Edmonton and Calgary

On Friday we had a beautiful drive up to Edmonton.  The sky was blue, the leaves were starting to change colour and the rivers and creeks were very blue. The traffic after Calgary was very bad, especially around the Cross Iron Mall and again on the Edmonton ring road. 

We had a good visit with Bob's Uncle and Aunt and cousins.

On Saturday afternoon we drove to Calgary.  Edward, Jacqueline, their children and Jeremy's children took us out for supper to Taco Del Mar and then Jacqueline and I went out to the church to listen to the woman's broadcast.

Early Sunday morning Edward and Jacqueline left for Quebec City.  The rest of us attended church and later went to Julie and Jeremy's for cake.

Lincoln, Miranda, Erica, Bentley & Austen

Lincoln

This morning Bob has been busy chauffeuring.

Nanjing Teachers Reunion

The four couples from the BYU China Teachers program who taught in Nanjing from September 2008 to June 2009 got together from September 6th to September 13, 2010 at Echo Lake, Montana.  (Thank you Julie and Jeremy for graciously letting us stay at your cabin.)

The Slaters took the long way to Echo Lake and came and spent the previous week-end with us.  We went to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, the farmers' market, the horse auction,  to visit the Mosers in Taber and to the water tower restaurant while they were here.

Anne and Connie at Head Smashed In

On Monday morning we did a little shopping and then drove to Echo over the Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun highway.  It had snowed the night before and the pass had been closed  but it opened by eight in the morning.

Snow on the Ridges made a Pretty Picture

By Monday evening all four couple had arrived.

Tuesday morning our group went up to the summit of Logan Pass.  The weather was not perfect, but it was fair.

From the parking lot at the summit the group decided to hike to the Hidden Lake Lookout.

At the Hidden Lake lookout it was a surprise to find two girls from China who were touring around the US after having spent the summer working at the China pavilion in Florida.  Everyone was excited to talk to them

Down at the parking lot a flock of mountain sheep thrilled the tourists by walking by.

Back at the cabin a deer and two fawns were in the next door neighbours yard.

Wednesday turned out to be a bright, sunny day so we spent our time canoeing and kayaking.

Thursday it rained all day.  We drove to Cardston over the Duck Lake road and did a temple session.

Friday we wandered about the shops in Big Fork and then went to Whitefish and ate Mexican food at Dos Amigos.

Saturday most of the group hiked up Jewell Basin.  It was a cool hike.

 

In the evening we chatted, looked at photos and played cards.  We had often got together and played cards in China.

On Sunday after church in Big Fork we wandered down the trail beside the Swan River.  The only picture of our whole group was taken there by a couple from Bainbridge Island in Washington.

Monday morning our friends departed in the morning and Bob and I were alone for three days that were sunny and bright.

Bob's sister and brother-in-law arrived Wednesday evening and for the rest of the week we had cold, cloudy weather.  We drove up to Blacktail ski area but the road was closed when we got there.  Bob and Tom went kayaking one cool day and Bob managed to flip the kayak upside down.

Saturday we returned to Lethbridge over the Logan Pass again.

How do You Get Rid of Bats?

For the past month or so we have had a bat or maybe bats under our carport at night.  They make a mess - right by our front door.

On the internet the only suggestion I could find was to use dog and cat repellent, so tonight I made a visit to Canadian Tire and bought some dog and cat repellent.  If it works it will be well worth the $12 I spent on it.

Bob hosed down the corner and sprayed it.

Below is a picture of Bob in his bat chasing outfit.

Bob's Summer Project

Bob decided to repair and paint the fence.  He replaced part of it and rehung the gate.  This week he had Darryl come and pressure wash the fence and then he started priming it.  It is a big job.  Too bad he didn't have a wife that would help.

Carter and Langley came to help.  They picked raspberries and made cookies.  Below they are cooling off in the spray coming through the fence.

Darryl also pressure washed the driveway.  Bob is supervising.

Will he win a medal in the Olympic fence painting event?

20/31 - Two Days

The Baines reunion was held at Echo Lake from the 25th July to the 2nd August 2010.

First let me say that I heard the following comment a few times, "The only way this reunion could be better would be if Nathan and Darwin were here.".  (Although later in the week Edward changed to "The only way this reunion could be better would be if Jacqueline would make stuffed mushrooms.").  On the last day Jeremy questioned, "What could we do to get Nathan and Darwin here?".

Julie, Kennedy, Jackson and Mickey were already down at the lake.  Edward and family arrived on Saturday the 24th, Sue-anne and all arrived on the 25th, and Jeremy, Bob and Anne arrived on the 28th.  Sue-anne's family left on the 31st and Edward's left on the 1st of August, thus 20 out of the 31 were together two days.

Following are a few pictures taken as we went over the Going to the Sun road.

Because they are rebuilding the road we had two waits to go over the one-lane parts.

Some of the activities were:  Boating

Skiing

Mickey and Langley

and Tubing.

Bridge Jumping

One of the activities that turned out to be very popular was bridge jumping from the bridge over the Swan River.

Wild Horse Island

Saturday morning after a couple of rounds of skiing, a storm blew in and chased everyone inside.  Sue-anne and family packed up and headed back to Taber.  It stormed again around noon.  After lunch the sun came out and it was decided that we would boat down the Flathead River and across the Flathead Lake to Wild Horse Island.

Wild Horse Island is an island in the middle of the Flathead lake (the largest fresh water lake in the US west of the Great Lakes).  At one time the island was farmed, but now it is a State Park.  Apparently there are three wild horses that live on the island and also mule deer and mountain sheep (or goats)?

We pulled the boats to Fisherman's Bridge and put them in the water and started down the river.

 Bridge Over the Flathead River

Jacqueline, Edward, Austen, Erica and Miranda

Sailboat on Flathead Lake

We reached Wild Horse Island and anchored in Skeeko bay.

A 1911 Homestead on the Island - the Homesteader and his Son and Grandchildren - just the right size for the family

The water was beautiful and clear.  We didn't stay long on the Island because we knew a storm was supposed to come in in the early evening.  It took an hour to boat between the island and the bridge.

Bentley, Jackson, Julie (drying her shorts which were wet from wading to shore), Erica, & Kennedy

It was still clear when we left the island.

It didn't stay clear for very long.  A storm came over the mountain and we raced it down the lake.  About the time it caught up with us it moved over to the east so we followed the west coast all the way to the river.  It was sunny when we got to the river and Austen water skiied down the river to the ramp.

We were home getting supper when the storm hit Echo.  Those are hailstones in the grass!