Another trip; more projects & some deer toddlers

A couple of weeks ago, we finally decided to bite the bullet and launch into some redoing of our front garden - specifically putting some stairs up through the middle of the garden, and also terracing some areas. BIG JOB. We took a couple of days to get the outline done and there it had to sit as we decided to head to Alberta for a quick visit with the kids.

Before...

During...

End of stage 1...

Well, we've now racked up our fourth trip through the Canadian Rockies in less than a year! Each trip has been very different with the weather and experiences along the way. This one was no different in being different...the day before we left, I was told that the Rogers Pass (the highest point on the Highway between Vancouver and Calgary) was closed because of mudslides and they expected it to be closed until at least noon the next day - our travel day! We thought about reversing the circuit we were going to do and go through Jasper to Edmonton first, then Calgary and on home, but thought we would take the chance that it would be cleared. Apparently they had mud 3 metres deep for about 1/2 km to clean up - what a mess!

At least our early morning drive to catch
the ferry was in early daylight, not dark
of night.

This is the sort of load which we share
space with on the ferry.

As we drove, we checked the updates and were about two hours from the trouble spot when we learned it had reopened. We figured that would give the backed up traffic time to clear - we were somewhat right in that. The traffic going in the same direction as us was fine but, about an hour past the slide area, the oncoming traffic was horrendous as long lines of traffic crawled up long mountain roads - lots of trucks making the going even slower. We were happy to be going the other way. And rain! It rained a good part of the trip - getting just a little sick of it and happy to be going to Sunny Alberta to stock up on Vitamin D.

The last time we saw this snowshed, it
was covered and surrounded by snow!

This wasn't looking too good!

Aftermath of the mud slide.

See the red car off to the left? 

See it now?
It was washed off the road by the mud and
left stranded - what a horrifying experience
 that would have been. 

All the creeks and waterfalls were flowing
so fast - so much of British Columbia is on
flood alert - and two weeks later it continues.
Late melting of snow and heavy spring rains
the culprit.

Some of the nasty post-mudslide traffic.
It went on and on.

Had a wonderful visit in Okotoks (my Christmas holiday location) catching up with Mary & Al on their farm...and Ben the adorable dog. Mary kindly let me savage her garden and dig up bits and pieces of perennials to bring back home and incorporate into ours. We had a wonderful evening with Mary & Al, and also son Colin and his girlfriend Jess who have just left for South America for a 3 month (or more) adventure.

Colin and Jess went camping in the Rockies the week before they left Canada and had the amazing experience of watching two groups of mother grizzly bears with their cubs making their way around the lakeshore - just a stone's throw away from where they were camping. I'm pretty sure I'd have been locked in the car upon first sighting. Anyway, they captured some amazing photos.

This is one of the photos they took of
the bear and her cubs. I wish I had
access to the other photos which were
quite amazing.

When we drive out to Mary and Al's place south of Calgary, we pass this oddity called "The Okotoks Erratic" - we've seen it dozens of times but never stopped. Well, this time we did - and did the walk over to the rocks for a close up look. It's sort of like having a very mini Ayers Rock experience. It sticks up out of the flat landscape and has spiritual significance to the local Indian tribe. You are dissuaded from climbing on it. Supposedly the rock was deposited there during a ride on a glacier many eons ago.

The Okotoks Erratic.

These people have an up close view of the erratic.

The Calgary visit was all too quick and we headed up to Edmonton for a couple of days to check on the other four "kiddies".

We certainly notice the continued growth in Alberta with volume of traffic on the roads, new subdivisions popping up everywhere in the major cities and towns and generally just the faster pace - probably accentuated because we are now living in a town which just doesn't move all that fast.

Typical prairie view of drive between
Calgary and Edmonton.

And another one.

As we drove, we wondered if we would outrun the storms we were seeing all around us. Nope...more rain. Sunny Alberta? Not!

Storm clouds threatening.

When we arrived in Edmonton, we did a detour to say hi to Heidi who was managing a neighbourhood PR event for one of the housing developers. Again we saw firsthand the huge amount of growth which has happened since we left in 1995. And more rain!

Game 6 of the Stanley Cup (ice hockey) finals was on that night so all of the kids came to our hotel (where we happily scored the Executive Suite) and we had a beer and pizza evening (just pizza for the pregnant parents). As it turned out, the Los Angeles Kings won the game (and therefore best of 7) so the cup was presented that night - was fun to watch after watching many of the playoff games. I'm not sure if there is any other sport where the playoff series can take up to 3 months to get through! Fortunately we love hockey.

The gorgeous mother-to-be.

And with granny-to-be!

Sunday we went out to Heidi & Antoine's to check on their renovation progress. They have finished their main bathroom and are now working on laying wood floors throughout the main level of the house. It looks wonderful and will be great when finished before the new baby arrives so they can relax (well, as much as you can relax with a new baby) and enjoy time with baby.

I was excited to feel the baby move - makes it very real that's for sure.

Sunday evening we headed out to a restaurant to spend a delightful evening with our buddies Don & Marilyn. Lots of noisy chatter and fabulous food...and then the evening was over and we were saying bye bye again.

As everyone was at work on Monday, Brian and I checked out the new Enjoy Centre - a multi experience nursery complex. What a wonderful spot - I could imagine going there when it's -40deg and enjoying the warmth and humidity. They have a couple of spots to eat, gift shop, kitchen shop, etc. along with an amazing array of what you would expect to see at a nursery - brilliantly presented. If you live nearby and haven't been there, go! I picked up a few succulents to bring home to see if they will survive in Nanaimo.

This pond was hewn out of wood - very nice;
very expensive. 

The outside perennial area.

It was nice that all of the plants were
raised so you didn't have to bend over...
gotta appreciate that!

This neat system had the plant baskets hooked
onto a conveyer belt which delivered each of
the plants to the hose for a soaking.

Even the bathrooms had the wow factor.

We had lunch later with son Brendan at Teddy's Restaurant - an Edmonton institution and a spot Brendan loves to go whenever possible.

That evening was spent with Heidi & Antoine - quietly as no hockey to watch. Heidi is looking wonderful and feeling great - she had a few complaints about how big she was...until I cheerfully reminded her that she would get MUCH bigger before she was done. I don't think she appreciated that thought at all!

Next morning we were up and out of the hotel early and on our way home. Weather wasn't too bad for the first few hours but then, yes rain! Very tedious.

I saw two big brown furry animals beside a lake - not sure if they were bears or mooses (meese?) but they were big! Anyway, Brian drove with his usual focus and we made it to Vancouver in time to catch the 5.20pm ferry home so were happy to walk in our door a bit after 7pm. It was a busy six days that's for sure, but we were glad we had gone.

In only 6 weeks I will be back there again for two weeks to help with the new baby's arrival - well, not to help with its arrival but to be of assistance before and after. I'm really looking forward to that very special event.

This is just a bizarre aside - I was watching
a tv show about a gypsy wedding where the 16
year old bride was having some dramas with
her mother - CHECK OUT THE DRESS!!
Thankfully you can't hear the language she
was using on her mother.

Whenever we go on a trip somewhere, we come home inspired and motivated. And so it was this time. We were up early the day after getting home and out finishing our front garden project. One trip to the landscape yard for a truckload of dirt - home to shovel it into the garden beds we had created; another trip for a load of gravel - home to shovel it into the stairs we had created. Lots of shovelling, lots of raking, lots of moving rock, lots of digging and replanting etc. but at the end of the day, it was done!

Looks great and even from our bent over position from the pain, we could appreciate our efforts.

This guy sat for a long time under the
neighbour's tree and watched our progress.

More or less an "after" shots - still
some tweaking to do. 

A lovely peony from my garden.

And another one.

And one of my pretty irises.

Went to bed wondering what we would find in the morning as the deer discovered the changes we had made to their route through our yard and also the new selection of plants. Turns out that they are pretty adaptable and just walk wherever they want; obstacles notwithstanding. The next day we rigged up a basic fence from bamboo to gently encourage them to a different path...this morning I discovered that they moved up a level and walked along the first terraced piece of garden - in my new dirt. I'm sure they got a good laugh out of our flimsy fence which they can hop over pretty easily - and they do. I think the new layout has at least distracted them from eating any of the new plants we put in...for the moment at least. Not sure if we will have success in having them do what we want them to do, but the challenge is a bit of fun anyway.

Motivated by the front yard results, we are now working on plans for the back yard - that will be a big job I think as all of the materials will have to be carried/barrowed much further and uphill! Oh my poor back (and Brian's too of course).

As I sat working on this blog a few nights
ago, I looked up and saw...yes, this!

Other doings?

Decided to do a revamp of the garage and storage room so have gone at it pretty hard this past couple of days - have made great progress and Brian has built lots of shelving and some more workbench space for himself. He always says I am spoiled with my great sewing room, so I was happy to help make his playroom more user friendly. My first choice of flooring paint (a lovely brick red) turned out to be a bright salmon pink - didn't waste any time redoing that! It's now a very acceptable beige.

Still a work in progress but coming along nicely.

During our absence, the vegetable garden made noticeable progress - although the animals and bugs are getting more pleasure out of it than I am - the rabbits particularly have enjoyed all the lettuce varieties I have provided. I calculate the few salads we have enjoyed featuring my garden fresh lettuce would have been worth around $25 per serve!!

My first ever squash flower...sure hope
it grows up to be a real vegetable.

The bare dirt patch of a few months ago
is looking a lot more interesting now.

My potatoes and more squash.

And what is doing the best? The random
vegetables growing in the compost of course!

Our backyard is a bit plain so I have
made a little vignette near the vege garden
out of the old rusty tools found when we
moved in.

Can't wait for the figs to be ready.

And lastly, some of the very expensive lettuce!

Brian went out with a couple of guys last week for a rare game of golf. And with the rainy weather and trip to Alberta, we had missed taking the kayak out over the past couple of weeks so have now got our feet wet again with a lovely evening paddle - just making it back before the rain hit.  Was amazing to be out on the water again.

I've launched into making a quilt for the new grandbaby. The nursery theme is nautical so I've designed a quilt which I hope will complement it.

I've also finished my share of painting on the deck privacy walls - so nice to get something finished.

Lots of special animal activity from the picture window:

• A seal doing flips and having a wonderful time in the water yesterday morning. We see him every couple of days but he isn't always so demonstrative.

• Noticeably greater boat activity with the warmer weather and school holidays starting.

• Lots and lots of bird activity...and the sparrows still want to nest on our deck! The bald eagles have taken to doing the occasional fly by very close to our window which is rather nice.

• A mother rabbit and her baby cavorting around - today? Two babies...oh no! Maybe should have used something other than a camera to shoot them with??

• AND...baby deer! So far we have two mums doing a regular walk through our yard - the other day, one of the babies was really naughty running around all over the place and going quite far from the mum...I was so excited to watch, I went out the front in my jammies to take some photos...then mum came back to get junior and I heard this strange mewing sound...then she saw me...I hastily retreated behind the car which was thankfully left out on the driveway. 

• Anyway, it was quite wonderful to watch her summons her baby back to her side. I got some photos but so wished I had thought to do a movie! 

Please note messy yard in background of
these photos belongs to the neighbours!

She also had a run in with another female who came by...she very firmly pushed her away to make sure she didn't come near the baby. It's so amazing to watch their activities from such a close range.

• I got another opportunity yesterday when another mum came by...and she has twins! They were so cute...we saw them again this morning. This time I was ready and took some video...again, not quite doing it in time to catch the "action" but cute anyway. And, sorry you can't see the video, I have had problems uploading it...a problem apparently shared by lots of bloggers on Blogspot unfortunately. If I figure it out, I'll upload in next post.

What else is new?

June was a busy birthday month...Happy Birthday Brendan (end of last month); Happy Birthday Shaun; Happy xxth Birthday John in Australia; Happy xxth Birthday Paula who is in the US for her birthday. Happy Birthday brother in law Wayne...and we are looking forward to seeing sister Elizabeth and husband Wayne and granddaughter here for a visit in a couple of weeks!

Sorry for the ramble!