This I Know!

After bidding my sisters farewell, the rest of our time in Colorado revolved around home activities of carving pumpkins for Halloween, doing last minute adjustments to costumes, and church functions.

Melissa is a youth leader for Creekside Bible Church and every year, to raise funds for the youth program, the young people organize a chili cook off.  The idea is the chili that garners the most votes (you vote with dollars, folks) wins.  They also have a pie contest but it isn't as cutthroat.  Everyone gathers at the farm of one of the parishioners to eat chili and pie and vote for the best of each.

Geoff entered his lemon meringue pie and for the first time, Melissa made a chili.  Twenty families donated chilli to the cause.   Every family felt their chili was the best, of course, so the stress on Melissa was intense.  While the adults were testing the food, the kids could take tractor rides, play ball, visited the hens and pigs or feast on what they could grab.  Elijah and Miles basically ate pie after deciding the chilis were too spicy.

I limited my chili tasting to those that were unusual.  Melissa's had two kinds of sausages so that was pretty epic but others featured chicken, elk, bison, venison and even fruit!  The chicken chili had been runner-up several years in a row and this year, they won.  Geoff's pie also won and he received a singing jack-o-lantern as a prize.  I'm not sure who was happier about that gift, Grampy or the kids.

The afternoon ended with a new event, pie-in-the-face of a youth leader.  The idea was the person who received the most money in donations would be 'pied' with whipping cream.  After heavy betting on who would undergo this (Melissa received the most donations), it was decided all the leaders would suffer the indignity of a pie in the face.

It was through Creekside Church worship team (of which Geoff is a member) that Glen and I were introduced to the music of David Crowder Band.  We had sung some of their songs and bought their award-winning Christmas CD.  Last year, Melissa told me Crowder (the band broke up in 2012) was doing a concert in Denver in April.  I bought tickets and gave them to Glen for Christmas.  How disappointed we were when that concert was canceled.  Their new concert date was October so we made plans to be in Denver when that happened.

First thing we learned was the concert was at the Paramount Theatre.  We had had lunch in the Paramount Café when we were in Denver last year (Meet me under the Bear).  The theatre was built as a movie house in 1930 to feature films from the studios of Paramount Pictures.  Other than some wonderful examples of Art Deco, the theatre is famous for having one of only two twin console Wurlitzer theatre organs (the other is at Radio City Music Hall in New York City).  When movie audiences declined, Paramount began booking other entertainment.  Being a small venue of only1870 seats, it attracts performers who prefer more intimate settings.

Our plans were to dine at Illegal Pete's, a controversial Mexican restaurant on the way to the theatre.  Not only do they serve delicious food, they also support local bands and entertainers by being a venue for their acts and feeding them.  We got free beer with our meal by showing our Crowder tickets.  The restaurant began in Boulder by Pete Turner who wanted to serve 'Mission-style' Mexican food, that is, burrito dishes found in the Mission district (see If You Are Going to San Francisco...) of San Francisco and Baja-style fish tacos.  Pete read a novel in which Illegal Pete's was the name of a bar and it appealed to him as his father was also named Pete and had been a bit of a rebel when he was younger.

What Illegal Pete's lacks in fancy decor, it makes up for in the freshness of its food.  Nothing is pre-made and ingredients are all-natural, antibiotic-free, and have no preservatives.  You line up to order then watch as they create your meal.  Geoff treated us to supper which was great because the process was a bit confusing for first-timers.  Glen had a steak burrito and I had chicken quesadillas which we washed down with Fat Tire beer.

Downtown parking was free with our Crowder tickets and I recognized the parking garage so we knew where to go once we left the building.  Our tickets were general admission so when Melissa and Geoff saw people they knew, we guarded their seats.  Geoff's friend Brady and his wife joined us as the opening band began.

Capital Kings were a rocking duo whose drum sounds reverberated in my chest.  It certainly got the blood pumping!  As I expected from worship at Creekside, everyone stood to dance and sing along.  All Sons and Daughters, the next group, had a folksy sound.  My knee was protesting so I sat down for most of their set.

You cannot sit down during a Crowder concert and when he and his band came on stage, the whole audience was ready to rock.  And we sang our hearts out (the title of this blog is a Crowder song).  Most knew the songs but for those who didn't, there were several monitors telling us the words.  The theatre swelled with the sound of music and it was good.  During the final piece, the band members quietly departed until only Crowder remained.  When he left, the audience continued singing.  It was an amazing ending to a wonderful evening.

The next day while I packed our bags, Glen enjoyed the sunshine by playing a game of football with the boys.  Saying goodbye was hard on both us and the grandkids.  I think Elijah wanted his hug to last forever as did I.

Oh Yes Wyoming!

For some reason, I left my travel maps at home (probably packed in a box yet unopened) but Glen wasn't worry as he had his 'phone'.  As we ate breakfast in Helena, he told me the route we must follow to Billings.  We easily found the exit but it didn't look like the one I remembered from our first trip.  Turns out it wasn't.  Although not an Interstate, it was a nice road and cut across the state so perhaps shaved some time off our trip.  However, it lacked rest stops and was rather lonely.  When I saw our chance to return to the Interstate system, I took it.  We hit our first rest stop not far from Bozeman.

In 1863, John Bozeman established the Bozeman Trail which connected the gold fields of Montana to the Oregon Trail.  Today, Interstate 90 follows the same route from Bozeman, through Billings to Sheridan, Wyoming.  The rest stop (see photo) we stopped at had a plaque to Park City which was a village settled by those using the trail.  The town later died when the railroad was routed through another town.

Billings was much as I remember it and we stopped for gas near where we had spent the night on our first road trip to Denver.  Founded in 1882, it was named after the president of the Northern Pacific Railroad.  It became a trading and distribution centre for Montana, Wyoming, and South and North Dakota.  Oil fields east of the town were the largest discovery in US history and continue to fuel the economic growth of the region.

We missed the next rest stop so turned off the highway to stop at a local information centre in Buffalo, Wyoming.  The info centre may have been next to or in a saloon.  The sign was ambiguous so we retraced our steps.  There was no exit back onto the I-90 so we had to back country roads to finally reach the highway.  Next stop was Kaycee, where we'd stopped on our first trip to Denver.

As we drove the highway, we saw hundreds of Pronghorn Antelope.  What amazing creatures!  Although not really an antelope, they closely resemble those in Africa so are called that.  They are the fastest land mammal in North American and it is said, can outrun any living predator on the plains today, except man.  Originally hunted to almost extinction, a refuge was set up in Nebraska in 1936 that has led to population recovery.  However, because they migrate, hunting in other states does affect their numbers.  They are related to the giraffe family and eat everything from shrubs to cacti.

Another thought I pondered as we crossed the wild landscape of the state was where it got its name.  Apparently, there was an American Revolution battle fought in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania in 1778 and 300 revolutionaries died.  Joseph Brant supposedly led the attack but this has since been proved incorrect.  However, a Scottish poet, Thomas Campbell, wrote a poem about it in 1809 (Gertrude of Wyoming) and the popularity of this led to the state being named Wyoming.  It is actually an Algonquian Indian name meaning 'at the smaller river hills' or 'at the big river flat' depending on the translation.

Wyoming has a history of equality; it being the first state to grant women the vote.  In 1925, they even elected the first woman state governor in all the US (Texas was second).  The official state motto is 'Equal Rights' and It was admitted into the union in 1890 as the 44th state.

We arrived in Casper, Wyoming later than expected so the sun was setting as we pulled into the Best Western motel.  When we checked out the dining room, it was like a morgue so we opted to enjoy the warmth of the Spirits Lounge.   The downside was you had to go into the restaurant if you wanted a salad so we opted to forego that side dish.  Our burgers were delicious and so was the Lewis and Clarke Ale we drank.

Casper sits on the North Platte river on the site of Fort Caspar.  The original trading post (founded in 1859) on the Oregon Trail, was later named for an army officer killed in the 1865 Battle of the Platte River Station.  A typo when the town was registered caused its name to be spelled Casper.

After a hearty breakfast the next morning, we bought sandwiches for lunch but once we hit the Colorado border, the rest stops dried up.  We ended up eating lunch at Geoff's.  He and his friend, Brady, unloaded the truck and Glen returned it.  Our trucking adventure had ended.

An interesting note to this piece is that the blog I wrote about Wyoming in 2010, Day Ten -- Back to Wyoming, is one of my most popular.  It garners a couple of hits a month.  I guess Wyoming's wilds still fascinate those interested in this incredible state.

And the title of this blog?  Oh Yes Wyoming is a song that our grandkids love.  You can watch the video here.  Be forewarned the song is catchy!

Helena, Herc, Helena

Who remembers the old Hercules cartoon show where Newton, a young centaur, constantly tells Hercules that he sees Herc's girlfriend, Helena?  If you're my age, you probably saw the original version (128 episodes) in the 60s but my children watched it in reruns while growing up.

Why mention this obscure TV history?  Well, we drove to Helena, Montana on October 15th and whenever we refer to this lovely town, we call it 'Helena, Herc, Helena' in honour of the cartoon show.

Our reason for travelling south was the final phase of a downsizing operation.  We had a load of furniture and boxes to take down to our son, Geoff, in Denver.  Some of which he wanted; others he didn't know he wanted.  The most exciting item for his kids was a photo of him with a gold earring.

We spent most of the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend loading up a 14 foot U-Haul truck.  We had hoped to pick it up at a depot in the northwest of Calgary but ended up at a video store in the northeast.  Meg and Mike drove us there but since the store didn't open until noon, we found a local pub and had lunch.  The Black Lion turned out to serve great food and cheap beer.  Meg had spaghetti which she raved about, Glen and Mike had fish and chips, while I had french onion soup and quesadillas (both excellent).  The Black Lion lager was disappointing and I'd not order it again despite the price.

Entertainment Plus sold (and rented) everything from U-Haul trucks to movie DVDs.  They had a wide range of iPhone accessories as well as an interesting hookah pipe display.  We got the keys to the truck and our adventure began when we headed south to Helena.

Our first stop was the visitor centre in Cardston.  The tiny town was first settled in 1887 by a group of Mormons from Utah and named for the first settler, Charles Ora Card.  His house is part of the visitor centre complex although it was closed for the season.  However, the large modern museum at the rear of the railway station was open and had we had more time, it would have been nice to learn more about the area.

We took the scenic route though Lethbridge and are still awed by its famous bridge.  The town began as a whiskey trading post called Fort Hamilton but most referred to it as Fort Whoop-up.  When the drift mines (mining coal seams horizontally) opened, in 1874, a town grew and was named after the president of a mining company, William Lethbridge.  It became a rail hub when Canadian Pacific Railway created its southern Alberta depot there in 1905.  Built in 1909, the High Level Bridge is the longest and highest trestle bridge in North America.

Our next stop was lunch.  We pulled off at a rest area and learned about the Devil's Brigade or the First Special Service Force which fought in World War II.  They were formed in 1942 when a group of 700 Canadian soldiers joined ranks with 1100 US soldiers at a base near Helena, Montana.  In 2013, the unit received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor.

We crossed the border at Sweetgrass, Montana.  I had called the US Customs there and spoke to Officer Davis concerning any paperwork we might need to cross with the truck.  After some hesitation, he said no.  Of course, we learned that Officer Hastings was a little bit more hard-nosed.  He told us we had to have proof Geoff would receive the goods and that he indeed had a green card.  This meant calling Geoff who then emailed Officer Hastings a copy of his green card.  It took some time and we did feel like 'criminals' as we waited for the go-ahead from Office Hastings.

Some of you may remember the last time we did a road trip to Denver (July 2010).  We spent 10 hours driving from Calgary to Billings.  With the truck, we knew this would be an impossible drive so opted to break the trip into 3 days.  So after leaving Sweetgrass, we headed south to Helena.  The trip was uneventful until a storm broiled over the prairies and threatened to blow the truck off the highway.  I was thankful Glen had some experience driving trucks in nasty weather but we had to slow down to be safe.  We rolled into Helena at 5:00pm and discovered our Holiday Inn was next to a restaurant called Buffalo Wild Wings.  Just what we needed -- wings and beer!

Buffalo Wild Wings began in 1982 when founder, James Disbrow, a native of Buffalo, NY, visited Ohio and couldn't find a restaurant serving buffalo wings.  There are now 1000 restaurants across North America.  The one in Helena was very busy with families and sports fans.  We enjoyed a couple of pints of Lewis & Clarke Amber Ale and taste-tested their hot BBQ sauce.  We ordered a small portion to share but what arrived at our table were the biggest wings we'd ever encountered.  They were delicious!  I then had a chicken and Parmesan flatbread while Glen 'built' his own burger.  The prices were cheap and the portions large so we waddled over to our hotel and collapsed into bed.

"Strawberries, Cherries...

And an angel's kiss in spring.  My summer wine is really made from all these things."  These are the lyrics of a Lee Hazelwood song and came to me as I thought of how we spent our summer feasting on strawberries and cherries.  British Columbia is famous for its fruit and we enjoyed both local and Okanagan produce while in Victoria.  Once  a week, we'd stop at Galey Farms for strawberries which we missed when we had to return to Calgary at the end of July.

But after three weeks in Calgary, we were again on the road to British Columbia.  Our motel in Salmon Arm was booked solid so I book in the newly built Best Western in Sicamous.  We had to take a more expensive room but "beggars can't be choosers".  It had its own jacuzzi and a modern walk-in shower.  Sicamous is billed the houseboat capital of Canada and whenever we have driven over its bridge, you can see the reason why -- there are always houseboats coming or going.  Access to the Shuswap Lakes begins in Sicamous if one drives in from the West and it's the place most rent their boats.  Over 200 houseboats are leased out throughout the summer but the lake is also home to other water sports including fishing, water-skiing, and wind-surfing.

Next door to our hotel was Joe Schmuck's Roadhouse, a restaurant associated with a small motel and campground.  It was a hot night when we arrived so sat out on their patio.  They had set up an industrial fan to cool us while we enjoyed deep fried dill pickles and chicken wings, washed down with Mt. Begbie's Attila the Honey Ale.

Back in Victoria, we returned to our weekly routine of golfing at Mt. Doug with Janny on Tuesdays and Cedar Hill on Thursdays.  I still limped with my sore knee but icing it daily allowed me to play golf and by the time we left, I improved my score.

We decided instead celebrating our 42nd anniversary on one day (August 25th), we'd spread it out over a weekend.  So Friday we went to Finest at Sea and bought some oysters and mussels for supper.  Saturday, we spent time at the driving range then had a lovely meal at The Marina restaurant in Oak Bay.  I had Tuna Tataki as a starter and Glen had Duck Confit.  Both were delicious.  The Chef's special was halibut done to perfection.  We had a window table and so could admire all the boats in the harbour.

Sunday, we headed west to China Beach (see photo).  We left early and were lucky enough to get a parking spot (after a brief detour into the campground by mistake).   If you go,  it's best to get to the beach before lunch during the summer otherwise, you may not get parked.  It's an hour and half drive from the condo but well worth the effort.  Part of Juan de Fuca provincial park, the beach stretches for a kilometre or so.  There is no swimming due to 'rogue' waves but for wading and walking along its sand, it's perfect.  We spent an hour and a half on the beach (you reach it after 15 minute walk through old growth forest) and returned to the parking lot just as a park volunteer arrived.  He encouraged us to give a donation to the park's upkeep.  We then drove to our favourite restaurant in Sooke, The Stickleback Eatery.  We enjoyed the patio right next to the inlet where many come to rent kayaks and canoes.  I had a smoked chicken club and Glen a pulled pork, macaroni and cheese sandwich.  We enjoyed a couple of Stickleback Lagers and lingered until mid afternoon.  The eatery is a family dining experience and we had discovered it with our grandkids a couple of years ago (see Sooke, Puke and Spit)

Monday was our actual anniversary and Glen had booked a tee time at Cordova Bay Golf Course.  We were paired up with another couple (a rare occurrence), Janet and Mike.  They were members so could help us navigate the course.  It was a lovely experience.  We rented a cart to ensure we didn't hold up other golfers but we didn't need to worry.  The course organizes its tee times 15 minutes apart so as one group finishes putting the next is teeing off.

The next day, after golfing with Janny, we met Tony and Diane and drove out to the Blues Bayou Café.  By this time, I couldn't look at another large lunch so had a small bowl of Gator Gumbo and the fried green tomatoes appetizer.  Glen had his usual of crab cakes and Big Easy Melt.  The cafe's patio is on stilts over the water of the bay and for the first time, we were able to enjoy eating outside on it.

By this time, my knee had had enough golfing but I still wanted to hit that white ball around so we headed to the Ridge to practise putting.  We bumped into Janny and Robert and enjoyed coffee with them.  A couple of days later, we had another coffee date with a Calgary friend, Monica, this time at Serious Coffee on Oak Bay Ave.  Very good conversation and excellent Chai Tea latté.  Serious Coffee is a Vancouver Island success story which began in 1994 in Duncan (up island).

I had hoped to do letterboxing this summer especially when I discovered a group of dedicated boxers from the US had planted several in Beacon Hill Park.  As the summer moved into fall, Glen and I did a trek to the park and found two of the boxes.  We also planted one of mine giving me a total of 10 boxes.

In 1882, Victoria created the park (62 acres) as a recreational oasis within the city.  The Hudson's Bay Company had erected two beacons on Brotchie Ledge (a submerged reef near Victoria's harbour entrance) which gave the park its name.  Apparently, Captain William Brotchie ran his ship into the reef so the HBC named it after him.

Two thousand trees and shrubs were planted in the landscaped area of Beacon Hill Park but much was also devoted to native Garry Oak meadows (now protected as they are an endangered species).  Paths crisscross the park and a flag pole dominates the hill.  That's where we were headed and emerged from the dry grass meadow to a wonderful view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

After finding the boxes and doing some photography, we had lunch at The Beagle on Cook Street.  I had an delicious fisherman's stew with mussels, shrimp, halibut, and salmon while Glen had fish and chips.  We drank Thirsty Beaver Ale made by the Tree Brewing Company from Kelowna, BC.

The following day we were back at Cedar Hill for our last golf game in Victoria.  We weren't paired up and so relaxed and had one of our best games.  Glen broke 100 so we celebrated by going to Smuggler's Cove.  I had French onion soup and mussels while Glen had their cheesy sandwich special.  The server remembered us and asked who had won our golf game.  Turns out she had just taken up golf and played the Ridge.  We encouraged her to try Cedar Hill.

On our final day in Victoria we met Diane and Tony for afternoon tea at Adrienne's Tea Garden on Mattick's Farm.  Bill Mattick was from Saskatchewan and after working farms in the Victoria area decided to go out on his own.  He created a market to sell his produce then added a tea room to the building (Cordova Bay and The Ridge golf courses are also on the farm's property).  Diane and I had scones and Devonshire cream while Glen and Tony enjoyed ice cream.  None of us had tea although I came close with my chai tea latté.  We sat on the patio to enjoy the warm sunny day.

We were up early on Sunday to get the condo cleaned and last minute items packed.  We wanted to catch the 11:00am ferry.  As we paid for our ticket, they advised us to stay in the car as we could board at any time.  Turns out the 10:00 sailing didn't sail.  When the Vancouver ferry arrived, those who were waiting for the 10:00 ferry we boarded then they began adding the 11 o'clock lines.  We crept forward until they stopped us.  We'd be first in line for the 12:00 sailing.  I was disappointed but that's what happens sometimes.  Then they waved us forward.  We were the penultimate car on the ferry and had to park sideways to fit.

We stayed in Salmon Arm with plans to golf at Shuswap golf course the next day.  While eating breakfasts, we received a text from Meg saying it was snowing in Calgary.  We decided to head straight home.  We drove through some torrential rain until we reached Lake Louise.  After having lunch at the Mountain Restaurant  (mountain burger, Glen and chicken burger, me), we left as the snow began.  At times it was pretty hairy driving as no one, including us, had snow tires but we made it home safe and sound.  We met Meg at Scotman's Well for supper.  I had chicken gumbo soup, Glen, meatball sliders and Meg had mussels and potato skins (which she shared).

The snow fell for three days and the temperatures hovered around the freezing mark.  A very abrupt end to summer!!

Summer -- part 2

As I write this, I sit with an ice pack on my right knee.  You guessed it, I have a golf-related injury.  Most of you know that five years ago, I developed tendonitis in my elbow from playing golf and this winter, my doctor finally acknowledged my pain.  After three months of physiotherapy, I was pain-free and could enjoy playing golf.  My scores improved and I looked forward to our holiday in Victoria.  I could now play twice a week and it would be fun.

And that's what we did.  Our first week golfing,  I've already written about in my last blog.  Our second week began on July 8th (my sister, Nancy's birthday).  We were to play The Ridge with Janny and Robert but she called at the last minute to cancel due to a medical problem.  So we headed to Mt Doug and played two rounds; the first nine with two Alans and second, with Jim.

We took a break on Wednesday and walked down to Ross Bay.  Glen wanted to sit on the beach then do coffee at the Starbucks in Fairfield shopping centre.  We wandered through the graveyard as well.   It is so peaceful and each time we walk it, we see another grave that inspires us.

Thursday, we played Cedar Hill and I parred the first hole impressing Colin and Geoff with whom we played.  They were incredible golfers although Geoff confessed he'd partied too much the night before.  It was his 80th birthday so he had something to celebrate.  However, the day was very hot and I wilted after nine holes despite drinking lots of water and using my golf umbrella.  We decided this was a good reason to get up early and golf before lunch.

Friday found us sitting beside a quiet pond chatting with Diane and Tony at the University Club on the University of Victoria campus.  We had a great lunch then went to their house for coffee.  Saturday we were downtown to meet a former post doc of Glen's.  Erin had moved to Texas, married Cy, and had a baby.  We enjoyed a delightful lunch with them at Pescatores.  Baby Tobin was so well-behaved I'm sure we were the only ones in the restaurant who knew he was there.  Cy is such a friendly guy, it was hard not to instantly like him.  We were thrilled they made time in their busy schedule to have lunch with us.  Seeing Cy's reaction to eating three different kinds of oysters was priceless.

Sunday, we decided to retool our golf swings so went to the driving range.  I find when I play, I often forget what my body positioning should be and hitting balls at the range helps develop positive muscle memory.  It also helps keep my drives straight.

On the 15th, we finally connected with Janny and Robert for a round of golf at Mt. Doug.  I had my best round ever, hitting a score of 39.  Janny struggled with her game but was delighted with her 84th birthday present from Robert, a powered push cart.  We enjoyed coffee with them after our round on the newly renovated patio.  As with most days when we golf Mt Doug, we stopped at Galey Farms for strawberries.  They've been delicious this year.

On Wednesday, Glen realized he hadn't been to Gonzales Beach in ages.  By checking back through  my photos, I discovered it had been a year and a half.  So we strolled down to the beach and sat watching the boats come and go.  There were't many people there but the little ones frolicking in the waves were fun to watch.

We played Cedar Hill again on Thursday at 8:30 am this time and I had an amazing round (I scored 99 and Glen scored 104--both personal bests).  We played with Doug, a retired teacher from Kingston, Ontario, and I actually got par on the course's signature hole.  This involves a long, downhill drive over a rocky outcrop that can mess with your mind.  Both Glen's and my balls were next to the pond so I snapped a few pictures of waterlilies before taking my second shot and landing the ball on the green.  We celebrated by going out to lunch at Smuggler's Cove Pub where I had a delicious plate of fish and chips.

Saturday, we met our neighbours, Ray and Cynthia for lunch and walked over to Christie's.  It was so good to catch up on what's been going on in their lives.  They are devoted volunteers at the Monterey Recreation centre in Oak Bay and show us how full our lives could be after retirement.

We headed back to Calgary on Sunday, stopping for the night in Salmon Arm.  It was good I booked a room at the Best Western as they were full.  We ate in the Hideaway Pub and I had an amazing Greek salad with chicken souvlaki.  The pita bread nothing like anything I've tasted before. Delicious!!

We were up early on Monday as we wanted to golf a par 3 course we pass en route to Calgary called Club Shuswap.  We ended up doing 9 of their 18 hole par 3/4 course.  This involved golfing a mountainside and dragging our clubs up steep inclines.  The views were great (see photo) and the golf challenging.  At one point, we spotted a sheet of metal hanging from a chain with a steel pipe hanging beside it.  Obviously, they have issues with bears!

One funny incident occurred on the third hole.  Having never played the course, we approached the tee box then gazed out over a grove of trees.  Neither of us could see the fairway or the pin.  I'd never hit over trees before so hoped for the best.  As I returned my driver to my bag, I saw that the true fairway lay behind us!  Thank heavens the golf course was empty so I could retrieve our balls and we didn't hold anyone up because of our mistake.

Club Shuswap also offers Pickle Ball which we'd never heard of before.  Named after a dog, it's played on a tennis court using paddles instead of rackets and a whiffle ball in place of a tennis ball.  It must be popular as every court was in use.

We stopped for lunch at our favourite pub in Revelstoke, River City Pub.  I had their spicy chicken wrap and Glen had the beef dip special.  Both came with enormous salads and pints of Attila the Honey ale from the Mt. Begbie Brewery.  We literally waddled to the car and made a beeline to Calgary.

That's when we discovered we had no back steps attached to our house.  They were laying cement pads so we had to unload the car from the street.  We ate supper at Scotsman's Well, sharing a large pizza and enjoying a couple of Stella Artois.

We didn't want to lose our momentum golfing so booked a tee time early Thursday morning at Silverwing.  The wind was about 50 mph so golfing was difficult.  Even when it was at our backs, it took control of the ball and sent it every which way.  Putting was impossible as it pushed the ball along different paths.  During one drive, I must have wrenched my knee but I felt no pain so we ate lunch in the clubhouse and enjoyed a great reuben sandwich.  The next day, I could barely walk.  By Friday afternoon, my knee had swollen to the size of a small melon.  I must have used my knee as a brace to increase the distance of my drives into the wind.  I won't do that again!

Summer so far

As this is Glen's admin year, we decided to take a longer summer holiday than usual.  However, life can affect even the best laid plans and most days this past month, he has worked.  He even made a trip to Sherbrooke, Québec to give a seminar while I stayed in Victoria.

Our trip out to the island was similar to those in the past stopping in Golden for lunch at the Whitetooth, staying at the Best Western in Salmon Arm, and enjoying the Hideaway Pub.  We ate at Christies' Pub when we arrived in Victoria and met an Edmonton couple who had just found an apartment for their son who was attending the University of Victoria.  It brought back a few memories of our first sojourn to the island.

Meg and Mike arrived for their holidays the day after Glen flew back from Québec.  It was Mike's birthday so the next day we celebrated.  First, they went to Shine Café for breakfast then we walked to the Ross Bay Cemetery.  They found my letterbox, the Green Dragon (who was popular that week as it was found by 4 others) and visited Emily Carr's grave.  We had lunch at the Ross Bay Pub where the food was excellent.  I enjoyed a delicious vegetarian pizza and Meg's beef dip looked mouth-watering.  We faced a TV screen and that's when I learned both Glen and Meg had become World Cup football fans.  We drank an extra beer while watching the end of the game.  That evening we went to Christies' to celebrate Father's Day and Mike's birthday.

Sunday, after M and M had a Shine Café breakfast (pierogy eggs benedict and monte cristo sandwich), they walked to Willows Beach.  We followed about a half hour later and met then on their return.  They headed to Pennyfarthing while we went to the butcher in Estevan.  At the end of the beach, we met a couple we had golfed with a few years ago.  He had had a heart attack and stroke the month before and was doing a short stroll.  He'd have died had he not been so fit.  Janny, his wife, needed to golf so we arranged to meet up with them.

Monday, Meg and Mike did their famous pub crawl (second iteration).  They planned to begin at Bartholomew's Pub, but it was closed for renovations so they went to Smith's Pub instead, about a 45 minute walk from our condo.  They then worked their way around Victoria, ending at a pub near the Belfry theatre (20 minute walk from our place).  At each pub, they enjoyed one local beer.  I've lost track of what they tasted but the pubs were The Sticky Wicket, Bard and Banker, Garrick's Head, Irish Times, Yates Street Taphouse, and the Fernwood Inn.  It took them 7 hours so they also ate along the way.  Meanwhile, Glen and I played golf at Mt. Doug and scored our personal best.

Tuesday was board game day for M and M at Interactivity Board Game Café (Glen had a teleconference that day)  The café is an interesting gaming concept for people of all ages.  You pay $5 and can play any of their 500 games for the entire day.  Although they are not licensed, they do serve good food.  M and M played 4 games and bought a couple (it's also a store).

We met them at The Tartan Toque for supper.  This used to be a fish and chips restaurant (not very good) in Stadacona Centre.  It is now an 'order at the front' place with excellent food and good beer.  We each had their 'famous' wings and I requested mine in a sauce called 'inferno'.  Usually the hottest wings are never hot enough for me but I met my match with these.  I sweated so much my glasses fogged up.  Very funny!

Glen had to sit on a Master's defense on Wednesday so Meg, Mike, and I walked down to Gonzales Beach.  We were taking the long way to a sushi restaurant on Oak Bay Ave.  The beach was empty and the tide low so we explored the tidal pools.  M and M had never walked Foul Bay Road so we took this winding street to Oak Bay Ave.  Meg had researched the best sushi restaurants in Victoria and learned the best, on Fort Street, had suffered fire damage in April so the second best was Osaka Sushi.  We had a huge Kirin beer (650ml) each, served with chilled juice glasses.  It reminded me of the time I was in Tokyo and had returned to our hotel after walking around the Edo Castle grounds.  I didn't feel like lunch so went to the hotel vending machine and bought a 500ml can of Kirin beer.  It was my first 'liquid' lunch.

Sticking with the Asian theme, we walked to Chinatown on Thursday for dim sum at Don Mee's.  This restaurant has served Victoria for 80 years and even though we arrived before noon, it was busy.  It has become our tradition to eat lunch but order enough for supper.  We finished full and happy because all our favourites appeared on the dim sum carts.  I made hot and sour and egg-drop soups to augment our supper fare.  We spent the afternoon playing Eldritch Horror, a complex, cooperative board game involving cards, dice, and strategy.  It took 2 hours to play and we didn't 'beat the monster' until the third game (played on Saturday).

We were going to join Meg and Mike on their trip to the Royal BC Museum to see the 'Vikings' exhibit but Glen had a lab meeting so I opted to stay home, too.  We were to meet them at The Beagle Pub on Cook Street for lunch.  Glen's meeting went long so we ended up driving down instead of walking.  Just as well since it was pouring rain when we finished our lunch (I had a delicious lamb burger).  Neither Meg nor Mike had umbrellas as the morning had been fair.

Saturday we headed 'up the peninsula' to Brentwood Bay.  Our friends had introduced us to Blues Bayou Café, a funky place with excellent New Orleans-type cooking.  We arrived just as they opened and most of the tables sported reserved signs.  We nabbed the last table for four inside and since it was raining, this was a lucky chance.  Next time, we'll make reservations.  I started with mussels (see photo) then had the Oyster Po'boy while Glen and Mike had the Big Easy Shrimp Melt.  Meg ordered the Mississippi Seafood Cannelloni which looked delicious.  Afterwards the rain had let up so we walked down the public dock to check out the eagles and geese.

Sunday was a lazy day.  Meg decided that with packing etc, there was no point walking downtown to the Flying Otter for lunch (the final pub on her must-do list).  Instead, she and Mike went to Christie's and watched the football game while enjoying the great food this pub offers.  We drove them to the airport in time to check in and then eat at the new Spinnakers restaurant there.

We spent the next day doing laundry and cleaning house.  You can't have four people living in a small apartment and not generate dirt.  Tuesday, Canada Day, we were off to play golf with our Dutch friends, Janny and Robert.  He was still not able to play so caddied for her.  Noel joined us.  He was also an immigrant (each came to Canada in the late 50s) but from Ireland.  We had a great time golfing and I parred a hole I've never parred before (aways nice).

Wednesday, we met up with our British ex-pats at a Thai restaurant for lunch.  It was a lovely day so we sat out on their patio.  Thai Lemongrass served large Singha beer but instead of us each having our own 650ml bottle, our server filled our glasses from one before opening the next.  True sharing.  We also shared three plates of food and a bowl of coconut rice.  Tony is not a fan of seafood so we had ginger lamb, chicken (mostly bamboo shoots) curry, and chicken and cashews.  Diane wasn't well so ate very little.  The placed closed its doors at 2:00 but they allowed us to chat until 2:30.

Thursday, we were off golfing at Cedar Hill.  I was a bit nervous as I hadn't played the course in a while and we are often paired up with very good golfers.  It was no different this time as Guy (a chef) and Mike (retired) joined us.  However, I hit a nice drive off the first tee and almost hit the green on the second hole so I felt I could keep up with them.  I did get stung by a bee while putting the second green which became quite painful on the third fairway.  I had no first aid kit but hand sanitizer worked to cool the sting.  I was fine after that and hit a personal best score when the round ended.  We enjoyed a beer in the clubhouse with Mike who turned out to be a RMC classmate of Glen's brother-in-law, Randy.  He also graduated from our alma mater, Carleton but 20 years after we did.

After a couple of days of doing chores, we decided to golf again.  This time at the par 3 course, The Ridge.  It was a dreary day Sunday which kept the crowds away.  It rained partway through our round but it wasn't cold.  It did make the sand wet so both Glen and I struggled getting our balls out of the bunkers.  However, it was a good round with me getting 4 pars and a birdie and Glen getting 2 pars.  We were working on our iron play so the pars were bonuses.  We celebrated by heading 'up the peninsula' to Sidney.  Our favourite pub, The Rumrunner, sits on the pier and gives us great views of the boats coming and going.  We both had their crab and shrimp sandwich.  Glen's salad was a DIY, the lettuce standing straight up in a curl of cucumber (see photo).  I had roasted red pepper soup which was excellent.  As well as great food and the view, we go to the Rumrunner for Dead Frog Nut Brown Ale.  "Nothing goes down like a cold dead frog"! The brewery now sells some of their beer in Alberta Co-op stores so I'll check that out when we get back to Calgary.

That's been our summer so far.  Stay tuned as the summer isn't over yet and perhaps we might get some sunny weather, too!


  

West Coast Winter Break - Victoria (finally)

Anyone who knows me, knows I love to write.  I also love passing onto others what I learn when I travel.  For some reason, I never blogged about the time we spent in Victoria (February, 2014).  I guess life got in the way of writing.  To make amends, I'm blogging what I remember of our holiday.

It was a whirlwind visit.  After arriving on the bus from Vancouver, we had a few days in the condo before my sister, Lynda arrived.  She made plans to meet up with friends so we arranged to meet ours.  Tony and Diane suggested we try Blue's Bayou Café in Brentwood Bay (near the Butchart Gardens).  The restaurant sits on the water and festooned with hundreds of souvenirs from New Orleans.  The appetizer menu included fried green tomatoes (in season), oysters, mussels, and alligator.  I had Street Car Oysters and Glen had The Big Easy Shrimp Melt.  Po'Boy sandwiches are different each day depending on the chef's inclination.  The Cajun music playing in the background is toe-tapping (check out the website to hear an example) and the view incredible despite the gloomy weather.

Saturday we got up early to catch the ferry to Salt Spring Island.  Lynda had never visited it so it was fun taking her on a tour.  It was snowing which gave us great photos opts as we did a quick walk around Ganges harbour.  Glen and I love lamb sausages so drove up the island to Sunset Farms to buy several packets of tasty treats and to meet their spoiled sheep.  I had a nosey encounter with a black pony (see photo).

At lunch, we dined at Hastings House Restaurant which offered a wonderful view of the snowy harbour from the cozy dining room.   After a delicious meal, we drove down to the Salt Spring Island Cheese store. It was too chilly/rainy to do the outside tour but we did a tasting and left with a bag of different cheeses including Glen's favourite, Montaña (sheep cheese) and mine, Juilette (goat camembert).

Sunday, we braved the snow/rain to do a tour of Victoria's harbour.  Glen stood at one point on the wharf and told Lynda that the seals usually come there because tourists feed them.  To our surprise, two Harbour seals surfaced and posed for pictures.  Our fishmonger, Finest at Sea, was our next stop where we got some oysters and fish for dinner.  Then we drove along Dallas/Beach Drive stopping to take photos and do letterboxing (Lynda has become a fan).  We ended up at Willows Beach.  The rain had stopped so we enjoyed a stroll along its sands.

Monday, Lynda was off with her friend and we met Iain and Janet for lunch at Pennyfarthing Pub.  It was two-for-the-price-of-one fish and chips and they being Scots thought this a great bargain.  I have to be careful with fish in batter so opted for pizza instead.  They have retired but Iain keeps himself active with golf and his biotech company.  Janet has joined several walking groups in Victoria.

Tuesday, Glen had a teleconference, so Lynda and I went to the Government House Gardens to see what was blooming in February.  More than we could photograph, that's for sure.  Early rhododendrons, daffodils, crocuses, and irises to name a few.  Some of my photos are here.

Wednesday, we walked down to Ross Bay Cemetery so Lynda could find the letterbox I planted there.  We also saw Emily Carr's grave before having coffee at Starbuck's in the tiny Fairfield Shopping centre.  Later, I taught Lynda how to carve a letterbox stamp and she did a great job of her first attempt.

Lynda left early Thursday morning and we did some chores and shopping to prepare the condo for our departure.  Saturday morning, we golfed The Ridge with Iain.  Janet was to join us but her arthritis doesn't like cool weather.  She laments being a "fair-weather golfer" but what can you do when your body lets you down?  Iain is a great golfer so we really cat compete with his scores but we didn't do too badly (we each got two pars).  We then met Janet downtown for lunch at The Guild.  This is a new English Pub on Wharf Street.  A seafood restaurant called Chandlers, used to occupy the space but when we ate there, it was less than stellar.  The Guild made a good impression.  Their fries were excellent and one appetizer was a glass stacked with bacon.  What could be wrong with that?  The chef uses English cheeses in many of his dishes but only Welsh Rarebit was an unique English pub fare.

That evening both of us had dinner dates so we didn't eat too heavily.  We met Tony and Diane for dinner at the University of Victoria's faculty club, called the University Club.  It turns out because we belong to the Faculty Club at the University of Alberta, we could charge our meal to that account. I had dumplings for an appetizer and they were made with lots of wasabi (it cleared my sinuses, that's for sure).  Glen had crab cakes which he said were very good.  The entrée menu is divided into three--The Sea (seafood), The Farm, and The Earth (vegetarian).  I had salmon and it was cooked perfectly.  The Saturday special was roast beef with yorkshire pudding which the others enjoyed.

Monday saw us playing golf again at the Ridge.  This time we both did much better.  Glen got 3 pars and I had a par and a birdie.  The latter score was on the final hole which is challenging because it is over water and in front of the club house.

It was back to reality the next day as we left for Calgary (March 4th).  We had our traditional supper at the airport White Spot before catching our flight.  Glen swears they serve the tastiest burger and their beer is good, too!

Spring in Aurora

I've written several posts about visiting grandkids in Aurora.  Suffice to say that this time was no different.  We had a blast!!  Unlike previous visits, we stayed two weeks which allowed us to enjoy the daily routine of the Armstrong household.  Geoff took off some time so it was like a holiday and one day, we pulled the boys from school to do a field trip.  We used Aeroplan points to fly down so decided to rent a car with our savings.

We've rented from Avis in the past without problems but learned that booking via Avis.ca is different from booking with Avis.com.  I knew we'd have lots of luggage so was happy to see a black Impala with a sun roof and huge trunk sitting waiting for us.  It was a wise investment as it allowed Geoff to drive to work and Melissa go to various appointments.  The Denver metropolitan area is huge with many cities merging together so a car is useful.

Some highlights of our trip include:

Geoff's Birthday:  We bought a Red Snapper ($112) at Whole Foods that could have fed an army.  The neat think was the store sold oysters imported from Cortes Island (off the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia).  We also bought a pork roast so Melissa could make Carnitas for Geoff's birthday party.

Palm Sunday:  G and M's pastor gave a moving sermon on the connection between the Old and New Testaments as it related to Easter.  Geoff played electric guitar in the Worship group and Melissa ran the slide show.

Carino Coffee:  This is G and M's favourite coffee shop.  It is local and is within walking distance of their house.  When I ordered Chai Tea Latté, the batista asked what kind of milk I wanted.  I was taken aback but went with her suggestion of almond milk.  It took the drink up a notch, I can assure you.  Glen and Geoff met the church elders and pastor here for coffee one early Wednesday morning.  An experience Glen enjoyed.

Fancy Tiger:  We went to this incredible wool/fabric store so I could buy some yarn for a project.  I ended up also buying some green felt to cover the plywood we'd bought for Melissa's puzzle project.  They had a good supply of spinning materials including wheels and some weaving paraphernalia.  The clerks were knowledgeable and friendly.  If you're into the textile arts, this is the store for you.

Boulder:  We always manage to make a trip out to Geoff's 800 megahertz magnet in Boulder so he can do a nitrogen fill.  This time we stopped at Peet's Coffee to enjoy the view of the flatiron mountains for which the area is famous.  We also did lunch at Fate Brew Pub around the corner from the NMR facility.  I had their delicious Caprese Sandwich with Fate Laimas beer (kolsch style ale).  Geoff and Glen enjoyed their Cuban Sandwiches.

Good Friday:  This Canadian tradition is not a holiday in the States but after checking out a Science camp for the boys, we observed it at Mellow Mushroom Pizza restaurant.  This is family dining at its best.  We had a great pizzas:  Magical Mystery Tour for Glen and Kosmic Karma for me.  The kid's menu had meatballs (Miles) and macaroni (Elijah).  We enjoyed their featured beer, Dale's Pale Ale (I think) then Glen had a huge Sundae.  The boys helped him out.  It was like watching a feeding frenzy of piranhas.

Stump removal:  Geoff had a dead tree in his yard so he, Glen and the boys tackled the problem.  I was the official photographer.  The stump was tenacious so it took several hours to remove with a few breaks thrown in.  A huge metal cage encased the roots which proved to be a major obstacle to the stump's removal.  Later, Geoff worried his hands would be stiff and he'd not be able to play his guitar at church the next day.

Easter Sunday:  It began with an Easter egg hunt around the house.  The boys don't get chocolate in the plastic eggs but did get Lego, Skylander Giants, and coins for their piggy bank.  Geoff was at church rehearsing so missed the fun but there was more to come.  The service was uplifting as is it should be.  Afterwards a friend of Geoff's prayed with us in a hug of three.  It brought me to tears.  Then, the kids stormed out to hunt for eggs the youth group had planted.  We focussed on watching the little ones as they were too cute for words.  That afternoon we joined Melissa's friend, Cindy and her family for a huge Easter dinner to which everyone contributed a dish or two.  The house sat next to a golf course so when we weren't chatting or watching the toddlers, Glen and I were checking out the golfers.  Elijah and Miles participated in another Easter egg hunt here and gleaned enough chocolate to satisfy them.  Glen ate their 'rejects' so he was happy.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo:  We let the kids skip school on Easter Monday and Glen drove us down to Cheyenne Mountain (Geoff had to work).  This wonderful zoo is perched on the side of the mountain so when you aren't gazing at the critters, you can take in breath-taking views.  The highlight  of our visit was feeding lettuce to the giraffes.  Melissa was giddy with excitement as she got up close to her favourite animal.  We ate lunch at the cafeteria and a word to the wise, take a picnic as the prices are astronomical ($10 for the adult hot dog and fries).  Admission (off season) was $12.00/adult and $8.00/child but if you wish to ride the gondola, it's an extra $1.00/person (also the off season rate).  As you pay your entrance fee, they automatically add $1.25 in quarters so you can 'vote' for the animal you wish the zoo to work towards saving.

Teaching Moments:  Glen fondly tells me of things his grandfather taught him.  We rarely saw our grandparents when I was a child so I don't have such memories.  We created a few this visit by my teaching the boys how to play Solitaire and King's Corners with actual cards
(cheapest gift ever) and Glen teaching Elijah how to tie his own tie.

Two weeks seemed too short but it did give us a glimpse into the busy lives of the American Armstrong family.  If you wish to see some of the photos I took, go here.

A Very Special Valentine's Day

Glen and I have exchanged 42 valentines over the course of our relationship and this year, we brought our cards to Vancouver.  We usually don't do anything special on the day but this time, we planned visiting family.

I was lazy so didn't bother going out and about in the morning.  Glen's meeting ended at 11:00 am and he came back with a boxed lunch.  I'd already decided it would be nice to have lunch together as a Valentine celebration.  He embraced the idea of returning to Cardero's since it was a short walk and the food was good.

As we settled into a table near the window, I noticed Stockwell Day and his wife dined at the table next to ours.  Several people came by to chat (one may have been a Senator) but soon left them to enjoy their lunch in peace.  Which meant we also didn't have to deal with people milling about.  Glen and I ordered the shrimp pizza special and it was delicious.

Kitty, Glen's cousin, Alan's wife, picked us up in the afternoon so we could visit his Aunt Irene.  Irene had a bad stroke and was in a care facility in North Vancouver.  We found her enjoying a Valentine singalong.  She seemed pleased to see Glen and we chatted with her and Kitty for an hour or so.  Note to self:  Never sit on a wheeled stool (I have strong quads or I'd be in pain right now).

We were to meet Alan and Doug and their friends Ken, Natalie, and Roger (2 years old) for dinner at Fishworks.  As you probably guessed from the name, it's a seafood restaurant.  They had a set menu for Valentine's Day and two sittings (we ate during the first).  Glen and I began with oysters which were very tasty then Glen had rockfish while I had a shellfish risotto.  Both were excellent!  Dessert meant sharing chocolate ice cream and grazing a chocolate dessert bar (I had a trifle shaped like a fish).  Roger had never had ice cream before and he loved it!  Go figure, eh?  We were able to chat with Alan as he drove us back to our hotel.

The next morning, we were up early to catch the Pacific Coach bus to Victoria.  Meg did this journey when she was 18 and came home to Edmonton for Thanksgiving.  She made her connection at the Pacific Central bus terminal whereas we began ours at the hotel.  I was a little nervous the arrangements would fall apart but no, the bus arrived and we clambered on board.  We then headed to the terminal where others joined us.  The Pacific Central Terminal is also the western terminus for ViaRail's train, The Canadian, to Toronto.  Built in 1919 in the neoclassic revival design, it was designated a heritage railway building in 1991.

We headed to the ferry in order to make the 11:00 am sailing and were the first to board.  This meant when Glen and I reached the passenger decks, we had our choice of seats.  We had brought along his
boxed lunch (kept cold in the room's minibar) and after he ate a large cup of soft ice cream (the cashier charged him for a small as it looked so messy), we shared the lunch.  On the trip to "The Island" (Vancouver Island), we saw three bald eagles and rain (above photo).

The bus stops at several places along the route into Victoria but we opted to go straight downtown where we could easily get a cab to the condo.  We arrived to discover our van's battery had died so I walked to Safeway to get milk and orange juice while Glen lingered in Hillside Mall as the battery charged.  That evening, as is our tradition, we went to Christie's for supper.  We enjoyed Philips Blue Buck, chicken wings, fish and chips (Glen) and fish taco (me).

Stanley Park

Glen's conference provided him with breakfast so I decided to indulge by having a room-service breakfast.  My oatmeal came topped with a pile of walnuts and poached apples to which I added a drizzle of honey and some cream.  It was by far the best oatmeal I've tasted.   A big pot of coffee allowed me to linger reading the paper before I sat down to see what letterboxes could be found in Stanley Park.  Seven was the number, some hidden in the depths of the park, others along its edge.

Stanely Park is a peninsula jutting out into Burrard Inlet of Vancouver's harbour.  A seawall runs around its perimeter and nestled in its depths are an aquarium, a miniature railway, rose garden, tea house, totem poles and two lakes.  Beaches dot the western edge while a yacht club and HMCS Discovery (Royal Canadian Sea Cadets) on Deadman Island grace the eastern one.  Construction of the seawall began in 1917 but wasn't complete until 1971.  In 2006, a devastating windstorm destroyed much of the old growth forest and portions of the seawall.  It has since been repaired but the trees rot where they fell.

I began my walk at the yacht club and continued past the Discovery until I reached the totem poles.  When Meg was two, we had explored the park so it was nice to see the same sights again.  Some things have changed and the season certainly was different but the totem poles are ageless.  There was a letterbox planted along the road running past these poles so I followed the seawall until I reached the steps mentioned in the box's clues.  That's when I saw the Girl in the Wetsuit, a bronze sculpture sitting on a rock in the harbour (inspired by the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen).  I wanted to take some photos (see above) so walked beyond the steps.

After digging for fifteen minutes in the leaf litter (I'd brought my gardening gloves) surrounding the tree where the letterbox was planted, I gave up and headed to the next box near the miniature railway.  This was also a failed attempt but I did find some peace in a memorial garden dedicated to air force men and women.

By this time, I'd wandered through some of the loneliest parts of the park and some of the quietest.  Soaring cedars and redwoods make up most of the old growth forest of this 1000 acre park and ferns drape their roots.   It being a Thursday and damp, not many people walked the trails.  I've since learned that hiking them alone is not advised.  Oops.

The final box I'd decided to hunt for was at Beaver Lake.   The route suggested by the clue led me to the trail that circles the lake but all I saw was swamp so it wasn't very scenic.  Then I found the box.  Yay!!  It was the 60th I've found since beginning this hobby.  By this time it was 3:30 pm and I knew I should get back to 'civilization' before it grew any darker.  I continued around the lake and finally saw open water.  Lots of ducks swam around the beaver lodge and I identified one as being a Wood Duck.

When I got back, Glen's meeting had ended early so we decided to have a beer in the hotel's Seawall Bar & Grill.  Elma joined us and we had a great time relaxing while watching people walk the seawall.  Glen had a 'working' dinner so after he left, Elma and I ate in the Seawall restaurant.  I had delicious fish and chips while Elma enjoyed Pacific Cioppino with lots of seafood.  She also ordered fried Brussel sprouts which looked tasty.  I was surprised to find Glen waiting for me when I got back to the room.

West Coast Winter Break

Glen is enjoying what the university calls an admin year.  It means he can work when he likes, doing what he likes and they still pay him.  He decided to do an exploratory project on microbiomes and a conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, would kick-start this project.  By extending our stay, we'd also have a chance to visit family before going over to Victoria for a couple of weeks.

We arrived Wednesday morning a bit late due to de-icing the plane in Calgary.  It was sunny and warmer than the -20ºC we'd left in Alberta.  Our hotel, Westin Bayshore, sits on the water and close to downtown and Stanley Park.  We even had a room with a view!  Modern skyscrapers with sweeping lines and sparkling windows surround the hotel and nestled at its feet is a marina with sleek yachts and funky 'house' boats.

Glen's meeting began soon after we arrived so I had a quick lunch at Starbucks then headed along the seawall toward Canada Place with its unique roof, reminiscent of sails.  It was the Canada Pavillion during Expo '86 and hosted over 5 million people.  It is now a cruise ship terminal and home to a hotel and several restaurants.

Camera in hand, I wandered the waterfront.  Looming before me, with Canada Place in the background, was the Vancouver Convention Centre.  At this time of year, its 'living' roof (6 acres) is an ugly, shaggy brown but I commend the idea of nurturing 400,000 native grasses and a bee colony in the middle of a bustling downtown.   A striking, Lego-like statue of an Orca whale (see photo) caught my eye so I left the waterfront to check it out.  In doing so, I found Jack Poole Plaza and the site of the Olympic Cauldron.  As the Sochi Winter Olympics were taking place, I thought the cauldron would be lit (Calgary's was) but no, it was too expensive.  Public pressure has since forced PavCo to light the flame and private donations should keep it lit.

Douglas Coupland, an artist whose name I actually recognized, created the pixelated whale statue, entitled the 8-bit Orca for Canadian Videogame Awards in 2010.  It is an unique piece and I enjoyed using it as a focus for my photographs of the harbour.  On the other side of the convention centre was an equally interesting sculpture of an elongated water drop.  Called The Drop, the artistic group who designed it, Inges Idee, felt it an homage to the power of nature but most Vancouverites believe it refers to the fact they have so much rain (160 inches/year).

Upon returning to our hotel, a woman passed close by and said my name.  It was Elma!  She and her husband, Tony, were also at the conference.  We walked and talked our way into Stanley Park until my feet began to hurt.  I had neglected to change into my sneakers before heading out.

That evening we joined them for dinner at Cardero's a pub which sits on the waterfront a couple of minutes from the hotel.  We didn't have reservations but luckily, they one table left.  Glen and I began with a half dozen Kusshi oysters that Glen always describes as tiny flavour buds.  Arctic Char was the special and we enjoyed it with Granville Island Cypress Honey Lager beer.

Final Day

The sun finally returned to Costa Rica on our last day.  Since Glen isn't actually a chair anymore, he decided he could be late for the meeting so we slept in and had a leisurely breakfast.  We did some shopping in the hotel gift shop as it had many unique Costa Rican products then he attended the meeting while I sat on the pool deck and read.  Several friends joined me so we did lots of chatting and relaxing.  Several of us then went to see the presentation for next year's meeting.  Glen and I weren't sure we'd go but wanted to see what was being offered.  St Kitts, so yes, we're signing up for that trip.

The closing banquet that evening was to be on the Pacific Coast with a view to enjoying the sunset.  Of course, there was a bus ride first so we got dressed up and left the hotel at 3pm.  We travelled south through the central valley then made our way to the coast.  At one point, we crossed the famous Crocodile Bridge over the Tarcoles River and saw huge crocodiles lounging in the river mud.  They are American crocodiles and some are supposed to be over 100 years old.  They're well-fed by the river's fish and the odd cow that wanders too close.  You can get down close to them but would you want to?

When the bus reached the coast, it began a long climb up a coastal mountain (350 feet) to reach the Zephyr Palace straddling its top.  We stepped through the banquet hall into a scene from a Greek play.  Columns topped with plants soared above an infinity pool overlooking the Nicoya Gulf of the Pacific coast.  Warm shadows cast by the setting sun and the hotel's golden facade lit the night.  A guitar duo entertained us as we stood awestruck by the beauty of the scene.

Did I bring my big camera to the banquet?  No.  But, I had my iPhone and I've been impressed with the quality of its photos so I didn't hesitate.  Perhaps with better equipment I would have captured the nuances of the light and setting but I was very happy to photograph what I could.  And take pleasure in a lovely night spent with friends.

After the sunset, we entered the banquet hall and began to hear the wonderful notes of an operatic tenor.  What with choosing our meal and being served, his song was lost to the crowd but gradually we came to hear his voice.  As dinner progressed, we were serenaded by classic opera sung by a trio, soprano and baritone complementing the tenor.  It was an amazing experience.  They lightened the fare with songs from the Phantom of the Opera but most were short arias from famous operas.  The singers waltzed among our tables and at one point, the baritone and tenor did a duet over ours.  I swear I could feel the music surging through my chest as they sang.  It actually moved me to tears which is something I thought would never happen.  What a magical evening!

The dinner was exquisite as well.  It began with chilled cucumber and avocado cream with chunks of blackberry aspic.  What a taste sensation!  I had mahi-mahi with plantain and jasmine rice while Glen had chicken with spinach mousseline.  Dessert was a chocolate terrine which was too rich for my blood so Glen devoured two.  We all wanted the night to last forever but of course, we had a bus ride back to the hotel.  Most had early morning flights home so no one lingered at this magnificent hotel.

We didn't leave until noon the next day so could pack at our leisure.  Just as well since the voyage back to realty was rough.  We had plenty of time in the San José airport to go through security but then as we began to board, they decided to a hand-check of all our bags.  That was everyone on the plane!  Being a little late leaving didn't have me overly concerned as we had a 2 hour connection between our flights in Houston.  Little did I know what awaited us in Texas.  Not only did we have to go through Customs (very confusing as apparently we are US citizens), pick up our bags, and go through security, we also had to take a train from one terminal to another.  One and a half hours later, we arrived at our destination with 20 minutes to spare.  That's when we learned our plane would be an hour late.  This was a good thing as I needed food!  We ate at Fuddruckers and enjoyed a beer before going to the gate.  We'd had met up with a woman from Red Deer in Costa Rica and had helped her when her Visa card had failed so passed the time chatting with her.  It was about 2am (our time) when we finally crawled into bed in Calgary.

Travel is not for the weak but it is usually well worth the effort.

Another Eco-Tour? It must be Costa Rica

Due to a full day eco-tour, the chair's meeting (remember, this is a conference) was to be held Friday evening.  We ate an early breakfast then headed to the Caribbean coast for a day of boating, hiking, and gondola riding.  Glen and I were the last on the 'big' bus so stragglers drove in less comfy ones or joined the hikers.

The tour was organized by La Selva Biological Station developed in the 1950s, by Dr. Leslie Holdridge who wanted to encourage sustainable use of the rainforest.  It was the first private nature preserve in the country featuring a combination of old growth and disturbed rainforest.  In 1968, UNESCO recognized the area as a Biosphere Reserve.

The tour aspect of the station primarily educates the newcomer to the biodiversity of the landscape within its 4000 acres.  There are workshops, lectures, and bird watching adventures to be enjoyed, taught by knowledgeable individuals. One can stay in the lodge,  do nature walks, or take a class or do as we did and partake of nature excursions.

Our boat ride began near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí or the Old Port.  The Sarapiqui River was once the lifeblood of the region due to its being a tributary of the San Juan River which connects Nicaragua and Costa Rica but its days as a bustling trade route died until it became a centre for eco-tourism.  It is a quaint place and would be worth exploring.

We boarded a flat-bottomed boat on the river with our guide and so began a leisurely trip on the slow moving river.  For two hours we hunted the banks for birds, monkeys, sloths, and crocodiles.  We never saw the latter but we observed many creatures living their lives along the banks.  I was glad to have my new camera with a long telephoto lens so I could snap pictures of the howler monkeys and sloths.  They loved the higher branches.  It was a serene place where the cares of life seemed to slip away.

We travelled back to La Selva for lunch and after a brief walk around the station enjoyed a great buffet with salads, rice and beans (of course), some delicious Italian-style dishes and meatloaf.  Trés leche cake was dessert and was tasty.  Like the rice and beans, each cake recipe seems to be different and depends on the nature of its creator.  

We then piled onto the bus and it slowly sank into the roadside mud (it's wet in a rainforest).  The bus driver said we ate too much!  So we disembarked.  Rocking the bus did not solve the problem but Costa Ricans are friendly, helpful people so the driver had no end of offers to pull the bus out.  With each attempt, the vehicle and method of tow (rope/chain) increased in size until it was a Dole semi that extracted us amid much cheering.  

The next excursion was an aerial tram ride through the rainforest.  The gondola system was set up so one could observe the lower forest on the ride up the mountain and then see the upper canopy on the way down.  It was a fascinating experience being close to so many birds and animals and getting a real feel for life in this environment.  There were long breaks where no one spoke as we all enjoyed the calm from such a living, breathing biomass.  In a way, I felt more connected to the earth than I had and am sure I was not alone experiencing this.  

The rough reality of our bus ride home ended our bliss but life must go on.  We arrived back at the hotel and the chairs had their dinner meeting.  I was invited to join my friends for burgers at the bar but my tooth was causing me so much pain I opted for sushi in my room and beer from the minibar.  I spent the evening reading trying to distract myself from my discomfort.  

Sushi in Costa Rica?

One thing attending the AMSMIC meetings does is open your eyes to different ideas and who would have thought learning how to make sushi would be something to do in Costa Rica.

While the chairs had their formal meeting, the spouses were invited to learn this Japanese culinary style.  I know the fundamentals of sushi-making and even have a cookbook to help me but I figured you can always learn new cooking techniques so decided to attend.  I wasn't the only one with this positive attitude so there was a great crowd having fun playing with rice balls and rolling sushi.

The chef began the class in a traditional manner of teaching from a raised dais but he soon threw that to the wind and began wandering the room, helping where he could.  He had a bevy of sous-chefs who were enthusiastic and helpful.  I finally learned how to do a roll with the rice on the outside and covered it with black sesamé seeds which I love.  We also learned how to make an 'ice cream cone' type roll using tuna drenched in Sriracha.  I ate my rejects so no one knew of my mistakes except my partner in crime, Susan.  Sherry, from New York, also sat next to me.  She was an expert but still enjoyed chatting and creating good food.  There was lots of laughter and the chefs themselves had as much fun as we did.

It was while eating my sushi I realized I had a toothache.  I've injured this tooth before and had the crack filled so knew what to expect pain-wise so began taking Advil.  I must have crushed down on it while rafting and that had aggravated my previous injury.

I was glad I'd eaten while rolling sushi as lunch was late (what else is new?).  There were three tours after the morning meetings.  We went to La Paz Waterfall Gardens while others toured a coffee plantation or did a volcano site (this was Jay's, Sherry's husband, second attempt seeing a volcano and it failed due to heavy clouds).  Again, we endured a two hour bus drive through the city and countryside.  We saw coffee plantations, banana and berry farms, and the dairy region before reaching the rainforest refuge.

This area of Costa Rica experiences heavy rainfall so was not suitable for early farming techniques.  Dairy farms were established in the 1960s when roads created by the American government during the Second World War reached the area.  Japan had cut Indonesian quinine exports to the US and it was believed that the Costa Rican cinchona tree would be a good substitute.  This proved a failure but it opened the area to people with vision.  Lee and Cindy Banks saw the potential to build a nature persevere in this cloud/rain forest area.  They began their project in 2000 as a series of trails that connected five waterfalls then added a wild animal refuge.  The aviary is home to rescue birds caught by poachers or donated by their owners.

We began our tour having toucans 'buzz' us as we wandered through this aviary then we wandered through the butterfly house.  Butterflies have become a big industry in Costa Rica and their pupa are exported to be used in schools and ceremonies such as weddings (they breed over 25 different species).  Hundreds flitted about the house and posed for pictures as if on cue.  The next exhibit housed the amphibians.  The red-eye tree frog made my day but the blue jean frogs were cute, too.  The hummingbird garden was amazing.  All the birds were wild but drawn to the freeders and foliage planted to attack them.  There were about 25 species and identifying them from my photos will be an on-going task.  After viewing the snake exhibit, we had lunch in a wonderful open cafeteria.  A coati came to mooch and I identified it before our guide told us its name.  You see, you do learn something by going to university.

The food was very good with the usual fare of beans and rice, chicken and plantains but they also had a great salad bar and served an excellent pizza.  Italian farmers settled in Costa Rica so their cuisine is often reflected in buffet choices.  I actually had dessert here as it was a creamy rice pudding that was delicious.

After lunch we wandered down the trails to the waterfalls.  I had wanted to try a new photography technique my sister, Lynda, uses when filming waterfalls.  Unfortunately, I forgot my unipod which is an essential piece of equipment but I tried bracing myself and holding my breath to keep my hand steady.  I had my old camera with me as it lets me play with the F stops to create the effect of smoothing water.  I actually had 4 cameras on this trip and used each one so I guess I'm more of a photographer than I thought.

The rainforest was chilly so I was glad I had worn my raincoat but it didn't actually rain.  The refuge is high in the mountains so be prepared for inclement weather.  Our group was slowly learning that a southern holiday didn't necessarily mean warm.

The bus ride back was long -- what can I say? so it was late when we got back to the hotel.  We decided to forego supper and have a couple of drinks before bed.  It was Glen's birthday so I humoured him.  Not so the friends we agreed to meet.  Kathy and Susan descended upon the bar with their bags of sushi and proceeded to divide it among us.  The chef had added some of his creations to their bags so we had quite a feast.  Good beer and good company--a great way to end the day!!