I hope everyone is finally ready for the holiday celebrations. We are having the Bakos joining us this year and we are very excited about it. The tree is up, most gifts are wrapped, and the house is decorated/littered [depends on your point of view] with almost every ornament made in the previous 23 years. I can’t believe Martha gets all that stuffed in the attic without the rafters caving in on us.  
 Our early season snow is completely gone now. I also found the ground is no longer frozen solid. In an attempt to provide some extra sleeping space for the younger people, we planned on moving the holiday trailer over to the house. Its heated and cozy and would provide a place for the kids to gather and play video games etc. Martha and I talked it over and thought it would work nice if we parked it behind the house with the trailer steps close to the patio doors. That way people could slip back and forth without needing a coat. I got all of 6 feet onto the lawn and discovered the cement driveway would be the ONLY alternative :) I’ll post holiday pictures to the album as they become available and I encourage everyone else to do the same. If you have forgotten your photo album login/password, drop me a note and I’ll fix you up.

GGGRRrr! I was ready to rip someone’s head off today. Mom’s phone has been offline for almost 2 weeks now. With each call (seven in total) I was assured it was Bell’s mistake and that it would be rectified within the day. Today I got hold of an intelligent supervisor in Ottawa and everything was corrected within the hour. I do believe I got their attention finally and a promise to have the “English is not my primary language” beotchs I took notes of, reprimanded (promotions probably) for their incompetence and refusal to put me through to a supervisor! “Sir, I am not able to discuss this account with anyone but the owner and no supervisor will talk with you either… click”. I understand why these idiots hide behind a phone and don’t have public offices.

We have new people in the rental house across the road. They are a young couple with a toddler and they just moved in this weekend. They were recommended by a friend and neighbour and the initial interview went well so… welcome new neighbours. It’s nice to see someone living in the house again :)

WOW… Nice photos Ian. What a beautiful spot for a winter getaway. For the latest McDonald vacation photos click here. It must had been so hard to choose what pictures you wanted to post. If you have an image of Karen riding the burro I think you should share it with us :) How about posting a few stories here for us to read? Just click the link “post/edit topics” link on the right side menu, sign in, then “add a new entry”. Too timid for that? Just click the comment link below and type a few words.

BBrrr… It was cold last night. The house is warm and toasty but I woke up to this beautiful hoar frost in the trees and snow-covered ground. It’s been a long time since we have had a white Christmas and I hope it stays white till at least then. I took a few snapshots before I left for work to share with you. Just click the “read more” link below.
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Hola… The McDonalds are off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! Ian decided since he had to attend a business meeting in central Mexico, he might as well have the family follow him and he’ll meet them in Puerto Vallarta. Those poor children of his had to be pulled from school for a week and Karen had to take off time from work. I feel so sorry for them :) It didn’t seem to matter that I was available to go at a moments notice?! Enjoy yourselves guys! Wish I was there. You will never forget your Mexico visit. Ian has promised lots of digital pictures, so keep your eyes on the photo album people. Current weather forecast for Puerto Vallarta 83F daytime 72F evening. [Edited] originally had them on wrong MX coast… sorry :(

Some of you may notice we have a new user to our family photo album page. You will find many updates I’m sure in the “Newest Updates to Photo Album” thumbnails along the sidebar.

Check out the pumpkin pictures in the Bako Family Album

I think we got tricked this year…..We got stuck holding the bag of treates as the little haunters never came-a-knockin. We probably had 20 kids max. Six or seven knocks at the door and then it was all over. They came in groups and a few straglers in between. My guys stayed home this year because they wanted to shell out at the door and scare those who dared to venture up our front walk. Steve went to a party and Peter and Brian had friends over. Oh well…..I better not be tempted by all the leftover candy in the house.

We hope everyone had a great Halloween. This year Martha and Laura dressed in costumes for school and they had a great time. Last night Laura went to Chatham to meet friends to go trick-or-treating and when I dropped her off I stopped and had a few beers with some friends I haven’t seen in far to long a time (thanks M&D). We had about the same amount of little goblins stop at our house this year and you can find their pictures here. 
 In other news, I finished the harvest yesterday and now there is just fall fertilizing and tillage to complete. The drought caused a major crop failure in Thamesville again this year but the other other fields were not as bad. Nature can be so fickle.