For those of you regulars that might have wondered "Where's Ron?",
a brief explanation.  Last fall, seeking a change, I closed out my
forestry gps business of fifteen years and headed to Alberta to find
work in the oil patch.  My intention was to get on a drilling rig but
instead I took work with an well service company in Red Deer.  That 
job didn't offer enough in the way of physical and I quit it in mid 
June and started with a drilling rig early this month.  Nothing 
sedentary about this job ... I'm happy to say. Twelve hour shifts, 
with fourteen days on and seven off. Those days off have allowed me 
to finally get the web page updated.  My good intentions of doing it 
on a work day never materialized.  The next time that happens, and I'm
not on days off, I'll hold off on the write up and, at the least, complete 
the links to make Peter's scoring summaries available.
Working out of Red Deer I'd thought that perhaps Revelstoke would be the 
one race that I might be able to make.  However, I'm now four and half
hours north of Edmonton and that's too much of drive.  I have run zero 
races this year!  I haven't projected my days off beyond August but I 
intend to be back in Summerland to direct the cross country and if I 
can I'll make it to the November banquet as well. No intentions of giving
up this web duty either.
I'd like to pass on too that I phoned Willis recently.  As many of you know, 
Willis has Alzheimer's and resides in a home in Sechelt.  I can't say for sure 
that he knew who I was or that he remembered anything of what I was talking
to him about. I think he's become very good at covering up his lack of memory
but we did have a conversation of sorts.  I'd mention things like the
Midsummer coming up and recall that as the last race he ran.  His responses 
were all 'sure's' and 'yahs' but I don't think he really had a memory of 
what I was talking about as he never added anything other than those affirmative
responses.  His daughter tells me that his disposition hasn't changed.  He's
his same content, easy going self, but he now lives in the moment.  Willis will
be 85 on August 8th ... I think it's the eighth.
Ron