Red Deer Lodge

... br>followed by baseball, followed by ice hockey on the big screen. So I sat outside on the balcony, doing my homework and yet again had one of those 'How did I get to be here, doing this' moments! Staying with 15 other people in this beautiful house, in a tiny lakeside resort in the middle of Canada, sitting on the balcony overlooking the trees and fields while the sun shined down on me...<br><br>Anyway the girls came back and we headed into town to ...

Ruth and Gorden's 50th was a great time with family and friends. <br>Boundry Ranch is beautiful.<br><br> We left Boundry Ranch in the PM and stopped in Calgary and had a short put sweet visit with Albert and Mieke. Then drove to Red Deer to overnight with Don and Lois

... seems to have an oil pump in one of his fields. Near Joffre (and other places) are big petrochemical refineries.<br>I also spent a fair bit of my time trying to see a hummingbird which I finally managed. Nearly everyone in Canada has hummingbird feeders hanging off their porches or in trees and they fill them with a sugar/water mixture. They are so timy and quick and their wings are just a blur as they hover as they feed.

In our quest for the library, we stumbled upon the most beautiful city gardens! What a find in a roundabout way! Since Senica has a broken toe we cannot walk all over the town. I love how we found the highlights just a few blocks from the bus station!

... but the temperature this morning was -36C with a strong breeze that dropped the wind chill to a crushing -47C; brrrrr. The snow fell most of the night and I had to shovel through drifts as deep as 40 cm. Still the weather didn't stop me from walking into town for my dental appointment this morning

... pantry are almost empty: no milk, no eggs, no bread, no cereal, no fruit or veggies... Wanting to show off my home on a such a beautiful day, I took my camera along on my shopping trip. I hope you enjoy.

Dec 20 - We leave Santiago, Chile at 9:21 pm (5:21pm at home) and land in Toronto at 6:45 am. Dec 21 - From Toronto, we leave at 8:30 am (6:30 at home) and land in Calgary at 10:50 am. Momma, I'm comin home "A journey is a person in itself, no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policies and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us." - John Steinbeck (1902-1968)

... do a before and after shot, what we left and what we flew into. It will be quite a drastic difference! Next time you hear from us we'll be in Auckland, NZ unless we find an internet terminal in the Los Angeles Airport (we have a long layover there). Bon Voyage!!! We'll miss you all!!!

... game by one. They clinched playoff position with the win. I knew all along that all they needed was my presence to give them the extra boost needed to clinch a playoff spot. It was past midnight by the time we headed back to Beaumont. Luckily, we didn't have to say "goodbye" as they were coming to my parents' for brunch in the morning. April 14 - Good Friday Gerald and I arose early and tidied up a few more admin items before brunch. Before we ...

... I can't justify $80 per day of skiing alone on a regular basis. This sad conclusion is lessened if I consider it to be a major motivation for coming back! Having had a taste of Banff I'm tempted to join the masses of Australians working up here. If nothing exciting eventuates this Australian summer/Canadian winter I may well return, finances permitting of course.