tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26468332611510054982024-03-10T00:18:08.176-08:00Frostbite and SunburnFrostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.comBlogger318125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-9128420570511426462020-09-05T14:59:00.001-07:002020-09-05T15:02:13.414-07:00<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Dazed and Confused</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This little fella had a close call - flew into our back window today and gave himself a bit of a head ache.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBpbu9Cn840oo5l59wjwwKxHmzLL2bhwojExzmysnbLMRORxxEAgnoaKWNJilJminr0-R06xsNmwYU7iqVx1c6Glj_85ZC-Oj8hKyltyFJdsu3fSvBXydzPvU6dt2Ef6vjKz1-twCrAPA/s960/118654363_3619846258059507_422818415420822531_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="835" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBpbu9Cn840oo5l59wjwwKxHmzLL2bhwojExzmysnbLMRORxxEAgnoaKWNJilJminr0-R06xsNmwYU7iqVx1c6Glj_85ZC-Oj8hKyltyFJdsu3fSvBXydzPvU6dt2Ef6vjKz1-twCrAPA/s320/118654363_3619846258059507_422818415420822531_n.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdezPwh7BYpwggE82KLVwvgZlMvlzWOfzuC4VQjWh34WS1-v501KmwiNy6hFjuSc2JBgWOcxmUUTdi8_phavw5PE2vXKMMAjYrgwyKLw7CFBkoeOuxzLMnKn6PCCM33X_IHEqNMIiYlk7/s320/118780604_3619846334726166_4498472548299232348_n.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyKAHjdlzjrUKBYHy2a7tLW5F5wCLUZtcnMi2RcxP8FhQTBcJroyCT16d03hweXDoFd08NAMLdeX6_5ZJJrLuDsKmk8uszfeDmqKQHJ_RKPsOPBCMpQNUEEPAi-LqAck8QPcklLnkWxTF/s960/118887113_3619846404726159_5824949003099105009_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyKAHjdlzjrUKBYHy2a7tLW5F5wCLUZtcnMi2RcxP8FhQTBcJroyCT16d03hweXDoFd08NAMLdeX6_5ZJJrLuDsKmk8uszfeDmqKQHJ_RKPsOPBCMpQNUEEPAi-LqAck8QPcklLnkWxTF/s320/118887113_3619846404726159_5824949003099105009_n.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROcSzFKjZrcdpIduDAoPqj8ovjdctTxAJ6gM8Z04y7k2sR1B5Dw3e_bzAQaCZbbp0ofD8_ar-SusplK4SuB1We6BIqRgMNmTPgI-riEZZ2HlGU2N70ACBlX7aqA_wT9E-q5f_pV-KuPkd/s320/118914727_3619846468059486_8419350307354531080_n.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq03FAmwbo22-vgabWDDCwiMu0nyuRguTHyLLrxw3xPiD-MRTXzUVnQ6QuiX_rr-HhjRuvGBknP-iLN2zSJQpj434fhyphenhyphenT48pB81iV-2n_8bhds2Nx42hZ0s0Q5QOS_5P6dQ_p2gqWwEB2/s960/118803128_3619846561392810_4052079451718739403_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilq03FAmwbo22-vgabWDDCwiMu0nyuRguTHyLLrxw3xPiD-MRTXzUVnQ6QuiX_rr-HhjRuvGBknP-iLN2zSJQpj434fhyphenhyphenT48pB81iV-2n_8bhds2Nx42hZ0s0Q5QOS_5P6dQ_p2gqWwEB2/s320/118803128_3619846561392810_4052079451718739403_n.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLQJNkKkc4zWrLSYw_ZhdHmm2HDJ_cYyuMPe1pIJUdFt36VVSvoPgEyHEg5RXJdUYqX73QUR_la80y6swj1AZQqkQ3RBhApg5vwyOAdQp8pPbcUxvV2v46N78P-4qCjae9aQqU-OyhkRm/s320/118555131_3619846618059471_8200686263057902226_n.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After about half an hour he recovered enough to fly off. Probably needs some Advil! </span></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com0Cochrane, AB, Canada51.1917968 -114.466717122.881562963821153 -149.62296709999998 79.502030636178844 -79.3104671tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-29670197951400538962020-08-26T13:36:00.006-07:002020-08-26T13:37:23.650-07:00<div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>AUGUST 24, 2020</b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQKUtCq4WTHFhn_I4GA79ms93vK5JokmEQv1P6obNcm8dLGRb-vYz5I0W0gzOuO9BjwX7qlt9DmczTZjysSC8WNp5Vgbw76Jy6rMuImUoAWX_-pvK7zxhqsUrxFxOhr4R8dehXZA4pljz/s2048/IMG_0913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQKUtCq4WTHFhn_I4GA79ms93vK5JokmEQv1P6obNcm8dLGRb-vYz5I0W0gzOuO9BjwX7qlt9DmczTZjysSC8WNp5Vgbw76Jy6rMuImUoAWX_-pvK7zxhqsUrxFxOhr4R8dehXZA4pljz/w384-h512/IMG_0913.JPG" width="384" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><u>Day 3373 of Working from Home</u></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Though so very grateful to have job that I can do from home, the novelty has worn off. Big time. I want my office, my patch, my people. And my two perfectly aligned screens set upon my sit-stand desk.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Still loving the commute though.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mascara habits remain remarkably in tact. You’ll no doubt be delighted to hear that I even continue to wear a bra and underwear though I understand for some folks, WFH is a game changer in the comfortable clothing dept.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Worky work is still being completed, projects still keep coming and though it may bore the pants off most people, I am constantly challenged on how to process pensions and benefits for people taking weird leaves, being laid off, and generally not sticking to or being able to stick to being a boring old full time employee. I like those folks, they keep the record-keeping things simple. But these are not simple times. And processing lay offs of some of our staff gives me a metaphorical slap upside the head to quit even thinking about complaining. It’s not me being laid off. For now.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The latest update on the health of the dog-shaped slippers is that she is not doing great but not quite at death’s door either so we keep going with a buffet of medications (and I know she’s not too bad yet because she reminds us when the pills are due as it means turkey slices). As long as that little stumpy tail still wags and she’s eating and drinking and happy for her very short walks, we keep going.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our building site of a home is now mostly complete, kitchen renovations done, dust mostly gone and rather stylish new rooms have reappeared. Which means that rather than move my desk set-up every 3 days, my home office is now static in the dining room and my Zoom meetings feature some sexy new wallpaper as the backdrop. Not only did we swear we would never move again, we’re never painting or reno’ing again either. You heard it here first folks.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s been hot. Damn hot. Like, real summer weather, that by May I thought would never actually materialize. And so next year we need air con! But it’s nice to notice summer weather and get out into it every day, top up the tan and even if that means having lunch on the back deck, and with a wobbly bottom lip, bear witness to the guy that bought our old house rip out all my 12 years of gardening, flower beds and shrubs, and take the whole lot back to a square patch of grass. Sometimes moving round the corner is not the best idea, but I did cheekily ask him if I could rescue my blue iris’!</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Still continue to plough through lots of tv. Looking forward to Mulan coming out, though the cartoon version is my favourite Disney movie so it’s gonna have to be really good.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our bubble slowly expands. Dinner here and there with a select few. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Glad I do not now have school aged kids as I really don’t know what I would do in September, but hey, good luck everyone!</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The virus continues in little pockets around us, masks are the new fashion statement for 2020, and I’m exhausted by conspiracy theories, but utterly entertained with an inexhaustible supply of bloody hilarious and witty memes. These are saving my sanity, one on-point barb at a time.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Visited a mall this week. Tons of parking spaces, woo hoo . Mask - check. Sanitize hands 16 times in half an hour - priceless.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Following US politics is too easy here as we are so close, and it’s like car-crash tv (or Twitter), but is safe to say it’s been a complete shit show and I just want the orange toddler in chief to go away now, please and thank you.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fifth month of working from home has not resulted in weight loss, but amazingly, no gain either. Good ol’ Weight Watchers has been abandoned for now and gonna have a go at Noom. Which is essentially calorie counting with added psycho babble for the chubbily endowed.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Had lunch with my work gang today and it was just lovely.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Took a day trip to the mountains with Mr. M yesterday, had a wander, a mooch around Banff and Canmore and marvelled once again at the natural drama in our doorstep. Nicky, it’s a year since I was last there!</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Absolutely no sign of returning to campus. I honestly wonder if it could be another year from now. Watch this heavily disinfected space.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Am being forced to take vacation days, which finally feel like a proper break this week. An odd day off here and there doesn’t work, and checking the laptop is too easy. Should be studying right now but it’s too sunny and I might have to pay to shift an exam as I have no brain capacity or inclination to hit the books. I’m doing a Certificate that is work related and I must be the slowest student ever. Might get it before I retire!</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I want to go swimming. How quickly do you think the nose droplets from others are zapped by chlorine??</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We all also want to visit the UK. Catch up with peeps. Give them a hug. Who knows when that will be an easy-ish option? Or affordable? Back in May I optimistically thought Xmas might work, but now I think not. All this vacation to use and nowhere to use it. For the record, I don’t just want to hug people in the UK. I wanna hug everyone!</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How are you guys all doing?</span></div></div>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-24915536808055358062020-08-26T13:29:00.000-07:002020-08-26T13:30:09.689-07:00<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b> MAY 12, 2020</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHweRwB-MsXX68EwrcgKVKnmX6bSKh6-fjVHuaASnc6HU2msIve_0uhdvTExIzk39baGKX1JXwRR1f2Nj8JFVMycC1BXU31Mpym_LHZlfakDaGSJqKnIm9ekvz7uZCsJ3qLlep2ttBq2H/s2048/IMG_4015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHweRwB-MsXX68EwrcgKVKnmX6bSKh6-fjVHuaASnc6HU2msIve_0uhdvTExIzk39baGKX1JXwRR1f2Nj8JFVMycC1BXU31Mpym_LHZlfakDaGSJqKnIm9ekvz7uZCsJ3qLlep2ttBq2H/w512-h384/IMG_4015.JPG" width="512" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><u>Captain's Log. Star date No Bloody Idea. Week 9 of Working From Home.</u></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Have by now finely tuned the how-late-can-I-stay-in-bed-and-still-start-work-at-8am routine, and it's pretty damn funny to watch colleagues greet each other their good mornings through Microsoft Teams, while I am still languishing horizontally in my PJ's. Its 7.58 am by the way.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Surprisingly, I am still applying mascara daily. Some habits will never change.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Heated dog-shaped slippers became a bit sick a few weeks ago, and developed a cough. I momentarily diagnosed the dog with Covid-19, before taking her to the vet. Blew about $1,000 to learn she is actually in heart failure so her days are truly numbered and she has not only become adoringly needy, we have acquiesced to every nudge for affection and may in fact smother her to death before heart failure has a chance to take her. It could be a damn shame that she may pass away sporting a mummy's home-made, scissor-inspired doggy haircut. She looks, er, tufty.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Am living in a construction zone. I have no functioning kitchen, no flooring, no oven, a one ring burner and a long walk to the fridge. This was our decision of course, awesome timing and it's a first world problem, but we really need IKEA to open (or even answer their phones) so we can order a countertop. The dust tastes amazing.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Diet has been great. I have lost 15lbs. And by that I mean I have lost and gained the same 5 pounds three times. I get cocky and chuffed with myself at the lower point, and celebrate with an extra Twix or three. Then it takes 2 weeks to lose the same 5 lbs once again. Something tells me I havent quite mastered this, but I live trying. It's a routine unchanged by recent virus-related restrictions and something I have been battling for close on 25 years. I now have an official name for this now though - I call it fattening the curve.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Feel less productive working from home in some ways, but am doing odd hours now, and I know I am achieving a lot - and being in HR in the weirdest of times, we have never been busier. But it's not all been fun stuff either. Have been taking an actual lunch break and have ploughed through 5 seasons of Grand Designs Australia, and while plotting a fantastically long retirement trip to all the states, I can also now add another language to my skillset. S'truth mate. Have also spent odd hours catching up with my manager during evenings cos she does great chunks of her work between 8pm and 10.30pm. So basically my work days are all over the place.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Saving lots on gas/petrol and parking. Have only filled car once, and because it's a hybrid, it should be good for another 6 weeks. And gas has never been cheaper, which is decidedly annoying as you can't really drive anywhere to take advantage of it.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Spent more on food with 3 people constantly at home, and Twix bills can get pricey. Gas and electricity have also been higher though, because April forgot it was April when it should have been acknowledging it's own proximity to the season called Spring, but it kept bloody snowing. Take-out food was virtually non existent for many weeks, but recent kitchen upheaval may cause profits of local A&W's to plateau. Meal donations gladly accepted.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Daughter bought me thoughtful gift for Mothers Day, a very fancy and expensive face moisturizer and some eye serum thingy (no, I have no idea either).</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But its for anti-aging. Really! But it smells fabulous and I figure if I can pull off a winning combo of knocking off 5 years and 15lbs at the same time, it will all be worth not slapping her about the head with a wet fish for being so cheeky.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My back is in bits. The old dining room chair versus adaptable office chair and a sit-stand desk do not compare. And I miss my two screens. Resorted to buying a yoga mat to resume back-stretching exercises each night. Feel like a walrus rolling around floor trying to navigate positions into which my body fears to go.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In a couple of weeks I will commence enforced vacation days. We are being directed to use up our accrued leave banks. This will be great timing, for there are many walls to paint, tiles to choose and gardens to preen. I even planted carrot seeds last week, with a seeding time of approx 10-14 days to sprout. I see nothing yet, so they had better get a wriggle on.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Have taken to meeting friends in parking lots with camping chairs, and mastered joint video supper time shenanigans. I go to the grocery store once a week and don't like to brag but I bought 12 loo rolls the other day. Sweet.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Rumour has it we could be working from home for many more months, maybe even into January. Must get new chair. And a working kitchen. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">No time to chat, off to work again. Love to all. X</span></div></div>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-465343288468891782020-08-26T13:21:00.004-07:002020-08-26T13:30:19.278-07:00<div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">MARCH 18, 2020</span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkLu0vdkU3kVYOh_YFo2gFC3JxAylq0rJgkkSR2Cgeq1-cO6aimrwLm_8lFI_6KyMc4eVHTkNXB2_XtEQujR3NvcrhZvqpWau3HI1-ZdtGgC0gGX10Xb9vNA8wvCtQWEGJi_Ja00YGkV5/s1477/20200512_223718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1477" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkLu0vdkU3kVYOh_YFo2gFC3JxAylq0rJgkkSR2Cgeq1-cO6aimrwLm_8lFI_6KyMc4eVHTkNXB2_XtEQujR3NvcrhZvqpWau3HI1-ZdtGgC0gGX10Xb9vNA8wvCtQWEGJi_Ja00YGkV5/w512-h374/20200512_223718.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><u>DAY 1 “Working from Home"</u></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Set alarm for 7.20am, just because…. Woo hoo, a lie-in.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Get up, have shower.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Try to decide whether to wear ‘nice’ clothes or comfy clothes. Mix and match. Decide on Nice Top in case, you know, video chat, and then leggings. Even manage to put on mascara.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Make cup of tea. Take dog out for quick walk.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Commute from the bedroom to the kitchen table, 5.2 seconds. I am still late for work.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Fire up computer and see about 8 messages from my team who were obviously on time for work.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Check lots of emails that have mysteriously appeared overnight, then remember that my manager was working the evening shift due to having babies at home who do not comply with 9-5 office hours.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Eat Weetabix at desk. Start replying to emails.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Make a cup of tea, and move laundry into dryer while kettle is boiling.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Use the dog under my feet as an impromptu pair of heated slippers.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Update some documents.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Fart about with Settings on laptop, where font is too small and the clock is 2 hours and 22 minutes ahead of me.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Random thought - through rations and portion control, and walking dog 3 times a day, I could lose weight while working from home. Devour a bag of chocolate mini eggs. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Steal the kitchen clock from wall and place on table beside computer because I cannot fix Settings on laptop and am paranoid I might miss the Team meeting at 1pm, even though it’s only 9.40am. However, the clock ‘ticks’ and is annoying me already.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Comfort Daughter Number Two (who is 20 by the way) who emerges from her bedroom and is sick. Not corona sick you understand, just pukey sick. Nice. Dog runs to sofa, for as many cuddles as possible, from anyone willing to partake.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Answer some emails. Turn up heating because the house does not know I am here and goes cold.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Is it lunchtime yet? No – it is 10.45. Oh dear. Make another cup of tea.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Read lots of documents. It must be lunchtime by now. Diet not going well. Try again tomorrow.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Take dog around the block.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Team meeting at 1pm and how lovely to see my gang on video. Try to sort out what a new normal might look like. Abnormal.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Make lists, try to find something suitable to use as a mouse mat. Not successful. Might need to go to Staples.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Put on heated dog-shaped slippers again – these are fun.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Answer a few more emails and desperately try to keep up with all the little red notifications on Microsoft Teams. Get confused.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Decide I don’t like where I have set up my office and will need to re-think the position and layout tomorrow. Especially as husband will be on night shifts and apparently I talk loudly on video. Must notify dog of new office location though.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Clock off just after 4.30pm and commute back to kitchen where I can make supper, like, on time. This beats getting home pooped at 5.45pm. Still answer lots of Team ‘pings’ during evening.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Take dog for 3rd trip around the block – she is as confused as my Fitbit. Weight loss - +1lb.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">#WFH, #WorkingFromHome</span></div></div>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-65479138380057665402019-09-27T11:16:00.000-07:002019-09-27T11:16:15.392-07:00Wildlife Crossings<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">About an hour west of Calgary is the gateway to <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index.aspx" target="_blank">Banff National Park</a>. The route to and through the park is eighty-three kilometers along the Trans-Canada Highway - a fast and furious road carrying millions of trucks, cars, motorbikes and cyclists each year; tourists and day-trippers, workers and holiday-makers - and a startling array of RV's, campers and fifth-wheelers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Collisions between vehicles and wildlife can be fatal, on either side of the equation, but obviously the animals come out far worse than the metal beasts that mow them down.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAuq7DuEr0hq3cOkzbeidg6RrGM3QS8EQOEpBDVRrLEkQXgEHSiMKft0zyJF8y65Ovay8JQSqVO8ZoQZWd8Z2gnZkg7x-q4W9AQPPmYvrWDY6DzzXScz9fYYulWjyClZCyPbuDw9Jc45n/s1600/IMG_0621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAuq7DuEr0hq3cOkzbeidg6RrGM3QS8EQOEpBDVRrLEkQXgEHSiMKft0zyJF8y65Ovay8JQSqVO8ZoQZWd8Z2gnZkg7x-q4W9AQPPmYvrWDY6DzzXScz9fYYulWjyClZCyPbuDw9Jc45n/s400/IMG_0621.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">By about 2014, there were six completed overpasses in place. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOtlzjX_bdyJk4xhw3SW7pALTQKviBpekNL_X42RVnZNd3EWltc8ma1DCiwd3WxiI4FS_SvNgViqe8OAZ5oreDTSjQZwrjafo90wjfUdlK_jBH7g19hbZQK5jmtSbHGWXlb6H0JiNoYTs/s1600/IMG_0623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOtlzjX_bdyJk4xhw3SW7pALTQKviBpekNL_X42RVnZNd3EWltc8ma1DCiwd3WxiI4FS_SvNgViqe8OAZ5oreDTSjQZwrjafo90wjfUdlK_jBH7g19hbZQK5jmtSbHGWXlb6H0JiNoYTs/s400/IMG_0623.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These are 50m wide "bridges" over the highway and have cost millions of dollars to build. They are finished like the surrounding natural habitat with earth, plants and trees.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1tqGo6wieI1WTW0x4jSlGZTEG-xwb0xFFUoinL8BHHo9J99IQ2Myuf5OuUUPhCQQ2z3iz-kneF7SZ7RmY46vF24JG10uZ-_1VlUww-oZBLBL3MxHTXrDqORY7vKqOhgIFXRvUTf0Fz_E/s1600/IMG_0625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1tqGo6wieI1WTW0x4jSlGZTEG-xwb0xFFUoinL8BHHo9J99IQ2Myuf5OuUUPhCQQ2z3iz-kneF7SZ7RmY46vF24JG10uZ-_1VlUww-oZBLBL3MxHTXrDqORY7vKqOhgIFXRvUTf0Fz_E/s400/IMG_0625.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It can take years for large wildlife to feel safe to utilise these crossings, but motion-detecting cameras prove they do work. One issue is that the animal has to walk up the crossing area, and he cannot see what is on the other side and so, of course, is naturally very wary. Modifications may be made in future years to try and address this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There will also be 39 underpasses, many of which are already put to extensive use. Over 200,000 crossings have been recorded involving bears, <a href="http://www.rockies.ca/blog/?p=590" target="_blank">wolves</a>, elk and cougars.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdWIGOzcbBG_K_xw3hXnI7knWGWuyZ0JBCALCvgdO_m_buabwUQMODO6GqYnua2bTHxQq43snj-4IoLI5jnlxfcYARo6AUFvsgnZKtNcA5WuuNQ5bKqBAFdzsumIIftdphYgrMHm2BBf8/s1600/lynx-jpg_171411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdWIGOzcbBG_K_xw3hXnI7knWGWuyZ0JBCALCvgdO_m_buabwUQMODO6GqYnua2bTHxQq43snj-4IoLI5jnlxfcYARo6AUFvsgnZKtNcA5WuuNQ5bKqBAFdzsumIIftdphYgrMHm2BBf8/s400/lynx-jpg_171411.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A motion-detector camera took footage of a gorgeous lynx using an overpass. A rare sighting indeed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Years ago, when we were at the Park Gate paying our annual park pass fee, we were given a CD to play in the car. It was aimed at the kids, telling the story from the animals' point of view - simply, for drivers to just slow down - and using different silly voices for the different species. My girls were about 8 and 10 at the time and enjoyed listening to the stories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We must have played that flipping CD about 10 times and even now, I could recite back to you the bear's comments!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlibZ4Gh6q8H86uLz6BnX0kVt0lFPOxIDmS61ecjv64Ho3HmbmobnQG3pj45FeTCAoZF94OVCYOPl8nasCQ-RGPzN-Ox0cnkbdDUOnQjFL-T6rhVmfh8qdc2B2hdGekXxIWc8AVjsVlQPU/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlibZ4Gh6q8H86uLz6BnX0kVt0lFPOxIDmS61ecjv64Ho3HmbmobnQG3pj45FeTCAoZF94OVCYOPl8nasCQ-RGPzN-Ox0cnkbdDUOnQjFL-T6rhVmfh8qdc2B2hdGekXxIWc8AVjsVlQPU/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But the gift of the CD has made us all so much aware of the vast efforts (and expense) that Parks Canada, highway agencies and environmentalists have made to mitigate the deaths of wildlife along this increasingly busy corridor through one of the most beautiful drives in the world.</span>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-67513138913224839772019-04-21T16:49:00.002-07:002019-04-21T16:59:23.832-07:00Kitchen renovation<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Long post - lots of photos, and me showing off just a tiny bit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ahh, the kitchen is the heart of the home. And I used to hate mine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">t took 10 years of planning and preparing, and 8 weeks to complete a renovation. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It might take another 10 years to pay for it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Say goodbye to a dash of collapse, dysfunction and leakage. B'Bye 90's golden oak.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdk4r3ZHFXEYlr5DfvIvSXnjJhf-rdajeSSVvsFZpMJWZkU9dqn2_0uE3z2HKqlrudZwYmEu2AdaeDGtA4vpcyHlxXKAladVqvElbiAppP2X_EtixMkZbrWGqF9meyHOpjkcdnsF2xJEE/s1600/IMG_2175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdk4r3ZHFXEYlr5DfvIvSXnjJhf-rdajeSSVvsFZpMJWZkU9dqn2_0uE3z2HKqlrudZwYmEu2AdaeDGtA4vpcyHlxXKAladVqvElbiAppP2X_EtixMkZbrWGqF9meyHOpjkcdnsF2xJEE/s400/IMG_2175.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Considerable fretting ensues, but the decision is made to remove the corner pantry. These things hide a multitude of kitchen sins, but it turns out to be the best decision ever.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-71ThcPTYk4OTOjmxIoNG6u45ALv6KdyAsR-pHGLANzIbvVjtQnkE85EH8AkX_19mNLKlbVz2eL1MQVjSi5IyXcd4dkCQmmRGVZGwFkR-PnwuhD1t3GE_jHk_lOmNdy5xKFV55vNTIKt/s1600/IMG_2354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-71ThcPTYk4OTOjmxIoNG6u45ALv6KdyAsR-pHGLANzIbvVjtQnkE85EH8AkX_19mNLKlbVz2eL1MQVjSi5IyXcd4dkCQmmRGVZGwFkR-PnwuhD1t3GE_jHk_lOmNdy5xKFV55vNTIKt/s400/IMG_2354.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaBmZB6r3jn70S4dsJqU-uAgd_-CWfBagziKScXMMyg4QerxcX3tYLa7VmqX9feDwTUPd3ihwy3mXe1aiyBMytu_LYQqfr-kzh9DozbTKZsAR-P4qRV6MuvttVQcDb32B6V7nc8llQHmJ/s1600/IMG_2423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaBmZB6r3jn70S4dsJqU-uAgd_-CWfBagziKScXMMyg4QerxcX3tYLa7VmqX9feDwTUPd3ihwy3mXe1aiyBMytu_LYQqfr-kzh9DozbTKZsAR-P4qRV6MuvttVQcDb32B6V7nc8llQHmJ/s400/IMG_2423.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While the whole house is in such dusty disarray, let's remove several half/pony walls, move the lounge to a different room and create new dining room. Let's create a new fireplace. Oh, and let's steal a funky design from a show home!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3hQFhMKo7ecABG2Iry4LLsmujfs4Lc6s2merInxMX19pUnUuikXSXkI9iSoaaWuzCYJV3bBkln7JmOfBKUYkljlNG18GcHr9b-c2M6-hXs9QUZKdbnOwToSoWgi86gNAKRpDPBMTqwZR/s1600/IMG_2365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3hQFhMKo7ecABG2Iry4LLsmujfs4Lc6s2merInxMX19pUnUuikXSXkI9iSoaaWuzCYJV3bBkln7JmOfBKUYkljlNG18GcHr9b-c2M6-hXs9QUZKdbnOwToSoWgi86gNAKRpDPBMTqwZR/s400/IMG_2365.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2e8XpEVlH_dEhV4-cwyxym5YtL2gZcxhLJYXUSABeAj58YvBHgRwDPDJ8s-9_apTTbbXjxedzGBf8iB9gBsxlbzwXlHDWcGst2r9WzPMg2nfUHVf92V85yEi8S4KugZfarkXREt9-o7-/s1600/IMG_2577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2e8XpEVlH_dEhV4-cwyxym5YtL2gZcxhLJYXUSABeAj58YvBHgRwDPDJ8s-9_apTTbbXjxedzGBf8iB9gBsxlbzwXlHDWcGst2r9WzPMg2nfUHVf92V85yEi8S4KugZfarkXREt9-o7-/s400/IMG_2577.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIYueJ4XPDZxpfX5oB6VphSU-Y6Iv2SgM8rTpmTmc7Udnyl8e59ykfL20mj5s9N1ME5acGC8_pcCOPckK_0gI3AOMfg-h4zo1zR8_d7rNqAd23Ow4jDbb4IaLn7RchFRq1KZ0Aa0kFmu0/s1600/IMG_2686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIYueJ4XPDZxpfX5oB6VphSU-Y6Iv2SgM8rTpmTmc7Udnyl8e59ykfL20mj5s9N1ME5acGC8_pcCOPckK_0gI3AOMfg-h4zo1zR8_d7rNqAd23Ow4jDbb4IaLn7RchFRq1KZ0Aa0kFmu0/s400/IMG_2686.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Be sure to choose a talented kitchen designer who thinks like you do. Who thinks through the placement of everything - where you turn, where you'll stand, where you will store.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NX8oqeDfboJNNKoylr1cSZO16UkrTL-BBGaJ897rL-v_jJ_DcqsT9XQN_LihQXEYr1qErTZ3-jXLBRWTS4-fVTi7bGFwFTTo9kSe4DyufC7PUyOooQNpxiVYz7SFKJoW9bIoQgEumrRo/s1600/IMG_2677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NX8oqeDfboJNNKoylr1cSZO16UkrTL-BBGaJ897rL-v_jJ_DcqsT9XQN_LihQXEYr1qErTZ3-jXLBRWTS4-fVTi7bGFwFTTo9kSe4DyufC7PUyOooQNpxiVYz7SFKJoW9bIoQgEumrRo/s400/IMG_2677.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwXlilxKTa-48G5SxMeFOjjRo7WTMciaEdeBx821DwYs4yrpqFo8VcbtufXk-zNoVkUvNuW-h321Qbfe7mZKXjBTH53LCBRZ-WudgRpDzZVCA37ud7HeqJCRgedPS4QlcT8_ha6mx0uIh/s1600/IMG_2678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwXlilxKTa-48G5SxMeFOjjRo7WTMciaEdeBx821DwYs4yrpqFo8VcbtufXk-zNoVkUvNuW-h321Qbfe7mZKXjBTH53LCBRZ-WudgRpDzZVCA37ud7HeqJCRgedPS4QlcT8_ha6mx0uIh/s400/IMG_2678.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ask the designer to try and create a kitchen island in a really awkward angled room. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"I would like a zig-zag, please?"</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaDRQnNCwoOGAWkXPl9exLST3vL-M0H47oGZeuvuys4DlRD0k6eSmxqIGrFaH1ynJYTqj2hvEy4YnoWIEIsG2_pNw-EYVRnsm5OY2vbFN5b5XF3JIU8I7GL93ku2ZD0QHDmOw2V589W6F/s1600/IMG_2546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaDRQnNCwoOGAWkXPl9exLST3vL-M0H47oGZeuvuys4DlRD0k6eSmxqIGrFaH1ynJYTqj2hvEy4YnoWIEIsG2_pNw-EYVRnsm5OY2vbFN5b5XF3JIU8I7GL93ku2ZD0QHDmOw2V589W6F/s400/IMG_2546.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Template for a shit-load of granite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Replace all flooring on the main floor. Paint the stairs. A</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">dd to half walls in the entrance/lounge area and take them up to the ceiling. Add wiring for new wall lights and for a wall-mounted tv.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eat dust for 8 weeks. Mmmm, yummy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then delight in the final new product.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello light and airy, the longest island ever, and add colourful LED lights (with 12 settings!) for the every-occasion party look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, bankrupt oneself with gorgeous new dining set.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At last - done! And for about 15 minutes on a random Wednesday, my house looks like something out of a glossy magazine and I am smug and delighted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then reality bites. We carry on living here, like a real family, and mess and untidiness ensues, but the functionality is fabulous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-61755336664101388262018-11-01T21:34:00.000-07:002018-11-01T21:36:19.340-07:00Road Trip from Calgary to Vancouver<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mr. Frostbite and I took a road trip to Vancouver a couple of weeks ago. We were taking Daughter Number One out there to go to School, so we hired a van and filled it with her random but essential belongings - like her bed, mattress, bookcase, a small sofa and numerous boxes of books! Due to an unusually early and unwelcome dump of snow in Calgary on October 2nd, we had been fretting about winter road conditions and lack of winter tyres on a rental vehicle, and how long it would take to drive just over 1000km across about four mountain ranges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was no need to worry in the end. We somehow managed to pick THE most beautiful week of weather and had an amazing drive through spectacular country which was smack bang in the middle of an autumn colour frenzy. I literally gasped about five times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were taking her car out there too, and while the three of us were supposed to swap around driving duties, she promptly fell asleep for many hours (nervous energy finally catching up I think) and my husband ended up doing the whole van journey on his own, while I drove her car and tried to listen to my music over her snoring!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Alberta-British Columbia routes are simply stunning.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8fXz32AnRKn9BPLUugcitk3kz4eGsY-AngnQ_BsaE6dy9x3Ajt9dX756jOrGW_mRtThUobDFS4s1Q5afRRX-GNNzY1j6FuDt6ayNZ1YJjRVbahRs7u_ErGpTXaGiZ8bNnIB_S3T9kAne/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1e2d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="960" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8fXz32AnRKn9BPLUugcitk3kz4eGsY-AngnQ_BsaE6dy9x3Ajt9dX756jOrGW_mRtThUobDFS4s1Q5afRRX-GNNzY1j6FuDt6ayNZ1YJjRVbahRs7u_ErGpTXaGiZ8bNnIB_S3T9kAne/s400/fullsizeoutput_1e2d.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The central Shushwap Lake areas of BC were clear and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">gorgeous, and although it was October, you could almost be tempted to go for a swim. Almost.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vancouver was also showing off. We had anticipated some of those grey west coast skies, but nope, we were served up more beautiful blue skies and lots of warm late Fall sunshine. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6OqG1Hij87DoRzKvtog2k3k26H3H_-CF77iZXnysx2nGsh4c8A0_08Cuo_K9VyLHEinuYYKSWrkQcYO0t0-C0TypCXNRtJ_OkT3RJ58HS0PWLcnnURxtd8h8XlKR5i6_439fiSOVr02n/s1600/44490324_2175169855860495_8008372380621602816_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6OqG1Hij87DoRzKvtog2k3k26H3H_-CF77iZXnysx2nGsh4c8A0_08Cuo_K9VyLHEinuYYKSWrkQcYO0t0-C0TypCXNRtJ_OkT3RJ58HS0PWLcnnURxtd8h8XlKR5i6_439fiSOVr02n/s400/44490324_2175169855860495_8008372380621602816_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And we popped down to a small coastal town called White Rock, which I suppose is really a suburb of the greater Vancouver area.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-okE8xuWe45ISOCtDMxQ6A1WPb3j8VakzJ17ztuRmofzJwmyQYYnbqJROXuzI6GAcMTexZco7I2O_ugkK7dez8GYplxXz7qbbZ0m4JtCcgz5ftTD2qBZcj18GZS4jHmPO2ISs34Wu9A9/s1600/44318119_2175170059193808_3090538426160644096_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-okE8xuWe45ISOCtDMxQ6A1WPb3j8VakzJ17ztuRmofzJwmyQYYnbqJROXuzI6GAcMTexZco7I2O_ugkK7dez8GYplxXz7qbbZ0m4JtCcgz5ftTD2qBZcj18GZS4jHmPO2ISs34Wu9A9/s640/44318119_2175170059193808_3090538426160644096_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And all in all it was a gorgeous few days, which was good because it distracted me from bursting into tears as it finally became apparent that my baby has all grown up.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_SjY-_Wr1ZtPR_bwfyXK96tFDTWW9-e-FDAJCINBBFBf36gl4YGFSRGFR4ebo5ecGfm-0l-SSg9aJgimHEZCKVvdcwL8hx1kDAOxyWIFyBIeVAARsYA28-rzSlRnZOFHNMchjYso_4wI/s1600/44412644_2175203909190423_8500072979835650048_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_SjY-_Wr1ZtPR_bwfyXK96tFDTWW9-e-FDAJCINBBFBf36gl4YGFSRGFR4ebo5ecGfm-0l-SSg9aJgimHEZCKVvdcwL8hx1kDAOxyWIFyBIeVAARsYA28-rzSlRnZOFHNMchjYso_4wI/s400/44412644_2175203909190423_8500072979835650048_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These photos are - all in all - very blue!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-70044377554911705132018-08-12T18:41:00.001-07:002018-08-12T18:50:08.661-07:00I have not died ... <span style="font-size: large;">I<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> am still alive and kicking - and though the blog seems mostly dead, I wonder if I can resurrect it with a new post. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One, two, three and breathe. One, two three and breathe.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Is there a pulse? Any sign of life?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLNBPuYIftq1p1K46oy4Me2DI1Uymmu2viUnqErq8ZkUz0l-C9LDLmmMn_un8JyJKX-nmYMTXqRBSvroVRxErujKdqvnrR2-fzexn2HXWPTOGqQeE6UjFwpwCAI6w_y5fNaXNVhQ9aa1p/s1600/i-was-told-un98pz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="600" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLNBPuYIftq1p1K46oy4Me2DI1Uymmu2viUnqErq8ZkUz0l-C9LDLmmMn_un8JyJKX-nmYMTXqRBSvroVRxErujKdqvnrR2-fzexn2HXWPTOGqQeE6UjFwpwCAI6w_y5fNaXNVhQ9aa1p/s400/i-was-told-un98pz.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Frostbite and Sunburn family celebrated 11 years in Alberta this past May. Daughter Number One is now 20 and Daughter Number Two is now 18.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The "About Me" narrative on the right hand side is a lie. I am no longer a 40-something Brit, but have embraced my fifth decade with dual-citizenship, love, appreciation and another 20 lbs. My husband was also 50 this past week, and life continues to be busy at work for both of us - and the rewards and challenges of children continue to morph as we all grow up.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1C2rMwRR_e1-PhQYflJRhELQ0OwWZwxXfJnk1kQltK7V4iAHw1EoYCIZ1UMMixOiN3N9l5RRfBeGRfhvyV6Ib54j8f8CXGzCPwnrI_2Z9kbbWomtGH-tOoTA-lcoUe3d9KPxYcTlvp6T/s1600/fullsizeoutput_117d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1C2rMwRR_e1-PhQYflJRhELQ0OwWZwxXfJnk1kQltK7V4iAHw1EoYCIZ1UMMixOiN3N9l5RRfBeGRfhvyV6Ib54j8f8CXGzCPwnrI_2Z9kbbWomtGH-tOoTA-lcoUe3d9KPxYcTlvp6T/s640/fullsizeoutput_117d.jpeg" width="360" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We lost my fellow-author, Smudge, last year and all our hearts broke quite a bit. This was him at </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Christmas - still bright-eyed but almost immobile.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggR19blpNiNkHKp847UhvjOMBNdKxdynPNGupj3HHNi9sYUWQ_V32uwU7N92MiA7R1wRNAHMcUOgSidNBH6DWcnUTquvbuO2uSCp6cDQqWU3QHhCC02tvFTKB6PKXwcZDI6wZn1XZZPgCD/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1b2c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1187" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggR19blpNiNkHKp847UhvjOMBNdKxdynPNGupj3HHNi9sYUWQ_V32uwU7N92MiA7R1wRNAHMcUOgSidNBH6DWcnUTquvbuO2uSCp6cDQqWU3QHhCC02tvFTKB6PKXwcZDI6wZn1XZZPgCD/s640/fullsizeoutput_1b2c.jpeg" width="474" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Honey Bear is still around, and is a calm loving dog who is way better behaved now as the solitary canine in the home. I mean, all those cuddles for one dog is awesome.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So - whether to continue on this blog format, or to have a re-think and reincarnate myself? Hmmmm.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wave if you can feel my pulse! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-77273979935422163932015-04-04T10:05:00.003-07:002015-04-04T10:05:30.300-07:00Quick catch up?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: start;">I'm pretty sure there are no readers left here, for it has been a long time since last posting, but hello to anyone that picks up this little blip on their radar. I've missed you.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zkWQ-OerZddObW4F0M0TB7yxpAzZku7rB9szrZlptw6NQk0dqnce_fWHhMlyOBsen_DWS_L3y-ISQo-ci4WwlbY2EWJLyttuLr6bAuExZlQG1hw26I7MUztheHAZg1h2_2gaFQUsUq5s/s1600/IMG_6279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zkWQ-OerZddObW4F0M0TB7yxpAzZku7rB9szrZlptw6NQk0dqnce_fWHhMlyOBsen_DWS_L3y-ISQo-ci4WwlbY2EWJLyttuLr6bAuExZlQG1hw26I7MUztheHAZg1h2_2gaFQUsUq5s/s1600/IMG_6279.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am alive and well in deepest southern Alberta, and have been quietly appreciating what was just about the most mild and lovely winter Canada could have offered me. Yes, we had our moments, but we also had plenty of abnormally warm weeks above 10 degrees C which were just heaven.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the other side of the country they seemed to get hammered with obscene amounts of snow, week in and week out. My sympathies guys.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's now a cool Easter weekend but pah, it's summer next week surely? I mean, there is grass sprouting and everything. And there are chocolate eggs in my very close vicinity. Nom nom.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDff46QVmAUg8eVPUrosXpe3xlqW7zp9ApkEJUWHG1t_6T7iGBoKmuVDlFvSRAaPOvjE-nFUgH1BlUyksSv-bsbKd06jRlRf-RcESOlRcmc0YwjHzPhl7fzxEsm7DEOtzLLVwxuNGP60Cd/s1600/eastereggtastetest-unwrapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDff46QVmAUg8eVPUrosXpe3xlqW7zp9ApkEJUWHG1t_6T7iGBoKmuVDlFvSRAaPOvjE-nFUgH1BlUyksSv-bsbKd06jRlRf-RcESOlRcmc0YwjHzPhl7fzxEsm7DEOtzLLVwxuNGP60Cd/s1600/eastereggtastetest-unwrapped.jpg" height="246" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Life has been busy and challenging. Teenagers. Need I say more?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxOuynvVNt5la6oRr9m53KSh2VTkrNx4-ddGVfUFG-CJCAWwpHD2Mb_y5rWxwlRHqGGIIE2DCNOBRILGnXFZTeik-g2ErUKNKjf-nEjFDNwgMhUUhHPWP4Nczai3YybRmysssSiaR43M6/s1600/11082554_10204903456124407_3681831128285738347_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxOuynvVNt5la6oRr9m53KSh2VTkrNx4-ddGVfUFG-CJCAWwpHD2Mb_y5rWxwlRHqGGIIE2DCNOBRILGnXFZTeik-g2ErUKNKjf-nEjFDNwgMhUUhHPWP4Nczai3YybRmysssSiaR43M6/s1600/11082554_10204903456124407_3681831128285738347_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've discovered rather belatedly that my mood is dictated by the moods of my children and it's exhausting and I need to figure a way out to stop this pattern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Daughter Number One is a kind and beautiful soul, both inside and out. She is tall, stunning and funny in that (ahem, sarcastically) witty British kind of way. She cares for and worries about too much in the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She lives with anxiety. It's been formerly diagnosed - and to me, it came from no-where. Of course, that cannot be true, it will have been manifesting itself for years, but the trigger was was the concussion when she started high school I think, and the realities of the world came crashing in, causing her brain to overload and stop her walking for weeks. It's been a battle ever since.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have luckily had access to some amazing people through the Children's Hospital. But then of course, we got a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes just over a year ago - as if the poor kid didn't have enough to worry about. So that too has been another challenge and as the teenage hormones kick in, an occasional battle ground too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From dancing in seven classes a week in all styles, she quit the whole lot. It was too anxiety-inducing in the end. She had had three bouts of tonsillitis, back to back, in the Fall and had missed weeks of rehearsals. Her sugar levels were all over the place and the dance teacher made some unguarded and not particularly helpful comment - and bang, she was done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">was more upset than she was, I think.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> This can't have been last time I watched her grace a stage. I wasn't ready. I said nothing of course, just kept my proud-mamma-bear feelings hidden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With a little nudging however, reconciliation with the dance teacher ensued and she agreed/decided to go back for two routines. My daughter is a a kind of all-or-nothing girl - so I don't think just two routines satisfies her on any level - but it keeps her hand (foot) in and leaves her some options if she wants to sign up again for September. Or quit for good. But she will at least understand that it will be a well-considered decision, rather than a fly-by-the-seat-of-pants decision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At this point in time, I feel I could write for hours - I have so much whirling around in my head. But I'll leave it there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's a long weekend for us and I'm just hoping to make the most of a couple of lazy pyjama mornings. I may or may not get out a paintbrush and I may or may not throw the vacuum around - I'm living on the edge I tell ya.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXvJC5wetU6Quvz4HS_FjMdRSGqOqFzCBiAjnF0I2jWJyYxu2q4UitH93v_V5YEdk-h0d9p64ZsqazjL157f8wfUM4RS7RrDdJRi7MfCFixbNKfoI54IRxbvHE2II06k5xEkLxjjg919C/s1600/10698642_10101405665587082_3065690499953525696_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXvJC5wetU6Quvz4HS_FjMdRSGqOqFzCBiAjnF0I2jWJyYxu2q4UitH93v_V5YEdk-h0d9p64ZsqazjL157f8wfUM4RS7RrDdJRi7MfCFixbNKfoI54IRxbvHE2II06k5xEkLxjjg919C/s1600/10698642_10101405665587082_3065690499953525696_n.jpg" height="400" width="358" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And in the meantime, my Sunday nights are empty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More to follow, and Smudge will also update you soon too. He has some shameful admissions to make.</span><br />
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<br />Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-50576776248906619572014-12-16T09:43:00.001-08:002014-12-16T13:09:56.662-08:00It's furry outside<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">t has been one of those weird freezing but foggy nights. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">An almost colourless day - and look, someone stole the mountain view again.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4v4PKkuFfawzvW_-9yf2R1UM-b-j0HFWuMyxBwWjCOFWvVkZhchVobHxH9nv6dJ8nGq0owTr-HIEOeFN4kCd8Rg3eaEf2bomjf0MS8PyEHD02lg_zwIs-Uh-b5U0PrmyZLluT4jKZXUz/s1600/IMG_6000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4v4PKkuFfawzvW_-9yf2R1UM-b-j0HFWuMyxBwWjCOFWvVkZhchVobHxH9nv6dJ8nGq0owTr-HIEOeFN4kCd8Rg3eaEf2bomjf0MS8PyEHD02lg_zwIs-Uh-b5U0PrmyZLluT4jKZXUz/s1600/IMG_6000.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The dampness in the air creates a heavy hoar frost</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlLjYhR30DPj65iT6ee17CtgBOvSa-57XewDTG09VO7Zox4xU4i7QCS0lxPK5RLCwfwQPq4lgKJiuIrtyfsHb57Zp4EbvAGTE1STwRo4tMIxL8okSitOWvcsl7gEj6z5JqlPi1wBrCh-1/s1600/IMG_5989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlLjYhR30DPj65iT6ee17CtgBOvSa-57XewDTG09VO7Zox4xU4i7QCS0lxPK5RLCwfwQPq4lgKJiuIrtyfsHb57Zp4EbvAGTE1STwRo4tMIxL8okSitOWvcsl7gEj6z5JqlPi1wBrCh-1/s1600/IMG_5989.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">which coat the trees in an icy layer - it looks like white velvet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Boring suburban wire fences are five times their usual size</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN-0MS0Hq08_3kS3QlWo22dSUAxLbjbnzuUn5ebeo-oizqm_u7sUfIut6RzXrn3W729TDXDeCS5zIw-vIWeKnNO5fr5blFN1cA0gh0J4WRn8JbNv5dVjRaNlyfmhCxin-e_LqH-WUT5Zs/s1600/IMG_6029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN-0MS0Hq08_3kS3QlWo22dSUAxLbjbnzuUn5ebeo-oizqm_u7sUfIut6RzXrn3W729TDXDeCS5zIw-vIWeKnNO5fr5blFN1cA0gh0J4WRn8JbNv5dVjRaNlyfmhCxin-e_LqH-WUT5Zs/s1600/IMG_6029.JPG" height="317" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65ZPLbwrGVBr0s0eb4MdQbbgWSmm4iloJSn5MxoPCh9_TuLw_3YTHuskb9w-SEXme241cxupfdabTzDqP6iIi3cVbZygT97mk4eL_29nZdvVwYqkz56GMPgn4HoLcNF4M9MdmX-F3JYUG/s1600/IMG_6028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65ZPLbwrGVBr0s0eb4MdQbbgWSmm4iloJSn5MxoPCh9_TuLw_3YTHuskb9w-SEXme241cxupfdabTzDqP6iIi3cVbZygT97mk4eL_29nZdvVwYqkz56GMPgn4HoLcNF4M9MdmX-F3JYUG/s1600/IMG_6028.jpg" height="400" width="268" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and the sun desperately tries to break through </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the frosty haze.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP_MUgcrDudLi4mKnqWDhZ11m8xSAWjTmAf2QzfPn3JLd7zbBRMQOqebia0Y-pWhxz3PwkUqiCsbQMD-tOZ4yV-oCHvosGQx1RArqcpM8B0RApf6MEZ68wHOxsD98U066o2UKtQEoAix1/s1600/IMG_6023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP_MUgcrDudLi4mKnqWDhZ11m8xSAWjTmAf2QzfPn3JLd7zbBRMQOqebia0Y-pWhxz3PwkUqiCsbQMD-tOZ4yV-oCHvosGQx1RArqcpM8B0RApf6MEZ68wHOxsD98U066o2UKtQEoAix1/s1600/IMG_6023.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The grass looks alien</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvMHD2ubrlWSGaEYm2eHxepbseHVTjVyL2mDFjx5atMdcax20hK-VUlHBV833lD2aF-8bmyF1pqO1UnZvUg5Cfp9B2ql_iQc5XhnY10fLhfJFWIJoLs7WdjufMltGT03s6tWSuSKU0rqJ/s1600/IMG_6003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvMHD2ubrlWSGaEYm2eHxepbseHVTjVyL2mDFjx5atMdcax20hK-VUlHBV833lD2aF-8bmyF1pqO1UnZvUg5Cfp9B2ql_iQc5XhnY10fLhfJFWIJoLs7WdjufMltGT03s6tWSuSKU0rqJ/s1600/IMG_6003.JPG" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and the urban landscape portrays beautiful silhouettes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSHgDz2whcHXUtpbaDO5KTPSDJEAU_6uln9EzF2inUnpq8mgwmVAxQy5Gb4yjKunicwqoCtYW27ktGEg4pn1q6knNagdRZ1Qg67kKJkNZcydPxDtZGubnIA5GE4Rw4UkjNWPb2Kkm-UhT/s1600/IMG_5995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSHgDz2whcHXUtpbaDO5KTPSDJEAU_6uln9EzF2inUnpq8mgwmVAxQy5Gb4yjKunicwqoCtYW27ktGEg4pn1q6knNagdRZ1Qg67kKJkNZcydPxDtZGubnIA5GE4Rw4UkjNWPb2Kkm-UhT/s1600/IMG_5995.jpg" height="400" width="352" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVx4shrXGapOoWEoz7cmh0zWZxt9UL5nmaKpyqPmCW621om4Ino8JrFZpxKJR_EGmZSC5qVVS5ILQ7IlPSCMuUyVMZ-zbVDra5ELUZtJsHtc9eeMzo4YbS2bI3RefjtvE7uUFEVp7JydBp/s1600/IMG_6026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVx4shrXGapOoWEoz7cmh0zWZxt9UL5nmaKpyqPmCW621om4Ino8JrFZpxKJR_EGmZSC5qVVS5ILQ7IlPSCMuUyVMZ-zbVDra5ELUZtJsHtc9eeMzo4YbS2bI3RefjtvE7uUFEVp7JydBp/s1600/IMG_6026.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, of course, if you lie on your back, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">you can lick the snowflakes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCFhgqh1s3Lig6cq_xBQeOYuQs6O7R4-BDc6EbxOlD3Yn7N_OEyyyiTChCAUOJFqn1_-JWkL2nzKGmqYzt6P-X9bigXyl571C-cO8oYUQ18xY8C4vYEZpgif99HM9ZmkFMdx6-bGoldVu/s1600/IMG_6013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCFhgqh1s3Lig6cq_xBQeOYuQs6O7R4-BDc6EbxOlD3Yn7N_OEyyyiTChCAUOJFqn1_-JWkL2nzKGmqYzt6P-X9bigXyl571C-cO8oYUQ18xY8C4vYEZpgif99HM9ZmkFMdx6-bGoldVu/s1600/IMG_6013.JPG" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-84995065094541546062014-11-13T05:43:00.002-08:002014-11-13T05:43:54.582-08:00Smudge is not well<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of you may be familiar with my fellow author, Smudge. Our cute bundle of black fur has not been a well woofer in recent months. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuQ4c7f3eBwGS0vYoYocKvQ3z06OJDFH4Q7YIxcsxUotzEkrljOp84uia883UAzw-Fp7UFEz1edY8UCWRm9FTm9vjngChb8By_ST4edFOdp0KHgRQBr5X-jeoVWELDoyp4mfmXX2tf74W/s1600/4443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuQ4c7f3eBwGS0vYoYocKvQ3z06OJDFH4Q7YIxcsxUotzEkrljOp84uia883UAzw-Fp7UFEz1edY8UCWRm9FTm9vjngChb8By_ST4edFOdp0KHgRQBr5X-jeoVWELDoyp4mfmXX2tf74W/s400/4443.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although only 8 years old he has been getting progressively more slow and stiff in the hind quarters.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HndwkTTCn2pjXMiic57XZuPin2vMjeC3H5kyTnKn7p1igVd9ZkkfZEvafsW76S_W1H35vB3T-9x8LEXPgTVagNcoP-XYFOh0KocMHGolH6Bv1jIlXWPkocMgKZq32dx2zL8MNRlzEwwI/s1600/IMG_5473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HndwkTTCn2pjXMiic57XZuPin2vMjeC3H5kyTnKn7p1igVd9ZkkfZEvafsW76S_W1H35vB3T-9x8LEXPgTVagNcoP-XYFOh0KocMHGolH6Bv1jIlXWPkocMgKZq32dx2zL8MNRlzEwwI/s400/IMG_5473.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Several trips to the vet, a specialist vet, a plethora of tests and some $2,300 later, they think he has a form of arthritis.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGa7N0ixo51p5GieP-zLU73Xy-Fup0ezqW4bUcVcArjc6ozN4d_zQyHJW7XkHfcYELqzdOZPFBVUMpmbwLx4Qc2k01G5D2aA4-csGxzqSaBwOrD9fcbb0rEHs9F_saeyOv8YmVgtFgea3h/s1600/IMG_0109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGa7N0ixo51p5GieP-zLU73Xy-Fup0ezqW4bUcVcArjc6ozN4d_zQyHJW7XkHfcYELqzdOZPFBVUMpmbwLx4Qc2k01G5D2aA4-csGxzqSaBwOrD9fcbb0rEHs9F_saeyOv8YmVgtFgea3h/s320/IMG_0109.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We embark on an impressive array of pills and potions tomorrow, under the realization that only about a third of dogs respond well to them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He's a sorry figure right now - won't hardly get up, drink or eat and has lost about 3lbs which is a lot for an 18lb dog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love my dog very much, but will not be embarking on extreme measures or going to the extent of building frames and wheels for him. Let's see how the next month or two pans out and if he appears to have some quality of life and can manage a little tail-wag or two.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCJCGj9Od_Qgb76NAcjnV3heBp0ig9qLhaeZVeSDYK4k0GgsoW-SOYkBZomb0pMbgWzIHa_T2hvVYXt2AkYXJQOIg8ETrJWXsi2wXqidZp1cEzeKGvssa-MB0F2g4DfoZcI72bO1M55K0/s1600/IMG_1909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCJCGj9Od_Qgb76NAcjnV3heBp0ig9qLhaeZVeSDYK4k0GgsoW-SOYkBZomb0pMbgWzIHa_T2hvVYXt2AkYXJQOIg8ETrJWXsi2wXqidZp1cEzeKGvssa-MB0F2g4DfoZcI72bO1M55K0/s320/IMG_1909.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Feeling a bit sad right now.</span><br />
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Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-86499999869536373762014-11-12T20:15:00.000-08:002014-11-12T20:15:25.718-08:0027 degrees<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">27 degrees - that's how much the temperature dropped in just 24 hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Saturday morning - nice and sunny and about 11 or 12 degrees Celsius.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We put up the Christmas lights outside as we had been warned of a snow storm a-coming.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeqc_FejhiYbwvcXYznPiBklC5jD1Lnk3C0xKpUaab5Y27Ev_vJG8tZdgm7hHd2Eq2egnvgFp2tFB2oxYLEj5Cp-IyPOgpFwH5KanGjkAe1HC8cDuXe7zX5CO356NYUIhy_vxLShgEwuG/s1600/IMG_2284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeqc_FejhiYbwvcXYznPiBklC5jD1Lnk3C0xKpUaab5Y27Ev_vJG8tZdgm7hHd2Eq2egnvgFp2tFB2oxYLEj5Cp-IyPOgpFwH5KanGjkAe1HC8cDuXe7zX5CO356NYUIhy_vxLShgEwuG/s400/IMG_2284.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunday morning - bang! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w3HlzzgcopnFqpKXhpbgLx9ff1oKZLZvdYUBjMWzyPHC1CZeQ-yJpzUpOfyQiWq4iKNK1cN1v0ozl6IxtbkNUQTRN9Uc0u004JnBso9zLN_b4bLpM9BlgZ2JI7F4nrCcjk62plYubQ4m/s1600/IMG_2281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w3HlzzgcopnFqpKXhpbgLx9ff1oKZLZvdYUBjMWzyPHC1CZeQ-yJpzUpOfyQiWq4iKNK1cN1v0ozl6IxtbkNUQTRN9Uc0u004JnBso9zLN_b4bLpM9BlgZ2JI7F4nrCcjk62plYubQ4m/s400/IMG_2281.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hello winter, my old friend.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnRqwJsKsyKEQ6W7RlPzRZI3anaIOekdvom-eRoYpBfHe9u2bmZQ9SJRrUzjhgTyuQauAifxprtsvP_chKW8FMC5G1-PgDc5ydXVVr_CnEeAnUcnRJ_L4Sro6nll-HgOWZC_yOOVzYvcZ/s1600/IMG_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnRqwJsKsyKEQ6W7RlPzRZI3anaIOekdvom-eRoYpBfHe9u2bmZQ9SJRrUzjhgTyuQauAifxprtsvP_chKW8FMC5G1-PgDc5ydXVVr_CnEeAnUcnRJ_L4Sro6nll-HgOWZC_yOOVzYvcZ/s320/IMG_0234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And down to -16 degrees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And to anyone who watches Game of Thrones, I just have to add my little cliche.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwdXpBv193QHgXpwd8VBx3a-cyQgwboJtihrJJai8o8SUKEEk1Z83xu608U14eKTZZPbf0yiHDbrVW4zhsclRTCqQBMV1pOQBUsVvJHea9PXeYnprxq6ip-SinprKPBJ6Xt5pTwQRYk8J/s1600/6a0133f4dd5baa970b017c32e4f405970b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwdXpBv193QHgXpwd8VBx3a-cyQgwboJtihrJJai8o8SUKEEk1Z83xu608U14eKTZZPbf0yiHDbrVW4zhsclRTCqQBMV1pOQBUsVvJHea9PXeYnprxq6ip-SinprKPBJ6Xt5pTwQRYk8J/s320/6a0133f4dd5baa970b017c32e4f405970b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stay warm out there.</span></div>
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<br />Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-66845974252756722642014-10-29T19:59:00.000-07:002014-10-29T19:59:32.824-07:00Healthy Living - Pah!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8-SRorDSt6Lh6K3GvmxJraL1jX_4HndcmQzN-2MiqTIkkMpbvoX6lr8Rxu67MA5gXuFArU2KPg2iUtGa7cOcZ9O0VNiOPQLtNu2tJov__9fWIDKq1-q38yAhlhuf-iejRK-HG9lZScG-/s1600/10514657_666814476737191_9210025734202767735_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8-SRorDSt6Lh6K3GvmxJraL1jX_4HndcmQzN-2MiqTIkkMpbvoX6lr8Rxu67MA5gXuFArU2KPg2iUtGa7cOcZ9O0VNiOPQLtNu2tJov__9fWIDKq1-q38yAhlhuf-iejRK-HG9lZScG-/s1600/10514657_666814476737191_9210025734202767735_n.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We all know we should be doing more to </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">achieve a long and healthy life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I'm still working on this, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">but there is just so much to remember.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">First rule; I know that we should all try to </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">eat well...and that usually involves </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">eating bowls of green stuff </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">- you know, leaves.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-h_6a9GCsfygucvxOV1TKppAoXtFvuyhGnf_T-oBJZZhS46wfcYamX3INiK7lw_g97x9qaO657_0esInu7_JrS_ZSLOlUdqucTM8NIl9rQrKFwD7-UNuLv95PfThsw9XOa7R0qINYuGl/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-h_6a9GCsfygucvxOV1TKppAoXtFvuyhGnf_T-oBJZZhS46wfcYamX3INiK7lw_g97x9qaO657_0esInu7_JrS_ZSLOlUdqucTM8NIl9rQrKFwD7-UNuLv95PfThsw9XOa7R0qINYuGl/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Secondly - very important (apparently) - exercise regularly.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXHLSYJc98kEbXzn73aVqz_0Ln6ByydK8kDrv-8aG672SK8BofO5lZNOtGQvbSdAiM10aEzxSmoXwjWHZZ64o9MmXyTK9_7Hv-_Ij-exBsbpIGmyUYMPYKryR8d7-FsATy1eczmSmtUuc/s1600/74298de86605674f6e54295ca6052bc6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXHLSYJc98kEbXzn73aVqz_0Ln6ByydK8kDrv-8aG672SK8BofO5lZNOtGQvbSdAiM10aEzxSmoXwjWHZZ64o9MmXyTK9_7Hv-_Ij-exBsbpIGmyUYMPYKryR8d7-FsATy1eczmSmtUuc/s1600/74298de86605674f6e54295ca6052bc6.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Limit your alcohol intake.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSOeUBsZG8VmZBH49Aj01naB7X38VlL_vYwQqOBkQHW7U8ZUM4Izv8tzFmiDgIZ1ZGcd9VNTUmhccoQQsKZDqx5asKZ8diaQOq38JKC6yBJ5Mgr-024fwkKF4C2CfajnI9LQlP6Kjgnhy/s1600/1976919_810856205609485_440686792_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSOeUBsZG8VmZBH49Aj01naB7X38VlL_vYwQqOBkQHW7U8ZUM4Izv8tzFmiDgIZ1ZGcd9VNTUmhccoQQsKZDqx5asKZ8diaQOq38JKC6yBJ5Mgr-024fwkKF4C2CfajnI9LQlP6Kjgnhy/s1600/1976919_810856205609485_440686792_n.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Try to laugh and have a little fun, everyday. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEn8UhIht0Xl3NJYa5v0Vh7h295RCQVXhUjU5BBMrN0BJGwpvlFAMd8W8U_obNNYgJ7tq5ddOo-ZDnURtA7ulM4ScCv4Xxp2zPn57M6_tnNYPP02HPIyyEHA3GBIh_bHQrwdZdzRJ_0S1o/s1600/IMG_0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEn8UhIht0Xl3NJYa5v0Vh7h295RCQVXhUjU5BBMrN0BJGwpvlFAMd8W8U_obNNYgJ7tq5ddOo-ZDnURtA7ulM4ScCv4Xxp2zPn57M6_tnNYPP02HPIyyEHA3GBIh_bHQrwdZdzRJ_0S1o/s1600/IMG_0247.JPG" height="400" width="310" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">But you know what? Being mentally and physically healthy all the time is hard work.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIA8URAkpONY1ELtBVwcFbNHUCyWMleKTwc7xHM5-CYXB-myOmzDAHPpv29jIuaPLs0He_iyoHZCNHsuppOp4hJzvScluCahHn7JqlUPtdIoIlcm0bE0ci2Wc55ivuMxtuu3R_XXLhlCk/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIA8URAkpONY1ELtBVwcFbNHUCyWMleKTwc7xHM5-CYXB-myOmzDAHPpv29jIuaPLs0He_iyoHZCNHsuppOp4hJzvScluCahHn7JqlUPtdIoIlcm0bE0ci2Wc55ivuMxtuu3R_XXLhlCk/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sod it - you're amazing, just the way you are.</span></span></div>
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Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-74398172024965256682014-10-27T18:23:00.005-07:002014-10-27T18:24:30.170-07:00Halloween fun<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8EtHhy2c3JAUZ6TrtoJT871dklftHbAKaBbDm9gWmV1gBZdxJhS96EnfXecwisvwMcC07VoQMjMfj9oHg8dcFEDzAI9olOOUJmDiyzk7140D4s9XDyMpZ8jwHJ9yFS0EjheWE7sEQ585/s1600/image001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8EtHhy2c3JAUZ6TrtoJT871dklftHbAKaBbDm9gWmV1gBZdxJhS96EnfXecwisvwMcC07VoQMjMfj9oHg8dcFEDzAI9olOOUJmDiyzk7140D4s9XDyMpZ8jwHJ9yFS0EjheWE7sEQ585/s1600/image001.png" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Canada loves Halloween. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig230XdnHhvdG8sA5Sr-wF2y_ag5F5MOQJj2T36FczBBtK4yJBPtCPEGY1W4whHEyWTvCfTqG1OxUlswXIXYmEfNXUokz8wUXMMCsxhZEQULShvDX-Suwlsnnw0VXF22zFh9pt75Nz88Nk/s1600/canada-halloween-festival.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig230XdnHhvdG8sA5Sr-wF2y_ag5F5MOQJj2T36FczBBtK4yJBPtCPEGY1W4whHEyWTvCfTqG1OxUlswXIXYmEfNXUokz8wUXMMCsxhZEQULShvDX-Suwlsnnw0VXF22zFh9pt75Nz88Nk/s1600/canada-halloween-festival.jpeg" height="284" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Are you ready for the doorbell ringing incessantly </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">on Friday night?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's some tips to keep it fun.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjP6lXNNBW4Ss26deQBjSp2gE6vtLB_Ml8-qVN0H4XC-HI_32A_UTl6WfvTAm5DUevdD22yn5zEn5Kr6cGHcCHTLg_K0F20PXjGny-zUp7pUyLgDMZfeceTf8uADyZeiZ1pl2kRgGfY9K/s1600/hallow14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjP6lXNNBW4Ss26deQBjSp2gE6vtLB_Ml8-qVN0H4XC-HI_32A_UTl6WfvTAm5DUevdD22yn5zEn5Kr6cGHcCHTLg_K0F20PXjGny-zUp7pUyLgDMZfeceTf8uADyZeiZ1pl2kRgGfY9K/s1600/hallow14.jpg" height="400" width="287" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Don't get in a fuss about all those trick or treaters.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuas6PhGYBTFEAWuPYqxDmTsEztp29FMBPVqxu7_a9h1EpymbpsjTwWvCPa3xM9jrfscmz1fq2iCN-u0VsVneT9iim5fHtZRe6C5D1P_vx2ObXokr4j_F4qIJOB-OLnDLXyiyEgrJmiQeD/s1600/hallow15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuas6PhGYBTFEAWuPYqxDmTsEztp29FMBPVqxu7_a9h1EpymbpsjTwWvCPa3xM9jrfscmz1fq2iCN-u0VsVneT9iim5fHtZRe6C5D1P_vx2ObXokr4j_F4qIJOB-OLnDLXyiyEgrJmiQeD/s1600/hallow15.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keep your pets safely indoors.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgign_A3XxHPvz3nzpY3dR5iACrFxR5LdMPeVxwIVFULKiYsO1Zh59td_QzEqRIGqa-Y1fKE8cCVcUO-lJbHXzhLSdy4XxiCyOpAzgFesL-7FJjwmOcv3rbANegNauCT0Rs3jzy82Q8O-eu/s1600/10440880_378509802304509_9156239421156765213_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgign_A3XxHPvz3nzpY3dR5iACrFxR5LdMPeVxwIVFULKiYsO1Zh59td_QzEqRIGqa-Y1fKE8cCVcUO-lJbHXzhLSdy4XxiCyOpAzgFesL-7FJjwmOcv3rbANegNauCT0Rs3jzy82Q8O-eu/s1600/10440880_378509802304509_9156239421156765213_n.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and remember to park all your vehicles out of the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's that time of year, when little people dress up, and big people should know better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We know it's almost Halloween here, because the temperature plummets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There has been much discussion in the news this week about inappropriate sexy costumes for kids and tweens...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnABnlK2cWYLpgn_Zwu1pd56w655yRF5czynPJ-cxICLyf44T5GVWdayMUiJ7343H4K7VAj5IngqFUyr3IYTYPGZb8FHhjz3OdF_lkIe8uXgCjZu5tGkFuE_kENGtPiafWnlFe6Z9rZpC/s1600/Canadian-Halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnABnlK2cWYLpgn_Zwu1pd56w655yRF5czynPJ-cxICLyf44T5GVWdayMUiJ7343H4K7VAj5IngqFUyr3IYTYPGZb8FHhjz3OdF_lkIe8uXgCjZu5tGkFuE_kENGtPiafWnlFe6Z9rZpC/s1600/Canadian-Halloween.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">but here in Alberta, it's too bloody cold to look sexy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUaigwS0BcrJihKku0MxiOLvvQ7DeERgzKsEasKo-HSzqMBmkxji4SjL6baapgVTSmHGGtQ4_ONs_8z_4YOkOWFBFJbulIOEyv48jt-CmoDKnF2vo9zKvPIh0xz7FjBvkhEYpdnEFQruw/s1600/435+Halloween+Cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, come Saturday morning, we'll be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">trying to donate all the leftover Coffee Crisps</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUaigwS0BcrJihKku0MxiOLvvQ7DeERgzKsEasKo-HSzqMBmkxji4SjL6baapgVTSmHGGtQ4_ONs_8z_4YOkOWFBFJbulIOEyv48jt-CmoDKnF2vo9zKvPIh0xz7FjBvkhEYpdnEFQruw/s1600/435+Halloween+Cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUaigwS0BcrJihKku0MxiOLvvQ7DeERgzKsEasKo-HSzqMBmkxji4SjL6baapgVTSmHGGtQ4_ONs_8z_4YOkOWFBFJbulIOEyv48jt-CmoDKnF2vo9zKvPIh0xz7FjBvkhEYpdnEFQruw/s1600/435+Halloween+Cartoon.gif" height="400" width="287" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and putting up our Christmas lights!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcjuY5gb9t0vMv7FnCjgw9TBF77aVqDwwghmKa9g2YDKqFe7kHl6XpfmAalBVoYcwkoiW5nl36mKwfdDEBDQUTPcaooQdArm8ZzfTcWaxJkY5HBA8ocbWLFU4qQL5-Xrmr2MU73998IF-/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcjuY5gb9t0vMv7FnCjgw9TBF77aVqDwwghmKa9g2YDKqFe7kHl6XpfmAalBVoYcwkoiW5nl36mKwfdDEBDQUTPcaooQdArm8ZzfTcWaxJkY5HBA8ocbWLFU4qQL5-Xrmr2MU73998IF-/s1600/images.jpeg" height="370" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy Halloween.</span></div>
<br />Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-66106230290572771612014-10-19T11:59:00.002-07:002014-10-19T12:11:30.215-07:00Weather fronts<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in southern Alberta we have the opportunity to watch weather fronts rolling in - sometimes for an good hour or three before they actually hit us.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyj5LGgWqwE62_wg3q7-FB7kvoTITafrwQYDr6xGsBBj87m3I9FwDJZXKVDZjnilTr9UqaI2XjVMaq-f6qz2jUd3qyZcnqMQfkvNN2yAqDxbH1QcLdGfoPZbBEcTqwlPLxtIpz6VV8vPAc/s1600/IMG_2377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWok2_tJvB6-Ik503C9bgEUmDfe1ZC7ycuS6iSPqDb8zekHf70vs1hNWfTYyGhsBQRPTEyaqBvufOrX0VUFlvHlGmizHEGS3K0VacTVAK-X9ADyLayncltU17Tv-GlBYDqtNrvbx636pdb/s1600/IMG_2360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWok2_tJvB6-Ik503C9bgEUmDfe1ZC7ycuS6iSPqDb8zekHf70vs1hNWfTYyGhsBQRPTEyaqBvufOrX0VUFlvHlGmizHEGS3K0VacTVAK-X9ADyLayncltU17Tv-GlBYDqtNrvbx636pdb/s1600/IMG_2360.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week it has been the warm chinook winds. The distinctive lines in the sky are the giveaway.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3dPrni7hpvhlc-Li-YnBdwNMug-kX0UML6vLJMeER4acFYxhvy-d0V5cpGdu1f7MMb6rTL02TvOdPe0jUBlu0Mg06kpHDgV3Gwl6oP-IiRcgefGW6KTtH7sgCN7pL-bsaSAweHetlClZ/s1600/IMG_2358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3dPrni7hpvhlc-Li-YnBdwNMug-kX0UML6vLJMeER4acFYxhvy-d0V5cpGdu1f7MMb6rTL02TvOdPe0jUBlu0Mg06kpHDgV3Gwl6oP-IiRcgefGW6KTtH7sgCN7pL-bsaSAweHetlClZ/s1600/IMG_2358.JPG" height="277" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So far, it has been a quite lovely and mild autumn - and longer than usual because the temperatures have been kind.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIdYs1PU639J2mud_L7tv7bPoBO3c8YCsvTTLk1qQeDkNzOkSko16v7w_a4FedQMvLVLYmXXNzVOtTQAn9RAkBtV3AIUfyMsdkj00y6j9tp-h_bvPxVbxgL-xSSmcMxSn5yE5eijsHrVu/s1600/10672284_831000980277396_7090393181288903032_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIdYs1PU639J2mud_L7tv7bPoBO3c8YCsvTTLk1qQeDkNzOkSko16v7w_a4FedQMvLVLYmXXNzVOtTQAn9RAkBtV3AIUfyMsdkj00y6j9tp-h_bvPxVbxgL-xSSmcMxSn5yE5eijsHrVu/s1600/10672284_831000980277396_7090393181288903032_n.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JzVQSOf8c-cq91KLoSLwuINIH6gHZI3lmToE6XLAna4RajepdXhx-kqOlQpTzoyGPULtyAYjbTKQJ1oLA8CA9a8kyrg5PpoulrhmG4mHxU4EzkLTG48vUfyZeJP2ih3etzLD2cTBgD1y/s1600/IMG_2302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JzVQSOf8c-cq91KLoSLwuINIH6gHZI3lmToE6XLAna4RajepdXhx-kqOlQpTzoyGPULtyAYjbTKQJ1oLA8CA9a8kyrg5PpoulrhmG4mHxU4EzkLTG48vUfyZeJP2ih3etzLD2cTBgD1y/s1600/IMG_2302.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So we have been able to enjoy the hues on the leaves for about 6 weeks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNkBepgcDyZe6YwscxefrqG5uf5lUvMhmuad05It_5TNGBtFHm9m6Gd9FjxJEsuHnEpRj69y0vNx5WxzKEj3Vs57ElhROHOCHYLm9WOucq3vmaaxGiaFAcTZljKD1h_uccCvDkj6qjtJh/s1600/10408967_825039337540227_7217946213583484121_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNkBepgcDyZe6YwscxefrqG5uf5lUvMhmuad05It_5TNGBtFHm9m6Gd9FjxJEsuHnEpRj69y0vNx5WxzKEj3Vs57ElhROHOCHYLm9WOucq3vmaaxGiaFAcTZljKD1h_uccCvDkj6qjtJh/s1600/10408967_825039337540227_7217946213583484121_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This rarely happens because we either get a mammoth windy storm that blows all the leaves away, or an early dump of snow that freezes the leaves and they drop off instantly into a soggy mess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We did have a two-day dump in early September, which caused untold devastation to weak trees around the city - but right now, we're slated for another mild week, so I'll take that thank you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Happy SkyWatching</a>!</span></div>
Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-86781889730942476842014-10-10T07:02:00.000-07:002014-10-10T07:09:29.020-07:00Cell-phone skies<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's been reel purdy round these here parts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I jis' luuuuuv September.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MVxYD2RLJEBHk1B_0GbQhZQubMMPZE-uAdancAqV7GhGqisEAR-wuc34tgvw1MwC3jjxNCEHmDidbfYNOn4sNpVg1zuJ64fVBFiVXv8qqeujIJivtDRym7ZA3MdcjWkAHtFd1OJvwJ6h/s1600/IMG_2264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MVxYD2RLJEBHk1B_0GbQhZQubMMPZE-uAdancAqV7GhGqisEAR-wuc34tgvw1MwC3jjxNCEHmDidbfYNOn4sNpVg1zuJ64fVBFiVXv8qqeujIJivtDRym7ZA3MdcjWkAHtFd1OJvwJ6h/s1600/IMG_2264.JPG" height="277" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You know it's a bootiful sunrise when ya have to pull over on ya horse(power) during a busy morning commute</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiogsAhwk35umxXzpDzI8gvRgB2F4olWc_99HMwsUlrtbgmh9UrXyklUqr28lQFM1EYYTbc8K1GW9ZLhnaXxrdafI067ZyZF88G3g3NECHIO-JlCFEm2cuiXOg04oAvPu9wnfER8-Awb8E/s1600/IMG_2305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiogsAhwk35umxXzpDzI8gvRgB2F4olWc_99HMwsUlrtbgmh9UrXyklUqr28lQFM1EYYTbc8K1GW9ZLhnaXxrdafI067ZyZF88G3g3NECHIO-JlCFEm2cuiXOg04oAvPu9wnfER8-Awb8E/s1600/IMG_2305.jpg" height="256" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6i2vhpC0k-mD3iDnZk0ein1oejHDTyOmC4T6rLsLWXaiIko_4Iu8GV8pouCCQ7BVh7V0lD14pYL3JQ81CiHnFpBd1j-rTDQ4CSaRVAF_y4WE1Aqr1GFKN0FovGwYLJMZ7l8FM8RJuP8F/s1600/IMG_2308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6i2vhpC0k-mD3iDnZk0ein1oejHDTyOmC4T6rLsLWXaiIko_4Iu8GV8pouCCQ7BVh7V0lD14pYL3JQ81CiHnFpBd1j-rTDQ4CSaRVAF_y4WE1Aqr1GFKN0FovGwYLJMZ7l8FM8RJuP8F/s1600/IMG_2308.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And some of the sunsets ain't been bad neither.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiaVp7wDbPiSsT7rtEQv5E_I7iyKOwJipSb-sFj6hwBPTFTL8p5qTZfila7kpWXwfVBU3UgaxayC2NU8WXKr31i5bg6ApUeQLA0xDo8uB-kfnubCLMUiwYor92BBKvCMyGj0z9fCfjj7Q/s1600/IMG_2316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiaVp7wDbPiSsT7rtEQv5E_I7iyKOwJipSb-sFj6hwBPTFTL8p5qTZfila7kpWXwfVBU3UgaxayC2NU8WXKr31i5bg6ApUeQLA0xDo8uB-kfnubCLMUiwYor92BBKvCMyGj0z9fCfjj7Q/s1600/IMG_2316.JPG" height="283" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> And they don't call this Big Sky country for nuttin' - Montana's more northerly cousin.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeVLQsdraMcsQG1PgQV3uAaqsx9TPDUJ1cMgHseA1MPDDq3MBtc_TQtuy-UL6EvZFBVfyNB1RxHvnZ12LPMpk0dClfwQWm8EZElGhIFW3g_OSb7AnsNoYCS_vezcCHg9eaQqajRkyHiEf/s1600/IMG_2318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeVLQsdraMcsQG1PgQV3uAaqsx9TPDUJ1cMgHseA1MPDDq3MBtc_TQtuy-UL6EvZFBVfyNB1RxHvnZ12LPMpk0dClfwQWm8EZElGhIFW3g_OSb7AnsNoYCS_vezcCHg9eaQqajRkyHiEf/s1600/IMG_2318.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know the quality of the photos is not great - it's the best a quick cell-phone shot can get on short notice</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoJblgaQ7nkAC2j49O9sRnAEINrTZaOzxzejgZZ4qgE33DKzT3lkN-5FeQqIqOn25JpCmtXqsWMzLHmMM6zBCNSpJNSZDiuVG1ibvhEesqLreI7zQvV7JcebnuWDdQfA25s2IOu_LXzFa/s1600/IMG_2325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoJblgaQ7nkAC2j49O9sRnAEINrTZaOzxzejgZZ4qgE33DKzT3lkN-5FeQqIqOn25JpCmtXqsWMzLHmMM6zBCNSpJNSZDiuVG1ibvhEesqLreI7zQvV7JcebnuWDdQfA25s2IOu_LXzFa/s1600/IMG_2325.jpg" height="273" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">but ya gotta admit, they sure are purdy....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Happy SkyWatching</a>.</span></div>
<br />Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-16008399915880753662014-08-03T08:37:00.000-07:002014-08-03T08:37:53.738-07:00Trees, and a plug <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I posted this photo back in 2009 - a favourite tree positioned in the middle of a field with a gorgeous Rocky Mountain backdrop.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUeXIG-32GKgETaqE0k3GYp5a6fTeimXQcrU4Y8q8FS6TZhwwVc4p4DXrd0Ib4wfGQWP-tNuok_mA-fm9IOcGazLp_EuHj8Dha7CQqYU03YPeMlL5Lex8He_6tO1wJgbIOQtXDdJSU-iG/s1600/P1010967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUeXIG-32GKgETaqE0k3GYp5a6fTeimXQcrU4Y8q8FS6TZhwwVc4p4DXrd0Ib4wfGQWP-tNuok_mA-fm9IOcGazLp_EuHj8Dha7CQqYU03YPeMlL5Lex8He_6tO1wJgbIOQtXDdJSU-iG/s1600/P1010967.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The tree has become infamous in our family now, and even has it's own name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">It is the PPPP Tree. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Pride and Prejudice Perfectly Positioned tree!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">On my way to work the other morning I saw a guy at the side of a road with his tripod and camera. The tree was sitting in a blaze of canola and I thought to myself that this was going to make a stunning shot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I wasn't wrong.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0WQMtZyzK3-IvxzNoNsN6bD8n6Bb4T071MFnm0bC5FYTJheZjwXrSQEzPiqAsLdrwb5E6P4QThYpB1O2aRBhQ_Fb6b56LtUVJhIwqOV9HhqUbrcit8tu7LqxnAMDXnkfJ1zaRzcovuDb/s1600/10497260_798950536816503_3741913355441668321_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0WQMtZyzK3-IvxzNoNsN6bD8n6Bb4T071MFnm0bC5FYTJheZjwXrSQEzPiqAsLdrwb5E6P4QThYpB1O2aRBhQ_Fb6b56LtUVJhIwqOV9HhqUbrcit8tu7LqxnAMDXnkfJ1zaRzcovuDb/s1600/10497260_798950536816503_3741913355441668321_o.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Here is a plug for a local photographer who has taken some sublime shots around Calgary and further afield across Alberta.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">His name is Neil Zeller and here's a plug:</span></div>
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<a href="http://neilzellerphotography.zenfolio.com/">http://neilzellerphotography.zenfolio.com</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Check out some of his other gorgeous photos.</span></div>
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Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-26532442094398686082014-08-02T17:01:00.000-07:002014-08-02T17:03:53.201-07:00Camping near Banff<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The summer weather has been fab - time to dust off the trusty yellow tent again.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6un8TnV3mUictva5kXXF4UDvm49YLuYeMGsmEdFY3XsPBnzjY_TpkIPFfP8E3Zi97uhmh06ufvh_q7sq8HrZBcTGH2sJDVBEvuixltvEFIrLfcoH7X-M_MG3oV3p-ug9nXRz-FbOPJ4m/s1600/P1100540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6un8TnV3mUictva5kXXF4UDvm49YLuYeMGsmEdFY3XsPBnzjY_TpkIPFfP8E3Zi97uhmh06ufvh_q7sq8HrZBcTGH2sJDVBEvuixltvEFIrLfcoH7X-M_MG3oV3p-ug9nXRz-FbOPJ4m/s1600/P1100540.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First, put up tent in the only rain shower that has materialized for four weeks - someone was watching us and thought </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Ah, yes, just in time for a wee downpour!"</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWpSwfhR-aRG72V0L3ugNF7T9bjw1xTnvifLXGUv4LMAnAD0xk-R9AjCHexhogQ_9UpTBNaHz7mAl8R79J5tp0RoqHppeTYaR31dJvrSsV84Eo1mwdZWIwq_TFCZo_Jl94QeceqTpiQp5/s1600/IMG_1965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWpSwfhR-aRG72V0L3ugNF7T9bjw1xTnvifLXGUv4LMAnAD0xk-R9AjCHexhogQ_9UpTBNaHz7mAl8R79J5tp0RoqHppeTYaR31dJvrSsV84Eo1mwdZWIwq_TFCZo_Jl94QeceqTpiQp5/s1600/IMG_1965.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Try out the newly purchased kayak. So serene.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZEP01YEext9Cbo_Rn-XCyqkp7JNsawFE79tz3KkG3b4hcEGjpQR2DGtSwoino4Dq50HbfKnrsGKvsZNCjDTQoc0KOYA1I3mhDTOVCimf__b5nVtjj7ssAVqNLc9Po1oySBlJcdfz5wfr/s1600/IMG_1971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZEP01YEext9Cbo_Rn-XCyqkp7JNsawFE79tz3KkG3b4hcEGjpQR2DGtSwoino4Dq50HbfKnrsGKvsZNCjDTQoc0KOYA1I3mhDTOVCimf__b5nVtjj7ssAVqNLc9Po1oySBlJcdfz5wfr/s1600/IMG_1971.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The skies have a been pretty hazy on some days due to the forest fires in Banff National Park.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1Lm8QwqeLwOYkPhIwnlbjqexY5FDgAb45toI02PBOnrBr8Wa2QukLg8OyHBHhTGIM8ugMROtRl8yXFrOlDhYkS07C4StCpEYb0RnhYcLgr6wJiMkP-MeyBtPtNXGWSonoh3k59F13MJE/s1600/P1100555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1Lm8QwqeLwOYkPhIwnlbjqexY5FDgAb45toI02PBOnrBr8Wa2QukLg8OyHBHhTGIM8ugMROtRl8yXFrOlDhYkS07C4StCpEYb0RnhYcLgr6wJiMkP-MeyBtPtNXGWSonoh3k59F13MJE/s1600/P1100555.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of the wildlife is a little shy...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">...and some of it is not. At all.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyq8CU2BT6urPgwmj8u5hPK-dfmqOpFSIiUTpLjPC0GSRV5QOtJPQ_QjHYOctjMqbUOQiEyEeDxrbAJaoMlpHwp5k5UHiNsdFv9da8ADA_dnLQWCevrXDk-S9cvB9ZnMJ_w7LIH3LalYTR/s1600/IMG_1980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyq8CU2BT6urPgwmj8u5hPK-dfmqOpFSIiUTpLjPC0GSRV5QOtJPQ_QjHYOctjMqbUOQiEyEeDxrbAJaoMlpHwp5k5UHiNsdFv9da8ADA_dnLQWCevrXDk-S9cvB9ZnMJ_w7LIH3LalYTR/s1600/IMG_1980.jpg" height="320" width="311" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">White Admiral butterflies, I believe.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98SgPzh-maxPMH54E-0Wt0SSAXyTykbMjNr3dJ3ukKiM_zl1w1_T-7QpzcWGAPdUmD38QTT3IjGiNEzHLp_IWx_UAFjeEZ-IfSFS5WYoMTaIVsL2HtyJsJtYVRtj_-m2S247C7J-DLcTE/s1600/20140720_195644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98SgPzh-maxPMH54E-0Wt0SSAXyTykbMjNr3dJ3ukKiM_zl1w1_T-7QpzcWGAPdUmD38QTT3IjGiNEzHLp_IWx_UAFjeEZ-IfSFS5WYoMTaIVsL2HtyJsJtYVRtj_-m2S247C7J-DLcTE/s1600/20140720_195644.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Smores are essential when camping of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The dogs are well and truly pooped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And it rains again, but we don't mind at all when it produces stunning rainbows reaching across the mountain vistas.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kxzQ4NbLGYCZ4NivxG2IcgxJDapiMnDHQhK32pfeUzkGeGF0iyGXcrBGuI9MlOrjYc7guejsV-5mKO1B61M3m7EQBo6vU26ne58BJQfv-OLDWAeTu_X16L6rs239M4tMnqRE1hhc4OMo/s1600/P1100551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kxzQ4NbLGYCZ4NivxG2IcgxJDapiMnDHQhK32pfeUzkGeGF0iyGXcrBGuI9MlOrjYc7guejsV-5mKO1B61M3m7EQBo6vU26ne58BJQfv-OLDWAeTu_X16L6rs239M4tMnqRE1hhc4OMo/s1600/P1100551.JPG" height="192" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even a hint of a double rainbow.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeq4ATn1UaNRKk_n2YLdTi1p8tqZmwjJ0reWVQc2DrPcgEpB4yJHPPXKrUF6Jz4X0YrXpOMbu35vsT_Sw63MD4Raz2bVlHbrDaTlo2YENdvfEiZrVgSjSaDj21AAJD-CfjHboBBuzdNhN4/s1600/IMG_5753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeq4ATn1UaNRKk_n2YLdTi1p8tqZmwjJ0reWVQc2DrPcgEpB4yJHPPXKrUF6Jz4X0YrXpOMbu35vsT_Sw63MD4Raz2bVlHbrDaTlo2YENdvfEiZrVgSjSaDj21AAJD-CfjHboBBuzdNhN4/s1600/IMG_5753.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Family photo album</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUajE5pvhhZQg5_TMsNmEBz0YLgcbXZP89fp-gK_YmN-iBTwurZykKxBfO6-hiQV4KDK4lHPepCWZ25K-WApKj9zc8wDmO8_DyedL7cCxETSAgMoE6mDsOcOgbqskk-2WYufwL-rUuKxWP/s1600/IMG_5754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUajE5pvhhZQg5_TMsNmEBz0YLgcbXZP89fp-gK_YmN-iBTwurZykKxBfO6-hiQV4KDK4lHPepCWZ25K-WApKj9zc8wDmO8_DyedL7cCxETSAgMoE6mDsOcOgbqskk-2WYufwL-rUuKxWP/s1600/IMG_5754.JPG" height="266" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and I even allow a rare photo!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Heading out to Vancouver Island next. I get to play in an ocean for the first time in years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am SO excited!</span></div>
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Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-41487128658437236392014-07-05T17:36:00.003-07:002014-07-05T17:36:50.695-07:00It's wild out there<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I haven't blogged for ages, so hello to anyone still out there - let's go and just sink into a wall of colour. You know how much I like colour.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZdYyPQn7lJZyw8jU11rZmsHyoNNnr4meFmauOjKLIQ3lpC_NCkwxLttNx-o_oq-LGUaVK84GE1Lz14On46X9kLswgtcs3pMy2cj9Bp3T-5Ca-MYDTkDPhYV8r73HmaCAuitP87-k365J/s1600/IMG_1918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZdYyPQn7lJZyw8jU11rZmsHyoNNnr4meFmauOjKLIQ3lpC_NCkwxLttNx-o_oq-LGUaVK84GE1Lz14On46X9kLswgtcs3pMy2cj9Bp3T-5Ca-MYDTkDPhYV8r73HmaCAuitP87-k365J/s1600/IMG_1918.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">May and June are classed as Spring in Alberta - this is much later than the March and April I would have been used to in the UK.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As winter finally (and this year, reluctantly) gives way to Spring, the warmer winds slowly revive the dull landscape.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The town where I live, Cochrane, is situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is an undulating landscape.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbIfIRO8uCZkHi2CvOqt_-MQs4frAQ9eTYo1eJqtDdQuBtiTpK1TW8RpDBULcAiMlHrW1Pd_niRcNm0npfmWvXuTAlQ2_n-4cTRTj9wGXPy4nDfSZBWvyCYLme6EFrgHqyrFZ36lmoKTX/s1600/IMG_1884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbIfIRO8uCZkHi2CvOqt_-MQs4frAQ9eTYo1eJqtDdQuBtiTpK1TW8RpDBULcAiMlHrW1Pd_niRcNm0npfmWvXuTAlQ2_n-4cTRTj9wGXPy4nDfSZBWvyCYLme6EFrgHqyrFZ36lmoKTX/s1600/IMG_1884.jpg" height="320" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have lots of different grasses here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ravine near my house is covered in Wolf Willow. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is a wild, invasive but reasonably attractive silvery green shrub, with the distinctive leaves like wolf's ears, hence the name. The strong bark can be used to make baskets. However, for about two weeks in Spring, it flowers - and in my very humble opinion, it stinks! It literally catches in my throat. Bleugh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The official emblem of Alberta is the wild rose. You see the low bristly shrubs everywhere with their small, bright burst of pink flowers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUH_JtI_qbx-j00dYHV_3QwzbmnbhCI4OS5bBhiUySEcmRVD8e2juZNcH1ty8oF9G9KcGUcSQTGU2sKPLOfd2BwJykzDjr6IbED8mIT59kn8IlSC5hHarsXzl2fW0-dOBk4aaz_t0Q23S/s1600/IMG_1868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUH_JtI_qbx-j00dYHV_3QwzbmnbhCI4OS5bBhiUySEcmRVD8e2juZNcH1ty8oF9G9KcGUcSQTGU2sKPLOfd2BwJykzDjr6IbED8mIT59kn8IlSC5hHarsXzl2fW0-dOBk4aaz_t0Q23S/s1600/IMG_1868.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wolf willow and the wild rose are frequently seen in the company of each other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think this is a yellow clematis - not sure how "wild" this is really, but it was growing alongside the fence line of the municipal tip. Anyway - I like this one.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx969Tu3E6Vcf7codT84a5UM2HOInU2idLpp2FvrIdfNmYa77Y4cc9E-sSIvlh5WI5NWkKiKuAz_bAWb_hJy2Uz9EHnLGhJIQrjrXb1ddMYaQdrOkb3KEUgNI-ajI6fMJJs-9g-3Q-MrLd/s1600/IMG_1892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx969Tu3E6Vcf7codT84a5UM2HOInU2idLpp2FvrIdfNmYa77Y4cc9E-sSIvlh5WI5NWkKiKuAz_bAWb_hJy2Uz9EHnLGhJIQrjrXb1ddMYaQdrOkb3KEUgNI-ajI6fMJJs-9g-3Q-MrLd/s1600/IMG_1892.jpg" height="320" width="197" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ground alongside the pathways beside the river are a carpet of dotted colours, and mish-mash of anything that can seed itself and get a foothold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ahhh - that will do me for a while.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-74924915949423266642014-04-12T13:59:00.003-07:002014-04-12T14:44:19.671-07:00What the internet is all about...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've had little time to write or read blogs - I skim through my Facebook, and often wonder just how much time a teenager can dedicate to Instagram and Snapchat (it's a lot by the way). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYmoIL5rRW8nx8Munf4gNSBIrrrOxi1lFIsvSUH3zdwa_Oqg8s1Psp6yca3BLxrTUCd2qSq7rMEKTTuniuJ4B6UmUKDyL7c0XC8FR_6FNsY05bWSHP2U5BWqOEv2x50tb2ZkZ2UW3ZUX7/s1600/1012398_10152198791446348_1680596699_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYmoIL5rRW8nx8Munf4gNSBIrrrOxi1lFIsvSUH3zdwa_Oqg8s1Psp6yca3BLxrTUCd2qSq7rMEKTTuniuJ4B6UmUKDyL7c0XC8FR_6FNsY05bWSHP2U5BWqOEv2x50tb2ZkZ2UW3ZUX7/s1600/1012398_10152198791446348_1680596699_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So things that have made me laugh out loud in recent weeks have a theme. Cats. Cats ARE funny.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GBYfeSehR9ohIIJOHqsh_KJaAptzYzMyYKoaHfpWAttfLkWzWkuuzOdUtpW7ZCwEr4xsvoK98RKrJn8dtaQ6S8_ZKbTynad7Pws9AC4HmjE-rgadOYJtClFQtSe6_e-pshIxUYjvn0sS/s1600/1607125_811577722192973_1121707224_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GBYfeSehR9ohIIJOHqsh_KJaAptzYzMyYKoaHfpWAttfLkWzWkuuzOdUtpW7ZCwEr4xsvoK98RKrJn8dtaQ6S8_ZKbTynad7Pws9AC4HmjE-rgadOYJtClFQtSe6_e-pshIxUYjvn0sS/s1600/1607125_811577722192973_1121707224_n.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And as has often be said before, no matter the advances in science and the internet, you can easily spend 90% of your surfing time looking a funny cat videos. I get it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aSv6aehzu7DDmLU8dXx5xkyy4ibuyuvTvA4D99Ouvze60Ssxz7rs0AEX9iWngsGoZp1oRcO9S1NwunqPaQpXB3tATmoOO-6L6gUGv9FW00t9KzbYfDD_-yZPX_aKKUxz44kSjxuEh9XF/s1600/575264_812681522082593_873071941_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aSv6aehzu7DDmLU8dXx5xkyy4ibuyuvTvA4D99Ouvze60Ssxz7rs0AEX9iWngsGoZp1oRcO9S1NwunqPaQpXB3tATmoOO-6L6gUGv9FW00t9KzbYfDD_-yZPX_aKKUxz44kSjxuEh9XF/s1600/575264_812681522082593_873071941_n.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are grumpy cats, fat cats, cute and happy cats, scary cats, cats with different coloured eyes and the let's-beat-up-the-stupid-dog-and-steal-his-bed cats.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d3VkMWSJOyFZJ7wn0wL4b2VJsaMpSaxfOwJwmvlvxcqluoLqXbJgKr2-HiYLb-Mg8Hl-KILHD-P08BqAcBWPm4WPItwkOWEsSPriOOtpHTqqUn_Bxe5s-xY6T8aQIiBpnbyh7xgAHjEF/s1600/10155375_421643741304975_1373135576_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5d3VkMWSJOyFZJ7wn0wL4b2VJsaMpSaxfOwJwmvlvxcqluoLqXbJgKr2-HiYLb-Mg8Hl-KILHD-P08BqAcBWPm4WPItwkOWEsSPriOOtpHTqqUn_Bxe5s-xY6T8aQIiBpnbyh7xgAHjEF/s1600/10155375_421643741304975_1373135576_n.jpg" height="338" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's a long held opinion but a sad fact nonetheless - we humans know we are merely tolerated. Affection is doled out on an as-needed basis, and the reality is that cats will indeed inherit the earth. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPHPC3Q9NZ1nZfTA2_rMbRCiOU9bJGohMwypGJSmUeHIj-nUgLbC8jJHzRlPwUdqeSCtcG5PfNeAZJZfytWe5WRTfub31pRufRmi-aA_UEFnp9J7fmhtvYneM_5_Y6CHoZIvz0xTMQDMe/s1600/1606881_826106280740117_190004465_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPHPC3Q9NZ1nZfTA2_rMbRCiOU9bJGohMwypGJSmUeHIj-nUgLbC8jJHzRlPwUdqeSCtcG5PfNeAZJZfytWe5WRTfub31pRufRmi-aA_UEFnp9J7fmhtvYneM_5_Y6CHoZIvz0xTMQDMe/s1600/1606881_826106280740117_190004465_n.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sooner we get our heads around this fact, the easier life will be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so to my favourite cat video...</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="215" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PKffm2uI4dk" width="460"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Know your place people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-18755761301458680642014-03-16T17:42:00.002-07:002014-03-16T17:42:55.398-07:00Alberta is trying to melt...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, at long bloody last, we have had a week with temperatures well above freezing, and as I ignore the growing slushy puddles, I dream of summer.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmSWZ-hW35yR-g-EZkaoVdg7StJaC1Ru99I-mL7ALKu40idUY8kT3-i2C_OSGdjriidT841WonUCjlDBKuIKG_VpL4lhss3PiEh8E8oWEQyfJ7wUGqyr3HzScPd6ep84nVmruBdt1ykhq/s1600/IMG_5459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmSWZ-hW35yR-g-EZkaoVdg7StJaC1Ru99I-mL7ALKu40idUY8kT3-i2C_OSGdjriidT841WonUCjlDBKuIKG_VpL4lhss3PiEh8E8oWEQyfJ7wUGqyr3HzScPd6ep84nVmruBdt1ykhq/s1600/IMG_5459.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Typical Alberta scenes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpdREYyDoIzw5J_ze0HSMU4FtqmsjRnks1C0ejdacHVtar_fmTE4-FdEyzJsU2kr42zgAfbe2qGJiun3P2t__BfdtXf2eb7YDSGqTDfbFL7upUwiKSR0oVeWRTIApxpNi3X4Tmq5fCL3h/s1600/IMG_5462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpdREYyDoIzw5J_ze0HSMU4FtqmsjRnks1C0ejdacHVtar_fmTE4-FdEyzJsU2kr42zgAfbe2qGJiun3P2t__BfdtXf2eb7YDSGqTDfbFL7upUwiKSR0oVeWRTIApxpNi3X4Tmq5fCL3h/s1600/IMG_5462.JPG" height="288" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBL4v1-NA2z60HNuBtgjj0lEDW-iNwRsDClz8kU4tj2QTo5kX21hE-fb_Hp7BXsHvlUXpXwalztBQiA4Mz0J45l_YtK2iz60-bibbsQwzKZmeMUTzbMQKydR3ijkoHMf4Xzk5b0ijroNh/s1600/IMG_5379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBL4v1-NA2z60HNuBtgjj0lEDW-iNwRsDClz8kU4tj2QTo5kX21hE-fb_Hp7BXsHvlUXpXwalztBQiA4Mz0J45l_YtK2iz60-bibbsQwzKZmeMUTzbMQKydR3ijkoHMf4Xzk5b0ijroNh/s1600/IMG_5379.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The landscape is still marbled with patches of </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">brilliant white snow, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and dull lifeless fields of brown. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Green shoots of life are a few weeks away yet.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kdKfDK2DIHW6b-I3MBQWv1KvUgnTNJjguBjVHOcViNbM5XZ0AaOXUvqOYi076TlbUUOItCt3AJRMFykYvW87qapuFtezgn9phl_ho7RM-yvyYLHkZogGycUe4Q1qFneGD2GmNZbVE1c4/s1600/IMG_5457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kdKfDK2DIHW6b-I3MBQWv1KvUgnTNJjguBjVHOcViNbM5XZ0AaOXUvqOYi076TlbUUOItCt3AJRMFykYvW87qapuFtezgn9phl_ho7RM-yvyYLHkZogGycUe4Q1qFneGD2GmNZbVE1c4/s1600/IMG_5457.JPG" height="260" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But those skies keep on pleasing.</span></div>
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Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-62842547003121128262014-03-11T20:55:00.002-07:002014-03-11T20:55:24.898-07:00A Tuesday in March<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love that the clocks went forward because the evenings are beautiful and light.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hate that the clocks went forward for a few days though - how can one hour make so much difference to waking up in the morning?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EMi5TvUtAbwEcW4rjwCV6qrLO1lMjIS0mV2gvXb0-xn8lFFMG8r1R71KWYP-cVcUcRIIIOMLfkY-PqWqXB83QzW3pv5n6zZ3VB3tO0gIaH6-ZvdXl4vGTZTh8vG5GymQd98ZORRWZ_G4/s1600/1926827_832331990117546_120175799_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EMi5TvUtAbwEcW4rjwCV6qrLO1lMjIS0mV2gvXb0-xn8lFFMG8r1R71KWYP-cVcUcRIIIOMLfkY-PqWqXB83QzW3pv5n6zZ3VB3tO0gIaH6-ZvdXl4vGTZTh8vG5GymQd98ZORRWZ_G4/s1600/1926827_832331990117546_120175799_n.jpg" height="375" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-31212482769418280462014-03-06T18:26:00.000-08:002014-03-06T18:37:49.233-08:00Er, it's still cold<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It snowed heavily in December.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's now March, right? In my head it should be Spring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those exact same December snowflakes </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">are still on my back deck.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0IuVSZXXBoNL9RimdG9gTKna9QU63_eBJNpn_OSOZTmXNcXN605A1G2K1PG8Ae0cFfo0DCgdBEBeecrt5X_l76TqbUApbz3tB1LRFJX51Dv7eFrJTYZiD8_hEv4IhVHFnqimFkQ15_mk/s1600/hurrycartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0IuVSZXXBoNL9RimdG9gTKna9QU63_eBJNpn_OSOZTmXNcXN605A1G2K1PG8Ae0cFfo0DCgdBEBeecrt5X_l76TqbUApbz3tB1LRFJX51Dv7eFrJTYZiD8_hEv4IhVHFnqimFkQ15_mk/s1600/hurrycartoon.jpg" height="236" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where were my warming chinook winds this year?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmIkSA1dz8884sTpib-Vonq1D59noToNN2xrsquymRkZMTpmYfyfUJOKj77d7M7PCo32CyhbJve9QCQdOiZnunNFCEcmmc0wviHw15CF5wCZuiNwiNezJOtl8AbWzqFUPoZ7afJdeiMAT/s1600/1653787_10151904115511316_1043986804_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmIkSA1dz8884sTpib-Vonq1D59noToNN2xrsquymRkZMTpmYfyfUJOKj77d7M7PCo32CyhbJve9QCQdOiZnunNFCEcmmc0wviHw15CF5wCZuiNwiNezJOtl8AbWzqFUPoZ7afJdeiMAT/s1600/1653787_10151904115511316_1043986804_n.jpg" height="640" width="449" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyWA-pXx8ecVshyphenhyphenSj0KdkF-k11AKGEwy44oT4rbmgv4liFD-ZkzxjrvNYTWKYWX7YPX8zAVImPUnYqeUlmGwujFiH7CDKJdLePJnOMlqF8fQ5yPwHuGcQyg0lzIDGQ4LZ3MFABRXFOIkB/s1600/1620650_10152647367792571_1824900538_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyWA-pXx8ecVshyphenhyphenSj0KdkF-k11AKGEwy44oT4rbmgv4liFD-ZkzxjrvNYTWKYWX7YPX8zAVImPUnYqeUlmGwujFiH7CDKJdLePJnOMlqF8fQ5yPwHuGcQyg0lzIDGQ4LZ3MFABRXFOIkB/s1600/1620650_10152647367792571_1824900538_n.jpg" height="278" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yep - these pictures just about sum it up.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeazd1P0eA1sFFVxSTMHEdOhpz_nKxq-FIeTR_lriGSY6PaGCdFFs9ExwnnzmzvjIShYiZ6WFMjfKqjLN0gIr_Y-N4iASReAy-_RvItavDm5ixytyFkOMpTc54XXhscPCAjjMt2Y3WKDB6/s1600/353178.full.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeazd1P0eA1sFFVxSTMHEdOhpz_nKxq-FIeTR_lriGSY6PaGCdFFs9ExwnnzmzvjIShYiZ6WFMjfKqjLN0gIr_Y-N4iASReAy-_RvItavDm5ixytyFkOMpTc54XXhscPCAjjMt2Y3WKDB6/s1600/353178.full.gif" height="260" width="400" /></a></div>
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Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-16807630499135870162014-02-05T21:08:00.000-08:002014-02-05T21:12:12.659-08:00Getting used to a new normal<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My eldest daughter (who was 16 yesterday - how did that happen?) was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a few months ago. Not even three months actually, but it seems like forever to me!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jSEUuxJcondPHDjYK9kasykCwmff0GmtObcD6G48E0AotXT4K_8jZSYl32QOm7zB0xIXhRpFqn_duTMBhwFH21eskbwb_xZxPWyjM07ea71UQq7Gt8rqbLHjt1jV1HDCoJWakDJ9k-O8/s1600/world-diabetes-day.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jSEUuxJcondPHDjYK9kasykCwmff0GmtObcD6G48E0AotXT4K_8jZSYl32QOm7zB0xIXhRpFqn_duTMBhwFH21eskbwb_xZxPWyjM07ea71UQq7Gt8rqbLHjt1jV1HDCoJWakDJ9k-O8/s1600/world-diabetes-day.gif" height="165" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ironically, it was on "World Diabetes Day" How's that for timing?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease, and it can just happen. It's apparently nothing she did or we did, and it's nothing to do with a poor lifestyle or eating too many sweets, which is what most people mentally link "diabetes" to (and the next paragraph will tell you why people think this). It's not hereditary but her genetics could have made her more pre-disposed to get it. Her pancreas just decided to give up and now she needs insulin several times a day.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKHG-DV2x2M0YC1S-2VtXb7wHqYHSk3OMDGcsJGVABDMf0SGopunaq9IfiQHtqUCjG3nF8wT8sEV5oYb6FuGoxQ7agrgwa2l4DrAoh4LKr_Lg3J3oWw7rxIBQJs4Qds7K6QPZkd-sRMcQ/s1600/Type-1-Diabetes-Symptoms.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKHG-DV2x2M0YC1S-2VtXb7wHqYHSk3OMDGcsJGVABDMf0SGopunaq9IfiQHtqUCjG3nF8wT8sEV5oYb6FuGoxQ7agrgwa2l4DrAoh4LKr_Lg3J3oWw7rxIBQJs4Qds7K6QPZkd-sRMcQ/s1600/Type-1-Diabetes-Symptoms.png" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And it is quite different from the more commonly known Type 2 diabetes which is what about 90% of people with diabetes have and which is frequently linked to lack of a healthy lifestyle and eating habits. The huge rise in Type 2 diabetes unfortunately runs parallel with increased levels of obesity. It's not the only cause, of course, but it is the main story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a scary statistic. In 1985, there were about 30 million people with Type 2 diabetes. By 2010, that had risen to 285 million! Oh dear. And I think I might be a candidate if I don't get my unhealthy backside in gear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At home, I have morphed into the "nag" - the mum who goes on and on. I do try not to, but it's necessary right now so... well, so be it. Her dad is trying to remain collected and be the reasonable one, and my other daughter (who is 14 next week) is feeling a touch of the green-eyed monster as her sister gets a fair bit of attention right now. Again, we are trying to negate this, but ....w</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">hat a balancing act for everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The team at the local children's hospital have continued to be great, and supportive and I have been told, in no uncertain terms, by our GP to make the most of this, and to accept <i>any </i>service that is offered. For when the child transitions into the adult health care system, it can be very hit and miss and there are gaping holes in the support system and the requisite health checks. Luckily my GP's clinic also has an experienced diabetic team so fingers crossed that my daughter is able to educate herself sufficiently in the next two years so that she is able to manage her diabetes in a successful way.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xLSP5l_fhj0l3Yej4PE5t-UEASAnv_KWdPMDfZ7e55fKM2hbS50R_yeTBLFHxu9SpwNlVE-bwG4fOXSCK_nbb7_TobciPQT9_dY6cJqeg0My0G-alnZZFaGzRZNJ6sRtgDYUEpGszOH6/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xLSP5l_fhj0l3Yej4PE5t-UEASAnv_KWdPMDfZ7e55fKM2hbS50R_yeTBLFHxu9SpwNlVE-bwG4fOXSCK_nbb7_TobciPQT9_dY6cJqeg0My0G-alnZZFaGzRZNJ6sRtgDYUEpGszOH6/s1600/images.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What I have to remind myself on a daily basis is that this is ultimately her journey and health issue, and as the mum I will no doubt worry forever, but she is the one that must live with it, manage it, and suffer the consequences if there is a poorly-managed lifestyle. Sucks really! But it's not insurmountable, and nowadays there are tons of positive role models to prove that diabetes need not hinder you in your goals and dreams. You just have to take responsibility for yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am impatient for her to "get it", to absorb the routines into her whole being; for it all to become a completely natural part of her life. I need her to pack, organize and grab her kit by instinct. This is going to take a distracted and busy teenager a while to accomplish. But it's kinda important. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I will continue to nag, nudge, suggest and harangue my daughter for a while longer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And we will all continue to work on the new normal.</span><br />
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Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646833261151005498.post-39596492268036395212014-01-25T17:47:00.001-08:002014-01-25T17:47:57.037-08:00Alberta weather being kind<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has been one of those beautiful clear winter days - the kind that is momentarily warm enough to undo your jacket, bask in some sunshine, and dream of Spring.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXO1ju93o5tzPkryaR4UGqJbhP-QzJzCW35FoWUIxT_kYY_Kd8VXHV7FOliI9W15PvDGnGDHUq0dNUUbm8hdXVxlSjG7gheXUuImlDw1EePWcrRYcM59mHhR-vxGGVr86gqwgtGUgjSSq/s1600/IMG_4956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXO1ju93o5tzPkryaR4UGqJbhP-QzJzCW35FoWUIxT_kYY_Kd8VXHV7FOliI9W15PvDGnGDHUq0dNUUbm8hdXVxlSjG7gheXUuImlDw1EePWcrRYcM59mHhR-vxGGVr86gqwgtGUgjSSq/s1600/IMG_4956.JPG" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The snow is melting a bit - and boy, we have had a lot. December came in hard and fast and was the month that just kept on giving. Inches of the white stuff. My back garden is still 10 inches deep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The dogs loved the opportunity to run today. Dog outings have been mostly short, brisk and functional these past few weeks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0Q74uig_mj4oIn4z04nQbtPpy0iN3KO018xuEgR_W9VB1LpGHTwdeYqpyN_1MLGjwg30BxMTJFH8MjWM-1Ytuy-4bQrtVa8Rxqi67eFaaaptP2z8LoShXTlA428cpQ-wwZc5P07WQ6Od/s1600/IMG_4962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0Q74uig_mj4oIn4z04nQbtPpy0iN3KO018xuEgR_W9VB1LpGHTwdeYqpyN_1MLGjwg30BxMTJFH8MjWM-1Ytuy-4bQrtVa8Rxqi67eFaaaptP2z8LoShXTlA428cpQ-wwZc5P07WQ6Od/s1600/IMG_4962.JPG" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Honey relishes the whole back-rub thing.... </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmJxYUEBTvS_k1oVa8UPURauF8ETbE7EW7Zc-5cHl0_4TaEsrliRKekPCpQWReZnAoIsZAgU6Gccb7Lwp2lYBTqh0QmQxrNAV8vFNpoYaoPNPLniSqp0psVW3HrmvYTbbDG_r_LGYSdMQ/s1600/IMG_4963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmJxYUEBTvS_k1oVa8UPURauF8ETbE7EW7Zc-5cHl0_4TaEsrliRKekPCpQWReZnAoIsZAgU6Gccb7Lwp2lYBTqh0QmQxrNAV8vFNpoYaoPNPLniSqp0psVW3HrmvYTbbDG_r_LGYSdMQ/s1600/IMG_4963.JPG" height="242" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">... again and again and again.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_LcX_IGDCDRYf4r3gV1RjJ0ngGm-Lvmn0Hqh4flIrhMXRHY0GKRe5mMk6wsuk3HCgBNnE54k16lrrpWcUjUKjMTSzvQXld4lAe0Tgp4AtvIVq6s-lWvKddLk0wyl7iUs0CEOjgy8XbxV/s1600/IMG_4967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_LcX_IGDCDRYf4r3gV1RjJ0ngGm-Lvmn0Hqh4flIrhMXRHY0GKRe5mMk6wsuk3HCgBNnE54k16lrrpWcUjUKjMTSzvQXld4lAe0Tgp4AtvIVq6s-lWvKddLk0wyl7iUs0CEOjgy8XbxV/s1600/IMG_4967.JPG" height="283" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, during this hazardous sport, snow does get in your ears.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEHkn2_i-5qiMy2ZFlMJnsGbOdGwzRtNao4M1NcFeCvsVHypewZKZ-f42Dpzd7iap64aGP_bVbEvIAYe81lS6J__uXozkkQU6_kag-s7GJUmeWjiyLP6cKSC2W5B1X0Q8ms8zOKck5tG0/s1600/IMG_4960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEHkn2_i-5qiMy2ZFlMJnsGbOdGwzRtNao4M1NcFeCvsVHypewZKZ-f42Dpzd7iap64aGP_bVbEvIAYe81lS6J__uXozkkQU6_kag-s7GJUmeWjiyLP6cKSC2W5B1X0Q8ms8zOKck5tG0/s1600/IMG_4960.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Smudge finds golf ball, one of those left-over-from-the-summer balls, as it emerges from the melting frozen course.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaF_xeQDfgwFAux-oLNDiIVeSfQPsl8egGOsXyL1CCqQ4buPFm8O-2PAQnzhituvGx4O2FABbN8u9Pg8Q1shSMtCxEREm_q3xEQK1v4hUAlofZsb6IH4cZlUCp7JaiGbMpO2FsehnX5TyW/s1600/IMG_4961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaF_xeQDfgwFAux-oLNDiIVeSfQPsl8egGOsXyL1CCqQ4buPFm8O-2PAQnzhituvGx4O2FABbN8u9Pg8Q1shSMtCxEREm_q3xEQK1v4hUAlofZsb6IH4cZlUCp7JaiGbMpO2FsehnX5TyW/s1600/IMG_4961.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And just look how much fun you can have hiding a white golf ball in white snow.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Je6zxKxqQm33Sronkyv8tCTwRX6A8zNdxxheUZHIfLPpOr7hzABvWTE_Xjqk3nSPXCuI-6_u6w_bKjbqM_eVmcFUzr6_Y2ZiFPnVAeri-eaAIr6zKO8_RLtBDBk9s2Ct40HEWWWAj1YU/s1600/IMG_4968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Je6zxKxqQm33Sronkyv8tCTwRX6A8zNdxxheUZHIfLPpOr7hzABvWTE_Xjqk3nSPXCuI-6_u6w_bKjbqM_eVmcFUzr6_Y2ZiFPnVAeri-eaAIr6zKO8_RLtBDBk9s2Ct40HEWWWAj1YU/s1600/IMG_4968.JPG" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHC_sNDP8bGCbu7ZMf22XrX5ASsHDFQCKZ_4kIAwYcUAB-On0ApkuYdmXNC8UjwzzSHgQgKHFytAgzqvIFFQHY2e7LPSftuIJFFzM66pnG73k2nQQSrhF6xL5LsUkLxWRgPgqOvMTdiPEm/s1600/IMG_4969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHC_sNDP8bGCbu7ZMf22XrX5ASsHDFQCKZ_4kIAwYcUAB-On0ApkuYdmXNC8UjwzzSHgQgKHFytAgzqvIFFQHY2e7LPSftuIJFFzM66pnG73k2nQQSrhF6xL5LsUkLxWRgPgqOvMTdiPEm/s1600/IMG_4969.JPG" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can pounce and dig for hours with this game.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43u3XLFFQLpgiy5EiQWT79Zs0CMlHAhw-ivcOX1f68fDdkjDJpyRQY1UwFTnO04bvT3iHo_tF-hYz0E5tq76vr-Le4pfurr3y1UMCoS84sjclqT3kxmE5hSqjmk3WfxCZAfpjviMW8E1L/s1600/IMG_4954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43u3XLFFQLpgiy5EiQWT79Zs0CMlHAhw-ivcOX1f68fDdkjDJpyRQY1UwFTnO04bvT3iHo_tF-hYz0E5tq76vr-Le4pfurr3y1UMCoS84sjclqT3kxmE5hSqjmk3WfxCZAfpjviMW8E1L/s1600/IMG_4954.JPG" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And as ever on my blog, I insist on showing you the mountains. You can't get bored of a view like that, can you?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSR6-kK_zExVS9ehjbyQuuAlyG4UJC0NN2mHKHpPOf7tlVx_4eWhcH8Dk_gvxliFW-CM1LYhJKZmsXiRNFcGCocw6BdyCNY83DmwK16-UlErl5wZ9POQUGAb80x9vWW_avUlPTvJ10P4B/s1600/IMG_4971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSR6-kK_zExVS9ehjbyQuuAlyG4UJC0NN2mHKHpPOf7tlVx_4eWhcH8Dk_gvxliFW-CM1LYhJKZmsXiRNFcGCocw6BdyCNY83DmwK16-UlErl5wZ9POQUGAb80x9vWW_avUlPTvJ10P4B/s1600/IMG_4971.JPG" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And if you do, perhaps you can fly off somewhere new?</span><br />
<br />Frostbite and Sunburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03117969670714999548noreply@blogger.com4