Welcome to Our Web Page
When this web page began more than twenty years ago, it described most of the activities of our whole family. Now that most of our children have flown the coop, it is mostly about what Ann and I (Dave) have been up to. I update it most weekends. We save all the messages over the past year in an Archive along with links to what we were doing ten and twenty years ago.
You can click on the pictures above to get a bit more information about each of us.
Monday April 21
Happy Easter!!
Easter dinner
Yesterday being Easter Sunday, Ann and I had planned to attend the short 8am service on the Dartmouth waterfront but we had trouble getting out of the house on time, so we missed it. Instead, we went to the church basement early for the Easter breakfast where we were put in charge of scrambling eggs for the masses. Ann stayed on after breakfast for the main service while I went back home to start preparing for eight guests for dinner: Ingrid, Mike, Alex and Petrus (a Latvian graduate student who Ingrid has taken under her wing), Carl and Roxanne, Erika and Connie. I made rolls and leeks au gratin, Ann cooked a ham, scalloped potatoes, squash and a carrot cake, while our guests brought carrots and parsnips, asparagus, hot cross buns, a black forest cake, wine and chocolates. I used the ham bone to make pea soup this afternoon and we had plenty left over for dinner this evening.
A week ago Thursday, we went for dinner at Le Bistro by Liz with Ingrid, Mike, Kim, Glen and Lynn followed by Little Shop of Horrors at Neptune. We saw it there quite a long time ago but both Ann and I had forgotten much of the plot except that there is a giant man-eating plant. Ann had got it into her mind that she didn't like it so she was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it this time around.
The following Sunday, Ann and I went with Roxanne and Carl to see an artist's talk at Viewpoint Gallery. It was entitled Pollinator Garden and featured photos of bugs on flowers, a subject after my own heart.
Walking with the Roadents in Shubie Park
The week before last we had a late season snow storm that brought us about 10 cms of snow, closing schools and causing many traffic disruptions; we just stayed home. The temperatures stayed low so it took a few days for it all to melt away. On Wednesday, we went for a walk in Shubie Park with the Roadents. It was very pretty with all the snow clinging to the trees.
The biking season has now been fully established. I have almost 700 kms logged, including about 275 kms on my new e-bike. I led the first Rambler ride around the Cow Bay Loop two Saturdays ago with Ann acting as sweep (the person at the back who makes sure everyone is OK). Ann went to the Ramblers Book Club after the ride. Ann and I also rode the route on the Thursday before and the following Friday rode my usual route through Dartmouth and Cole Harbour while Ann was playing Mahjong.
The second Rambler ride, scheduled for last Saturday, was changed to Friday because of rain forecast for Saturday; it was also changed from the Valley to the BLT, the trail just west of Halifax that connects with other trails to extend all the way to Yarmouth. We went as far as the Train Station Bike & Bean in Tantallon. I joined the ride but Ann was busy singing in the choir at the Good Friday service.
Today we rode on the first Railers ride of the season, from the start of the Salt Marsh Trail on Bissett Rd. to the end of the Atlantic View Trail, stopping for a snack at Dougie's Diner (a shelter at the side of the trail) on the way back. It was a beautiful day but very windy. I would normally have taken my Trek bike, which I usually use on trails, but decided to take my e-bike because of the wind. I was glad I did because it was tough going across the Salt Marsh and at Lawrencetown Beach. I also went out to Lawrencetown on Thursday while Ann was out with Ingrid, Marg and Kim celebrating Marg's birthday.
Last Wednesday, I went to a lunch to honour the retirement from DRDC of my ex-colleague and friend Kevin. A lot of the people I used to work with were there so there was a lot of catching up and reminiscing. Meanwhile, Ann went to see a free showing of Conclave (a timely choice given the today's news of the pope's death) at the Woodlawn Library with Roxanne, Lorna and Pat followed by coffee afterwards at The Second Cup.