2020 Newsletter, Ken Powell & Penny Rush

Here again is our year-end newsletter. Like everyone on the planet, it was a year to remember – and forget! While COVID and Trump dominated, hopefully neither will survive.

The year started off with some travel in each of the first three months. In January Ken visited with his two sisters in Bonita Springs, Florida where Sue and Claude had rented a place in Pelican Landing. Sheila flew in from California. The three siblings exhausted Claude’s ear; Susie and Ken exhausted Sheila with their Trump diatribes and introduced her to “other than Fox” TV stations.

The four of us out in Naples Bay on a boat tour.

In February we both headed off to the French Alps with some of our friends from previous skiing trips. We flew to Geneva and travelled three hours across the border from Switzerland to Val Thorens in France, the highest ski town in Europe. Staying at the Club Med. Penny skied and Ken touristed (one day Marg Thompson joined him on a bus venture into the small town of Moutier).

Val Thorens; elevation 2,300 metres

Ken received a poignant phone call while we were there from an old friend, Jim Hayhurst, to talk about his decision to use the MAID program at the end of the month. This was a tough call – there is no good way to lose a friend.

We lost another very close friend , Nancy Bos. The picture to the right is Nancy at her husband, Carlo’s 18th birthday party on Feb 29 (obviously a leap year child!). She was in good form then – as was Carlo – but her health deteriorated and she died a few months later.

Marg Thompson, Sally Chenoweth, Nancy Bos, Penny

We drove to Hilton Head, SC early March. Spent a few days at a resort and attended a time share pitch where we disposed of two of our time shares and assumed a new one with Spinnaker Resorts. Details and story too complicated for a newsletter! Then we moved to a lovely penthouse apartment right on the beach.

Spent a day birding with Marty and Rob Welsh on the Pinckney Island wildlife reserve.

Local wild life – in grocery store (left); at the reserve (right)

The shit was however beginning to hit the COVID-19 fan. While the news was not good, no one was social distancing where we were and nothing was closed. We withdrew from public contact for a few days and then decided to hightail it back to Canada. We left early March 16 and were home 6 pm on the 17th, not bad for an over 1800 km drive. The Peace Bridge was a comforting sight.

So then commenced what all of us have been experiencing: limited contact with family and friends and cancellation of further travel (our “Through the North West Passage” trip in September was put off to this September; fingers crossed).
We were shocked when one of Ken’s Ridley class mates (Brock Buchanan) and one of his camera club mates (George Dimitroff) succumbed to COVID quite early in its sweep across the country. (Two other of Ken’s class mates also died – from other causes: Bill Bright and Clarke Band. As well Graham Foss died – a very old friend of Ken’s for many years and who Ken visited last summer on Vancouver Island.) All will be missed.

Stores were starting to reflect the toilet paper panic. This is the Bi-Lo in Hilton Head.

Penny Zooming with her ladies bridge group

The world of Zoom and FaceTime took over: board meetings, book, camera, bridge and social clubs, family gatherings and even memorial services. Ken’s April Spark photography show was cancelled; he’s hopeful it can at least be displayed at the Peterborough Public Library this April.

Ken rebuilt the city garden – new pathways, planting and ornament rearrangement, and much mulch, and then we headed to the cottage in early June!

The two of us were quite
fortunate to be able to
retreat there; we
remained well into October. Our careful family bubbles were quite tentative at first.

Sarah was up a bit with Fozzy and JoJo.

For Ken’s birthday, his oldest son Brendan and wife Mel gave Ken a Blog as he has been doing some writing on issues he’s interested in. They bought the domain, designed the categories and populated it with some of his past pieces. It can be found at powellponderings.com. Individual articles can be found within this domain, i.e. he attempted to analyze the Trump phenomena in a series of posts, one example beinghttps://powellponderings.com/the-us-presidential-election-two-questions-from-canada/

Our biggest step-out was hosting a 50th birthday party for Tim Melmoth (Sarah’s husband). Sarah organized it and we had a “careful” ball, all out of doors with a tent erected in case of rain. Guests stayed in local inns; BBQ beef was served, a rental jet ski used by many, and an obligatory cruise was made in our funny boat – The Loon.

Charlie, the oldest Melmoth (now in his 1st year at Brock.

Ken with Reid Melmoth (Sarah & Tim’s middle son)

Tim with youngest son Connor and Rivyr Faubert

Brendan and Mel (left) had a Powell family get together at their place in Prince Edward County. We had all our meals outside on the patio around the pool, we even stayed in separate places and no hugging took place!

Ken’s son Dylan and Louise with their two children, Akira (8) and Ayden (10) plus Bliss.

We visited with Penny’s oldest son Andrew, his wife Nicole Davies and their family at their cottage on Stony Lake.

Nicole Davies with her pets, Andrew and Mollie

Nicole & Andrew’s three children: Ellie, Ben and Wil

Ken, for the first time in his life, was a regular golfer. The Peterborough Golf & Country Club was open, with the usual distancing constraints. His scoring system permits him to ignore flaws and improve his attitude. About 12 regulars headed out twice a week.

Our last day of golf in October- the
18th “green”. A bunch of keen young lads, social distancing

One routine we followed was to walk on the trail systems surrounding Peterborough and the lake. There are many and we are fortunate. Penny also biked in small groups. Ken did some biking in his new electric bike (that he bought from Claude).

Ken & Penny with friends Jim & Katie Stewart on trails near Trent (right) and friends Stu & Mary Parker (left)

Christmas at 198 Aberdeen was not the usual 22 people – instead there were three of us, Penny, Ken and Adam! Our annual Xmas photo is supplemented with screen shots, a sign of the times!

Adam, Penny and Ken – a small bubble

On line with Dylan and Louise plus Ayden and Akira.

Then another Zoom early in the new year with the family on the Powell side – joining California, Canada and the UK.

Claude/Sue Cousineau; Penny/Ken; Sheila Powell Avery; Hazel/Mike Powell; Annabel May; Carolyn Powell; Judy Clarke; Brendan; Susie Anderson; Dylan

Brendan and Mel invited us to join them at their place in Prince Edward County for a few days after Christmas – this picture was our raclette night, done in an on-line experience with a wine club they had joined. Great wine and food.

To all our family and friends we wish you good health and a return to some kind of normalcy for 2021.

Penny & Ken