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We got stucco put on the house, yea!  You can see by the gray wood to the right that we're going to have to tear down the laundry room and garage and start over on that.  The crew that did the stucco did a great job, though.

I finished by classes and should start my thesis next month.  Looking forward to it, I've learned and grown every step of the way.  Great school, awesome curriculum, fantastic professors!  I can't say enough about Heriot-Watt, they're amazing.  I always wanted to go back to school and learn something, now I'm doing it.  They are actually teaching me to think for myself.  Awesome.

Gone fishin'

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Pax River.JPGWell, I had some time off from my job and decided to go fishing.  It rained that day and washed the river (stream) out.  I went anyway because I couldn't stand waiting any longer and wanted to throw some flies.  There were some quieter areas near the banks and I drifted some nymphs across the rifts and along the banks.  No bites but this stream is stocked and is one of two streams that are open this time of year.  This is the Patuxent River headwaters.  The Gunpowder is a much wider stream and has three sections that open on the 27th.  The Gunpowder is also closer to my apt. and I'll be fishing that throughout the summer for trout.

Meanwhile I booked a guide to take me flyfishing for striped bass that go up to 40 lbs or so on the Susquehanna Flats, which is at the mouth of the great Chesapeake Bay.  I'm trying to book a second trip with another guide for the same timeframe, which is the last two or three weeks of April.  That will be a great trip.  I've decided to hire boats/guides rather than purchase my own boat, mostly due to the cost of finishing the ranch house.

Rhonda is still waiting on her green card and I'm going for a visit next week.  Hopefully we'll have this all taken care of by the fall and she and Buster will be with me.  I don't like talking about it that much, nor my time away so that will be that.

I have neglected the webpage (this one) in lieu of using Facebook for a while.  Facebook seems to be more popular these days and is easier to use.  My Facebook link is in the left-hand column of this page, just click on it to find my FB page.  Still, I enjoy using this weblog and have noticed that some folks still visit from time to time.  So I'll try to keep up on it.

My job is great, the folks I work with are really good to me.  That makes up for a lot, especially the traffic in this area.  Some folks need some drivin' skills 'round these parts.  I see at least one accident every day each way to and from work.  It's really nuts.

We really miss Old Blighty and our dearest of friends there, you know there are no others who were better to us in all of our time together.  We're fighting the good fight and keeping our hopes up that we'll sort it all out.  I should be finished with my degree by the year's end and who knows what the future holds.  If offered a position in the UK in my new field I think I'd jump on it.  It would have to be a pretty good offer, though, I'm making some good bread here.  Still, money isn't everything... I much preferred our quality of life "over there".  Bye for now.  Drop us a line.

Merry Christmas

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all from Phil, Rhonda and Buster !

We are having a really nice holiday together and have been eating lobsters and opening presents!

It's REALLY cold here today and we're best kept indoors.  Rhonda's birthday is this Friday so everyone be sure to send her happy 40th wishes!  We're going to a grand New Years event down at 'the Harbour' (Sheet Harbour) and will be quite sauced by the time Rhonda's birthday rolls around but we'll try to make sure she feels celebrated.

Just a reminder, both Rhonda and I have been using Facebook extensively - this may be an easier way to keep up with our latest and to chat and keep in touch.  Click on the "Facebook" badge in the left-hand column to reach Phil's FB page.  I'll be sure to add Rhonda's badge soon.

Christmas Time !!!

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Yeah, I dug myself out from the foot of snow we had in Baltimore and headed up to the Great White North for Christmas.  Rhonda and I had lobsters for dinner tonight, they were "some good" as they say here.  Rhonda is a New Year's baby so we've got to party twice as hard as everyone else this Thursday night.
The job is going well, the ranch is on hold, Buster is in good health, we're still waiting on immigration, I've moved to a new 1 BR apartment and have finished my last exam - now only a thesis to write next year.


We really miss all of you across the pond back at 'Old Blighty' - Rhonda was just showing me some video clips from Penny.  Rosie is growing up fast, she's a pretty girl and not at all spoiled.  Anyway, perhaps we can visit, or maybe I'll get a position at one of your breweries or distilleries.

Happy Holidays !  I'll post a photo of us tomorrow if I can remember - getting old, you know.

New Job, New Home...

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Well, I'm not working at the microbrewery any more.  Those guys were a little "off' - they had some unusual practices and policies.  Let's say we agreed to disagree.  Perhaps, as they say, it was all for the best.  I found a really great job through a placement firm in Baltimore, Maryland.      I am now working for Northrop-Grumman in the Electronic Combat Center in Linthicum, MD and loving every minute of it!  The people there are VERY professional and very nice, too.  I think this will be a long-term employment - at least, as a result of my first impression, I hope so.  (I just finished my first week.)

The photo is the front entrance of a house in Hunt Valley, north of Baltimore, where I am renting a furnished room.  I obviously haven't had much time to shop around or organise a move of my furniture so this will have to do for the time being.  It's not bad although I'd prefer to live closer to work - the commute is about 30  miles (w/ heavy traffic).  

Rhonda is still in Dartmouth and working across the bay in Halifax; Buster is staying with her.  We've hired an immigration attorney who is transferring our case to Montreal in hopes of speeding up the process.  I can't wait for her to join me here and will try to convince her to move into the city (downtown Baltimore) when she gets here.  We'll see how that goes, it may be wise to buy a home here at that time, who knows.  At any rate, I'll be going to see her for Christmas and we hope it won't be too long before she can join me here.

I'm really, really likin' this job.  My days are only 8 hours long and overtime is available once I get fully up to speed.  I'm still doing my MSc, working on the last course and test in December, then it's on to my thesis next year.  I'd have to be offered a pretty sweet job in the brewing/distilling industry to convince me to leave this job, though.  My experience at the micro was a nightmare, although this job at N-G is super-sweet!

Hey, everyone.

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How 'ya doin'?  You know how no news is good news?  You know how your Mom told you, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything"?  You know the old adage, "It's better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"?  Hmmmmmmmm.
That's a polite way of saying none of the news is good.  Okay, a slight exaggeration.  No pics today, I left my camera charger in TX but have ordered a new one.  Isn't online shopping great?  
Except for the shipping charges.  Still, it seems no matter where I live I can't find what I need locally.  Nearly always have to buy from stores at least a thousand miles away.

Weather is improving, could be warmer here.  Nice and hot at the ranch, though.  Lobster season ends today but we've had our fill.  Last weekend we went to Rhonda's folks for another feed, 40lbs of live lobsters.  Hard to believe but they were cheaper than chicken.

Exams are done for now.  Only one more to go, in Dec.  Takes quite the load off.  Now I can concentrate on catching up on my "to do" list.  

Buster is in good shape, quite happy to be with both Mom and Dad.  He's slowed quite a bit.  To be expected for a 12 year old.  We're glad to have him, he's such a good dog.

We are well and hope you all are too.  We REALLY miss England... seems as that was a golden age period for us.  Who knows, when I finish school I may get a job offer in the UK - I wouldn't object to that, although I realise that the situation would be much different.  We're going forward slowly and carefully, hoping the economy will improve soon and that we'll be together on our ranch someday soon.

Well, more later... hopefully with a photo or two.  In the meantime, a hearty hello to all and we wish you all well.

The saga of Chase...

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Yes, Chase turned up at a neighbor's ranch about a mile or two from our place two days before I had to leave for Canada, so I dropped him at my brother's house on my way out of town.  My brother found him a new home - a woman with 100 acres, and her son wants to train labs, so that's perfect.

And it's lobster season here, so things aren't so bad.


Well.... it's a long story.  I was in Halifax over Christmas with Rhonda visiting family and dropped by this microbrewery who couldn't live without me.  So I got a work permit and drove 2700 miles from Austin to Halifax and have been working at the Garrison Brewing Company for the past two weeks.

The house is dried in and locked up and I have some neighbors checking in on it once in a while in addition to my roofer, who is finishing up the laundry and garage.

I like the job, I have a lot of learning to do and am still doing my courses.  I should finish up the modules and take my last exam in Dec.  So far, so good.  I'll do a thesis and then apply to their doctorate program - but will be looking for 'facilities' to do my research.  By then we'll know a bit more about it and where we'll be and what we'll be doing.

I think this is fresh news to some of you, since Rhonda has been having difficulty with her e-mail.  She was unable to send mail but could receive it, very frustrating.  I think I have it sorted out now.  I think.  So, great news for us two.  More later,

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House progress

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Hey, everyone.  I got the facia boards and soffits on the main house and primed them.  There's also some OSB on the front and rear of the laundry room.  We're going to try to get the roof on the laundry room next.  Starting to look like a house, eh?



I drove down to my brother's house in Austin, about an hour and a half, with the dogs in the back of the pickup.  They loved the ride.  Buster always has and Chase did too.  But on the return trip I got back to the ranch and only Buster was in the back.  Chase must have jumped out somewhere, I couldn't see back there as I had some boxes up against the rear window.  A guy that was grading the dirt roads a few miles up from the house said he thought he saw two dogs in the back when I passed him coming home.  Hope he was right.  Still haven't found Chase and it's been a week now.  Sad news.  Hope he finds his way home.  You never know.


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