The right coast.

I love the BC coast. I could not imagine living anywhere else.  I love the forest, I love the ocean.  I love the great blue skies (when you can see them) and I love the rain that falls... hmmm... that weirdly started to sound like the "Discovery Song"!  The last week truly felt like a gift spending time first  with my immediate family, and then more of our other family members.

It has been an amazing week since I left work a week ago. 

We travelled through Duke Point - what a different ferry experience, especially considering that this is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.  It was great.  Everything went smoothly coming and going, and we didn't have to pay for any reservation fees.  I think we have this down to a fine art.

We stayed two days in Parksville at Beach Acres (love it) and then two days at my coz's place in Nanaimo.  Over the last few years, we have worked on a great tradition.  To Nanaimo for Easter, and for them to come out our way for Thanksgiving.  It has worked out well.  It seems like every time we get together, it is getting easier, and more fun. 

Wednesday was a good day - we had lunch with my Aunt Sue, and then we checked in at BA.  We went for dinner at the British Bobby (interior decor was cool but the fish and chips didn't quite hit the expected mark), and then back for a campfire on the beach.  It took a few times to get it going, but it was awesome being on the beach, with a campfire, and having the first marshmellows of the season. I am not sure if we should have introduced s'mores... the boys have  a wee addiction to them now...

Thursday was amazing.  We did it all.  We started at Englishman River Falls and all of us went to the stunning upper falls.  C and I hiked around to the lower falls where K and B picked us up.  Compared to the unexpected beauty and bounty of the upper falls, the lower falls were a bit anticlimatic.  These falls floored me and literally brought a tear to my eye.  They are almost shaped like a wide horseshoe, and then they cascade in to a cut in the rock and then travel for about a 100 feet before they start to plunge down again.  There was a lot of mist in the air, everything was damp, and the trees reached up to the heavens.  It was one of those magical places that catch you off guard.

Next up, Little Qualicum Falls.  This time we started at the lower falls, and then C and I walked around to the upper falls.  It was really nice, but I think we were a little spoiled having been to Englishman River first.  At the upper falls, there was a memorial to a kid that had fallen in to the falls a few years ago - 17 years old.  This falls under a 'preventable' accident.. and we do talk to our boys about them.  There is something to be said about 'calculated' risks.  We had lunch in the parking lot - surrounded by forest, and the sounds of birds.

We hit the highway, followed the shores of Cameron Lake (reminds me of Crescent Lake in the Olympic Forest in WA) and then stopped at Cathedral Grove.  It has been a few years since we have stopped here, and it continues to be breathtaking.  Seeing the old growth trees, and touching them, and breathing in the rich, fertile soils, it puts things in perspective how tiny each of our individual lives are.  We accidentally did the "longer" walk... and all of it was great.  I think the kids really enjoyed it too - this is the important stuff for them to remember...

Then we hit Coombs for some snacks, and then to the Community Park near the beach in Parksville, and then back to BA for a swim and hot tub, and then out to Rathtrevor Beach for a walk (love it there...) saw a few eagles and had a up close and personal experience with a few deer, and then we hit Starbucks for some teas and hot chocolates and hit the community beach (reminded me of parking with my gran when we used to visit - we would get coffees and sit near the beach in later years) and then finally home.  It was an awesome day.

Then up the coast and back to Nanaimo for a great time with our family.  K got to go fishing with the boys on Saturday and the girls took the kids bowling and to the park.  We ended up having a crab feast at midnight, and we caught an early ferry home on Sunday.  All of it was good.  Great experiences, good food, our kids had a lot of fun together... K and I even got to have our coffees together on the beach alone on Friday morning... like our trip to Seattle last November... this was a much needed break and good time for us to be together.

And yet another beach

Looking outside this morning, I gambled that the cloud cover was marine cloud that would burn off pretty quickly. It did! I had a great day at my favourite beach, had some fish and chips, and we all built a sand castle!

Roar! I am a Brandonsaurus!

I am a goofy kid!

Times like this are precious. I have been itching to get out here for months.. so it was great to get out and play!

and that is that

My island tour ended with a bit of excitement...

Wednesday going in to Thursday Ken ended up some nasty food poisoning and extreme dehydration. This evolved in to a midnight trip to the ER and then many bags of saline to rehydrate my man. After a few hours of this, back at home, trying to reacquaint himself with his internal organs, Ken ended up having an allergic reaction to some chunky soup.

Victoria was almost canceled until I could hear it in his voice that he was on the mend, and that ultimately, coming home with two kids cooped up in a car for 4 hours probably wasn't the best thing for someone who desperately needed some rest.

Victoria was lovely, and it was just awesome to spend time with my Coz and her wee man. In many ways, she is like a little sister, and as we are aging, and now both moms, I recognize more family traits then every before. I also appreciate her, her sense of humor more too, and her man. Her hubby cooks like mine - well, and lots! I was able to hand off four bags of kids gear to her, and I was grateful.. and it made me smile to see her use the backpack I had used with Connor as well... something to be said about paying forward gently used kids stuff, watching the chain continue.

I am including this picture from our last night in Victoria, coming home from an amazing dinner at Santiago's... (it was touch and go for a few minutes, got Connor in the high chair and he started to move... I then used the napkins to tie him in to the chair and all was good!) My dudes are completely flaked out and exhausted, and Eli looks like he could go another round. Too funny. I had a great island tour - wonderful wedding, great beaches, and some amazing time with my family.

The wee dudes, exhausted after a week of traveling between Nanaimo, Parksville, Comox, and Victoria... with all stops in between!!

Eli... ready to go at least one more round!!!

Halfway through and island tour

After putting my DH on a plane for Vancouver, me and the boys headed to my Aunt's to pick up the girls and then head up island.

Mental note- Coombs on a long weekend, sheer stupidity.

Everyone and their dog was in Coombs. No, wait. Almost everyone. Everyone who wasn't in Coombs was in Parksville along the beach and boardwalk where people were parked everywhere!!! Total chaos.

Nothing like going sideways, hitting a fast food joint, and heading to Rathtrevor Beach. Now this was a surprise.. the beach was calm. We got parking - hell, we ended up with free parking because a lady gave me her ticket as she was leaving (we all know how much I love free parking) and there weren't that many people around. Yes, it was busy, but nothing like what we had just experienced.

Rathtrevor beach is beautiful. The vista is breathtaking, and the sandy beaches that stretch out for miles are nothing to sneeze at either. Now that I have young children, I appreciate that sand. Rocky beaches aren't great for toddlers. They just don't get a lot out of them for some strange reason.

Had a great time, and then headed back to my Aunts.. and then over to my cousin's for dinner.. and man, did we eat good. Nothing like good times with your favourite cousins and Aunt... and good food!! We even got some cheesy girl-tv...

Today I went up island to visit my folks, visiting some family friends in Comox. It was great - the drive was uneventful (that inland island highway is a fast highway!!) and the weather is spectacular. Spent the day on the beach, watching life go by.

The coolest thing about this trip is that Brandon has discovered beach combing... the wonder as he picks up crab, and tosses rocks around.. it is cool to see the wonder through his eyes. Connor just trucks along at his pace, pushing forward and toddling along. It is a cool experience heading out there now, with both kids mobile and curious. Took the old island highway back to my Aunts.. and ruminated about tomorrow's plans.. I think I will have coffee with my cousin in the morning and then back to Rathtrevor tomorrow. Time to build a sand castle!!!

Been another nice night of visiting, and then going to the park, night time routine, and then watching a girly movie. I love my husband, and I do miss him lots, and it has also been nice to have a few days of hitting beaches and watching shows I don't normally watch, spending time with the girls, and eating way too much good food. I think I will need to eat salads for a week after all the feasting we have been doing... it is nice to miss him, and hopefully be missed too! I am planning to head home on Friday.. after Rathtrevor and Parksville, and then a few days in Victoria. I feel pretty damn lucky.

Island Tour

After madly cleaning and doing laundry on Friday night, we got up at the crack of dawn to catch an early ferry on Saturday morning. See, my youngest cousin was getting hitched in the afternoon, and it is nice to get there with as little panic as necessary.

I think the ferry is a right of passage here on the coast - waiting in those line ups, that guy who never changes who has been selling the papers there, walking those line ups as long as I can remember, barely making ferries just as easily as missing them by a car. I can think of countless times I have wandered around Horseshoe Bay, just waiting for your ferry to come in, the sound of the horns as they round the corner.. and looking for the elusive beer can tree that clings to the side of the cliffs as you pull in.

Reservations do make life easier. It was nice getting there early and bypassing all the lineups.

The wedding was good - we were able to lend a helping hand with set up (which was cool to pay forward a favour... I have no idea of how many and who truly ended up being our helping hands, but truly, it is amazing how it all gets done, it was nice to do that for someone else) and even check in to our hotel early, so we all were at our finest.

I must say - weddings are a different experience when you are travelling with a 4 and 1 year old(s). The dynamic changes - neither of us caught all of the festivities, but we caught enough. The food was good, we enjoyed a night together... took all the boys back to the hotel and then I went back and ended up talking mostly to my cousin, and then watching my brother hit on one of the guests... by the end of the night, I got my bro home safely and I was just so happy to be home with my own guys...

Sunday we went to Newcastle Island on the little ferry that takes people back and forth from the harbour. For some reason, I find Newcastle just enchanting. This is our second time going, and each time we have had completely different experiences. It is a small island just in Departure Bay - it has a bit of everything, great beaches, old mill stone factory workings, evidence of the past, open fields, great hiking... it is a magic place.

After we went back to the hotel and we had a few quiet hours.. the boys slept and I finished my book and then we headed to my Aunt's for some family time - it was nice. Got to see all the important folks, have a great meal, and the time flew. Definitely a bit of chaos with both the boys and people eating on varying schedules. With two it makes it interesting - it is more of a juggle.

Brandon was so handsome in his suit, and Connor was so adorable in his plaid shirt :D My 95 year old gran looked amazing, and truly, I can't believe I have 2 kids, my cousin Carly has a kid... and Abby is married. Wow. It is really cool.

Home, sweet home.

It is amazing how much one can accomplish in 48 hours without kids. It is also equally amazing how quickly you can fall out of parenting mode, only to find yourself exchanging that attitude again once you are greeted with your kids!

We had two glorious days in Vegas. I couldn't imagine us having had the chance to do more than we did. Saw the Phantom at the Venetian, it was okay, we went to the Outlets, once again, they were decent. Got myself a swimsuit out of desperation (recall one Penguin Plunge in awkward fitting and ego killing suit) and a few new pairs of shoes. I love my shoes. A balance of practical, a little edgy, and just damn cool. We went to Fremont Street and had a big shrimp cocktail (paired with a guinness, quite lovely I must say) and watched the show, we saw the Bodies exhibit at teh Luxor, which was cool in a way that is hard to describe, hung out at the House of Blues, and we saw the Lion King at Mandalay Bay.

Lion King blew my socks off. It made Phantom seem very average. Lion King was awesome. The opening scenes brought tears to my eyes, and the singing, oh la la, the singing was amazing. It was one of the top three shows "big" shows I have ever seen in my life. Wow. Every little detail was really well done and choreographed. The costumes were great, our seats were great, the characters were right on. Just magic.

We ate a little, we gambled a little, we walked a lot. We just enjoyed being us together, no kids. It was a great time to connect and do something out of the ordinary for us. Highly recommend as good for the soul.

Mt. St. Helens

Well, we originally intended to come home on Saturday. On a whim, we decided to stay another night and see Mt. St. Helens.

Wow.

It's amazing what sits in memory, and what comes back. I was only 7 when St. Helens blew, but I still remember... and seeing the landscape wasn't what I expected. Yes, I have google-earthed the area a few times, and yes, the area around the eruption/blast zone was about what I expected, what I felt after seeing St. Helens was surprisingly though- I felt. hope. The vegetation is lush once you are away from the immediate area around the mount, and it is beautiful. Where getting to Rainier is a twisting, old growth lined road, the road to Helen is a gently rolling road with some incline. It is visually strange seeing so many trees the same height, and the noble firs were gorgeous to see as a grove and not as a Christmas tree. Nobles are very symmetrical, so interesting to the eye as you speed by.

We had some terrible weather at the top, got soaked a few times. Although, weather on mountains moves pretty fast, so we stuck it out and ended up with some pretty good views of the mount. Never did see the whole thing, but we did see the glacier that is forming, and most of the outlying areas. The devastation 30 years later is unreal. Seeing the green on the slopes, and seeing the rebirth is uplifting and reminds you of the cycles of life. We will be back one day to see even more of the mountains.

Must say, traveling with the young ones isn't always easy. Dealing with food, bathroom trips, breastfeeding in the van, and then when Connor would cry, and cry, and well... cry until he would fall asleep. When you take away the routine, life does get a little crazy. All in all, the boys were troopers considering that we covered about 1500 kms in 4 days...

GoldStream

Today was a long, but really great day. We caught the 7:45 ferry to Vancouver Island and even though it is a 3 hour tour with a few stops in the San Juans, it didn't feel like a 3 hour ferry ride. It was a beautiful, scenic trip through the many islands of every size. Some were barely big enough to dock a boat at, and others were larger, inhabited islands where you could hang your hat for a few days and stay a while. The rains held off, and it wasn't stormy (yet). We had to reserve to do the Anacortes-Sidney run, but the deposit actually came off of our fare, unlike when you reserve with BC Ferries. There is a huge gap between how the 2 ferry systems seem to be run - WSF seems to the "get'er done" cousin, offering simple service often. The ferries are older and serviceable, and not all that swank. What BCF seems to offer is more of an "experience" on really nice ferries with good (read overpriced) eating, up to date everything, and just not as convenient. Unless you travel to the island once a year... who needs all the frills?? Give me more ferries, a little cheaper, and cheap eats.

Doing the run between Sidney and Nanny-Mo for my Gran's 93rd birthday party we noticed a lot of seagulls in the Malahat area. The Malahat is stunning, most times that we have driven through here there are tendrils of mists and rain cloaking its' peaks, and you can't help but look in wonder at the moss dropping from the old growth cedars. It is a place that screams out temperate rainforest, and come take a walk in my trees and streams (yes, I am waxing a little poetic today). The posted provincial park signs (how is that for a little alliteration) proclaimed that it was salmon run time, so we stopped at Goldstream to watch the majestic run of the salmon. I had heard that this was one of the best places to watch the beginning of the spawn, and the rumors are true. You could see hundreds of salmon any where you looked at the river, and seagulls were perched on the rocks - a bit macabre - waiting for the fish (and not always) to do their duty.. you could smell the fecundity since there were corpses along the sides of the river of salmon that had already completed their life cycle. It was truly a sight to see, and I was really glad that we stopped. The parking lots were full and it was a bit of a trek down to the river, but it is humbling to watch.

We continued our blitz up island, had a great afternoon with the family, and then it was almost time to head home. The storm that was called for was rolling in with a lot of wind and rain... which made for an interesting ferry ride back to the coast. It was a wild ride - Ken stayed in the car with Brandon (who was asleep as soon as we were out my aunt's driveway) and my brother and I went topside - the wind and rain lashed us, and we couldn't really make it to the front of the boat it was blowing that hard - you could stand, leaning forward, and the wind filled your clothes and whipped the rain in your face like sharp needles. It was a thrill - there were whitecaps, and rollers, and you just knew that the next ferry (if there was one) would be canceled. Several banks of seats were roped off, and sick bags were left in different areas of the passenger decks (which made me laugh, I guess I should be thankful I don't get seasick).

It was a whirlwind trip, we shopped 'till we dropped, got to see some new sights, and it was great to get away. Now it's hard the last stretch of the year....

We made it back to Pimainus

It seems like a lifetime ago, but before we got pregnant with Brandon and tied the knot, we went to a place called Pimainus Lake, a long way down a dirt road outside of Merritt. It is a beautiful place, quiet and relaxing. It was great to get away - even though it was a mad panic for me since I worked until 11am and then we left at noon. I stood there looking at my clothes and I didn't have a clue what to pack. I know I had a stupid look on my face, and that was the least I have ever packed to go anywhere (I normally pack everything and the kitchen sink to get away, I guess all the traveling I have done has meant that I have been able to let go of that habit to a certain extent).

We spent 5 days at the lake (really 3 full days if you exclude the traveling on both sides), reading, chilling by the campfire, got in a few great hikes, some fishing, and just hanging about in the great outdoors recharging my batteries. Brandon seems to do well no matter what situation we throw him in to - he is a cool dude that way. Trips like this make the work days bearable. Having memories of the places that you have seen and experienced with your dear ones. I like having a home base, but I thrive on being able to get out and experience new things, or at least something different from the same old, same old. I feel that you need to remove yourself from your daily routine in order to relax, get away from it all. Especially when were you head to does not have cell service or electricity!!!

At the top of Spaist Mountain... about 2.7 km up, 332 meter gain.. woo woo!!

Southern Cariboo Trails

There were a few times that Nej and I looked back in either vehicle, and thought, wow, who would have thunk that over 20 years ago we would be piled up in an SUV or a minivan with our 3 kids in the back - how cool is that???? Our collective first stop today was to visit a section of the original Cariboo Waggon Trail just outside of 99 Mile. It is quite the feat to consider this trail - that it stretched up to Barkerville, the 2nd largest city in the west after San Fran in 1868 and the Cariboo Gold Rush... humbling in a sense, considering what the lure of gold and a hardy disposition (or just plain foolhardy and ignorance of what lies ahead) when you consider the worn waggon tracks, that camels also made this trek up north, the distances involved, and the sheer extremes in geography and weather...

From here we stopped at Mount Begbie, at 90 something mile and since Brandon was asleep in teh car, each of us took a turn with either of her kids to take a gander up a goat trail to the top.

Unfortunately, me and her youngests' experience was drastically different from ours. We made it to the top and took in absolutely breath taking 360 degree views...

Perhaps the term "goat trail" is stretching things a little... looks somewhat extreme in retrospect

a weekend blur

We just got back from heading stateside on a very last minute trip to Bellingham. It wasn't really planned, and just kind of happened. It was freaking fantastic!!!

Our hotel was central, included a continental breakfast (which really does end saving you time and money), and had an indoor pool and hot tub. Both nights we were there Brandon and I went in the pool and bobbed around. It has been a while since I have had him at the pool, so each time for the first few minutes he clung to me for dear life, until he relaxed and remembered that he does like being in the pool.

We hit the outlet stores (got some amazing deals, I am really stoked. I got some new bras, a summer dress , some shoes, a new purse.. I went all girlie!!! How can they have prices like they do??? We got 5 onesies for $5.99!!!!!!! You just don't find deals like that here) and had some great meals, got in a few naps, I traded a few used books in, and got a trunk full of other titles. I am almost good for books for the next few months! The other best part was getting out for some time in the local parks.

We went to Whatcom Falls Park and went exploring through some of the trails, through the fish hatchery, and off to see the falls. As far as urban parks go, this one is a gem! Total fluke too, we found it as an entry on the GPS! Ok ok, so I am not always the gadget girl, but I am really starting to warm up to having a GPS for road trips. You find stuff that you wouldn't find otherwise.

We also spent some time at Larrabee State Park, which is another gem of a park. In the future, I have earmarked this one as another good place to camp! The beach access isn't great, but there is enough room to snap up some beach, lay down your blanket, and have some privacy for a picnic. Of course, there is always the added bonus of watching some yahoos try to back their trucks in to the water to launch or pick up their boats. This took place in a bay one over, and one unlucky fellow turned a boat launch in to an excuse to become a public spectacle and probably turned this in to a very expensive weekend for himself by driving their vehicle way too far in to the water, with the tide coming in, and wedging their boat on the trailer. Made for some interesting watching!


It was a great getaway. It felt like we really had a bit of a holiday, especially because it wasn't planned, it was quite spontaneous, the shopping was great, got to go for some hikes, and once again, Brandon is proving to be a really good traveler.

The back 40

Back at last!!! As I am catching up and writing this looking back a week, this was a good holiday. For me, there is something about a road trip and getting out and seeing new places (or old places that you haven't been for a few years), and just getting out of your normal comfort zone.

We headed out just over a week ago to stay with Nej for a night, and then to head further north to head out to Bowron Lake. Bowron is one of my favorite places to visit. As long as the weather doesn't sock in for several days, storms usually pass with in a few hours, and you get the whole gamut of weather types, every day. I love our family history here as well - that my great grandparents on my dad's side first moved here back in the 30's and carved out their existence at the lake, and then living in town the rest of the year. I love that my Nana's cabin still stands, even if it holds canoe carts now. I love that although the lodge has changed, and it is my cousin Jim that runs the show instead of my Uncle Roy, at this point it is still family run and my maiden name still is well known. Amazing that in this land of recent peoples, our family has been at this lake for 5 generations. That is something! I guess it is the whole ball of wax - I like the Cariboo, I like being out the woods and I was glad that we rented a cabin, it was good to be with my folks, the fishing was good, we got out to Barkerville for a day, saw some wildlife at a distance (black bears, moose, deer, rabbits, eagles, etc) the weather was decent - we got everything from thunder and lightning and hail, to bright blue sun. Sometimes the extremes happened all in the same day. There were times where the lake looked like the ocean!! Once again, so much for going for a swim. I am just not as willing to freeze my ass off to say that I made it in for a swim!!

It was a learning experience for how long it is good to have an infant in the car on a road trip (about 5 hours max a day is reasonable, make a note for future excursions), and it is always good to not have a dinky dough nut for a spare tire it a flat happens when you are out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road (we had a real spare which was employed after a rock lodged itself firmly in a tire on the way back to the lake).

I could go on and on about our trip, but almost easier to do a bit of a photo collage.

I am not sure how to explain this tree, perhaps you can hazard a guess??!!!

Some rainbows and some kokanees, fresh out of the lake and on to the fire!

A wild strawberry... tasty, but small!!!

It is almost more dramatic when the blue skies peek through the clouds and the lake is as smooth as glass, I can sit and look out at the lake for hours.

Beach weather

So, this morning, after a few plans got redefined, I packed up Brandon and we headed out to a Marine Park. I love it here. I love that it isn't that widely known, and that most times, I really don't see many people here. I love that it is on the ocean, and you never know what you are going to see. Today is was clear, a little bit of a breeze, and warm. It feels like July or August, not the first of June. I was pretty snap happy, capturing moments in the sun, and just trying to get some good candid shots. It is the strangest beach front area because the dykes are all built up from old asphalt and bricks, and cement blocks with poles or fence posts sticking out of them - a real hodge podge of urban detritus meets the pounding surf and relentless pull of the tides.

In some areas, it looks like walls that come out from nowhere along the beach, and random blocks of cement with a pole that has been forgotten in the sand. Then you look up, and you can see clear out to North Vancouver and then out across at Belcarra, and it is easy to forget that you are so close to the city. I love little known areas that people don't always frequent.. it is nice to not be shoulder to shoulder with the person next to you. In that way, I have to laugh when I realize I have still held on to some of my small town roots.

Ok. Perhaps scattered roots since we moved around a lot when I was growing up, although when push comes to shove, I do consider a small town in the valley my home town. Maybe not so much anymore, but it is where I consider that I "grew up"... which is a whole different post for another day.

A view images from our trip to Alberta...

Who knew there were white outs the week before?
Hey, has anyone seen my dog???

Out in the back 40, 100 miles east of Calgary

The old, red barn. The quintessential part of any farm.

Bison, meet Brandon (just outside of Fort Calgary).

Lake Louise, a little socked in so you can't see the glacier at the end of the lake... there were some snow drifts around the lake which came up past my knees... and yes, I found that out that hard way!! The lake is just starting to break up, and there were home made "caution, thin ice" signs posted all over the place, which to me seemed a bit incongruous considering the location and how much it costs to stay here! You can just the outline of the shinny rink!

The art of the story

Yesterday Brandon and I hooked up with all the girls on our Albertan side of the family. We went to a country restaurant about an hour outside of Cowtown, about a 1/4 mile off of the Number 1, and in the middle of a big wheat field. The food was what you would expect from a place like that - home cooking served by the daughters of the household. One half of the converted house was the restaurant, and the other was a gift shop with really neat odds and ends that you just can't find every where. It was great to hang with the women, and lunch was capped off with a slice of Flapper Pie. A very simple but tasty concoction of custard, graham wafers, and some merange (sp?) on top. I took a moment when someone was holding my baby to run stuff out to the car and just take a look around. You can watch the clouds dance across the land, and look out forever. Although some areas of Alberta have had a really long and tough winter, this area is already pretty dry and ready for the farming to begin again. I stood and took a picture in each direction, north, south, east, and west because it is such a different environment to me. Yup. I am a coast girl through and through.

The evening finished with a family dinner and reuniting with the boys. Nothing like good eats and great company. I love kicking back with a game in the background (too bad the Canadian team didn't win) when everyone is relaxed and then the stories start to come out. See, not everyone understands the art of storytelling. Some people think that storytelling means that you drag out all the old stuff that is better left in a closet because no one is better off hearing that story again. Nope, the true art of the story is bringing out the slightly embarrassing or incriminating (or both) stories about friends and family and regaling the next generation and newbies to the family legends. Whether it be the sort of the "remember when they shot the bear from the porch" variety or the "do you remember Jake, the rubber chicken?" you know you should just grab your drink. kick back, and enjoy the ride.

*NB - not all good stories involve someone with a red face or doing something a little edgy... but many of them are. But good stories are gems in your arsenal of life experience, to be treasured and brought out at the right time. Now I am definitely getting the urge to do some camping!!!!

Not so wild animals

Hard to believe that our holiday has already passed the hump day and has started to gather speed down the back half. We spent a good morning at the Zoo, hooked up with some family, and got to experience what life is like with a 3 year old. Welcome to the battle of the wills. No wait, there was no battle, he just tried to do what he wanted to do and the rest of us be damned! Actually he was pretty good - he loved being at the Zoo, but doesn't have the attention span for it all like we do. I would have thought that the animals would have held his attention a lot more, but he was stuck on climbing everything, or that play area over there, or filling his belly than he was at looking at the apes, tigers, and giraffes.

It was fun - Brandon was awesome and took it all in stride. It is really warm, and all of our cheeks are a little rosy. I feel a little bad because I thought that I had B's gilligan's hat on but not long enough because I think this would be his first teaser of a sun burn. Chaulk it up to a learning experience. The weather has been better this week than it was the week that I came out last year in May. It is in double digits, and the wind offers a bit of a reprieve.

After the zoo we have come back home to chill, and the boys are prepping dinner. Alberta beef (read steak), and some veggies thrown in for good measure. Perhaps some vino, some music, lots of talk. Tomorrow we are going to head out to Lake Louise and Banff.

The back 40

There is nothing like family history and being able to experience a piece of it when it has been in your family for generations. We got out to what once was Ken's grandparents farm when they first came over and homesteaded from Scotland. His Aunt and Uncle are still at the farm, and for now, it is still being farmed by family.

The original house still stands, and it puts things in to perspective when you consider how little space a whole family could live in (quite happily). I love being able to explore the land - the old red barn, the original buildings, those prairie things called Quonset huts, and grain elevators, and old machinery, and just cool stuff that gathers on a farm over time. Chasing the barn cats, the sun on our faces, and being able to bring the generation back to where part of it started. I did do a search on the old titles, and on the government websites you can find the old homesteading deeds. We have a bit of a shared heritage because my mom's grandparents also homesteaded in 1905/1906 when the west was opened up but they chose Saskabush instead before eventually heading west.

I think the prairies are beautiful in their own way - the big skies and rolling hills (even if they are brown and spotted with the last remnants of winter), but it is the smell of the ocean that lifts up my heart and where I feel the most at home. I have come to really appreciate Alberta through our visits, and I really think that being able to go to farm and visit it just really something else. Being able to touch and smell history, to hear the stories, and experience the timelessness of the farming, and then to have a warm house to retreat too, and the smell of fresh apple pie.

Driving home, full and satiated, it is strange to drive for so long in a straight line. This part of the trip meant a lot to both of us, and driving home we were both quiet, taking it all in.

The box

Last night we checked out the local junior hockey game. Gilly scored some awesome tickets through work (a real advantage to working in the private sector vs. the private sector) and we had a box all to our selves and got to hang out like rockstars. This is Brandon's first official big(ger) league hockey game, and I agreed to bring him because of the awesome seats and being able to shelter him from some of the noise. Well, he danced and smiled, and wooed the people around him. We enjoyed over priced beer and chips, and it was great. Unreal how much it can cost to go to a game, even when you had a helping hand with the tickets. Entertainment isn't cheap! I have found that I would rather support the junior leagues a little more on the line for the boys hitting the draft.

The highlight had to be after the game, when we rearranged all the furniture in the box and watched the end of the 'Nucks game. Our hoots and hollars when they won filled the Dome.

Today took off to a quiet start and then we went off to Fort Calgary. Getting in and out our area in Cowtown has been interesting - as navigator I have not always been a shining star but I am getting the hang of this city. Granted, with so many new neighborhoods, and not so many land markers, some hoods look just like the other, and you have to really pay attention to the rights and lefts and subtle variations in place names. Calgary does seem to have a much better infrastructure than we do, between the paths and some forethought in to planning their streets and highways. Then again, you are dealing with the prairies rather than a limited land space like the fraser valley. BUT much better planned than we have at home in many areas. The Fort was cool, not as detailed as Fort Langley but an interesting look in to our past and the NWMP roots of the men in red serge. It appears that our quest for a blooming onion has hit yet another snag, after fighting traffic to hit the restaurant, we were told it was closed down by the health department because they blew a hot water tank as an inspection happened. Right.

Cow Town!

Clear skies and house tops is what I can see from where I sit!

Here were are in Cowtown, and after the tales of the white out conditions last week, the tides have turned and the weather is fantastic today. It also makes me look like I have over packed, or packed for completely the wrong season. For some reason I have not gotten out of the habit of packing my half of our bag until the morning of departure. It is how I roll. I think the worst occaison repacking happened when I was in Cairo, trying to get everything to fit back in to my bag and having a really rough go at it with a mere hour to go before we had to get back to the airport. Having only about an hour or two of sleep at that pointed had not helped things along either. Ah well, with years of practise I am quite good at it.

In Calgary, it is amazing that you are about 40 minutes away from the Rocky Mtns and yet when you live on the outskirts of the city, the city looms in the distance, with only a few rolling hills to separate you. No mountains, no green majestic sweeps of trees, just some smaller trees scattered around and some grass that is damn happy to see the sun right about now and some remaining patches of snow melting away.

Today has been a great mellow day. We are all moving pretty slow, Ken from a long week or two at work, me from just life in general. Well- the last few weeks have been crazy busy for us with the water babies, and other side trips that we have had going on. Brandon is having an amazing nap - between the cold he has had (nothing extreme just there) to all the excitement of the flight and visiting with loved ones, he is just done in today. Hell, we all are. I snatched up a book, and between foraging for food, making Brandon some baby food, a short walk, and my own nap, that sounds like heaven to me right now. It is nice being in someone else's house, where I am not worrying about doing this or that, I just am. It is also cool watching Ken and PKY hang, there is nothing in this world like your bestest friends - the few people who have known you since you were a kid, and you have stuck together closer than family because you chose each other. Of course I have my own copilot to chill with, and it was damn cool to have a gang of folk at the airport to greet us.

Albertan Brunch

Who needs rice, or carrots, or any of that green stuff? It is just filler when you have something like this one the grill! What a great way to kick off a holiday in Cow Town with some of your closest friends.. and then later on... family