Greetings from sunny and warm Toronto. This spectacularly mild autumn has been lovely for one travelling by scooter, rain or shine. Also good for the spirits as we can at least pretend that the snow is not just around the corner. Thought I'd post a picture of what Wilcox looks like now so you'll know and I'll keep clearly in mind what I am aiming get back to...according to Buddy, my neighbour, the colour at Wilcox is at its peak just now and screaming out from the back fields at sundown. I know just what he means.

Here in Ontario trees have taken a beating over the dry summer and have not coloured off much at all. In fact on a trip to Niagara for Thanksgiving I saw many trees dead or dying along the escarpment as we drove the old #8 from Hamilton to St Catherines.

There sure are a lot of Maritimers here at the transplant unit. What is it about our lifestyle that makes such a mess of our lungs I have to wonder. Of course maybe its the story of driving a Volkswagon. Suddenly the world is filled with Volkswagons.

I haven't much to say except that the first waves of homesickness struck last week. I did what every good mother would do. I called my dog... but she wasn't home. Now that Kansas has a job, that girl is never home. Did you know that she's 'working' on a horse farm dedicated to breeding monozygote apppolusas? (Someone tell me how to spell this correctly please. I made the fatal error of coming to Toronto without my trusty dictionary) She's the chief foreman and adjudicator of barncat disputes, puppy dog napping times, line ups for who's first to get into the truck, and general issues of confusion, she voting for more of it every time, of course. So far she's reported to be doing a splendid job! I expect that by the time I return home she'll be so advanced that she'll able to support me in the fashion to which I'm fast becoming accustomed.

This is Miss K on one of her more contrite days. Happy Autumn all! Sandra

HELP SANDRA FLY! AIRMILES FOR SANDRA

PICK UP AN AIRMILES CARD TODAY FROM ARGYLE FINE ART . THEN use it when you do your shopping and every point will make it one step easier for Sandra to travel when she needs to after surgery and her caregivers to travel to TO now! IT's EASY!

DAWN MACNUTT WRITES:
When Sandra had her first transplant nine years ago, I was able to set up a corporate account and distribute nearly a hundred Sandra Winter Air miles collector cards so that many people could collect points for Sandra’s travel and her caregivers. Points are collected by purchasing at eligible businesses, which include Sobey’s, the Bay, Chapters, Holiday Inn, Eddie Bauer, Expedia, Amazon Books. For complete list of retailers, check http://www.airmilesshops.ca/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=airmilesshops/Home&RefererPage=RNC3_SearchByCategory_1127326545027_PageNumber_1_TopNav_1116341051168

While points accumulate slowly on an individual basis, many collectors mean substantial numbers, so that Sandra’s necessary travels back and forth to Toronto were pretty well covered through these years.

If anyone has one of the Sandra Winter Travel Collector cards, they can still collect for her travels and those of her caregivers (same account as before). Someone asked if they could transfer the points they have accumulated on their own personal Airmiles card. I checked and the way to do that would be to close your current personal account and transfer all your points to her account... there is no provision for partial transfer.