The Big Hike, part 2

Here are more pictures from this morning's walk.

The Big Hike, Part 1

We went out for dinner last night, to Ric's, which is in a converted water tower. We had a great meal, but it was quite large! Pauline & I decided to go for a long walk this morning to work it off. We were out for 2 hours and 15 minutes! We walked down one of the paths near the University, over the bridge, down the river bank, back over the bridge, and up the steps & slope towards the Ridgewood subdivision. The stairs and slope are really steep, much more than they appear, so it was a good work out. We're all going to have a nap this afternoon, expcet perhaps Maurice. Although he was out working in the yard this morning, the hockey playoffs are on, so he'll likely watch the games this afternoon. The first one is already on. John & Pauline went to Home Hardware to pick up some odds & ends. I've attached some pictures from the walk.

Pauline & I are going to Calgary tomorrow, so we should have more to report then.

The Sheriffs are in town!

John's parents arrived last week for their first visit to Lethbridge. We haven't done much of excitement yet though. They took the bus downtown today, and wandered around the city. Pauline got a pass for the athletic facility at the University, and has been swimming while I see my trainer. Friday they are going to head downtown again to see the Galt Museum.

On Monday I think Pauline & I will go to Calgary. I've only been once before, so we can take our time to look around the city. Maurice wants to see the Nanton Air Museum, so he & John may take a trip to see that. I think John would also like to take them to Waterton, but we're running out of time to fit everything in.

We're going out for dinner on Saturday. I think we'll treat them for their anniversary. Pauline has checked the menu, and it seems that she'll have a few choices of meals she can safely eat.

I'll post more when we've actually done something interesting! Fortunately they've already seen deer, and have experienced a short-lived chinook.

Paw Retraction

For some reason, yesterday Molly was lying down with her front paws pulled way back. She looked like her front legs were only a few inches long. It reminded me of the ad for that new animated movie with the tyrannosaurus rex, when he says "I've got a big head, and little arms!". The other picture is of her in the back yard. She is trying to eat dirt again, so she goes outside and tries to look innocent (as in the picture). Then when your back is turned, she eats dirt.

Moonlight Run

There is an annual race in Lethbridge called the Moonlight Run. It starts downtown, at 8:15pm, then goes down into the coulee, by the river, then back up the hill. This year was the 20th Anniversary of the race. I entered, but unfortunately haven't done much (any!) running in preparation, so it was a bit tough. Fortunately, walking my bike up the hills on a regular basis meant that I was able to walk the hill faster than some people were running. I'm starting a learn to run program on the 31st. I came 436 out of 1081 women this time. Maybe next year I'll do better! It is a lot of fun though, and it's really nice with the stars out, and the moon shining.

Mom's Pictures

Here are some pictures Mom took while she was here. These are all at the University. To the left is the climbing wall at the fitness centre.

Molly's Dog Walker

Here's Wendy, Molly's dog walker.

Trip to Medicine Hat

Mom & I went to Medicine Hat yesterday. I don't think I'll rush back. There's nothing wrong with MH, but it isn't as picturesque as I expected. We saw some fun stuff on the trip though, including several wind farms, tumblin' tumbleweeds, mountains, 2 donkeys, 2 ponies scrapping (I think they were actually playing!), and a ton of other stuff.


We stopped at the Coaldale Bakery on the way. It's supposed to be one of the best bakeries around.













The main street in MH is called Toronto St!




The City Hall is quite nice, as it's all windows, and is right on the Saskatchewan River.


Here are some pictures taken along the river.

There are some really nice monuments along the river too.

Cardboard Boat Races

The UofL had the local high school students compete in cardboard boat races at the pool. Mom & I had gone up to swim, but we watched the races for a while. Mom took pictures. It was quite funny to watch. Some of the boats sank right away, others overbalanced, and some were really successful. The most successful ones were the simplest ones.

Why I Like Lethbridge

In the past few days, within 3 kms of our house, we've seen 2 pheasants (or pheasant-like birds, anyway), 12 deers, 3 bunnies (or the same bunny 3 times!), and a huge white hare. I've also seen an owl and a mouse on my ride to work. There is another bunny that is always in my way on the trail I ride on. The darned thing won't move! Then it'll suddenly run off, usually right into my path.

Molly and I also had a weird thing happen a few weeks ago. I was taking her outside for a piddle before bed, and a large bird was in the backyard, right by the deck. I scared it, and it took off, but unfortunately it flew into the side of the garage. It was shaken, but took off again. I don't know what it was, but it was large!

Loads of Snow!

We're having our first real snowfall of the season. It hasn't stopped snowing since Saturday night. I don't know how much we've rec'd at this point, but it's a fair amount. John has shoveled about 6 times since Sunday morning. I definitely won't be riding this week! By Wednesday the temp is supposed to be above freezing, so although the snow will disappear, the winds are bound to come up again.

We had a really nice dinner out on Saturday. We went to 360, which we've been trying to get to, and it was really nice. They do a steady business, so that's good. Apparently they change their menu every 3 months, so we should be able to go there regularly.

Ice Fog

This morning we experienced something called ice fog. Apparently ice fog is fog made of ice crystals in the air instead of water droplets, and it forms when there are clear & calm conditions in really cold (Arctic) air. It was quite beautiful, although it disappeared when the sun came out. You could actually see the ice in the air.

I'm used to ice on the trees like this because of freezing rain, but in this case, there is no precipitation, it just forms from the air.

I took a bunch of pictures when Molly & I went out this morning. She's really feeling the cold these days. She used to love the cold, but now she shivers and justs wants to get home. I bought some new coats for her to try today, so we'll see if either of them fits. Hopefully they'll be a bit warmer than the coat she currently wears.

A Celebration!

Today was the grand opening of the new Wellness Centre at the University. They had a huge party tonight, which we attended because friends of ours were involved. Sarah is the Promotions & Marketing Coordinator for Sport and Recreation Services, and her partner Nicholas was the MC. They both did amazing jobs. The whole event was almost flawless. It's also the 40th anniversary of the University, so this event kicked off a year of celebrations for that too.

There were performers showcasing the many kinds of activities that you can do at the Centre, from tiny girls doing ballet to women doing belodi. The new Pronghorns mascot was revealed too, and he's quite something! Many well-known Canadians were there too. Ian Tyson & Susan Aglukark performed, and Norman Kwong (first Chinese Canadian to play in the CFL, now LG of Alberta), Preston Manning, and others gave speeches. All in all, it was an impressive lineup.

John's department chair's daughter Alice was a dancer in the show. She danced with a partner and 3 other couples. She did really well.

I've attached a link to the development of the new Centre, and hopefully tomorrow I can add a link to some pictures in the Lethbridge Herald. I go to the gym 4 days a week, so I am definitely getting my money's worth! It's still under construction, but it's a great facility.

http://www.uleth.ca/hwc/overview.shtml

Deer TV

John's office at the university faces a little protected area where deer like to come to graze. He sits and watches them from his office window. He's been trying to get pictures of them for ages, and finally got some today. We're still new enough to the area to find having the deer so close fun. The road you can see in one of the pictures takes you from the top of the university to the bottom. John's office is at the bottom. This buiding, University Hall, has many levels. It's built into the coulee.