Emma's 9th Birthday

Today is Emma's 9th Birthday (and it is also Grandmother Pearl's Birthday as well).

Happy Birthday Emma.

The Pirates of Cootes

Not many people know this but the Wadd Squad is related to Pirates. Much of our family is from the Nova Scotia south shore - Empire Loyalists that moved there during the American Revolution. Our Privateer (government supported Pirates) relatives lived in Liverpool.

At least that much of this post is true.

What is a little known fact is that those Pirates made their way up the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario and then spent many years in Cootes Paradise which backs off the parkland beside our house here in Westdale. But a Paradise it was not. There were Scurvey Dogs, Swash Bucklers and Scally Wags. But it was often thought that the Pirates had buried their treasure somewhere in the Ravines and forests adjacent to Cootes.

Earlier today the Wadd Squad found three clues that looked like they may be linked to that old hidden treasure. So with clues in hand Emma and her friends set on an adventure an unearthed three parts of the old pirate treasure map above. Each part of the map was in its own mini treasure chest (and quite amazingly the map was drawn to the current international orienteering map standards). After the map was pieced together Emma and her 8 friends raced through the woods of Cootes and found the Pirates Treasure. Happy 9th Birthday Emma.

-Captain Mike and First Mate Starr

THI III: Emma beats Starr

The THI is a very prestigious adventure run competition held in the hills of Caledon. THI stands for the Tree Hugger Invitational and is hosted by our good friends Barb and Rich of Team Tree Huggers. This year the event was held on a brand new orienteering map and with Mike still injured the Wadd Squad competition was between Starr and Emma. Mike ran with Emma and let Emma do all the navigating (only helping her twice). There were 26 checkpoints scattered throughout the forest and a 90 minute time limit. The results?

Emma: 21
Starr: 20

SNOW! ...well a little anyway

The Wadd Squad enjoyed a nice hike on the Niagara Escarpment this weekend after the first "snowfall" (all 3cm of it) of 2007.

MUD

The warmest December on record and the warmest first half of January on record and lots of rain has meant.....lots of mud.

Photo of the Year

After two weeks of asking friends to help us choose our favourite non-family photo of the year we have decided to go with the photo of Stockholm.