The New Addition - November 18th, 2007

On November 18, 2007, our son Jeremy and his wife Jennifer had their first child, and our first grandchild. William Eoghain (pronounced Owen... it's Gaelic) joined us around 1:00 p.m. and tipped the scales at 8 pounds 11 ounces. Jennifer went to the hospital the evening of Saturday, November 17th -- a good thing, since the Santa Claus parade was scheduled for the next day and University Avenue (where the hospital is located) in downtown Toronto was closed to traffic for most of the day. Jennifer and William are doing fine... Jeremy looks a bit tired. The grandparents are doing great and will share many more pictures with you over the coming months and years.

Jennifer, William and Jeremy in the hospital on November 19th

William wonders what all the fuss is about.

Even with all the commotion around him, William's able to catch a little down time.

Jeremy looks like he could use some sleep too.

Margaret-Ann, the proud grandmother, holds William for the first time.

On Saturday, December 1st, on our way to the Port Hope Christmas House Tour, we stopped in at Jeremy and Jennifer's to check up on William. While we were there, Meredith, our daughter, and her husband Michael dropped in as well.

Aunt Meredith rocks William to sleep.

William looks pretty comfortable and Grandfather John just a little bit proud.

Forks of The Credit Hike -- Oct. 22, 2007

One of the benefits of being retired is that, for the most part, you can decide want you want to do and when you want to do it. During the evening weather forecast on October 21st, we learned that the following day was going to be sunny and 25 degrees (about 10 degrees higher than normal for late October). It didn't take us long to decide that October 22nd was a grand day for a hike. Margaret-Ann quickly booked herself off from supply teaching duties for the next day and we went to bed that night looking forward to our hike. When we woke the next morning it was indeed sunny but a cool 10 degrees. By the time we left the house it was 10:00 a.m., still sunny and about 18 degrees. We drove northwest from Brampton about 45 minutes into the Caledon Hills to the small hamlet of the Forks of The Credit. We parked the car on the side of the road and started walking north on Dominion Street which leads to a southern entrance to the Forks of The Credit Provincial Park.

The view from the bridge carrying Dominion Street over the Credit River in the hamlet of the Forks of The Credit.

After walking 15 minutes on Dominion Street, we arrive at Brimstone and enter the Forks of The Credit Provincial Park. Here we pick up the old Dominion Trail and head north to Cataract.

The fall colours were spectacular.

At the north end of the Dominion Trail we arrive at the remains of the old mill at Cataract. In the mid 1800's is operated as a saw mill, then was converted to a grist mill, and finally changed to a hydro electric generating station that operated until the 1940's.

At Cataract we pick up part of the Trans Canada Trail and start hiking east.

Near the main entrance to the Park, just south of Highway 24, we pass one of several kettle lakes formed by glaciers during the last ice age.

In the meadows, milkweed pods by the thousands were opening to disperse their seeds. In some areas the seeds were so thick it looked like a light dusting of snow.

After circling the kettle lake, we head south on the Trans Canada Trail.

To circle back to Brimstone we actually have to leave the Provincial park for a short trek along part of the Bruce Trail.

Every corner you turn, there's another wonderful view.

Two and half hours after we started, we re-trace our steps over the Dominion Street bridge and see the Credit River glistening in the mid afternoon sunshine.

Driving back to Brampton, we both agree -- retirement is a good thing!

Crredit Valley Explorer -- October 10, 2007

Hoping to see the peak of the fall colors in mid October we boarded the Credit Valley Explorer, a short track rail line operated by the Organeville Brampton Railway, for a three hour tour through rural farmlands and the rolling hills of Caledon, to the Forks of the Credit and Cataract Gorge. The main business of the Railway is hauling freight, with weekday trips servicing local industries between Streetsville and Organeville. Twice a week, all year long, they offer passenger tours. The scenery was very nice throughout the trip, although we were quite surprised at the lack of fall colours in the foliage. We had a pleasant hot turkey lunch and drinks served to us and had two musicians, a guitarist and a clarinetist, serenade us throughout the trip. All in all a very nice day, but the weather could have been a bit better... it was overcast all day and rained for part of the drive back to Brampton after the train trip.

We deboard for a short stop to explore the little hamlet of Cheltenham.

Margaret-Ann gets set to yell "All Aboard."

Heading back to Orangeville at the end of the trip.

Okanagan Wine Trip -- September 2007

This excellent adventure began September 3rd when Margaret-Ann and I flew to Calgary and were picked up at the airport by my cousin, Dennis. Dennis and his wife, Val, live six months of the year in the very posh Pinnacle condo -- part of the Silver Tip Resort development on Lady MacDonald Mountain in Canmore, Alberta. While sipping on a glass of wine on Dennis and Val's balcony the first night we were there, another condo owner was heading back to Calgary in his mid-engine Ferrari. Almost two weeks later we saw him return in his Lambourgini. Dennis told us he also keeps a big black Mercedes in the underground parking lot. Wow!

Dennis and Val's balcony is the top one on the right.

Just one of the spectacular views of the Rockies from Dennis and Val's balcony. Here a couple of clouds flank the Three Sisters.

Just to the west of the Three Sisters are the Peaks of Lawrence Grassi.

On our way to Banff we stop off for a short walk by Lake Minnawanka.

Margaret-Ann checks out the Bow Falls in Banff.

A small restaurant/pub is perched on the side of a mountain in Banff.

After a wonderful lunch in the Banff Springs Hotel, we snap a picture of the grand hotel as we head back to Canmore.

We stop off at Stoney's Bar & Grill patio at the Silver Tip Golf Club and check out the 18th green.
The next day we head off to the Okanagan Valley, passing through Golden, B.C., and cross the Rockies through Roger's Pass. Here we see some of the glaciers at Roger's Pass.


On our way to Kelowna we pass the historic site at Craigellachie where the last spike was driven in the railway linking Canada from east to west.
Val, Dennis and Margaret-Ann take a walk by The Grand Okanagan Lakefront Resort in Kelowna, B.C.
At our first of 17 wineries visited in five days, Margaret-Ann and Val get ready for some serious wine tasting. Margaret-Ann discovers her, now, favorite white wine... Summerhill's Ehrenfelser.
Margaret-Ann tries to make a new friend at Summerhill Winery.

On one of only two days of rain during our two-week trip, a light mist falls on Dennis, Margaret-Ann and Val as they enter Mission Hill Winery.

After leaving the tasting bar in Mission Hill, the rain has stopped and Margaret-Ann goes right to the source for some further analysis.

Margaret-Ann would like to take home this much wine from the Okanagan.

Greata Ranch is on the west side of Lake Okanagan, south of Kelowna, between Peachland and Summerland.

Lake Breeze and Hillside Cellars (below) wineries are between Penticton and Naramata on the east side of Lake Okanagan.

Margaret-Ann, Val and Dennis gather some information from the self-guided tour at Tinhorn Creek Winery near Oliver.

The view from the restaurant of the Burrowing Owl Winery.

Heading back from the Okanagan, we stop for lunch in Nelson, B.C., and look out over Lake Kootenay.

Back in Canmore, Margaret-Ann and I walk in to town. Here we're on the Trans Canada overpass looking east with the Three Sisters in the upper right.

While in Canmore, Margaret-Ann meets an old friend.

On our third last day in Canmore, we hike up to the Grassi Lakes.

That night, smoke from fires in the Spray Valley hang over the Lawrence Grassi Peaks; completely obliterating The Three Sisters but providing a wonderful sunset.

We ended our trip flying back from Calgary to Toronto on September 16th. We had a wonderful two weeks in Canmore and the Okanagan and thank Dennis and Val for their warm hospitality.

Meredith & Michael's Wedding -- Sept. 3, 2004

Well Margaret-Ann and I are still playing catch-up in posting pictures of some of our past events. These ones, a mix of scanned images and digital photos taken by friends, are of our daughter's wedding. Enjoy!

The wedding and reception were held at the Millcroft Inn in Alton, about an hour northwest of Toronto nestled in the rolling Caledon Hills.

The Inn started out over a hundred years ago as a woolen mill. Here the mill pond ripples gently in front of a covered patio.

The reception area, below the fine dining restaurant, overlooks the pond's spillway.

The wedding ceremony was held outdoors on the lush grounds of the Inn.

Meredith and Margaret-Ann take a break and share a hug before rushing off to get ready for the ceremony.

Mike tries to relax with one of the guests before the ceremony.

Getting some last minute advice from father, Keith, and Best Man, Alex, doesn't seem to relax Michael very much.

The Best Man makes sure he has the rings.

The guests assemble in the late afternoon shadows in front of the gazebo.

A last minute hug between Meredith and John as the ceremony begins.

The proud father walks Meredith down the aisle to awaiting Michael.

Michael and Meredith take their vows.

Jeremy, Meredith's brother and acting Maid of Honour, serenades the guests as the newlyweds sign the registry.

The minister introduces for the first time Michael and Meredith as husband and wife.

The two families ... Michael's side on the left -- sister Kate, Keith, mother Eilleen, and Alex; Meredith's on the right -- John, Margaret-Ann, and Jeremy.

After all the hard work, Michael finally gets to relax a bit.

I don't think Meredith could be any happier.

At the cocktail reception, Margaret-Ann's family assembles for a rare picture together. Brother Jimmy, on the left, and mother Margaret came from Toronto. Brother Bobby, in the middle, came from Lethbridge; brother Bill from Sudbury, and sister Patti from Dallas.

Michael's uncle Roy, from England, is the only one without a drink, but doesn't seem too upset.

Meredith tries to sneak some beer into John's wine glass.

A good time was had by all at the cocktail reception!

After travelling through the UK for a week, Michael and Meredith wrap up their honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands. Here they check out "The Baths" on Virgin Gorda. It looks like Michael finally got to unwind!