December 2001

It is that time of year when folks recount things they've done, seen, and meaningful experiences made. This too is our year in review.

The first weekends in the year were dedicated to installing an alarm system in the house. Glass breakage, motion, entry sensors, keypads, panel, backup power, horns that will make your blood curdle -- all them wires needed to be fished into those finished walls and ceilings -- all in all some 500 feet of cable was strung into place by the time the job was done. To that add three wireless video cameras. A lot of new toys.

Gina's grandmother passed away at the beginning of the year. So what better use is there to put some of those Aeroplan points to? Late February, Erich and kids wing it at home, while mom's out of town for a couple weeks.

Winter had brought the foot and mouth crisis to Britain. And, what better time to accumulate travellers points, than a trip to the Isles during March break. And not only to England, but Yorkshire, the heart of it all. At the fine historical Ticton Grange outside of Beverley there were few tourists. And, is it a wonder, being in the countyside and being forbidden to walk for risk of spreading the infectious disease? The business side of things was reasonably successful, so the company had no problem picking up the first class fare.

Spring sprung with Stockholm, and the launching of the analysis phase for the new project that we were embarking on. Gorgeous city, beautiful weather, a $3000 bill for a week's stay in Radisson Strand in the historical district. (Ouch!) Brutally cramped economy class seat on the plane makes one appreciate what it is that makes people cough up the extra change for sitting near the front of the aircraft.

Returning from Sweden, Erich sees his Amateur Radio Licence arrive, VA3XTO, after having taken the training offered by the local ham club over winter, and having written the exam some four weeks earlier. The next level of certification would permit access to the coveted shortwave bands with their amazing capacity for international propagation -- yes it will take some practice to get that morse code right. Some who know me well, will remember that my interest in the hobby was originally perked when I was about David's age (14).

It was in fact, that same week that the licence arrived that we finally got the cameras back. If you recall our notes from last year, these had been recovered by the police back in December 2000. Heers had them for cleaning and repair for nearly five months to the day. The insurance adjuster came by that same week and wrote out a cheque for the estimated damage and yet missing items. It was quite impressive the efficiency of this guy from Halifax, he certainly left us with more confidence than when the whole thing started out. Erich took what was remaining of the cash for the unrecovered items and turned it into a two-way radio system for the van during the following Saturday.

June brought on summer vacation. We have tried to give the kids a bit of perspective on North America: Texas, and then to BC last year; this time we headed for Newfoundland. We blitzed out on a Friday afternoon, headed due east to Boston, before working our way northward along the coast. By mid-day Saturday, we were camped out in Fundy National Park, where we hung out a couple of nights to witness the incredible tides that they get in that part of the country.

In Whycocomagh, on the way through Cape Breton to the Newfie ferry, the campground was substantial, but yet under-utilized so early in the season. As we were packing the kids off to bed we heard the strains of a Breton fiddler waft through the quiet evening mist. The campsite owner, a good ways away from us, yet our "neighbour", was a bowin' away beside his fire. A practice he repeated the next morning, together with his spouse, for about four hours while we were slowly getting our showers and rather lazily packing up.

Managing to get onto the ferry at North Sydney a few hours later, just in the nick of time, we were on our way to 'the rock'. Just a word to the wise, pre-arranging the ferry would have been prudent, since they usually do fill up. The ferry ride was about six hours, which brought us in right at dusk. Under-estimating the length of drive along the Trans-Canada was endemic. We arrived just after midnight at our Barachois Pond Provincial Park destination, and things were still hopping around the camp fire. Yes, that is a pun, the Newfies are great beer drinkers.

The next day involved a somewhat unpopular push to reach St. John's. Remember the remark about estimation, well, we didn't arrive at Butterpot Provincial Park until about 10 PM, and that was a bit much for our travel weary. We did manage to get into the Park with our customary level of no reservations, which was quite amazing when one considers that fact that it was the Wednesday night before the Canada Day long weekend. We could have enjoyed that last leg of the trip more, had we taken it more slowly, but we would never have found a place to camp so close to the capital on the long weekend. The time had been somewhat redeemed when we ordered supper at the first gas station restaurant south of Terra Nova. Gina says that it is the best fish and chips that she's ever had. The food was indeed, exceptionally good and reasonably priced.

One of the reasons for treking to St. John's is because it is the hundreth anniversary of that fateful day in 1901 when Marconi made history with the first wireless transatlantic communication at Signal Hill. On the centenary of that key point in history, we must remember that significant event, even communicate via the ham radio repeater that is located in such a strategic location. As it turned out, communicate I did; via IRLP I was able to connect back to a ham located in Newmarket area, near Toronto.

Spending the day in town and on the Hill, we wrapped things up without having seen the whales nor the icebergs that our Lonely Planet Guide had promised us. We did end up getting totally lost on our way out of the City, mind you -- what a quaint Newfie way of saying stick around.

Eventually, we did find our way out to Terra Nova National Park, where we arrived before dusk. Again, somehow, we managed to find a campsite, and the following night the place really packed out -- half of St. John's had arrived to spend the Canada Day weekend. A day hiking along the inlets and at the marine centre, a couple of nights and then back into our Westfalia in the direction of Gros Morne National Park in the north-west corner of the Island.

We were about a half hour on the other side of the serious highway construction that was taking place in Terra Nova N.P., when it was drawn to our attention that Jessica's raincoat was missing. This whilst were were pulled over taking pictures of the breathtaking landscape. I don't know what you know about Newfie weather, but you don't go anywhere without raingear. The weather happened to be nice, but the changes dramatic; bright sunshine one minute, fog or pouring rain the next.

I resigned myself and continued our drive away from Terra Nova. I didn't get far, when David related that he might just know where she had left it. The cost of gas plus lost time vs, cost of coat -- it was a toss up. His confidence rising by the minute, I swung van around and we headed back through that torturous construction zone. Imagine our neighbour's surprise when we arrived back after having gone over an hour. And, he was right about where she had left the coat.

It was evening by the time we got camp setup at Berry Hill in Gros Morne. Fog and rain made us appreciative of the coat's recovery. Newfie is not like travelling the US, it's more like northern Ontario, beautiful, yet remote.

Near the washrooms at the campground, was a picnic shelter of sorts. It was currently occupied by a crowd of jocular, social folk, some of whom seemed to have a twinge of a scottish accent. The whole place smelled strongly of fish, and it didn't take much to figure out what was going on. Overheard snippets of conversation, advise from one to another, as I was brushing teeth for the night. Where to go, what dock, what boat, to get the best deal on the fresh catch.

Berry Hill was a fascinating hike. We spent much of the afternoon on the shores of the Gulf, rock hopping. Reluctant to leave, yet wanting to see the other side of the Park we drove through the Tablelands biospere preserve to Trout Lake, where we decided to order firewood. The whole had about five other campsites being used, and when David went to pickup the firewood later, he came back pushing a two-wheeled wheel barrow, piled high. For the Newfies, this was $3.50 worth; we left some behind for the next campers.

The splendour of Newfoundland is beyond words. That life here can be difficult for the people, is understandable. The land as beatiful as it is stern and unyielding, the weather is fickle, and living is etched out on the sea and its various inlets. The culture that evolved in such a setting is one who mourns her fathers, heroes taken by the sea, even as she takes every opportunity to celebrate life. In this paradox of light heartedness one finds a genuineness that is really a rare jewel in this Canadian coronet.

The Ferry from Port aux Basques to North Sidney was scheduled to depart at 11:00 PM. We had arrived in town late afternoon and were looking for a place to eat. We had tasted Newfie grub and weren't looking for anything different. Nothing to be found, local and open -- those who offered their help were friendly in their reminder that it was Canada Day Monday, everyone's down at the wharf. Though we were invited also, I didn't want to get to drinking beer just before we headed to the ferry. Reluctantly, we headed to Canada's favourite chain instead -- half of Canada is in a Tim Hortons at any moment in time.

Well, the trip back took us Louisburg, where we also had lunch and bought a loaf of hearth baked bread from the peddler. Then through Halifax, where we visited Gina's friends Jun and Ke Lui and family. A couple of nights and we headed home through Quebec. Quebec Provincial Parks are beautiful, even if their politics are not.

That campover was going to leave its impression on the minds of the kids, as the time that dad broke the windshield on the van. The traditional summer mosquito eradication efforts stressed the glass right near a place where a stone had already left a pock. As a natural outcome, we now have a remarkable crack that goes nearly from the top to as near to the bottom, a testament to our 2001 wilderness experiences.

Returning to Ontario could have been more refreshing, even as in fact it had been in the past. It was dusk as we were leaving Montreal and it was getting dark as we followed the camping sign off of the 401 toward the water. Some 15km later, we finally pull up to a private park. Like these often are, the office was the front room of some private residence -- greeted by a yappy poodle. The woman introduces herself by scolding me for walking into the office without first ringing the doorbell. Well, we are looking for a campsite at which to park our van for the night -- yes, she begins to fill out her form. I pull out the MasterCard -- oh, she says, she doesn't take credit cards. Ok, let me go out to get the chequebook -- it turns out that she doesn't take cheques either. By now, it is quite clear that she didn't trust us, and my patience with this Ontario Government approved private camp facility was wearing quite thin. Our supply of cash was approaching the end, I wasn't going to clean myself out on this insolent woman and her exorbitant overnighting fees.

We parked the van amongst the trucks at the next truck stop. Noisey, the ground covered in leakage from the many motors of these huge rigs, but it was close to a washroom and proximity to coffee & food were unparalleled.

In August, David and dad went fishing, though the only thing that they caught was a suntan, and David reports that he does believe "we had fun trying". We visited Audrey and John up in Goderich, and ended up at Jamie and Max's new restaurant in Blythe on the way back. In David's words, "we swapped stories and had a good time." We arrived home to a real welcoming committee and to his two new goldfish, whom he labeled Goldie and Bubbles.

The rest of summer quickly evaporated as we attempted to catch up on the stuff that we needed to get done around the house. By the end of summer we finally managed to make the traditional September long weekend outing.

Taking the kids on our 15th anniversary weekend, sounded like a novel idea. We were in Long Point Provincial Park, found a campsite without too much trouble. Well perhaps that was precisely the trouble. It later turned out that the site was situated smack dab in the middle of the rowdies. It became hard to tell two o'clock in the morning apart from two in the afternoon. The fact that we weren't getting any sleep with footsteps walking noisily past our tent as they cut through our campsite to some other and with the elevated audio levels, caused me to hold conference with the park warden in those wee hours. Finally, a couple hours sleep later, we bit adieu a day earlier than planned. The Park admitted their problem, fully refunded our fees and we were on our way. Weeks later we received a letter from the Park Superintendent acknowledging this unacceptable situation. It remains a mystery then, as to why they didn't just extract the troublesome individuals, and be done with it?

In Fall, Katherine did a series of ballet lessons. She and David are both involved in the junior youth group in the church, something they enjoy so much that their friends from school are all coming. David is in grade 8 at Rockway, Katherine in grade 6 at Sheppard, and Jessica in grade 2 at Sheppard.

Gina is again coordinating the Thursday morning ladies group, dubbed Moms' Morning Out, as well as doing the Kids Alive program on Monday after school. Sometimes she gets other stuff done too.

Erich spends a great deal of time at the controls of his computers, and nobody really understands what he is up to. He participated in the transition taskforce at church over the past year. Currently, he is taking us through the Book of Daniel in our mid-week Bible Study, a fascination text.

Recently he set up a streaming audio on the computer that is sitting on the Internet. Also enjoying Apple's new OS X running on the iBook, together with the wireless network connection.

As for next year's plans, this will be a special year. It will be the 14th year since Erich's graduation, and that deserves some special consideration. Specifics, to be determined.

Hopefully, 2001 has been a positive year for you and that the next will see you follow the plans that God has in store for you.

For those of you using e-mail, ejritz@mac.com can be used to reach us.