Happy Christmas from the Rockie Mountains...

Happy Christmas to you all - hope everyone has had a wonderful time. Tegan, Fraser and myself joined Chris in Canmore on Friday 18 Dec along with our friends Andy, Sam and their children Francesca and Millie and all 3 dogs. The house we have rented for a month is great, large 4 bedrooms along with a den downstairs for the kids. We back onto Silver Tip golf course which makes dog walking easy and we have our own hot tub in the back garden - fantastic after a day of skiing. The view from every window in the house is of the snow covered mountains, very picturesque. The golf course is also home to a large herd of elk which roam around.

Saturday afternoon we went up the mountain to have a look, Sunday we started skiing with Tegan, Fraser and Millie having lessons whilst in Tiny Tigers and Francesca having a lesson for older children. Tegan and Fraser had lessons over a couple of days and have done really well, Tegan can now snowplough her way down a green run, however Fraser is not quite there as he doesn't have any control - as normal just goes fast. Tuesday was a day off from the slopes and was spent tobogganing on the golf course, swimming at the local pool and finished off by going to watch the Canmore Eagles vs Calgary Canucks ice hockey which was really good.

Christmas eve we didn't ski and spent the day doing a few chores and popping into Canmore. That evening friends from Ralston invited us all around for drinks and mince pies then it was home to get all 4 children ready for Father Christmas, we left out milk, a carrot, sherry and mince pie, which all promptly froze. So with very excited children we were ready for our first Christmas in Canada. Fraser did wake up around 4am to say that 'he has been' but we persuaded him that he had to go back to sleep - then all 4 kids were up at 7.05 am - not bad. After a mammoth session of opening presents, a quick jump into the hot tub Chris and Sam were then in charge of cooking christmas lunch. After a splendid lunch and more playing tired children eventually went to bed.


















One of Chris's christmas presents was a day of snowmobiling along with Andy which they have both done today (Sun 27th). They left at 8am and didn't return until 5.30pm after a great day of zooming around mountains in glorious sunshine, a good boys day out.

Tomorrow we start a week of ski rec lessons at Lake Louise which should hopefully improve my skiing, as for Chris not sure if they will get him to slow down for long enough!

More to come in the next few days...

Nativity Play, Mess Xmas Party & Tegan's Birthday Party...

It has been a week of parties, plays & carols this week, with the snow outside it really does feel like Christmas. Friday morning started off with Little Gophers Nativity Play in which Fraser was one of the 3 kings, pictured here with our friend Millie as Mary. The children all did really well with their parts and then singing several well known carols - all the mums and dads were there squashing their bottoms onto the rather small chairs with cameras in hand. Fraser just smiled all the way through it and then put his fingers in his ears during the singing, I don't blame him.

That afternoon Ralston School Choir put on a carol service in the theatre which was brilliant and we again got to join in at the end with more carols, much to my delight as I do like the odd carol, not that I can sing. Friday night was also our Christmas party in the mess which was DJ for the guys and posh frocks for girls - although a little strange all dressed up and wearing my snow boots as it was minus something on the thermometer and snowing.

Sunday we had Tegan's birthday party - we decided to do it the weekend before her actual birthday as school finishes on the 18th and we want to drive up to Canmore so Tegan was happy to have a party and she then worked out she would get another tea party and cake on her actual birthday as well - its all about the cake. We must have been mad as we had 20 children for 2 hours but I did hire Sparkle Fairy to entertain the children although whilst she was face painting one child there were 19 others running around and screaming so as you can see below I know how to entertain children - wrap them up in toilet paper!

Tegan had a great afternoon and came home to a pile of presents which of course had to be opened that evening. She had decided it was to be a 'smart & pretty' party hence the new party dress.

Chris has know finished work for four weeks so set off on Monday morning into Medicine Hat to do his Christmas shopping - a little worrying what he may have bought as Med Hat is not known for its designer shops! Before jumping into the car he did take a picture of the temperature this was taken about 9.30am - all week the temperature has been between -25 and -30 degrees but then today (Wed 16 Dec) I had to look twice as it was zero degrees - shorts & T shirts weather nearly!!!

As of Tuesday Chris decamped from Ralston and has gone to his bachelor pad for 4 days in Canmore, lounging in the outdoor hot tub, skiing at Sunshine Valley and out to supper with mates!!! Actually we decided that it would be a good idea if he went up earlier with all the children's presents and things that we would need. Luckily a friend has kindly lent me their second car so I will drive up on Friday with Tegan, Fraser and Jinx. So two more days in the village and that is it for 3 weeks along with our friends Andy & Sam and their children and dogs. I think most of Ralston village are actually going to Canmore and we already have several invites to other friends houses during the time there. Hopefully whilst in Canmore I will be able to update my blog with all our daily events - getting Tegan and Fraser on skis is going to be very interesting.

Chris, Tegan, Fraser and myself wish you all a very happy christmas and new year. Take care xx

Winter Has Arrived....

We woke this morning to -30 degrees rising to a barmy -22 degrees later on in the day and that is without windchill - so we are finally experiencing a Canadian winter - mind you the sun was out! I have to say my new boots and coat which is actually called 'Duvet' are great it's just the exposed bits that started to freeze, even my eyelashes. Jinx was ok in her coat for the first 30 mins and then she was ready to get home quickly.

Sorry yet again the weeks have run away with me so here is our update.

Tegan and Fraser are still busy with all their activities and their ice skating is getting really good, we can't keep up with Fraser as he is so quick. On the 19 Nov Tegan lost her first tooth which she was extremely proud of and the tooth fairy made a visit leaving a hefty $2 after drinking her drink and cookie - Tegan has the same principals for the tooth fairy as for Santa. The next event for Tegan has been having her ears pierced this weekend, she was very brave and didn't flinch. Having her ears pierced was her birthday present but done a little earlier so that hopefully they will have healed in time for skiing.

On Friday 20 Nov we went to the Ralston Theatre as a squadron of Gurkha's were visiting BATUS and hosted a curry evening, for those of you who have not eaten a Gurkha curry it is great. They also provided some entertainment by doing a marshal art display/Khukuri patter, traditional Nepalese Jhyaure dance, Gurkhaali Khukuri dance, comedy dance and highlander bagpiper - Tegan and Fraser had a great evening.

On Monday 23 we hosted an evening at our house for some of the Engineers who were over in BATUS helping to restore the prairie after the summer medman exercises. The CO very kindly sent round the chefs to my little kitchen who prepared some amazing food for us all.

Sat 28 Nov we had another 'Progressive Supper Party' round the village which again was great fun. It takes a lot of organisation to sort out who is cooking what course and where everyone is going but really good fun - mind you we had a dump of snow the day before so everyone wore snowboots and nice clothes.

The following day it was the christmas fair with Father Christmas arriving by helicopter which all the children thought was amazing. The SSAFA girls had worked extremely hard and transformed the Ralston Theatre into Santa's grotto with lots of things going on for the children, from face painting, decorating baubles, guessing the weight of the cake, traditional sweet shop - needless to say Tegan and Fraser came home after eating far too many 'E' numbers very happy.

It was our wedding anniversary on 30 November so instead of a romantic meal for 2 - well we have been married for many years - we were off to see the Medicine Hat Tigers play ice hockey. It was a great night however I couldn't believe how young they were 16 - 19 years old and I often lost sight of the puck as they were so quick. Unfortunately the team lost the game which apparently is the first time in a long time, on the way home we stopped of for donuts at Tim Hortons - we know how to be romantic!!

So although we haven't left the village except going into Medicine Hat the weeks have whizzed by - the change in weather has been quite significant and it now takes an extra 20 minutes to get us all kitted out before we step out the door, by which time I feel as though I have done a work out.

24hrs In Calgary & BFBS Tournament...

Tegan finished school on Tuesday lunchtime for us all to jump into the car and drive to Calgary for 24hrs. Chris flew to England on Wednesday evening and as Tegan and Fraser's schools were shut for Remembrance Day on the Wednesday we decided it would be a good opportunity to leave the village for a night. So after the 21/2 hr drive we hit a few ski shops looking for our final purchases hopefully for the winter - skis for Chris and I. Unfortunately that night we didn't find any ski's but I did managed to find an awesome coat that should hopefully keep me very warm all winter along with a few other purchases of very necessary clothes! The plan was to visit the Calgary Telus Science Museum on the Wednesday morning but we did manage to find another ski shop on the way and hey presto we came out with skis and poles - phew. The remainder of the day was spent at the Telus Science Museum which is a great place for children big and small. Everything is 'hands on' which was great for 2 children who had spent a lot of time in the car. Fraser loved the aircraft simulator whilst Tegan was happy trying everything, they both even lay on a bed of nails - which individually were very sharp. I went on a 'G' bike - which was a bike that had been fitted with a motor that propelled you round a circular cylinder up to 5g's - a great experience although a little wobbly legs when I got off. Finally we had to drop Chris off at the airport and drove home.

Wednesday was game on - White Devils vs Icemen (which is the team that Chris will be playing for once his neck is sorted out). Happy to say the White Devils won 1-0 followed by a trip to the pub - it was a good night. I had made the decision at lunchtime to have my skates sharpened - I won't be doing that again on a game night as suddenly I was unable to stop, but I did manage to stay upright most of the time.

The big event this weekend in the village was the BFBS Ice Hockey Tournament - I did warn you that everything revolves around ice hockey at this time of year. Due to Chris being in the UK I decided not to play as although Tegan is fine running around the arena with her friends Fraser is a little more of a worry. But we did spent virtually all day watching all eight teams playing. The final was between the Chieftans vs Flames with the Chieftans winning 1-0. The BFBS tournament is an annual event sponsored by BFBS and run by the Devils which is a great fund raiser for the girls team. The day was finished with a curry supper and party this year held in the Sgt's mess. I was planning to wear a smart little outfit and then got told - no you wear jeans and your ice hockey top, mind you I did cheat a little and put a belt round my top as it is soooo big!

Sunday morning Fraser was invited to visit the helicopter hangers with his friend Harry. So with a very excited Fraser and not quite so much Tegan we set off to the hangers - Fraser although a little shy at first soon thought it was great - I have to say the helicopters were a little smaller than I thought. Fraser and Harry got to sit inside the helicopter and Fraser has since not stopped talking about it.

Chris is still in the UK returning to Ralston late Thursday night - I think we are having better weather here than the UK from what I can gather. Although we are still having very high winds and I am just waiting to see if the trampoline gets blown over again.

Bonfire, Black & White Dinner & Rememberance...

Thursday night was obviously Bonfire Night and we had a great bonfire and fireworks display at Fort Whoop Up in the village. The weather was perfect, fairly warm with no wind or clouds. So we all walked up to Fort Whoop Up ready for a night of ooooos and ahhhhhhs commencing at 6pm. With our chilli, hot dogs and hot chocolate in hand the spectacular display began and it was very good. Shortly after the firework display had finished and alot of families had started to walk home the bonfire seemed to be gathering momentum and getting bigger - in fact the prairie had been set alight by some of the fireworks and the fire was indeed spreading across the prairie. Eventually several fire trucks arrived to put out the fire much to Fraser's excitement - he thought that was better than the display. So we finally walked home with a yellow glow behind us.

Friday night friends invited us to a Black & White Dinner!! So with no more information than time and place we conjured up some fancy dress outfits - as you can see, and set off for dinner. I cannot give away the events of the night as it was unlike any other dinner that we have been to and would spoil the fun if we decide in the future to do the same and you should be invited! But our walk home was eventful as you can see - a full moon was out.

The remainder of the weekend was spent with skating lessons, driving in Medicine Hat for a little shopping and attending the Sunday Remembrance Service at our chapel in the village. We then went to the Mess for Sunday Brunch.

Halloween...

We have just had a very spooky weekend with Halloween being a very large event here in Canada. The shops were full of fancy dress, not only Halloween related but all styles of outfits. So with Tegan and Fraser kitted out in their new outfits the fun began. Fraser went to Little Gophers in his skeleton outfit for his party on Friday morning. Ralston School held a parade at lunchtime with all the children gathering in the school hall and parading round the room with all the parents clapping and of course the necessary photo taking - there were some great outfits, some a little too scary, Tegan went as a sort of vampiress. After a short rest after school Tegan and Fraser then went to another Halloween party organised by the Prairie Rose Club from 4-6pm. It was a quick rush home before Chris and I changed and went to a house party at Sam & Andy's. Sam worked incredibly hard all day and turned their house into an amazing halloween house. Everyone was suitably dressed in all sorts of spooky attire and with a pot luck supper there was plenty to eat and drink.

So with a small rest from dressing in Halloween costumes Saturday morning we were back on the ice with Tegan and Fraser having ice skating lessons. Both of them are doing really well and Fraser will no longer allow me anywhere near him as he 'wants to go fast'! thank goodness he has his helmet. Both of them can now skate round the rink unaided, although there are quite a few falls but they are really keen. After his lesson Fraser was off to a birthday party - more sweets and E numbers - a bouncing weekend for all children. Then by 6pm it was back into halloween costumes and round the village for more sweets with Chris trying to keep up with the very excited children. I stayed at home with my bowl of sweets for all the kids - all I could hear was the excited voices of the children as they ran from house to house.

I must apologise for the 2 week delay in updating my blog, I really don't know where the time goes. So in the past 2 weeks the following has happened. Chris finished his weeks skating school in one piece, they crammed a lot in as everyone else did it over 2 weeks. We are now a loving couple watching ice hockey together! we are even going to watch a Medicine Hat Tigers game on the 1st of Dec for our anniversary. The White Devils had a game against the Flames (one of the guys teams) and we won 2-1, followed by a trip to the pub. Jinx has her nose to the ground on all dog walks at the moment as the deer are coming into the village along with a coyote that we have seen several times on the prairie very near to the village. I was recently out on a run with a couple of girls when we saw 2 deer shortly followed by Jinx seeing them and the race was on through Ralston Village. After jogging in the vague direction and asking a passer by if she had seen a dog - her replay was "yes chasing a couple of deer - that's the one" we eventually caught up with her, luckily with no deer in sight but a very worn out dog.

We are slowly buying up the local sports store with all our kit - the latest addition was new ski boots for Chris and myself - very excited as we have never had our own boots and now I have really warm and comfortable boots. Chris has gone for a slightly more edgier pair - apparently go fast! Next on the wish list is ski for us all.

Snow & Ice...

It's snowed!!!!! We were not ready for a dump of snow but on Wednesday morning I opened the curtains and there it was - everything white and still coming down. Fraser asked 'is it Christmas?' and was a little disappointed to be told that he still had weeks to wait, however he soon forgot when he ran out into the garden to play. So the start to my day was a little more hectic as I had to get Tegan and Fraser dressed in all their snow boots and snow kit - it was like a work out all of its own. Jinx also thought it was great and bounced round the garden trying to eat as much snow as she could, maybe it tasted different from German snow? No bikes were needed for the school walk that morning as we all trudged through the snow with lots of snowballs flying, thank goodness the school isn't that far. I went to my spinning class and kept looking out the window expecting the snow fall to stop any minute as it does in UK but needless to say by the time I walked Jinx it was still falling and I needed sunglasses to walk as the glare was so bright. All in all we had 5inches - so this was my first introduction to snowfall in Canada. The good news is that it stayed for a few days but the temperatures rose and by the weekend it had all gone, so it can now stay away until Christmas! I think I mentioned previously that with the change in weather more wildlife is entering the village, so much so Fraser and I were in the kitchen having breakfast and a large deer just walked down the street, a nice start to the day.

Wednesday night was ice hockey training session, this week at a more sociable hour starting at 8.15pm. Thursday night it was 'game on' White Devils vs Black Devils with a draw score 3-3. The game was really good as both teams were evenly matched, followed by drinks in the pub. Sunday I was up and at the rink for 8am as there was a 3 on 3 tournament. I didn't really know what to expect but you are given a number and then during the day, 8am to 2pm, you play 6 games which last for 12 mins each. You have 6 players in your team with 3 on the ice playing at one time, the pace is much faster and you cover a lot of the rink, so a really good workout. It was a brilliant day with families coming to watch and our friend Sam won with 5 goals. We then had a bbq with a couple of friends to end a great day (I did say this place was strange snow one minute and a bbq the next). So with Tegan and Fraser skating on Saturdays, myself several times during the week we are spending a lot of time at the Arena - so Chris could no longer resist and has started skate school this week - this is an additional skate school for all the guys who have been on the prairie and therefore missed the first school. So now it is Leonards on Ice, who will be the best in 2 years time????

With the weather changing and all the family getting kitted out with 'all the gear' we thought we had better get Jinx a coat.

Jinx now has a nice bright red coat a: to keep her toasty warm and b: in the hope that I won't loose her on the prairie, her nose is to the ground as the coyotes and deer are all coming into the village and she is just off hunting!

Thanksgiving Weekend ...

Yet another week has flown by along with a considerable drop in temperature, this weekend the weather has just reached zero degrees during parts of the day with several snow flurries. Walking Jinx on the prairie is not quite so pleasurable as it was through the woods in Hohne at this time of year, together with the wind chill we are both glad to come home fairly quickly. I am about to order Jinx a winter coat as she really is going to need one is the coming weeks, something Chris and I have previously laughed at over the years however Jinx would get frostbite as she has very little fur on her tummy, not quite so sure she will keep boots on!

Monday night we attended the bbq & drinks which was hosted by the visiting battlegroup who have just completed Medman 4. We were due to be at the mess for 7pm but at 6pm the wind started to get stronger and by the time we drove up to camp the road was littered with branches of trees and the sky was black. After having a few drinks in the bar we were invited to an outside marque where the visiting battlegroup chefs had done an amazing bbq including lobster, duck, dressed salmon, ribs, fillet steak and salads however some of the guys were having to hold down the marque. Somehow I was first in (well there was food to be served) and when asked where I was going to eat I couldn't turn tail and sit inside where is was warm as the chefs had produced such good food in awful conditions - so we sat in the marque with the wind battering at the canvas. The weather on the prairie is really the most unpredictable that I have come across.

Wednesday and Thursday was taken up with ice hockey training and a shinney with us (White Devils) vs Red Devils - good fun and I learnt more about what I am supposed to be doing - apart from staying upright on the ice.

Chris has had a long weekend which is great so Friday morning we went for, I would like to say a lovely dog walk, however the wind was biting cold so it was a brisk march round the prairie and little talking towards the end along with our friend Sam & her dogs. We were then very indulgent and watched a movie - I don't think I have ever since having children watched a movie in the morning when I could be doing so many jobs but it felt very luxurious. That evening we had friends round for supper which we can now do with more frequency as prairie season is over.

Saturday morning Tegan and Fraser had their first ice skating lesson - which was going well until Fraser fell onto the ice with his head, a large egg quickly appeared. He had his cycling helmet on but it wasn't suitable so that afternoon we were into Medicine Hat and have now purchased 2 new ice helmets for them both, along with new skates for Tegan - children they do cost so much. Sunday morning was all about clearing the garden of leaves ready for when the snow does come followed by skating again over at the arena. We are very lucky to have the ice rink in the village which we will be visiting an awful lot of the winter. For Thanksgiving I have bought an enormous turkey which Chris is going to roast along with pumpkin pie. So with all the ice hockey, skating, NFL (on tv for Chris) and pumpkin pie - we are living the dream of Canada, we can't wait for the skiing to start.

Weather, Wildlife, Ice Hockey, Rockies, Pat & Rick Visit ...

Where has the month gone, so sorry it has been a month since I updated my blog, I really thought I was going to be bored living in Ralston village but as usual I am so busy and the weeks are flying by. So here goes with an update of what we have been up to.

Weather - someone has flicked a switch and changed the weather. As of a week ago I was still walking around in summer skirts and little tops with temperatures around 28 - 36 degrees however on Wednesday last week it all changed. Mornings you can now expect -4 degrees warming up slightly to around 6 degrees I am now just waiting for the snow to arrive, it has already snowed up in Canmore and Calgary this weekend. Since we moved to Canada in May we have on the whole had good weather and for the first time in many years it has felt like a long summer each day putting on summer clothes that for so long have been buried in drawers. This weekend we have bought Tegan and Fraser snow suites, gloves, hats, scarves, thermals, boots - I don't think they realise how cold it is going to be. As the weather is turning deer are returning to the village which is lovely to see as you walk around, Tegan and Fraser love it.

Ice Hockey - I played my first game on Friday 25 Sept what an adrenaline rush! I played with the 2nd year girls against the 1st year boys - I had no idea what I was doing except skating as fast as I could down the rink to try and catch everyone and the puck and then having to try to stop, turn and skate the other way, the time went so quick. That evening we all went to the Prairie Rose club to find out what teams we are in - I am officially a White Devil. Due to the high number of girls this year there are 3 women's teams, Red, Whites and Blacks - so already the rivalry has begun. Every Wednesday night is training and then games on a Thursday night, we play against the Reds & Blacks and all the guy teams from the base such as Icemen, Flames etc - I can't wait. Only down side is that some of the training times are late such as this Wednesday I am not on the ice until 9.45pm - 10.30pm - I'm usually in bed and it will be hard work once all the snow arrives to go out at that time - oh well great fun.

Medman Season - yipeeeee it has finished at last, we have survived our first season. Chris finished the medman on Friday and had a restful weekend, well sort of with Tegan and Fraser around! So we now know what to expect next year although it will be a month longer. Chris now has a regiment of engineers arriving from UK to do repair work on the prairie for the winter, some of who are going to living out on the prairie, good luck to them in -30degrees hope they have brought their thermals! So although he will still be busy weekends should be ours again which is great.

Terry Fox 10km Run. Terry Fox was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete and cancer treatment activist. He became famous for the Marathon of Hope April 1980, a cross Canada run to raise money for cancer research, which Terry ran with one prosthetic leg. He is considered one of Canada's greatest heroes and is celebrated internationally every September as people participate in the Terry Fox Run the world's largest one day fundraiser for cancer research. Unfortunately Terry Fox was unable to complete his run, as his bone cancer had metastasized to his lungs and he died in June 1981. So the base at Ralston holds a 10km Terry Fox run each year to which Sam and I decided we were up for it, along with Jinx who could have kept on running. Unfortunately due to poor communication we thought the run was commencing at 10am in fact the actual run didn't start until 11am which was too late for Sam & I as we had to collect children at 11.45am and no way could we run that fast so we had our own start time at 10.30 am. It was great as we had the whole course to ourselves and came first!!!! We did the run in 61mins although the winner actually did it in 36mins - so we are up for it next year in record time. Fraser also did a Terry Fox run with Little Gophers - they ran round the running track and then a circuit on the prairie, followed by water and snack.

Pat & Rick Visit. We have just had Chris's mum and dad visiting for a couple of weeks which has been great, Patsy is so good at ironing!!!! The weather was fantastic for them with even Patsy getting her shorts on a couple of times. Mon to Fri was dominated around Tegan and Fraser's schedules so Pat & Rick were up to the school & Gophers several times a day and off to swimming lessons. They also got to see Tegan and Fraser ice skating for the first time along with watching me during my ice hockey match. We popped into Medicine Hat a couple of times and managed to go out for dinner at Earls with Chris one evening, who unfortunately wasn't around much. The last weekend Pat & Rick were here I arranged for us to all go to Canmore for the weekend (minus Chris who was working). So we left Ralston on Saturday and set off on the Trans Canadian Highway 1 all the way to Canmore - one road - it still amazes me that I can drive for 4 hours with no turnings on the same road. Saturday evening we were off to watch the Oh Canada show with our friend Sam, her mum (who was also visiting) and girls. It was a very cheesy show but great fun with lots of shouting and participating and the kids loved it.

Sunday we were off to Lake Louise for the day, the weather was still on our side making it a beautiful day for seeing the mountains. After visiting the lake we had a spot of lunch and then headed over to the gondolas for a ride up the mountains, after watching a short film about looking out for bears! Monday morning Sam and I met up to visit the house that we have rented at Silvertip, Canmore for Christmas so excited as it has a hot tub which will be surrounded by snow and looks out over a golf course and mountains. The house is lovely and big enough for all of us, 4 adults, 4 children and 3 dogs including a den downstairs for the kids. After collecting Pat, Rick and kids we headed to Banff for a walk around the town and then off to Lake Minniwanka for the boat cruise, Johnnie was our guide who gave an 1hr 15min talk on all the animals that live in the Rockies with Tegan having a great time answering all the questions on animals. We did quite well on our animal coverage whilst we were there as we managed to see chipmunks, deer, mountain goats, elk and a very large stag, unfortunately all the bears had gone to the other side of the mountains ready for winter. Tuesday morning we vacated the room and drove Pat & Rick to the airport ready for their flight back to Toronto where they stayed with Pat's sister for a few more days and rested after spending time with us.

So this week it is back to some sort of routine with Chris up early and off to the gym before going to work and me off to do my exercise and run Jinx after depositing Tegan & Fraser at respective schools. Tegan and Fraser have swimming every Tue & Thu, Tegan is off to Sparks (rainbow & brownies equivalent) on Wed and they both start ice skating lessons on Saturday. And of course ice hockey 2 nights a week - shame about the housework which really does get in the way of fun.

Ice Hockey - Skate School...

Every evening last week Chris came home and I promptly left carrying a very large and heavy bag packed with all 'the gear' for ice hockey including a long stick which apparently I am going to be able to hit a puk with in the right direction of my opponents net. On Monday night after half an hour of huffing and puffing I was finally ready to hit the ice. There was approximately 20 nervous girls ready to take to the ice and learn the tricks of the trade for playing ice hockey. We had a very good trainer who came up from Medicine Hat for the 5 nights to give us training which was a lot to take in in such a short space of time. Before having all the training I would have said I could skate however when trying to skate with so much padding, wheelding a stick and trying to stay upright at speed has been very entertaining. The one hour lessons went with surprising speed, some nights more positive than others as I often found I was stronger on one leg and when I tried to do the same move on the other leg soon fell flat on my face. But it has been a great week, very very tiring, but I am so looking forward to playing during the winter. At the end of the month I have another weeks lessons on the actual game of ice hockey and learning all the rules etc. Then on the Friday night we all go to the pub to find out if we are playing for the White or Red Devils which are the 2 ladies teams for Ralston. Then the season starts and we have to train every Wed night with a game every other Thursday. Once I know what team I am in I get my own shirt with my number and name on - I might frame it in 2 years time if it is still in one piece.

Saturday night we attended a Progressive Supper around the village. For those of you who do not know what this - there were 17 couples who were all told where to go for their starters with one couple in each group making a starter, but you do not know who your guests are going to be. Then during the first course you open an envelope which tells all the couples where to go for main course each couple being sent to a different house, then the envelope opening is repeated for dessert and finally everyone met up at the Commanders house for liquors and coffee. The weather Saturday night was perfect for wondering around the village from house to house with people steadily getting louder and merrier as the night progressed. Chris, myself and Sam T (Andy had gone back to the UK) were doing the starter at our house. So Sam sorted out the food and Chris was incharge of cocktails - as you can see by the picture it involved a very large melon which was hollowed out and filled with vodka, orange juice and a bottle of champagne. The other rule of the supper is that all opened bottles are taken along with you to the next house, so Chris had to 'griz it' round the village carrying a melon which kept being topped up at each house - needless to say by the end of the evening there was a potent mixture being consumed by the foolish! It was a great evening with a lot of merry people leaving the Commanders house at 1am, unfortunately Chris had to be on the prairie early the following morning as the final Medman of the season started - I think it was a long and painful day for him.

Social Life in Ralston ...

It has been 2 weeks since we returned from our holiday and they have flown by with lots of socialising and great weather. Our longtime friends Andy, Sam and their daughters Francesca and Milly have arrived in Ralston so we have managed several bbqs and beer/wine sampling with them along with trying to sort out our christmas plans - looking to get a condo in Canmore together. So over the last 2 weeks we have been invited to several friends houses for bbq's, the Leonards, Teskey & Bridle families all went bowling at the alley which is within the village followed by another bbq, we have been to the splash park, Chis has managed 2 games of golf, I have been running and the kids have had their swimming lessons, bike riding and playing with friends. It is this time of year when there is always a large turnover of new people and Ralston is no different so there are lots of new playmates for Tegan and Fraser although I have to say the village seems to be full of little girls - Fraser keeps asking for boys to arrive.

Friday afternoon Sam was off on her tank ride which she won during the Ralston Rodeo so Tegan, Fraser and myself went along to watch, Fraser was in heaven with his love of tanks. It was a great afternoon with Sam's girls and Andy and us all watching her zoom across the prairie in this awesome piece of machinery. I was lucky enough to also have a go.

Friday night we attended the Beating of the Retreat up on camp with the Light Cavalry Band playing. Beating Retreat is a ceremony which belongs essentially to the Army and Royal Marines. In medieval times it was assigned to tavern keepers to close taps and serve no more drink to soldiers. Retreat is also a beat of a drum at the firing of the evening gun and setting the watch. Soldiers discharged with ignominy are 'drummed' out of the regiment. Todays beating retreat is a ceremonial parade normally preceded by a marching display. Friday night was a glorious summers evening so lovely to sit outside and watch the Light Cavalry Band, when finished we all went into the Sgt's mess for drinks and a great mess curry.

This week I am starting Skate School as I have joined the Ralston Devils ice hockey team - no laughing please. Not sure how it is going to go but I have bought all the gear which will probably take me about an hour to get on and then I wont be able to move - but as I am living in Canada I need to experience ice hockey and give it a go. More to come about this and pictures.

A few weeks ago we took delivery of a new Dutch Barn garden shed - so I thought it would be a good idea to paint in traditional colours. However the wood the shed is made from is extremely porous and it took at lot of painting. So after a little help from Fraser and Chris helping out this weekend it looks great. Jinx also managed to get involved and now has a red ear, which everyone thinks is actually bleeding.

And finally 9 weeks school summer holiday is over - Tegan and Fraser are back at school today. I have to say the weeks went quicker than I expected and we seem to have done so much. Mind you next Monday is Labour Day so they all get the day off!!!!

Summer 09 Road Trip - Part Two ...

Monday 10 August the next part of our road trip took us from Canmore through the Banff National Park up to Jasper. Although the weather was not great, more like a UK summer's day rain - the scenery was breathtaking with so many amazing mountains and glaciers to look at and even our 4th bear (black) walked across the road for us all to see. Our hotel was a 5 minute drive just outside Jasper town and situated on Lake Pyramid framed by rocky mountains. We ate in the hotel that night and had a superb meal including elk, bison and lobster - followed by cheesecake for me! Unfortunately the weather didn't improve the following day so after a soggy walk around Jasper town, which actually didn't have a lot to offer, we decided to go swimming in the local pool. The pool was great, baby pool, huge indoor flume and large pool with diving board - so the flume and diving board was a magnet for Fraser who thought he was in with all the 14yr old boys as he took his turn in the line and then proudly jump off the diving board, luckily he decided not to copy them doing their somersaults. Unknown to us it was Jasper's rodeo week so we went to a local ranch that evening who were hosting the towns barn dance. All the locals were there including the rodeo princess who Tegan thought was lovely. There was the usual bbq along with horse rides for the kids, face painting, wagon rides, throwing the horse shoe, bucking bronco and a band. Everyone with children had to leave by 9pm by this time some of the local cowboys had had a few beers and the bucking bronco was becoming very entertaining.

Wednesday morning we took a boat out onto Lake Pyramid which started off very scenic then a large grey cloud popped over a mountain top and the wind and rain got up and we couldn't get back to the shore quick enough - which wasn't made easy as it was into a strong wind. That night we went to Jasper's rodeo - our first rodeo since arriving in Canada. What a great night and all respect to cowboys who are 'hard as nails' riding bulls. The rodeo was held in an indoor arena so the atmosphere with everyone cheering was great Tegan and Fraser got into their 'yeeehaa & yahoos'. The rodeo started off with lots of pom and ceremony then out came the cowboys on bucking horses, roping calves, catching larger cows, team events, womens speed riding and finally cowboys riding the bulls with a few of the cowboys walking rather strange afterwards. It was a brilliant evening and Tegan and Fraser thought it was great - although they were a little concerned for the calves when they were pushed to the ground and roped - however were quite happy when they saw them get up and trot away, but a true cowboy rodeo experience.

As the previous night was a late one we had a slow start and then the final leg of our trip across to Edmonton. After checking into our hotel we jumped on a local bus and went to West Edmonton Mall - this is the largest mall in Canada. The mall has over 800 stores, galaxyland theme park, waterworld which is a 5 acre indoor waterpark with waterslides, wave machine and bungee jumping. As you walk along the corridors in the mall you come across sea lion shows, indoor iceskating rink, mini golf, a full size pirate ship, deep sea derby bumper boats and there was a lot more that we didn't see. That evening we just had dinner and tried to take everything in then back to the hotel ready for our full day in the mall. With 2 small children shopping is not really an option for the Leonards so we decided to get a day pass to Galaxyland and all be kids for the day - hoping that we could get Tegan and Fraser to pop into a few shops in between. Chris and I both went on the Mindbender, where gravity forces you into your seat as you go through the triple loop rollercoaster, I have to admit feeling a little strange as I walked off the ride. The day went so quickly before we knew it it was time to go back to the hotel, we had intended to go to the waterpark but we all needed our beds. But we did manage to buy our cowboy hats, shirts and Tegan and Fraser now have cowboy boots.

Saturday morning we started the 5 hour drive back to Ralston and intended to get back in time to go to Ralston's own rodeo. All our previous journeys had been interesting with the ever changing scenary suddenly we noticed that all mountains and trees started to disappear as the prairie took over along with awful weather. We didn't go to the rodeo as the weather was so bad but later that evening found our friends Andy & Sam who have just arrived in Ralston so armed with a bottle we finished off a fantastic holiday.

Summer 09 Road Trip - Part One ...

Friday 7th August Chris, Tegan and Fraser met me at Calgary airport from my trip to New York. We then jumped into the car and headed off to Canmore for the next part of our holiday. We stayed at the Windtower Hotel which has an agreement with BATUS whereby you can get rooms/suites at a discount price. We had a one bedroom suite which in UK could easily be sold as a flat, there was everything in there from dishwasher, full kitchen, washing machine & dryer and balcony. We enjoyed a typical Canadian dinner - steak, pizzas, fajitas at the Iron Goat where we ate on the deck with stunning views of the mountains including the three sisters.

Saturday we were up, rather slowly as we all lay in until 9am, and eventually set off to Banff to go up the gondola taking us to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, 7486 feet. At the top we walked along the summit ridge which was easy under foot as a boardwalk had been constructed. This took us to a small hut which Norman Sanson has walked every week for over 30 years to record weather data. The view was stunning as we were above most of the mountains in the region and had a good view of everything. Following lunch in Banff town we went to Lake Minnewanka (say that without smiling) and decided to go on the lake cruise. Lake Minnewanka is the largest lake in the Banff National Park and is home to a large population of rocky mountain wildlife we managed to see a bald eagle, mountain sheep and deer. The cruise lasted an hour and the guide on the boat was very informative showing Tegan and Fraser all sorts of pictures of the wildlife, including a cougar which had recently been in the area - Tegan was very interested in the big cat.

Sunday was a trip to Lake Louise, north of Canmore and Banff. Driving through the Banff National Park is breathtaking with amazing scenary at every turn. First stop was the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a grand luxury hotel situated on Lake Louise. We decided that as we were on holiday and in such a palatial setting afternoon tea was in order. So we ate accompanied by a harpist which Tegan thought was wonderful, with a view overlooking the lake and glacier. So after eating our tiered tray of food, glass of prosecco (unfortunately only the one glass) and tea, apple and cinnamon, we were off for a walk to the lake and a quick dip in, too cold so only feet.

We then drove to Lake Louise Gondola which is the ski resort and took a chair lift up the mountain - this proved to be one of the highlights of our trip as we saw 3 bears. There are people who have lived in BATUS for 2 years and never saw a bear and we managed 3 in one afternoon, sorry Clare M if you read this. Again the scenery was spectacular and made Chris and I want to go skiing as we could see all the slopes. At the top there was also a wildlife interpretation centre which Tegan and Fraser found interesting as they could touch different animal skins, claws, teeth etc. After a long and very exciting day it was takeaway chinese and back to the Windtowers.

Next part of the journey takes us from Canmore up to Jasper and then over to Edmonton - more to follow....