Welcome to Jay and Cathy’s Letter 2001.
I suggest you print this page and enjoy a great read. Note this is a new site http://members.shaw.ca/winkelmans
as
we have changed from Telus to Shaw. Yes high speed internet came to us in the
fall. Also you must email me tell me what you think about the site etc but more
importantly I need your email address to add to my address book. My new email is
winkelmansj@shaw.ca
. Note that’s a J at the end of winkelmans not an I. If you would like your
own Web Page talk to Brett at forestdragon@shaw.ca
. He has started his own Web
Page design business. If you have been watching the news lately you will
note we are pretty busy in Edmonton with the possibility of sending troops
overseas. I am not slated to go anywhere however, being a logistics guy
you know I am involved at least to assist in getting them over. Before we get
into the hear and now let me take you back to a classic from last year
Christmas 2000 at the Winkelmans
The
bad dog who ate the Gingerbread house. Kokee our dog who
normally resides on the living room couch was pleasantly
surprised one day when the Gingerbread house appeared in what she
feels is her room. After all no one else seems to use her
room except perhaps at Christmas. Kokee I gather decided
that the Ginger bread house is in my room and why should I wait
until the kids eat it after Christmas. Read more about this
years family activities below.
Dryden's Baptism
The
kids and I recently went out to the coast to do some Skiing,
golfing and SCUBA diving. The
main purpose however, was to take Bryn out for my nephews
baptism. Bryn also met the girl next door while visiting my
sister Mikkie. To read more about the Baptism and
"Veronica" visit Bryn's page.
Visit Jay's page to view the golfing and
SCUBA diving and Brett's page for skiing
and other activities.
SURVIVAL WEEKEND
Don't break the blender if you intend to
survive. Gord forgot the spoon in the blender
resulting in small leak and no daiquiris. In
actuality we took the kids out for basic woods survival
over the Easter weekend.
During
the Easter long weekend Bryn Brett and I went to Gord's acreage
in Whitecourt to do some early spring camping with his
kids. It was intended from the start as a bush survival
exercise. The first day we took the kids out and showed
them some of the basics of shelter building, fire
making and bush safety. Gord teaches outdoor education so
he is really current on bush survival. Even though I have
done a fair bit of survival in the military, I learned a lot more
on the weekend. Ron and his kids were supposed to come as
well but Ron had to go to BC to work. I think however, he
succumbed to the pressure of his kids who seemed unsure about
this event. One of the last things we did on the first day
was an informative session on knife safety. Gord gave each
of us a good quality, very sharp, basic survival knife and
explained how to use it properly. Unfortunately its not if
you cut yourself, its a question of when and how severe.
Two casualties were recorded over the weekend however, none
required evacuation. After the first day we went back to
the house. The first day was mainly lecture and
demonstration the next day the kids would have to do it
themselves and live in what they built.
The
next day we headed out. The site was near a beaver pond at
the other end of Gord's property. We hiked in and chose our
shelter site. Bryn and Dustin were teamed up and Brett and
AJ were the other team. I was really impressed with the
younger kids.
They had listened intently to Gord and were very quick to have
their fire going. The older ones on the other hand had
rushed things and chose poor materials as a result their fire
went out. Brett and AJ's confidence soared as they were
sitting down to eat in front of their well made fire while Bryn
and Dustin struggled to get their fire going. The kids then
built their shelters. They were not totally without.
They had a knife, tarp, and sleeping bags. AJ and Brett
built a super shelter and Bryn and Dustin built a lean-to.
Both were sound shelters however, Bryn and Dustin did not use
enough wood for their bed resulting in Bryn sagging through
during the night.
We all
were pretty comfortable during the night. The only
disturbance were the dogs barking in the night at coyotes and
other animals. One of the other activities we did was go on
a nature hike and Gord explained some of the trees and
bushes. This was a particularly informative walk. The
event was a great success and well worthwhile. Gord did an
excellent job in making us much more aware of our
wilderness. There was one casualty over the weekend
however. It was one dead tired dog. After barking and
rummaging through the woods all night and day the dog was so
tired she couldn't even make it on the couch when we got home.
Jasper Aquathon
During the May long weekend the family went to Jasper for the annual Aquathon.
This is a dive event sponsored by the Alberta Underwater Council. The
event begins with a 10km river race down the Athabasca River in wet
suites. Brett and I teamed up on the tube and Bryn went with someone
else. As it turned out this was the beginning of a major haul in awards
for Bryn and I. Bryn ended up placing second in the river race and Brett
and I placed a respectable 4th. For most of the race Brett and I were neck
and neck with the babies. Part of the race was to dress up in a
costume. These two particular individuals dressed up as babies and
completed the race in a kiddie pool. It was really quiet hilarious.
The river race however, is always a lot of fun and we often get strange looks
from bystanders as we whip down the river in our wetsuits. On one occasion
we passed some white water rafters. We had some great looks from
them. As usual it snowed on us. I think every year we have been to
the Jasper Aquathon it has snowed on us on the Saturday. Fortunately it is
typically very nice on the Sunday. Most of the events are outdoors on the
beach on the Sunday so it is important to have good weather.
The second activity was a cleanup dive. Bryn and I went to Pyramid
lake. This
lake is up at about 5,000ft which makes it a high altitude dive. This is also
one of the few lakes in Jasper where power boats are allowed on. Bryn and
I figured if there are boats there will be junk and sure enough we were
right. Fortunately it was very windy out so there were no boats on the
lake which made for a good dive. amongst the junk we found a camera and a
very old wheel barrel. We left the wheel barrel and I took a picture of
it. This however, was not good enough and Bryn and I took second place for
our camera find.
Although we had to switch partners for the next dives, Bryn and I were either in
for first second or third for the next series of dives. Some of the dives
were quite funny. The navigation dive included building a Mr Potato Head
and then there was the jousting. I teamed up with Dave and Jamie on this
event and we cruised to a first place finish. Jamie was like a rock welded
to the float. Pat Carey organized this years event and she did an
excellent job. There is typically a BBQ with the awards presentations and of
course I brought one of our small round Dino steaks. This reminds me of a
story that must be told.
A few years ago we were at the
Carey's house in Wainwright for a BBQ with one
of the open water dive courses. I had been chatting and waiting until the
BBQ was clear so I could cook my steak. One of the students was some sort
of eco dietician that really had a hate on for red meat. She was going on
and on about how bad red meat was for you etc. Finally the BBQ was clear
and I had a chance to put my steak on. I rolled it out across the grill
when the dietician came up with her little baggy of three oz of chicken.
She almost had a heart attack on the spot. Being the gentleman I am said
"no reason to fret I can make a little space in the corner there to put
your chicken".
Wedding
of the Century
The summer was relatively
uneventful. As it turned out Cathy and I worked through virtually the
entire summer. Cathy began her new job with Public Works and Government
Services Canada and she is doing very well. Bryn had joined the army
communications reserve earlier in the spring and he was away for the summer on
basic training in Dundurn. We had our annual glow ball tournament,
however, the mosquitoes were extra bad at this point due to torrential rains we
had at the end of July. Prior to that it had hardly rained at all and we
were celebrating an insect free summer. In addition to the mosquitoes a
storm hit as we finished the fourth hole. We timed it just right as we
entered the door the rains began. It made for interesting conversation
however, as we continued to party indoors.
During the Labour Day long
weekend Rob Paterson-Burton a long time friend of mine was married to Pat
Heatherington. They had been living together for about 15 years and they
finally decided to tie the knot. PB was 56 and married for the first
time. You will have to check out the full
story (This link will take you to their page but it is definitely worth the
read). I have cut some of the highlights in here. This is only one
day of a four day event.
You thought only royalty or rock stars could have the extravagant perfect wedding. Well let me tell you a story. I am writing this on behalf of my good friend affectionately known as
PB. If he wrote this himself no one would believe him. They would only think he was
making up a story. PB can make up a good story, however this one is very true.
PB gathered up the
males in their tails (morning coats) and off they went to the wild west range at WEM (I believe in PB's mind,
no wedding is complete without a little bit of forty-four play!)
The day started with Pistol shooting
and they brought along John, Gloria and Linda a special guest from England who had her weapons confiscated a part of England’s
"lets ensure only the criminals have weapons policy". It’s similar to our own firearms policy but even more draconian.
Linda greatly enjoyed the opportunity to get out to shoot. It’s not everyone who can say they went out shooting on their wedding day.
That afternoon was the main event. In
great style Pat and PB were married, and the ring bearer got it right this time. Apparently the little tot on a previous weeding was not quite as successful in transporting the ring down the
a aisle. My wife Cathy and I were also able to help out the wedding planner
transporting the flowers to the house from the chapel. To add to the ceremony
the Lord Strathconas Horse were there with their lances crossed while the carriage waited. The carriage took Rob and Pat to the Officers mess where they boarded their limousines. The carriage then came back and gave carriage rides to the guests. Pat had been concerned
about all the military flair with the wedding. The one thing the military does very well, however, is
to organise and plan. Many of us in the wedding party are either still in or ex military,
so PB had ensured things would run smooth with
next to zero involvement from himself.
Then
followed what must be the reception of the century. Everyone changed into western gear,
and I was the Sheriff and Cathy my
deputy. Our job was - besides having a good time- to ensure there was no drinking and driving.
PB had already arranged transport. We were also to
greet the guests and be the first point of contact if any of the contracted staff or the wedding planner needed a decision. Everyone arrived and got ready to get down and party. The catering staff
walked around with the hours d'oeuvres as the clouds outside began to darken. As luck would have it a prairie storm brewed
up with torrential rain and wing. It only lasted for about half an hour and soon cleared up. The generator however, was
drowned and the staff could not get things back up and running. I had a look and realised they had a fire waiting to happen
with one circuit overloaded and another circuit not properly wrapped for the
weather . After a little mainenance, however we had- things back in order.
Someone had made the mistake of leaving cameras everywhere. Cameras are a great play toy when you have been drinking. I was able to get half the wedding party to dawn Gumby hats
and the other half led by Mary-Anne donned bunny hats. It was an excellent dinner and the drinks were flowing freely.
My accont
of the rest of the evening may stray a bit, as my pain threshold was rather high at this point. The Bride and Groom did their dance and the MC did an excellent job of welcoming everyone and conducting the reception.
Cathy cut the cake
into neat little pieces and then we danced some more. The DJ was excellent and kept everyone hopping. It then came time for the fireworks.
This was the ultimate fireworks show with front seat viewing. It was electronically fired and choreographed to the music. The fireworks show made most cities 1st of July ceremonies a sad display of attempting to
put colour in the
air. The display was absolutely awesome! Then the midnight lunch came out. All we needed was more
food! We had been wined and dined for the past 3 days and now more. The dancing continued yet again and we partied until about 3am. I had strategically placed the camper in the back because I knew I would not be going far that night.
Fall
01
Fall came upon us and we did
the usual thing. The family reunion came and went in Saskatoon. This
year was much more subdued from the previous year. We always have a good
time however, and the kids look forward to visiting with their cousins. After
the long weekend it is typically the Wainwright Pumpkin Dive. Cathy opted
out this year mainly because we were departing shortly thereafter to Nanaimo.
Brett started his Web page business and received his first check a few days
ago. He is very happy that he now has a way of earning some money.
Currently he gets a lot of help from dad. With time and experience
however, he should catch on. Veronica Bryn's girl friend from BC came out for a
visit at Remembrance Day. She was happy to come out for the visit and see
how we live in the prairies. The sinking of the Cape Breton however, was the
highlight of the fall.
The Sinking of the Cape Breton
Cathy and I stayed at the Howard Johnston for the first
few days of the trip. We then stayed at my cousin Luke's house for a few days
before returning to the Howard Johnston as part of the sinking package. Luke and
Tracy have a great place overlooking the Georgia Strait towards Sea-Schelt.
They live with their two dogs Jake and Russell. Jake really loves to play ball
and to mark his territory. I discovered this when I put my suitcase down on the
driveway while unloading the car. My cousin Mark also lives in Nanaimo as
well as my uncle Phil. We visited a few times typically at the Ricky's
restaurant which appears to be the local hangout. My uncle Phil is doing well
and his sociological pursuits are starting to pay off. He has been a
keynote speaker on a couple to workshops and it is good to see his work is being
recognised.
Dave and Connie and the Faas kids came out on the Thursday.
From my previous chapters you have probably already read about Dave being a
good
friend of mine. We went diving with the Faas's on the Thursday before the
sinking. This was Mark, Jamie and Kevin's first ocean dive. I remember Bryn's
first ocean dives and his dive on the Chaudiere and the same look of amazement
were on the kids faces. They were also very fortunate to be on an excellent
dive. We went to snake Island on the West side. The East side is where the Cape
Breton and Saskatchewan are. The dive starts off as a wall dive and then for the
later half you go into a small bay near the island. On our first dive earlier in
the week at snake island the tide was out and you could almost walk in the bay.
The idea of being in the bay is that there are numerous seals. The first dive
however, the seals were getting out of the water as we passed through and
looking down at us from the rocks. It was likely because the water was too
shallow. The dive with the Faas's however, the seals were everywhere. I
got a picture of a seal nibbling on Cathy's fin and apparently there was one swimming
along right by the back of my head. I did not see it though because the field of
vision is not that great with the dive mask. For the first ocean dive however,
it was a real treat for the Faas boys and certainly rates as one of my top
dives.
The day of the sinking was upon us. We parked early and
headed to the ferry terminal where we were to watch the sinking from the
ferry. As we waited to get on the boat there was a never ending stream of
boats heading out to sea to watch the sinking. It appeared as though there
was going to be mass mayhem on the ocean. After some wait we got on the ferry
and took up a good viewing spot on one of the car decks. When the ferry got out
there between the RCMP, Coast Guard, Navy and Ferry staff they had a pretty good
grip on the flotilla of small boats. One of the more humorous boats was
the Media boat which looked like it would capsize because everyone was naturally
on one side. The sinking was fairly well put together, the pyrotechnics
were set to go and there was an Aurora patrol aircraft doing flypasts. Finally
at about 12:33 the ship went up. The explosions are entirely for visual
effect. There are actually shaped charges that blow strategically placed
holes in the hull. They are designed to sink the ship so it stays as upright and
in the right position as possible. If it were not for the pyrotechnics there
wouldn't be much of a show.
Another vacation had come and gone but I am sure we will
be back. Nanaimo offers some of the best dive sites in the world and we will be
looking forward to our next trip. If you are interested in diving in
Nanaimo check out Ocean Explorers and the Nanaimo Dive association. The trip is
well worth it. This only part of the events read all about it plus the
full sinking in my Dives of Nanaimo page
Well thats a wrap
for this year. If you made it this far congratulations. I hope for
the best for everyone and wish that you all enjoy the holiday season.
Welcome to Jay and Cathy’s Letter 2001.
I suggest you print this page and enjoy a great read. Note this is a new site 
The
bad dog who ate the Gingerbread house. Kokee our dog who
normally resides on the living room couch was pleasantly
surprised one day when the Gingerbread house appeared in what she
feels is her room. After all no one else seems to use her
room except perhaps at Christmas. Kokee I gather decided
that the Ginger bread house is in my room and why should I wait
until the kids eat it after Christmas. Read more about this
years family activities below.
The
kids and I recently went out to the coast to do some Skiing,
golfing and SCUBA diving. The
main purpose however, was to take Bryn out for my nephews
baptism. Bryn also met the girl next door while visiting my
sister Mikkie. To read more about the Baptism and
"Veronica" visit 
During
the Easter long weekend Bryn Brett and I went to Gord's acreage
in Whitecourt to do some early spring camping with his
kids. It was intended from the start as a bush survival
exercise. The first day we took the kids out and showed
them some of the basics of shelter building, fire
making and bush safety. Gord teaches outdoor education so
he is really current on bush survival. Even though I have
done a fair bit of survival in the military, I learned a lot more
on the weekend. Ron and his kids were supposed to come as
well but Ron had to go to BC to work. I think however, he
succumbed to the pressure of his kids who seemed unsure about
this event. One of the last things we did on the first day
was an informative session on knife safety. Gord gave each
of us a good quality, very sharp, basic survival knife and
explained how to use it properly. Unfortunately its not if
you cut yourself, its a question of when and how severe.
Two casualties were recorded over the weekend however, none
required evacuation. After the first day we went back to
the house. The first day was mainly lecture and
demonstration the next day the kids would have to do it
themselves and live in what they built.
The
next day we headed out. The site was near a beaver pond at
the other end of Gord's property. We hiked in and chose our
shelter site. Bryn and Dustin were teamed up and Brett and
AJ were the other team. I was really impressed with the
younger kids. 
They had listened intently to Gord and were very quick to have
their fire going. The older ones on the other hand had
rushed things and chose poor materials as a result their fire
went out. Brett and AJ's confidence soared as they were
sitting down to eat in front of their well made fire while Bryn
and Dustin struggled to get their fire going. The kids then
built their shelters. They were not totally without.
They had a knife, tarp, and sleeping bags. AJ and Brett
built a super shelter and Bryn and Dustin built a lean-to.
Both were sound shelters however, Bryn and Dustin did not use
enough wood for their bed resulting in Bryn sagging through
during the night.
We all
were pretty comfortable during the night. The only
disturbance were the dogs barking in the night at coyotes and
other animals. One of the other activities we did was go on
a nature hike and Gord explained some of the trees and
bushes. This was a particularly informative walk. The
event was a great success and well worthwhile. Gord did an
excellent job in making us much more aware of our
wilderness. There was one casualty over the weekend
however. It was one dead tired dog. After barking and
rummaging through the woods all night and day the dog was so
tired she couldn't even make it on the couch when we got home.
During the May long weekend the family went to Jasper for the annual Aquathon.
This is a dive event sponsored by the Alberta Underwater Council. The
event begins with a 10km river race down the Athabasca River in wet
suites. Brett and I teamed up on the tube and Bryn went with someone
else. As it turned out this was the beginning of a major haul in awards
for Bryn and I. Bryn ended up placing second in the river race and Brett
and I placed a respectable 4th. For most of the race Brett and I were neck
and neck with the babies. Part of the race was to dress up in a
costume. These two particular individuals dressed up as babies and
completed the race in a kiddie pool. It was really quiet hilarious.
The river race however, is always a lot of fun and we often get strange looks
from bystanders as we whip down the river in our wetsuits. On one occasion
we passed some white water rafters. We had some great looks from
them. As usual it snowed on us. I think every year we have been to
the Jasper Aquathon it has snowed on us on the Saturday. Fortunately it is
typically very nice on the Sunday. Most of the events are outdoors on the
beach on the Sunday so it is important to have good weather. 
The second activity was a cleanup dive. Bryn and I went to Pyramid
lake. This
lake is up at about 5,000ft which makes it a high altitude dive. This is also
one of the few lakes in Jasper where power boats are allowed on. Bryn and
I figured if there are boats there will be junk and sure enough we were
right. Fortunately it was very windy out so there were no boats on the
lake which made for a good dive. amongst the junk we found a camera and a
very old wheel barrel. We left the wheel barrel and I took a picture of
it. This however, was not good enough and Bryn and I took second place for
our camera find.
Although we had to switch partners for the next dives, Bryn and I were either in
for first second or third for the next series of dives. Some of the dives
were quite funny. The navigation dive included building a Mr Potato Head
and then there was the jousting. I teamed up with Dave and Jamie on this
event and we cruised to a first place finish. Jamie was like a rock welded
to the float. Pat Carey organized this years event and she did an
excellent job. There is typically a BBQ with the awards presentations and of
course I brought one of our small round Dino steaks. This reminds me of a
story that must be told.
of the open water dive courses. I had been chatting and waiting until the
BBQ was clear so I could cook my steak. One of the students was some sort
of eco dietician that really had a hate on for red meat. She was going on
and on about how bad red meat was for you etc. Finally the BBQ was clear
and I had a chance to put my steak on. I rolled it out across the grill
when the dietician came up with her little baggy of three oz of chicken.
She almost had a heart attack on the spot. Being the gentleman I am said
"no reason to fret I can make a little space in the corner there to put
your chicken". 
tell you a story. I am writing this on behalf of my good friend affectionately known as
PB. If he wrote this himself no one would believe him. They would only think he was
making up a story. PB can make up a good story, however this one is very true.
right this time. Apparently the little tot on a previous weeding was not quite as successful in transporting the ring down the
a aisle. My wife Cathy and I were also able to help out the wedding planner
transporting the flowers to the house from the chapel. To add to the ceremony
the Lord Strathconas Horse were there with their lances crossed while the carriage waited. The carriage took Rob and Pat to the Officers mess where they boarded their limousines. The carriage then came back and gave carriage rides to the guests. Pat had been concerned
about all the military flair with the wedding. The one thing the military does very well, however, is
to organise and plan. Many of us in the wedding party are either still in or ex military,
so PB had ensured things would run smooth with
next to zero involvement from himself. 
Then
followed what must be the reception of the century. Everyone changed into western gear,
and I was the Sheriff and Cathy my
deputy. Our job was - besides having a good time- to ensure there was no drinking and driving.
PB had already arranged transport. We were also to
greet the guests and be the first point of contact if any of the contracted staff or the wedding planner needed a decision. Everyone arrived and got ready to get down and party. The catering staff
walked around with the hours d'oeuvres as the clouds outside began to darken. As luck would have it a prairie storm brewed
up with torrential rain and wing. It only lasted for about half an hour and soon cleared up. The generator however, was
drowned and the staff could not get things back up and running. I had a look and realised they had a fire waiting to happen
with one circuit overloaded and another circuit not properly wrapped for the
weather . After a little mainenance, however we had- things back in order. 
great play toy when you have been drinking. I was able to get half the wedding party to dawn Gumby hats
and the other half led by Mary-Anne donned bunny hats. It was an excellent dinner and the drinks were flowing freely.
My accont
of the rest of the evening may stray a bit, as my pain threshold was rather high at this point. The Bride and Groom did their dance and the MC did an excellent job of welcoming everyone and conducting the reception.
Cathy cut the cake
into neat little pieces and then we danced some more. The DJ was excellent and kept everyone hopping. It then came time for the fireworks.
good
friend of mine. We went diving with the Faas's on the Thursday before the
sinking. This was Mark, Jamie and Kevin's first ocean dive. I remember Bryn's
first ocean dives and his dive on the Chaudiere and the same look of amazement
were on the kids faces. They were also very fortunate to be on an 
excellent
dive. We went to snake Island on the West side. The East side is where the Cape
Breton and Saskatchewan are. The dive starts off as a wall dive and then for the
later half you go into a small bay near the island. On our first dive earlier in
the week at snake island the tide was out and you could almost walk in the bay.
The idea of being in the bay is that there are numerous seals. The first dive
however, the seals were getting out of the water as we passed through and
looking down at us from the rocks. It was likely because the water was too
shallow. The dive with the Faas's however, the seals were everywhere. I
got a picture of a seal nibbling on Cathy's fin and apparently there was one swimming
along right by the back of my head. I did not see it though because the field of
vision is not that great with the dive mask. For the first ocean dive however,
it was a real treat for the Faas boys and certainly rates as one of my top
dives. 
terminal where we were to watch the sinking from the
ferry. As we waited to get on the boat there was a never ending stream of
boats heading out to sea to watch the sinking. It appeared as though there
was going to be mass mayhem on the ocean. After some wait we got on the ferry
and took up a good viewing spot on one of the car decks. When the ferry got out
there between the RCMP, Coast Guard, Navy and Ferry staff they had a pretty good
grip on the flotilla of small boats. One of the more humorous boats was
the Media boat which looked like it would capsize because everyone was naturally
on one side. The sinking was fairly well put together, the pyrotechnics
were set to go and there was an Aurora patrol aircraft doing flypasts. Finally
at about 12:33 the ship went up. The explosions are entirely for visual 
effect. There are actually shaped charges that blow strategically placed
holes in the hull. They are designed to sink the ship so it stays as upright and
in the right position as possible. If it were not for the pyrotechnics there
wouldn't be much of a show. 
