Chuck goes to the doctor.

Port Ordze, Sherwood Park, AB (2 stars)

Lee started by taking Chuck the truck to the hospital (Westgate Chev body shop) to get the truck box fixed. It may take ten days or more.

Work was busy, rewarding, exasperating all rolled into one. Trying to get an election done in 36 days is nuts, but we will get it done.

Did Lee mention the rental car He's never been a fan of Japanese cars. A month ago he asked for a Volkswagen (and was told he would get one), he confirmed again a week ago (yup, a Volkswagen). He showed up at the rental place today and got a, yup, Kia Rio. When he got home, he used the remote to lock the car, upon which it responded, as most cars do, with a short beep of the horn. Lez couldn't hold the laughter about the tinny, feminine horn blast. Who would ever pay attention when that goes off.

Lez is ready for another quiet day: Lee snuck out the door - or just headed off to work and my snores covered the sound of his departure. I am feeling much better, and went for another walk - this time down the driveway lined with various trees, bushes, purple daisy-like flowers, and the squirrels scurrrying across the path. The warm sun and slight breeze felt so good.The orchard section of the acreage has various fruit trees bulging with apples and perhaps a cherry. I will have to ask our hosts again what the berries are. The apples are falling off the trees. I enjoyed sitting in the morning sun.

The afternoon turned to pulling out a package of photos Lee scanned last winter. They are being re-named with meaningful titles, and in doing that I took a trip to the Netherlands and viewed all the things Lee did with his uncle in spring 1996. It was a trip that was planned to be done with his dad, but Piet Zwaal passed away suddenly that February. We encouraged Lee to visit his Ome Jaap (Uncle Jacob) and visit with the people his dad and uncle were "billeted with" during WW2 as labourers of the German government. One morning Piet and Jaap walked to town as they were often allowed to do on Saturdays, but on that day they kept on going over a small mountain area into Switzerland. Had they not done that, we can only speculate whether those two Zwaal families of Piet and Jaap would have come to be.

The story is long, and may yet be told. It continues with the host family becoming friends of the Zwaal family. I met them on our honeymoon that included staying with them and getting the tour of the region of Efringen-Kirchen. To this day, we keep in touch with their daughter (international texting is so wonderful).

Next envelope please - what adventures will I be finding!

By the end of the day, the supporting walking stick is now leaning against a chair.