editting proceeding on the book and other notes

With the help of Eddie Whidden of Kelowna, BC editting is proceeding on the book. The first two copies have been printed and will go to Elsie Thoresen, RI to whom the book is dedicated and my cousins in Toronto, ON Phyl and Marion Clarke who gave me a copy of "The Whidden Family of Nova Scotia" many years ago. It's nice to see all that work in paper and have about eight pages of photos printed on the HP LJ 2550L color printer.

Where did the summer go? It is nearly 20°C today compared to below 10 in Eastern Canada and about 10-15 in Vancouver. Calgary about 21 makes a virtual heatwave. Hopefully snow will hold off until AFTER Halloween. After a wetter than normal September, October has been dry enough the farmers who had barely got 50% of the crops off (usually about 75-100% off at that time of year) can get the other 50% in the bins.

I will likely take my three weeks vacation in December and just hang around Edmonton. Next year I'm going to go to Campbell River, BC where my sister has lived for many years. I last saw her in 1995 when I went to Seattle, WA to attend three days of coarses at Microsoft and stayed in Vancouver for a couple of days before flying back to Toronto. We talk a couple of times a month and I hear the lastest about her small dog, Jasper, and other news of "the Island."

I am going to buy a Palm or CE PDA so I can read a number of text files I've got, including some of the Walter Gibson/Maxwell Grant "Shadow" info I got before it was removed from the net. Once I have that I'll be able to carry the Whidden genealogy database with me and no longer have to reply to messages by saying, "I will check the database at home and get back to you."
I'll be able to consult an up-to-date copy of the database. Now for how to keep the portable and desktop versions in sync.

Turning 61 is turning into a long-term project. My friend, Juan, and I went to Swiss Chalet before our birthdays in September (mine 22, his 24 or so) and had the chicken dinner and chicken salad sandwich. I got cards from my sister, Lois, and cousins, Marion and Phyl, and still have to get out for dinner with Adrian whose birthday is 25 September. Today I buy a second birthday present, the previously mentioned PDA. I had already bought season eight of Stargate: SG1 and will buy Stargate: Atlantis when it's released.

New CDs are the latest Backstreet Boys, an older Bon Jovi CD and the Swiss concert DVD, Rob Thomas solo CD and Ricky Martin's new "Life" CD.