Hello Rotarian President Frank,
I hope you are enjoying the R.I. convention in Barcelona. Everything is pretty much okay here. The Dragon Boat Races got a bit more wind than needed, swamped a couple boats, broke an ankle; but what-the-hey, this is Lethbridge, where the wind was born.

This information in from Lethbridge East last night:
As I write this, we have successfully gotten through day one of the official Dragon Boat Races (or 1/2 of day one, as the afternoon races were postponed because of high winds). We are hopeful that tomorrow will be calmer and that the semi-finals and finals can be completed by early afternoon. It has been a wonderful time (with some chills and spills added in). If you happen to read this newsletter and haven't been out to Henderson Lk. Park yet to see the races, try to get there between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm tomorrow (July 1) to cheer the teams on. Our own Rotarian team has been paddling hard and doing us proud. Come out too to see the Polio Plus trailer with iron lung.

Frank, I've been checking your house in your absence as you know. Since my last e-mail, the police have removed the yellow tape and your sons are allowed back in. You have some really nice neighbours who offered to call a tree service to remove the rest of the tree; it is too burnt to save. I think the house will be okay with just a bit of paint touch up needed, after the scorched shingles are replaced. The kids will have the bottles cleaned off the lawn before you get back, because they need some cash to get Angies' car out of the pound.

The dog is due to come home from the vet clinic today, jeepers they charge more for the kennel fees than you are paying for hotel rooms in Spain, I'll bet. He can get the splint off in about three weeks and will have to wear that big anti-chew collar, and can't get out to relieve himself. Oh well, your kids said they would clean up after him.

I didn't know you had any daughters living at your house, but they seem really friendly when I asked about the TV being gone. I guess it's gone to "Kings?" for repairs, but they saved taxi fare and sent your computer off to be fixed at the same time. Everything should be cleaned out by the time you get home. Your daughter, Jewel tells me she lives on a Vancouver Island commune and must have a really important job, she was in Calgary for the G8 conference. It's no wonder she carries a gas mask, that boyfriend of hers certainly lacks personal hygiene.

You might not have been able to leave a message on your answering machine, because the power has been out last weekend. Your daughter Daisy-Mae said the throttle stuck when she backed your car out, and it sorta pushed the power transformer over. "Oh well, that garage door needed replacing anyways," she said. It was the transformer fire that started the tree burning; I wondered how that happened. Unfortunately your daughters will be gone by the time you get back, they say they all have jobs to get back to.

There was quite a bit of mail, just junk mail, no checks, and a brick in your mail box, so I emptied it out and put it all on the kitchen counter. Hey you cagey old guy, how come you never told me you sold Angies' silverware before you left?

Well, enjoy the rest of your vacation, as everything is in good hands.