Thanksgiving

Turkey. Pumpkin pie. Orange. These are a few of my favourite things. ♫♬🎶 Hopefully some of those music notes icons will show up, and no, I'm not going to apologize for giving you an ear worm sound track. Call it a periodic blog feature and move along.

A joke, since we're on the topic. In the software world, what is a feature? Answer. A bug with seniority.

Actually turkey is ok, but not a favourite. Once or twice a year is enough. Today we will help our friends Gord and Gail eat their turkey and all the stuff that goes with it, done by an amazing cook, helped out by their extended family. (The first version of that made it sound like we were going to eat the extended family as well. Editing and review is a good thing!) It's hard to believe that I've known one of them for nearly 40 years, and several others for not much less time. 

Pumpkin pie is yummy, and orange is one of my favourite colours, particularly on big long haired cats. Maybe I'll have to see if I can find a photo of Curtis in the archives. He left us 3 years ago, almost exactly, and I still miss him. He was one of the main stars of the blog.

While we were away a couple weeks ago... Which is a reminder that I've been thinking about a word. When you work, and take a trip somewhere that is not work, it's called a vacation. But retirement is sort of like a vacation in some ways. What do we call a trip now? Just a trip? Do we call it the purpose of the trip, which in this case was to visit Linda's sisters. Is there a word?

During one family day, with me taking photos like mad, I was strongly encouraged to give up the camera and pose myself. Donna got a crash course in how to focus and click the she button, and she got this.

While we were away, a couple of our friends took turns looking after Celina. We got several videos of her in a lap, purring happily. Apparently she didn't miss us even a little bit. We offered to take them out for dinner, but instead they wanted to have coffee and cookies in our lodge. So we did that this weekend, and at the same time I gave a book of photos to Michelle, on the occasion of our 10th friend-iversary. Spell check doesn't think that's a word, but it should be. So there. As a hint, you might want to keep an eye on her blog over the next little while. She says she is going to blog about the book. Can't wait to see it.

We had a wonderful morning chatting. It's good to escape the world for a time. It took them a few minutes to get past Celina. She was all over them. The better humans, or so she seems to think. 

So here I am, shortly after getting my first OAS cheque from the government. That is surreal to me. Only old people get those, or so I thought. I'm not old. Parts of my body think I am, some times, and make no secret of it. But I'm up and around, if not quite so vigorously as a decade ago. Not taking any medication whatsoever, which was mildly astonishing to my doctor. Swimming and walking often, sometimes riding my bike. Let's hope all that carries on.

Retired life is good. Some days, like just now, are really busy. Other days are quieter. We like that. It would be stressful to be always busy, always scrambling to get to the next thing. It would be boring if nothing ever happened. There's an ebb and flow. A mix is good. 

We had the trip last week. Some house stuff this week, with Linda gradually getting the garden put to bed. We've got really nice weather happening, so we're still enjoying it. I've got a corporate photo session happening tomorrow, then Wednesday I'll be leaving for Jasper on a dark skies photo trip with some friends. That will be fun, and no promises about blogging during that. Any extra time and I'm likely to be asleep.

I'm thinking about the next photo book. There's lots of photos to choose from. Maybe a book of Alberta landscapes would be fun. Hmmm. 

As a reminder, since some periodic readers might see this one due to being published on Facebook, you get get an email from me with a link to each new blog, hot off the blog press. Just send an email to keith@nucleus.com and ask. 

Of the Day

Driftwood (NZ)

A little micro-landscape, showing new life growing out of old.

Driftwood (BC)

Curtis

I can't imagine why this wasn't blogged, but maybe it was, and I just didn't tag it as such. I'm sure that nobody will be complaining about having seen it before.

Peony

Flower

Yukon

Film (new)

Something I found while scouting photo session locations.

Film (old)

This is the friend I've known for the nearly 40 years, and where we met. The task at hand is to clean the building fresh air intakes of frost and snow.