Another One Bites the Dust

When we moved into this house in 1973 there were many trees on the property - a poplar, a mountain ash, a mayday, a flowering plum, a gooseberry bush, a nanking cherry, a birch, a juniper and an ornamental crabapple tree.  Over the years Bob has found reasons to get rid of most of them.  Recently I gave in and allowed him to cut down the juniper because it was too close to the house.

Remains of the Juniper

 Waiting for the Spring Cleanup Truck

Now we have a birch tree in the back yard and two Saskatoon bushes which replaced the cherry and gooseberry bushes.  We still have the flowering crab apple tree in front.  Most of the people on the block have gotten rid of the crab apple trees.

Our neighbours across the back alley have the same ideas, I guess.  For quite a while all the branches except the top ones had been cut off the tree below..  Now the top ones are gone as well.

 

Basketball, Temple and Mothers Day in Calgary

On Friday afternoon, Taylor, Bob and I drove to Calgary.  After a stop and some supper at Jeremy and Julie's house we drove across the city to Aberhardt School for Taylor's first game.  There was an accident on Crowchild Trail and we were in a gridlock for at least a half hour and Taylor was three minutes late by the time we got there.  After her game we went to Sait for Taylor to cheer for her team mate in some kind of shoot-out.  Shortly after ten we arrived back at Jeremy's to spend the night.

It was Courtney's high school graduation this week-end, so Taylor's parents couldn't go to Calgary.

Saturday morning we attended the Calgary Temple with Edward, Jacqueline, Jeremy, Julie, Nathan and Tara.  Taylor waited out on the lawn and then when we came out we (except for Nathan and Tara) had a burger at Smashburgers and then we drove Taylor to Sait for her next game.  After the game we drove back across the city to Nathan's.  Again we were in a gridlock for a long time - this time on McLeod Trail.  We had supper with Nathan and Tara and the boys.  Taylor's last game was at 7:30 in the evening at Sait.  This time there was no trouble getting her there on time.  Taylor is on a Lethbridge team which practices in Stirling (she lives in Taber).  The team won the bronze medal in the tournament.

Taylor in the middle in back row

Sunday we attended church in the Midnapore ward.  Jeremy gave an excellent mother's day talk.  We had dinner at Jeremy's, had a short visit with Edward's family and got home early in the evening.

We have had a very hot, dry wind the last couple of days.  Two houses burnt down yesterday in Paradise Canyon.  

My miniature Iris plant is in bloom, the Saskatoon bushes are in bloom, the crab apple tree is in bloom and our neighbour's Mayday tree is in bloom.  This is causing Bob grief because of his hay fever.

Home In Lethbridge

We have dropped into Lethbridge for a couple of days.  When we left the first of May there were no leaves on the trees, but now the trees are leafing out and our tulips are in bloom.  Bob has been fertilizing and watering the lawn and digging at the quack grass in our garden.

We had a wonderful visit to Oregon.  Following are some of our pictures.

 View from the Miller's Upstairs Window

 Another View from Upstairs

 The Jail is Only a Block Away

 The Miller Home

 The old Railway Station

(now used as a community center and for classes, such as woodworking)

 House Built Over the Water

 There Used to be Many Fish Canneries along the Columbia

 The Trolley Goes along the Astoria Waterfront

 Art Classes Along the Waterfront

 Cruise Ship

 Beach Across the River in Washington

 Another View of the Washington Beach

 Fort Columbia

Fort Columbia State Park is a 593 acre day-use historical park located at the Chinook Point National Historic Landmark and along 6,400 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Columbia River. Within the park are original U.S. Army Coastal Artillery fort buildings and batteries, active from 1896 to 1947. This area was also home to the Chinook Indian Nation and their famed Chief Comcomly, and explored by Robert Gray and the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Flavel House

The Captain George Flavel house has captured the luxury and elegance of the Victorian period. This 1885 Queen Anne Victorian home features original Eastlake style woodwork interiors and exotic hardwood and imported tile fireplaces. Enjoy a walk on the grounds and many trees planted by the Flavels over 100 years ago.

 What is Northern Cantonese American Food?

(We didn't try it.)

 Search and Rescue Helicopter

(We never did find out what they were searching for.)

Homesick for China

Pictures taken at the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland

Lan is for Portland and Su is for Suzhou (Portland's sister city)

Gorgeous Oregon

After a gourmet lunch at the Millers on Saturday we drove down the coast and across the mountains to Hillsboro.  It was a beautiful afternoon for a drive.  At one point we had a beautiful view of Mount Hood.

Tom and Margaret took us out to a golf course (The Reserve) for supper.

Sunday we went to church and then David, Karen, Beth and their families came and we ate and visited all afternoon.

Today we drove into Portland and toured a Chinese garden.  Although on a much smaller scale it was reminiscent of gardens we toured in China.

The Trees Are Green!

Well, they weren't green in Lethbridge on Wednesday when we left our home and went by taxi to the Lethbridge airport.  It took as all day to go from Lethbridge to Calgary to Vancouver to Portland mainly because of a five hour layover in Vancouver.  We flew very close to Mount St. Helens and it was a great view - all covered with snow and sparkling in the sun.

As we left the Portland airport in our rental van I marveled at the green trees, the yellow gorse and the mayday trees in bloom.  We arrived at the Miller home about 9:30 in the evening.

After a good night`s sleep we drove down to the walk along the Columbia River.  Maggie and I didn`t do the whole walk.  We caught the streetcar and went the whole length.  It had been a beautiful morning but in the afternoon it clouded over and there was a cool breeze.  We had lunch in an historic bar and then drove across the Astoria-Metger bridge to Washington and stopped at a park by the seashore and then drove through the Columbia fort.

Thursday we had a relaxing day and walked a bit and saw all the shops downtown.  There were many tourists because of a cruise ship  in town.  There had been one the day before as well.  There was a lot of commotion down at the river last night.  A Search and Rescue Helicopter was doing circuits with a police boat following.  We haven`t yet found out what that was all about.

Today everyone but me went to the Marine shop and then for a walk.  The following pictures are from my camera as we forgot to bring the hook up for Bob`s camera.  We will post some of his pictures when we get back to Lethbridge.

 The Miller Home

(Our Rental Van in front)

View from the Miller Home towards the Columbia River

Inside the house:

The back yard from the deck

The lot next door - it used to have a house on it but the hill slid down

Now only a goat named Ginger lives there

Deer look after the Flowers

No Snow this Week!

We have had strong wind and huge clouds of dust dust blowing from the west.  Today the wind has died down but it is rather dreary looking outside.

Last week we did some visiting teaching and home teaching.  I attended our ward Relief Society meeting on Thursday evening and learned a bit about gardening.  Friday we went off to Calgary to keep Mickey company (and drive her to her swimming practices) while Julie, Jackson and Jeremy were in Texas water skiing.  Unfortunately the furnace gave out while we were there and it was cold.  Fortunately we were able to arrange for a repair man to get it fixed by Saturday evening.  We had supper with Tara and the boys on Saturday (Nathan was in Washington, DC).  Sunday we had  dinner with Edward's family and then drove home.  It had been snowing Saturday and Sunday.

This week I had my club ladies at our house on Thursday evening.  Friday morning we attended Peg Young's funeral.  We had known her since we first moved to Lethbridge in 1968.  We saw many people that we hadn't seen for a long time.   That evening  Nathan and boys came and spent the night and Saturday with us while Tara worked on making chocolates for a fund raising project for the boys' pipe band.  Langley was playing in a basketball tournament here in Lethbridge on Friday and Saturday.  We managed to watch two of her games.  Jeremy and family were here for a bit on Saturday.  They brought Kennedy's furniture to leave while she is home in Calgary for the summer. 

The weeks just keep passing on.  We have now been back in Lethbridge for six months.

Still Spring - Still Snow

On Saturday evening it began to snow and it was still snowing Monday evening.  There still is snow covering the ground because it is too cold for it to melt.

Last week we enjoyed having Jacqueline, Lincoln  and Miranda for a bit on Monday and Sue-anne dropped in on Thursday.  We went out to lunch on Tuesday for Bob's birthday.  Saturday we went to Cardston to the Temple.  On the way back we went through blowing snow, freezing rain and at one point there was several inches of slush on the road.  We were happy to get home.

On Monday evening we had our family home evening group at our house and enjoyed the evening.

There have been too many pictures with snow so no pictures this time.