It's Good To Be Me!

What a great month this has been! Work continues to be more than hectic, but in spite of that, I've spent a couple of weekends in Canmore, and a weekend in Medicine Hat, I've hung out with old friends, and I've made some new ones! And the icing on the cake has been the marvelous weather - it is freaky how summer-like the temps are!

Early morning fog.

A few Sundays back, my scramble plans downgraded into a nice cruisey bike ride. My poor ol' hardtail (which actually is not a bad set of wheels!) has been left unattended in my dusty Canmore parking garage for far too long. Between de-griming the Rocky Mountain-eer and fiddling with my brand new bike pump, it took me about 90 minutes and a desperation you-tube search to clean 'er up and figure out how to fill tires that have Presta-style valves. Oy. At any rate, I ended up having an enjoyable afternoon, sailing along the Canmore trails, soaking up the lovely town views.

I also added a new print to my condo - it is one of my fave photos that I had mounted in a gallery-box.

It's Rock Isle Lake - maybe I should have gone bigger?

The Victoria Day weekend took me south, to see my parents in Medicine Hat. We had a great visit, and I also played my first round of golf in I don't know how long! Eeeeeek!

I met up with Toni and her nephew and we swung our clubs for a leisurely nine holes at the charming little Paradise Valley golf course. And because it just wouldn't be a round of golf in Southern Alberta without seeing one.... a healthy looking bull snake slid across the 16th fairway right before we teed off!

The three-day vacation was a nice treat, but then it was back to the grind for four days of solid chaos. Which brings me to this past weekend, where I thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine and fresh mountain air with some ladies from a hiking group I've joined.

Ahhhhh, the backroads!

Avalanche debris - wow!

I have been back in Red Deer for less than three hours, and already I'm homesick for Canmore. *SIGH*  But I can't complain.... Life is pretty sweet..... It really is good to be me!

Cheers!

The Days of May

The days of May.... are flying by.... representative of this crazy life I lead! One of the said days just happened to be my birthday. That's right. Cinco de Mayo has come and gone, yet again. *SIGH*

Truth be known, I'm relatively indifferent about getting older. There is absolutely (plug your ears kids!) F*CK ALL that I can do about it, so I'm embracing it. And I am determined to have the year of my life!

The month started off with a Social Club function that I attended with my friend and co-worker Bev....

Mixology was on the agenda, and we learned to shake-shake-shake a few delicious summer drinks. Yum!

Next up.... my good friend Vida was in town, and as coincidence would have it, she celebrates her birthday within a few days of mine... so this year I was fortunate enough to share in the 'feliz cumpleanos' festivities with her....

And, as per her usual considerate, thoughtful, lovely self, later in the weekend I received a bag full of lovely goodies from my bestie Lisa.....

Needless to say, I had an exceptional birthday / birthday weekend / birthday week! Everybody should be so lucky......

This weekend I am in Canmore, my truly happy place, and I'm looking forward to having lunch on top of Miner's Peak tomorrow - supposed to be +24C! Wow. I need a recharge, in a really big way, and I know that a slow and steady grind, surrounded by snow-dusted peaks, which ends in a familiar yet monumental vista, is just what the doctor would order. :)

Cheers.

This.... is forty-nine.....

Summer teaser.....

It could be happening people.... summer just might be on its way, for real! And if not, well Mother Nature faked it pretty darn good yesterday. I spent the weekend in Canmore and had a fabulous day in the back country....

Jean, Tiina, yours truly, and Leslie....
What a great day with a great group of ladies!

Snowshoes, or spikes? That is the question...

Basking in the never-ending sunshine!

 

How's THAT for a view! Welcome to Sherbrooke Lake.

 

Highly recommended lunch spot.

 

It's a good day to be me!  *SIGH*

 

 

We had 360 degree vistas!

 

How does a girl NOT smile on a day like this!

 

I've been to Sherbrooke Lake a couple of times, but not in the winter.... so this was like a completely new adventure for me. At the parking lot we debated wearing snowshoes, but we decided to chance the trail just with spikes. And in the end, aside from the odd post-hole when someone ended up thigh-deep in the snow (that would be ME!), leaving the cumbersome snowshoes behind was the right choice.

 

Our arrival at the lake was precisely lunchtime, and as we lounged in the glorious high-noon sunshine, we were treated to quite a show - avalanche after avalanche came ripping off the side of Mount Ogden. An hour or so drifted by, and with satisfied bellies and eyes, we packed up and descended back to the car. It was such a lovely way to spend the day! And in general it was fabulous as always to be outside, in the mountains. Doing so with some new friends made it that much better!

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

Can't Quit My Day Job

Well I put my... ahem... acrylic-on-barnwood skills to the test recently, at a 'Rustic Sign' painting night....

Not looking promising at this point....

In the end, it turned out okay!

Clearly I'm not quitting my day job... LOL... but between the concrete garden ornaments from a few weeks ago and this weathered-looking picture, my patio will have some unique conversation pieces added to it this summer!

Cheers!

It's April..... Fools!

It was -19C this morning when I got up today.... on APRIL 2ND..... what the...???!! It is really starting to feel like the winter that never ends, as snow continues to linger in the forecast and daily temps aren't making it very far into the positives.... oy....

Anyway, regardless of the weather, the good times continue to roll. Over the past several weeks, I've gotten a few lovely days of skiing in, plus my dear friend Lisa got married! Woot! Some pics from her wedding are here if you'd like to check them out.

This was the scene on Friday morning!

The neighbor's deck ornament looked as though it was mocking all of us.... how fitting that some Christmas decorations are still out!

Eerie early morning light at Sunshine.

View from the top of the Norquay Chair.

Just happy to be outside!

I'm thinking that there will be at least a couple of more opportunities to hit the slopes, and then perhaps it will be time to dig out the hiking gear! Keeping my fingers crossed....

Cheers!