First Tuesday walk after getting home and breakfast in Barnt Green with Keith J and John
We've now been back from Canada for a calendar month. Today is the third day we've had with nothing on the calendar, not that we did nothing on the other two, the garden has taken quite a lot of tidying, the house needs cleaning and shopping has to be done. It's the first chance I've had to go and look for new summer clothes to take to Australia (probably our next trip), only to find that it's the very end of the sales and that the shops are full of muddy coloured slightly autumnal clothes.
We really have been stupidly busy, body maintenance, physio for my knee was already booked, fortunately, so she could help me with my ankle, mammogram and new glasses which has taken many visits and about 5 sets of new lenses for me. I also spent a day just north of Bristol being MRI'd, scanned and assessed by UK Biobank, as I was three years ago. For him a colonoscopy, a punch biopsy on something on his nose, with a trip to the doctor's for his feet and the physio for his shoulder, which is still giving him gyp after falling in Calgary, booked.
Its been very hot weather in the UK this year as you can see by the brown golf course as we walked across it
We've had curry with Helen and Ian, Abi, Monday club and had kurzi lamb twice. Once with Fiona and James, and once with Bev and Iain. We've walked with John and Brian which has obviously involved drinking lots of beer - well it has been stupidly hot, this has actually put me off drinking too much! We've had Monday club drinks and Sunday club drinks. We had an evening at the Coach and Horses meeting up with a group of old members of the mountaineering club and went to Manu and Crystal's to see progress on their house and have lunch with them and Pete and Reuben. Tea and cake with Alex and Rob on Monday was one of 5 activities for the day.
And our refreshment break at the Hanbury Turn pub in Bromsgrove after our 12.5km walk
The mountain bikes have been serviced which meant we had to go out for a ride to check them. Brian has met up with Paul, who he did the Cotswold Way with to plan their next adventure, the Great Glen Way. Much time has also been spent looking at our next trip which I'm finding quite off putting as we've barely been back. We've spent a couple of very hot days emptying and cleaning the house in Coventry that Brian and Terry bought years ago for their retirement. The tenant finally moved out after a year of trying, leaving so much stuff, a very noisy air-conditioning unit which we've used a couple of times, more cleaning stuff than imaginable though it's a shame they didn't actually use some of it and food that I've taken to the food bank. It's now on the market, so fingers crossed it doesn't take too long to sell!
The next Tuesdays walk along the canal to historic Droitwich with John and Brian
Last week was brilliant, Caroline came to stay on Friday before we dropped her at the Metropole hotel on Saturday for Dinocon, a dinosaur convention. Her friend, Faith, was meeting her there, so as a treat we bought them a room there. We stopped in at Denise and Paul after dropping her off, for a coffee, from which we finally got home about 17.00 after an impromptu lunch out. We collected Caroline on Sunday as she wanted to stay with us for a few days which was lovely. We thoroughly enjoyed having her stay, talking, walking, visiting Birmingham. She came out with us on the Monday to Diwan's, for curry, with Monday club as a belated celebration for Jill's birthday, going home on Wednesday. Fortunately her train home was actually on time, unlike her train to us which was hideously delayed and standing room only. We had the afternoon to wash and shop as Bev and Iain from Bristol arrived on Thursday for the weekend. We had a lovely time, lots of chat, eating and drinking. Thursday is food van night at the Weighbridge, Friday Kurzi lamb, Saturday we had a Saturday Lunch Club with Manu and Crystal and Helen. We were going to the tiny theatre at the Old Joint Stock in Birmingham at 17.00 so this was all planned and ran like clockwork. Sunday we had brunch in the village before going to the Barn at Studley where most of our garden decorations have come from. Bev had liked what we'd done so wanted to see what they had to offer. They shopped, and so did we, a crocogator to add to Geraldine the Giraffe and Babar the Elephant.
Now we are halfway through another week and it doesn't feel like we are quieting down at all!
Droitwich is an old spa town with supposed healing waters, so there are many brine springs around the town. Brine has been collected here for over 2000 years used for preserving foods. The Romans used it to make salt and, in Victorian times spa baths were opened
One of the many old buildings in the town.
Which was next door to The Hop Pole, our destination for the afternoon serving excellent cask ale
There's a pattern I know, but this was the third Tuesday walk with just Brian. This is the hill up from our home village of Alvechurch, which is down there in amongst the trees. We're intending to come up here on April 12th to see the 90% partial eclipse. We are facing west, just the position the sun will be at 6:15pm when the eclipse starts. We're not going to bother if its cloudy though!
Followed by drinks in the Coach and Horses Inn in Weatheroak afterwards
Our bike ride on our serviced bikes
Walking through the sunflower field with Caroline when she came to stay
Feeding the koi carp in the aquarium at Beckets Farm
Very hungry fish!
Caroline and Jackie in front of St Martins Church in the Bull Ring, Birmingham
On the Black Sabbath Bridge on Broad Street, Birmingham. They have erected a camera opposite so we had to use it
After Caroline left Bev and Iain came to stay and, on Thursday we had a day out sightseeing in lovely Henley In Arden, followed by Warwick and Leamington Spa, another Spa town
The wonderful Kurzi Lamb in our village Indian restaurant
Followed by drinks and chat in our back garden on a warm evening, finally going to bed about 2:00am
Saturday early afternoon we met up with Ming, Manu and Helen for a Chinese lunch at the Ivy Lounge in Birmingham City Centre
A walk through Grand Central Station in Birmingham past Ozzzy the Bull
This is the tiny theatre in the Old Joint Stock pub in Birmingham. The pub is a fabulous old building that used to be a bank and this small room in the back is a theatre. There were about 40 of us in the audience for this musical, The Shocking Truth about the Flat Earth,, which was extremely well done and a good laugh
We caught the train back to Alvechurch and had a couple in our local, The Weighbridge. The Worcestershire Sway was excellent!
Sunday morning breakfast out at the Ritual cafe in Alvechurch
Our Sunday visit to The Barn in Studley, selling off the wall garden and home ornaments gave us a new addition to the garden, a crocodile. There he is hiding by the fern on the left. We haven't finalised his name yet, either Colin or Cecil
It meant that Barbar the elephant had to move position
This is a spot the cat photo of Luna in our garden one morning while we were outside having breakfast
Well, its Tuesday again and, guess what? We're with John and Brian again, this time having breakfast at the Boatyard Cafe in Beeston Marina in Nottinghamshire (or is it Derbyshire, I'm never quite sure, its on the border)
We had a second cup of tea - Hello Lovely!
After 12 odd km the Steamboat Inn beckoned at Trent Lock, the junction of the Erewash Canal with the River Trent
We finished the walk at Long Eaton Station, making it 14.5km in total. It turns out that Long Eaton station now stands where Sawley Junction used to be. Due to alterations in the track layout (you can see it in the 4 diagrams above) the original Long Eaton station was demolished and Sawley Junction renamed Long Eaton in 1968
We had to change trains in Birmingham for our train home so took the opportunity of calling into the Good Intent pub in the city for a final couple before going home. So ends a busy month back in the UK!
We were up and out promptly, early for BC time, but an hour later in Alberta. The weather forecast was for rain with us. Calgary had had crazy amounts of rain on Sunday, Canmore was flooded, Kananaskis, where Richelle wanted to take us hiking was inaccessible with mud slides and bridges washed out, and the Trans Canada road had been blocked, with another fatality on Sunday too. We were a little nervous about the 4 1/2 hour journey ahead of us!
The rain up to the high point of Rogers Pass was fairly horrendous, though once we'd gone over it did calm down a little. Our plan was to stop at Wapta falls (yes, another waterfall) at the halfway point. It was touch and go whether we would be in rain or not. We got the last spot in the carpark and it wasn't raining, a good sign surely?
It said it was 2.2km, but I asked a couple if they'd been and they said it had taken them an hour in and probably 45minutes out. That seemed a long time, longer than I wanted to spend so we set off at a pace. We got to the first view point just as the rain started, but we went to the next two points before turning round and marching out at a great rate of knots. There were far more people walking out than had been at the falls so we guess they were put off by the rain. Walking two abreast, with their umbrellas did make them difficult to overtake. Brian had almost made it past the front runners when he slipped in the mud, right in front of them. Very damaging for the ego, and somehow his head and his rotator cuff in his left shoulder! And he'd been worried about me and my ankle!
Lunch, fabulous chicken sandwiches with the leftover roast we'd had for dinner for the last two nights, and we carried on. I messaged Richelle, as we passed Banff and got phone signal who seemed a little surprised at our progress.
We arrived in good time, about a minute before Richelle who had been at the grocery store, stocking up for us. The dogs went mad and it was just like coming home. She was still bewailing the weather for the end of June and just to back her up, it threw it down, again. Who cares, it's margarita and fajita night and we are having a chilling day tomorrow!
Day 51 Wednesday Calgary
Richelles back garden and the lake beyond
We'd planned a chilled day, and a chilled day we had. We chatted, cuddled dogs, ate, drank and finally made it out on the lake. Not necessarily in that order. The weather cleared up, finally, and Richelle and I went out for a paddle, using the board as a kayak. I did stand up, but didn't go far, didn't want to fall in, but I did get up and safely down again.
Jackie and Richelle paddleboarding
We made the mistake of coming too close to Brian, the dock and the dogs, but fortunately big dog Morgan opted for Richelle's board while I just had Bailey as a figure head. A job she did remarkably well, she even transferred boards without causing any upsets. Brian did have a quick go but his shoulder wasn't up to too much, though it is feeling better.
A thoroughly enjoyable day, just what we needed.
While dogletts waited patiently
Jackie doing proper paddleboarding
Bailey joined Jackie on her board
Big Morgan dog wanted to join Richelle on hers too
I had a little go too
And Morgan thought it would be ok to join me
She's a big dog when she decides she needs some fuss
Watching the sunset over the lake from her sun terrace
Day 52 Thursday Calgary
The day for a hike, though not where Richelle had been planning, that was still a no go area. We headed out to Blue rock provincial park, to see what we could see. Because we weren't going as far we could take 14 year old Bailey too so that was a plus.
The scenery was different from anything else we'd seen, not as jaw dropping as the Rockies, but very pretty and without the crowds. I was sitting in the front, as chief spotter, much to Bailey's disgust. This is her seat! I'm not sure she's have pointed out the deer or the bear that I did though.
Out for our hike the next day
We had to do a linear walk, picking our way carefully to avoid the mud and standing water. The circular walk was out as that involved crossing the river on some stones we couldn't even see! We'd expected to carry Bailey at some point, but she'd trotted along with her tail on the air and done the whole walk. Until she got back to the car when even getting in was a problem.
Little Bailey was feeling a bit tired at the picnic break at the end
We moved on to a picnic spot for lunch before continuing on to Diamond Valley where Richelle's daughter Colleena lives with her boyfriend. We met her dogs and horses before leaving our two dogs with her so we could go to the pub (she was invited obviously, but had a stinking cold, so declined). It was wing night at the brewery, so along with some very tasty beer we had 2lb of wings between us. Fabulous.
The river was very full after the recent rain
Pick up the dogs and home for a shower and chill on the terrace.
I'm glad we had our shower as I was woken up in the night by a hideous screeching noise in the utility room. I woke Brian, who identified which bit of the hot water system it probably was, but I still needed to wake Richelle, two floors up. Sensibly she flicked the breaker on the whole system, the noise stopped and we all went back to bed.
Day 53 Friday Calgary
Arriving at the Calgary Stampede. The sign says its the greatest outdoor show in the world!
Our last full day in Canada and we had a big day planned, we were off to the opening day of the Calgary Stampede. We left the house at 11.30, no cowboy boots, but jeans, check shirts and denim jackets. Parked at the nearby station and got on the C train to take us to the showground, along with an awful lot of other people. We walked through the rides, fast food wagons and fairground games trying not to lose each other. It was like a fair in the UK but on an entirely different scale. Then there were the barns with stock, stalls, the 'heavy' Clydesdale Horses, all sorts of things we weren't used to.
Jackie and Richelle consult the programme to plan our day
We didn't have too long to wander though, the rodeo started at 13.30. We'd left Richelle to get seats and they were great, not far off centre, level 2 and enough rows back to be undercover in case of sun or rain. We had no idea what was going on but we had the perfect guide. I've still lost track of all the events but there was bareback bucking bronco riding, saddled bronco riding, ladies barrel race, roping and all sorts. The one that changed the few in the stadium though was steer wrestling. The first two competitors were disqualified as they lassoed the steer but then it flew through the air landing on its back. They both got up and trotted away, but it was horrible to watch. I don't think the man sitting next to me approved of me cheering for the calf!
The three of us in front of the Calgary Stampede sculpture
It was all an absolute experience. There was another moment though, one of the novice bareback riders was thrown almost immediately, and almost appeared to have been knocked out before he hit the floor as he went straight down without any attempt to break his fall, and then didn't move. It's been impossible to find out what happened to him and it just shows how dangerous the whole thing is. So that was three hours during which we'd eaten doughnuts and the sandwiches we'd taken. We walked the park a little more before stopping for a drink and something to eat. We caught a little of the BMX show, and saw all sorts of hideous things we didn't want to eat.
We had really good seats in the grandstand. This was the opening ceremony with the Canadian National Anthem, 'O Canada' being sung
We then went back into the stadium for the evening. Most people wouldn't do all this in one day, but it was now or never. The evening is chuck wagon racing, bareback relay from the First Nations, which isn't one horse many riders, but one rider, many horses. They were amazing. Then there was the stadium show. A whole stage was tractored in. Bands, dancers, singers and performers. The headline actually was High Valley a multi platinum country band which didn't mean anything to us but obviously did to a lot of people. The acts were amazing, gymnasts, tap dancers and two brothers, Sylla brothers, who I almost couldn't watch as it seemed almost certain one of them would fall.
Then there was the drone light show, then the fireworks, it was not what we expected but amazing.
We were out by 23.15 and amazingly managed to squeeze onto the first train home. A glass of wine and some snacks rounded off a brilliant day, and was a great finale to our Canada trip.
Have a look at this Youtube video showing parts of the various crazy races
Day 54 and 55 home.
We tried to sleep in, but it's not easy, so a gentle start. Pack, walk the dogs, sensible lunch before heading off to the airport for our flight home. Air Canada might be my new favourite airline. Once you've checked in your bags you get notified that they have been received, that they have been loaded, unloaded and on the carousel. That's really good for the Jackanoia.
Out for a final walk with the dogs on our last day
The flight was ok, the usual, only 8 1/2 hours so by the time you've watched a movie and been fed, and then woken up for breakfast there isn't much time for uncomfortable sleeping. A long wait for our Bus home, which departed on time and actually arrived early. Then the train to Alvechurch and walk home. Now it's Sunday at 18.00. Throw open all the windows and then visit the co-op to get something for dinner and breakfast and then struggle to stay awake till a sensible going to bed time.
We were looking for beavers in the river but settled for this deer
And this very cute squirrel. That's all from Canada for now, we're now back in Blighty where the weather is tropical - 31C today!
