Thanksgiving weekend

We had discussed poor weather conditions as 'unlikely' in October in Kananaskis - John assured me that we might have rain but not snow. But you know, being the worrying type, I got the snow tyres put on during the car service last week and it is rather like that woman said in The Matrix, What is bugging me now - would it have snowed if I hadn't put the snow tyres on.


And here are the Moose family that kept us entertained - Mummy moose, baby moose and daddy moose in the background.. just how he negotiates between the trees with that crazy head-dress astounded me.

This is a nice abstract shot of what happens to your paint-work in the snowy conditions once a Moose has licked all the salt off!

It was such a wonderful weekend - Mount Engadine Lodge... with snow and cold that just begged to be balanced up with log fires and outdoor hot tubbing. Not to mention the wonderful vegi, celi, and normal food!
We were introduced to The Game of LIfe by Bailey and Catchphrase (= hilarity) by 'The Sisters' who were also on a weekend break celebrating them all being together after two of them had been severely tested by medical conditions. It was wonderful - riotous indeed, joining their Catchphrase game... a game I must get hold of, 'from 8 to 80' is certainly true for that one.
Our 3 hour walk on the Sunday took us to Watridge Lake but it was too cold to sit long for lunch(ca -16C) and we headed back instead of onwards to Spring. The biggest spring in North America was saved for our next visit.

John got some wonderful photos (See the arty web pages soon) for little pain as it isn't yet the -40 degrees we expect soon.
Returning from Engadine we went to Banff to see the Glacier exhibition by Jan Kabatoff at the Whyte Museum it was really really worth the visit. Many encaustic pieces but also photography and installations in wax, silk and 4000 water bottles containing samples of water from the glaciers she visited. Since we hadn't been there before we also took in the exhibition about the Luxton family and 100 years of Parks' wardens'. I was intrigued by the thimbled fringe on an outfit made for Mrs Luxton and a pressed flower album.



It was an especially nice weekend because Bailey joined us and kept Dan smiling, and kept Aliya busy making Halloween themed cards.

On the way home I predicted that this week we would have the crazy day in Calgary, the one where drivers don't do very well at clicking into the winter driver mentality. Sure enough we awoke to 3cm of snow and more falling, there were hundreds of 'fender benders' across Calgary and it took 1.5 hours round trip to school and back (journey of 20 mins normally) and John ca 50 mins to walk to work watching cars pirouetting on the snowy hills on-route. So here we go winter is a-coming....