Catching up - Summer 2009

Well, we're finally starting to catch up with the blog. Only two months behind now. We headed south on September 23 and plan to be home in early December for the Christmas holidays. Ted's hoping it's a warmer December than last year and so am I. I don't want to hear him whine about the cold!! Same drill as before - oldest entries at the bottom, newest on the top so it's best to start at the bottom and work your way up. Captions are below the pictures. Hope you enjoy!

Don't you love his pouty face? I'm not sure what he's pouting about, but I'm sure I was wearing the same expression on my face when we had to say good-bye before we headed south. We'll miss our Hunter hugs!

Looks like Hunter and great-uncle Don aren't sure what to make of each other!

September 20 - Ted's brother and sister-in-law, Don and Nancy, flew in from Toronto to attend the wedding. After the wedding they drove to Lethbridge with us for a short visit before flying home. On the way we stopped at Melanie and Clayton's so they could meet Hunter.

Rube and Ann - Ted's aunt and uncle and proud grandparents of the bride.

Sarah's brother, David, and his girlfriend.

Ken and his daughter, Maggie, Sarah's maid of honour.

Brenda and Ken enjoying their daughter's wedding.

September 19 - We were happy to attend the wedding of John and Sarah, the daughter of Ted's cousin, Ken and his wife Brenda, in Edmonton. It was a beautiful ceremony and John and Sarah are a wonderful couple.

Did you know that the word "Cabri" originated from the early explorers' pronunciation of the aboriginal word for antelope? Guess they were just as many of them then as there are now.

A sight that only those born and raised on the prairies can really appreciate.

Brian doing one of his favourite things - harvesting his crop. I got to make a few rounds in the combine with him and I really enjoyed it. It had been a long time. September 7 - Back in Saskatchewan. We went out to the farm to see how the harvest was going and saw another strange sight - a truck pulling a steel bin down the road. Actually it was my niece's husband, Murray, towing home a bin from Brian's farm.

September 5 - The High Level Bridge in Lethbridge celebrated its 100th birthday. At 1624 metres in length, the bridge is the largest railway structure in Canada. The lighting of the bridge was the culmination of the "In the Shadow of the Bridge" festival. It was pretty impressive; pictures don't do it justice.

September 2 - Melanie and Hunter came to visit while Ted went golfing at Canmore with his Vulcan buddies. We met at the farm at Vulcan and introduced Hunter to the cows that our neighbour is pasturing at the farm.

Of course the best thing about the Sea to Sky Highway is the beautiful scenery!

The safety of the Sea to Sky highway fromVancouver to Whistler has been greatly improved by widening it and adding concrete dividers. The real bonus is that by making it a divided highway in places, you can make the trip much faster than before.

On the return trip to Vancouver we saw a sight you don't see very often any more - a passenger train! This was the Rocky Mountaineer using the old BC Rail track.

The Mountain West Music Festival was taking place that weekend. Musicians and vendor booths lined the streets and it was so crowded you could hardly move. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when the Olympic competitors and fans arrive.

August 23 - Upon our return to the mainland, we decided to take a trip to Whistler-Blackcomb and see where the Olympic ski competitions were going to be held. We had never been there before so we thought this would be a good opportunity. This is one of the gondolas to the Blackcomb ski hill. An unusual feature of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski area is the Peak to Peak gondola which opened in December, 2008. It connects the two mountain peaks at an elevation of 6,000 ft. The gondola has a total length of 4.4 km and the longest unsupported span for a lift of its kind in the world at 3.02 km.

The annual Parksville Sand Castle Competition had just ended so we decided to check it out. The theme this year was the Olympics and some of the displays were simply amazing in their detail. This wasn't a winner, but I appreciated the humour behind it. It seems to epitomize the ice skating competition and the favouritism often apparent in the judging. Even though the skater had fallen through the ice, the judges "Hear no evil", "See no evil" and "Speak no evil" gave the competitor top marks. Unfortunately several of the sand castles had been vandalized.

Dave and Jody are building a beautiful new home just a few miles from their current home. Wouldn't you love to wake up to this ocean view every morning?

August 22 - We took the ferry over to Vancouver Island and spent a few days visiting with Jody, Dave, Caitlyn, Daniel, Lisa and Jon. Dave's parents, Walter and Nadia, joined Jody and Lisa around the firepit after a delicious supper.

Bridal Veil Falls is just a short hike from the campground.

August 17 - On the road yet again - this time to B.C. (and Ted thought his life on the road was over!!) This was our campsite at Camperland near Chilliwack. We loved the big private sites with the mountains as a backdrop.

Marisa, Shelly and Jordan checking out my "Grandma's Brag Book".

August 3 - From Yorkton we went to Cabri and then over to Clearwater Lake to spend some time with Brian, Shelly and their kids at their cabin. Shelly and the kids spend as as much time as possible at the lake during the summer and who can blame them?

As we were leaving, Kim brought out one of the angora rabbits to say good-bye. You wouldn't believe how soft and cuddly they are.

Kim & Elvin love animals. They have Shetland ponies, several varieties of chickens, pigs, angora rabbits, cows, and horses to name just a few. It's a children's paradise and the kids (and adults) had a great time. Scott, Philip, Jan, Isaac, Natalie, Joni (holding a garter snake) and Shelly are enjoying their time on the farm. Their son, Philip and his wife Beth announced that they were expecting so another grandchild is on the way. Congratulations!!

Elvin's mom, Teresa, from Cranbrook enjoyed seeing her granddaughter, Robyn, who now lives near Yorkton.

August 1 - On the road again - this time to Kim & Elvin's 35th wedding anniversary party at their farm just north of Yorkton, SK. Chris came with us and our friend, Jan, from Saskatoon was there as were Kim & Elvin's children and grandchildren and other family members and friends. Kim's brother, Mark, from Ontario, Kim, Elvin's sister, Val, from BC and Elvin were happy to see each other.

One of my biggest fears in life is suspension bridges so of course we had to walk across the one at Rosedale. This time I made it without crawling on all fours or crying so I considered that a great accomplishment. Maybe I'm finally growing up!

July 26 - No visit to Drumheller would be complete without a visit to the hoodoos. You can hardly see Hunter peeking out from his sling! How come they didn't have these nifty things when our kids were little??

Thanks to Uncle Chris, Hunter has an unusual souvenir of his visit to the Tyrell Museum - a huge woolly mammoth. I'm sure he'll grow into it soon!

While there were lots of amazing things inside the museum, there were a few odd sights outside as well. The dog in the back of the motorcycle trailer is real while the cat on the motorcycle is not. I wonder if they're travelling companions! Must have been a windy trip for the poor pooch coming all the way from Quebec!

Time for a rest . . . and a family picture.

I thought this plant and insect display in the Burgess Shale exhibit was really neat!

A little height comparison! And the winner is . . . the dinosaur - by a leg!!

July 25 - Our annual Salken family weekend! Usually we go camping somewhere with little to no services, but this year we decided we'd better have power and not go too far from home so we chose Drumheller. Hunter got his first history lesson at the Tyrell Museum. One thing I never tire of is dinosaurs!

July 11 - Mel and Hunter spent a few days with us. Here's our first 3-generation picture.

In its place a garage was growing. Don't I have a wonderful view from my kitchen window? When Ted said he wanted a low-maintenance yard, I didn't think he meant no-maintenace (or no yard period)!

June 30 - While I was staying at Mel & Clayton's, Ted was a busy boy moving the shed, surveying the back yard and getting permits from the City. Shortly after my return, the bobcat rolled in and the cement trucks arrived and suddenly my back yard disappeared.

June 21 - Melanie's cousin, Lisa, from Nanaimo was visiting family and friends in the area so she stopped by to meet Hunter and have supper with us. Earlier in the day, my friend, Jan, from Saskatoon had also dropped in on her way to B.C.

Great-uncle Ken was there, too, but of course Ted was holding Hunter. He has earned the name "Hunter Hog" for a very good reason.

June 13 - After Clayton had to go back to work, Mel asked me to come and stay for awhile so of course I said "yes!!!!" That was one of the best gifts ever - time with my daughter and grandson! Great-aunt Joyce (my sister) came up from Cabri to meet the newest member of the family.

June 5 - 7 - Back in Wetaskiwin, we attended the annual CP Rail employee and retiree camp-out at Hillside Hall. Over the course of the weekend there were over 30 people in attendance. Good food, a multitude of railroad stories and lots of laughs!

Of course, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

Chris looks very pleased with the new addition to the family. He said he was happy that the pressure was now off of him to produce the first grandchild.

Grandpa Ted looks pretty impressed with his new grandson!

Hunter and his proud parents, Melanie and Clayton. I was so touched when they told me that they had given him his middle name "Keith" in memory of my brother who died 5 years ago. Keith would have been so pleased.

June 3 - The highlight of the summer - the birth of our grandson, Hunter Keith Smith, born Tuesday, June 2nd at 7:32 p.m. at Peter Lougheed Hospital in Calgary. He weighed 6 lbs. 13 ozs. and was 20 1/2 inches long. Meet the beautiful baby and his tired but happy mom!

June 2 - We decided to spend a few days visiting Chris in Wetaskiwin. While there we took a drive over to Camrose and imagine our surprise when we drove past Bittern Lake and noticed that the water in the lake had evaporated and all that remained was alkali. When the wind picked up, you could actually see alkali dust devils swirling over the lake bed. A friend of Ted's who is over 80 said it was only the second time in his lifetime that he had seen the lake dry up. Shortly after, the premier declared the area a disaster area due to the drought conditions.

Welcome to the millstone around Ted's neck, also known as our new home in Lethbridge. He went into a deep depression after possession day. He kept wandering around the house muttering "my life is over, my life is over"! I finally told him to suck it up! I think it will be nice to have a house to go back to at Christmas time instead of sponging off our family members like we did last year. I'm sure they would agree. As it turned out, we spent more time on the road this summer than we did at home so his life was not totally over. However future plans include removing the lawn and putting down gravel so we have a maintenance-free yard. It will be known as "Yuma North"!

Byron & Lynda's daughter, Eryn, and her beautiful baby, Ava, who managed to sleep through most of the festivities.

Byron and Lynda on the dance floor!

Cory and Amanda enjoying a dance. Isn't she a beautiful bride (and the groom's not bad looking either!)

May 23 - We attended the wedding of the son of our good friends, Byron and Lynda, in Crossfield. Cory, Amanda and their wedding party posed for pictures outside the hall.

Clayton and Melanie hosted a birthday party for Chris and Clayton's brother, Jordan, both of whom turned 30 in May. It was a beautiful, sunny day and a great time was held by all.

May 2 - Melanie had grown a bit since we last saw her in January. Only one more month to go!

April 23 - Five days after our return, we knew for sure that we were home when we opened our trailer door. We endured two more snowstorms after this one so you can be sure Ted was not a happy camper!

April 17 - After spending the night in Payson, UT, we continued north. The statue of Mary (our Lady of the Rockies), built on the Continental Divide in Butte, MT, always welcomes us as we head home.

Beaver, Utah - Welcome to winter! Ted kept saying "I think we're going in the wrong direction!!" I had to agree.

April 16 - One of our last views of the desert as we headed north.

April 16th - After hosting a deck-warming party on the 11th, we made final preparations for the trip home. The people who built the deck suggested we cover it to protect the carpet from the full glare of the hot Arizona sun during the summer. When we returned in October, the tarp on the far side of the deck was completely shredded. The only remaining pieces were those caught under the bricks. The rest was scattered all over the yard. Between the wind and the sun, the pieces were so dry that they disintegrated when you stepped on them which did make it easier to clean up. The second tarp fared a little better. Our first order of business when we return will be to order screens for the deck.

The dune buggies, 4x4s, sandrails, etc. were all out in full force at Osborne Overlook in the Imperial Sand Dunes. Following our drive we did some shopping and had supper in Algodones, MX.

We didn't see any iguanas but we did encounter a rattlesnake. It appears that Ted & Steve, who were walking ahead of us, startled it and as Diane and I walked by we could hear the rattling of its tail. I have never heard a rattlesnake's rattles outside of a zoo so you can imagine how freaked out I was. Ted grabbed the camera and got a real close-up of it hiding in the rocks.

April 10 - Diane and Steve were only here for a short time so we took a drive to the Mesquite gold mine and did the short hike to see if we could find some iguanas and lizards.

The purpose of the weiner roast is supposedly to watch the full moon rise over the foothills. It is actually just an excuse to get together and eat (as if we needed an excuse), however the full moon was amazing as it peaked over the mountain top.

April 9 - Our friends, Steve & Diane from Lethbridge, drove down from Vegas to spend a few days with us. It was full moon so, of course, that meant a weiner roast in the foothills. Back row: Paul, Susan, Cathy, Don, Doris, John, Jim & his grandsons. Front row: Ted, me, Diane and Steve. Paul's wife, Pam, took the picture. Lots of stories were told and lots of laughs were shared.