Just a quick, funny picture.  The quick story is that I hurt my head here shooting my shotgun...  But obviously it isn't that serious and it wasn't like I was shot or anything.   No.  I was out at my buddy's house shooting my shotgun and getting it ready for the deer hunt this week.  Why?  I don't know.  It isn't like I usually see any deer, or anything with 4 legs for that matter during this week.  But, one best be prepared.  So I changed the barrel on my shotgun to the "rifled" version (? - I don't really know too much about guns all in all....) and put my scope on it.  Because - yes, the scope is really going to make a difference for a hunter such as myself....  I went out to Drew's because not only is he very knowledgeable in the set up and mechanics of firearms, and I mean really, really, knowledgeable, he has the space to shot safely which is of course the most important aspect of all this business.  Anyway - first shot I took = I obviously wasn't holding the gun properly and the recoil was quite significant, and I got smashed right on my forehead.  It bled for a good hour and made a pretty good mark.  Hey - it could have been a worse.

All is really good around here.  Shelly was very busy in a local X-Mas music concert which wrapped up last night with a grand concert and collection of performances.

Work is busy too of course for the both of us.  Nothing in particular.  But the daily preparation, and seasonal concerts are starting - it is just always something.  I have been busy doing some health and safety work, and other federation business.  I like it for the most part.  It is interesting and new.

There is lots of snow around here.  It is good because it gives Molly and extra job or chore.  She has been soooo excited to clean the kitchen and do the dishes as of late.  So the snow is good because she likes to go outside and shovel and move it around.  She quite enjoys any job actually; sweeping, some laundry, general clean up, sweeping - swatting flies.  That is our go-to job for her - swatting flies.  It keeps her extra busy this time of year because there are no flies in the house.  But since she is so young and doesn't have the intelligence to know any better - the joke is on her for now.

Birthday

Molly's second birthday came with a bit more fan fare and substance than last year's weak showing.  Hey - Shelly and I were busy!  We actually did some activities, a few folks came over, and she had a cake. (None of which happened last year.)  All in all she has changed and grown so much.

So two years ago exactly as I write this, Nov. 5, 2011, Molly looked pretty much like:

And now:

We have our own little dish washer.  She also loves to sweep, vacuum, and swat flies.  Laundry.  Yes.  She's onto laundry too these days.  Just a great little helper.

The cake was quite impressive that Shelly made.  She used this template of a horse.  We used a marsh mellow and chocolate chip for an eye, and some licorice for its hair and head gear...  whatever that is called.  It looked pretty darn real if you ask me.  NEIGH!  Watch out Buddy Valesto.

That is about it.  I got out deer hunting on Monday.  I saw the rear end of a four legged ungulate only 20 yards in front of me whilst walking to a tree stand.  It was another 20 yards further by the time I spun around and raised my rifle.  But that was it.  I heard plenty of shooting.  But nothing crossed my path.  Oh well.  I will get out again this week/weekend at some point.

Shelly is great.  She is just busy with some extra music stuff in the community.  She is playing co-ed volleyball in the local fun league, and of course is busy with work and all of those things.

Around here - Goderich, lots of rain actually in the past 10 days.  The river is absolutely busting with water and it is quite wet in the fields. I have been meaning just to put and keep the canoe on the top of my truck and put in, but there just doesn't seem to be the time.  The days are a bit shorter....  That's okay though.... 

Halloween

A few quick pictures...  A terrible weather night for the trick or treaters.  Not many more than 12 kids that stopped by.

Molly really wasn't a willing participant in getting scarred up and such.  She just wanted to go and visit Emmie and John...  Her two favourite people these days.  (The Coups')

Mid October

So it is time to get a few quick words down and pictures posted from the past few weeks.  Everything has been happening, yet nothing too it seems in retrospect.

I wish my bike/motorcycle could write.  My buddy borrowed it for the past week and took a huge rip on it down through the states.  They went down to the Tail of the Dragon, then over to Alabama to visit some sort of museum/motorcycle museum....  Alas, the KTM is rad, but it doesn't write.  I haven't quite seen them yet, though I know they have returned and back in Goderich.  The weather here has been terrible lately; hopefully it was better for them.

Thanksgiving was fun.  Lots of family getting together and such.  Missed out on a lot of good picture opportunities - but got a few of Molly and her cousins.  Count'em.  That is 5 red heads out of 6 children.

And one of the lone cousins who is anything but red-headed.  And funny enough she is the one whom I wouldn't mess with....  The one whose disposition would be more like a red-head.  But they are all great of course no matter what hue their head is.

 Other than that - I helped Barry a bit on the Thanksgiving weekend clearing some fence bottoms and fields.  He had some burn piles to take care of.  Since I know a few things about burning and the best fuels to take care of a pile of brush - I tagged along.  An important rule most might forget; bring a beer or two to enjoy whist watching the fire burn.  I actually still have one more fire to light out at Shelly's farm to finish off a few tree trucks and other mess that has accumulated.

So it is onto report card writing.  I seem to be quite busy with school.  Much, much busier than the last 3 years combined I bet.  The days just seem to go very quick, and there seems to be an incredible amount of stuff to get through. 

Some Pictures From The Month

Just trying to pad my end-of-month posting stats and such.  And also a chance to post some pictures from the month.  Shelly and I do print five or six pictures each month to put in an album for Molly.  So we do have a record of the better pictures.  Most probably are on the blog, but some probably not.  I have a portable hard drive with a few hundred pictures on it over the past 2 years.  Some day, some time, something will undoubtedly happen to it in that it gets ruined.  I will be S.O.O.L.  However, and as we all have been warned, they say whatever you do on the internet will last forever.  So in some regards that is good because there is a great deal of pictures on this blog that should survive.  But, then again, I wouldn't be surprised in 10 years if blogs and social networking looks entirely different, and has entirely changed.... 

So, it is my hope that people will get to read this in the future online....  But I am going to pay a bit of $ and get this content put into a book.  I know there are a few companies that do it.  And even if it cost a few hundred bucks, I'll have it forever....  So long as it doesn't get burnt in a fire, ruined by water, or the like.

To the pictures:

We are all great....  No problems here.  Shelly is still doing those things she does.  She is quite busy.  Work stuff, her social stuff, family stuff.... 

Molly is another story.  Yes, she is busy.  But she has her own style and flair which mostly consistent, but doesn't make any sense.  She doesn't like to get dressed up or be set in fancy clothes - any attire is fine.  She doesn't mind her hair being combed, but she hates have ribbons, or elastics in it.  She likes being in the tub and blowing bubbles and getting her face wet, but she hates, hates getting her hair washed.  She doesn't mind washing herself with soap on a cloth.....She'll eat mostly all kinds of food - as for her favourite -cheese and ham.  Cheese and ham.  She asks for it always, but she doesn't complain when it is breakfast and toast is served.    She is getting to be quite fussy in the stroller and has to be latched in.  She likes to eat with utensils, and her hands....  That, she doesn't have a preference.  She is actually getting pretty solid on her vocabulary - we are drilling the pleases and thank-yous and that is going well.  I usually put her to bed because she wants Shelly to keep rocking her and reading stories to her - I suppose she doesn't expect such love from dad.  But seriously, she goes to bed instantly with me, but not really with Shelly.

All in all she is doing quite well from being just a month a few days short of 2.

Mid September

Just a quick posting.  I have been telling people that my lackluster emails are because I keep this site updated and current with the news and events of what is happening...

A week or two ago I headed down to Windsor.  I have to make mention that I took the bike down and I encountered a few firsts on it.

The first thing to note, and I am under no allusion that others will enjoy these stories because they aren't that interesting - however, since I am documenting my travels....  It started to rain on my motorbike and I actually pulled over and put on my rain gear.  This was a first.  Usually I soldier on and get wet.  This summer when this happened to me on the way up to North Bay I said never again.  Never will I not stop and put on my rain gear.  So, I stopped as soon as it was raining, put on the gear, and drove off.  It stopped raining within 5 km....  However, I drove on for another 30 or so and stopped at a gas station.  I was just about to get on the 401 to rip the last 100km towards Windsor.  So I gassed up and took off the rain gear.  A guy filling up beside me said, "You don't want to do that."

Not taking his advice was a big mistake.  I took off my rain gear regardless.  And what do you know....  By Chatham it was down-pouring.  Just raining cats and dogs.  One of the scariest things I have ever done in my life happened next.

Since I recently professed to never ride in the rain without proper clothing, I pulled over under a bridge on the 401 to put my gear back on.  This was a horrible idea.  Changing on the side of the 401 was not wise.  The rain was coming under the overpass sideways - I was still getting soaked.  And the cars and trucks whizzing by was terrifying.  So, ya.   I made it to Windsor safe, but wet and beaten a bit.  No matter.  It was straight to Biblioasis Bookstore to visit with Alex.

There was a lot of confused looks in my direction as I walked in for Alex's 40 minute seminar and reading from his Giller Prize nominated (2011) Light Lifting.  What could I do except sit back, have a cold beer, gather my wits, and listen to Alex.  As usual, he did not disappoint.

I went to Windsor to celebrate with some friends the University of Windsor's 50th Anniversary.  To make a long story short it was enormously anti-climatic.  There is a worker's strike on campus and as a result there was an abbreviated schedule of events.  Well, Alex and I made the best of what there was to enjoy, and hung out a lot with Jason Petro, and then some other great guys at the football, and the Dominion House on Saturday night for some pints.

Anyway, it was a decent weekend all in all.  No pictures....  It was not a great weekend on the bike, however, any weekend you get home safe and sound from being on two wheels, that is reason enough to be thankful.

Just a quick posting on my device.  This isn't as efficient as using the computer.

The device is quite unique.  Johnny Wright brought me home this knock-off/clone copied HTC system.  He is in China...  So it came from there with Chineese instructions and characters.  I am figuring it out slowly.  It is also a phone, but I have to get a SIM card for it.

Mostly I think it is cool that I have something from the Chineese blackmarket.  It could even be illegal!  (Like me switch blade collection, and firecrackers...)