Saturday, June 11, 2011

Thunderstorm

Last evening as we were going to bed it started pouring with rain followed by some impressive thunderclaps. We had left everything out so today is a waiting game- waiting for everything to dry out! The two hammocks, the tablecloth, the cushions....
We had a busy clean-up day burning old dead branches; all day long the fire was going.
This week end Hanne's daughter Karin is in a triathlon at Kimberley BC. The whole family is starting into triathlons and go all over the country competing, sometimes raising money for charity. Jenessa is nearly 17 and doing very well as a long distance athlete, competing well against all age groups.( see photo on previous post )
The rest of Canada is glued to the TV as the Stanley cup final is on.Ice Hockey is the sport. Vancouver is winning 3-2 in games in a best of seven tournament.

Our Champion Long Distance Athlete Jenessa!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Ten Kilometers!

Just back from a 10Km bike ride in glorious sunshine to Mulhurst and back. Stopped by the lake to sunbathe and eat an ice cream cone! This is our first exposure to Alberta sunshine here. We expect more of the same with the odd afternoon thunder shower.It is presently 24 degrees Celsius.I think I wore Hanne out as she is now fast asleep in her chair!
On the way photographed masses of Bonoparte's gulls on a dock; Marsh Marigolds; and a whole bevy of forget me nots at the side of the road.One boat was out on the lake pulling a water- skier in a wet suit....

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

100515_Alberta%2520Trip%25202_0480.jpg 1600×1037 pixels

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8FnLjavyveE/Td-OeWUpUmI/AAAAAAABKE8/KgUw5D39tbQ/I/100515_Alberta%252520Trip%2525202_0480.jpg
Michael and Hanne
mhvetbo@gmail.com
http://mhs22.blogspot.com

This is a link to a photo on Picasa we would like to share! We are in Alberta now and the Calgary Stampede is coming up soon. This painting is on a wall in Pincher Creek.

Rocky Shore with Roses

Still cloudy here with bits of rain but the moist air makes all the lush growth smell so nice. The birds are quieter when it's not so sunny however, but the yellow warblers and orioles are still singing clearly. We are still intermittently connected to the Internet here, so that's good; people who live here seem to need a little square plate on a pole on top of their houses to stay connected. Hope you guys out there are having better luck commenting on your favorite blogs, and that somebody told Blogger about the problem. Even with cable connection it doesn't always stay on line, so nothing is perfect in this world after all! Surprise, surprise!
On the traffic scene, there has been a number of fatal collisions on our roads lately, even on the roads we ourselves travel indeed! The dead never get the chance to learn from experience, and the living never pay enough attention to other's experience, so no change occurs. The most curious accidents are those involving large animals. A black bear recently was hit by one vehicle, soared through the air, hit a second vehicle,entering the windshield and leaving by the rear window, killing the lady driver instantly on the way through! This phenomenon has also occurred with deer,etc....

Rocky Shore with Roses

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Cultus Lake BC

A reminder of where we were a year ago today. It was warm and cosy as we wandered around this lovely lake watching summer activities; swimming, kayaking, water-skiing etc.
Today at Pigeon Lake it is damp and drizzly, unlike yesterday which was warm and sunny, spent mostly outside burning old bits of branches blown down in last winter's storms. In the cabin, we were entertained by a bat that flew in our front door, it proceeded to explore all the rooms before flying out again! At least bats don't poop allo over the place like birds when they get in. My daughter once had a Stellar's Jay in her kitchen on Bowen Island. They were cleaning up for days!
Oh by the way, my photos from now won't post because they are all too big for the email so I will have to wait until I get home to edit them and change the format etc..

Monday, June 6, 2011

Hoodoos

Hoodoos are those columns of soft rock capped by a flat cap of harder rock that are plentiful around the Drumheller area. I was hoping to add a photo of them but it is not working today.
The word comes from West Africa and refers to a practice of magic similar to Voodoo that was imported to North America in the 18th century. The local native people believed the rock pillars represented giants that had been turned to stone for their evil deeds. Reminds me of Lott's wife who was turned to salt.
Today we are sitting on the picnic table under a fir tree by a nice log fire at our cabin property, enjoying a bit of sunshine, and awaiting the usual afternoon rain!
There are a lot of noisy birds about, like Yellow Warblers and Baltimore Orioles.
Hanne has been trimming off the lower branches of the fir tree over the picnic table, whilst I have been burning them....I have also been sawing logs for fun and exercise.
Yesterday we had hail in the afternoon!

It's that time of year around our lake!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Sunset over Pigeon Lake

Pigeon Lake

We have completed our Danish Seminar,said all our goodbyes to friends old and new,and have now arrived at our cabin at Pigeon Lake, about 300 Km away. En route we had lunch at a deli sandwich shop, run by a couple of young people. A young teenager was eating his lunch there, and he wanted a second apple pie, so as the lady was preparing food with gloves on, and her husband was out back, she couldn't come to the till,so the teenager was allowed to serve himself and put his own money in the till! Such is small town living! The other strange thing was that they were a small operation and didn't have a WC so I received detailed instructions on how to slip into the Chinese restaurant across and use their WC!
A serendipitous visit to Buffalo Lake near Stettler gave us chance to watch a whole flock of White Pelicans feeding by the beach.They nest on an Island in the middle of the lake, which we saw in the distance as a snowy white disc.
As a tribute to our seminar teacher Don Mowatt, here are the three things he would possibly encourage us all to do before we die.
1. Love God and your neighbor
2. Involve yourself with Music, the international language
3. Listen to all Don Mowatt's CBC Radio documentaries!
Don worked for Canadian Broadcasting until 1997, producing many radio programs, and he is a talented actor,singer,director,producer,violinist,and presenter.He has interviewed many famous people including The Aga Khan and Sir John Gielgud.
He divides creative writing into three types.
1. Truth.
2. Fact.
3. Story.
Some writers mix all three.
As humans I think we tend to also mix all three as we interpret our everyday world. The planet may well be coming to an end in short order, but we don't react as if it were true or a fact, just a story....Other folks' worlds are daily coming to an end, but not ours...