Regina and Dougley DoRight

Oct 4 --- We got to Regina about noon and Emily the GPS led us to the home of my Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Jean. We had never seen this particular home --- since the last time we saw them (4 years ago) they had moved from their Regina home of 37 years to a condo. When I heard this I was somewhat skeptical --- I couldn't see Uncle Lloyd (raised on a farm and still farming) confined to a condo with no land to call his own. Turns out I loved the place and actually said to Linda that I could see living in something similar someday --- words that filled her with joy because she has always seen a condo in our future and I have always used phrases like "when the devil goes ice-skating". I'll regret those words later. Really nice condo with shop space for Uncle Lloyd downstairs and across the street from the Regina Legislature with a great view and access to the 200 acres of park and lake that surround it.

Lloyd and Jean from their balcony with the Legislature in the background

Spent the afternoon catching up and were treated to dinner at Luigi's (a great pasta house) --- met my cousins Grant and Holly there and they came back after dinner to continue visiting.

Cousins Holly and Grant

Oct 5 --- Regina is the home of the "Depot" where all RCMP officers do their initial training. My cousin Kathy's husband Ken is a retired RCMP sergeant (and an incredibly good guy) and my Uncle Gordon went through the Depot until an injury ruled out a career as a Mountie --- so there is a bit of family connection involved. So we went to the musuem attacked to the Depot with Uncle Lloyd. Very cool museum with lots of stories and artifacts of the Mounties. We got to the end of the tour and there were racks of RCMP scarlet tunics and one of the famous hats. I beelined for the hat and put it on. Too small --- and I know that my hat size is small as heads go (but it's tightly packed dammit). Linda tells me to throw on a tunic and she'll take my picture. The first tunic is too small and so is the second one ---- I finally find one that I can get into --- I'm not that big --- and we get a pic. When we get home we tell this story to Aunt Jean and she cracks up and says "Doug, those are meant for kids......".

Dougley DoRight

Earlier in the day Uncle Lloyd helped me fix the TV mount in Peanut and provided parts from his shop for a few other small fixes. Always good to have a farmer and engineer offering help with any project. We took Lloyd and Jean out to dinner at "the Lakeshore" --- a really nice greek restaurant --- and were off to bed early for an early start tomorrow.