Fun by Ourselves in Victoria

Yes, despite being together for so many years, we actually do enjoy each other's company and have fun together.  Go figure, eh?

Using the format of my last post, I'll describe what we did.  First and foremost, Victoria is a place where food and drink are a part of its culture and we are happy to indulge.

Eating:  Our first meal is always at Christie's Pub and those who read this blog, know this.  The menu has changed over the years but we can usually find something we like and we always have a jug (or two) of Killer Bee Dark Honey Ale made by a small brewery called Tin Whistle Brewing.  I don't think I've seen this beer anywhere else in Victoria.

Before I got involved with Christmas baking, I wanted to have dim sum at Don Mee's.  Our table soon becomes laden with goodies and we end up filling boxes to take home.  This means I don't have to cook supper and there's nothing wrong with that.  We used to walk to this Chinatown restaurant but Glen's bad hip means we now take the bus.

Not only do we enjoy restaurant dining, we also frequent our local fish monger, Finest at Sea.  We made several visits and enjoyed rockfish, sablefish, dungeness crabs, oysters, and mussels.  Beside the haggis (see last post), we also bought a lamb and a goose at our local butcher, Slaters Meats.  The goose became a wonderful Christmas dinner.

New Year's breakfast we do at Shine Café.  They open 9:00 on New Year's day so you can stay up to midnight and still make the first sitting.  The place is small so getting there close to opening time is advised.  I usually get the Nemo eggs Benedict but we had had so much smoked salmon over the holidays, I decided to go all veggie and ordered the Provençe.  It was all I could ever have asked for in deliciousness so has become my new favourite.  Glen always orders the classic benny.  He did so again when we went to celebrate his birthday.   It is a short walk from our place to the Oak Bay location which was their first restaurant.  I had always thought the downtown version was the original.

It has become a tradition to go to Marina restaurant in Oak Bay for our birthdays.  They were closed for renovations on mine so we waited a couple of days and celebrated my 65th birthday then.  The server, Holly, recognized us from the summer and even remembered which beer we drank.  Impressive!  I told Glen he must have tipped well.

Our final island meal is at the White Spot at the airport.  Glen swears they make the very best burgers.    I had their noodle bowl which was delicious.  I travel with chopsticks as it seems wrong to eat Asian food with a fork but the server gladly provided me with them.  This meal is always bittersweet as we hate leaving the island but still enjoy our prairie home, too.

Golfing:  Winter golf is not usually pleasant if one plays some of the courses in Victoria but the Ridge, a nine hole, par 3 is on a hill and well drained.  With the snow and frost causing course closures, we only golfed four times.  Glen had a great round on his birthday with four pars.  I got par on the most difficult hole which pleased me.  We use our old clubs in Victoria and I really can feel the difference although my no-name driver can still hit it out there.  Glen does have issues walking the course but his golf cart acts as a 'walker' in disguise.

Crabbing:  We've visited the Sidney Fishing Pier on numerous occasions and watched people fish for crabs.  Glen wanted to do this so, for Christmas, I gave him a small crab trap.  After opening it, he immediately perused the regulations and bought himself a crabbing license.  We bought a float and rope, a measuring device since you can't take small crabs or females, and a can of cat food as Geoff said it was good bait for crawfish.

We lowered the trap (see photo) off the side of the pier and then headed to the Rumrunner for lunch.  We had our favourite Dead Frog Ale and shrimp and crab croissants then Glen had a nap in the van while I read.  We were very disappointed when the trap came up empty but realized the cat food can had tipped over so its 'smell' had not attracted anything.

Undeterred, we made plans to use raw chicken (another favourite bait).  I butterflied a chicken for a great lemon chicken recipe and we used the discarded backbone.  This time we got to the pier early and had coffee at the local Oasis coffee shop in the Pier One Hotel.  We weren't the only crabbers waiting it out there.

This time when Glen pulled up the trap, there was a huge dungeness crab clinging to the outside.  It had pulled the bait bag through the trap's webbing and was dining in style.  We held our breath as the trap broke the surface and Glen gently pulled it in.  The crab let go, taking the bait with it.  As it floated to the bottom, upside down, I was pretty sure it was a female.  This tale is now known as "Moby Crab".

Beaches:  Unfortunately, Glen can no longer walk to the beach.  He does ride his bike to Willows but we are seldom there together.  I walked there on my birthday and a week later, I met Glen there.  Bonus was I didn't have to walk home as he had driven the van.  One thing we discovered while walking along Cadboro Bay beach, was that Glen needs a basket on his cane so it doesn't sink into the soft sand.  Who knew this could be a problem?  I suggested using his old ski pole and he might do that.

Dogs are permitted on beaches in the winter so become part of the wild life.  We also saw herons, mergansers, ravens, goldeneyes, and cormorants.  Closer to home, we hung up our hummingbird feeder and five minutes later had the first of many hummingbird visits.  The cold temperatures kept them coming back for more.  Even the bush tits stopped by to have a sugary treat.

Salt Spring Island (SSI):  To say you're off to SSI for lunch with friends seems odd to us but those in Victoria shrug it off as normal.  We took the 9:00 ferry and did as locals do -- stayed in our van and read during the crossing.  It was a cold day so no one was up on deck.  We've never been on the big SSI ferry so that made the trip different.  We disembarked and headed straight to the SSI cheese factory.  After checking out the goats, we went to buy our usual cheeses.  Horror of horrors, there was no Montaña!  Turns out the person who provided the sheep's milk had retired and no one else on the island could provide the amount needed to make Montaña.  So we settled for a chili-flavoured feta that was amazing on pizza, Sicilian olives and my favourite, Raspberry and Habanero jam (pairs well with soft goat cheese).

Our next stop was a sheep farm where I must resist buying wool for spinning (I am almost finished spinning the last bag of Alberta wool I bought back in 1982) but can buy as many lamb sausages as I want.  The miniature horses always come to say hello and the sheep welcome us with deep baas.  The owner's little dog tries to hog our attention before the bigger ones realize guests have arrived.  As the owner stuffed her stove with fragrant wood, she told us the animals were expecting breakfast.  The horses get fed last as they don't work for a living.  I remembered what my friend Cathy used to call her horses, living lawn ornaments and I guess these two served much the same purpose.  As we left, one of the black lambs, born the previous day, came dancing across the field to watch us drive away.  It was snowing but that didn't dampen its good-to-be-alive spirit.

We took a quick cold walk along the Ganges Harbourfront before going to Moby's (see last post).  I had to photograph the famous tug that sits in the harbour and got a couple of decent shots of a goldeneye plying the waters close to the pier.  What used to be our favourite pizza place is now a burger joint (again).  It seems every two years, it changes hands and food styles.  There are rumours another eatery we liked, the Harbour House restaurant, had closed its doors but their website seems to indicate they're still open.

We tried to catch the 2:00 ferry, a new time slot on the schedule, but so did everyone else.  We missed boarding by one car so were first in line for the next crossing.  We had a wonderful view of the sunset then took a detour because the day before both my sister, Lynda and my best friend, Wendy sent me flowers for my birthday.

Glen had to work on my birthday so I had walked down to Willow's Beach.  There I received a call from the florist saying no one was home.  Turns out our entry buzzer wasn't working.  I called Glen but he was doing a radio interview.  After several attempts at a solution, the flowers were delivered.  Lynda's bouquet also had delivery problems and we ended up picking them up at the FedEx centre near the Butchart Gardens on the way back from SSI.  

Walks:   Other than beach walks and ones to the coffee shop/barber, Glen did his usual holly hunt to Stadacona Park so we had live holly for Christmas and one day I walked to Government House gardens.  It was a cold day in the gardens so I only saw two others walking.  The duck pond was frozen and the Christmas roses shivered in their beds.  I did see blooming snowdrops and daffodil shoots poking through the leaf litter but most plants were dormant.  The sage in the herb garden was silvered with frost.  I love the gardens in the winter as they alway remind me of the book, "The Secret Garden" by F. H. Burnett which was one of the first 'British aristocracy' books I read (it was set in Yorkshire).  The view from behind Government House (which was under renovations and where Prince George and Princess Charlotte stayed) is spectacular in the winter when the trees are bare and you can see across to the snow covered Olympic Mountains.

That seems to be it as far as what we did and when we did it.

Fun with Friends in Victoria

My fans (yes, I do have them) are champing at the bit for another blog entry.  Since we haven't done much traveling, it seemed pointless to ramble on about our lives but who can deny a fan?

We spent two months in Victoria enjoying what most said was the coldest winter on record.  We left at the end of January just before "the Blizzard of 2017" hit the city dumping over a foot of wet snow.  It didn't last long, not like the dump of snow we experienced here in Calgary last week.  Still, the sun is warm so spring mustn't be far away.

So what did we do in Victoria?  Glen worked most days doing emails, reviewing grants and papers, conference calls and Skype sessions.  However, there was plenty of time to enjoy fun with our friends.

Diane and Tony:  We had a few lunches with these friends from Edmonton.  First, we had a pizza lunch at their home.  We brought jelly doughnuts as a Hanukkah gift as Tony is proud of his Jewish roots.  Unfortunately, he'd never heard of the custom.  I guess it wasn't something the Jews of Manchester indulged in.  We did discover that doughnuts freeze very well and although the chocolate glaze ones are not aesthetically pleasing, they are tasty.

A week later, we had Christmas lunch at the University Club.  They always put on a nice buffet with turkey, salads, and Christmasy desserts.  After Christmas, we hosted a chili lunch for Diane and Tony at our place.  I had done some baking so dessert was Christmas cake and cookies.

As their lives got busy after the holidays, we didn't meet up again until mid-January and that was at Smuggler's Cove Pub.  Glen and I walked along the beach at Cadboro Bay before enjoying fish and chips at the pub.

Janet and Iain:  These Scottish-American friends have family in Victoria but we still enjoyed several visits before they left for Hawaii.  The first was meeting for lunch at their favourite pub, the Bard and Banker.  Iain is a fan of oysters and they serve good seafood.  I like their calamari which is what I ordered with a bowl of chicken soup.  Glen enjoyed halibut and chips and shared some of my calamari.  We both drank Hoynes Dark Matter beer.

Between Christmas and New Year's, Iain called inviting us to a simple supper.  Spontaneous is not something we usually are but we jumped at the chance.  We met at their apartment then went across the street to the Chateau Victoria Vista 18 for pre-dinner drinks.  What a view!!!!  Almost a 360º vista from Mt Baker to the BC Legislature building and Victoria Harbour.  The Christmas lights on the Legislature sparkled.  Back at their apartment, Iain served a hearty soup which warmed us on this cool winter's eve.

Before Christmas, we bought a frozen haggis and I suggested we eat it on Glen's birthday, Jan 23rd.   Robbie Burns Day, Jan 25th is the traditional day for haggis but I wasn't up for all that entails.  And it would require Glen wearing his kilt which we didn't have with us.  We wanted to golf in the afternoon (Glen could not miss with his putter so the golf gods smiled upon him) so put the haggis in my slow cooker.  It came out perfectly.  Iain could not let a haggis be served without reciting the Robbie Burns poem, an Ode to the Haggis which made it a memorable moment.  I also served tatties and neeps (potatoes and rutabaga) which is traditional fare.  We finished off with Christmas goodies.  Sadly, no shortbread, another Scottish favourite, as I didn't get around to baking it this year.

Janny and Robbert:  We have developed a wonderful coffee culture with our Dutch-Canadian friends.  They invited us to their wonderful hillside home mounted on a huge slab of granite.  I knew Robb loved sweets so I brought them a tray of Christmas goodies.  I was happy they set these aside and served us traditional Dutch Christmas baking.  The ginger cake was my favourite.

Over the course of our time in Victoria, we also met Janny and Robb for coffee at Murchies.  I had always thought of this teahouse as just that, a purveyor of fine teas but their coffee is good, too.  J&R have spent every Saturday since they retired having coffee here and we joined them in this tradition.  Never has two hours passed so quickly.  We have lively discussions on all topics.

Monica and Ole: In our days in Edmonton, Monica and Ole were famous for their Schnapps parties and Indian food.  Monica is an incredible cook.  Our kids enjoyed their dogs and swimming pool as all were invited to their parties.  They moved to Europe so we lost touch socially but picked up where we had left off when they retired to the home on Salt Spring Island.  We agreed to meet them at their favourite pub, Moby's, doing our usual tour of the island first (more on that later).  We enjoyed good conversation and food.  Ole and I had gyoza (see photo) while Monica and Glen had duck wings.  Our view of Ganges Harbour was amazing.  The pub is tucked in a tiny cove outside the normal tourist zone so its diners were mostly locals.

Cynthia and Ray:  Our floor neighbours (Slitherin rules!) are a wonderful New Zealand couple and their daughter.  Carolyn always hosts Christmas dinner with Cynthia helping out.  We are invited for pre-dinner drinks.  It works out well as we get to enjoy family fun and still monitor the cooking of our own dinner.

Just before we left Victoria, we went to Christie's with Ray and Cynthia. The pub was busy with made conversation difficult but we had some good laughs and the food was great.  Glen had the biggest Yorkshire pudding stuffed with roast beef I've ever seen.  I had vegetarian flatbread while Ray had a steak sandwich and Cynthia enjoyed curried prawns.  Vancouver Island's Sea Dog beer was on special so Glen and I drank that.

Family Time -- Victoria

A week and a half after our road trip, we were back in the car heading out to The Island.  Our two day trip had the usual stops at the usual hotels, eating at the usual places.  What can I say?  We're creatures of habit.  The only glitch was having to wait for the ferry.  Usually we make the three o'clock.  This time we didn't.  The entire parking area was packed (I've never seen it like this) and they were not letting cars in until a ferry came.  Turns out one ferry crossing had been booked by a California car club which backed things up (see Deuce Days below).  Bonus for us, was we were the last ones on the 4 o'clock sailing and the ferry slowed through The Narrows because a pod of killer whales.  My first time seeing orcas so close.

After getting settled in the condo, we arranged to meet a friend of Melissa's, JoAnn and her family at the Northwest Deuce Days car show.  Her parents-in-law have attended 4 of these (held every 3 years) and this was the biggest.  Over 1500 cars, all older than 1950, and over 100,000 people attended.  We took the bus down as parking would have been impossible and met JoAnne as they were checking out the other cars.  Of course, we drooled over the yellow 1932 Ford her father-in-law had lovingly restored.  Being a Deuce, it was a hot rod that had been modified.  He had driven it from Nebraska at normal speeds.  After chatting for an hour or so, we headed to the Bard and Banker for lunch.  The last time we were in the building, it was a Christmas store so much had changed.  I ordered calamari which was excellent and Glen had a grilled cheese sandwich.  Glen enjoyed a couple of Hoyner Pilsners.  I had one but much preferred Race Rocks Ale by the Lighthouse Brewery.

Geoff, Melissa, Elijah and Miles arrived August 1st for a week of fun (see my photos on Shutterfly) by the sea.  The Victoria Clipper arrived at 6:00 pm so we planned going to the White Spot near our condo for supper.  We even made reservations as on their last visit (see Fun with Family), dinner had been very late.  Unfortunately, our wait at the White Spot was even longer.  We think they didn't have enough cooks as their drink service was good.  And, we weren't the only ones waiting.  The kids kept busy colouring but everyone was a bit frazzled until our food finely arrived.  We were very disappointed in our experience, especially since it was the first time we've had such poor service.  Knowing they were at fault, they gave us a 10% discount--not enough, people!!

Geoff wanted to relax the next day so we did stuff around the condo like playing games (thanks, Meg and Mike for Dixit!!).  We did go to Galey Farms to pick up strawberries and corn for supper.  We got talked into buying a baker's dozen (13) which meant I had to find a big enough pot to cook it all.  It was deliciously sweet.

Wednesday morning, we did a brief walk around the Inner Harbour and the Legislature grounds then headed to Butchart Gardens after lunch.  We had reservations at the dining room and the manager called us to say there was a concert that night and parking would be tight.  Geoff and Melissa had never seen the gardens in the summer and they are impressive.  Melissa and I took oodles of photos and the boys had fun in their own way.  Riding the carousel was a highlight for them.  Supper was at 5:15 and we just finished doing the garden tour in time.  We enjoyed a lovely dinner.  Glen and Melissa had gnocchi and beef, Geoff, salmon, and I enjoyed Cowichan chicken.  The kids ordered cheese pasta and the chef accommodated Miles desire for tomato pasta instead.  We all left pleasantly stuffed.

Thursday morning, everyone was up early so the family could go kayaking.  Glen's knee/hip problems meant he and I bowed out of this adventure.  We were to meet them for second breakfast at 9:00.  Victoria Kayak, located on Swift Street near the Canoe Brewpub, offered a sunrise tour of the Gorge and Inner Harbour.  They learned how to paddle and also had a history lesson.  We took the bus down and got photos of them paddling (see above photo).  We then drove to Moka House, Shoal Point, for coffee and pastries.  The butter tarts were very tasty!  Since we were close to Fisherman's Wharf, we went there to feed the seals then bought some oysters and sablefish for supper at Finest at Sea.

Fridays have become beach day so we hauled beach mats, beach blanket, buckets, cameras, and chairs down to Willows Beach.  The kids set up for castle building while Glen settled into his new camp chair.  The low beach chairs have proven difficult for him to negotiate.  Geoff made a beeline for the shore and quickly slipped off his sandals to paddle in the ocean.  Later, Melissa and I joined him for a stroll along the shore where we saw geese, sanderlings, and a huge jellyfish.  On our return, we spotted seals frolicking off shore.

We (and a good pound of sand) went home and changed into nicer clothes.  Geoff wanted to treat us to lunch at the Marina restaurant in Oak Bay.  We'd been before with the grandkids and had such a great time, we were up for repeating the experience.  While we waited for a table, Melissa planted a letterbox stamp she had carved after being inspired by a First Nations sculpture nearby.  We were seated in the corner of the restaurant so Geoff could gaze out to sea and I could look at the boats in the marina.  As we dined, Miles spotted an otter at the end of a jetty and by the time we'd finished, three were cavorting in the rocks next to the restaurant.

Saturday, Melissa and Geoff headed downtown to shop and enjoy lunch together.  We had fun playing with the boys.  Sunday, Melissa had arranged to meet her "Auntie" Laurie in Sidney and invited us to tag along.  We did the walk of sculptures which snakes along the Sidney waterfront then we went to the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, a non-profit aquarium showcasing the creatures who live in the nearby ocean.  It opened in 2009 with the blessing of the Coastal Salish natives and features everything from jellyfish to crabs.  It evens has a touch pool where you can feel anemones and sea urchins.

 As usual, we had lunch at the Rum Runner.  The boys enjoyed burgers while Glen, Geoff and I had their shrimp and crab sandwich.  So very good!  Salad fixings are plate decor until you put them together.  Afterwards, we walked around town looking at used bookstores until Glen and Geoff had had enough.  Each grandson found an Asterix and Obelix to read on the plane home (I think they finished them by the time we got back to the condo).

Geoff and Melissa then took the bus downtown to have dinner and an evening together while we watch the Olympics.  Their experience at the Bard and Banker was not good so after eating, they walked to the Churchill Pub and had a much more enjoyable experience.

Monday morning, we got them to the Clipper early so they would get good seats and said goodbye.  We spent the next two days doing laundry and cleaning the condo but their visit was so worth the effort.

Road Trip '16 -- And Back Again

By the time we got up Wednesday (July 6th) morning, Geoff was on a plane bound for St. Louis.  We were in no rush to leave but wanted to make Sheridan, Wyoming by supper.  The best thing about saying goodbye was knowing we'd see everyone again in August.

It was a pretty stress-free trip north.  We saw lots of pronghorn antelope and a huge herd of bison (very close to the giant bison that marks the border between Colorado and Wyoming).  We stopped for lunch near Chugwater (population 212).  The town was named for the sound bison made when they hit the ground after being driven off a buffalo jump (according to native legend). Who knew?  The town's claim to fame is the bucking horse emblem on Wyoming licence plates, Steamboat, was born there.

We then motored on to the Hampton Inn in Sheridan, dining at Sanford's Grub and Pub.  Again we enjoyed Bomber Mountain Ale in quart mason jars but we knew better and didn't order an appie.  Instead, I had Yllihp.  Yeah, I couldn't pronounce it either.  Turns out is it Philly spelled backward.  It was very good and the coleslaw was creamy heaven.

The next day, the plan was to stop at the Little Bighorn National Monument and find/plant a letter box.   When we had visited the museum and cemetery back in 2010 (see Day Two-Where the Deer and the Antelope Play), we discovered the grave of Major Marcus Reno.  We bought a pamphlet that told us the story of this much-maligned man.  He was branded a coward for leading an organized retreat when his troops met the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians on the Little Bighorn River.  Reno fought the accusations and was cleared of all charges but the public was against him.  He probably suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and turned to drink.  He died of cancer a poor man.  His descendants and others interested in the man fought to have him re-buried at the Custer National Cemetery.  This was done in 1967 and he is the only officer of the 7th Calvary buried there.

I had carved a stamp to honour this historic figure and we planted it in the cemetery.  We then read the clues for the other letterbox and discovered it was also in the cemetery.  Another box was down by an abandoned hotel so we headed there.  Unfortunately, an elderly Crow woman and a puddle thwarted our efforts to find it.  Next time we pass this way, we'll get it.

There is a lovely rest stop just west of Billings so we headed there for lunch.  Unfortunately, it was undergoing renovations so we ate late near Bozeman.  Due to the weather issues we had coming down (see Road Trip '16 -- There), we drove west along Interstate 90.  It meets I-15 at Butte where  we headed north.  High on a hill overlooking the highway was a giant (90 ft) white statute of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Called Our Lady of the Rockies, it was built by a man who had prayed to Mary  promising to build her a statue if his wife recovered from cancer.  The project blossomed into a community effort, taking 6 years to complete.

In Helena, we stay at the Holiday Inn Express and eat at the restaurant next door, Buffalo Wild Wings.  The wings there are large so we shared a medium plate of tradition wings, then added onion rings and celery/carrots sticks for a balanced meal (yeah, right).  Beer was Lewis and Clarke Amber which we've had before and really enjoy.  It is a Helena brewery that uses locally grown ingredients.

The next day, July 8th, we were homeward bound.  We even played Paul Brandt's Alberta Bound on our stereo system (it always makes me tear up).  We made good time and were at the border at noon so decided to have lunch in the Sweetgrass rest stop.  Just as well as there was a long line up entering Canada and I'd have been starving had we waited.  If there is a line taking longer than any other, we'll find it.  So we sat for over 30 minutes waiting for our turn.  Our border guard seemed very thorough so we wondered what he was asking people.  When our turn came, he asked the usual questions about alcohol and cigarettes, then let us go.  Took all of 3 minutes.

We arrived home, quickly unloaded the car, and headed to Scotsman's Well for supper.  I had a buffalo chicken wrap with sweet potato fries and Glen ate spaghetti and meatballs, all washed down with Big Rock's Traditional Ale.  It was good to be home!

See photos here.

Fourth of July Weekend

This wasn't the first Fourth of July we've spent in Colorado (see Day Seven, Eight, and Nine - Aurora) but it will be the most memorable.  Melissa had booked two sites at their favourite campground, Reverend's Ridge in Golden Gate Canyon State Park on January 1st and that's when the road trip plans began.  Geoff had just started his new job so didn't know whether or not he would get vacation time.  Turns out he could take off Friday (Monday was July 4th) so we spent the morning loading up our two vehicles.  Elijah and Geoff's guitar came with us.

The hour and a half drive was made longer due to a horrible accident but both kids had fallen asleep so were spared the aftermath we witnessed.  Then we hit a thunderstorm which had us worried we'd be setting up camp in the rain.  Luck was with, though.  The sun came out just as we reached the campsite.

The boys had never slept in a tent by themselves so had a few issues setting it up.  Fortunately, it was a tent we'd given Geoff years ago so we knew the ins and outs of its erection.  Our poor old tent was showing its age and looked very saggy.  This became an issue when it started raining (with Armstrong camping, rain is a given).

After a couple of false starts, we had a fire going and Melissa had all the fixings for chicken fajitas ready to go.  I had bought giant marshmallows so the 'smores were amazing or so I was told.  I don't like this camping dessert.

Rain began during the night and our tent got quite damp.  Geoff fixed it by knotting up our bungy cords which tightened our fly.  Just as well since neither Glen nor I had had a good night's sleep.  Turns out some of the problems I foresaw about us 'oldies' camping actually transpired.  Glen had been nursing a sore hip for several months and the stiffness made getting dressed a chore.  This became a big problem in our tent (originally bought for backpacking 30 years ago).  The bottomline is if we camp again, we need a taller and wider tent!

Saturday we were to go fishing.  Miles is a great fisherman so we headed out with him to the Slough Pond.  Glen did his first cast and caught a small trout.  Before I could snap a photo, he'd had tossed it back.  That was the first and last fish caught that day.  Melissa and Elijah went on a hike and we all met back at the campsite for lunch.  It was raining again.

When the rain stopped, we headed to Dude's Fishing Hole.  A short hike meant we didn't take our folding chairs.  Just as well as we weren't there long before it poured.  I was the only one wearing rain gear so Geoff ran with the others back to the car while Glen and I brought up the rear.  I didn't realize we were at 9000 feet so couldn't understand why I was having problems breathing.  I'd had similar issues on Pikes Peak years ago so high altitude exercise is not for me.

Geoff got the fire started in the rain while we huddled under their picnic table cover.  The kids had made a friend and we had fun playing a camping game Melissa had brought.  We had hamburgers for supper and the rain let up enough for us to do 'smores again.

It was still overcast the next morning so Geoff built up the fire for a huge breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs.  Glen cooked the eggs as that is his specialty.  We went fishing at Ranch Pond while Melissa and Elijah drove into Golden to get more ice.  After an hour of casting, I caught a fish!  I've never caught a trout before and it was pretty exciting.  Geoff said it was a keeper so Miles helped me bring it in and Geoff used his pliers to remove the hook so it became 'our' fish.

When the pond got crowded, we headed back to Slough Pond and Melissa and Elijah joined us as she had seen the car while driving back from Golden.  Geoff caught a fish on his bottom line so we had two treats for dinner.  Of course, two fish do not feed 6 people so we fried some brats on the fire and had a side of beans.  However, the fish were the more than delicious!

Just as we finished dinner, a man from the next campsite came over.  He was with a church group and all of them were Asian (except him).  They were having a cook-off and wanted us to judge their food since we'd be impartial.  They were given certain ingredients and had to create their dishes using these.  Melissa, Geoff and I enjoyed some excellent food and met some wonderful people.

Afterwards, Glen and I cleaned up camp while the rest of the family went to a talk on raptors.  Melissa took some amazing pictures of the owls.  Actually, the birds in our campsite were exciting, too.  We had several Black throated hummingbirds visit as well as Steller and Grey Jays, ravens and chickadees.  A hairy woodpecker also stopped by our tent.

It's always sad when one strikes camp but everyone worked together and left the sites cleaner than we found them.  The kids were excited to get home as it was July 4th and we were off to have a BBQ at friends and then do fireworks (they are banned in Aurora but not where Geoff's friend, Brady lives).  The minute we got home, Melissa had a load of laundry in the washing machine and Miles in the shower.  Not sure how we did it but everyone had a shower before we left for dinner.  Brady and Kelli have known us a couple years but we had never met his folks.  What nice people!  They sold airplane propellers of all things and had some interesting stories to tell.  Brady's burgers were 2 inches thick, I swear and he cooked them to perfection.

As soon as it got dark, the fireworks began.  Because this area of Denver is really several small cities, each one had their own display and we had a perfect view of several of them.  When I say the light show went on for hours, I'm not lying.  Brady had a collection of fireworks the kids could light so we had fun watching smoke bombs, firecrackers and explosions of all kinds.  The kids set the fireworks off in the middle of the street then raced back to the house while it exploded.   It was great fun.  During a lull in the action, the kids wanted sparklers so Geoff began lighting them.  The breeze kept snuffing his match so I got the butane lighter from our camping equipment.  We wanted a picture of the four kids with sparklers so Geoff decided to light them all at once.  Sounded like a good idea but what he created was a sparkler bomb which blew up and burned his hand.

He rushed into the house and dunked it into the ice cooler we had for drinks then Melissa drove him to the hospital.  Being the states, he was in and out in under two hours.  He had second degree burns to most of his hand but his fingertips were spared.  None of the kids were hurt despite being close by.

The doctor also told him not to let the incident lessen his enjoyment of setting off fireworks on the Fourth of July.  We thought the same so we let the kids have fun after Geoff and Melissa left and drove them home after the finale.  Miles was a great navigator, getting us out of the neighbourhood onto a road we knew.

Geoff spent the night battling pain with drugs but seemed better the next day.  He couldn't go into work but joined us for lunch at Mellow Mushroom Pizzeria.  Glen and I shared my favourite, a vegetarian pizza called Kosmic Karma.  It was a great way to end our holiday in Aurora.

See photos here.

Family Time -- Aurora

We arrived in Aurora Sunday night (June 26th) and spent Monday relaxing.  Geoff had to work so we lazed around the backyard.  The kids ran through the sprinkler and I had fun capturing their antics with my camera (see photo) while enjoying the shade of their neighbour's tree.

We were to spend the week in town then head to the mountains to camp.  The highlight of the week was a visit to the History Colorado Centre.  During the summer, admission for kids under 18 is free (we saved $16).  Glen was thrilled he paid $2 less because he was a senior.  The museum is downtown but Melissa knew the place to park so we had no problems.  As we stepped into the main atrium, the kids rushed over to a R2D2 type unit and began pushing it across the floor.  A shiny brass disc embedded in the floor activated the machine telling us various aspects of Colorado history.  Each floor of the museum provided hands-on displays which the kids loved.  You could do school lessons in a one-room schoolhouse (nobody wanted to be reminded of school), work the cash in the general store, collect eggs (wood) from pretend chickens, milk a cow (with its own light show), and experience what it was like to sit in a house during a prairie dust storm of the 1930s.  They also had two temporary exhibits -- one called By Their Hats, Horses, and Homes, We Shall Know Them featuring historic photos of Colorado's early days.  The other, Awkward Family Photos, were pictures taken of real families in some pretty funny/awkward poses.  We all have those photos!

After the museum, we met Geoff at his work, Asynchrony Labs, and had a tour of his office housed in an old brick warehouse.  What a great feeling of space.  We planned having drinks at a nearby restaurant but its dining area was closed so we drove to Postino Wine Café (you had me at wine).  We dropped Glen off to secure us a table then found a place to park.  The restaurant is located in the Lower Highlands (LoHi in Denver parlance), a vibrant community of modern condos just north of downtown.  The building was built in the 60s to house the Denver BookBinding Company.  It was a warm night so Postino's had opened their windows to let a breeze flow through.  Glen chose a large banquette on the cusp of the patio.  Not only did they serve wine, but the kids had lemonade and Glen, Geoff, and I had local craft beer.  We ordered three 'boards' to be shared--cheese, butcher's, and pub.  The almond hummus was incredible as were the aged meats and cheeses.

Usually when Glen and I go to a restaurant, we're there for supper as well as appies but no, Geoff wanted to try out an alehouse down the street.  Way down the street.  We walked off some of the appies to reach it.  Called The Ale House at Amato's, it is housed in a place that originally made statuary and fountains.  The Amato family left some pieces behind and the restaurant honoured the building's past by adding their name to the ale house.  Owned by Breckenridge Brewing company, it proudly features this brewery's craft beer.  I enjoyed a Colorado Lamb Pita Salad.  I burned it off climbing back up the hill to the car.

See photos here.

The Good Guys Lost??

We weren't the only ones who have stopped by Little Bighorn to check out the National Monument, friends of Geoff and Melissa took their kids there.  After watching the video of the battle, the youngest told his grandfather that the 'good guys' lost.  When you're young, you want to be the good guy.  As you age, you learn humans can be good and bad.  At the Battle of Little Bighorn, the U.S. 7th Calvary lost to a confederacy of Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors.  Once the good guys, history now paints the Calvary as the ones who deserved to lose.

Glen wanted to see the re-enactment so we made a special stop at Little Bighorn in Montana on June 25th.  The show is hosted by the Crow people and is on their reservation south of Last Stand Hill.  It is at this bend in the river, Indian oral history tells us, that Lt. Col. Custer (see photo) fell (many historians dispute this).  They call it the Battle of Greasy Grass.

The show was to start at 1:00 but since it was first come, first serve, we decided to get there early.  We arrived at 10:00 and weren't the first.  Parking is in a huge field but isn't unlimited so getting there early was a good idea (cost per adult is $20.00).  We were told we could explore the Calvary Camp on the shores of the Little Bighorn River so that's what we did.  We spoke a young lady dressed as a private and learned she was an anthropology student.  As I took pictures, Glen questioned a gun enthusiast who had a display of rifles used by the calvary.  Only the officers carried pistols.

I wandered to the river and over the hill, came the Calvary!  What an incredible sight.  They were riding two by two down to the river to cross back into camp.  The volunteers had been there for a couple of weeks rehearsing for the show and were still working out the kinks.  It was nice to see the horses up close.  I wasn't the only one snapping pictures.

After crossing the river, they scattered and dismounted.  We met a few of them as they wandered through the camp.  A young man with a split beard caught my eye and we had a chat.  Turns out he portrayed Custer's Adjutant, 1st Lt. William Cooke.  We wished him luck and he laughed saying he was sure they would win this year.

We then made our way to the bleachers as they were beginning to fill up.  I noticed the top seats had backs so scrambled up to them.  Glen couldn't figure why until I pointed out we could lean back.  We ate our lunch and watched as the Crow natives rode back and forth on various errands.  Around noon, the emcee began to tell the story of the battle from the Indian point of view (and yes, he used that word).  He also told of how he got involved in the re-enactment.  By 1:00 the stands were full and the show began.  The major players were introduced and we learned that Sitting Bull was portrayed by a young Canadian.

All the while, the native boys were riding bareback, slipping on and off their horses.  When Custer was introduced, they galloped around the calvary.  The lad who played Crazy Horse was just as crazy as the name implies.  What was most impressive was when they galloped across the river with no hesitation, neither horse nor rider afraid.

A drum circle chanted during the quite moments as various historical characters paraded across the field.  The emcee told of how the West was explored and how the Indians lived.  Jim Bridger was there.  We'd learned about him from a Johnny Horton song.  So were Lewis and Clarke.

While the Calvary was getting ready for the battle, the Indians brought a herd of horses onto the Greasy Grass meadow.  Some of these horses were for sale so it was a chance to show them off.  I went nuts taking photographs.  I was glad I had my telephoto as they were quite far away.

The battle began when Crazy Horse galloped over the river and taunted Custer and his Calvary.  This actually happened, drawing the calvary into the area where the natives could fight them.  We watched the battle across the river and in the end, there were no more calvary and the Indians came riding back with hats and swords.  What a wild bunch!

Afterwards, you could meet the calvary and Indians and have your picture taken with whomever you chose.  There were also several breaks in the program for people to have photos taken with the stars so it was a laid-back kind of show.  Great fun for the whole family.

If you go, be sure to wear sunscreen as there is no shade and a hat is essential.  We were lucky as a stiff breeze kept us cool but it is a hot, dry place.  Some kids sold water and drinks throughout the show so if you aren't prepared, they were very willing to sell you something.  They also had a food stand selling "genuine Indian tacos" as our emcee called them.  T-shirts and souvenirs are also sold on site.

Leaving the parking lot was a bit iffy but we got out in about 15 minutes so were on the road by 3:00.  It was certainly an event worth doing.

See photos here.