Life is Good

I loved the beautiful morning that greeted me when I left on my way to work this morning. The weather this morning was nearly perfect, slightly cool yet bright and sunny with a gorgeous blue sky and a few whispy clouds drifting by. It puts a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

I hope that some of you will appreciate the photo I am posting this morning. Personally I was very pleased with the way it turned out with the soft focus and his face and horn in a perfect hue. The photo I shot on Sunday night when I was down to the Harp in Port Credit listening to the Meteors. They are a great band playing a good mix of R & B with a little old rock thrown. The fellow in the photo is Joe who is their lead vocal and trumpet player. Great musician even when he's a little under the influence.

I enjoy the Harp not only because the food and staff are great but I love the regulars. Such an interesting cross section of the local population. Musicians, professionals and just regualr folks that go to laugh, have fun and enjoy each others company and the great music.

I can't believe that it is hump day already this week is just flying by. My son is coming to spend the weekend so that we can celibrate opur birthdays. I am hoping to take him out to play a round of golf but the weather forcast for Saturday is questionable. Rain is predicted but the forcast is often wrong so I have my fingers crossed. The second option is for us to go to the Argos game on Saturday night which is something also both enjoy. In either case I am sure we'll have fun doing something. I enjoy his company in any case and hope he doesn't change as he matures.

Got run but I will try to get back before the week is out.

Thank God it’s Friday

I only have a couple of hours left trapped behind this desk then it’s behind the wheel and headed north. I will take the camera with me to try and catch some colours on the way up or back. I love this time of year, not only the beautiful fall colours but also the crisp morning air pleasant afternoon temperatures and even the drop in temperature as night fall comes.

With a little luck it may not rain too early this evening and I may still get a chance to have a campfire. Campfires have become one the most enjoyable times for me and a time I always look forward to. In the park where my trailer is it is not the same as been up in the bush but it is still mush better than not having a chance to have a fire at all. I can’t really explain what I find so pleasant about a campfire but I think it has stress relieving qualities similar to those I used to have when I was able to get out for a long run.

I recall how great it was to be able to get up on an early fall morning when the air was still quite cool and pull on a pair of tights and a long sleeve tee and jacket and get out the door. As I started to run a just enjoyed the way my body temperature would rise after the first mile and I would settle into a comfortable pace. The air was cool to keep you comfortable and the miles would just roll by. When I had the opportunity to run out of the city and along the country road it was almost euphoric. The beautiful trees the animals in their pastures would raise their heads to watch the dam stupid human running by and I confess that I often called out to them. No one else around to snicker at the guy who talks to cows, sheep or the farm dogs who would run down to see what I was up to. Dam I miss those days and how I wish I had my knee back in working order.

Maybe I will get up tomorrow morning and if it isn’t raining I will go for a walk / jog along the concession roads near the trailer. You never know I might meet some old cow I know.

Hope you all have a wonderful fall weekend, take care.

Beautiful Fall Morning

Okay I know it's not fall yet but it feels like a perfect fall morning. I am looking forward to going a little north this weekend to start the close up of our trailer for the winter. The leaves will be changing and with any luck I will have a chance to grab a few photos. Rain is forcast but these things don't always show up as scheduled. I can't go back next weekend as my son is coming down to the city to celebrate our birthdays. Actually the real birthdays are the 6th and 8th of October but that falls during the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and he is going to stay home for the visit of some of his Mother's family. My birthday is the 8th and his is the 6th and I have told him his whole life that he was my birthday present and quite honestly he's a gift that keep on giving. This year he reaches 14 and I'm still pleased with him.

I know a sound a little mushy for a guy but I couldn't be happier with him. Well maybe not all the time but most of the time at least. He is no Academic but he is warm, caring, with good sense of humour and generally happy disposition. I am so proud that he has embraced my love of nature and caring for all species. He is not bigoted toward people of other ethnic backgrounds or unduly biased as are many people of WASP heritage seem to be. So if he never turns out to be scholar I am sure that he will still live a very worthwhile life. Well at least that is what I am hoping.

My birthday this year is a bit of a milestone since it ends in "O". I not really bothered by it but the reality of turning 60 still doesn't seem right. I feel the same and I am almost in the same physical shape I have been for most of my life, well the grey hair and a few wrinkles aside. I think I am so fortunate to have a son so young and he certainly helps to keep me young. We share a lot of time and do a lot together. To celibrate our birthdays I think we will probably go out a play a round of golf, which seems to be an activity that both of us enjoy. This will be the last year that he will be playing with youth length clubs, I think his Christmas Present will be his first adult set. He has done very well though, short clubs and all, in fact when we played a couple of weeks ago he managed to drop one about three feet from the hole on a par 3 which was over a hundred yards with his five iron. He was one happy guy.

It is time I got some work done so I had better run along for today. Take care.

I Am Alive and Here Again

I have not posted for more than eight months. I reached an unsettled time and just didn't feel comfortable blogging in negative terms. During this period I met someone and had a short relationship that never really matured into anything permanent. I boughta travel trailer which is located on a lake within about 20 minutes drive from my son. The trailer had been around a long time and it took most of the summer to renovate the interior into a liveable state. There have been a lot more happen but I will catch up on the things I want to share as time moves along.

So here I am again and summer is over or almost over and there is a chill in the air causing a few trees to begin to change colour. My son and I didn't go camping as we usually do; we did go for one weekend with my buddy and his daughter but that was it. The trailer has added a new dimension but we both agree that we miss being in the canoe and out in the bush so along with the trailer we plan on camping as well next summer.

I may have mentioned in earlier postings that I am an H.R. Manager for a manufacturing company taking care of the employees in two plants. The economy as you will know already has taken a downturn and as a consequence our business has not done as well as it has in previous years. So recently I have been given the duty of laying off a few employees with more likely to be layed off during the next month or two. Honestly I love my job and think that I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with people everyday. I admit that when I began this type of work I was truely terrified when I had to do public presentations. Now more than twenty years later I have come to enjoy the opportunity to get on my feet and talk. Part of my responsibilities in the various companies I have worked with has always included conducting training courses and holding employee meetings or chairing meetings outside of the company.

On occasion the job means that I have to handle discipline or oversee that it is handled fairly and I don't really have a problem with that either. But when it comes down to having to layoff an employee who has contributed to the company and through no fault of their own we can maintain their employment it bothers me, itwakes me in the middle of the night and I truely emphasize with them. Their feeling of frustration and why me, when they have made a honest effort and worked hard. That bothers me and it bothers me even more when the company is continuing to spend money in areas to benefit other employees who don't contribute and share in the companies success. I am frustrated when I feel that I am powerless to change what I see as unfair practices. Enough venting on the first day back.

Besides those things I have come to a place in my life where I am feeling pretty good overall. I have seen some silver linings and regained some of my confidnece in life and living. A few hugs can make the whole worlds seem like a better place. Mind you I am only a couple of weeks away from a major birthday that may cause a temporary blip in the positive perspective but that too will pass.