Fort Frontenac in Old Quebec City.

The above photo was taken by me in 1991.  My wife, Kathryn, and I were on our Canada trip and hit nine of the ten provinces (missed Newfoundland).  It was a whirlwind event which took us some 21,000 km and allowed us to some of the country we love and grew up in.  

My career as a teacher was just starting out.  We had been married for three years and the idea of children had not yet entered our minds.  At this point I had a Nikon FE2 camera and a single lens.  The above image was made on slide film.  We were living in a townhouse just recently purchased and paying a mortgage of 11%, something that seems ludicrous today.  Our only pet was a hamster.

Fast forward to 2022 where I am now retired from my profession of choice.  My children have both left the nest, so to speak, and my granddaughter just celebrated her first birthday.  I haven't shot a roll of film for almost 20 years but still use a Nikon camera, albeit it's a wee bit more advanced than the SLR I once owned.  We have owned six dogs, five of them daschunds.  

The greatest change has been the introduction of Covid.  It has limited and shaped our choices in ways nothing else has.  Travel, photography, time with family and friends - all these things have been severely altered.  Yet in spite of the setbacks and restrictions that currently fill our world, each day has so much to offer.  

We recently moved from Maple Ridge, our home for over 30 years, to Kelowna.  The process of integrating into the community has been challenging because of Covid.  Part of the reason we moved there was to help Kathryn with her migraines, a health issue that has plagued her now for over eight years.  

However, we find that each day is still a blessing and that there is so much to be thankful for.  What was, what could have been, and what is runs through our minds regularly.  Dwelling on the past and what-ifs has a way of surrendering joy for sullenness.  Acceptance, hope, and perseverance are our allies during the pandemic.  

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com

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