July Hike

Today Terry and I hiked in the J.J. Collett Natural Area near Lacombe, AB.  Our hiking partners, Grant and Marg Sharp, Suzanne's parents, introduced us to the 635 acres set aside for hiking and outdoor education.   The area is classified as Aspen Parkland, a mixture of shrubs, aspen trees, white spruce, on moist, shady hillsides, and open meadows. 
Marg and Terry stride along in front of me as we set off.  We had to keep moving because the mosquitoes wanted to share our blood.  My Young Living citronella oil kept them away from me, as I wore shorts instead of covering my legs.

Bluebells, or Harebells

 Here are some of the flowers I snapped.

Alberta's provincial flower, the Wild Rose

 

Brown-Eyed Susan- Gaillardia

Mountain Daisy?

Northern Bedstraw

Twin-flower

Bunchberry- Dwarf Dogwood

Best of all, was the enormous moose I heard crashing through the underbrush!  Fortunately we didn't meet him on the path, but we stared at each other through the trees.  What looks like sticks above his head is really a huge rack of antlers.

We got our exercise today with 6.6 km, over 11,000 steps, and climbed the equivalent of 25 flights of stairs.  I think the day's high was 23 degrees C.  A satisfying hike!

Double Birthday Date

Terry and I found ourselves taking both boys out on their birthday lunch date at the same time, since that helped their mother as she went to her exercise class with the two girls. Matteo is turning eight, and Elliston, six, within two days of each other.

The boys didn't seem to mind, and enjoyed their lunch at Fatburger.  Matteo and I had been debating for weeks as to what we should do on the birthday date. After all sorts of crazy suggestions such as going to Calaway amusement park, (a bit out of Terry's and my comfort zone) I was relieved that having a Dairy Queen Blizzard [swirled ice cream with different additives] sounded exciting.

So after lunch, Dairy Queen it was. Never mind that it wasn't ice cream weather!








The boys were very keen on going to our place to finish building the rest of the Lego sets I had found for them.
"Why do you only have girly Lego?"  asked Elliston.
"That's what I found at the yard sale,"  I replied.
They enjoyed it anyway.  Matteo put together the hairdressing salon in record time.

  It had taken me at least a couple of hours to assemble when I was testing it last winter.
Elliston put together a pink jeep with various accessories.  They were both very good at following what Matteo called the "map", aka the instruction booklet, showing what to do, step by step with pictures.

Meanwhile I was icing the birthday cupcakes.  It was #1 Son's birthday as well.
The boys licked the beaters and were thrilled to each take a cupcake home.

The boys found a couple of other things in Grandma's closet to amuse themselves with.  All too soon it was time to be taken home.

Alas, we forgot to grab the story I was going to read them on the twelve minute ride home.

The next morning, Elliston and I had our traditional birthday morning conversation on FaceTime. This is always a dizzying experience because he carries his mum's phone around, and the image is never just still.
Finally, he shut himself into his closet and said to his siblings,
"Shut the door and let me have some peace to talk."
"What piece is that?"  asked his three year old sister.
Then, wielding his new water gun he told me, "I'm sending you love rays with my gun.  That makes you love me!"
"I love you, anyway, " I replied.

Oh, the life of a grandparent!