Louise, Spencer and I enjoyed the day playing some board games, and Spencer spent some time with his friend Noel in his fishing hut next door. We had to settle for video chats with Laura and Frances and another with my siblings. Of course we also had a couple of telephone conversations with Louise's folks.
New Year's was a quiet affair as well, more board games with just the three of us.
On New Year's day we drove to St. Albert and had a nice visit with Bernie and Carmen. They were in lockdown, meaning they weren't allowed out of their suite, so we visited outside with us standing on the public sidewalk, and them standing on their third floor balcony.
It wasn't great, but it was better than nothing!
Louise, Spencer and I went to Lake Louise for a weekend of skiing/snow boarding in January, and Laura was able to join us for the Saturday which was really nice. It was great to see her, even though we were being careful to keep separated due to COVID. We did it again in February, although Laura was too busy to join us on that trip. Even on skis, I have trouble keeping up to Spencer, but we had a lot of fun, and he pushed me into doing runs that I would have avoided otherwise.
Ted with a Wind Wing on Skis!
Ted, Louise, Larua and Spencer at Lake Louise
The mild weather did let me get out and fly some of my RC planes off the lake during the winter, which is a bit unusual but a lot of fun. I put skis on one plane so it would land on the snow, and I also flew a couple of sea planes which can land on their belly in the snow.
It is fun when you have the whole lake to land on, and Louise, as usual, joined me to take photos.
Around the time of my Birthday in April, I came to the conclusion that almost everything I like to do in retirement; windsurfing, water skiing, wake surfing, skiing, biking, and volleyball, would be much easier, and probably more fun if I was 40 to 50 pounds lighter.
With some advice and help from my doctor, a lot of excercise and cutting back on snacks, second helpings and limiting wine to the weekends, I managed to get down to 200 pounds by the end of October. Only 10 more pounds to go. I had to go through my closet and throw away a lot of pants, becasue a 32 waist is a lot different than a 38 or 40 waist, and I just couldn't keep the pants up. Now the challenge will be to keep the weight off, but I am already seeing a difference with biking and skiing.
Ted with his Tidewater Seaplane - on snow!
Ted (Middle) sailing with Al and Blaine
It is nice to have the guys make the trip out to my place to sail. It is a lot more fun sailing with friends, and our lake is a pretty nice place to sail, particularly in the spring before the weeds start to grow.
We had two or three good sessions at our lake, but after the other lakes open up, it is usually more convenient for the gang to sail at Pigeon, Wabamun or Alberta Beach.
I really had a pretty good sailing season, getting out about 20 times which is more than usual - although I missed my trips to the Gorge and Costa Rica.
Like last year, I made an effort to travel to Pigeon Lake, Wabamun Lake, and Lac La Biche, where my sailing friends have cabins. I enjoy sailing at home, but it is always more fun to sail with friends. You can read all about our windsurfing adventures on my 2021 Windsurfing Blog. Remember that the last post is at the top, and my first post is at the bottom.
Spencer, Louise and I also spent a lot of time on the lake Wakesurfing and Wake Foiling behind our boat. Laura was also able to come up and join us for a lake day. There is nothing better than a day on the water with your kids!.
Ted Wake Foiling
Ted at Alberta's Littlest Airport
Alberta's Littlest Airport runs three major fun-fly weekend events over the summer and fall. Once again, I was able to attend all three.
While technically just weekend events, I would usually get there with my old motorhome on the Tuesday or Wednesday, and stay until the following Tuesday or Wednesday.
I have become more involved in the events, helping out with the pilot registrations, and also taking lots of photos. The guys seem to really enjoy the photos, and as I am getting to know the group, I am taking more candid shots of people which seem to be as popular as the shots of the planes.
Our old Camper makes a good home base at the field!
This plane has a camera on the front, and I fly it by looking through those funny looking goggles so I am seeing what the camera sees.
On the other hand, it lets me see who is looking, and provides the guys a nice way to view and download free images.
Click on https://tedlouphotos.shootproof.com to see the site and my photos of the three Fly-in Events this year.
I have gained some really good friends at the airfield, and now enjoy the company as much as the flying.
As most of you know, I have always been interested in photography. When I retired, one of my goals was to take a few photography courses to up my game.
This summer, I took a portrait course from the Burwell School of Photography in Edmonton. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot. Well, one course turned into two, and then four or five. Some of the courses were a Macro Photography Course, a course about flash photography, two software related courses (Adobe Photoshop, and Lightroom); and a couple of Photo excursions, one to view Falcons and Hawks, and the other to a Horse Rescue ranch.
Louise joined me for the Falcon and Hawk shoot and also got some great images.
A Macro Image of a Water Drop that I took during one of the courses
I seem to be on the route to obtain a Diploma from the school, probably sometime next year.
It has been a great learning experience taking the courses but I am not 100% sure what I will do with it, because I really don't have the time to turn professional.
I have managed to win two "Honourable Mentions" in two separate photography contests that the school has run, and had a few of my photos featured in the school newsletter.
It has pushed me to put more thought into my photos, and hopefully will move me to the next level.
All fun!
We extended our Camrose route to take us around Camrose and through some nice trails in the valley. Our typical rides were just over 50km, and included a nice stop for breakfast at A&W.
We tried to do the route three times a week, so the staff at A&W started to recognize us and knew what we wanted to order as soon as we walked in.
Indoor and Outdoor combined I am currently over 4000km for the year and Louise is just a bit behind!
Ted and Louise - Biking
Ted and Louise - Biking
The Zwift trainer really makes a difference. It is like you are riding in a virtual reality video game. You are riding with other REAL riders from around the world and you can see their names and country flags as you pass them, or more often they pass you. Some of the routes we ride are very accurately depicted in actual locations, such as London or New York, while other routes are in an imaginary world called Watopia.
We have both been learning lots of the flags and I've made a game of identifying the countries of all the other riders as we pass them, or more likely as they pass us!
I'm up to about 40 that I recognize, but each time I ride there is someone from another country that I don't know.
Ted and Louise - more biking!
Ted Wind Foiling
I have been helping out by managing technical aspects of the Zoom meetings, sending out all the meeting links, and doing the club bulletins after the meetings.
It looks like we may finally be able to go back to in-person meetings next year which will be nice, but different.
I suspect we will continue with at least some percentage of our meeings being zoom, but we will see. Like almost everything else, once COVID is over, I don't think there will be many things that will go back to exactly how they were.
As I mentioned on the main page, we had a major landscaping project completed this fall, including the installation of a 24x14 lofted garage (we call it our barn), and a 12x14 shed (we call it our boat house), and some nice flat lime stone gravel sitting areas.
More Windsurfing
Our new patio and Barn!
We are really looking forward to the grass coming up in the spring and being able to use our yard and the sitting areas next season!
Louise and I had purchased tickets for a Colin James concert for Spencer's birthday in 2020. With Covid, the concert was cancelled, then re-scheduled, then cancelled again.
While we were a little disapointed with people who weren't wearing their masks properly, we really enjoyed the concert.
Colin James is an extremely versatile blues performer based out of Vancouver, and arguably one of the best guitar players in the world.
If you ever get a chance to go and see him live, you should!
Powder at Lake Louise!
Ted and Louise at Lake Louise!
In early December, Louise, Spencer and I went on a road trip, partly to do some sking/snow boarding in Banff, and partly to visit Laura for a late Birthday dinner.
We had planned two days in Sunshine, but when we got to our hotel in Canmore on Wednesday evening we learned that Sunshine had been closed because they had too much snow (extreme avalanche risk) so they had to close the road.
We went to Lake Louise instead on Thursday and had a really good day.
Our nephew Carter who is working on the hill for the winter was even able to join us for most of the day.
On Friday, we went to Sunshine and got there early so we were some of the first on the hill. The snow was some of the best I have skied since a trip to Montana with my sister Patty back when we were in our 20's. Great day!
We then had a nice dinner with Laura on Friday night and visited with her again on the Saturday before heading home. Great trip!
Ted, Louise, Carter and Spencer at Lake Louise
Looking back, it has really been another very good year for all of us! We are so lucky! We are looking forward to some travel in 2022, and will start of by spending most of January in Mexico unless things go sideways again. We are so lucky!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Merry Christmas!
Ted
Ted
Spencer dragged me onto some crazy Double Black runs!
Flying my FPV Vortex Mojo
Slalom Skiingr
Wake Foiling
Flying my Sukhoi 29 on the ice!
Flying my Fun Cub on Skies!
More fun on the water!
SUP Rides with Louise!
Windsurfing
Wind Foiling
God Day
Using my Wind Wing on my SUP
Too rough for a boat day!
Merry Christmas!
