Fort Edmonton Meets Its Match

Last weekend we took in the free attractions day in Edmonton. Yes, free! (with a donation to the food bank) We planned to see Fort Edmonton, the zoo, the Muttart Conservatory, and go swimming. Turns out though, that we're not the only people who heard about this free day, and so the last three didn't happen due to ridiculously long line ups.
I should have taken more pictures, but I was struck in awe as my wife all but stumped the interpreters with her questions. And it's not because she couldn't, she just didn't want to embarrass them, really. When we came to one, I asked "Hey, old fashioned man, where'd you get that hot tea?", and then Kelsey goes and one ups me with "I notice that you're dressed as a Voyageur. Wouldn't that have been a little out dated in the time period you're representing?" and "When you say Winnipeg, don't you mean Lord Selkirk's region?" It was fun to see them squirm!

Here's Kelsey very slowly cooking her banack in the Indian Village. Seriously, this took about 20 minutes while everybody else was out of there in under 5. Then she complained that there was no jam!

We got to take a ride on the old fashioned steam engine around the park.
Like I said, I should have taken more pictures. General impressions: the Fort is huge, and they do a great job.

Disappointments: the touch screen computer at the till of the 1885 bakery.
Really Cool: the fact that they have an 1885 bakery. I had "Frontier beef stew with slab of bread". Mmmm.

T.

Walk for Dog Guides

This weekend we took part in a fundraiser walk for Dog Guides of Canada. Our team of 5 raised over $2000! Gord won a prize for being the smallest dog at the event, a title he will not likely ever have again.
Here he is beside his cousin, Bear. (Not the smallest dog on the walk!)
Our family picture. We borrowed the backdrop from Sears.
All tuckered out!

T.

Grovenor Tennis Championship

Before Josh heads back to Sudan, we got together for some tennis on Sunday morning. It was pretty even all around, but some of use looked better than others.

Josh

Scott

Tyrn

Better luck next time, boys.

T.

Summer at Home

Summer is coming to an end and school is around the corner. So, as I look back on the summer and the hours spent in my basement, I wonder where the time went. Shouldn't I have accomplished more? I mean, a week from now I'll be back in my classroom with another batch of manic pubescents, and I'm supposed to be coming back refreshed and rejuvenated, satisfied with my prescribed dose of summer. But, it has been a great summer. Gord has been a joy every day and I feel like a parent, watching him grow up and getting bigger, more adventurous and hungrier every day. The top pic is from Pre/Post's gig at Eastwood Fest. Madi loves him. This next one is of Gord with his new squeeky bone. Already looking less puppy-like.

Here's my progress with the basement renos. It looks so easy in the pictures.

Basement bedroom before:
So far:
Main basement gutted with the foundation repaired.
So far: (That's Kelsey's folks who worked hard with me to do the framing)
A year ago we were living in my parents spare bedroom, looking for a home and jobs. Wow, what a great year it's been. (Teachers see the year from September to August, by the way.)

Other summer joys have been camping, a wedding, riding my motorcycle, and music with Pre/Post. Can't complain about anything, bring on the school year. Bring on the 14-year olds. Bring it.

Peace,

Tyrn

Airshow Roadtrip

We did a lot of moving and shaking, and wagging last week. Gord had his first trip to the vet. He was so frightened that the vet couldn't get a pulse read on him because of his hyperventilating, but he didn't even flinch when he got his needle! Then we gave him his deworming pill and sent him off to Grandma and Grampas for the weekend! Sorry guys!
Kelsey loves him even when he's not feeling good. Actually, he's come out of his shell quite a bit and loves to tromp around and chew on things. He has a nice big dog house now but hasn't used it a whole bunch yet. We go for walks and he follows along right with us. So far, he's been a perfect puppy.
But this post is supposed to be about the airshow! I took my brother, Matt, up to the Cold Lake Airshow for his 18th birthday. He'd never been to one before so I was proud to show him some high octane performance like he's never seen. On the way up, we camped at Moose Lake Provincial Campground. We had to carry our assembled tent across the campground because we first set up in a reserved site and didn't want to set the tent up all over again. It made sense to us...
We also stopped in at Glendon, AB, home of the world's largest pyrogy, apparently.

Ok, the airshow! I'll try not to narf out too much.

Underside pass with an F-18 and 3 tudor jets, painted in the centennial colours. 100 years of powered flight in Canada.

Requisite Snowbirds double knife edge pass.
More Snowbirds
The airshow was interrupted when Santa waterskied through the stage area. Apparently Santa vacations in Cold Lake.
He was showing off and biffed in front of the crowd. Luckily, Air Force Search & Rescue was in the area!
The Granley's, flying these modified 1940's Russian prop planes. These guys were my favourite part of the show. They're a father and son duo, with dad in his 70's flying the little red plane. They did some of the tightest formation acrobatics I've ever seen.
One last shot of the Snowbirds for perspective. There were so many other cool parts of the airshow, but sometimes I was just to awestruck to think about taking pictures.
And the trip back home. Matt was our navigator and he did a fine job. We made record time without speeding.