And so begins another school year

Posted on August 15, 2011 by
School 1 300x179 And so begins another school year

First day of the new school year

Eddy is starting 5th grade, Little Ted 3rd grade. Time is just flying by and it seems only yesterday they were both so small and going to kindergarten. This will be Eddy’s last year at Sacred Heart as they only offer up to 5th grade. Next year Little Ted will be going to school on his own as his sister will be attending the local Middle School – haven’t figured out the logistics of that yet, they are in opposite directions from home.

Today came as a bit of a shock to Little Ted even although we have been warning him that summer vacation was coming to an end and he would need to be getting up early to go to school again. In spite of our best efforts it apparently came as an unexpected shock to him and we had some weeping and wailing prior to a quick recovery and cheerful exit from the house. Eddy was to do the morning announcements so we had both kids at school for 7:30am.

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Saturdays Second Shift Stops with a Sting

Posted on August 13, 2011 by
Kayak 207 300x179 Saturdays Second Shift Stops with a Sting

Sally, hospitable as always

So, to follow on from the last post, 3 o’clock arrived and Little Ted was eager to get back on the water. The kayaks were still on the truck and just waiting to be taken back to Key Allegro. Without more ado we set off and launched once more onto the waters of Little Bay. It was not quite as choppy as it had been in the morning so I persuaded Little Ted that he could paddle unaided all the way to his Grandparents (1 mile – remember!) and indeed he managed admirably. On arrival at the dock he refused to “walk all the way to Grandmommy’s house” but as I strode off up the path he decided to follow me. Just as well really otherwise who else was going to eat all that cake that Grandmommy had made and stuffed into him on arrival icon smile Saturdays Second Shift Stops with a Sting

The return journey, strangely enough also just 1 mile, was a tad more challenging. As we left the dock and turned into the wind it became too much for Little Ted to believe he could achieve. I tied the kayaks together and set off into the wind with Little Ted in tow. It’s mind over matter; in the knowledge that he was tied to his Daddy’s kayak Little Ted paddled all the way back (yes, the whole 1 mile) and only tugged on the tow line once. In other words he made it back under his own steam. He then spent the next hour jumping in and out of the bay at Sally’s dock providing us with a running commentary of his actions – I do not believe he was quiet for a second of the entire time such was his excitement.

Kayak 210 300x179 Saturdays Second Shift Stops with a StingEventually I persuaded him to help load up the truck and prepare to go home, via Grandmommy’s to collect more cake, and then help to clean the kayaks before returning them to their owner. This is where the evening ended badly as poor Little Ted got stung by a wasp as we were delivering the kayaks. His sweet big sister made him a nest to lie in and his Mommy let him use her iPad to take his mind off the pain until his medication kicked in. All is well again in our household and, unless he thinks the iPad privileges are about to be withdrawn, Little Ted is back to his cheerful constantly chirping character icon smile Saturdays Second Shift Stops with a Sting

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Saturday Sojurn with my Sweet Daughter

Posted on August 13, 2011 by
Kayak 20 179x300 Saturday Sojurn with my Sweet Daughter

Self Portrait (almost) by Eddy

Saturday was scheduled to be an early day on the water for the whole family. We had arranged to visit once again with our friend Sally who is happy for us to launch into Little Bay from her dock. This has many advantages for Ted but the one which most appeals to the family is that it is a short paddle, of about 1 mile, to Granddaddy’s dock where they can get out and walk around to his house for a drink and a rest. (one mile!)

Turns out that “the family” has had enough of kayaking. I thought Little Ted would jump at the chance of kayaking with Daddy again but at 7am he opted to hide under the covers and sleep – apparently he is not a morning person.

I thought I would just load the kayaks on the truck and return them from whence they were borrowed but, on a whim, decided to ask Eddy if she would like to join me on the water. To my surprise and delight she said “yes” and so, after a swift breakfast, off we went to Little Bay.

Kayak 19 300x179 Saturday Sojurn with my Sweet Daughter

Ready to depart from the dock

We took both kayaks although Eddy is too timid to tackle the Bay on her own and asked that I tie the two kayaks together. This worked quite well as it gave her the confidence to get on the water which, by 10 year old novice standards, was choppy. We took some time to go over the basics of how to paddle, steer, and stop and she did her best to follow Daddy’s instructions. There is little doubt that I, once again, ended up towing the second kayak for much of the way but I know she did make an effort to paddle and did really well eventually managing to get alongside my kayak and paddle in tandem for a while. For my own part I really enjoyed paddling through the inland canals with Eddy and being able to get up close to everything from ducks to herons without them being spooked. We spoke to a number of fishermen on the banks as we drifted by, being careful to avoid their lines, and they all reported catches although they were catch and release. Guess nobody wanted fish for breakfast.

As I write this entry Little Ted is pulling at my elbow asking when are we going out on the water; I guess he has woken up and decided he does want to go kayaking again. I’d best go get ready for the 3 o’clock shift icon smile Saturday Sojurn with my Sweet Daughter

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Father’s Photographic Foible

Posted on August 13, 2011 by

One day, when I’m long gone, the family that protested so profusley at the number of photographs I took will look back on this record of our lives and say “thank goodness Ted / Dad / whatever took all these wonderful photographs that remind us of happy times past”. However, for now, I guess I just need to let the “this isn’t a photographic shoot” and “not again Daddy” comments wash over me and try not to let them raise my blood pressure. You might have thought that the family would know by now that if they just indulged me for a few seconds at a time then they would be delayed from their higher purpose (whatever that may be) for less time than it takes to argue with me. Would it hurt to smile?

So Friday saw the whole family return to the water, for the sole purpose of kayaking mind, not to have their photographs taken – just sayin’. I’m not sure why this bothers me so much given that my solution to the camera on the water problem is giving me more problems than it solves. All my photographs are take on my cellphone and I bought this dinky little plastic cover for it which professes to protect it from water to a depth of 19 feet and it does exactly that. However the problem is that the plastic touches the screen and keeps selecting random menu items which have nothing to do with taking photographs. Thus, when I go to take a “quick” photograph, I find myself arguing with deep menu levels and by the time I get the camera ready to take a picture everyone has drifted by shouting “not again” or similar and the picture ends up more often than not posterized and worse than useless. Such are the problems of the amateur photographer but they will not prevent me from pursuing my hobby and creating the record which no-one will appreciate until much, much later icon smile Fathers Photographic Foible

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Kayaking for the boys

Posted on August 11, 2011 by

One day on the water (remember that was only 2 hours) seems to have dampened enthusiasm amongst the female contingent in our family. However Little Ted has been anxious to get back on the water with just his Daddy so at 3 o’clock we launched ourselves into Little Bay on a kayak each. I had intended to paddle from Key Allegro, under the Broadway bridge and into the area behind Turkey Neck, then onto Traylor before turning around and returning to our launch site.

However after a few paddle strokes Little Ted requested a rest and water stop. I could not deny him water in 100F degree heat but come on! We were within spitting distance of the dock and hadn’t been on the water more than 2 minutes. After we set off again it didn’t take long for him to profess fear of the “deep water” and request that I tie our kayaks together. You guessed it – he sat back and happily got towed around the bay. I didn’t really mind as I was having fun and we got pretty close to a dolphin who was feeding in the bay. At the end of the day I think he was more interested in crabbing off the dock while guess who loaded the kayaks back on the truck. It does make me wonder tho’, just how far will we get if we actually do enter the Conquer the Coast bicycle ride?

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The end of an era?

Posted on August 10, 2011 by

I read with sadness of the passing of Derek Cameron, a contemporary of my father, who passed away on August 10th, 2011. Like my father Mr Cameron inherited the cinema business from his father. But unlike my father he possessed a passion for cinema and service to the cinema going public which he was determined to retain regardless of the impending “TV/video/DVD death knell” of the late 50′s onwards. The Dominion Cinema in Edinburgh survived where other cinemas did not due in no small part to Derek Camerons dedication to his business. Grandfather Ted, on the other hand, preferred to disappear to Singapore and pursue a career on ocean going tugboats. I’m thinking Derek took the better option!
I cannot claim to have known him personally although, as one of his customers, I was always greeted at the cinema door with great courtesy and a smile. He knew how to keep the customers happy and regularly returning to visit his well run and constantly evolving business. For some reason I have in my mind that he also owned Golden Retrievers; a man after my own heart. RIP Derek Cameron.

Dominion Cinema Edinburgh – website

‘Friend of the stars’ Dominion owner dies1pixel spacer The end of an era?

1pixel spacer The end of an era?
1pixel spacer The end of an era?
Published Date: 10 August 2011
THE owner of a family-run cinema who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Cary Grant, Gene Kelly and Dame Judi Dench has died aged 77.

Derek Cameron, owner of the Dominion in Morningside, famously led his independent cinema against the video and DVD revolutions, the trend for modern multiplexes and the demise of many other small picture houses.

The cinema, one of the oldest purpose-built picture houses in the country, was founded by Mr Cameron’s father, William, who built it from scratch in 1938. He died when his son was only 13.

Mr Cameron took over when he was only 22 and received an MBE in 1999.

Over the years, he personally greeted stars including Steve Martin and Sigourney Weaver by standing on the cinema steps in his dinner jacket.

Grandson Al Cameron said: “He always wore evening dress to greet the customers, as we still do. He felt it was very important that the service was ‘always the best’.

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Vacation time with the kids

Posted on August 10, 2011 by

It seems to the parents like it has been a long summer, the children think it has gone by too fast, the dog is torn between loving the company and hiding from the children as they try to beat up on each other. It seems that Dr Johnson is a bit of a wimp; maybe that’s why he ended up in rescue as he can’t cut it when the “chase is on”? Well I think he is a good dog even if he hides from raucous children; indeed I could sometimes join him under the bed keeping quietly out of the way.

So the kids go back to school next week and Ted and Mrs Ted have taken vacation days to spend with our little darlings. They are not so little these days and Little Ted is actually big and strong enough to help with loading and unloading the truck with the kayaks we have been graciously lent for the week. We’re still working on their stamina and concentration span which means that Mommy and Daddy do ALL the paddling work but loading and unloading they can handle admirably!

We launched about a mile from the ferry at Port Aransas and spent just over two hours on the water paddling around the shallows. Little Ted kept jumping off the kayak to “help” Daddy navigate through the oyster beds. Unfortunately he could not see that every time he did this he swung the kayak off course and we fell another 10 yards behind the girls. Eventually the “deep sea” won as it swallowed one of his shoes so he stayed on the kayak, lesson learned.

The Ted family is far from expedition material but we had a good time and are feeling quite pleased with ourselves having got everything together on schedule and achieved one of our family ambitions. Since neither child felt inclined to assist with the paddling, on the day the heat index hit a high for the year at 114F, our 2 hour outing was totally powered by parents and boy, do we feel it!
It has also made me reconsider my desire to purchase our own kayaks at this time. Although we did all enjoy todays activity I think the kids need to persuade me that they are genuinely interested in kayaking as a hobby before I invest in boats for them.

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Faceoff against Facebook

Posted on July 23, 2011 by

Don’t you just hate that Facebook thinks you should express yourself in 420 characters or less? Thank goodness for WordPress plugin “Wordbooker” so now I can rabbit on at any length I please on my blog and yet still stick it on my Facebook wall automatically without worrying about the length of the article.

So Saturday has come and gone with much laundry folding and room tidying performed by the family, some with more enthusiasm and result than others, nevertheless chores have been performed. Thus I have been able to spend some uninterrupted “surfing time’ and came across this on YouTube.

It is quaint for its’ “Britishness” and nostalgic because my first car was a Triumph Herald 12/50. I don’t remember it as being quite as “luxurious” as this video suggests but then maybe modern expectations have colored my view. I draw your attention particularly to the “one touch” windshield washers; they were hydraulic and powered by your thumb! Also reference to the “large air conditioner” is misleading by modern standards as there was no A/C involved – just hot or not hot blown air. Anyway it was my first car and I had fun with it. [If the truth be known I'm lucky to still be alive given the way I drove at 17]

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She was a good dog.

Posted on July 4, 2011 by

Jenna: 1996 – 2011

Jenna was my third Golden Retriever; Bramble and Penny I had from puppies but Jenna was a rescue and came to me at 22 months old. You have to wonder why a pedigree animal ends up in the rescue system and sometimes the reason is regrettable for the rescuer. However my Jenna just seemed to have failed gun dog 101 pretty miserably. You only had to show her a shotgun and she cowered under the table! Since I neither owned a shotgun nor had any interest in using her for hunting she settled in just fine in my household which she had to share with the surviving matriarch of my “pack” – Blue. They got on just fine and Jenna settled in to be one of the family. At work too she became a fixture that customers looked for each time they came to visit.

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Jenna

Jenna through the years

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When Blue passed poor Jenna probably thought that she would become top dog but she reckoned without the arrival on her scene of my daughter followed 22 months later by my son. I think she was a little put out by the first baby but she soon got over that and started “looking after her puppies” She certainly was very tolerant of ear tugging, tail pulling, and toy stealing and in return had two more people loving on her.

Whenever we travelled to Texas at Christmas or went somewhere in the UK not suitable for dogs Jenna would stay with my good friend Karen. When the family decided in 2005 to move permanently to Texas I did debate whether 10 year old Jenna should come with us or not. I reasoned that if the journey didn’t kill her the heat and humidity over here might and so Karen volunteered to adopt her full time. On reflection I believe it was the correct decision as neither of my other retrievers had made it beyond 11 years old and, in the tender care of Karen, Jenna eeked out her time with us until she was almost 15 years old (105 in human terms).

From all accounts Jenna got to be in charge in her final years. It may have taken a long time coming for her but in the end she became “top dog” and milked it shamelessly icon smile She was a good dog. It is a joy to me to know that she came to enjoy travel in a pickup truck, thanks to Doug, without the necessity to travel the great distance to Texas just for me to share that experience with her.

Even although I haven’t seen her in 5 years she still holds a special place in my heart and yes, I’m soaking the keyboard again.
She was a good dog and I’ll miss her; thank you Karen for looking after her so well.

 

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It’s the same but different

Posted on June 25, 2011 by

wpid IMAG2392 wm Its the same but different

That’s cycling I’m talking about. In Scotland you wear much more clothing to guard against the cool, maybe cold, sometimes freezing weather and carry a shovel to dig out from the snow drifts. Ok that last bit is overstated; in Texas you carry gallons of water and sunscreen so weight wise there’s not much difference.
Where the two cycling experiences cease to be convergent for me is at the comfort level. As with kyaking I find cycling so much more enjoyable when I’m warm, even when it rains here it’s warm.

This morning I’ve been let out on my own and have covered a whole lot more ground than usual and in conditions which would bring a family outing to a whining halt. However, glutton for punishment that I am, I really prefer the “agravation” of and necessity to, encourage my children on a cycling run. It’s just something I enjoy and feel they need to participate in between Wii games!
I’m headed home now to see if they’ve had enough rest!

Posted from the ether

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