To start the year off an International photo contest was won,
With my photo of Andrea and Jason, their horses, and the setting sun.
It was such an accomplishment, flying to Florida to collect my prize,
As well as receive recognition amongst the photography industry’s eyes.
It was the middle of the night when two cougars came from out back,
Blacky slept through it all, but our two dogs, Minnie and Curley were attacked.
Mom and Dad killed the cougars and the dogs went to the vet,
With skull fractures and punctures they are now very expensive pets!
In April I flew south to enjoy the ocean and white sand,
In the Dominican Republic I shot three weddings – oh they were grand!
Andree, a photographer from Maine, flew in and joined me in the sun,
We stayed for a week, snorkeled, practiced our Spanish and had plenty of fun.
I spent sixteen months in an office up at Gibraltar Mine,
As Electrical Planner, I kept all of the electricians in line.
But Mom and I had a special trip planned for the last half a year,
So I said goodbye to the mine and left without a tear.
We flew to Toronto to get Krista, whom I knew from College,
As we needed her expertise and horse racing knowledge.
In Kentucky, we toured many stud farms and met Smarty Jones,
To Churchill Downs we went, to see the Kentucky Derby home.
Then on to St. Louis, with the great Arch in view,
We saw the Budweiser Clydesdales and went to the zoo.
Then back home in Canada we visited Niagara Falls,
Took pictures of Krista’s horses, and mucked out her stalls.
In July my friend Sacha from Seattle came to visit me,
And crossed many goals off her list of ‘30 things before 30.’
We shot a wedding in Canoe Creek and camped at the cabin at Timothy Lake,
We swam to the island, swung off the rope swing, big splashes we’d make.
August was busy and most weddings were long days,
I flew to Calgary and back and then to Thunder Bay.
I drove to Quesnel and then to Kamloops three times as well,
Covering a lot of the country but I have a great career as you can tell!
In September I adopted two kittens from the SPCA,
Peaches and Cream are their names and what can I say:
I love them so much and they keep me entertained,
But when we visit my parents they drive the older kitties insane!
So into the ocean depths and with fishies I can now dive.
We dove in Quesnel Lake, it was cold and it snowed,
But I had visions of the warm water in sunny Mexico.
In December the long awaited trip did arrive,
And I was excited for my chance to really scuba dive!
I flew to Mexico to photograph the wedding of Danny and Renee,
They brought seventy of their closest friends, and for a week we did stay.
Sacha and I rode the ferry over to Cozumel,
My first ocean dives were an adventure to tell.
We saw rays, giant sea turtles, and fishes galore,
It’s an amazing world under the sea, away from the shore.
A medieval wedding amid the –30 cold and the snow,
Was my twentieth of the year and another accomplished goal.
Everyone dressed in costumes at the Princeton Castle Resort,
Even with the weather, the bride in her gown, was a good sport!
My little brother William graduated from high school this year,
And among the many awards that he won was “Athlete of the Year.”
Allison is almost finished with her Dental Hygiene school,
She enjoys looking at teeth with a mirror and her tools.
Mom and Dad just went to Costa Rica for a week in the sun,
Enjoy themselves they did and they had lots of fun!
They toured the jungle; saw tons of birds and many crocodiles,
And spending time with their friends made their trip very worthwhile.
Well folks, this is it, my year in review,
Tomorrow it is January 1st, the year it is new.
Here’s to 2009 – let it be our best year yet,
And one filled with memories, which we won’t soon forget.