I became thoroughly soaked in the rain. (The "brightness" is a result of the camera's flash.)
The weekly activity does provide other interests. The beavers for instance. I think their industriousness is overrated. Their intelligence too. I came across this grove of trees in the picture below where the trees are so densely supporting each other that nothing will fall even if a tree is completely eaten through. They just gave up.
Our local population also has strange taste. Their favorite trees are supposed to be deciduous; willow, aspen, alder. But around the marsh, their "least favorite trees", western red cedar, are all being girded by beaver with a perverse taste preference for its bark.
In other activities, I've finally tackled the huge Maple tree that last summer was felled next door. It's very awkwardly located down a steep embankment. And the logs have to be split where they're cut; they're too big and heavy to carry up otherwise. I slept really well for two nights.
(No, I don't desperately need the firewood. I'd promised it to a neighbour earlier in the year).
Only two weeks until the big Christmas Craft Faire. Marit hasn't really forgiven me for interrupting her production for the weaver's sale. You see, the loom is set up in the guest room and had to be put aside while preparing for the McDades. And I accepted the billets without first checking with her.
Week ending Nov. 28, 2004Sunshine has not been a common occurrence.
This scene of the snow-capped Beaufort mountains catching the first rays of dawn was such an unusual event that Marit sent me out yesterday morning with the camera to capture it. (Like all these pictures, you can enlarge them by clicking on them).
So far the weather has remained mild. Despite the frost and the ice on the puddles, the temperature has never gone below zero on the thermometers mounted outside at eye level. But one of these days I really should mount my snow tires. Just in case!
Last week I made a few disparaging comments about our local beavers. But that was before I met one.
Tuesday, on my weekly trek to the marsh, I came upon this freshly fallen tree. The teeth that made these cuts were impressively sharp and powerful. As I stood and surveyed this scene a beaver came swimming up the marsh. On seeing me it did its famous "tail slap" and dived.
But then it surfaced, swam around a bed of reeds, came back and repeated the procedure again. And again!
Obviously it wanted its lunch and didn't appreciate me standing beside its entree. I tried hiding; hoping to witness the activity. But it kept slapping its tail indicating "I see you! I see you!"
I finally quit this game of "hide and seek" and continued with my rounds. No swans this week either. Just several small groups of bufflehead ducks, (and one annoyed beaver).
Saturday I attended a walk led by the Denman Conservancy Association through the "Lindsay-Dickson Forest; an acreage of woodland the Conservancy has acquired on the south-east end of the island. Its an interesting place; lots of very tall Grand fir mixed in with the Douglas fir and red cedar. Routes have been marked with tape but trails have not yet been cleared in the intended pathways. I volunteered for future work parties.
Back home in the yard not much has been done. When conditions permitted, more clearing and weeding was done in the upper corner. But it's a slow process.
On the beach, high winter tides have been shifting the debris. It's always interesting to take a morning tour to see what's turned up. Occasionally it's littered with dead salmon that have spawned; very smelly dead salmon. But they're gone again the next day. What the tide bringeth, the tide taketh away.
Despite the weather Marit has been very active; A weekly hike with the women's group, a "ladies shopping day" in Courtenay, and a tour of the Hornby craft fair last weekend. And in her spare moments she has continuously been weaving in preparation for the Denman Christmas Craft Faire which is NEXT WEEKEND!For anyone within travel range, don't miss this event. And especially, don't miss seeing the booth of the Denman Island Spinners and Weavers.
Week ending Dec 5, 2004
Christmas Craft Faire weekend.
There was general agreement that the products and displays were better than ever, but the crowds of shoppers are diminishing. Unlike earlier years, I was able to walk down the aisles fairly easily. They were not packed solid with people inspecting the merchandise.
Marit was fairly happy with her sales. "I didn't get rich, but I covered the cost of the yarn". (And a bit better than that I believe). Just as importantly, "It was fun!"
I'm not sure if the declining attendance was due to the weather or the competing craft fairs that have arisen in other communities. Apparently there were other large sales this weekend in Cumberland and Nanaimo.
Yesterday it rained. All day. But it cleared overnight to give us the coldest morning we've had this winter; -1 degree centigrade.
These last two pictures were taken at dawn today. The sun is now rising so far to the south that I have to go out on the back deck to see it. The mountains, bathed in dawn light, show the low snow level.
The view tomorrow should be interesting. Tonight's forecast calls for snow and strong winds. Only 5 cm of snow, and 70 km winds forecast, but I suspect my generator may be required again. At least I don't have to commute to work. Week ending Dec 12, 2004
Well, we did get some snow. Barely.
The thin layer of wet snow early last week didn't last through the day. And it was followed later by heavy rains imported directly from the tropics. Even the white scenery on the hills across the water has been washed off.
When the clouds briefly dispersed on Saturday I scurried out with the camera to capture the moment of sunshine. Erik helped brighten our weekend by coming out Friday evening and spending a couple days with us.
This view is misleading. He isn't really gaining weight. The cold north wind over the water made him hunch up.
I haven't done anything of note this week. Just chores, shopping, and general lounging.
But Marit has been very industrious; decorating for the Christmas season, and being engaged in the affairs of the weaving group. On Saturday the "Spinning and Weaving Society" held an open house; displaying their facilities, and providing refreshments to visitors. (I'm not sure of the purpose of this publicity gesture though. There is already a waiting list for membership).
This morning was very cold when we met at dawn to undertake the monthly waterfowl inventory. There was frost on the driftwood as I took this picture of the other two participants, Mike with the scope, and Marjo with the note pad. Hornby Island is in the background.
This is a tremendous area for water birds in the winter. Thousands of them in a wide variety of species. One of the most plentiful species is the Harlequin duck; an extremely colourful bird. There were even two flocks of Trumpeter swans in the count today.
It's still a mystery why no Trumpeters have shown up at the marsh that I check every Tuesday. There has been a suggestion that frequent bulldozer work at a nearby farm has caused too much disturbance. I've never noticed the noise. But Marit has frequently pointed out that my hearing has seriously deteriorated.
I did have one personal bit of "birding excitement" this weekend. Erik called my attention to a bird that I initially mistook as a purple finch. (We have a lot of finches here). But on closer examination, it wasn't. It was a red crossbill, the first I've seen here. It's not rare, but an unusual sighting. Oh, and my white-crowned sparrow put in a brief appearance again at the feeder after a three week absence. That's two excitements.I'm easy to amuse.
No matter what the weather, the drama at the bird feeder is always fascinating. Earlier this week I noticed the feeder area completely deserted. Then I spotted the cause; a hungry Coopers hawk perched on the tall maple stump.
As I watched, the hawk flew down to the ground and began searching through the shrubs and flowers looking for some song birds that may be hiding there. Actually it looked like a big sparrow itself hopping through the garden. Not finding any victims, it flew back to the stump and waited.
If I had gone out and tried to take its picture it would have been scared off, so I just left it and let nature play out its drama. I don't know the final outcome; I suspect it flew off to find lunch elsewhere.
Similarly, the marsh was rather barren on Tuesday. A large hawk sitting on a tall snag looked very much like an Osprey. They're supposed to be fish eaters, but the waterfowl didn't seem to trust it. If my life depended on it, I guess I'd be wary too.Week ending Dec 19, 2004
Merry Christmas from Harold and Marit.
We will be traveling in to Port Moody to spend Christmas with Lise and Gary. Marit will celebrate (or grieve) her birthday there on Christmas Eve by hosting many of her long time friends in the area.
Erik will join us for the Christmas festivities. And on Christmas Day we'll be joined by Gary's family. So it will be an enjoyable and sociable gathering.
We haven't decided our exact time of return, but I expect that the next update of this site will be a little delayed.
This week, once again, has been filled with gray skies, drizzle, fog, and rain. But this morning the sun appeared in a blue sky and gave us a terrific day for the annual Christmas Bird Count. A group of us gathered and proceeded along a traditional route ending at the very northern tip of Denman Island; a sandbar jutting out towards Tree Island.
This picture shows our general route and destination. Tree Island is the "hump" slightly left of centre. The far background, several miles away, is Comox. This area is particularly valuable for waterbirds. But we identified quite a number of land birds along the route. In total we logged about 1,800 birds of all kinds. I could have increased the number of species seen if I were allowed to report the visitors back at my feeders. But that's not part of the Christmas count tradition apparently.
Speaking of birds at my feeder; last Tuesday I was startled to see a pure white pine siskin among a flock of normal coloured birds. Pure white on the head and body, but with normal coloured plumage on its wings. (Didn't have pink eyes either). After watching it come and go for some time, I finally thought to get my camera and record the event. Naturally, after assembling the camera with a telephoto lens, the flock disappeared. I wasted the whole day waiting. In vain. No picture but I do have a witness; it visited my neighbour's feeder too.
That's enough about birds.
Arriving home in the afternoon, I saw Marit was out in the sunshine gathering foliage from the trees and plants in the area, and making a Christmas wreath for our door. She has the place nicely decorated for the season, even though we are not having a tree this year.
And at 5:00 P.M. today we participated in the annual island event; the community Christmas dinner. It's a marvelous event, supported by the local citizens and the merchants on the island. At the community hall, everyone is given a big plate of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. There is also a huge table full of salads and deserts voluntarily brought by participants. Santa comes later in the evening for the younger children. It's available to every person on Denman, and it's totally free.
Like so many other people in the community, we had a small role. A bucket of potatoes had earlier been provided. Just before the dinner, after Marit boiled them in two large pots, I rushed them up to the local bakery, where they were mashed in their dough machine, and then taken to the community kitchen. Marit also brought both a bean salad , and a box of Norwegian baking.
The event, shared with friends and neighbours, builds a great community spirit and a good seasonal feeling. Life can be good on this small rural island.
Week ending Dec 26, 2004
Brrr! After being without any heat for several days, this house gave a very cold reception upon our return. It's going to require a blazing fire of our best dried cherry logs burning for at least a day before the walls soak up enough heat to provide warm comfort again.
We've just returned from Port Moody after spending a great Christmas with Lise and Gary. Festivities began early on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, when Marit celebrated her 60th birthday. Many of her good friends took time from their busy Christmas preparations to join her in a celebration. One of those friends, Jenny, prepared a marvelous marzipan birthday cake. (I was assured it had no calories). Lise is serving it in the top picture.
She was pleased that Sonja came in from Whonnock to join the party. (Sonja reaches the same milestone herself next August; my baby sister is growing up).
For Christmas eve dinner Erik, Gary, Lise, Marit, and I went to out to what we consider to be the finest restaurant in Port Moody; the "Flying Fish". We were not disappointed in the fare, and came back as fully stuffed as any turkey.
Christmas Day; I don't know whether to refer to it as "family day" or as "Gary's treat". Gary is quite a chef, and he began early in the morning preparing our Christmas feast. Not just roast turkey, but ribs, and chicken wings, and yams and veggies and gravy and ....
Gary's family joined us late in the afternoon, and they all contibuted more foods and deserts for the meal. We had lemon chicken, "sticky" rice, mushroom noodles, ..well I just can't begin to describe all the entrees and side dishes.
Erik was there, Joanne joined us in the evening, and Sonja and John dropped by for a visit in the afternoon. They're both looking good, even though both will admit to a lot of aches, pains, and health concerns from the passing years.
Gary has a very pleasant and interesting family with a wide range of experiences and talents. Many of them , Marit and I were meeting for the first time. Our group photo is shown back in the second picture.
Some of the activities were a little different than those to what I've been accustomed. Like the group gift draw; each individual in turn either draws a wrapped gift from the "pile", or alternatively takes a gift that someone else has drawn (who then has to re-take their turn). Most gifts exchange owners many times during process.
And some of the elders gather after dinner for their own form of serious entertainment; mahjong.
I have to admit, in the late hours, after serious heavy-duty feasting, I was glad no one tested me to ensure I remembered names and family relationships. But it was a very enjoyable evening.
While we were in the area, Marit and I took a walk around our old neighbourhood. Even though it was relatively unchanged, it didn't appear the same as we remember. A tiny bit run down, a little bit messier, a little older and not always maintained. Once again we returned to Denman without regret for choices.
To all our friends, family and relations, old workmates, and especially our old neighbours, we hope your Christmas has been joyful and wish you a very Happy New Year.
For the diary of previous months, select the month below.
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