GarthWunsch.com

Archive for June, 2009

Friday, June 26, 2009, last day of classes at George Vanier Public School also marked the last day of the school, well at least the original school. I thought it would be useful, interesting, fun, maybe even important to photograph this passing moment of time. I never attended this school, but our daughter did… all of her public school years, and so did most of her friends. The school has been very much a part of our community, but it is not “gone”, it is just changing. I don’t know if the building is coming down or not, but a brand new “George Vanier” is being constructed right beside the old one. They say it will be a “green “school, but right now, it’s a really blue school… insulation on the insulation.

I was deeply rewarded for the small effort of getting to the school at the proper time, because just as the kids were racing out, a gentleman assisted a very elderly lady around to the back of my truck so she could witness the end of an era… the lady was former teacher Grace Murray. She taught her entire career at GVPS. I was honoured to witness her silent vigil, and I greatly respect her for it. I never met this lady, at least not that I remember, but I think her obviously substantial effort to attend the last exodus of “her students” speaks volumes of the kind of person I believe she must be. Memories can be wonderful things, and I’m thinking she has lots of them. Thanks.

The 50+ reunion was a great deal of fun… to those of you who missed it, make sure you get to the next one… no matter your age

I made a lot of photographs and have them posted on my Pictage account. You can see them at http://www.pictage.com/671292
please feel free to share the link with others. I didn’t take these pics to make a ton of cash, so I suggest that if you want any of the images, use the digital download feature and then get your own prints made. The prices are in US$ because that’s where the lab is. Couldn’t find the same thing in Canada (but I’m still looking). The site is very expensive to maintain. The 4$ US per download is about a break even point for me…
ENJOY. See you at the next reunion!

Computers are stressful… sometimes.
I’m just getting a little bit caught up after a two week crash. So many things have happened in that time that I would like to have shared, but that would be too much in one bite. Probably the most important thing is that we celebrated my dad’s 91st birthday on May 30.
Mom and dad used to have a little house trailer and spent many summers in Samuel de Champlain provincial between North Bay (where they still live) and Mattawa, Ontario. To celebrate, my brother and I booked the same site they always had, no. 166, and set up my little house trailer which looks very much like theirs did… old, but in good shape. We told them they were going for a picnic in the park, and amidst much nattering about being too cold yet for a picnic, my brother picked them up and delivered them to the campsite where I had set up for them. Had lots of windbreaks and fire ready for dad to light. They had a beautiful day with the best weather of the spring so far… rained all the week before, sunny for their day, and the next day when I looked out the trailer door (went to chase a bear away that was pawing at the door) THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND! May 30th… so much for global warming. (BTW in the 70’s, they were trying to convince us we were heading into another ICE AGE -No, they haven’t got a clue what they’re talking about).
Dad is in terrific shape for 91 years young… three knee replacements, two different cancers… and he still made his own birthday cake.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!