I recently enjoyed eight days in Iceland. What I'm posting is a condensed version of a 30-page travel log so if anyone reading this wants the full log, please leave me a note on the Contact page. I'd wanted to visit Iceland for some time and knew that there was an annual Iceland Writer's Retreat. I decided to combine time at the conference with some touring. So, I booked the conference, made the flight reservations with Icelandair, and flew out on April 4th. When I arrived in Reykjavik after an overnight flight through Toronto, it was snowing and there was slush on the highway from the Keflavik (International) Airport to the Icelandair Hotel Natura. I had pre-booked a seat on The GrayLine for $34 Canadian--it's a one-hour trip, and a taxi would have cost about $180 Cdn. Reykjavik is the capital city, population 121,822; the total population of Iceland is 329,100. Iceland is a land of barren rock & sand, glaciers, lava fields, lakes, and only about 20% has vegetation cover. In short, Iceland is unique, and I've never been anywhere like it. Travel is expensive in Iceland--a meal with dessert, but no drinks, at most hotels is about $80 Cdn. That's partly why I combined the touring with a conference as the cost was more reasonable for accommodation and food. April is still 'winter' season as well so the number of tourists--which has increased to an estimated 2.4 Million in 2017 from about 400,000 in 2010--is more manageable outside of the main tourist season from May-September. The first four days of my stay were focused on workshop sessions. There were about 140 of us from 20 countries, and the 11 workshop leaders were high profile authors from 6 different countries. The workshop topics were diverse, and I attended the non-fiction ones. The conference wasn't all work though. On our first evening, coaches took us to Bessastaðir, home of the President of Iceland. I was surprised to learn that Eliza Reid, one of the conference organizers, is actually The First Lady of Iceland. Her husband, Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, was elected in 2016. The president has similar responsibilities to our Governor General of Canada--without a Queen to report to of course! We toured the residence and enjoyed a reception. One afternoon I caught a cab downtown and went on a pre-booked City Walk: https://citywalk.is Tomas, who lead our group, had many interesting facts and a few stories to share. I enjoyed browsing through a bookstore after the walk and had a snack at the café on the third floor--books and tea/snack--great combination! Every person who spoke to me started in Icelandic and then switched to English. I was told that I look like an Icelander. As part of the conference, I went on a day-long Golden Circle Tour. Our first stop was at Skalholt, established in 1056 which still operates as the information center of the Lutheran Church of Iceland. Next, we visited the spectacular Gullfoss Waterfall. We learned that the falls were saved from being dammed by a young woman who walked to Reykjavik--some stories say barefoot--which is about 120 km to convince the parliament to not let a developer dam the falls for hydroelectric power. She even threatened to throw herself into the falls if development was allowed. Fortunately, she didn't have to do that! For this part of the tour, we were on a section of the Ring Road--a highway that circles Iceland which many tourists drive in about six days or take a bus tour to explore. There were several tourists at the Strokkur--one of the country's most famous geysers which erupts approximately every 5 minutes. As well as watching the geyser erupt a couple times, I noted that the ground bubbles and steams in this entire area. We left the geyser area and drove to Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park. On the way, we saw a few of the approximately 500,000 sheep that live in Iceland. We also saw several Icelandic horses which are known for their five gaits. Thingvellir National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a place of historical, cultural, and geological significance. Iceland's national parliament, the Althing, was established here in 930 and used until 1798. There were amazing views on our walk from the upper parking lot where we got off the bus to the lower parking lot. The rock formations are fascinating. We next visited Gljúfrasteinn which is the former home of Halldór Kiljan Laxness, a 1955 Nobel Prize for Literature winner. He wrote over 60 books, and the house was donated to the Icelandic state in 2002 by his widow. It's now a museum. After touring--I've never seen so many books in one house--and listening to a local author read from his work, we boarded the bus and returned to Reykjavik. I highly recommend the Golden Circle Tour. Check http://www.visiticeland.com for tourism information. I'll include some brief notes on the history of Iceland. Iceland is about 60 million years old and was formed by an eruption under the sea. There were no Indigenous people in Iceland. The first Icelandic settler was Ingolfur Arnarson, who arrived from Norway in 874. People also came from the British Isles, primarily Scotland and Ireland. DNA studies show that 60% of the women came from the British Isles while 80% of the men came from Scandinavian countries, mainly Norway. There is an excellent BBC You tube documentary titled Viking Sagas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taVsvYWp1UU that's about an hour long and tells the history and family stories of Iceland. Icelanders are a very literary people. One in ten Icelanders is a published author. Everywhere you look, there is print--even cups on airplanes are labelled 'Flying drinks.' The Icelandic language, based on the Old Norse language, is similar to what was spoken in Norway a thousand years ago. The language brought by the original Vikings to Iceland didn't change because of their limited contact with other countries. It will be interesting to see if the massive number of tourists now descending on the island will change the language. Iceland has a Book of Settlements so Icelanders can trace their family history back 30 generations. I thought I was doing well being able to trace my family back 4-6 generations! On a more practical note, this data base can be used to find out how distant or not distant your potential girlfriend/boyfriend is so you don't marry too close of a cousin! Apparently, there is even an app for that! My last two days were spent at Egilsstadir, a town of 3,454. I went by Iceland Air on a small plane from the Domestic Airport which had NO security. No machines, no searches, we just scanned our own boarding passes, an attendant glanced at our ID, and we walked out and boarded the plane. It was clear enough that I had a great view of Central Iceland--ice, snow, the odd peak of what they call mountains here, some of which are probably volcanic since there are 130 volcanoes, 30 of which are active in Iceland. All I could think was, "Propellers keep turning because no one wants to go down there!" I enjoyed myself in Egilsstadir and visited the East Iceland Heritage Museum with displays on The Old Rural Household (including the living room of a turf house) and the Reindeer in Eastern Iceland. I also walked down to the Lagarfljot Lake hoping to see Iceland's Worm Monster--sightings have been recorded since 1345. No 12 meter/39 feet long worm was visible, but it was a nice view of the lake with mountains in the background. East Iceland even has TREES! Most of the trees--a type of birch, rowan (mountain ash), and tea-leaved willow--were cut for timber in the early years of settlement. There are great reforestation plans in place, but it takes trees a long time to grow in these conditions where there isn't much land that will grow anything! I was very well treated at the Icelandair Hotel Herad, and I would recommend staying there and touring East Iceland if you have a chance. I had the best meals--the first evening I had trout with almonds, asparagus, and baby potatoes. The second evening I had lamb with root vegetables. Both evenings, I had crème brulee with wild herbs from the mountains along with a scoop of banana ice cream with cookie crumbles. I flew from Egilsstadir to Reykjavik to Toronto to Calgary on April 11th, arriving home at 1:30 a.m. on April 12th. Icelandair chose to wait for over an hour in Reykjavik for five passengers on a flight from Paris, and then when we got into Toronto, security wouldn't let us off the plane for about 20 minutes because Customs was too busy. As a result, several of us missed our connecting flights. Fortunately, there was another WestJet flight that night. Missing the connecting flight--and therefore being awake about 26 hours by that time--was the only negative of my trip. My only regret is that I didn't take more time to tour while I was there. I would have liked to have visited some of the fishing villages on the fjords. I had booked such a tour out of Egilsstadir, but it was cancelled because I was the only person booked. I would also have liked to have flown to North Iceland as it is supposed to be very unique terrain there as well. Don't wait for the next volcanic eruption--go to Iceland soon. Is it too soon to say "Happy Spring?" Doug and I cleaned out the birdhouses, put some cedar shavings in the bottom of each one, and put up two new houses. We're ready for the male mountain bluebirds to come back and "check out the real estate" as my dad used to say. The redpolls that routinely emptied our bird feeders each day have gone north--it's been too warm for them the past few days. I heard the squeaking of the first gophers emerging in the horse pasture near us. I haven't seen any starlings yet--our first birds of spring--but saw what were either swans or snow geese beautifully white in the blue sky overhead. They like to congregate on their migration routes in the spring and fall on a large pond about four miles southeast of us so I'll check there on my way to Okotoks this afternoon.
That first paragraph illustrates one of my dilemmas as a mostly retired person--fully retired if I don't count the half hour or so each week day I spend trying to make some money on my trading accounts so I can finance all these hobbies. I have too many hobbies and not enough time. I would love to spend more time 'bird-watching' and be able to accurately identify all the species in our area. Doug and I joined Nature Alberta--only $25 a year for a family membership--and I briefly glanced with longing at all the program offerings. Interested? See http://www.naturealberta.ca/ As many of you know, music has been an important part of my life since childhood. My grandchildren like to sing along with me as I chord on the guitar. I sing alto in a community singing group, High Country Chorale (HCC). Between 40-50 of us practise every Tuesday evening at the nearby Red Deer Lake United Church. Everyone is welcome, and there are no auditions. The website is https://highcountrychorale.com if anyone is interested in joining. I have sang in many different groups over the years, and HCC is the best for those of us who just like to sing and perform at seniors' lodges with two more formal concerts a year. Family history research and writing short stories trying to bring ancestors to life on the page has absolutely permeated my life. As I wrote in my January entry, I really tried to put family research aside for a year so that I could do other projects, but it keeps finding me. So, I'm going with it and continuing my presentations mainly to genealogical groups at this time and trying to get some more of my own family history work done as people find me--often through this website. There is such a hunger out there for people to find and record their family stories that I'm thinking about teaching a few classes on the topic. So, my goal in April is to put together materials and propose a short course of four to five sessions and hopefully teach on-line in the fall. (I'll put more information on this website if this plan becomes reality.) My book club provides a welcome break from all the 'heavy-duty' non-fiction reading that I do to keep up with my varied interests. The other book club members 'stretch' my reading interests so I've read books that I would never choose on my own. The Okotoks Public Library through the Marigold System can bring in books from many provincial libraries so I can obtain most of the books there. I purchase books that are 'keepers' that I want to read and re-read. I used to enjoy volunteering at the library, but my other commitments meant that I was missing too many of my regularly scheduled days. Instead, I try to help out at the library with special projects on writing and travelling presentations when I can. I really enjoy doing aquafit at the Okotoks Recreation Center a couple times a week. My goal is twice a week; the reality is more like once a week. There is a great group of women and men, most of whom faithfully attend, in the Gentle-Moderate drop-in class. A couple of the women remind me that they haven't seen me for awhile when I procrastinate and miss a few classes. A little bit of guilt is a good motivator! All the information on retirement states that people must have hobbies when they retire. Those hobbies often provide the structure that so many people miss when they leave the workplace. But, what about those of us who have so many hobbies that we can't keep up? Enjoy your hobbies--what a privilege to have the time to do some of the things that I really want to and never had time previously. And, doesn't this weather just make you want to start digging in the dirt and playing in the soil? I will post another musing the end of April. In the meantime, you can always post a comment. Remember that I'm the only one who can see your response until I click on the link to make it public. I always check with the writer to make sure I have permission to make the comment public. I'd like to hear from you. It gets tiresome talking to myself. Happy Spring. Hello everyone and thanks for your continued reading and support of my website. I thought you might be interested to know that last week I had 126 unique visitors to my website and 483 page views. That's about the weekly average for my website. I have an average of one contact message a week, including extended relatives who have 'found' me on my website, people with questions or information about family history, former students wondering if I'm the "Mrs. Cathro" that taught them eons ago, and even a message for my husband about cars. I'd enjoy hearing from you as well.
We were in California visiting family for eight days. Our daughter sent us a text message one day advising us not to drive in the forecasted rain storm. Apparently, people in southern California don't know how to drive in the rain--yes, you read that right! In all fairness, it was a wicked storm--high winds which literally bent the palm trees, up to 10 foot ocean waves, but only a couple inches of rain. The soil doesn't drain properly so the water 'sits' on the interstates and highways. The San Diego newspaper said it was the worst storm in many years. So, we stayed put in our condo and watched the angry ocean from the deck windows. A couple days before the storm, we noticed that crews were digging trenches so water from the streets could run to the ocean. Sandbags were placed and more were stacked waiting to be used if needed. We were fortunate to have four days of decent weather so that we could be terrified on the 'big kids' rollercoaster at Legoland--our four-year old granddaughter just hit the minimum requirement on the height bar so she could ride. (The tamer roller coaster was closed for maintenance.) Note that she wasn't frightened although I noticed how her eyes widened on the first down trip with me. She couldn't wait to line up for the second go-around with my husband though. The condo complex had a heated outdoor pool and a hot tub. We also enjoyed trips to the beach although we didn't go in the water. There was far too much flotsam--and just plain crap--that had washed up after the storm. Family dinners including the required carrot cake for the celebration of the 4th birthday were enjoyed. We came home to good weather followed by cold temperatures and more snow. At least here, I don't have to worry about people not being able to drive in the snow or rain--right? I hope everyone enjoyed the first month of 2017 and that any New Years' resolutions you made are still firmly in place. My main resolution in 2017 was to sort and organize all the materials that I've collected during the writing of my two books plus the additional tubs of photos and general 'stuff' that has accumulated.
The first step was to buy large binders--one for each family branch--and clear filler pages. Photos, newspaper clippings, obituaries, family trees, a lock of hair from my Granny Lohr's first haircut, and hundreds of other miscellaneous items will be put into the pages in the appropriate family binder. I've set myself a goal of ten hours a week in which I will attempt to sort through the tubs and stacks of material presently all over one of the rooms downstairs. Just so I don't run out of jobs--that's supposed to be funny--I've also determined that this is the year to start trying to catch-up on photo albums/scrapbooks which haven't been done since 1995. A mere 22 years should be whipped together in no time--right? Probably not since I've just spent eight hours in the past two days doing twelve pages.... My goal is to live long enough to complete that project--age 100 should do it! My second resolution, loudly declared, was that I was sick and tired of writing and wasn't going to write anything in 2017. I am writing this musing and just completed an article draft for a provincial writer's periodical about self-publication. So much for that resolution. Thirdly, I was going to put family history research 'to bed' for a year. But, family history information finds me. I was actually very pleased to receive an extensive binder full of Racher family history from Alice, one of my mom's cousins on her maternal side. An enjoyable visit with Alice and a brief perusal of the materials show that the Racher name had been changed numerous times since 1677 when ancestor John Redshaw was born in Layston, Hertfordshire, England. From that date to now, the name variations have included Redshaw, Redshere, Reacher, Racher, and presently include Rachar with an a, and Racher with an e. These types of name variations are what drive family history researchers to the brink. Another family history project found me: On my maternal grandfather's side of the family, I had limited information on the Collins. That changed this past summer when the daughter of a cousin of my mother's contacted my sister. Working with this woman--whose name is Jean--we have contacted a cousin of my mom's interested in family history . He kindly mailed me copies of the materials that he had, including obituaries of my Great-Great-Grandparents whose last name was actually spelled Collings, not Collins. No wonder I couldn't get far in my research on that branch of the family! I have copies of the obituaries from the Chesley (Ontario) Enterprise dated January 25, 1894 for Henry Collings and from the Tara (Ontario) Leader dated August 22, 1901 for Catherine Brooks Collings. Although I've done some work on Ancestry just out of curiosity, I haven't been able to locate information on the ancestors of Henry and Catherine. They lived on Lot 27, Concession 2, in Bruce, Ontario, and had nine children, one of whom was my Great-Grandfather, Edward Collins. (I think Edward may have been the guilty party in dropping the letter g in Collings.) And, I so wanted a strong Irish-sounding name like Collins in my ancestry! My Great-Grandfather Henry Collings was born in England. I'm still hopeful that Catherine Brooks was born in Ireland as I had noted in my first book. I had another exciting breakthrough in the violation of my resolution on not doing family history research for awhile. When I traced my Great-Grandmother Matilda Legge (also spelled Legg), I located a public family history tree on Ancestry done by a man who lives in Delta, B.C. He responded to my query for information and gave me his phone number. During an interesting conversation, he explained that the Legge/Legg branch was on his wife's mother's side. The tree is complete on my Great-Grandmother Matilda Legge's maternal side back to my Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandparents (Stephen Croft, Margaret Dawson, Robert Howland, and Sarah Marton). On Matilda's paternal side (Legge/Legg) side, the tree goes back to my Great-Great-Grandparents Moses Legg and Elizabeth Pickard on one branch and to my Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandparents Nicholas Pickard and Barbara Stamm. For those of you still reading this after all those 'Greats,' why am I putting in all these facts? Now that the resolution is broken anyway, writing this is my way of advertising that I'm on the lookout for more information. So, if anyone reading has research on any of these names, please contact me. Several extended family members have found me through this website so I keep putting information on it. Out of my three resolutions, the sorting and organizing one is still in place. Perhaps it's a good thing that the 'no writing' has turned into some writing and that the family history research continues to find me. How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions? Happy February everyone--cinnamon hearts and valentines to each of you. Hello everyone. I'm all written-out these days so I decided to take the month of December off from writing. After the marathon of writing my second book and doing nine presentations in two months after its release, I need a rest. I'll be back with the next Musing entry the end of January. In the meantime, I welcome comments and contacts if you wish to post.
A special thanks to everyone who purchased books and attended one of my book talks. I know your lives are busy, and there are many demands on your time. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone, being reacquainted, and meeting new people. You have been so encouraging, and I truly appreciate your interest and support. Merry Christmas to all. May 2017 bring you and your loved ones health and happiness. "It's 4 a.m., and we have a plane to catch." Those words started our day on Friday, October 28th. Doug and I were off to Churchill Manitoba on a Classic Canadian Tour Polar Bear Safari. Visitors can either fly in to Churchill or take the train. The latter is a 40-hour trip from Winnipeg so we opted for the one-day air excursion. There are no roads into Churchill.
When we arrived at the terminal on Palmer Road in Northeast Calgary, we were directed into parking spots. Then we walked into the terminal for Canadian North where we checked in by giving our names and showing photo ID. No security, no hassles although I imagine that we were all vetted beforehand. Hot drinks were available for us while we waited for about half an hour. Around 6 a.m., we walked across the tarmac and up the stairs to a 737 which would fly us to Churchill in two hours and ten minutes. During the flight, a guide told us some facts about polar bears: They are the largest carnivore on earth; a large male can weigh up to 2,200 pounds although the females are about half the size; they evolved from grizzly bears and are still so closely related that they occasionally cross-breed where their territories overlap; polar bears have shorter claws than grizzles, but still sharp--a sample of the claws was passed around--embedded in a thick layer of fur which assists them in their ice-walking; they have much smaller ears which protects them against extremely low temperatures and wind chills; they have huge canines and sharp ridges on their molars for tearing meat--another sample passed around; their necks are much larger than their heads which aids them in plunging their heads into holes to capture seals. Researchers can age polar bears by sectioning the residual tooth and counting the 'rings'--I assumed this would not be done on a live bear! A hot breakfast was served on the flight, and after a smooth landing in Churchill, we walked through the terminal and got on waiting buses. We had been warned that the buses in Churchill have been "well-used"--one actually broke down on the return trip although not the one that Doug and I were on. Our driver and guide gave us a commentary as we bumped along over the 'pavement' on the way into Churchill: Hudson Bay began in 1731 as a British Hudson Bay Company Fort for the fur trade. The area supported a military base of about 6,000 people in the early 1940s, and it was a joint Canada and United States base after World War II. The base was closed in the mid-1960s. The area is still used by the military for survival training. The present population of Churchill is around 800 residents. The driver pointed out the Polar Bear Holding Facility, referred to as the "Jail," which has 28 cells for 'troublemakers.' Periodically a bear is sedated, placed on a strong, gigantic net with a heavy-duty strap under it, and then picked up by a helicopter which transports it out of the populated area. Most of these troublemakers are young adolescent males. Up to 1969 there was no polar bear control. Now, there is a Polar Bear Alert number 675-BEAR that residents can call. The polar bears are also monitored. However, often the children in Hudson Bay can't go out on Halloween night because of a bear alert. Suddenly, the driver slowed as a gray wolf with black markings ran across the road. The driver told us that she had lived in Churchill for many years and that's only the second wolf she's seen. The guide has been on 72 trips, and that was the first one that he had ever seen. So, our bus load was fortunate to have that sighting. Hudson Bay is 851 miles long, 650 miles wide, with an average depth of 330 feet, five fresh water rivers drain into it, the current is counter-clockwise, and the tides are between 12-15 feet. Out on the Bay, we saw a ship that had been carrying ore concentrate from Rankin Inlet that had been run aground--perhaps on purpose--in 1961. The ship is still there--slowly falling apart. We were also told that unfortunately the Hudson Bay Port was closed on August 8, 2016, and many workers were laid off. The bus driver dropped us off at the Tundra Buggy loading area. The tundra buggies are about 7 feet off the ground and hold about 34 people. Our driver, Marc, set off across the tundra along with the other buggies on trails first made by the military. In some places, Marc just drove across small ponds which they call lakes, maximum depth about 5 feet although as I looked down from my window seat, I could usually see the bottom. As we bounced along over the tundra, I noted the landscape of stunted black spruce trees, small bushes, covered in about six inches of snow, and lots of slushy mud embedded with deep tundra-buggy tracks. It was around 0 Celsius, but there was the usual sharp wind off the Hudson Bay. We were urged to scan with our binoculars. Soon, someone spotted a polar bear on the right side. Our guide identified the bear as an old skinny male. We could see his warrior scars. We watched as the bear spread his legs gingerly on the ice--testing for stability--and decided it was frozen enough. He slowly moved out on the ice--it hurt me to watch his painful progress, and the guide said there was a good chance he wouldn't make it to hunt ring seals. The naturalist guide told us about other animals and birds common in this area and showed us photos on his iPad. Throughout the almost six hours out on the tundra buggy--yes, there is a 'potty' with a holding tank--we saw the following: a female mallard, several snow buntings which flew up and around the tundra buggy as we proceeded along the trails, five willow ptarmigans in the stunted willows, and a long-billed duck. Also in the area are redpolls, horned larks, surf scoters, black-bellied plovers, gryfalcons, peregrine falcons, and snowy owls. There isn't much pond life although there are stickleback fish which drive themselves into the mud and freeze solid for the winter. Their bodies contain glycol which enables them to freeze and thaw-out. There are also arctic and red foxes--we saw fox tracks--muskrats, lemmings, and Arctic hares. Occasionally, caribou will migrate through the area. In the summer, 3,000-4,000 beluga whales come into Hudson Bay to feed on caplan and other fish. (And, yes, Classic Canadian Tours have a fly-in one day trip to whale watch.) There was great excitement as a healthy-looking mother and cub were spotted. It's rare to see a mother and cub(s) so we stopped along with two other tundra buggies and watched for over an hour. The mother bear looked like a huge off-white rock as she slept. The cub rolled on top of her, bit at her ears, played in the red kelp--the tide was out--and then finally walked off to amuse itself. The cub was also practising its pouncing skills which it would use to hunt seals. As the cub played, we had our lunch--soup and buns along with tea, coffee, hot chocolate, water, or pop. Some of our fellow buggy occupants had sophisticated cameras--most of them gathered on the outdoor viewing area at the back. My emphasis was on enjoying the moment, and Doug and I passed the binoculars back and forth as we watched through the large buggy windows. I did get a decent video and a few shots of the action as the mother finally determined the cub was getting too far away from her--he was walking around one of the other tundra buggies--so she heaved herself to her feet, walked toward it, and the two ambled off along the shoreline. The guide said this cub was probably about 20 months old. Breeding season is May, and most females only breed once every three years. (They have to keep the cubs away from the males because the male polar bears will kill the cubs so that the females can ovulate again and be bred.) The bred females continue to feed throughout early summer and then go up to 100 kilometers inland while all the other polar bears head for the coastal ice. The ova is implanted that fall for a total gestation period of about eight months. The females give birth in dens, usually by early January. The newborn cub(s) are 12-14 inches in length and weigh just over one pound. They stay in the den until late March or early April. During the entire time in the den--four to eight months--the female doesn't eat or drink. By that time, the cub(s) are big enough to survive outside the den, and they all head to Hudson Bay to hunt seals. The cub(s) will generally stay with their mother for two to three years. Polar bears are solitary animals so we spotted another five individuals--a couple of whom never got up from their naps while we watched--obviously, the tundra buggies don't bother them. We returned to the tundra buggy loading area, boarded buses, and bounced back into Churchill. We noted that every bus has a gun mounted above the driver's head, and that the man standing with a gun guarding the tundra buggy loading area got back into his truck and drove off once we were all loaded on the buses. We had about 45 minutes to shop and walk on the edge of the very icy roads--no sidewalks on the permafrost of course--along the four-block main street of Churchill before we got back on the buses, and headed to the airport. Once aboard the plane which had waited for us--the attendants told us they cleaned the plane and then had a rest while we were gone--we flew back to Calgary arriving around 9 p.m. We were served wine or our choice of other drinks and a hot meal--either beef or chicken--and, yes, they had special meals for those of us with food allergies. The one-day polar bear safari was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and as I got off the plane and stiffly walked to the vehicle to drive home, I wished the old male bear the best. I hope he makes it out onto the ice and fattens up on those ring seals. If he doesn't, the cub we were so fortunate to see will continue the cycle of polar bear life. Autumn has always been my favorite season. As a child, September meant back to school, and I was always eager to return. The smell of books, the sharpness of pencil crayons, the excitement of seeing friends again and making new ones—I enjoyed it all. I extended that enthusiasm into my own teaching, first in elementary school and then at the university level. Now, I still relish autumn with its golden-red leaves, crisp mornings, and cool nights. But, there is a layer of sadness combined with gratefulness over some of my September days. I had three friends die from some form of cancer in September. I also remember another friend who died in March but whose birthday was in September. I miss those four friends. Marilyn Bales: I worked with Marilyn in the Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP) at the University of Saskatchewan. Marilyn was the administrative assistant, and the ‘go-to’ person for all the staff and students. She and her family moved to Burnaby, B.C. I visited her a few months before her death on September 5, 1995. Her daughter, Dana, used to babysit for us, and I kept in touch with her for a few years. Unfortunately, we lost contact, and when I was writing my second book, I wasn’t able to locate Dana. I miss Marilyn’s sensible outlook on life, her warmth, and her smiles. DiAnne Holbrook: DiAnne and I became acquainted in the bathroom at the Nesbitt Burns Office in Bankers Hall in downtown Calgary. She was an associate with one of the male brokers in the office, and I was a new investment advisor. The only place women really socialized in the office—other than brief good mornings—was in the bathroom. A few years later, DiAnne and I ended up at the same Bank of Montreal (BMO) branch on 130th Avenue in Southeast Calgary. In fact, we were part of the team that opened that branch. DiAnne had worked in the financial business all her working life and had extensive knowledge of both the retail banking and brokerage sides of the business. We shared concerns, celebrated successes, and developed a firm friendship as we worked together at 130th Avenue. DiAnne told me that the biggest change in the banking business was how the emphasis had changed from service to sales. We both tried to make sales to meet our targets while attempting to provide excellent service. Clients and I valued DiAnne’s knowledge and strong work ethic. I remember DiAnne’s laugh the most. I can close my eyes and still hear that laugh. She died on September 17, 2007. Virginia Wood: Virginia worked as an independent in the publishing business in Alberta. I first met Virginia when I was working for Scholastic Publishing as the Southern Alberta Representative. Virginia was the one who welcomed me into the publishing group, and we saw each other regularly as we set up and worked displays at conferences and teachers’ conventions. She gave me invaluable tips and suggestions. After I left the publishing group, Virginia and I kept in touch, meeting for lunches and conversations. The last time I saw Virginia was in the hospice. Her goal at that time was to live for the birth of her latest grandchild—she fulfilled that goal and died shortly after on March 2, 2009. I miss Virginia's kindness, her love of books, and her sharing. Louise McLeod: Louise worked in the financial business for many years. She was part of the 130th Avenue BMO Branch team. As a Customer Service Representative—those of us of an older vintage recall the term Tellers—Louise was on the front-lines of the branch. She was extremely competent and friendly. I always knew when Louise was in the branch because I could hear her peals of laughter rolling down the hallway to my office. We were all intrigued with her various shades of hair colors. Louise loved her two sons dearly. Louise died September 16, 2011. I had gone to visit her at a hospice the day before her death. She was heavily sedated so I said a brief hello and goodbye and left so that family members would be alone with her. As another September rolls into October, I think of these four women and value the friendship and laughter that we shared. |
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December 2023
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