Last days in Canada

Ah, nothing lasts 4ever. Here we are at the end of our glorious time with Kath. Actually, I'm home already sitting at our study table but I'm pretending I'm still Up Over. Second last day Laurel wanted some photos of a beautiful little garden on a block just down the road from kath's flat. Hence the first three above. The last 2 are at the Vancouver airport and shows a very significant bird and frog lady, although I didn't read up on their significance so let's pretend together.

Last day for Laurel was a facial with Kath after work (she started at 5:30am and has 10 straight days of it because her chief cook, Michele, is getting married on saturday).

I played golf with Kath's landlord, Calvin, and his next door neighbour Ron. We played Mountainside, the course not even a stone's throw from Kath's front door. It was a full 18 holes, 72 par and I shot 48-41. Not quite my age, unlike my mate Denis Jenkins' dad Alec, but give me time - if I live to 90 that is. There is NOTHING quite like a four-hour round of golf for sheer pleasure - and no hangover afterwards. I can think of other sources of pleasure, but FOUR HOURS! And it is even better if you have a birdie or two, which is what I managed amongst a couple of four-put greens and a couple of lost balls (Canadian golf balls don't float either). Sorry there's no photos of golf on the last day.

In summary: CANADA - New Zealand on steriods (courtesy of Laurel). Until next time - and there will be one shortly as Laurel goes to Europe and UK with Marian - hooroo folks!

Of barns and dins with cafe owners

Reading left to right: L, Kath, Steph, Mike, Sussan, Doug, Ava

The columns are actually elevators for lowering hay to the basement where the cattle are kept throughout the winter.

This is not your average sized canadian barn. By any standard, it is BIG, said several of the visitors who have or had farms in other provinces.Hi folks, today (Sunday) was different. We went to K2 Ranch on the westside of the valley where Kath helped serve lunch to around 100 folks who had come in from a nature walk organised by Nature Trust, a conservation group responsible for various tracts of land in the valley. Kath's cafe owners had agreed to cater for the group, which is why L made cookies yesterday and Kath made sandwiches along with 3 of the 4 owners, Steph, Mike and Sussan.

They held the lunch in a very large restored barn built originally in 1895 (see first three photos, reading upwards). The owner of the barn (and ranch) only let's it out for charitable purposes.

Then we came home for a while. I watched Tiger (Woods) blow a one stroke lead with 5 holes to play, losing to Y.E. Yang by 3. Kath pretended to watch with me, but fell asleep (her only excuse being that she has started work for the last 2 days at 5:30AM!). L read, and fell asleep. Ah Canada, what a wonderful place in which to sleep and/or watch golf.

That evening we went to "the Hoodoos" Grill and dined with the 4 cafe co-owners Doug & Sussan, Mike and Steph and bubs Ava (top 2 photos - we celebrated Ava's 1/4 birthday).

Tomorrow L and I drive into Invermere while Kath works. Then to Fairmont Hot Springs on 2 free passes that Kath arranged for us. Certainly is a relaxing hol.

PS for Dave Mahoney - our plane lands 8:15 am on Friday. Allow 3/4 hour to get through Customs so expect us to emerge from International terminal around 9am. Flight is Air Canada AC33 from Vancouver. See ya soon.

Hoo Roo for now, DM

Golf, cookies and sandwiches

Good ol' Kath got taking to her next door neighbours and asked if they played golf and lined up a game with them for me! So, while the girls are slaving away on a Saturday making cookies and sandwiches for a function Kath's cafe is catering for Sunday, I'm off to golf with Brad and his son Brent.

First photo above is my lame attempt to photograph the three of us on the first tee. Missed Brad so he appears in the second shot. The other photos are just to show you what great views we had! I shot 49 first nine and 37 second nine. be impressed with the 2-0ver 37; I was!!!

Calgary and back, and back

When we left our heroes they were off to Calgary, threee hours drive north and east to the prairies of Canada. They made it, on the way seeing more mountains on the road to Banff (first photo above) and spending a delightful hour in Banff itself. It was lunch time at the Wild Flour (I ordered a Latte without foam and the Aussie girl at the counter said "so that's a flat white eh?").

The Banff Springs Hotel was a delight to see - its designer ought to get an award for his whymsical spirit and cheekiness because that is what the place looks like (see second photo) and not even the mountain setting (third photo) could detract from its off-beat beauty.

Not photos of Calgary I'm afraid, but L and I overrode on the free tram (I mean light rail transit) while Kath met Jeremiah for dinner. L and I then had cocktails and dins in the hotel before zzzeding off as kath came in the door. On the way out of Calgary we went shopping - first for winter clothes for Kath and then for her cafe restocking. the weather CLOSED in and we drove home almost all the way in rain with clouds down on the mountains (last photo reading upwards above).

Today kath worked and we lazed about. L reading through Kath's bookcase and me playing golf down the hill from kath's place. Then in the afternoon it was more reading for L and watching Tiger Woods in the 2nd round of the US PGA on TV. Its a dirty job, but someone's got to do it! Tonigth Kath cooks some Canadian beefsteak and we while away the time. Hard to believe we are into our last week here!

Golf and Patchwork shops

Al was true to his word. the very next day he and I and a friend of his, Keith, have an 8:20am hit off at the Copper Point Golf Club Ridge course! Every tee saw me looking around 360 degrees at Canadian Rockies. Amazing.

The golf was ok too although my faux par was to beat mine hosts by 1 and 3 shots respectively. Sounds impressive if I say I shot an 84, but that is until I tell you the par was 62 (golfers of all grades and persuasions will know what this means). Because we used carts (believe me I would not have been able to walk the 18 holes pulling a buggy because it was SO up and down) we finished by noon. I then walked home via the golf course that abuts Kath's place not knowing thet laurel had just left to walk to Kath's coffee shop via the road. That meant a quiet afternoon for me and a pleasant coffee-shop afternoon for Laurel.

Tuesday (today) we had turkey lunch at the cafe cooked and 'carved' by Al's fiance Michelle (see photos) before a trip to Invermere with me as driver. Actually, Laurel and I both drove by mutual agreement, but I was the one sitting behind the wheel saying repeatedly "passenger in the gutter" each time I turned right ... I mean, left. Laurel went to one patchwork shop while I hunted out some vacuum cleaner bags for Kath's VC at the local Bunnings (read Homewares) store. Then I hung around at the second patchwork shop while Laurel chatted up the friendly Canadian shop assistant and bought enough fabric to make her day - possibly her week.

Tomorrow Kath has arranged a trip to Calgary for us to see the prairies and for her to have dinner with Jeremiah, brother of Caleb, and his girlfriend. Kath stayed with Jo and Caleb before she came to Canada. Kath met Jeremiah when he was visiting Down Under a couple of years ago. He is visiting Calgary so Kath said "let's go". We drive there, stay overnight, see some sights and then drive home. Round trip 620kms!

Hopefully, I'll have some photos of the trip. By all for now, DMM

A quiet weekend around Fairmont

I am pointing to Bison Pot Roast - it tasted a lot like beef, only stringier. Sunday was also quiet. We met some more of Kath's friends, Michelle who works in the cafe and her fiance Al who suggested we play golf together if and when he gets time off driving the rafters' bus.

We ate Saturday night after the hang gliding with Sally (the journo who "lined up" kath with a job) and her Canadian fiance Aaron.Last hangglidder coming in!

Kath and L at the hanggliding.

Northernmost parts (for us)

Hello folks. Again reading the phots upwards we start at Maligne Lake with the three flags flying (one Canada, one BC, one the lake itself! The lake's name is pronounced mar-ling 'cos its taken from the diary of a Roman Catholic French missionary priest who came originally to bring the gospel to the local Indian tribes (called First Nation people for the PC). he made one particularly bad river crossing in the area and declared it "particularly evil" or 'malignant'.

The 2nd and 3rd photos show how beautiful the lake and surrounds are. On the way back, voila some wildlife (photo #4). Back at Fairmont Hot Springs next day we saw hanggliders landing lakeside at Invermere (up the road from Fairmont) on a sunny, balmy afternoon.

See ya folks. Dennis