Where does the time go and I thought I was going to be so bored living in Ralston - on the contrary. So here is an update on all our goings on since the middle of March to date, hope you are sitting comfortable.
Tegan returned to Sparks after our Florida holiday on Wednesday night and upon leaving was given a box of Girl Guide Cookies to sell - each box contained 12 boxes. Normally this is not a problem however Ralston is only a small village and with all the Sparks, Brownies and Guides all trying to sell their boxes you do get a little inundated with cookies - however they are very nice. So as we left Sparks we walked across the road and into the ice arena to watch the Iceman play and she manged to sell 8 boxes to unsuspecting spectators. It must have been the big brown eyes looking up at them, reminds me of the cat in Shrek! She subsequently managed to sell the remaining boxes during the happy hour at the mess - she is great a sales.
Ann-Marie who was our body pump instructor has been posted back to UK so for her last class we all dressed up in 70/80's kit - I'm at the back with a big black wig!
Within our first week
back at school Tegan and Fraser only attended for 3 days before the schools shut Thursday and Friday. So Sam and myself left Ralston at 8am with all four children and headed off for Hiddden Valley which is just over an hours drive, the other side of Medicine Hat, for a days skiing. It was my first visit to Hidden Valley and what a great place to ski especially for the kids as it only has a handful of runs. After 3 runs we stopp
ed for a rest at which point it had started to snow a little, but back out we went for another couple of runs then lunch. Tegan and Fraser both skied well although as usual Fraser decided he did not want to turn at any point but ski in a straight line down. Sam was great and encouraged him to turn and some of the time he did. By the time we had lunch the snow was much heavier so we only completed another 2 runs after lunch and then decided to head home. Not long after leaving the car park Fraser was asleep, a great day out.
On the Sunday we retu
rned to Hidden Valley along with Chris as it was the last day of the season for the mountain and they had their annual 'Slush Out'. A slush out is where a large long deep pit is dug and filled with water with skiers/borders skiing down the mountain and trying to get across the water without falling in. Prior to the slush out many skiers/borders were doing tricks which we watched in the sunshine whilst eating our picnic. We briefly left to take Jinx for a walk at Elkwater (just round the corner from Hidden Valley) and returned just in time to watch the comedy of skiers falling into the slush pit. Some skied in normal clothes while others dressed up to take the plunge, one skier came down in just his boxer shorts - cold!!
A couple of other minor things that have happened: Whilst Chris watched 3 games of rugby I took Tegan and Fraser bowling along with Sam D and her 3 girls (Sam's husband John was with Chris for a boys afternoon of rugby, beer and pizza). After finishing the bowling we decided to feed the kids at Sam's house as we didn't think the boys would appreciate 5 kids interrupting their viewing. Finally I had to take Tegan and Fraser home for bedtime as it was 9pm. I had a bunch of girls round on the Monday night as a Book Club has recently started in Ralston and it was my turn to host. So we had a couple of glasses of wine, discussed the chosen book - Birth House by Ami Mckay and then discussed all sorts of other things. On Wednesday I help out with selling daffodils for Cancer around Ralston village, Noo and myself went to Ralston school as the children had all brought in money to buy a bunch - we even sold out and had to get another box.
The last weekend of March was a busy couple of days. Thursday night started off with a happy hour in the mess (4pm) with friends Mike & Karen wetting the babies head for the birth of their little boy Gregor. So after a glass of champagne we had to leave (5.30pm) as we also had to go to an Italian supper which was being held in the village. After feeding the children I had to be on the ice at 7.30pm for the White Devils final game of the season. Chris decided at 6.45pm that he would play for the Flyers (the blokes team we were playing against) so I luckily found a babysitter, rushed home and got Tegan and Fraser ready for bed then rushed to hockey. It was a good game with fairly matched teams unfortunately the final score was 3-2 to the Flyers, however I was awarded another gold star for having a good game and being in the right place for the position I play - I might have finally learnt what the game is about!
Friday night was the Devil's girls' night out and we were all off to Ralphs in Medicine Hat. So after jumping on the coach we set off at 6.30pm to Ralphs Texas Bar and Steakhouse for a night of dancing and drinking, duly dressed in our Red, White or Black ice hockey tops. The early part of the evening all dancing was the 'two step' with a live band on stage - very entertaining to watch. Much later in the evening a disco took over. I was conscious that Saturday was the BHL (Batus Hockey League) final and the Icemen (the team Chris plays for) were on the ice at 8.30am which I wanted to watch - so I caught the transport home at midnight - however friends Sam T and Sam D along with some others partied on until very late. So we were all up early Saturday morning and over to the arena - bacon & sausage sandwichs for breakfast. The Icemen were bottom of the league partly due to the age of all the players and the high number of 1st year players, so their chances of winning and playing further games were slim. However the game was amazing and they won - I nearly wet myself with all the excitement and shouting. I might add that the Icemen have had the strongest and loudest support from their wives throughout the season however there were only 4 of us there for game 1 - I think the rest were just getting into bed! The Icemen went on to win their next game and after a few beers (it is still AM) and brufen (good combination!) they were ready for their third and fourth games - unfortunately they lost and therefore out of the finals. That evening we had a party in the Sgt's mess where all the awards were presented along with a curry and disco - another good night. Sunday Chris bbq a leg of lamb for lunch and Andy & Sam came round for lunch - a good lazy day after several busy days and nights.
A group of girls w
ho are on the SSAFA committee were invited to a trip onto the prairie to see what goes on out there and I managed to jump aboard. We had 2 TSV's (big white trucks) meet us on camp and after signing some necessary paperwork and donning our helmets off we set across the prairie. The prairie is vast and undulating more than I had expected, i thought it was just flat as the surrounding area is around Ralston village. Our first stop was at Excon - this is a structured building where all the briefings take place, theatre and computer simulations. They were also in the process of delivering all the containers where Chris and prairie staff sleep for the season. From there we drove to Hettar which is a mock village where some of the Medman exercises take place, all very realistic, along with a smell machine. We were
provide with a lunch box (the same as the guys get) which we ate on the back of the TSV's by this time the sun had come out - quite a nice picnic really. Dave then drove us around the prairie visiting several other landmarks that they use for the exercises, there are a lot of realistic buildings together with a Shell petrol station! As there are no rivers on the prairie which are needed for the guys to practice crossing there are dry river beds dug with signs saying 'river' - this made some of us laugh. We had a great time on our visit and it was a brilliant insight into what Chris and the guys all get up to and where they are.
Right nearly at the end of my catch up month. Last week was a full packed week. It started off with our friends Paul and Jeanette inviting us round for a curry night, they have had a posting to Nepal and therefore make amazing curries - needless to say we had a fantastic night along with other good friends. On Easter Monday we were back round Paul and Jeanettes as it was their daughter Molly's 4th birthday and they had a bbq and easter egg hunt for the kids (Tegan and Fraser have lived on a diet of chocolate for several days now) - the weather was great nearly summer like! Wednesday night Paul managed to get tickets to see the Medicine Hat Tigers ice hockey match - they were in the play offs so it was an exciting game to watch against the Calgary Hitmen . The atmosphere was brilliant and the speed at which they play is so fast - I would still be at the other end of the rink. Unfortunately they lost 4-1.
Friday night was a surprise party for Jeanette as it is her 40th birthday at the end of April and Paul decided a party was in order. Noo and myself gave Paul a hand in organising it. Noo is great at design and therefore transformed the Jubilee Arms pub (the pub in Ralston village) into pink and black theme with homemade chandeliers and a balloon tree the pub looked great and we all had a fab night.
As it is the month for 40th bithdays we had a girls pot luck lunch for Jo (Woods) who's birthday was on Monday - there is a common theme in Ralston - eating and drinking.
Finally on the eating, drinking and socialising side of things I was out for a girls dinner Wednesday night at Zoe's house who cooked a lovely dinner and again it was a dinner for Jeanette's 40th birthday - this girl is having a month of birthdays!!! Chris was also out having a few beers with the Icemen.
Well I think that has caught with the last month. Chris is now on a different time schedule from the rest of us in the Leonard household as Prairie Season is about to commence - roll on November! Oh yes nearly forgot the amazing weather that we get in Canada - last week we were having bbq's and this week we have had snow storms with the schools closed and snow up to my knees and today the sun is shinning again.
Firstly I must yet again comment on the crazy Ralston weather system that we seem to have all to ourselves. So we have gone from sunshine to snow back to sunshine and now gale force winds and rain which makes the prairie extremely boggy. Last week Chris's TSV has got stuck out on the prairie with several other vehicles and the season hadn't officially started (1 May) so at this rate they could all be stuck in mud! It also makes walking Jinx hard as my boots get so caked in mud you can hardly walk although it doesn't slow Jinx down. As I am writing this blog (Mon 3 May) we have just been told to expect 100km hr winds due tonight and snow!!!! What!
a Ranchmen's Ball/seafood night in the mess. The Canadian's don't really appreciate getting 'dressed up' hence the western theme for the night. So with Chris and I appropriately dressed in our cowboy boots, shirts and hats off we set for a night of yee hi. The seafood night has always been a big thing in the mess but due to several reasons it was slightly downscaled this year but saying that the spread off food was great and much enjoyed by Chris who could eat lobster and prawns until he could eat no more. A group of ladies had come up from Medicine Hat to teach us all line dancing which was very entertaining followed by a brilliant 3 piece band who played until 1am when we had to go home.
he Sparks and Brownies had a trip to the BATUS Fire Station which is located at the entrance to camp. I volunteered to help!!! of course I also had to take Fraser along who thought it was great. The guys were really good and showed the girls all round the 3 engines that they have letting them climb over them and press the siren button. We also got a ride on one of the engines through camp and over to an open piece of ground where they demonstrated the fire hose. All the kids loved the visit and camp home with stickers, hats and books.
