Monday, June 29, 2015

This post is for Baltimore Bill

Bill likes to tease me about how little summer there is in Saskatoon - only 2 or 3 days.  I'd like to point out that this spring Saskatoon has regularly been hotter than Ontario. In fact they've been in summer mod (over 20 degrees) for weeks now and we've been cold and rainy. Yesterday it was 30 there and 14 (and rain) here. I think I should consider moving there.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Sunny Saskatoon

Gerry left on the 10th but was there long enough for the Pride flag raising at the city hall.

And there was cake! Guess who was almost first in line.











I stayed another week and had a great time with all my girls. Went to school with Sally (Kindergarten teacher) and did a craft with sand and seashells from the Bahamas and showed a few photos. Most of them paid attention LOL.
Abby's open house music class.

Bed time stories every night, sometimes with August but only if I read The Wild Things.
Saskatoon has a Pride Parade every year, Sally got me a great t-shirt. I thought we were going to watch the parade but to my surprise we were in the parade!
It says: "I love my daughter (her wife is pretty awesome too)."



Stella waiting for August to drop her snack.
August "helping" Mommy stretch.













Friday, June 5, 2015

Friday in Camrose / Saturday in Edmonton / Sunday to Saskatoon

A friend of Sally's (from Milverton, now Camrose) generously allowed us to stay in his house for 2 nights. He was out of town but his brother was there - a wicked card player we discovered.  Camrose had closed it's main street for a fair - Gerry bought tickets and took Abby on the rides. What a guy!

Next day - Edmonton Mall.

McKenzie is an avid soccer player and fan. She, and a bunch of friends, spent the day at the opening FIFA Women's Soccer game while the rest of us roamed the mall, spending lots of time at the water park and amusement park. Great place to play.
Abby watching me fall out of the "toilet" slide.

We had a race, I won once, she won once.












They wanted to explore the pirate ship but it was closed for a private party.




No crowds at the amusement park so the attendant let us grownups ride for free.

Sunday, another nice day, hit the road for Saskatoon in the girls' posh van.

McKenzie drove, Sally suffered silently (had hurt her neck, not on a water slide), the old folks were in the rear relaxing and Abby ate candy (what a life).

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Calgary to Drumheller


Finally stopped raining, sun is out and temperature might hit 20!

Last few days have been filled with lots of talking and eating, time to move on to Drumheller.

We did the tourist thing - the Dinosaur Trail which took us from Drumheller to the Tyrell Museum (with lots of prairie dogs outside and dinosaurs inside), scenic lookouts, car ferry, suspension bridge, hoodoos and at the end 11 bridges and the Last Chance Saloon (of which I have no photos).
One of the many dinosaurs throughout Drumheller
Not to scale giant dinosaur at visitors centre.
Gerry thought they were rats until he got a good look.



Check out the tiny tiny head on this one.

Scenic view of the "Badlands"
One of the many ferry crossings (in Albera and Saskatchewan).











Suspension bridge to defunct coal mine.

Hoodoos












Was going to post all 11 bridges but I have better things to do with my time (I think). In fact, there are 22 bridges as there are also 11 railroad bridges. The road dead ends near the Last Chance Saloon. Strange, who goes down a dead end road for a last chance at food and drink?
Final bridge



We stayed in a B&B (this time with B) in Linden, population 700, so small was not found in our GPS. Basement suite, very spacious but also very cold. Host was an opinionated Limey, but hostess was quite hospitable.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Calgary June 2

We're staying in a B&B which is a misnomer as there was no breakfast, and was offered coffee only once. We had free breakfasts with Gerry's family at the hotel a few blocks away (hotel thought we were part of the group - have we lost our moral compass?).  B&B was a brand new place, painted entirely in white so felt rather cold. Host and hostess were OK. Coincidentally the house is next door to where Aunt Betty's house was and 1.5 blocks from the home where she spent her last years. What are the odds?

Weather is as promised, cold and rainy, perfect setting for interment of Gerry's Aunt Betty's ashes. I'm saying right here, right now, I had better not be buried!

On a brighter note his cousins Jean and Marg are very nice.

These are the only photos I have, Gerry keeps forgetting to give me others.






Sister Julie, Jill, and cousin Marg


The parrot is Jill's birthday gift to Gerry which she brought all the way from Ontario and I got to bring all the way back.  It's interactive, to a degree, says over 20 things! I had it in my giant purse and turned it on when it went through the xray machine in Saskatoon - staff had a good laugh.