Summer : )

My cat Greybobs.  With the snow gone I have no excuse not to go for morning jog. 
Would Greybobs not letting me have my shoes be legit?

D's Outdoor Ed class trip.  They take a three day river canoe camping trip in June.  This year we pulled boy out of school so that he could join daddy on the trip. Boy was enamored with the high school boys antics and got a little too proficient at joining in with their practical jokes.  He seemed older and looked older when he got back from his trip.  D is a certified canoeing instructor.  The reason he is part of the Outdoor Ed program at the high school  Anyway, this year's trip was a great success, and enjoyed by all. 

The winter that was...

...SNOW FILLED!   Girl up on the roof measuring the snow.  I think it was a  36" accumulation at this point.
Several roofs collapsed in our area.

D chaperoned the annual Jasper x-country high school ski trip.  Thirteen km ski in with a stay in a cabin overnight. 
He has taken the trip 3 times.  It's his winter highlight.

The deer!  Oh the deer!  We had a herd  (over 30) who took refuge in our yard, hay bales and silage pile. 
They found a good reliable food source here during this difficult winter.

winter flash back - pictures I meant to post

 

Only in Alberta?

Loving Goalie.

Boys one track mind.... hockeyhockeyhockey. 

Track and Field

One of my fondest memories of my mother was when she let me skip Track and Field Day at school.  There was nothing I loathed more than (breaks into song... "All eyes on us... all eyes on us). Track Day.   I, in honour of my younger traumatised wall flower self, always give the option to my kids.  "Do you want to stay home?  I'll let you stay home if you don't want to go! "  No, no, they are eager to go to Track Day.  I can't relate, both kids love Track.  When I was forced to go to Track Meet, I would come home with a fist full of participation ribbons.  This year boy came home with 5 firsts and a second.

Ahh Summer!!!

And along with Summer comes summers storms.  (which I love)
We were awoken by a loud crack from lightening yesterday morning. 
We found a tree up the road split from top to bottom, the bark stripped off, splinters strewn across the road.

WW1 photos

These are the most incredible pictures I have seen from WW1.

http://www.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/wwi/westernfront2/

The perfectly good ditch hat.

 

 

One of my favourite Corner Gas episodes is when Oscar finds "a perfectly good pair of pants" in the ditch.  Behold our "perfectly good ditch hat".  I haven't been able to let go of it quite yet.  I found the perfectly good ditch hat while walking the dog that we were housesitting for in Australia.  It was the day after Australia Day ... I found out that these were the terry towel hats that they put in beer cases, I guess to celebrate Australia Day (?)  I found it wildly funny and therefore kept the hat after I washed it several times.  Only in Australia would you get a terry towel hat in a case of beer.  I assume it is to wipe up spills.  Who knows.... but our perfectly good ditch hat remains and is a treasured token of our trip Down Under.  (2008)

 

(recent picture of girl - 13 and now over 5'8")

"Lost and Found" Part 1

Ditch Pants - 3:23 to 5:40