The Half Moon Drive Inn

Here's a review of the Half Moon Drive Inn in Lockport, from the Winnipeg Free Press:

It's been there, in one form or another, since l938, and, although a hot dog isn't exactly a culinary event, a 70th anniversary is something to be celebrated.

It has just entered its most recent incarnation with an additional indoor eating area, which almost doubles the previous space.

You place your orders at a counter, and carry them to your table when your number is called, and if you don't mind carrying your tray a bit farther there are some outdoor tables near the river.

The hot dogs are good, slightly crisp ($3, or $4.25 for a foot long), and if you order yours with chili (75 cents extra) the chili will actually taste like real chili, with a decided bite.

The burgers are pretty good, too, ($3.05) and, unlike the olden days, you can now also have a smokie dog, bursting with flavour ($4).

The fries are fresh-cut ($3.89 for a sizeable medium serving), and if you're still up for dessert there's a whole range of ice cream (both hard and soft), as well as something they would never have dreamed of back in '38 -- yogurt.

If you're really lucky you'll see flocks of pelicans frolicking around the locks.

And if not now, soon.

Guess I'm the Artsy-Type Now

Julie's sister, Janine, arrived last night from Dubai and began her two-week holiday at home. She brought me a beautiful painting of orange and red flowers (pictured above), which she bought in Thailand. Isn't it pretty?

What makes this painting so special, you ask?

It was painted by Wiangping, an Asian elephant living at the Maesa Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The camp is a center for elephant breeding, training, healthcare, and sustainable tourism. If you don't believe that elephants can paint, click here.

Game Night

Every Thursday night is game night, where we play a few group games with Shiloh. Last night's games were "Imitation Circle", Dancing, and Flashlight Hide-And-Go-Seek.

We created this game, called "Imitation Circle". We all sit in a circle, and we use either touch gestures (which are the simplest), or distal gestures (which are more difficult). In last night's game, we even added some sound imitation. Shiloh's gotten really good at this recently.

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This is our version of Dancing With the Stars. The song is "The Butterfly Medley," by the Emeralds.

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Double-One

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This is Week 11!

Baby should be between 1.75 and 2.4 inches long, and weighs almost .3 of an ounce. It's probably about the size of a small plum by now. In the next three weeks, baby will go through a tremendous growth spurt, almost doubling in size.

Julie is feeling reasonably well so far, with only intermittent morning sickness. Our recent visit to the obstetrician was encouraging, as she assured us that everything is moving along normally. Only 29 more weeks to go!