On to 2011 - but first a look back

January saw me start the year with some great intentions and while I did not meet my goal, I did much better than the year before, putting in some work every month. Not sure what 2011 will be like in this respect as I have a few other challenges to begin the year, but we'll see.

February was the month that British Columbia welcomed the world to the 2010 Olympic Games. While not a fan of this event for social reasons (plus there not being track and field:), I did take the time to welcome the torch runners to our small town.

In March one of my lovely granddaughters found a love for golf thanks to the set of clubs we gave her for her birthday. Though too young to get out much this year, that will certainly change in the coming years.

Though retired from so many great years as an educator, I did get a chance to get back in the system from time to time. Here I was, in April,  teaching the teacher an alternate way to demonstrate learning by using a favourite program, ComicLife.

In May we made our as annual as possible trip south to play golf with a set of friends I have met over the net. This get together is a highlight of the year. Thanks, Scotty, for your hard organizational work.

My daughter, Chelsie, had a dream plan start to come together in June with the signing of a lease and the beginning of putting together Giggle'N'Bloom, a maternity to age nine store in Gibsons. 

In July while Eibhlin took some lessons, Caia went along to help me out retrieving pitch shots and stuff. It will be a lot of fun for us if both girls end up enjoying this sport.

In August I had a chance to watch a Pro event, moving around the course, keeping out of the way, and shooting some photos. This was part of a multi shot sequence or one of the competitors (and our club Pro) hitting and sinking a sand shot.

September marked a milestone with Eibhlin going to Kindergarten and becoming part of our public school system.

In October I worked a bit at Pender Harbour Elementary-Secondary school. With weather like we were having, travelling the Coastal Highway in my Miata with the top down was just plain extra special.

Those who know me will be surprised that I have waited to November to post a foodie photo. There were so many fine meals this year, and I had so many to choose from. I just love to cook.

December has been something else. Thanks to the love and support of Judy, not only showing it to me, but also to other members of the family. The month, the year, the past 39 years have been so wonderful for me. Here's to 2011 being a great year for us.

BorderWars 2008

Thanks to Mark Ahlness for posting his XO slideshow using the PictoBrowser tool which lets you chose sets of photos from your Flickr photostream to create a slide show that can be embedded into a blog entry. He, in turn, credited Alan Levine for the discovery he made. Alan gives more information about its use on his page.

BorderWars is a biennial event (does that mean every two years?) which pits golfers from the US and Canada in a friendly competition. This year's event was held in the Lynden Washington area and was a lot of fun for the group. Canada was victorious and the US team serenaded us on the deck of the Shuksan golf club.

A great day for golf

Friends of ours who were celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary drove up to BC from Yakima, WA to attend a concert and to play some golf with us. Our group is part of a larger internet contingent of golfers who participate in a chat group online and get together a few times a year to visit face to face. Our day at Northview Golf Course, playing on the Canal Course, was excellent. A brief sprinkling of showers just as we were teeing off was soon followed by overcast skies and relatively warm temperatures. The sun even popped out from time to time, a contrast to this dreary Easter Sunday morning with the rain coming down. Low scores are not the primary consideration when playing with anyone from the internet group. Sharing stories and building new friendships is the key.

I've participated in internet newsgroups for many years. If you have not and wondered what they were all about, join one or two. I'm sure you can find something that meets your interest, and, you may make some new friends as a result.