The greenhouse has finally gone! Dennis, Joan and Heather travelled from near Regina to collect it. Easier said than done.
Let's put one or two things into perspective. Firstly, the greenhouse was 10 feet high, and approximately 15 feet wide *and approx. 85 feet long. A metal structure, covered with 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic, and looked like a scaled down version of a WWII aircraft hangar. Secondly, the temperature was not exactly 'construction friendly'. An average of -16C, with a biting cold wind from the East, made for a chilly and uncomfortable day.
All the nuts and bolts were easily removed, each section was like a scaffolding pole, and was pried out of position without too much persuasion. The sheets of plastic (polypropy-something-or-other), were as big as sails, and were folded in the big shed, for fear of losing them to the mid-morning sky...
Nevertheless, we soldiered on, and as luck would have it, we had de-constructed the greenhouse, and packed the trailer, within 3 1/2 hours. Nice going.
Carla made us all coffee, and lunch, which was gratefully accepted.
The Hacks had brought a mountain of produce for us, including squash, which is something not too readily available in the UK, and is a very welcome addition to any meal.
Greenhouse packed and ready to go.
Heather, Joan and Dennis, before their long journey home... tired but happy!
Wednesday 5th December
George's school had a 'gym assembly'. Parents and family were invited to watch the various displays put together by the student body.
Kindergardeners went first, with dispalys of agility on the horizontal bar. Unfortunately, George had a slight lapse in concentration and his grip slipped... a very embarrassed little boy sought the refuge of his mother.
However, his reputation was restored with a fine display on the trampette. He attacked this apparatus with vigour, and performed star jumps before landing on the mat with a 'flying forward roll'. Happy once more, he and 3 of his class mates gave a small synchronised display, on the centre mat.
The older kids were well rehearsed, and all gave 100% effort. Some of them were exceptionally good, and the smaller class sizes show the advantage of a closer student / teacher relationship. Sorry, no pictures, but lots of video!
Saturday 8th December
George's first birthday party invitation, and boy was he excited!!
The theme was 'rock n roll', and George being George, wanted to go as GREEN DAY (or Nirvana)... We pieced together something that would pass as Billy Jo (lead singer / guitar Green Day), spiked his hair, and drew some tattoos on his arms.
Pleased as punch, my 5 (going on 15??) year old boy was ready to rock...
tatts are KOOL....
Rock n Roll ain't noise pollution
I think the day was a huge success. Happy Birthday to Oliver.
A horse drawn sleigh ride had been organised by one of Carla's colleagues. Of course we had to go. We wrapped the kids, and ourselves up in more layers of clothing than an onion (!), and set off not knowing what to expect...
As we left, the car was showing -27C. We knew it was going to be cold, and thought we were well prepared with blankets, and covers.
The sleigh arrived, and everyone picked a spot on the back, amongst the hay bales. Off we set.
Barely out of the car park, we realised that it was going to be one cold evening. The driver stated that the wind chill was forcing the temperature down to -40C, and to keep the boys heads below the front of the sleigh. The sky was clear, and without all of the light pollution experienced in larger, more populated places, there were millions more stars to view. We pushed on through the park, following the contour of the river, and it got darker, and colder, and now we were beginning to realise that it may have not been our best idea to bring the boys out on such a 'chilly' night.
Daniel was wrapped up with a lady, in a big, thick quilt. George, as ever, snuggled in his thick blanket and ensured he was warm enough. Oliver? Doesn't like to be covered up. Would not wear a balaclava, and only just tolerates his thermal mittens. He began to feel cold on the return journey. Even though the journey was an experience, there was a Buttery sigh of relief as we settled into our car...
Monday 10th December
Robert Craig 'Evel' Knievel is buried today in Butte, Montana. A sad day, Friday 30th November 2007 was. Those of us old enough to remember him, before he retired, and those of us foolish enough to copy his stunts on Chopper bikes with house brick and wooden plank built ramps, in the middle of the road, will realise that with him goes the last of his kind, a last true daredevil.
Robert Craig 'Evel' Knievel
October 17th 1938 - November 30th 2007
Villa lost twice, at home. Arsenal was a tactical error (go one nil up, and push for more, against Arsenal?), and Portsmouth are a fluke! Should always beat the likes of them. They'll be down within 3 years. Forza Villa maybe weakening, but we're still in a decent league position, and as I always say, the season doesn't really start until Boxing Day...
The FA are yet again turning the International Manager's vacancy into a joke. Well done for dumbing down the oldest FA in the world.
New England won again. They're now 13 wins with no loss, and are on the way to a perfect season. The only time this happened was in 1972, by the Miami Dolphins. Ironically, the Dolphins this season have lost all 13 games to date, and don't look as though they're capable of winning the coin toss!!
CJ starts 2 nights this evening, George is back at school tomorrow, and me Ovie n Daniel are off grocery shopping...
Speak soon dudes!
God Save the Queen
God Bless Canada
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