13/09: Finally --- an update
Category: General
Posted by: The Agnew Family
It's been a long time since I've added an entry so this could be a long one.
The house "to do" list is slowly getting shorter. Very exciting when I get to put a big check mark on the page. It's a good thing this years section of the list is almost done ---- unfortunately I have sections for the next two years. I do wonder what I'll do in three years when there's nothing left on the list --- guess we just wait till that actually happens.
My mother and brother added some excitement to our summer this year --- both of them had unexpected major surgery. Both are doing well --- my brother is fully recovered and back to work and my mom is feeling better every day. My big contribution is to drive down once a week to vacuum though I'm sure my mother can't wait to be able to vacuum again so she can clean the house the way she likes it done. I know it's hard to believe that someone actually wants to vacuum.
Ed's sister Sonya lives in Toronto and we try to get into see her once or twice a year. During our visit this spring we decided to check out Harbourfront. It's right downtown on the Lake Ontario.
One of the many boats parked along the walkway.
Interesting bridge
Yum........Sashimi for dinner
Zaph always says it's time to go to the beach. We didn't get there as often as he would have like this summer.
The beach at Kincardine.
What's summer without attending at least one wedding. This years happy couple is Lauren and Vicki (Lauren is my cousin's son). Ed and I were looking forward to attending the wedding as normal guests (in one of his past lives, Ed was a wedding photographer and occasionally dons that hat) but that was not to be the case. Due to her surgery my mom had to miss the wedding and asked us to take a video of it for her. An added bonus was the bride and groom now have a video of their wedding.
My cousin arrange for a limo from the farm to the wedding. Bob, Wendy, me, Sue and Rachel.
The ceremony.
Vicki, Lauren and Gomer
My cousin Bob and family. Nicole, Vicki, Lauren, Wendy, Rachel and Bob
Nicole and her husband, Vicki, Lauren, Wendy, Rachel, Kevin, Julie, Kyle and Danny. I might have Kevin and Danny mixed up. Kevin, Julie and Danny are triplets.
Ed and I did manage to get away for a week. This year there was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the DC-3 at Airventure, the week long air show in Oshkosh Wisconsin. As the DC-3 is Ed's favourite air plane we decided to go to the show with a few others (numbers from the Airventure website) ....
- a total attendance of more than 535,000
- more than 10,000 aircraft
- campers int he aircraft and drive-in area estimated at more than 36,000
This year's show was called "Sloshkosh" as the 10 inches of rain the area received during the week before left the grounds full of ponds, bogs and lots of squishy spots. Our trailer got stuck going up a small hill but it turned out to be a wonderful camping spot.
Highlights included a concert by Chicago and wonderful air shows every day featuring wing walkers, a sailplane doing what appeared to be a dance in the sky, a stunt helicopter, a Harrier jet as well as the usual stunt planes. Airventure was wonderful but I think I've seen enough planes to last me several years. Ed managed to take a lot of fantastic pictures but I kept it down to the highlights.
Landed --- our trailer and Anne & Victor's tent. In another day we had trailers and tents all around us.
One of the many DC 3's at the show.
Ed in the cockpit wishing he could fly it. Retired airline pilots have restored this plane and fly it to shows.
Ford announced their new Ford Explorer at the air show and brought it in using a sky crane.
Ford also sponsored Chicago .... yeah Ford!!! The concert was great ---- some of the original band members are still playing. On Chicago's current tour they are allowing a person to buy the right to sing lead on one of their songs at each venue. The proceeds goes towards research for breast cancer. The guy who sung at this concert paid "thousands of dollars" and did a great job. Must be pretty scary standing in front of all those people singing.
This is a jet powered sail plane. The first part of it's show was done at low speed and was like a ballet in the sky. The jet engine was kicked up to full for the second part of the show. Still nice to watch but I did prefer the first part.
These guys were amazing.
Now we know why the Red Bull add says "Red Bull gives you wings". Another amazing pilot.
I asked Ed if he thought there would be a wing walker at one of the air shows .... said he didn't know and not ten minutes later did the wing walker appear. The wing walker is a woman, she gets out of the front seat and climbs out onto the lower wing, then climbs onto the top wing where she straps herself in --- which is a good thing as the pilot does loops and flies upside down with her on the top wing. The wing walker is also a stunt pilot.
I believe this is the only privately owned Harrier jet. The still picture doesn't do this plane justice. The plane can fly fast but can also hover. Ed caught the plane in the middle of it's bow. Shortly after this photo was taken the pilot landed the plane like a helicopter.
Ever see a helicopter fly upside down? There are only a couple of helicopters that can do loops and fly upside down in the world and one of them was in Oshkosh. Pretty exciting stuff.
Back at the camp site. The Good Year was still flying around, the ultralights had called it a night and we were relaxing enjoying the end of another great day.
Zaph talked Ed and I into taking a day off to go exploring. The shoreline between Owen Sound and Wiarton was our destination as it's an area we haven't explored.
We stopped at a small park where Ed and I enjoyed lunch and Zaph enjoyed a swim. Ed throws stones into the water and Zaph swims to where the stone landed. The spot in the sky is the stone.
Happiness is playing in the water.
The entire shore line is flat stones which are great skipping stones. We saw one woman make a stone skip at least seven times.
Nothing like snuggling with your pal looking at the water.
Life's great.
The house "to do" list is slowly getting shorter. Very exciting when I get to put a big check mark on the page. It's a good thing this years section of the list is almost done ---- unfortunately I have sections for the next two years. I do wonder what I'll do in three years when there's nothing left on the list --- guess we just wait till that actually happens.
My mother and brother added some excitement to our summer this year --- both of them had unexpected major surgery. Both are doing well --- my brother is fully recovered and back to work and my mom is feeling better every day. My big contribution is to drive down once a week to vacuum though I'm sure my mother can't wait to be able to vacuum again so she can clean the house the way she likes it done. I know it's hard to believe that someone actually wants to vacuum.
Ed's sister Sonya lives in Toronto and we try to get into see her once or twice a year. During our visit this spring we decided to check out Harbourfront. It's right downtown on the Lake Ontario.
One of the many boats parked along the walkway.
You can't go downtown without taking a photo of the CN Tower.
Interesting bridge
Yum........Sashimi for dinner
Zaph always says it's time to go to the beach. We didn't get there as often as he would have like this summer.
The beach at Kincardine.
What's summer without attending at least one wedding. This years happy couple is Lauren and Vicki (Lauren is my cousin's son). Ed and I were looking forward to attending the wedding as normal guests (in one of his past lives, Ed was a wedding photographer and occasionally dons that hat) but that was not to be the case. Due to her surgery my mom had to miss the wedding and asked us to take a video of it for her. An added bonus was the bride and groom now have a video of their wedding.
My cousin arrange for a limo from the farm to the wedding. Bob, Wendy, me, Sue and Rachel.
The ceremony.
Vicki, Lauren and Gomer
My cousin Bob and family. Nicole, Vicki, Lauren, Wendy, Rachel and Bob
Nicole and her husband, Vicki, Lauren, Wendy, Rachel, Kevin, Julie, Kyle and Danny. I might have Kevin and Danny mixed up. Kevin, Julie and Danny are triplets.
Ed and I did manage to get away for a week. This year there was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the DC-3 at Airventure, the week long air show in Oshkosh Wisconsin. As the DC-3 is Ed's favourite air plane we decided to go to the show with a few others (numbers from the Airventure website) ....
- a total attendance of more than 535,000
- more than 10,000 aircraft
- campers int he aircraft and drive-in area estimated at more than 36,000
This year's show was called "Sloshkosh" as the 10 inches of rain the area received during the week before left the grounds full of ponds, bogs and lots of squishy spots. Our trailer got stuck going up a small hill but it turned out to be a wonderful camping spot.
Highlights included a concert by Chicago and wonderful air shows every day featuring wing walkers, a sailplane doing what appeared to be a dance in the sky, a stunt helicopter, a Harrier jet as well as the usual stunt planes. Airventure was wonderful but I think I've seen enough planes to last me several years. Ed managed to take a lot of fantastic pictures but I kept it down to the highlights.
Landed --- our trailer and Anne & Victor's tent. In another day we had trailers and tents all around us.
One of the many DC 3's at the show.
Ed in the cockpit wishing he could fly it. Retired airline pilots have restored this plane and fly it to shows.
Ford announced their new Ford Explorer at the air show and brought it in using a sky crane.
Ford also sponsored Chicago .... yeah Ford!!! The concert was great ---- some of the original band members are still playing. On Chicago's current tour they are allowing a person to buy the right to sing lead on one of their songs at each venue. The proceeds goes towards research for breast cancer. The guy who sung at this concert paid "thousands of dollars" and did a great job. Must be pretty scary standing in front of all those people singing.
This is a jet powered sail plane. The first part of it's show was done at low speed and was like a ballet in the sky. The jet engine was kicked up to full for the second part of the show. Still nice to watch but I did prefer the first part.
These guys were amazing.
Now we know why the Red Bull add says "Red Bull gives you wings". Another amazing pilot.
I asked Ed if he thought there would be a wing walker at one of the air shows .... said he didn't know and not ten minutes later did the wing walker appear. The wing walker is a woman, she gets out of the front seat and climbs out onto the lower wing, then climbs onto the top wing where she straps herself in --- which is a good thing as the pilot does loops and flies upside down with her on the top wing. The wing walker is also a stunt pilot.
I believe this is the only privately owned Harrier jet. The still picture doesn't do this plane justice. The plane can fly fast but can also hover. Ed caught the plane in the middle of it's bow. Shortly after this photo was taken the pilot landed the plane like a helicopter.
Ever see a helicopter fly upside down? There are only a couple of helicopters that can do loops and fly upside down in the world and one of them was in Oshkosh. Pretty exciting stuff.
Back at the camp site. The Good Year was still flying around, the ultralights had called it a night and we were relaxing enjoying the end of another great day.
Zaph talked Ed and I into taking a day off to go exploring. The shoreline between Owen Sound and Wiarton was our destination as it's an area we haven't explored.
We stopped at a small park where Ed and I enjoyed lunch and Zaph enjoyed a swim. Ed throws stones into the water and Zaph swims to where the stone landed. The spot in the sky is the stone.
Happiness is playing in the water.
The entire shore line is flat stones which are great skipping stones. We saw one woman make a stone skip at least seven times.
Nothing like snuggling with your pal looking at the water.
Life's great.