tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76303270612878060632024-03-05T01:30:29.302-07:00Anna's Next AdventureA commentary on my life as an Australian in CanadaAnna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.comBlogger788125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-20652295454732584042014-01-16T19:55:00.001-07:002014-01-16T19:55:35.826-07:00Saying goodbye (for now) ... <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Well, it’s been a while. Over six months in fact. And what a big six months it has been. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Filled with highs, lows and many other interesting experiences.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Since my last post in June 2013, I have:</span></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shipped Abbey from Canada to Australia.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Moved back to Australia (into a lovely inner-city apartment with my mum)</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Secured and completed a six month teaching position at an independent Jewish school in Melbourne. (And not being Jewish myself meant that this experience created a steep learning curve!)</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Been through a rigorous interview process and landed a plum job at one of Melbourne’s best co-educational private schools.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Graduated from my Master of Education program.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that’s just all the practical stuff. The emotions that come with all those events have taken their toll and that, combined with 18 months of straight teaching, meant that by the time summer holidays came around, I was exhausted. I’ve had a couple of weeks to wind down and I’m now ready to consider the adventures that lay ahead.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIss5wtfSVuiVPU8T_qyeVEMIoifs8Mmi4RZLAENbVGbe5T6lRMuR3h3I_XFRgzNqk5h48K-IS_yxs_Aru7v2uS0Vz2bp26fsCaMdAjiJeIO7LtTCjU_UoqWvEfBR3lCNyC4v8hPva5iJ/s1600/IMG_1943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIss5wtfSVuiVPU8T_qyeVEMIoifs8Mmi4RZLAENbVGbe5T6lRMuR3h3I_XFRgzNqk5h48K-IS_yxs_Aru7v2uS0Vz2bp26fsCaMdAjiJeIO7LtTCjU_UoqWvEfBR3lCNyC4v8hPva5iJ/s1600/IMG_1943.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>First travel experience in China - Yangshuo, October 2008</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After much consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to finish up with this blog. It has been over five years since I posted the first piece as I moved to China. I could never have guessed the pleasure that I could have gained from writing and posting pictures about the amazing adventures I was lucky enough to experience during my years as an expat. It’s an experience I’d like to enjoy again (possibly Asia again and maybe Europe) but for the moment, I’m looking forward to re-establishing my life in Melbourne, re-aquainting myself with old friends and re-discovering Melbourne with all the amazing experiences the city has to offer.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJv6rhJd_1178KVwn1M4cn5_QDWPJ41K1Y3-y3ULTyPgYmas5DvpUYpYOI6UrY_Nh54wGm9eML6Ym5G_DovawGdYgBt9nNwJv-ULM1-HAPhbWWyuvnI2TGS5DuqEF2qe2D_RxHGj8wO11P/s1600/IMG_7978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJv6rhJd_1178KVwn1M4cn5_QDWPJ41K1Y3-y3ULTyPgYmas5DvpUYpYOI6UrY_Nh54wGm9eML6Ym5G_DovawGdYgBt9nNwJv-ULM1-HAPhbWWyuvnI2TGS5DuqEF2qe2D_RxHGj8wO11P/s1600/IMG_7978.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hiking in Canada - Galatea Lakes, August 2012</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I still plan to keep ‘Anna’s Next Adventure’ online (never say never, right?) and may possibly post some of upcoming travel adventures but for the foreseeable future, I plan to focus my writing energies on starting and maintaining a professional blog, writing about and reflecting on the adventures I’ll be having in my classroom at my new school with the 24 young souls in my charge. </span></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you for participating in my journey.</span></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Until next time, happy adventures.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-19301502546840153052013-06-02T18:04:00.000-06:002013-06-02T18:04:00.525-06:00Long weekend road trip ... <div style="text-align: center;">
The long weekend seems like it was forever ago but it's only now that I'm getting around to sharing photos. A colleague and I took off on a girls weekend to Jasper, enjoying the sights along the way. On the Friday night we drove to Lake Louise where we stopped for the night, getting up super early on Saturday morning to watch the sun rise over Lake Louise. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpsFawNFgcRyMrCJmTE_KbCUiHP1L8SKEr2YCK45tdywrd4Hi9W6NAC9p4rSIfF-38_zKUXVXngAsDzTK3s1dBY9qRfYEPktvq2RDAGcL3HKWYX7zp3Hx06C3Z2ZgmWepb-bNOWU7cPnF/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.00-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpsFawNFgcRyMrCJmTE_KbCUiHP1L8SKEr2YCK45tdywrd4Hi9W6NAC9p4rSIfF-38_zKUXVXngAsDzTK3s1dBY9qRfYEPktvq2RDAGcL3HKWYX7zp3Hx06C3Z2ZgmWepb-bNOWU7cPnF/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.00-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thawing Lake Louise (Friday pm)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1-V_939tPFhEH4-KDN5a5xbiUGkIQ90PwC-4iXShGBl8i9Lq7dSBXHKuNkhZNwu9YbJhrzO0DQPc7mDls0fwhTLjfr6dUs4YAGFTEc880xs40z_PBPgbU6qbaWPCc5IdxzwoKqrMUtjy/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1-V_939tPFhEH4-KDN5a5xbiUGkIQ90PwC-4iXShGBl8i9Lq7dSBXHKuNkhZNwu9YbJhrzO0DQPc7mDls0fwhTLjfr6dUs4YAGFTEc880xs40z_PBPgbU6qbaWPCc5IdxzwoKqrMUtjy/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Same view but early Sat am</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWD-gFpHUhHmBqcAohLSVqEO7XuqeECwQGaBflDjXKaJoAdB3KE5jITtvvzUxqOvfS5zfTzdlJL07evaLn_4VVQwImqlZVhZ5mW0Te2W2cRtJnN-5g7lWwepNHYdFVgxfAGmZ5wQLKg_W/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.26-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWD-gFpHUhHmBqcAohLSVqEO7XuqeECwQGaBflDjXKaJoAdB3KE5jITtvvzUxqOvfS5zfTzdlJL07evaLn_4VVQwImqlZVhZ5mW0Te2W2cRtJnN-5g7lWwepNHYdFVgxfAGmZ5wQLKg_W/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.26-1.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lovely reflections and clear water</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Later that morning, we began the drive up the Icefield Parkway which Lonely Planet named the number one thing to do in Canada. The views were okay (!) ...</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WkXjwrxQtTinRo6bT4KQQYp9w1AVW4i3O3s4QXe40kTLLziU5sCEL6kG_dCiBtSzODjS8XdAnbJRI4j8cLllDwTlo5OJr8WW4AY3WSF-bmQahP0so8ljhg6vcb39994hvKObJoWmaiYx/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WkXjwrxQtTinRo6bT4KQQYp9w1AVW4i3O3s4QXe40kTLLziU5sCEL6kG_dCiBtSzODjS8XdAnbJRI4j8cLllDwTlo5OJr8WW4AY3WSF-bmQahP0so8ljhg6vcb39994hvKObJoWmaiYx/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_fFCgcTMWwCGci5c_Si1alJariemKYIt8T-MorWmEn4_zSVAbhNokceA3PIzBZHpP_toKrsffHt2CuDrIiqd_fYMbELyCmFCkCC7xfdjyggfNamsF35AhgZNBHqdN2uT52UJlH8bqmY3/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_fFCgcTMWwCGci5c_Si1alJariemKYIt8T-MorWmEn4_zSVAbhNokceA3PIzBZHpP_toKrsffHt2CuDrIiqd_fYMbELyCmFCkCC7xfdjyggfNamsF35AhgZNBHqdN2uT52UJlH8bqmY3/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.41.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirog5zPUfp7ympYgxNepl_9Lh9j2sRWrRlI4W4T5kqhJM5_2th2I3lIhjzYj_zBfOjRuxa2f2pFaiBN30jlkb-NPHkK8rfWecvzkoIeuN9bfmEQVGq2A4udBTRLzRkR1sY-fqN2XX1dBV3/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.00-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirog5zPUfp7ympYgxNepl_9Lh9j2sRWrRlI4W4T5kqhJM5_2th2I3lIhjzYj_zBfOjRuxa2f2pFaiBN30jlkb-NPHkK8rfWecvzkoIeuN9bfmEQVGq2A4udBTRLzRkR1sY-fqN2XX1dBV3/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.00-36.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbAbXkVkmU9b9tIZaYDRDFlOL47izjyNIDtfQIjkSh_BGi02WPQSb4Eofc7_MfDKkj4pnCVidPSMqKkFKc0L-4PMSogdsZMkDQYBjvGVh0-G95w4CX2-jFFszMaCcjER7BHQykeN0Z411/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.02-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbAbXkVkmU9b9tIZaYDRDFlOL47izjyNIDtfQIjkSh_BGi02WPQSb4Eofc7_MfDKkj4pnCVidPSMqKkFKc0L-4PMSogdsZMkDQYBjvGVh0-G95w4CX2-jFFszMaCcjER7BHQykeN0Z411/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.02-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Along the way, we stopped at a number of 'must see' spots, including Peyto Lake where the snow was still very deep ... </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1WtLJDp_kA1UDZhEXOJwHc3A7FPgPZWcZD_0UgV-Q2wdiwrg9kxu0vsFWK7icbLy-etboSPsl7a5vcu2EXuA1DBWENZIE80u2Py9ih46BgRxvv3x851wv-x4CMaTaCX9a1mMoiRaMG1H/s1600/DSCN3474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1WtLJDp_kA1UDZhEXOJwHc3A7FPgPZWcZD_0UgV-Q2wdiwrg9kxu0vsFWK7icbLy-etboSPsl7a5vcu2EXuA1DBWENZIE80u2Py9ih46BgRxvv3x851wv-x4CMaTaCX9a1mMoiRaMG1H/s400/DSCN3474.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fence post sticks out of the super deep snow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OoSTwZk764RK653TzCST6pP3d1fPpQatsFSL2Ct8BeKpUwTAJsMoTBpFv656a3-_eqZQdptsmXAxHbFzvQAjFVzD2-e094GAq0WEKIhKRGRK8KkgiOk9MdS0zH9MO4GgG9KUaBOSlw7d/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OoSTwZk764RK653TzCST6pP3d1fPpQatsFSL2Ct8BeKpUwTAJsMoTBpFv656a3-_eqZQdptsmXAxHbFzvQAjFVzD2-e094GAq0WEKIhKRGRK8KkgiOk9MdS0zH9MO4GgG9KUaBOSlw7d/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Peyto Lake</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnP9NpW_y0-2aYpJOp_dCX5gBaFPes45OVsuHJJBzJzDrEFn13EQmFsKPyru4DeGHvvCXztui66HBTLjANvanHsflaw0Ujjcd54h8T7tPVXaxQbRgAOazXbGg-REKeEme9fm78DwhswyK/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnP9NpW_y0-2aYpJOp_dCX5gBaFPes45OVsuHJJBzJzDrEFn13EQmFsKPyru4DeGHvvCXztui66HBTLjANvanHsflaw0Ujjcd54h8T7tPVXaxQbRgAOazXbGg-REKeEme9fm78DwhswyK/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.54.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UQRvaglY7Dmg4tRlantuX7qnTHRJCtfq-yP3j0XUD9Rd081XscD1_i80MJlDQ6JtoAeNXzP7tXEhPrWhhoI-VboI34QWniQ4ywjVGecEjnqktqedWAVVIWyaLpH4xRoJvB8V-GTlisqV/s1600/2000-01-01+00.03.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UQRvaglY7Dmg4tRlantuX7qnTHRJCtfq-yP3j0XUD9Rd081XscD1_i80MJlDQ6JtoAeNXzP7tXEhPrWhhoI-VboI34QWniQ4ywjVGecEjnqktqedWAVVIWyaLpH4xRoJvB8V-GTlisqV/s400/2000-01-01+00.03.04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5CMDYdRmdZb3JSwRnhCSw0wgllLpu_bngpJCkTZF1yXNk9eAtyL_kRG0cNeD0TJDyM65pWBtoZeeTC5rFn7WZf0U7pNJn-MJJVvTXIgCQ1N8BkqW5ao9Kh2XL4tLu9DW9NUlaBwu4P08/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5CMDYdRmdZb3JSwRnhCSw0wgllLpu_bngpJCkTZF1yXNk9eAtyL_kRG0cNeD0TJDyM65pWBtoZeeTC5rFn7WZf0U7pNJn-MJJVvTXIgCQ1N8BkqW5ao9Kh2XL4tLu9DW9NUlaBwu4P08/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We took the scenic route back to the car park and got stuck in the snow along with these other ladies!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
... and Columbia Icefield which is actually more impressive than the photos suggest ...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQPDlVqOcIuGBvPV_HLUC5YYFi3ddbPCXsKOow4ZC9-oFAu2vm2mrL4CX_tcZd_5oYAAk8pDpn-V2OdmqC7Ff-qP_hXm5Z1YkPyuLDSpoKhXCX9cqI8n9aGYYopn4FUaAahW8WtL16qX4/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.00-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQPDlVqOcIuGBvPV_HLUC5YYFi3ddbPCXsKOow4ZC9-oFAu2vm2mrL4CX_tcZd_5oYAAk8pDpn-V2OdmqC7Ff-qP_hXm5Z1YkPyuLDSpoKhXCX9cqI8n9aGYYopn4FUaAahW8WtL16qX4/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.00-18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Athabasca Glacier (forefront) and Columbia Icefield (way at the back)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtHHyMvu4g52byoQ2LanTXd-4wBGHbHuT1ZahU5mSDTz4z0LCP0Sctxz_xNKdUyvF8hafCBT8BrZAREwrDDe8GiKX6TVe-MpwaBNaE-jhNsyAY60sQqqqjSp9AJSojPw9RMcCUb3GVDuv/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.00-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtHHyMvu4g52byoQ2LanTXd-4wBGHbHuT1ZahU5mSDTz4z0LCP0Sctxz_xNKdUyvF8hafCBT8BrZAREwrDDe8GiKX6TVe-MpwaBNaE-jhNsyAY60sQqqqjSp9AJSojPw9RMcCUb3GVDuv/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.00-19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The frigid waters at the bottom of the glacier</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
We didn't see as much wildlife as we thought we might have but a highlight was seeing a black bear cub on the side of the road. Well, it was actually hard to see it from the impressive crowd that had gathered, most of whom were standing only 3-4 metres away from the bear which is incredibly stupid - where there is a baby bear, mamma bear is not far away! And I know I wouldn't want to be standing that close to a mamma bear with babies to protect!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl21B9icYAFIWeceC9DeY6SlxfbvnRp0BMvU59jgqDxCIr9psU8Td0y3SEfhutPFndZRpNP1OTWRBGfIJSzUt1wrrUAbqzdTMdkobUUFQQGTqqnpppn9J-BB_zrKvn8cFeFBzjt_ZrNkJT/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.40-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl21B9icYAFIWeceC9DeY6SlxfbvnRp0BMvU59jgqDxCIr9psU8Td0y3SEfhutPFndZRpNP1OTWRBGfIJSzUt1wrrUAbqzdTMdkobUUFQQGTqqnpppn9J-BB_zrKvn8cFeFBzjt_ZrNkJT/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.40-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Moulting elk on the side of the road</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTmq8HYh8FKzQpuWvFISfGUGt4VCmqOEcn1guKktfnVhTOA2kQjobvIyPHd86U0lOkiJvHJezMvdu3sjeSKK2UsI9iVU46cImkwSNIHqwN3CfVlg9C7fSrwgpa4y5yckDNVGizIBZsgyB/s1600/2000-01-01+00.03.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTmq8HYh8FKzQpuWvFISfGUGt4VCmqOEcn1guKktfnVhTOA2kQjobvIyPHd86U0lOkiJvHJezMvdu3sjeSKK2UsI9iVU46cImkwSNIHqwN3CfVlg9C7fSrwgpa4y5yckDNVGizIBZsgyB/s400/2000-01-01+00.03.19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Maligne Lake</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Ob1Y7trgW73Q_NZG5th2YBZSjzncVbeUGd5neuwHNJBodBMkcEOydCdmlfo9h5UPRZG6uAAEyJhO_rYqPwBz1UkRgg41hbCSMBTIEh3OnajQgDRk15k2hyULoITUl_PhDNSma7B1AqtQ/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Ob1Y7trgW73Q_NZG5th2YBZSjzncVbeUGd5neuwHNJBodBMkcEOydCdmlfo9h5UPRZG6uAAEyJhO_rYqPwBz1UkRgg41hbCSMBTIEh3OnajQgDRk15k2hyULoITUl_PhDNSma7B1AqtQ/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-24.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking down into Maligne Canyon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-2h2k_npWjewX3TJSRevrWFC9Th_K1F2n-1Yc9mfRCuj1Dfgf52YHa2Scy6gMAnodXY1o_ejedTTUz6HYh-jmc36Ihv2lxoiJgaGXyORgIe2uLkiC5oy4ScsNxL8jB8v_A5jmcHJiVQL/s1600/2000-01-01+00.01.34-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-2h2k_npWjewX3TJSRevrWFC9Th_K1F2n-1Yc9mfRCuj1Dfgf52YHa2Scy6gMAnodXY1o_ejedTTUz6HYh-jmc36Ihv2lxoiJgaGXyORgIe2uLkiC5oy4ScsNxL8jB8v_A5jmcHJiVQL/s400/2000-01-01+00.01.34-1.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ice clings to the side of Maligne Canyon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
We also did a short hike (most of the trails are still snow covered ... yes, in mid-May!) which wasn't a super challenging hike but the reward at the end was quite satisfying ...</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUddyoOEAcP04X8oela62iDk5HL7FzW5Hhw5BA1NGAqfMsFeKMZbIj4bp5YhOIdYQm8xCqd8S0JLsWpOvGxMBzHrvuLQLCziqNDvwLOGTptIjYb2rW89t_xPx8B2rOvvA0x9ciEIYf9LS/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.00-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUddyoOEAcP04X8oela62iDk5HL7FzW5Hhw5BA1NGAqfMsFeKMZbIj4bp5YhOIdYQm8xCqd8S0JLsWpOvGxMBzHrvuLQLCziqNDvwLOGTptIjYb2rW89t_xPx8B2rOvvA0x9ciEIYf9LS/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.00-25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Summit Lake</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
On the drive home on Monday, we hit some of the other attractions that we missed on the way up ...</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFYLZwGSCNkH3ckX0egV-bVkzpCqWKZxgBiE3_hIog3YWNmJlhfioBkPXrAeBw4voNkhgRQ98fUQDNJH5v4m8R4hW02CQ72qBiyINSNCgIBMJ-HIpzZsx_OJ-7CRZEXV4MH_FUbOo5mef/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.16-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFYLZwGSCNkH3ckX0egV-bVkzpCqWKZxgBiE3_hIog3YWNmJlhfioBkPXrAeBw4voNkhgRQ98fUQDNJH5v4m8R4hW02CQ72qBiyINSNCgIBMJ-HIpzZsx_OJ-7CRZEXV4MH_FUbOo5mef/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.16-4.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Athabasca Falls ... lots and lots of water</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQb4laLuQ30Uv3vnwzwgJsSQ_NMHlt-TvG7PDbmhlkYaXwi8TARmNH1fSAA0kb6ZXMqh-WUSgYuBl9r7PECecls0WC78yLawHo0UB8gkCefYxsLmYjhGh2I8kMDm3m6dTbzIsU-o8nWYI1/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQb4laLuQ30Uv3vnwzwgJsSQ_NMHlt-TvG7PDbmhlkYaXwi8TARmNH1fSAA0kb6ZXMqh-WUSgYuBl9r7PECecls0WC78yLawHo0UB8gkCefYxsLmYjhGh2I8kMDm3m6dTbzIsU-o8nWYI1/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.36.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mistaya Canyon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lO5RJQ1p7TWLKxRBRfRRvgkay32R0h2REGMR3UNXP0FpNM4lPyXSlLy4ZK5ZQoF2LRTA_7NrZBJGOUOJWZxUm_7yUkgHB_t5j2v6k5mlp7QUqwnhr4TbwfLqYXXfofcd7JhyphenhyphenBa-XvhvJ/s1600/2000-01-01+00.01.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lO5RJQ1p7TWLKxRBRfRRvgkay32R0h2REGMR3UNXP0FpNM4lPyXSlLy4ZK5ZQoF2LRTA_7NrZBJGOUOJWZxUm_7yUkgHB_t5j2v6k5mlp7QUqwnhr4TbwfLqYXXfofcd7JhyphenhyphenBa-XvhvJ/s400/2000-01-01+00.01.41.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another beautiful lake!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I actually live so close to all of this. I truly do feel grateful for having these amazing experiences.</div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-24771871750550293082013-05-30T09:04:00.001-06:002013-05-30T09:05:06.013-06:00Cleaning up after the l o n g winter ...The spring rains are finally here and it's time to clean up after a long, snowy winter. The weather here provides a constant source of interest and curiosity as some things are so different. During the winter, I loved the 'Be an Angel, Shovel Your Neighbour's Walk' signs around the city (I never managed to get a picture though) and at the moment, these signs are making me smile (yes, I am easily amused) ...<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXMk2KeTlhRdEnVMnsq0q8oZBuiprcDWRQzlAcfqWwFUbbVpabyVVcfwEtSwZAxEuct_T-1t79H-Ti-_hiTzT6C6ZnUB0GhuWxvKUPPJGvZ-nqounAmmIQpmBHd1ZoKFExih7v_QkVu9q/s640/blogger-image-399785007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXMk2KeTlhRdEnVMnsq0q8oZBuiprcDWRQzlAcfqWwFUbbVpabyVVcfwEtSwZAxEuct_T-1t79H-Ti-_hiTzT6C6ZnUB0GhuWxvKUPPJGvZ-nqounAmmIQpmBHd1ZoKFExih7v_QkVu9q/s640/blogger-image-399785007.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Thanks to the gravel that is spread across the streets on snowy days in winter time, the streets are pretty yucky come spring time. So, the council come around and clean each street once the snow is gone. As you can see, our street was cleaned on Tuesday and looks super lovely now. Especially with the spring blossoms and green grass finally making an appearance!</div>Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-67619896233355707912013-05-13T18:09:00.000-06:002013-05-13T18:09:09.354-06:00Nose Hill on a spring day ... <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQN5kJEGIImj3fpxyPqOl-l8IwjQacpvr0o7g2N4ENCg3Db87OY6PwRCIaPCZww1UIf8jP00sIZOHgRg_HOrSw9sNH2hDsi9wMLFydlIzrNYe6WFkuZVgKDjiT264sWEB4VSQ7Eh2kVl1/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.09-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQN5kJEGIImj3fpxyPqOl-l8IwjQacpvr0o7g2N4ENCg3Db87OY6PwRCIaPCZww1UIf8jP00sIZOHgRg_HOrSw9sNH2hDsi9wMLFydlIzrNYe6WFkuZVgKDjiT264sWEB4VSQ7Eh2kVl1/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.09-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Heading towards the other side of the park and the beautiful Rockies</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Despite being swamped with my uni assignment at the moment, I'm still trying to get out and enjoy the lovely spring weather that Calgary has finally turned on. Having a dog helps as it's a great excuse to get outside and go for long walks. Nose Hill continues to be a favourite, especially on clear days when you can see the Rockies in the distance. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9GM3sDVsJ6t3l561z6Nyomf-qtU2Qyu63Bekwvphk5jAQDkvEnBJdjwKPZ6GDLI7ipOBPaqmBiTza_byo5bC54oUFhd_rj26KJkfgZ8htWcs0NgFuham5sPI-XSgxDsf_-HPJSCO2Ro4/s1600/2000-01-01+00.01.05-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9GM3sDVsJ6t3l561z6Nyomf-qtU2Qyu63Bekwvphk5jAQDkvEnBJdjwKPZ6GDLI7ipOBPaqmBiTza_byo5bC54oUFhd_rj26KJkfgZ8htWcs0NgFuham5sPI-XSgxDsf_-HPJSCO2Ro4/s400/2000-01-01+00.01.05-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Should I or shouldn't I?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVPoCcpCDD9aLYFO3EI7-vzs7D2w3LoVQfzipXtKYtIpRH-o5KDIhQFdbd-dP7nzEhyphenhyphenIgBzjn3vfDqJTg7By-72yLqWBiKCV4c5nwY28uaMX_UqbPtQBtP_7JCntlpClosA3qMwRdQww7/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.19-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVPoCcpCDD9aLYFO3EI7-vzs7D2w3LoVQfzipXtKYtIpRH-o5KDIhQFdbd-dP7nzEhyphenhyphenIgBzjn3vfDqJTg7By-72yLqWBiKCV4c5nwY28uaMX_UqbPtQBtP_7JCntlpClosA3qMwRdQww7/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.19-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... yes, why not!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6yY6J62cphK-7uf4Kx_akDKthaYAtT45WkU3NEQyZ2hqVlntxJ9NcfOSXKhfyzsS7ozIOFIaiN39UU4VpaAhh2P5RI-yivN1BVsRh4zBQbqeurKW00xRPWOYqi38NabeiegjSarga5GZ/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6yY6J62cphK-7uf4Kx_akDKthaYAtT45WkU3NEQyZ2hqVlntxJ9NcfOSXKhfyzsS7ozIOFIaiN39UU4VpaAhh2P5RI-yivN1BVsRh4zBQbqeurKW00xRPWOYqi38NabeiegjSarga5GZ/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-7.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87g67QKMA7DGaFWNtYdN80igHD_2yD8IAMFXK7zciDXfec3wR02xP2RTdOEpugOeoDyVZ7xZ5CPNSUTh2oXE6mbnvAgirQKfpgYGZH7L-YQymHpem1x5Ef793AXAbGDsOP9Qba2N13Xm4/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87g67QKMA7DGaFWNtYdN80igHD_2yD8IAMFXK7zciDXfec3wR02xP2RTdOEpugOeoDyVZ7xZ5CPNSUTh2oXE6mbnvAgirQKfpgYGZH7L-YQymHpem1x5Ef793AXAbGDsOP9Qba2N13Xm4/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lovely clear day to see the mountains</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_eTdebxycO5q45ET_NvWCdq0nLMfqWt2WpZDS9ocnwLN3tZWe5LbExuIr95ClaHhj329oFR083hP-pjMu9o1SuxsLPD7G4wd0UTuMpT6wYKZGRXWhc_80oJlyU6ggiqAvf6Pc6u6gRml/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.13-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_eTdebxycO5q45ET_NvWCdq0nLMfqWt2WpZDS9ocnwLN3tZWe5LbExuIr95ClaHhj329oFR083hP-pjMu9o1SuxsLPD7G4wd0UTuMpT6wYKZGRXWhc_80oJlyU6ggiqAvf6Pc6u6gRml/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.13-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hot dog!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoRdFaxMpJ_x75YDV9LOgLEtA0FpjlJrorFMutzPUVz_59X3YDST5DJ8EdCVXw3nHv1sQOVhlGjfSrshvE6qhwvRhmCLIEwgR4YvYmM72A-QsSrupyLc2UCctuSPz4-gvO8qW4ZxdkSuV/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoRdFaxMpJ_x75YDV9LOgLEtA0FpjlJrorFMutzPUVz_59X3YDST5DJ8EdCVXw3nHv1sQOVhlGjfSrshvE6qhwvRhmCLIEwgR4YvYmM72A-QsSrupyLc2UCctuSPz4-gvO8qW4ZxdkSuV/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.58.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Never-ending Rockies</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB9b8CrFTS71Q2iUXxnNcQSxr62fdKLEIJDCBsq-0y8IBwO7QbhvR_Oiq-wNknaTiX6a2lowcgprOVWedcv_gs8eYEMdN0tabrAa4KeV7-QXabOo0sPSqOqgWUpuyxYOhwga30b428-GP/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB9b8CrFTS71Q2iUXxnNcQSxr62fdKLEIJDCBsq-0y8IBwO7QbhvR_Oiq-wNknaTiX6a2lowcgprOVWedcv_gs8eYEMdN0tabrAa4KeV7-QXabOo0sPSqOqgWUpuyxYOhwga30b428-GP/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not so clear looking back to Calgary with a layer of smog engulfing the city</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-80901870156562331192013-05-12T18:37:00.000-06:002013-05-12T18:37:27.040-06:00Rocky Mountain Soap Company Women's Run ... <div style="text-align: center;">
It's Mother's Day here in Canada, so what better way to celebrate (given that I can't see my mum) than by running in the <a href="http://www.rmswomensrun.com/">Rocky Mountain Soap Company Women's Run</a> at the Nordic Centre in Canmore? I'd never run in an all-women's race before and it was a lot of fun. There was a definite feeling of girl power in the air as we did the 'Healthy Breast Dance' to warm up and then crossed the start line. The start of the race also held a unique aspect for me - a wildlife safety briefing. The Nordic Centre is known for its high population of bears and cougars (and I've become increasingly scared of the second animal rather than the first lately) because it is squeezed between the mountain and the town of Canmore, meaning that it is essentially a wildlife 'highway' for animals travelling up and down the Rockies. So, we were warned not to wear earbuds, try to run with others and given advice on what to do if we see wildlife (back off quietly if it's a bear, scream and shout if it's a cougar). And then we were off. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OqzuILNL-eeXSLJjtBhzmexTseMxy_87r_Lp7XMdjvvu-oCmg8HviBorhzWYvlSVLicR0rPZMe2nfmAuuN2qxEMgxhtvbohCtdTTVDPCoJgVtk4SQ-Z4XWj58L30t688MaF70GrX2tIw/s1600/2013-05-12+08.57.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OqzuILNL-eeXSLJjtBhzmexTseMxy_87r_Lp7XMdjvvu-oCmg8HviBorhzWYvlSVLicR0rPZMe2nfmAuuN2qxEMgxhtvbohCtdTTVDPCoJgVtk4SQ-Z4XWj58L30t688MaF70GrX2tIw/s400/2013-05-12+08.57.10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I had registered for the 10km event with the idea that it would motivate me to start serious running training again rather than my standard 1-2 times a week 6-8km jog around the river. With all the study I'm doing, I've been lucky to maintain my regular exercise routine (the runs plus a few weights sessions and lots of walking) so the extra training didn't happen. And I paid for it today. I have never run such a tough race. The 10km event consisted of two 5km loops of the incredibly hilly (read - all up and down, no flat bits at all!) and elevated course (the Nordic Centre has an elevation of 1400 metres above sea level). To top that off, today was one of the warmest days we've had this year. It was about 20 degrees when we were running which may not seem like a terribly hot temperature to run in but after 7 months of snow on the ground and temperatures in the negatives, it was mighty warm!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rxx_zyAC7NYTqSD1T25V1OMzmbPZrItvzkRhdaKLhJ57xNxCCvn5xNlc5ag2mm2u6NOkgq-V5EJmY5OTloXgnQymUfFG4Kd3xjR60ESeHXTVFJ_sBcuKPxMaAGMvTN6pjTjF-kjSxDUp/s1600/2013-05-12+09.04.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rxx_zyAC7NYTqSD1T25V1OMzmbPZrItvzkRhdaKLhJ57xNxCCvn5xNlc5ag2mm2u6NOkgq-V5EJmY5OTloXgnQymUfFG4Kd3xjR60ESeHXTVFJ_sBcuKPxMaAGMvTN6pjTjF-kjSxDUp/s400/2013-05-12+09.04.49.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbDwyMC_WPsxr-BEhA5-hJ-2biFaSpwQoQz03_sr8Ms8g9tqb4eY_uAyfItyGtderdqrI_37KM4Zfl0l7ERBzR5ccSm-xOuJ72GVarsNG8uUHSAt61KGZCUN9PKYwx_ggrHFpwYh58SQ1/s1600/2013-05-12+08.43.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbDwyMC_WPsxr-BEhA5-hJ-2biFaSpwQoQz03_sr8Ms8g9tqb4eY_uAyfItyGtderdqrI_37KM4Zfl0l7ERBzR5ccSm-xOuJ72GVarsNG8uUHSAt61KGZCUN9PKYwx_ggrHFpwYh58SQ1/s400/2013-05-12+08.43.15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The race was tough but I was very proud of myself when I finished. After not training, I set myself a goal of not stopping for the whole race (which was hard given the steep, steep hills) and simply running to enjoy the views of the majestic Rockies. I achieved those goals but as I got closer to the finish, I got a little competitive and tried to speed up. I didn't wear my watch (or iPod ... first tech-free race ever) so didn't know my time, but after questioning a girl who finished at about the same time as me, I worked out that I ran the race in about 1 hour and 1 minute. I was pretty stoked with that!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbriZ8tpZYfr10OLVbwTuYZPsBY82f6pKIvA-5AyHzkvwTRbZ3ppNaV0ABIML2j5Op-OTED__c9Hhnkpaym167iSNR-xF3JAq8cYtpuAt35wLCqDsaRFtybss5A1x1WW0xNogA8BqyLEE/s1600/2013-05-12+09.44.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbriZ8tpZYfr10OLVbwTuYZPsBY82f6pKIvA-5AyHzkvwTRbZ3ppNaV0ABIML2j5Op-OTED__c9Hhnkpaym167iSNR-xF3JAq8cYtpuAt35wLCqDsaRFtybss5A1x1WW0xNogA8BqyLEE/s400/2013-05-12+09.44.41.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnW402GnhGF35qL5X2HjCvhFGUO0-Z7PEwjqRnQkhLb0BZ6vgQzEKin-pTZntuPCX8Y95jVsnJEUcWtSa-aJZr4BPf2QOPw_Fs3aP2ulXCYWtKGAWOdT6NeXUs4vy3i-VMcDtj9qeXRaO/s1600/2013-05-12+09.45.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnW402GnhGF35qL5X2HjCvhFGUO0-Z7PEwjqRnQkhLb0BZ6vgQzEKin-pTZntuPCX8Y95jVsnJEUcWtSa-aJZr4BPf2QOPw_Fs3aP2ulXCYWtKGAWOdT6NeXUs4vy3i-VMcDtj9qeXRaO/s400/2013-05-12+09.45.31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKLM9UEumlb1ZHrMDWyx5UaVKoIOn0HkGdJ499s5KZxAAH4c1uoVCMky5uyr6UVlFHS7I8G74itd8kekPsg4JDrOAaRYtijghEzAMjiA5Oc9Bo5LwBw8GdSVbVZAgfoh23uX8Hc0xl4GD/s1600/2013-05-12+11.05.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKLM9UEumlb1ZHrMDWyx5UaVKoIOn0HkGdJ499s5KZxAAH4c1uoVCMky5uyr6UVlFHS7I8G74itd8kekPsg4JDrOAaRYtijghEzAMjiA5Oc9Bo5LwBw8GdSVbVZAgfoh23uX8Hc0xl4GD/s400/2013-05-12+11.05.15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c4pz9N1BZznB2yA2MK3M7QPiW7-SLpLn8vdcJIkjW8JNyUzHPWRXip9t7HGQ_yAcDsfxw9N_3DYvxvRoEWmiATECcpelQAG73PsIoShAw9j6To7hrqsX5jSk3yZKQagIE_AY1gOrC-OY/s1600/2013-05-12+11.31.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c4pz9N1BZznB2yA2MK3M7QPiW7-SLpLn8vdcJIkjW8JNyUzHPWRXip9t7HGQ_yAcDsfxw9N_3DYvxvRoEWmiATECcpelQAG73PsIoShAw9j6To7hrqsX5jSk3yZKQagIE_AY1gOrC-OY/s400/2013-05-12+11.31.21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-18939584799682459112013-04-21T19:56:00.000-06:002013-04-21T19:56:31.247-06:00A flying visit to Vancouver ...<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXBiH2zPFrSpo1MevJN47t1wtJvSslQS1MWUHZg_MmEfhn9446E5OHRGUVJOQKI4CywPFF5A8SnRSYD3bs2juq0ut5KjbzDw_f6KSltp2ml3ZimPRCqVr14QDNrxfuBuSOnxqUfpOfGNe/s1600/2000-01-01+00.01.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXBiH2zPFrSpo1MevJN47t1wtJvSslQS1MWUHZg_MmEfhn9446E5OHRGUVJOQKI4CywPFF5A8SnRSYD3bs2juq0ut5KjbzDw_f6KSltp2ml3ZimPRCqVr14QDNrxfuBuSOnxqUfpOfGNe/s400/2000-01-01+00.01.21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Granville Street on Monday evening</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On Tuesday this week, I had a flying visit to Vancouver. Since Calgary has no Australian Consulate and I needed a new passport, I had to fly to Vancouver to undergo the passport interview. I was there for less than 24 hours (I flew in on Monday night and was home Tuesday night) but managed to fit in lots of my favourite Vancouver activities during that time. I enjoyed breakfast at my favourite crepe restaurant, hired a bike and rode around Stanley Park, took a water taxi to Granville Island and enjoyed the amazing food at the public market. I explored the boutique shops on Granville Island, caught a water taxi to Yaletown and finally, jumped on the Canada Line train to the airport. It was a perfect day in Vancouver and gave me just the spring lift I needed ... how wonderful it was to see green grass and flowers blooming! Here are some pics from the day (taken with my new Canon 60D) ... </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUVT9j7QRqE7ziJc_9VK_OLQlAO5w1kBuuasnxXYgD7cSwOiiGj4taPuXCRCY5itTfdpn3KoMK8L3hIOyp8sXfFUJBvklV8roYDnRXx54G2ykdqC4EG_f5ppGHeSzJWRaCdqG085TH54h/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUVT9j7QRqE7ziJc_9VK_OLQlAO5w1kBuuasnxXYgD7cSwOiiGj4taPuXCRCY5itTfdpn3KoMK8L3hIOyp8sXfFUJBvklV8roYDnRXx54G2ykdqC4EG_f5ppGHeSzJWRaCdqG085TH54h/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lovely cherry blossoms in bloom</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_k1A4-YLt6kl_sHxmv0uVPqtK42q7cC69QN5NRbK3GvJIe8blZ4AV1ttQN0uyTIMNdbUgnGBgnr6zPJi59RS0VBLmU5lsZhCBcZvpSEabHBpFMI-y9hFeqG74LlVFPNkspC9KbZPgYQVZ/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.07-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_k1A4-YLt6kl_sHxmv0uVPqtK42q7cC69QN5NRbK3GvJIe8blZ4AV1ttQN0uyTIMNdbUgnGBgnr6zPJi59RS0VBLmU5lsZhCBcZvpSEabHBpFMI-y9hFeqG74LlVFPNkspC9KbZPgYQVZ/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.07-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... and more blossoms</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdpU4fkWwIqaFhLNTUfwrr9AS0Sdco_kQWfcvV9ZsimQKlio-5hNG-wOFBXKrvpyfm4MCoZKP2DfHXF_RDbsIm8wPA8NTPlMsFvKcRNRtL98NI5Jiq96CzvA_BgmRnyS9ffB5RbF-yedM/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdpU4fkWwIqaFhLNTUfwrr9AS0Sdco_kQWfcvV9ZsimQKlio-5hNG-wOFBXKrvpyfm4MCoZKP2DfHXF_RDbsIm8wPA8NTPlMsFvKcRNRtL98NI5Jiq96CzvA_BgmRnyS9ffB5RbF-yedM/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.08.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... and close up</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLdjR-nqLna38ft4CmkiRipwWXJQGSfUizynnloM5_-3syW_SUu7-3f6jIaxH5xGkSNlqLgYsnSUd5Zf6R2bvcBvaT-6Rbgm32_DRKo3KVIH6mItqWxxkXIQRQv-beHk_pKN90GSW_L7q/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLdjR-nqLna38ft4CmkiRipwWXJQGSfUizynnloM5_-3syW_SUu7-3f6jIaxH5xGkSNlqLgYsnSUd5Zf6R2bvcBvaT-6Rbgm32_DRKo3KVIH6mItqWxxkXIQRQv-beHk_pKN90GSW_L7q/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Flowers ... </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5GxwzpAaedRBuLkj3dfiRvY7XU3rMNjwkT9rDmQWWk3JTC5whSlpgOQ1dWQHGuP88TE_DTik3BNSTQqjSVw3xWauTRUZSb5qNgGEzAQbmmDY1qDk9XwU-NJo3G9JV_oDBKi7dAWbLGdJ/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5GxwzpAaedRBuLkj3dfiRvY7XU3rMNjwkT9rDmQWWk3JTC5whSlpgOQ1dWQHGuP88TE_DTik3BNSTQqjSVw3xWauTRUZSb5qNgGEzAQbmmDY1qDk9XwU-NJo3G9JV_oDBKi7dAWbLGdJ/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.00.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... and green grass!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8wjeUk14G91Jj8FHH6ACRS7eef1xsxi43PsMQueH8bniMzceZZ1HlRRu4cMjyN0vt3G2DIbBMCsA2lhkOhV7eG-usaN6Y0vztp57KZ2rwqShniNYf18DDc035uhyTuRVbu-83KuOH2yR/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8wjeUk14G91Jj8FHH6ACRS7eef1xsxi43PsMQueH8bniMzceZZ1HlRRu4cMjyN0vt3G2DIbBMCsA2lhkOhV7eG-usaN6Y0vztp57KZ2rwqShniNYf18DDc035uhyTuRVbu-83KuOH2yR/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.09.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5w-PepZBea3v_VyBdYe5DI5yMPr_g3rrtyKK5A8e8-wQrN54O7YUNOEjVNCAaY2Ql-ixPngprvgn4jF9ZjiPVaAwTZi5r8ciySVhFRJnJswnrwUjx2KIIALi1eyo-XOwXToE_khahslO/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5w-PepZBea3v_VyBdYe5DI5yMPr_g3rrtyKK5A8e8-wQrN54O7YUNOEjVNCAaY2Ql-ixPngprvgn4jF9ZjiPVaAwTZi5r8ciySVhFRJnJswnrwUjx2KIIALi1eyo-XOwXToE_khahslO/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.49.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Watching the sea planes</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtHauC7LvOTa9q-moZ5KihRp022S2U7wbnkZcnkPkNQBxdOpCDwUjEPBAG6TK_sUOjPNjoB47b2hSmjv0FiwFIPa0ll8PElvM14ntRudlm0wtAZIWO4rze4HGFvF_REF5ia0sBiUWzIZV/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.00-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtHauC7LvOTa9q-moZ5KihRp022S2U7wbnkZcnkPkNQBxdOpCDwUjEPBAG6TK_sUOjPNjoB47b2hSmjv0FiwFIPa0ll8PElvM14ntRudlm0wtAZIWO4rze4HGFvF_REF5ia0sBiUWzIZV/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.00-3.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This always reminds me of Huangshan in China!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9SdSrLzBagKoCyyZEVIGP3Wt6xGYYRBKz5XcJuXyEP70sinUcRQxz5S1vxLuDnQa_iDX1ZYecgOQpIxD2AHefbgIMHBIf3hIkeMQAD5oiIlKcBjgoe9-ACr-Ct0X3OLwQP4u9b2lb_fW/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.37-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9SdSrLzBagKoCyyZEVIGP3Wt6xGYYRBKz5XcJuXyEP70sinUcRQxz5S1vxLuDnQa_iDX1ZYecgOQpIxD2AHefbgIMHBIf3hIkeMQAD5oiIlKcBjgoe9-ACr-Ct0X3OLwQP4u9b2lb_fW/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.37-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lost Lagoon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM066MJOTtdBhPQE6X9LaOqSUn8dJyzc47m3f35cwNswXg-uP5A0a6bWPNc-9P9Mxy51YadeMupFsCOkF3lTbSPcQXxajxzj3UUubLdt62bX7HHK4O6N6iLgTCqUt9ONr5kCy25LhTFr6c/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.28-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM066MJOTtdBhPQE6X9LaOqSUn8dJyzc47m3f35cwNswXg-uP5A0a6bWPNc-9P9Mxy51YadeMupFsCOkF3lTbSPcQXxajxzj3UUubLdt62bX7HHK4O6N6iLgTCqUt9ONr5kCy25LhTFr6c/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.28-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeo9OhKBpTAjxfv3wAHUIZcUsbQlk-H7wxBKpeVN_FHmMdOuqI1KBhVZLayu8E6D_Pfm_BUe8xm_8ibtvBBVjsxEAa3I4eSz312msO1zATqULnIxW7JlaWSQgyIRzsK0nVAhVNt-Dgw1u/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.01-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeo9OhKBpTAjxfv3wAHUIZcUsbQlk-H7wxBKpeVN_FHmMdOuqI1KBhVZLayu8E6D_Pfm_BUe8xm_8ibtvBBVjsxEAa3I4eSz312msO1zATqULnIxW7JlaWSQgyIRzsK0nVAhVNt-Dgw1u/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.01-5.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lunch view on Granville Island</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggycIrwzASms8r4MU8S2ys1OkJ9cBwt774maHqQ5Pf9V92KugWlD5I_4AtegQXvuvnoXOlxNkw2fPV8NgDv-adYr6TTgJDEZi-2aTIPIt6LOhXFhF5o0qiAZ-EtR6jJ9cQlOp4VgNj4O0A/s1600/2000-01-01+00.00.00-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggycIrwzASms8r4MU8S2ys1OkJ9cBwt774maHqQ5Pf9V92KugWlD5I_4AtegQXvuvnoXOlxNkw2fPV8NgDv-adYr6TTgJDEZi-2aTIPIt6LOhXFhF5o0qiAZ-EtR6jJ9cQlOp4VgNj4O0A/s400/2000-01-01+00.00.00-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lady Anna</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-14345529034479049432013-04-15T13:14:00.001-06:002013-04-15T13:14:32.350-06:00Spring is (not) here ... <div style="text-align: center;">
It's supposed to be spring. The thought of spring conjures up images of green grass, blooming flowers and chirping birds. Not this ... </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vktqxd8j2KaMisIrSQ3e50MFJbr2zSNMPTZF2u04zR_2k1cZTPM2OdVjyxeXc6L2X4KQtYBe9pv4kLcr7GuZVo7mEmIu1JrsmW6RcrLzfxP1cMhr9hX4b_DJSuRWoRFjmUtjaap6sG3p/s1600/photo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vktqxd8j2KaMisIrSQ3e50MFJbr2zSNMPTZF2u04zR_2k1cZTPM2OdVjyxeXc6L2X4KQtYBe9pv4kLcr7GuZVo7mEmIu1JrsmW6RcrLzfxP1cMhr9hX4b_DJSuRWoRFjmUtjaap6sG3p/s400/photo-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5B06tfe_FpgRMsplbn7WpmJ7cSdmCTfyblGUId8nB3LtXykc6QtQ2JodwsyVysQ4k4OuevZpouQfszkts7_uaRINiWhFpCzSgQsMtnYQ_gesytPceEJx_9WEG6II59ZNXjYRw2CSH18jL/s1600/spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5B06tfe_FpgRMsplbn7WpmJ7cSdmCTfyblGUId8nB3LtXykc6QtQ2JodwsyVysQ4k4OuevZpouQfszkts7_uaRINiWhFpCzSgQsMtnYQ_gesytPceEJx_9WEG6II59ZNXjYRw2CSH18jL/s400/spring.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Deck chairs waiting to be sat in to enjoy the spring sunshine!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It was a very snowy weekend and although I do like the snow (as does Abbey), I am really ready for some green grass and sunshine. Come on Calgary, there has been snow on the ground for the past seven months; surely we deserve some spring like weather?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-9599557961227202412013-04-14T10:48:00.002-06:002013-04-14T10:48:37.340-06:00Page views this month ...<div style="text-align: center;">
As I begin to think about my second assignment for uni (last assignment ever!!), which will be a the planning and documentation of a class blogging project, I've been thinking about blog layout and different features. So, I was just playing around with the features on Blogger and found this cool break down of who is visiting my blog (this shows page views for the last month) ...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTCPA33PjAggVKB1C6I4N7ic3nwejQMUiZ_22PIdZyassfEUqpMc2ORYHeXj6hGR4ofpbnlDeCW2pSldmLe2nmE4nHDLsLWuLFkQZwvh3zH263rnON0vCl0QlW6EorM40zAFFcTG3BvEm/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-14+at+10.42.30+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTCPA33PjAggVKB1C6I4N7ic3nwejQMUiZ_22PIdZyassfEUqpMc2ORYHeXj6hGR4ofpbnlDeCW2pSldmLe2nmE4nHDLsLWuLFkQZwvh3zH263rnON0vCl0QlW6EorM40zAFFcTG3BvEm/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-04-14+at+10.42.30+AM.png" width="257" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'd be very interested to know more about the readers from Slovenia and Romania!</div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-38987661505347983672013-04-04T10:31:00.003-06:002013-04-04T10:31:52.536-06:00A stroll in the prairies ... <div style="text-align: center;">
Nose Hill is a huge park that is not more than a five minute drive from our house. I've blogged about walking in it <a href="http://www.annasnextadventure.blogspot.ca/2011/06/nose-hill.html">here</a>. I'm not sure why I don't visit it more often because it really feels like you are escaping city life and travelling back in time to when the pioneers were trudging across the prairies. But to make up for it, I've visited the park with Abbey a few times over the past week because a) it's so beautiful; b) it's a great place to walk the dog (all those new smells!); c) it makes for a great study break and d) I'm getting over a nasty cold, so I've been spending lots of time walking as opposed to sweating in the gym. Yesterday, Abbey and I walked for about 90 minutes and only came across one other person in that time. It did kind of feel like we were all alone on the prairies. Thanks to the 'visitors' we had a few weeks ago, I don't have a camera anymore, so the following pictures are from the internet ... </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYGnj-mYvK_1DB_DV7NeamZVe3sysDVBvUZgLOmPSdxze0ZnxTLPNloGz-Ap3gi2Hu75k0LuChBgpYQofusCZDatRcvSlYlx1eVPKRqw55AYWlw04IVxeRplq4rsrqP-vT6j3HxKyFKyl/s1600/800px-Nose_Hill_Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYGnj-mYvK_1DB_DV7NeamZVe3sysDVBvUZgLOmPSdxze0ZnxTLPNloGz-Ap3gi2Hu75k0LuChBgpYQofusCZDatRcvSlYlx1eVPKRqw55AYWlw04IVxeRplq4rsrqP-vT6j3HxKyFKyl/s400/800px-Nose_Hill_Park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo from <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nose_Hill_Park.JPG">here</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScNT5SWkFXamMCoSarbnrP-KFZAdbc7IsiJsH4JPha3U6GT19sRO1E3V2o3VgAu2A0zjTFNTxBY15Ro5evsJOqDC-74islBHQT6WEADpLvi0cPT18aZer9iFG-fJlqeVkRzWAYvMRVfVj/s1600/4284428-Nose_Hill_Park_Calgary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScNT5SWkFXamMCoSarbnrP-KFZAdbc7IsiJsH4JPha3U6GT19sRO1E3V2o3VgAu2A0zjTFNTxBY15Ro5evsJOqDC-74islBHQT6WEADpLvi0cPT18aZer9iFG-fJlqeVkRzWAYvMRVfVj/s400/4284428-Nose_Hill_Park_Calgary.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo from <a href="http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/1d9771/">here</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TsKfnuiNaFVXOe2sXTgTGvvdHc89SuNU86BgF632NStfAk4KQcVEI_oENKxQXtrxk-bTO4WIvw3kFwn4-of9MWUdQBZXQzjle3pZfgEXEiA5_rI8JhHZHB9xNpRk_iP6nhIhobDTwVId/s1600/2012-03-10+346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TsKfnuiNaFVXOe2sXTgTGvvdHc89SuNU86BgF632NStfAk4KQcVEI_oENKxQXtrxk-bTO4WIvw3kFwn4-of9MWUdQBZXQzjle3pZfgEXEiA5_rI8JhHZHB9xNpRk_iP6nhIhobDTwVId/s400/2012-03-10+346.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo from <a href="http://naserke.blogspot.ca/2012/03/day-70-nose-hill-park.html">here</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I know these three photos all look vaguely similar but they give you a sense of what the prairies were like back in the day. I also love the wide open Alberta sky. These pictures show what the park looks like now, in early Spring, as opposed to the green grass shown in my previous post about Nose Hill when it was late Spring.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-7180192993377240052013-04-03T10:54:00.001-06:002013-04-03T10:54:52.512-06:00Writing about blogging but not actually blogging ...<div style="text-align: center;">
I know it's been a while but life has been just rolling on by so quickly. It's been a challenging few weeks with busy and stressful times at work as well as dealing with the aftermath of the robbery. Now, it's Spring Break although you wouldn't know it from looking outside at the snow. Spring arrived yesterday with a lovely 20 degree day but now it's back to the negative temperatures and snow on the ground. Which actually works well for me given that I'm on a university deadline at the moment. My first assignment for this semester's Masters unit, 'Instructional design harnessing educational technologies for learning', is due on Monday but I'm hoping to have it done by Friday so that I can have some kind of break over the (unfortunately very short) Spring holiday. I've been meaning to get online and share the photos of my recent adventures (well, those that weren't lost thanks to our recent 'visitors') but I've been saving it as my 'treat' for when I've finished writing this assignment - a glass of wine and some blog updates. Which is quite ironic given that my current writing topic is using blogs in classrooms. I've always wanted to have a classroom blog but due to one reason or another, I haven't managed to get it up and running. But I'm feeling particularly inspired after all this reading about how they can be used to bring out the best in student learning, so that is my goal for next school year - to get a classroom blog up and running! But for now, back to the books. Stay tuned for some weekend photos.</div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-86672482398526028142013-03-04T18:23:00.000-07:002013-03-04T18:33:05.863-07:00Dog sledding in the Canadian Rockies ... <div style="text-align: center;">
A few weekends ago, C and I were lucky enough to experience one of the ultimate Canadian tourist
adventures in the Rockies ... dog sledding. This was my (selfish!)
Christmas present to C, an experience neither of us had never had
before. There are several companies who offer dog sledding in the
Rockies but only one has a truly outstanding reputation, <a href="http://www.snowyowltours.com/">Snowy Owl</a>,
so this is who we went with. Dog sledding is not a particularly cheap
adventure to partake in ($300 for two of us for two hours) but well
worth every penny. The morning began with an introduction to the sport
and some guidelines of how to drive your team ('Hike!' to go; 'Whoa' to
stop; 'On by' to move past distractions like squirrels; 'Easy' to slow
down; and lots of encouraging remarks). The dogs seemed to know when
the introduction was nearing the end because they went absolutely nuts
as you can see in the video below. They were ready to run. And so were
we. C drove for the first half of the tour (he drew the short straw
because there were quite a few hills he needed to run up to help the
dogs out!) and I took the second half (no hills but a hell of an icy breeze!) We ended the adventure with cuddles with all the dogs and hot chocolate by the fire. From start to finish, the whole adventure was truly amazing and now I'm saving my pennies to go out for a whole day adventure. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXXF_HReiUbgxLT8_SQxBv0wiZHP3mBEcvzADW8dmIQQWBImN8PdXjnn8fGv5d09nyNBWOcQ5reiFF4Efaz4JlBAz6qFBSfDlfqIR7Vl_T0ckV_R1dJNd1tnb_S_e9yPT-qIZ5jm0YJ2n/s1600/IMG_0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXXF_HReiUbgxLT8_SQxBv0wiZHP3mBEcvzADW8dmIQQWBImN8PdXjnn8fGv5d09nyNBWOcQ5reiFF4Efaz4JlBAz6qFBSfDlfqIR7Vl_T0ckV_R1dJNd1tnb_S_e9yPT-qIZ5jm0YJ2n/s400/IMG_0134.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Curious moose who approached the van</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxTQvxIiXJ38w08egnhdCJV0xZUokPlLDUulROHfcROAYkr73skgfP96IFjtWTOzp5_zU_X9HtiJKlY-euuOw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQU1HH2f-0_8ZJ-IJFgk8j_ZIRCwIxiBtNBjewpEd0H6OWcJl8CYfbm-d9ap6jpvjjE5s3dDm2gvuJ9JllWfHMjNjVGRyZH-5UxwpA_Q0Ole9RYfU-SmdC0-lZ8m55_jxI23ty3JK2vX2J/s1600/IMG_0143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQU1HH2f-0_8ZJ-IJFgk8j_ZIRCwIxiBtNBjewpEd0H6OWcJl8CYfbm-d9ap6jpvjjE5s3dDm2gvuJ9JllWfHMjNjVGRyZH-5UxwpA_Q0Ole9RYfU-SmdC0-lZ8m55_jxI23ty3JK2vX2J/s400/IMG_0143.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ready to go, just waiting for my glass of bubbles!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43zFo5gcJt4zGJkzfV1Znmon1htXcF4jkIWyJyyrlgcQT9HAnJXjtjbb1tk9Y1_-fl94E-UxIBhdA4AAdWnGHUY4qZRg11rDf65VUxf6g-LZKZvrCp2-u1fV3QsLa7URTZVZeRVpGruYC/s1600/IMG_0159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43zFo5gcJt4zGJkzfV1Znmon1htXcF4jkIWyJyyrlgcQT9HAnJXjtjbb1tk9Y1_-fl94E-UxIBhdA4AAdWnGHUY4qZRg11rDf65VUxf6g-LZKZvrCp2-u1fV3QsLa7URTZVZeRVpGruYC/s400/IMG_0159.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And we're off! </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSieGJ70Hj0MRXcmhW3saxLkmlqtV0fAV0ObsvSMxlcDSPdxlflFRbYeZlLOW-Ce4zqAntqa8-j2sdiMxxa3yEcM7ypMyyoVkgiw4qd26O4fBZ3cC4xHbW6he1swcgr6xMu5qCamgw5jWn/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSieGJ70Hj0MRXcmhW3saxLkmlqtV0fAV0ObsvSMxlcDSPdxlflFRbYeZlLOW-Ce4zqAntqa8-j2sdiMxxa3yEcM7ypMyyoVkgiw4qd26O4fBZ3cC4xHbW6he1swcgr6xMu5qCamgw5jWn/s400/IMG_0166.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The rest of the pack wait on frozen Goat Lake</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_4OI2lJqQwbIpTS95KGKWewHVb2NYwHJ63UujQEb99nyuZSNX6NXUiAFYFUF74WoJ_NqNbcYFEiwRLNTS4s6TNAOoG9YmLxt8vemWFFsU6QtC9Qwlcv-KPQoHUcaVnetBC-wr0jGSsnp/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_4OI2lJqQwbIpTS95KGKWewHVb2NYwHJ63UujQEb99nyuZSNX6NXUiAFYFUF74WoJ_NqNbcYFEiwRLNTS4s6TNAOoG9YmLxt8vemWFFsU6QtC9Qwlcv-KPQoHUcaVnetBC-wr0jGSsnp/s400/IMG_0174.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rounding the corner onto the lake</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3tJkZUWTxlvTglCc5Cuqb9WNah1Hq7HnCP8wQ-Rph0Q0ZvmsrQcw6CHX63zhEBKMmoEZat2sSIs49hdRNDaS9cAGffbsqyKiofl_C8n8BmDWFRSuzGUXbjNKZ3cuUxCYEoRiDoRL9YN5/s1600/IMG_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3tJkZUWTxlvTglCc5Cuqb9WNah1Hq7HnCP8wQ-Rph0Q0ZvmsrQcw6CHX63zhEBKMmoEZat2sSIs49hdRNDaS9cAGffbsqyKiofl_C8n8BmDWFRSuzGUXbjNKZ3cuUxCYEoRiDoRL9YN5/s400/IMG_0185.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Half time cuddles with the hounds (excuse the icy smudge on the camera lens)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGlN0G9jQJeJJXhr50u-GnctoqHj0DnxsMVy948Y0D1_ilLsOl4IwSKtkQgpcZAYhlVZqTwqo6e6I0bWsjwdeNRrojwce4KRGWF27gaBjijuSgSbv1hNJzrh-dX3gxxmjmo_NmZjDucEi/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGlN0G9jQJeJJXhr50u-GnctoqHj0DnxsMVy948Y0D1_ilLsOl4IwSKtkQgpcZAYhlVZqTwqo6e6I0bWsjwdeNRrojwce4KRGWF27gaBjijuSgSbv1hNJzrh-dX3gxxmjmo_NmZjDucEi/s400/IMG_0186.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beautiful blue eyes</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nzrtY0jyqsP6h3V95qezWlzIPY-XSd2DrRVOXvFxyMHbEEZq_SMd2yhzLkz-vg9pXgjXT8KeKNQIoWyWbraUVq1xuVh6F52mJqfyMCUJ2v-JiQhlwqHdMINK6HZQYJjP5BcKzE0sr_MM/s1600/IMG_0196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nzrtY0jyqsP6h3V95qezWlzIPY-XSd2DrRVOXvFxyMHbEEZq_SMd2yhzLkz-vg9pXgjXT8KeKNQIoWyWbraUVq1xuVh6F52mJqfyMCUJ2v-JiQhlwqHdMINK6HZQYJjP5BcKzE0sr_MM/s400/IMG_0196.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Do we look like pros or posers?!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorvEla7ggwI724K1b_AR-OJZhS3Ukj0bEV3tfekN4zid2UiEFF1x0tsfreg2bgeoW8lHJaWI_OBxssRPB272mbs5k_rRvkupqFtQ7WmQs6g4LiFgqhw5wEk0MDuJw7P3qfE51AHf304sD/s1600/IMG_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorvEla7ggwI724K1b_AR-OJZhS3Ukj0bEV3tfekN4zid2UiEFF1x0tsfreg2bgeoW8lHJaWI_OBxssRPB272mbs5k_rRvkupqFtQ7WmQs6g4LiFgqhw5wEk0MDuJw7P3qfE51AHf304sD/s400/IMG_0223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It's hard work pulling these humans!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsHr1UZpZ8xMjFsv7jnkMMENpiezmjuQSI4ePTODyL5zE1ANZXqps1dpZoKeAdO1-xQAck_ByCqhSjV-M33U3SnqjNjqwlzjfjwqYDqz6aHjIg5szqVU_YS43ap_rZkZJ2L8SfFAuugoP/s1600/IMG_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsHr1UZpZ8xMjFsv7jnkMMENpiezmjuQSI4ePTODyL5zE1ANZXqps1dpZoKeAdO1-xQAck_ByCqhSjV-M33U3SnqjNjqwlzjfjwqYDqz6aHjIg5szqVU_YS43ap_rZkZJ2L8SfFAuugoP/s400/IMG_0230.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Check out those thick luscious coats ... +5 is hot for these dogs!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazIUjnxT0ecxt56JDkomxrci_nNkpajgfl4J6eYC53_ME1-T1g0Ocvz54Df_rz2-WRJKRcyuMKsgeXvyivsOwrhEYUC16EQCFjUFqxWv_7BOW92t8QthjA6-ZECJWM258xIecBQZUn0QH/s1600/IMG_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazIUjnxT0ecxt56JDkomxrci_nNkpajgfl4J6eYC53_ME1-T1g0Ocvz54Df_rz2-WRJKRcyuMKsgeXvyivsOwrhEYUC16EQCFjUFqxWv_7BOW92t8QthjA6-ZECJWM258xIecBQZUn0QH/s400/IMG_0240.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More beautiful scenery</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Kp3z6p-tg__MD5qdI8od7tOmQ-O6tqCyVCc_6Ih1qWffhsiVfcNAVpVOKN6WDcEY9HXanUcY_NfFbdhEBWbrUdXv3le6V9WTrhdrhUF0vRwcUp-2F1S2ymwn2GE2TNi3z6nEIA9u4fIl/s1600/IMG_0263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Kp3z6p-tg__MD5qdI8od7tOmQ-O6tqCyVCc_6Ih1qWffhsiVfcNAVpVOKN6WDcEY9HXanUcY_NfFbdhEBWbrUdXv3le6V9WTrhdrhUF0vRwcUp-2F1S2ymwn2GE2TNi3z6nEIA9u4fIl/s400/IMG_0263.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And finally, the view from our lunch spot</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-54353996877306552872013-02-17T13:41:00.000-07:002013-02-17T13:41:20.821-07:00Ice Magic Festival ... <div style="text-align: center;">
A few weeks ago, I headed up to Lake Louise for the day to check out the <a href="http://www.banfflakelouise.com/Area-Events/Festivals/Winter/SnowDays/Ice-Magic-Festival">Ice Magic Festival</a>, specifically the international ice carving festival that was being held. I'd never seen ice carvings in real life and was eager to watch the international competitors in action. Each team had 34 hours to create huge ice carvings related to the theme 'Carve a Song'. I happened to be there at the tail end of the competition when there were just two hours of competition left, so the carvings were nearly complete. And they were absolutely magical ... huge, glistening towers of ice so delicately carved into beautiful statues. I spent a couple of hours wandering around checking out each carving team in action and watching a carving demonstration before heading to the lake to watch families skating on the lake and playing 'shinny', ice hockey without the equipment and with modified rules.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_RQrZ3S9DNW3tWhfzXtJNf5ygHXXft0OAkzoJflo9ffSzci7Z5Ykk7I9fqdt3-7yKi328h8AOYflTV9FO9d0J7DEW6eAihdNSqdGV6gqKwKphk1qre-3LOZs6Z3tT3BjTwhaw8TYG6er/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_RQrZ3S9DNW3tWhfzXtJNf5ygHXXft0OAkzoJflo9ffSzci7Z5Ykk7I9fqdt3-7yKi328h8AOYflTV9FO9d0J7DEW6eAihdNSqdGV6gqKwKphk1qre-3LOZs6Z3tT3BjTwhaw8TYG6er/s400/IMG_0021.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chateau Lake Louise in ice</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlcXobkP80ZpcX910916YApQySb2rC3NcLnjPIDoR7AcVZPItnKxv9xoQNDFXfY5NDJGFt6Abjub3j9CCKvP8vpXXgVLuUbR5Reqbu_Zhy8g8PRMK59VTqhcW6hP62rk2_N4kwU3eZ2IW/s1600/IMG_9998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlcXobkP80ZpcX910916YApQySb2rC3NcLnjPIDoR7AcVZPItnKxv9xoQNDFXfY5NDJGFt6Abjub3j9CCKvP8vpXXgVLuUbR5Reqbu_Zhy8g8PRMK59VTqhcW6hP62rk2_N4kwU3eZ2IW/s400/IMG_9998.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beautiful day for ice carving at Lake Louise</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBu4u6Oq3VtstClIQmoX3tyN2OejMjLoJgVvB34m75qVi0LfWNatpNTdTpa3SBWkPRSJeSnMyOSCfL1dIyZir9lTXwC_UxzPHRH2CE8fQ_geYtlOhWHEBgLWQZ3F-9PKCxwLNfq_IUhYv/s1600/IMG_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBu4u6Oq3VtstClIQmoX3tyN2OejMjLoJgVvB34m75qVi0LfWNatpNTdTpa3SBWkPRSJeSnMyOSCfL1dIyZir9lTXwC_UxzPHRH2CE8fQ_geYtlOhWHEBgLWQZ3F-9PKCxwLNfq_IUhYv/s400/IMG_0026.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lovely Lake Louise in the background</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ggVCXRIXdHLo1v7-SBwo7HyHjky24SiApouXkB-xODGvi7NTRffXcKerFWev-zrHGKGjv7LMDKUpHh0uhQX8tMZGOE7nAZZ3ZeneBb4vnUKK8z11QUFNMW2If8Z51uSOPtdLi3ESpQh7/s1600/IMG_0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ggVCXRIXdHLo1v7-SBwo7HyHjky24SiApouXkB-xODGvi7NTRffXcKerFWev-zrHGKGjv7LMDKUpHh0uhQX8tMZGOE7nAZZ3ZeneBb4vnUKK8z11QUFNMW2If8Z51uSOPtdLi3ESpQh7/s400/IMG_0030.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chainsawing the ice ... </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB2trgO0PVE0XgvA1i-txRCqR8Pk4tpOlMsNsdnlxNJGEGg8EWRXIxmXkHGMEvDFsLs6gwy-I__Dfc_XlGxZkwYKuFhGvLvkEw0UCaZxp_ITk_736-N82W8ds6xH3cW2NlSo_tldFVFoE/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB2trgO0PVE0XgvA1i-txRCqR8Pk4tpOlMsNsdnlxNJGEGg8EWRXIxmXkHGMEvDFsLs6gwy-I__Dfc_XlGxZkwYKuFhGvLvkEw0UCaZxp_ITk_736-N82W8ds6xH3cW2NlSo_tldFVFoE/s400/IMG_0003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... then ironing it!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WWAwqDmbX3nKGpdoqqbxBlC69sAjVfO7WUWwuXbAbvpnS-_v_Shmstrzvr32wdDKNjlgtnYtIW4gK92Gp9J1cg3b0cR9B7vNz7Fk9JZqha61y5gc9fKjMDGa9ETXOLIoOUokCOJIEIz_/s1600/IMG_0064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WWAwqDmbX3nKGpdoqqbxBlC69sAjVfO7WUWwuXbAbvpnS-_v_Shmstrzvr32wdDKNjlgtnYtIW4gK92Gp9J1cg3b0cR9B7vNz7Fk9JZqha61y5gc9fKjMDGa9ETXOLIoOUokCOJIEIz_/s400/IMG_0064.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ice carving demonstration</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRtp4-7-DWVoP_Tc6WrZPkdavo8657_HTZFf_o78qducaSTu2zZRvSLydOdUA9bKhOrAvLWzjeh021m3UCreNqcdzIG6A0Crv7AEKe3N7rCcwcWrQTl0cNsUNlzT4HzAdjWjrOswO5e5v/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRtp4-7-DWVoP_Tc6WrZPkdavo8657_HTZFf_o78qducaSTu2zZRvSLydOdUA9bKhOrAvLWzjeh021m3UCreNqcdzIG6A0Crv7AEKe3N7rCcwcWrQTl0cNsUNlzT4HzAdjWjrOswO5e5v/s400/IMG_0051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Warming up next to the Stump Stove</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHCJgc5QIfgnS-WbxJ2IWvGBJmrf7ZqtiknbrdRcHRwxjDXsaBLvybs_f2ZIBeAfle9fZnEuyS_-uzwJ_8u2KSz5-3oGn_Gqjfe8jx22I3bPV1PbCU39c-zuJ1PgqvPZASulZfJ1reM8W/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHCJgc5QIfgnS-WbxJ2IWvGBJmrf7ZqtiknbrdRcHRwxjDXsaBLvybs_f2ZIBeAfle9fZnEuyS_-uzwJ_8u2KSz5-3oGn_Gqjfe8jx22I3bPV1PbCU39c-zuJ1PgqvPZASulZfJ1reM8W/s400/IMG_0037.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The ultimate Canadian Rockies winter experience ... skating on Lake Louise</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-8FQ8-aOYWeiT6nIDLbMpoA05ZqayLxuvwsIuggtz4ohZadls1knY559e6QtI6YKZ3HDIHhvBAXc1OyAK1_DYHqOHOd7PZ10SEuJGLH5UaZ5bY9VRimljTsASzrR9tIOfhnsn3ZFE22C/s1600/IMG_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-8FQ8-aOYWeiT6nIDLbMpoA05ZqayLxuvwsIuggtz4ohZadls1knY559e6QtI6YKZ3HDIHhvBAXc1OyAK1_DYHqOHOd7PZ10SEuJGLH5UaZ5bY9VRimljTsASzrR9tIOfhnsn3ZFE22C/s400/IMG_0099.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... or playing 'shinny' </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After hanging out near the lake, admiring the carvings, skating and shinny, I took a free historical walking tour of the Lake Louise area where we visited the Chateau and Deer Lodge, the other accommodation option at the lake.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSh8hbd57K-NPfmbwCW5fMYAvruixo7RZEqyCD-VSb7cufMPM4hmff_ZHjqRK9R4OSlIVHcjmLUJc74huw-pXysAAOsCJwBi6JUZKkYYxnfbHDpCaQzz01mFaXWn0_92CYTWqfgj23xyr/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSh8hbd57K-NPfmbwCW5fMYAvruixo7RZEqyCD-VSb7cufMPM4hmff_ZHjqRK9R4OSlIVHcjmLUJc74huw-pXysAAOsCJwBi6JUZKkYYxnfbHDpCaQzz01mFaXWn0_92CYTWqfgj23xyr/s400/IMG_0083.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I'm fascinated by these big snow globs that seem to 'melt' over a post and then re-freeze</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkv3OhC5-Dz_XPuGu2GwtRFHXxw7a1NIh0WYtrYspBVdAYAMtgC921vLmnP_IgOdOrjcsj5fgVK4XgjcwtjM7bNAKJmRnMqPsdNAcc0dOksbJsDv32GTQwiQYy4wVFKPWuDCA4YnLYUP6/s1600/IMG_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkv3OhC5-Dz_XPuGu2GwtRFHXxw7a1NIh0WYtrYspBVdAYAMtgC921vLmnP_IgOdOrjcsj5fgVK4XgjcwtjM7bNAKJmRnMqPsdNAcc0dOksbJsDv32GTQwiQYy4wVFKPWuDCA4YnLYUP6/s400/IMG_0082.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Snow and ice at Deer Lodge</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwT6Xipr4eXjgcRIUGp4TK7xnh55QOIWwQ_Wrzbs7dbRYEdyHIUOO73WBixQY9MtqODAb-V1pkhDmjUJUBtrD5tKRI7R9712xiMcAURPsngopKKDUvk6dYy6e75SfTltdv_g3idIUK1N3/s1600/IMG_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwT6Xipr4eXjgcRIUGp4TK7xnh55QOIWwQ_Wrzbs7dbRYEdyHIUOO73WBixQY9MtqODAb-V1pkhDmjUJUBtrD5tKRI7R9712xiMcAURPsngopKKDUvk6dYy6e75SfTltdv_g3idIUK1N3/s400/IMG_0085.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Icicles on the Chateau</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-7639372447925144142013-02-03T18:16:00.000-07:002013-02-03T18:16:31.003-07:00Tobogganing ... <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAm0WcfoRjOd1uVEUFzATSrPMsZ5aGnWkVimSejIlFOzpcxmdMSPrmRCZFhxW6CruICNWGXoPMsD-RpxlOu5rnvP9RkgzUh_iJqluJMVPxnEk1cdSy-obWKe1pQuhd5d04zHIzMHrmPsp/s1600/photo-37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAm0WcfoRjOd1uVEUFzATSrPMsZ5aGnWkVimSejIlFOzpcxmdMSPrmRCZFhxW6CruICNWGXoPMsD-RpxlOu5rnvP9RkgzUh_iJqluJMVPxnEk1cdSy-obWKe1pQuhd5d04zHIzMHrmPsp/s400/photo-37.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Getting a work out walking up the hill</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Since I've been trying to embrace the winter by getting outside and enjoying all the winter activities that Canada has to offer. Last weekend, tobogganing was on the cards. We travelled to Red Deer (about 1.5 hours north of Calgary) to visit friends who have children, so it was the perfect time to try a favourite Canadian children's winter activity. At first, I was slightly nervous but learned to let go of my fear and soon I was racing down the hill with confidence. Abbey also loved the tobogganing (but not when I actually put her on the toboggan!), chasing us down the hill at top speed. There are still two more winter activities that I haven't tried but plan to - skating and snowshoeing - and can't wait to try them soon.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwr8Joqg6q09VCckKgRXhWimcpzI8AQxINiZFhTP81TXXw4JGPSYR3KJEtlK16r5qQ42mEW9iJqZu_O4M1gfw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Racing C down the hill with Abbey following (note that he is too big for the toboggan!)</i></div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-23294310865399313232013-01-27T18:23:00.000-07:002013-01-27T18:23:49.117-07:00Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour ... <div style="text-align: center;">
A few months ago, C and I missed out on getting tickets to the Banff Mountain Film Festival, so there was no way that we were going to miss the <a href="http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/worldtour/">festival's world tour </a>on its stop in Calgary last week. The world tour selects the top films from the festival to go on 'tour', travelling all across the world. Last weekend, we were lucky enough to see eight amazing films, ranging in length from 2 minutes to about 45 minutes, from all over the world and showcasing all kinds of mountain adventure activities from kayaking to skiing and everything in between. Each film was incredibly unique and equally inspiring. Good news for all of you who are not in Canada is that it is very likely that the world tour will be coming to a town near you some time in the near future. Click <a href="http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/worldtour/listings/regions.aspx?cat=I&location=eu">here</a> to find out when and where you can check out this amazing film festival! In the meantime, you can be inspired by this video ... </div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lH37yetq-7E" width="560"></iframe><br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-13634737307401539042013-01-20T17:33:00.000-07:002013-01-20T17:33:11.011-07:00First cross country ski experience ... <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ2eZygSCTtkVfbYFCaYEJcx41H-ILW5FEGDStEyuxOuUN9b3-3niQ3fk6DDD9hLwcyu0uX1gmFH0bA8HaUwZe60BB6zaSM0Y0HrBew-NeA4_ARTR66lBEdKfUM0_jR5uBRGqvQy8TAp1/s1600/photo-33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ2eZygSCTtkVfbYFCaYEJcx41H-ILW5FEGDStEyuxOuUN9b3-3niQ3fk6DDD9hLwcyu0uX1gmFH0bA8HaUwZe60BB6zaSM0Y0HrBew-NeA4_ARTR66lBEdKfUM0_jR5uBRGqvQy8TAp1/s400/photo-33.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Heading out on the 'real' trail for the first time</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For Christmas in 2011, C gave me a pass for a day's cross country skiing at the <a href="http://www.albertaparks.ca/canmore-nordic-centre.aspx">Canmore Nordic Centre</a>. The Nordic Centre was developed for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. It is still a world class facility, regularly hosting world championship competitions for skiing, biathlons (cross country skiing and rifle shooting) and mountain biking (in the summer of course!) It is also incredibly popular place for locals year round - biking and trail running in the summer time and cross country skiing in the winter time. I rang to book a lesson and sounded like a total novice when asked what kind of lesson I was after. "Ah ... a cross country ski lesson please." "Classic or skate?" was the reply. "Ah, I don't know. Just regular cross country skiing please." It turns out that 'regular' cross country skiing is called 'classic' and involved a simple walking movement on skis. On the other hand, the 'skate' technique involves pushing the skis out like you are skating on ice and it looks much harder. The classic version was actually very easy to pick up as it involves simply placing your skis in a pre-made track and walking with a bit of a glide on the end of each step. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLLPfYfpCiUO_7GmhHURuNtrNBWtGdcunY-K_iLuJFNn6uLbmI63GGqvYiN8XTh1j4DxwDczP-x83iYSPFm_EpewcoJMHFvzT7yxLHMHLMUdcAK-6FyeJAznev0MNUufn9uBW4Kl7LNRt/s1600/photo-30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLLPfYfpCiUO_7GmhHURuNtrNBWtGdcunY-K_iLuJFNn6uLbmI63GGqvYiN8XTh1j4DxwDczP-x83iYSPFm_EpewcoJMHFvzT7yxLHMHLMUdcAK-6FyeJAznev0MNUufn9uBW4Kl7LNRt/s400/photo-30.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The beautiful trail. You can see the two 'lanes' of tracks</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The lesson was well worth it for the tidbits of information about
correct technique I picked up, particularly in the stopping department.
Stopping (or rather, crashing) has always been my fear in skiing (well,
the whole two ski holidays I've been on.) I have nightmares about the
dreaded snow plow. So, it was great to learn how to stop correctly on
cross country skis. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj484JUnVDaGHcACzDwY9UjUI2M6iKwKNOQxGuJjyLJjpdYNPGuj48DAT17Ll9Eu9FcVVsqDV-NdU1_fsR2Wq0iotq5J6Gi5drUypzR7MFO9kPWvo3zfCe9GCQb10O1ZtOQDCjbgBQ4QClW/s1600/photo-31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj484JUnVDaGHcACzDwY9UjUI2M6iKwKNOQxGuJjyLJjpdYNPGuj48DAT17Ll9Eu9FcVVsqDV-NdU1_fsR2Wq0iotq5J6Gi5drUypzR7MFO9kPWvo3zfCe9GCQb10O1ZtOQDCjbgBQ4QClW/s400/photo-31.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Making snow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
After the lesson (and some much needed time by the fire ... the
Australian and the Texan didn't dress warmly enough for the lesson), we
headed out onto the trails where, right at the end, I got to put my
newly learned stopping skills to the test. The final 200 metres to the
lodge involved a downhill run before flattening out. Just near the
bottom, in 'my' set of tracks stood a small child, motionless. Panic set
in as I gathered speed and hurtled towards him, all memory of how to
stop out the window. Finally, I breathed my way though it (!) and
managed to come to a stop, with the front of my skis coming to rest on
the end of the child's skis. That was when I decided to call it a day.
But, I'll be back again because not only was cross country skiing great
fun, it was also a mighty good workout and I could barely walk the next
day!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HHw-fsEUE5-UnBvrxko4wvo3btXibDtoLWC1FxwvOJZnUPlr_Jz4FRsRr_6lEjw_xl9pf81RDyyaL7lYu2nQ4JILXTcThdBtf0IZk5Xxym48Jv5-kX8IKc-V14LI933S8GG1okNEp-_Q/s1600/photo-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HHw-fsEUE5-UnBvrxko4wvo3btXibDtoLWC1FxwvOJZnUPlr_Jz4FRsRr_6lEjw_xl9pf81RDyyaL7lYu2nQ4JILXTcThdBtf0IZk5Xxym48Jv5-kX8IKc-V14LI933S8GG1okNEp-_Q/s400/photo-34.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Australian and the Texan!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-26168670547457526962013-01-18T15:51:00.000-07:002013-01-18T15:51:11.959-07:00A 'beach' holiday in Parksville ... <div style="text-align: center;">
After spending a few days with C's parents in Victoria, we headed up the island to Parksville where C's parents have an apartment at one of the beach resorts. We spent a few days here resting, relaxing and doing lots of walking on the beach. I love the beach in the winter time, it's so wild and refreshing. Especially on the west coast of Canada. There is something magical about the water on the west coast, the way the light reflects off it is just beautiful. Abbey enjoyed herself too, she slept most of the way home thanks to several days of fresh ocean air!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lYsqzsBZMZjhZ4NZChO5MWjTtDm7P3oq9CnKXEBhkZ_s1TNP5kj_Oz4YUngHLQ_uyRBAdBoLN1xupa8oMPI_ZWddVK-nOroTRWTE5oYJtz6PuEKcL4BOqt5RjwE91cq3MRIUKXMjLpZ_/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-01-07+at+11.58.16+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lYsqzsBZMZjhZ4NZChO5MWjTtDm7P3oq9CnKXEBhkZ_s1TNP5kj_Oz4YUngHLQ_uyRBAdBoLN1xupa8oMPI_ZWddVK-nOroTRWTE5oYJtz6PuEKcL4BOqt5RjwE91cq3MRIUKXMjLpZ_/s320/Screen+shot+2013-01-07+at+11.58.16+AM.png" width="305" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIajR9Pffmgc8ZF820_-xHmRob1RWf4QCf5cQmqoVaDFVDyGkRZwsvESRSsI7-Jf6SYhi2XG5zTSQOW5RW3rMZJL67Yg9NAt07VhU76Myd2BUlxnS57Da5_utYqnFPhycE2Xr-31MqIjAA/s1600/IMG_9968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIajR9Pffmgc8ZF820_-xHmRob1RWf4QCf5cQmqoVaDFVDyGkRZwsvESRSsI7-Jf6SYhi2XG5zTSQOW5RW3rMZJL67Yg9NAt07VhU76Myd2BUlxnS57Da5_utYqnFPhycE2Xr-31MqIjAA/s400/IMG_9968.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our little home for our 'beach' holiday</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQubMD5Sz3XE3IDWzg-o2yX-6wQdzTQhXrO6q5zSd41PFqa8CH2KoYEDlFqEhcdA722y83-WkeHuLgofq2XJmFLk3KRdj873NsCNs6g8z0Kf0lImEEaX2d5QTrjMlK6WaNwAIlXMcm00f/s1600/IMG_9704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQubMD5Sz3XE3IDWzg-o2yX-6wQdzTQhXrO6q5zSd41PFqa8CH2KoYEDlFqEhcdA722y83-WkeHuLgofq2XJmFLk3KRdj873NsCNs6g8z0Kf0lImEEaX2d5QTrjMlK6WaNwAIlXMcm00f/s400/IMG_9704.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abbey the beach dog</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVihXE2y1ye8fyJjRE08QDM4haJ7fbSyxEQKAdoy5SEdyGhgZg6EXWk2CZ4dsStv_p9Brbh-y1GijjbMw8HM3yxfEEBdHCglZP7CaSmA7SZ_5u4EecTZrnJ78c0Fcf7S84056UWiJa5NJA/s1600/IMG_9733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVihXE2y1ye8fyJjRE08QDM4haJ7fbSyxEQKAdoy5SEdyGhgZg6EXWk2CZ4dsStv_p9Brbh-y1GijjbMw8HM3yxfEEBdHCglZP7CaSmA7SZ_5u4EecTZrnJ78c0Fcf7S84056UWiJa5NJA/s400/IMG_9733.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Treat time</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpugOntwVwR43xM_d6nFyB97Z7P2yfxRTUGSOnpCtspq-LorOD9cqwnAEeBYP7-hMQUI9feO1oyhe3a_EEohUIJMmStRj1EJ_M3t1xTcN7f8HNguI7MdxWqQv_r7dfP6QA0pciXlopUyb/s1600/IMG_9750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpugOntwVwR43xM_d6nFyB97Z7P2yfxRTUGSOnpCtspq-LorOD9cqwnAEeBYP7-hMQUI9feO1oyhe3a_EEohUIJMmStRj1EJ_M3t1xTcN7f8HNguI7MdxWqQv_r7dfP6QA0pciXlopUyb/s400/IMG_9750.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A beach jog</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGchRiOlgYtx3V4Y-EEXpxXQKnT1-GoXzYF1FMevq1FixJUTfW7MJBCKfj_QojmU2BgL11PJOT7FmoXw5kknMihg88TTjIuttHWOdbuZvHwS1F6yayLcKAAlbBllbvaS6cZANA_JMkF4h/s1600/IMG_9754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGchRiOlgYtx3V4Y-EEXpxXQKnT1-GoXzYF1FMevq1FixJUTfW7MJBCKfj_QojmU2BgL11PJOT7FmoXw5kknMihg88TTjIuttHWOdbuZvHwS1F6yayLcKAAlbBllbvaS6cZANA_JMkF4h/s400/IMG_9754.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Walking on water</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuywz9gQvJ2xJvx5lMHey4Rsc1pjAOdnviCwnsX5Cv2c7FQ4fUSphClKG4pfnoNv3H1UGJPJynPXoKUoB79AN2CSRc8OYB_FSfjHjL8pCJigOP-zUwqbeTUUlyX3pub8TAv3QBGLZP7_m/s1600/IMG_9776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuywz9gQvJ2xJvx5lMHey4Rsc1pjAOdnviCwnsX5Cv2c7FQ4fUSphClKG4pfnoNv3H1UGJPJynPXoKUoB79AN2CSRc8OYB_FSfjHjL8pCJigOP-zUwqbeTUUlyX3pub8TAv3QBGLZP7_m/s400/IMG_9776.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Taking a swim</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWMynSc84bVt7L8N5qZ45dhCirkhwjVh_MMyS7hd6xgLjmcJh1Iy8URx8fZXi5cQ24GjcgbT2Ch92q3tSgoAJinhV2OhTG69T_QfFPbJqa-EnOcJKkBU4W5MXvXJOHnnErxHl7Vvc6hKh/s1600/IMG_9866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWMynSc84bVt7L8N5qZ45dhCirkhwjVh_MMyS7hd6xgLjmcJh1Iy8URx8fZXi5cQ24GjcgbT2Ch92q3tSgoAJinhV2OhTG69T_QfFPbJqa-EnOcJKkBU4W5MXvXJOHnnErxHl7Vvc6hKh/s400/IMG_9866.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Scruffy dog</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TK3a2mYNmjoSAYp2n8CeRvVwJ6y0-A2C2au3cp-X0PzTq9IDPwPOiOB5keBINp_9sWucb7iJkwhEuW7l5rH43rTVoqCBc-z4h_JFpM1HXkK3A9P-dstdbsnozleviUDOrgvqJBSEliAh/s1600/IMG_9896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TK3a2mYNmjoSAYp2n8CeRvVwJ6y0-A2C2au3cp-X0PzTq9IDPwPOiOB5keBINp_9sWucb7iJkwhEuW7l5rH43rTVoqCBc-z4h_JFpM1HXkK3A9P-dstdbsnozleviUDOrgvqJBSEliAh/s400/IMG_9896.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Caught mid flight</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ydrzuWeScs9hlsAXdRwiSJtkHaC6537v0TjfC7dGpOIQOomn_GiEacqedf3qjdjkFxofEsv2jrXY51gS3HuGDraFSWRy9UeEgPQqlXt9F5E2WhdsS7zFcOBKiixuq6MGByEoxkk7usRW/s1600/IMG_9911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ydrzuWeScs9hlsAXdRwiSJtkHaC6537v0TjfC7dGpOIQOomn_GiEacqedf3qjdjkFxofEsv2jrXY51gS3HuGDraFSWRy9UeEgPQqlXt9F5E2WhdsS7zFcOBKiixuq6MGByEoxkk7usRW/s400/IMG_9911.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A game of chase</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRG7NH4YKK4DLoi9zKHJSEn1U3fzmRevUkkLUiS_moXODFgbfKGxFIMyLeRPtJ-oYebD7u_fGtcMUJmMJ2JAnomMyeXdJpLkHv4rcTT1xdmlChTvv5Hm1bfSGUHQ2TOYHFyHHrolh2zUT/s1600/IMG_9931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRG7NH4YKK4DLoi9zKHJSEn1U3fzmRevUkkLUiS_moXODFgbfKGxFIMyLeRPtJ-oYebD7u_fGtcMUJmMJ2JAnomMyeXdJpLkHv4rcTT1xdmlChTvv5Hm1bfSGUHQ2TOYHFyHHrolh2zUT/s400/IMG_9931.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Reflections in the water</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-57508290405808319962013-01-13T10:14:00.001-07:002013-01-15T11:25:31.282-07:00Abbey's first Christmas ...<div style="text-align: center;">It's a weird feeling being away from family at Christmas time. This was my second Christmas away from home but the <a href="http://www.annasnextadventure.blogspot.ca/2008/12/father-christmas-and-michelin-man-in.html">last one</a> (2008) didn't even feel like Christmas because I was in the middle of an amazing dream adventure in Tibet. This Christmas was a little different because I was surrounded by a bunch of Canadians who are all living close to their family which meant every time they talked about their upcoming family Christmas, I'd get a pang of homesickness. But, the idea of a two week break from work and the prospect of a road trip buoyed my Christmas spirits. C and I spent Christmas Day with his family, opening presents, enjoying a pancake brunch, taking a long walk around the nearby 'bog' and tucking into a Christmas feast in the evening. I was lucky enough to speak to all my family via Skype which was great, albeit not the same as being in the same room, let along country! I'm already looking forward to an Australian Davidson/Kaldy family Christmas at the end of this year!</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_Q1_dwM55iCQlSENjsUNEccqe7MWU0_3qf4KkcptwTMPbdhgwK13eNPDNQtDZF9m62DgePzWQGHTFA9ZeBifmbNCEar5aLNH5X2DrcZWWIPjjcZh-BAJFfBkTAR78BiHwpPCvYfME-Av/s1600/photo-19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_Q1_dwM55iCQlSENjsUNEccqe7MWU0_3qf4KkcptwTMPbdhgwK13eNPDNQtDZF9m62DgePzWQGHTFA9ZeBifmbNCEar5aLNH5X2DrcZWWIPjjcZh-BAJFfBkTAR78BiHwpPCvYfME-Av/s400/photo-19.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Great White Huntress (attempts) to catch a duck for Christmas dinner</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SMahb2Bo5YF2gvdiUhUpMUx3_7-Tj_MIR3m-b_Fch7PuaB6GcdIEtPKXdkD7t8dVC5FWEofWHWR0uTbocB7XUqwsNtNHrvlBTgzfd6XeR5MV30Ph5-hPQht5YduCSCTvj4fNooR_EmkB/s1600/IMG_9645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SMahb2Bo5YF2gvdiUhUpMUx3_7-Tj_MIR3m-b_Fch7PuaB6GcdIEtPKXdkD7t8dVC5FWEofWHWR0uTbocB7XUqwsNtNHrvlBTgzfd6XeR5MV30Ph5-hPQht5YduCSCTvj4fNooR_EmkB/s400/IMG_9645.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abbey loves her new Hudson's Bay blanket (I sense a theme coming) ... </i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdD-bc92qIRze7ujX0BeYnTYS2AAyUNRzgmbUb0aipmpfBwnUF3H7QR1XOSEc3PBEXiKeZHjLnxYEptpfwf-qTKGmuJ4vupYvz0NadpNwVPXXO7k1jUKgKb96Ql_LgUdCCGry9qLCe5SDV/s1600/IMG_9634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdD-bc92qIRze7ujX0BeYnTYS2AAyUNRzgmbUb0aipmpfBwnUF3H7QR1XOSEc3PBEXiKeZHjLnxYEptpfwf-qTKGmuJ4vupYvz0NadpNwVPXXO7k1jUKgKb96Ql_LgUdCCGry9qLCe5SDV/s400/IMG_9634.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... and C loves his Hudson's Bay chocolate!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yPySkHgYjyS9Egl3TRi1GzXJjZJWmhedJ2MFKJztW38hoeaZpYP12540-Dj1tZyP8Gwat3etRrnYlgIX8sfdW9GyJw-Roj1UDG_7knjvcrCIvn3XxDsUP1ehTpUeM6nFRVbiy4MBBtt5/s1600/photo-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yPySkHgYjyS9Egl3TRi1GzXJjZJWmhedJ2MFKJztW38hoeaZpYP12540-Dj1tZyP8Gwat3etRrnYlgIX8sfdW9GyJw-Roj1UDG_7knjvcrCIvn3XxDsUP1ehTpUeM6nFRVbiy4MBBtt5/s400/photo-35.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abbey's Christmas treats</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-64411445710515750162013-01-08T18:35:00.000-07:002013-01-13T09:40:36.233-07:00Reaching the wild, west coast ... <div style="text-align: center;">
When we arrived in Vancouver (well, Whiterock, just south of Vancouver), we had a few hours to kill before we jumped on the ferry across to Victoria. We decided to check out the beach ... Abbey's first ever experience of the 'real' beach (an ocean beach, that is) ... </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eQFRwtp_TaljUv96GG9HT8wpOwT7KUN0VrxTPmjLqXqp2p2sLQLWK1-L3ZH9Z311L1rDta8WT9ZCOkn_AlH05yIuj9LenDr2nC19o1LlFmQ5huGpvCHISfijSUrPH2i9jbMnxCuSHmHg/s1600/IMG_9581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eQFRwtp_TaljUv96GG9HT8wpOwT7KUN0VrxTPmjLqXqp2p2sLQLWK1-L3ZH9Z311L1rDta8WT9ZCOkn_AlH05yIuj9LenDr2nC19o1LlFmQ5huGpvCHISfijSUrPH2i9jbMnxCuSHmHg/s400/IMG_9581.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rugged up for the wild west coast</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjUlmjnt59YvsXYqpygkLXkR7Lak91eDQys5RwAOqBdXvEJQxTUboH8RMamJx3z68m8i1s9ofq6XnINHwR3xZRa9orDUkKXy4MJgYPfAQDC0k5YewGvybQFSAcBwN6hC9ODp-YtxQ8KSO/s1600/IMG_9608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjUlmjnt59YvsXYqpygkLXkR7Lak91eDQys5RwAOqBdXvEJQxTUboH8RMamJx3z68m8i1s9ofq6XnINHwR3xZRa9orDUkKXy4MJgYPfAQDC0k5YewGvybQFSAcBwN6hC9ODp-YtxQ8KSO/s400/IMG_9608.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abbey's first time at the 'real' beach!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTsJZ3rSt3wwz5iu9pt_kOfPXRFl_YVRGyEzffe7TLqQEPr0VcSLRDA9MMzOgva7m8H6Ob_BhhsSn4JZx5WcFZh6OoYTgFtUCTeFLLNKtfnRtg3_rfdvif35ttjJncP47bRgnsOZ9dAnu/s1600/IMG_9615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTsJZ3rSt3wwz5iu9pt_kOfPXRFl_YVRGyEzffe7TLqQEPr0VcSLRDA9MMzOgva7m8H6Ob_BhhsSn4JZx5WcFZh6OoYTgFtUCTeFLLNKtfnRtg3_rfdvif35ttjJncP47bRgnsOZ9dAnu/s400/IMG_9615.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mmmmm, this cedar log smells pretty good ... </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixRuhJfvnTt3sevvDHnmcfkgyEONMbRk56osJ3q_tFw5uxF7c-vLQHQQmGj04pH80GcRsb6E5uceswjxzNj3WdUS98FnXGsUJYFrpkA_JdKgNaVSYz6TbvVRisLNNhOkClFt-ubpTeyGP/s1600/IMG_9626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixRuhJfvnTt3sevvDHnmcfkgyEONMbRk56osJ3q_tFw5uxF7c-vLQHQQmGj04pH80GcRsb6E5uceswjxzNj3WdUS98FnXGsUJYFrpkA_JdKgNaVSYz6TbvVRisLNNhOkClFt-ubpTeyGP/s400/IMG_9626.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... so does this seaweed</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-77524192581976695902013-01-08T18:25:00.001-07:002013-01-08T18:25:50.433-07:00A Christmas road trip ... <div style="text-align: center;">
For our Christmas holidays, C and I decided to take a road trip to Vancouver Island to visit his parents and see a new part of Canada (for me at least). We were happy to head out of Calgary as the temperatures took a huge dip just before we left ... top temperatures of -25! We took two days to drive across the Rocky Mountains and through BC to Whitefish, just south of Vancouver, were we caught the ferry across to Vancouver Island, finally ending up at C's parents' place in Victoria. The roads were a little hairy on the way out there given that there had been a big snow storm the day before but the snow-drenched scenery was just beautiful. Here a few snaps of the drive ... </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYr2XdZyx4a2le3Sf1fY3khVc8yDtZIuz31fkt3KoIhyphenhyphenRbEcV2HtVP-G1JP68wfN5KHjTwLOyNAlGyNpqk-7H5Duq95GpKSAcTVVNbDi4Saz-QUt6zh1IC-OFHrrZh2NmwIrLfgYGWQt3K/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-01-07+at+11.55.37+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYr2XdZyx4a2le3Sf1fY3khVc8yDtZIuz31fkt3KoIhyphenhyphenRbEcV2HtVP-G1JP68wfN5KHjTwLOyNAlGyNpqk-7H5Duq95GpKSAcTVVNbDi4Saz-QUt6zh1IC-OFHrrZh2NmwIrLfgYGWQt3K/s400/Screen+shot+2013-01-07+at+11.55.37+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our route. We stayed in Kamloops on the first night</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvP-_FFzTaV9uXk-QMfU-GQ-bBwqrcVWOuufuqA5YOQg-EPVOVIOe3nIDWMmTmjVtkviX0pvLTnXTMdJRo77OKEfHpcLezpTIRFgeykOA7Uwfy5aCvedc60k49hkSClLYkXSx1A6mJ1to/s1600/IMG_9412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDvP-_FFzTaV9uXk-QMfU-GQ-bBwqrcVWOuufuqA5YOQg-EPVOVIOe3nIDWMmTmjVtkviX0pvLTnXTMdJRo77OKEfHpcLezpTIRFgeykOA7Uwfy5aCvedc60k49hkSClLYkXSx1A6mJ1to/s400/IMG_9412.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Heading out of Calgary and towards the mountains</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-kl0o1K5r7zMnNdVC2XT6RfZY7z_qY1BdOlTFPQyeLOpqZ6vDVdQ0s82q-TwGg0iUj3_Zt_z9GKLZX4vVOnBSoJhvmDvfJMGIDUzeOd_e4ZoDzBIqebO6ZL5Y7sjjiy5v93YPgN1A0UI/s1600/IMG_9430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-kl0o1K5r7zMnNdVC2XT6RfZY7z_qY1BdOlTFPQyeLOpqZ6vDVdQ0s82q-TwGg0iUj3_Zt_z9GKLZX4vVOnBSoJhvmDvfJMGIDUzeOd_e4ZoDzBIqebO6ZL5Y7sjjiy5v93YPgN1A0UI/s400/IMG_9430.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Driving along and then we stumble upon this sight ... caribou!!! (which we now think might be elk! Any help on that?)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-qHpia0IvueAUBCuwipCcM-VDdyk4sv1JGs4xuEtwjFmywmLBK8pxvmdPVFPImYhBEAX5Ck0yHW1h7_ryeOhFEOMHHVrgxfkpW9K7XDbNPr9RmEkeXA79huSYSpFZXoL2_I-1kdVGoLd/s1600/IMG_9442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-qHpia0IvueAUBCuwipCcM-VDdyk4sv1JGs4xuEtwjFmywmLBK8pxvmdPVFPImYhBEAX5Ck0yHW1h7_ryeOhFEOMHHVrgxfkpW9K7XDbNPr9RmEkeXA79huSYSpFZXoL2_I-1kdVGoLd/s400/IMG_9442.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I braved the deep snow to get up close and personal with the caribou (behind a fence of course!)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnCpX7Jn89IRPvQplK2ajdJo78VUJii2DrRthKZthsMPymGI_XCOvxwTEIxhVyFybJWRLZlEG0z0dg051khuU2dZjLkj9D-drTgN-yrsyv55_54DLqTO_fz8i44yBB10GuC5Pha5vOD-s/s1600/IMG_9455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnCpX7Jn89IRPvQplK2ajdJo78VUJii2DrRthKZthsMPymGI_XCOvxwTEIxhVyFybJWRLZlEG0z0dg051khuU2dZjLkj9D-drTgN-yrsyv55_54DLqTO_fz8i44yBB10GuC5Pha5vOD-s/s400/IMG_9455.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Road warnings all the way ... </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNA7x4CQa3VukAtjt2pNKoTULyzf03rFya8dxNCkDy-9unHvy_lmHxcbQYM_kiPrSrcQioMFcyNgb4Rvk_0lZw1qvd7Y6kkJoSiQsGcJWFS_FfGkuVjIm9goNCJEIFwiE1j1_2jBQqx2-/s1600/IMG_9496.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNA7x4CQa3VukAtjt2pNKoTULyzf03rFya8dxNCkDy-9unHvy_lmHxcbQYM_kiPrSrcQioMFcyNgb4Rvk_0lZw1qvd7Y6kkJoSiQsGcJWFS_FfGkuVjIm9goNCJEIFwiE1j1_2jBQqx2-/s400/IMG_9496.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEskCxg0pLeqqrmCD4xSaoV7zP4KAp2TNyiGyNvkgOyp2sesZk2BHelMw_676xuer1YnON5TYZBm03PX0KIq7HQZRvrUFu7UbFFI5hvOZwL2TK7qEATQOP6duyrLy2EZs0DC3xJ-Ef550u/s1600/IMG_9497.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEskCxg0pLeqqrmCD4xSaoV7zP4KAp2TNyiGyNvkgOyp2sesZk2BHelMw_676xuer1YnON5TYZBm03PX0KIq7HQZRvrUFu7UbFFI5hvOZwL2TK7qEATQOP6duyrLy2EZs0DC3xJ-Ef550u/s400/IMG_9497.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4l5l_nwGGIgj52Ub0pVGCO6RLJ9X78uJHVFAJuNGhOilMxRASRAODTb04fjZK5jdS7ViepFlMf29zGaZytb9C9_sRjXugorLgEZ5o9wpY1q6jBk_BYsNS9gVI210nVpnlKRo9DPFzSh6/s1600/IMG_9457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4l5l_nwGGIgj52Ub0pVGCO6RLJ9X78uJHVFAJuNGhOilMxRASRAODTb04fjZK5jdS7ViepFlMf29zGaZytb9C9_sRjXugorLgEZ5o9wpY1q6jBk_BYsNS9gVI210nVpnlKRo9DPFzSh6/s400/IMG_9457.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... and wildlife warnings</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIt3gvxjDAg4DURxj6rBDlBkpIa_8HKUqslrz87SXNpCfiTTQfAOZA48C22ezsWZd3Tf8tEZkusX4WBGn_E04nXWcZrEfIa1yqes9ercHpaeAwJFTaL7opvU2ezca9t7Vnbodga5t8_7a/s1600/IMG_9473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIt3gvxjDAg4DURxj6rBDlBkpIa_8HKUqslrz87SXNpCfiTTQfAOZA48C22ezsWZd3Tf8tEZkusX4WBGn_E04nXWcZrEfIa1yqes9ercHpaeAwJFTaL7opvU2ezca9t7Vnbodga5t8_7a/s400/IMG_9473.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A walk break in Field</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV67p8megjc9PpCyJ1TuRpTGHIiP9T07kVL36WLNSay2PpfRlVPxXSD0GgiMNXpaIS-bqABtYUSNIQ_t-L9JjTl1pATc5V6leXIdRRwa0xPGrmwNeykjJW98CSoIcI86SlPpmmLjYVQXuF/s1600/IMG_9534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV67p8megjc9PpCyJ1TuRpTGHIiP9T07kVL36WLNSay2PpfRlVPxXSD0GgiMNXpaIS-bqABtYUSNIQ_t-L9JjTl1pATc5V6leXIdRRwa0xPGrmwNeykjJW98CSoIcI86SlPpmmLjYVQXuF/s400/IMG_9534.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Snow plows working up and down the highway ... </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfF423cU8-UEDTjOhQxxFMTSInTp9A8a-b5AbykNHbQW-dMlo8RklvtsFnB3pc03TmzADyX-UVf6hWHaqmvORFvikEr9l3gF0gBp7xG_TRQJgGngDXWixWFaUiFvE_ayfhDbzGwg4c38qE/s1600/IMG_9539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfF423cU8-UEDTjOhQxxFMTSInTp9A8a-b5AbykNHbQW-dMlo8RklvtsFnB3pc03TmzADyX-UVf6hWHaqmvORFvikEr9l3gF0gBp7xG_TRQJgGngDXWixWFaUiFvE_ayfhDbzGwg4c38qE/s400/IMG_9539.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>... followed by this guy who tidies up the wall of snow after the plow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUBrBZX-pA9O-TTg9PaFrczXkYRUPs7B0Ng2s5AG_Pi91OyWpou4Wd5cKS5oBHqlXb-_-An1zJW9LsJlTSxdSW5HTel0tyGXKEsNgw4WTpKaFxGZaa7lBiF9aRpUEJRfq8A0nr4yNdYo9/s1600/IMG_9488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUBrBZX-pA9O-TTg9PaFrczXkYRUPs7B0Ng2s5AG_Pi91OyWpou4Wd5cKS5oBHqlXb-_-An1zJW9LsJlTSxdSW5HTel0tyGXKEsNgw4WTpKaFxGZaa7lBiF9aRpUEJRfq8A0nr4yNdYo9/s400/IMG_9488.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Frozen waterfall</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkaLyhV5iA9Sf9I9tmYg1aT3FFkfCAq1UxvtrjimuP_Gor1OrdiHYrntsudH8ri6pyW6E6uNBHfIsGIQQn78q13LuOYtZiQOV8huylH9K2zY5bUDTEDTUyK-28WQfCNEf61elNQ6UMjbq/s1600/IMG_9549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkaLyhV5iA9Sf9I9tmYg1aT3FFkfCAq1UxvtrjimuP_Gor1OrdiHYrntsudH8ri6pyW6E6uNBHfIsGIQQn78q13LuOYtZiQOV8huylH9K2zY5bUDTEDTUyK-28WQfCNEf61elNQ6UMjbq/s400/IMG_9549.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pine trees heavy with snow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM14BDOq6NiKDHiQoWzfRQ1e3wQbNZ10EMY5SnYxzE4ZWb3ZPYJxDBlm2tCQzMupJCN_6RGWFC3P6VK35N91mo8sIkCWQej9nYC0ySv2l5Fit2PX8Q6rtq3ZPmjb5X50KcMIIHEZWmZhCn/s1600/IMG_9563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM14BDOq6NiKDHiQoWzfRQ1e3wQbNZ10EMY5SnYxzE4ZWb3ZPYJxDBlm2tCQzMupJCN_6RGWFC3P6VK35N91mo8sIkCWQej9nYC0ySv2l5Fit2PX8Q6rtq3ZPmjb5X50KcMIIHEZWmZhCn/s400/IMG_9563.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Heading down and out of the mountains</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-63262975541027692132013-01-06T13:11:00.001-07:002013-01-06T13:11:10.553-07:00Vancouver - A Walking City ... <div style="text-align: center;">
While we were in Vancouver, we took the time to do some exploring. It's such a great city to walk around and we were incredibly lucky with the weather and had sunshine and warm(ish) temperatures for the whole weekend. Here are some pics from our walking adventure ... </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uoZLz6p1y6MVhYJIe4aC1IAINoNRN2JlodHuc6XfUpQzzcmJwPcBoJ16oHIePQKVExVoEtvAepxMvFGEGMXzGO8YOkFAgGMRHMssxBnVFqj1R8pJhdPQqX9n7o5zDQMb5yP-5y3fIrEc/s1600/photo-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uoZLz6p1y6MVhYJIe4aC1IAINoNRN2JlodHuc6XfUpQzzcmJwPcBoJ16oHIePQKVExVoEtvAepxMvFGEGMXzGO8YOkFAgGMRHMssxBnVFqj1R8pJhdPQqX9n7o5zDQMb5yP-5y3fIrEc/s400/photo-13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Granville Island</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYeFWhU9trDWurRAYWj4wC-_MGjpTcrHZk_tVm8cfYMQYHaAsPndi9KbYx1iGWozBijKr2fBx3-nyu9Y7FX2PiFYkfKoWw3TpzjZgrz5kMDt7wDBnNIypDEbBKSROL7cWvf6tEqLzeENV/s1600/photo-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYeFWhU9trDWurRAYWj4wC-_MGjpTcrHZk_tVm8cfYMQYHaAsPndi9KbYx1iGWozBijKr2fBx3-nyu9Y7FX2PiFYkfKoWw3TpzjZgrz5kMDt7wDBnNIypDEbBKSROL7cWvf6tEqLzeENV/s400/photo-14.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Water taxi trip</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCt_5hL9qEpRj-L7CpFLjgVr8FL42mBngRR0JiYJexFc0-5nljnsRo3fcfG-VITr-yqiIkqKnYREdfo0LZBpuNNqyq6TKff1IidZ8TFM-YRymzhHS0NJuzuTEFw_6-Y8NlV8dmQz1WeYgI/s1600/photo-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCt_5hL9qEpRj-L7CpFLjgVr8FL42mBngRR0JiYJexFc0-5nljnsRo3fcfG-VITr-yqiIkqKnYREdfo0LZBpuNNqyq6TKff1IidZ8TFM-YRymzhHS0NJuzuTEFw_6-Y8NlV8dmQz1WeYgI/s400/photo-28.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>First Nations totem pole</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZiNKEdFaDVredJW9UkBbqCByAdlOPEJvRgU69K2dVSLTq9gpr4ESPC80dLW6-M4GNiQZxupV9MFM4SIc5fN8JUWff-AXpcrFBq3mq6SgqJSJnkitHhDeg43l28mMDJ_hVTe6b2dBlCMM/s1600/photo-20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZiNKEdFaDVredJW9UkBbqCByAdlOPEJvRgU69K2dVSLTq9gpr4ESPC80dLW6-M4GNiQZxupV9MFM4SIc5fN8JUWff-AXpcrFBq3mq6SgqJSJnkitHhDeg43l28mMDJ_hVTe6b2dBlCMM/s400/photo-20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcG90nZ6x_W7dgYMj6H67I_33V4jMmtKXOvKTqGxB_3LC-xVv0hiVOrk72KVHpgdsgJ4STwkkVQHDp-e1MW4g3tUtqBVlsIIDuAQGnAXtPoA6g3vyPlcl9khMCSWKxA6tR-enqaEy5G4e/s1600/photo-22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcG90nZ6x_W7dgYMj6H67I_33V4jMmtKXOvKTqGxB_3LC-xVv0hiVOrk72KVHpgdsgJ4STwkkVQHDp-e1MW4g3tUtqBVlsIIDuAQGnAXtPoA6g3vyPlcl9khMCSWKxA6tR-enqaEy5G4e/s400/photo-22.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Awesome dog beach</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyh1InMSyc2D-Ovs964ks68oww44sjfUNIGhBzqcbuGh1-wvWirJKfFqNILT4U7Twx5YV2PXomByL0mgWsukJ7sj-3PR0YVHcM6-nq9cDNIooVE07j2VkfJ2wcTtbkY8h5IRpGMkQbg4s0/s1600/photo-23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyh1InMSyc2D-Ovs964ks68oww44sjfUNIGhBzqcbuGh1-wvWirJKfFqNILT4U7Twx5YV2PXomByL0mgWsukJ7sj-3PR0YVHcM6-nq9cDNIooVE07j2VkfJ2wcTtbkY8h5IRpGMkQbg4s0/s400/photo-23.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Downtown Van from the dog beach</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58dJrMgnVGFxR3WTd1Ccdq56KoTyks1Zx0c-PPk9EU9ulFUIa1nFz1LmArvg65qrZBpv1nNcoEuGdoOc6AY_q4lc-ueqD2ApMvOP5rXMtXIXgjOaH35g3_GkFx5SJ8qKswqaciE77Sl18/s1600/photo-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58dJrMgnVGFxR3WTd1Ccdq56KoTyks1Zx0c-PPk9EU9ulFUIa1nFz1LmArvg65qrZBpv1nNcoEuGdoOc6AY_q4lc-ueqD2ApMvOP5rXMtXIXgjOaH35g3_GkFx5SJ8qKswqaciE77Sl18/s400/photo-25.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZABH9gLe_HwrBFvDF1QjLuhvPGAaXNayLkA8C4Ehyphenhyphen47CYMXYHMOsfXykjwRxONaMEIYsl20sL4EUyyNQFYjXF8zVCthyphenhyphenYmztfUCQHc6P0YUvEP352emhjyoPfyNRsWnAfvU_VTvecE3S/s1600/photo-21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZABH9gLe_HwrBFvDF1QjLuhvPGAaXNayLkA8C4Ehyphenhyphen47CYMXYHMOsfXykjwRxONaMEIYsl20sL4EUyyNQFYjXF8zVCthyphenhyphenYmztfUCQHc6P0YUvEP352emhjyoPfyNRsWnAfvU_VTvecE3S/s400/photo-21.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>English Bay</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-76379895210124590012013-01-04T10:59:00.000-07:002013-01-04T10:59:31.804-07:00Sir Paul ... <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FY9En9BcbZQjkVs9VyEgNnvnUSsYppGtAF8kJEiXibMopHzMc43nUn5C2RLri7SaKWvnLX8xIj7pvhKhpmM1oSUPqsxmIIic6UwwFQiWxPN0xh_VooDfc_5jmIaRHI2jpl39i46Vjtok/s1600/IMG_2223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FY9En9BcbZQjkVs9VyEgNnvnUSsYppGtAF8kJEiXibMopHzMc43nUn5C2RLri7SaKWvnLX8xIj7pvhKhpmM1oSUPqsxmIIic6UwwFQiWxPN0xh_VooDfc_5jmIaRHI2jpl39i46Vjtok/s400/IMG_2223.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Waiting to go backstage with my VIP pass and my pink paper (to wave
when Paul gave a shout out to his family and friends in the crowd)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our reason for heading to Vancouver in November was to see Paul McCartney in concert. We were super excited about the prospect of seeing a real, live Beatle on stage and our excitement escalated when we discovered that we might have a chance of <i>meeting</i> Sir Paul himself. The connection came through the owner of the company that C heads up. Let's call him D. Well, turns out that D was going to Vancouver for the concert as well and that D's best friend is Sir Paul's second cousin! So, somehow, on a Sunday evening in Vancouver, we found ourselves at a pre-concert party in an amazing apartment overlooking downtown Van and the surrounding mountains, being handed a VIP pass for the concert. C, a major Beatles fan (he possibly knows all there is to know about the great band), was beside himself with excitement and the buzz in the room as we prepared to leave for the concert was unbelievable. Eventually, the time came and all 50 of us walked to the stadium where we were ushered backstage into a private hospitality suite organised by Paul's people. There was some talk that Paul was going to make an appearance and while we waited to see what would happen, we enjoyed the free-flowing wine and beer. Next thing we knew, we were heading out to a pre-arranged spot for a group photo with Paul before he went on stage. I must say that he seemed like a delightful man, wandering around backstage with a cup of tea and his wife trailing behind him. We had the group photo (still waiting for Paul's people to approve it to be sent out to us all), he said a few words and then he was off. Next thing we knew, we were in our seats and watching the great man on stage. What a surreal experience!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarzADZV2U87oXbWebHGPivlSB1nLuaHu2Nna2d3Ps2OSRrt84krNymhYwf9TMxRxIg1RWPbcQ_5HRpzZzxe5WhanUcU8g_GcvyDmW5ItkyGoFhncSg44xGJZffDoPcpOCWRyqZW8p9ER7/s1600/IMG_2225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarzADZV2U87oXbWebHGPivlSB1nLuaHu2Nna2d3Ps2OSRrt84krNymhYwf9TMxRxIg1RWPbcQ_5HRpzZzxe5WhanUcU8g_GcvyDmW5ItkyGoFhncSg44xGJZffDoPcpOCWRyqZW8p9ER7/s400/IMG_2225.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Follow that pink paper!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh755780uZXzzgP5Xzrv9dSUhlUs6l9Jye1EkCFYb0An65cRSXXCSnpgySPMSS2pNHEvJxbByR7zEtOK_yky6pzfE5pBnAq0ESdffeH5KsoTsLIGrpQJ-MKv3ur3qwq1RseORSOJCLJv5pm/s1600/photo-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh755780uZXzzgP5Xzrv9dSUhlUs6l9Jye1EkCFYb0An65cRSXXCSnpgySPMSS2pNHEvJxbByR7zEtOK_yky6pzfE5pBnAq0ESdffeH5KsoTsLIGrpQJ-MKv3ur3qwq1RseORSOJCLJv5pm/s400/photo-16.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Backstage with our VIP passes</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC46PVA0lOf1yGgjiVLa65rzQ6-c6NU8jtHjH4ROJtNEiQZD1upZGD11VMno0Fatbik8jvSyRLc_YOb_e49UaMFKL6rZaF7oN4vf-VtE8xnHKel4_t6WLA016ouCMn-PwJrAeUndSMhQbA/s1600/photo-17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC46PVA0lOf1yGgjiVLa65rzQ6-c6NU8jtHjH4ROJtNEiQZD1upZGD11VMno0Fatbik8jvSyRLc_YOb_e49UaMFKL6rZaF7oN4vf-VtE8xnHKel4_t6WLA016ouCMn-PwJrAeUndSMhQbA/s400/photo-17.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Hello everyone!"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaAxVC979EmYaUI6Y5u52kUifOWt9Ifqd5oLmaEb0Kf1rbNFZOEUZzOdD3JH1tQaehO5urSmpgjBwadHmqNVGVFdJ39w-2gcNT29tMQ-AlaS31vFTiH9DyMZo5M1L5e9iW8XgOWepUrXf/s1600/photo-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaAxVC979EmYaUI6Y5u52kUifOWt9Ifqd5oLmaEb0Kf1rbNFZOEUZzOdD3JH1tQaehO5urSmpgjBwadHmqNVGVFdJ39w-2gcNT29tMQ-AlaS31vFTiH9DyMZo5M1L5e9iW8XgOWepUrXf/s400/photo-18.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Shall I sit here?"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L-jrmzrndJ3ZH86mosuxQelvDBotjKQXuqat595FwfEa2UQORBXQRW4M_SiOWlr7szmU3TwUExCoQZmv60zZqiOoUwPGrh1qNlO3BiXZxACZNwcUfpBKT4ozauFMo9yno-IT65qkpVHN/s1600/IMG_2235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L-jrmzrndJ3ZH86mosuxQelvDBotjKQXuqat595FwfEa2UQORBXQRW4M_SiOWlr7szmU3TwUExCoQZmv60zZqiOoUwPGrh1qNlO3BiXZxACZNwcUfpBKT4ozauFMo9yno-IT65qkpVHN/s400/IMG_2235.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Just a few minutes later on stage</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
A few videos so you get a sense of the evening ...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyr_02URBnR1sgf5dIkG7LnLnu3vavGe_5WMmnrjUS5wVlxewkgl5RlIooppjeJdhuUzWkiZC76ybzxesR4Mw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxj1BPCIs-x4pTbVuL1NGeNa1HWAB3giqlgxg6iTuVU4boPH_3LchoCYEJOy4wVdDkCanzYP6SwElr10YPNPw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-78661968889216438942013-01-01T17:31:00.000-07:002013-01-01T17:31:28.330-07:002012 ... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2012 was the year of change in my world, both professional and personal. It was a year of many highs and some relatively stressful lows but all in all, it was a great year. Here's a summary of the year ... </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In January, I enjoyed a few days with C in Sydney before he departed for Canada where I would join him in February. I focused on finishing off my unit in Canadian history while continuing to work through the Alberta teaching certification process. January was also a time to spend with family before I headed back to Canada. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a4Qt75bcjXM5y48WPb4z00q-ycPdbYNwh89OtBTjoUSJW7GUsahfraJECoUcTLoEQDIzzOgtNSzC1ZBU7eeJFKqp0DD4HXv5KaF5Fr5aT2pcg7tVIAgcZVnwSCdeDn8ukf3ANzQmNyjM/s1600/IMG_1930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a4Qt75bcjXM5y48WPb4z00q-ycPdbYNwh89OtBTjoUSJW7GUsahfraJECoUcTLoEQDIzzOgtNSzC1ZBU7eeJFKqp0DD4HXv5KaF5Fr5aT2pcg7tVIAgcZVnwSCdeDn8ukf3ANzQmNyjM/s400/IMG_1930.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>January - A visit in Sydney from Mum</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBY9iY6BTLdrXbauE_rjVqSrMHD9kobggfVlT9mHokUZ5UNnoecwgpm5FlLR7tiCrWdLiB3bLmoSCs2-2pqDC62s-PtzJ7WVQR2qkA8AOMhkMoUyyeOAgYy2bDfMmm8vvX8zB_n1FtVZ2/s1600/IMG_1968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBY9iY6BTLdrXbauE_rjVqSrMHD9kobggfVlT9mHokUZ5UNnoecwgpm5FlLR7tiCrWdLiB3bLmoSCs2-2pqDC62s-PtzJ7WVQR2qkA8AOMhkMoUyyeOAgYy2bDfMmm8vvX8zB_n1FtVZ2/s400/IMG_1968.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>January - Enjoying the last few weeks of being on the beach in Manly</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In February, I left my private teaching job and headed to the (relative) unknown in Canada. I met my brother, Tom in Vancouver for a few days of exploring before we met C and headed north on Vancouver Island to pick up the delightful Ladyleigh's Abigail is So Posh.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve2PT6EKrTBvleZlKXNMZnHn1zEefs9XtfAWbJLr_Kyk_CQER66-YnsQaX8mNBhWEps8bI7y5MIzEWrB8Zb-ysfYsd86fXggXDknQSdM5q_L1YsEssPkikb1_DZOncqfHqBSGZh3lPVn9/s1600/IMG_9823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve2PT6EKrTBvleZlKXNMZnHn1zEefs9XtfAWbJLr_Kyk_CQER66-YnsQaX8mNBhWEps8bI7y5MIzEWrB8Zb-ysfYsd86fXggXDknQSdM5q_L1YsEssPkikb1_DZOncqfHqBSGZh3lPVn9/s400/IMG_9823.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>February - Farewell to the view from my 'classroom'</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzWkjHOEAq2DK9DT_RpD6bfDxdFySpXE0h2_IjvojelB17Mec_lR1phmCV_X_2MoOP-Z1SQDK8XUMo249yXiyH8DutR9U580y-1VTZZmAQJ8fzaC-I8I5hK1Zx9LjsGU3qmwiKXBJIYJR/s1600/IMG_5245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzWkjHOEAq2DK9DT_RpD6bfDxdFySpXE0h2_IjvojelB17Mec_lR1phmCV_X_2MoOP-Z1SQDK8XUMo249yXiyH8DutR9U580y-1VTZZmAQJ8fzaC-I8I5hK1Zx9LjsGU3qmwiKXBJIYJR/s400/IMG_5245.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abbey in her new home</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
In March, I got a tutoring job and continued to look for a position in a Calgary school. I loved the part-time working hours while studying and enjoying Abbey.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPjTtDP8-9Ea9kNooCRKUpVsJh0PP-COc6-RBYI9LQuIzlv6B1lg5t5Kj88pXWO4GFwd_UQdu0_4iK3SfbcpxMGxL5rXywUk0c4ufhwwDb5KQZNdJ_YSe5HEB7kpUyv0eCR4BxaP58wak/s1600/photo-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPjTtDP8-9Ea9kNooCRKUpVsJh0PP-COc6-RBYI9LQuIzlv6B1lg5t5Kj88pXWO4GFwd_UQdu0_4iK3SfbcpxMGxL5rXywUk0c4ufhwwDb5KQZNdJ_YSe5HEB7kpUyv0eCR4BxaP58wak/s400/photo-5.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>March - Learning to drive in winter conditions on my way to my new tutoring job in Millarville</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4dwOxfuF7PZ7_CjjIVu73qp0LWCfIoBM8j97eaeMcepqYughKrQ1PteoKQJCqipcCjGewHRmGNdshzti_cH8KRkF_ezIyBCKaglfPOuJQO38A_FcnpFTnLhBXIuZjMasByN_tQhxPYWC/s1600/photo-59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4dwOxfuF7PZ7_CjjIVu73qp0LWCfIoBM8j97eaeMcepqYughKrQ1PteoKQJCqipcCjGewHRmGNdshzti_cH8KRkF_ezIyBCKaglfPOuJQO38A_FcnpFTnLhBXIuZjMasByN_tQhxPYWC/s400/photo-59.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>March - Enjoying Banff with Abbey</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
April was a fairly quiet month but life got busier towards the end of the month when I landed a dream job in Calgary - teaching Grade 5 at a small girls school. I continued to attempt my Masters research but gave it away when it proved to be too challenging working between two countries.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qS09gASHxnT8fuClcNRpMLaiD6MNvE8AV0kMFXm_0SE7FH6vv3IO9s54J7nva5mH7gRhsETvDmm60wzgKCeHJWXBdUzIHPjLqtMtBcNFH3hqh96wsR2O93dQy8AoONA2g3UUUyFDazmL/s1600/photo-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qS09gASHxnT8fuClcNRpMLaiD6MNvE8AV0kMFXm_0SE7FH6vv3IO9s54J7nva5mH7gRhsETvDmm60wzgKCeHJWXBdUzIHPjLqtMtBcNFH3hqh96wsR2O93dQy8AoONA2g3UUUyFDazmL/s400/photo-13.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>April - The snow disappeared and I bought a bike to celebrate</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
May livened up with being back in a school and working full time hours for the first time in a couple of years. In May, I ramped up my running training with a few small running events in preparation for the Millarville Half Marathon in June.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dqTKjo0UobMIKpc3a-RPAX7xDgBVOVvbtf9vOoPUkvZgYkY87e2MKtRxlBubzgeVDxlmzSWxdQHMzCmNN3tvPrQRY2d26avQIlw-jsWd2in9PlOEle1AvvLJ_iYtUtZibxb6MRNKQSv3/s1600/IMG_5898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dqTKjo0UobMIKpc3a-RPAX7xDgBVOVvbtf9vOoPUkvZgYkY87e2MKtRxlBubzgeVDxlmzSWxdQHMzCmNN3tvPrQRY2d26avQIlw-jsWd2in9PlOEle1AvvLJ_iYtUtZibxb6MRNKQSv3/s400/IMG_5898.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>May - Grade 5 camp during week 3 of my new job at Calgary Girls School </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
June was super busy with report writing (on students I barely knew) and preparing for the half marathon. There were some bureaucratic wins in June, most notably a year-long teaching contract at CGS and an Albertan drivers licence. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmqrcjGwaEpwF75Gn62AAgl2BjOUam297Jk9VU3CL1-r3v7W7isyiOl8Qk5TXJ5EhRwr0RsnKIeBjxCrewZS6e1LYQrVBXUm1mqjFyScrHuLVDExEDl5QCe6hCDV9vrMgGyhE8ZeMKRiF/s1600/photo-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmqrcjGwaEpwF75Gn62AAgl2BjOUam297Jk9VU3CL1-r3v7W7isyiOl8Qk5TXJ5EhRwr0RsnKIeBjxCrewZS6e1LYQrVBXUm1mqjFyScrHuLVDExEDl5QCe6hCDV9vrMgGyhE8ZeMKRiF/s400/photo-30.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>June - Millarville Half Marathon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6Q6snB80v1s51xS4H0Xs5DSrFv8e8UyXMG60tC9vvyFDOABOb9d0YN9WcnOIajmYTLcuvfo8wp9g3W8lI3fCwhibiMyWNMW-xaE-0wbqs5yQ6WyDnN6nqO04JYmCNdeX2jcldi7vu9cE/s1600/photo-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6Q6snB80v1s51xS4H0Xs5DSrFv8e8UyXMG60tC9vvyFDOABOb9d0YN9WcnOIajmYTLcuvfo8wp9g3W8lI3fCwhibiMyWNMW-xaE-0wbqs5yQ6WyDnN6nqO04JYmCNdeX2jcldi7vu9cE/s400/photo-32.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>June - An Albertan drivers licence </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was looking forward to July for some time as it was the month that Mum visited us in Calgary. The month was filled with adventures including the Calgary Stampede and associated events, a US/Canada road trip, the Calgary Folk Festival, hiking and rafting on the Bow River.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmWzYiOyvimEFY0tRmdBY1Xo7_YtYtYayjjGRK4UVaq0LmZAA0Tl44C4wHNLD5whHrJ6qAzigsnnH9AqEWxJMRI6cHE3JS90hJJlv4osyk97c6de5JL_qYxe34RzHyR-vty_Gqt63oX0X/s1600/IMG_5585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmWzYiOyvimEFY0tRmdBY1Xo7_YtYtYayjjGRK4UVaq0LmZAA0Tl44C4wHNLD5whHrJ6qAzigsnnH9AqEWxJMRI6cHE3JS90hJJlv4osyk97c6de5JL_qYxe34RzHyR-vty_Gqt63oX0X/s400/IMG_5585.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>July - Mother, daughter and puppy road trip</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNB7viBjGEcuI8eFPih_YCuyKhSc83gTyKza-7WL3RMLGv7hcHKMShbpg6hvVY2U7jFORXhi7EMFuog5nFKFM1xd_QymKF1KhHAuD_POuJ5HQNwumhkmLOQSSYpBUlKSFoDVNUUzc4STe/s1600/IMG_5847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNB7viBjGEcuI8eFPih_YCuyKhSc83gTyKza-7WL3RMLGv7hcHKMShbpg6hvVY2U7jFORXhi7EMFuog5nFKFM1xd_QymKF1KhHAuD_POuJ5HQNwumhkmLOQSSYpBUlKSFoDVNUUzc4STe/s400/IMG_5847.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>July - Calgary Folk Fest</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
At the beginning of August, I bid farewell to Mum and set about enjoying the last few weeks of the summer holidays.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZhMBjFGp6kcXDN11aakD0YdIKJf4kgdcyktbwBn_UhBCKd-HYERZCkE01M-gt-Wc3bsRIlj-o7pTKknaPCN8_WMn_mgMo26ncTqWnicCmDBJdy2WFPgGknxPM6OfrH0v0wq5qAUJNlq8/s1600/IMG_7977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZhMBjFGp6kcXDN11aakD0YdIKJf4kgdcyktbwBn_UhBCKd-HYERZCkE01M-gt-Wc3bsRIlj-o7pTKknaPCN8_WMn_mgMo26ncTqWnicCmDBJdy2WFPgGknxPM6OfrH0v0wq5qAUJNlq8/s400/IMG_7977.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>August - Hiking to Galatea Lakes</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBca2VqILSlwEV_vq4Oljru75jK0RcIm4LOsSLCsTVlSN4tt3Z77lzU3DnGeJYd7GAxWmY_MGHMt0FTd1EXLh43ZMTUoo-mJ7be-Gd3aUM3sYs8sekBv7Cs4HJwuqBtH1so1rvSQx-hSgX/s1600/photo-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBca2VqILSlwEV_vq4Oljru75jK0RcIm4LOsSLCsTVlSN4tt3Z77lzU3DnGeJYd7GAxWmY_MGHMt0FTd1EXLh43ZMTUoo-mJ7be-Gd3aUM3sYs8sekBv7Cs4HJwuqBtH1so1rvSQx-hSgX/s400/photo-29.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>August - Enjoying food and wine in the Okanagon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
In September, I returned to work, this time as a Grade 4 teacher. There was still some summer fun to be had with hikes and running events as well as my first Calgary Westie Walk.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvSyW3XrU93rJ9rO5lYzo-sSYc_SJvgAYX4ZvCVPmtVH50bUXmLGi_k5KmGKMgouAYaVVVw1r9xv_u1rzxLjHq7cXZOzp2vWtPcdWOGGPvaBoex0UeqEyZWXxLvMBEHngSd3al2GDATwO/s1600/IMG_8429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvSyW3XrU93rJ9rO5lYzo-sSYc_SJvgAYX4ZvCVPmtVH50bUXmLGi_k5KmGKMgouAYaVVVw1r9xv_u1rzxLjHq7cXZOzp2vWtPcdWOGGPvaBoex0UeqEyZWXxLvMBEHngSd3al2GDATwO/s400/IMG_8429.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>September - Picklejar Lakes hike</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhu7_l9H5Id99_iSJh_JRo-cd2tnNBQtzQe5mLIaq1Pr_fwQ9wjPGGKESAMyBJnp7UM-HhzRiXM2g8AjFfi26vfsvmiuEZ3jwsLvYHtaUUxsGsZb3q85WoKLaK8XZORha51QN_MGfR82R/s1600/IMG_8439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhu7_l9H5Id99_iSJh_JRo-cd2tnNBQtzQe5mLIaq1Pr_fwQ9wjPGGKESAMyBJnp7UM-HhzRiXM2g8AjFfi26vfsvmiuEZ3jwsLvYHtaUUxsGsZb3q85WoKLaK8XZORha51QN_MGfR82R/s400/IMG_8439.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>September - Calgary Westie Walk</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
October was a busy month mainly spent finishing my last uni assignment for the year (only one unit to go!) It started to get cold pretty quickly and I had to concentrate on developing my winter driving skills. The end of the month was marked by a Halloween celebration.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1kjJT3FCdpncRKhIETgQ-HKcp9w-Nd1IAgKjcqClSeT4WQVQzzIskm8crygDS9Yc7f3KLGDkmjvXjRUH1hm1X_Q-rYT_L7pTGWN6-SEhBvX9kBsGphZ93AkCKtzsQyQJGzZPE2B2y_24/s1600/3b3d9ce21b9a11e2bb0f22000a1cfde9_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1kjJT3FCdpncRKhIETgQ-HKcp9w-Nd1IAgKjcqClSeT4WQVQzzIskm8crygDS9Yc7f3KLGDkmjvXjRUH1hm1X_Q-rYT_L7pTGWN6-SEhBvX9kBsGphZ93AkCKtzsQyQJGzZPE2B2y_24/s400/3b3d9ce21b9a11e2bb0f22000a1cfde9_6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>October - Reading treat after finishing last uni assignment for the year</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNFiK9Mj2KqOh-lPTDkE3NqpSX16G0JNuhctetcGG0wKZ1-H-_PkTl-z1iE5VP9rYZMmk6wCgL36hSixCIeN0DzjjIMrkllSQS5OczeNedm64ZF_4EoXXrPU8TNzijEZ574Hhc8dYSgl_/s1600/photo-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNFiK9Mj2KqOh-lPTDkE3NqpSX16G0JNuhctetcGG0wKZ1-H-_PkTl-z1iE5VP9rYZMmk6wCgL36hSixCIeN0DzjjIMrkllSQS5OczeNedm64ZF_4EoXXrPU8TNzijEZ574Hhc8dYSgl_/s400/photo-11.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>October - Halloween celebrations</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
November and December were all about work and music in our household. Both C and I were very busy at work but had somehow managed to buy tickets to a number of concerts, all of which were fantastic. Both months were very slow on the blogging front but there are a couple of interesting stories to share which I will do over the next week or so, including one particularly exciting story which definitely deserves a mention here but it's too big not to have it's own post! (no, I'm not engaged or pregnant!) C and I finished the year getting back to nature with some time spent on the beautiful, wild west coast of Canada (photos to come).</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6JsUmtdBYG5tN4l0NoirB79sCs-t_KXzE3QKpS0n2C6cFZfujdGy2MqSqsOp2PxhMl1IMYz69mH1eftU35e_l74wA-pnCibYoIFvu9iwR_wKBZsY8JbdG6FbPcMoawvw8PmpsJ3qI6uj/s1600/photo-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6JsUmtdBYG5tN4l0NoirB79sCs-t_KXzE3QKpS0n2C6cFZfujdGy2MqSqsOp2PxhMl1IMYz69mH1eftU35e_l74wA-pnCibYoIFvu9iwR_wKBZsY8JbdG6FbPcMoawvw8PmpsJ3qI6uj/s400/photo-10.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>November - Leonard Cohen in concert</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTa7Ls2fTlmGpZlcGfLSHNE2phbculrLT0GWdn_2i5EnwHbT7zg7kb_JVvZq1KA1Z5OW4ZpH1bIzdAhjjDkunpOUCwuxn3zeZ9cpX4tbOBt5CexbzIx741NIXI0ykjVSyRxnpZQIstAOD/s1600/IMG_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTa7Ls2fTlmGpZlcGfLSHNE2phbculrLT0GWdn_2i5EnwHbT7zg7kb_JVvZq1KA1Z5OW4ZpH1bIzdAhjjDkunpOUCwuxn3zeZ9cpX4tbOBt5CexbzIx741NIXI0ykjVSyRxnpZQIstAOD/s400/IMG_2161.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>November - Vancouver Historic Half</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMCez90zPJBypgLVfulNF24ep64e1q6x7wVU_jRBiIeCtOpL16Ikam09jF0JWgBOZ3bUHguECb0po9YjMGpyse8fFKD76bgEKsNn1TFrp81SnZvN6rrjJW4GY8DbBFXawPYuk4NY1_mWO/s1600/IMG_0549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMCez90zPJBypgLVfulNF24ep64e1q6x7wVU_jRBiIeCtOpL16Ikam09jF0JWgBOZ3bUHguECb0po9YjMGpyse8fFKD76bgEKsNn1TFrp81SnZvN6rrjJW4GY8DbBFXawPYuk4NY1_mWO/s400/IMG_0549.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>December - Christmas lights in the snow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfe3oKoBrKpUAUkLjXdlrdhSmA2l15Mu7A09LsdTkegiW21FHeGJSgVQ1Eb-wEnu1a7pK1SET0aZyWN7nmyYFWZCGS8W4kR7Q-Rdan9ACOBWGK2RN2KrCCTss0CqOf4tjSJ6npgSY8OQSy/s1600/IMG_9584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfe3oKoBrKpUAUkLjXdlrdhSmA2l15Mu7A09LsdTkegiW21FHeGJSgVQ1Eb-wEnu1a7pK1SET0aZyWN7nmyYFWZCGS8W4kR7Q-Rdan9ACOBWGK2RN2KrCCTss0CqOf4tjSJ6npgSY8OQSy/s400/IMG_9584.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>December - Enjoying the wet and wild west coast of Canada</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2013 is shaping up to be an interesting one with a few things on the go and I look forward to sharing my adventures with you all. I hope that 2013 is a happy and prosperous one for you, wherever you are in the world.</div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-49750518163882703522012-12-16T10:26:00.001-07:002012-12-16T10:26:34.878-07:00Vancouver Historic Half (or 10km in my case) ... <div style="text-align: center;">
It's been pretty tough finding the motivation to run outside lately given the chilly temperatures. So, I thought that signing myself up for a race might provide the motivation I needed to get running. I chose a 'destination' race in Vancouver since C and I were planning to be there for a weekend in November anyway. I'd always wanted to run around Vancouver's beautiful sea wall and the Vancouver Historic Half (10km for me) provided just the opportunity. Did it provide the motivation I needed? Well, not really because I went for very few outdoor (and indoor come to think of it) runs in the weeks leading up to the race. I flew to Vancouver knowing that I'd be (over) relying on the fact that I'd be running at sea level (as opposed to 1500m above sea level in Calgary) and hoping that I'd feel an extra spring in my step. This was negated when we went out for dinner the night before with an old Tassie friend from my pony club days and had a couple of glasses of wine. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the 10km saunter around Vancouver's famous seawall, running the race in a fairly respectable time and enjoying the scenery and the fresh sea air ... </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUondq7XduUEQj1UK-7B2ooCAnjt_V8tsbK_rP7xdvTHK9ln0zukxS2x3rEof3hWNDK8lfoOFyC4vtfD9ohCQnFg4gwqLNGtQTXf2ptvRmh2SBlTGUaPioMwwfZbv831ONElj9N8BEDO3X/s1600/IMG_2152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUondq7XduUEQj1UK-7B2ooCAnjt_V8tsbK_rP7xdvTHK9ln0zukxS2x3rEof3hWNDK8lfoOFyC4vtfD9ohCQnFg4gwqLNGtQTXf2ptvRmh2SBlTGUaPioMwwfZbv831ONElj9N8BEDO3X/s400/IMG_2152.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>On my way to the start line</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioO6erW0LKzR5Nz25_CgymKyGQKZAj3ThVFap48UpErtQU7WOjMd9mEG_YQKt9_6o71iExcBNV3wxtgejNJwCRTxzql2oSakgdVPfXxS4lcj1sO6a3LbDBeamPgqW8vDT98Mxf4jt3zVkI/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioO6erW0LKzR5Nz25_CgymKyGQKZAj3ThVFap48UpErtQU7WOjMd9mEG_YQKt9_6o71iExcBNV3wxtgejNJwCRTxzql2oSakgdVPfXxS4lcj1sO6a3LbDBeamPgqW8vDT98Mxf4jt3zVkI/s400/IMG_2154.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Near the start line</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZPOthT2zFL5El_6AaHCFtihCA9W4UU0t1s9GFQbueWiWMXYSMT07jN0hm2Y3AMBeaEeJIxji2XjmWlxPkH7_Xvb9wojLka2BNKkWjayBqVg6qJtgdhsOF4bIcdaYc3E71Xt8sOeyyXrC/s1600/IMG_2157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZPOthT2zFL5El_6AaHCFtihCA9W4UU0t1s9GFQbueWiWMXYSMT07jN0hm2Y3AMBeaEeJIxji2XjmWlxPkH7_Xvb9wojLka2BNKkWjayBqVg6qJtgdhsOF4bIcdaYc3E71Xt8sOeyyXrC/s400/IMG_2157.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The start/finish at the beautiful Stanley Park Pavilion (I warmed up inside next to the open fire!)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWGBTeIxd4L37Bt2vj8bvog8xiKV1UbQN24Jb1CemToFkJ-5Zj98xC5-ARwUgueMfRD0bcYM_0P7aNcw4pbRD1kTSHMmQ97FJGcvTpMQtzdYQPMWpKWWl8XyX44rkrfIt3w_xnZ_Mipyy/s1600/IMG_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWGBTeIxd4L37Bt2vj8bvog8xiKV1UbQN24Jb1CemToFkJ-5Zj98xC5-ARwUgueMfRD0bcYM_0P7aNcw4pbRD1kTSHMmQ97FJGcvTpMQtzdYQPMWpKWWl8XyX44rkrfIt3w_xnZ_Mipyy/s400/IMG_2161.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The start</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1ycERYLSjlVKHrf-JzVQ0_0c_JT4nxrV1Gxjszepw9sCs7MotasN1DWlzh2tAiO5KTpLW7Zgh-MmwmsLO1kmXQnJq3rKi4vxpxiAOVByVVhLygifHXOYLP8IulT_DSV2grUlYFyrERjg/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF1ycERYLSjlVKHrf-JzVQ0_0c_JT4nxrV1Gxjszepw9sCs7MotasN1DWlzh2tAiO5KTpLW7Zgh-MmwmsLO1kmXQnJq3rKi4vxpxiAOVByVVhLygifHXOYLP8IulT_DSV2grUlYFyrERjg/s400/IMG_2163.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking towards downtown Vancouver</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8d2wE6McG0K4ChvHARrQK-o2OFBu7lUVwmMKawZzWv-wsuIjGh57iX06ctfovAszUyc-LlCZIS_tTSWXmOFZqE0y-lXtFKyc6X3ykJaCQsyEPLcNam4FOw2jcq5wX_lAlNupV-6dpOx3S/s1600/IMG_2165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8d2wE6McG0K4ChvHARrQK-o2OFBu7lUVwmMKawZzWv-wsuIjGh57iX06ctfovAszUyc-LlCZIS_tTSWXmOFZqE0y-lXtFKyc6X3ykJaCQsyEPLcNam4FOw2jcq5wX_lAlNupV-6dpOx3S/s400/IMG_2165.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Along the sea wall</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoXql7nx9EoeGlPycuKNcXwqyXfgOjvdv82xLwoAthDIuBVRsNqYXlaJhbvFOvYwT56_ycn_D-FDnPa3QCqJ4dWaENWdmbpm_hhRxY6UbLPinG01eEOX-fd-4DPewFHS7qlKGGzDE-3yU/s1600/IMG_2197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoXql7nx9EoeGlPycuKNcXwqyXfgOjvdv82xLwoAthDIuBVRsNqYXlaJhbvFOvYwT56_ycn_D-FDnPa3QCqJ4dWaENWdmbpm_hhRxY6UbLPinG01eEOX-fd-4DPewFHS7qlKGGzDE-3yU/s400/IMG_2197.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Snowy mountains (and a sulphur plant)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7YIE8q6paLCuiHaUx0nHC75SjgZugl6AD3abl1u0jjSvh37M07Bssm4yYgAe5ckSsHl703xK1U6zYf__babdDqd0RmsqrDN1xchksBWpL_NwHWUfkyLAMusdXcPgX3_YTS5r-JFwdXSY/s1600/IMG_2202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7YIE8q6paLCuiHaUx0nHC75SjgZugl6AD3abl1u0jjSvh37M07Bssm4yYgAe5ckSsHl703xK1U6zYf__babdDqd0RmsqrDN1xchksBWpL_NwHWUfkyLAMusdXcPgX3_YTS5r-JFwdXSY/s400/IMG_2202.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Heading back towards downtown</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-vHYUbyEJZABX4Vutr2A1XbWHbSzXyb6QHc3lhGx0lDUmTvs0WkVEzepliKxYeRZfgjTFDmc9YyF03Nc2PClWyBgYsMRK_uC0pe7_747YjqcW3ljLD4pPDXSto-o6futoT_IxI0C0SHm/s1600/IMG_2210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-vHYUbyEJZABX4Vutr2A1XbWHbSzXyb6QHc3lhGx0lDUmTvs0WkVEzepliKxYeRZfgjTFDmc9YyF03Nc2PClWyBgYsMRK_uC0pe7_747YjqcW3ljLD4pPDXSto-o6futoT_IxI0C0SHm/s400/IMG_2210.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Old pony club friend, J, who also did the race</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-13982167299990556302012-12-12T19:44:00.000-07:002012-12-12T19:44:18.058-07:00Leonard Cohen ... <div style="text-align: center;">
One of the highlights of our month of music madness in November was getting to see two old Canadian rockers in the one week. On the Monday night, we saw Neil Young perform with his band Crazy Horse and on the Friday night, we had third row seats at the Leonard Cohen concert (our seats were even in front of the mayor's seats!) I was looking forward to the Neil Young concert because I love his folky music but alas, Crazy Horse are his rock band and song after song of screaming feedback was not what I needed nor wanted on a Monday evening. C enjoyed the concert immensely though. But Leonard, wow. I've never seen such a polite, respectful musician on stage. He was simply gorgeous to watch, the way he interacted with his band members and the beautiful back-up singers. Rather than continue to describe the concert, which was absolutely mesmorising, I'll simply let you see for youself ... </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3Hm4eId_7BnuME2rBBHSJjX_53SFjaI9KCl2uNvsX69tfzsGq0maFu33IE92Ch5_WEwcG7AM4Z3FIhUY7mjPrMATl9nPzqj6f0IMxCJlKehBGc1Nstv6TKVKxz2D62J5pHM1eoe8e4j7/s1600/photo-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3Hm4eId_7BnuME2rBBHSJjX_53SFjaI9KCl2uNvsX69tfzsGq0maFu33IE92Ch5_WEwcG7AM4Z3FIhUY7mjPrMATl9nPzqj6f0IMxCJlKehBGc1Nstv6TKVKxz2D62J5pHM1eoe8e4j7/s400/photo-11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7C_HgiVYiAev2hDlpi3PKcW55H6pg-KO_2iQJoLpzZdJSqTTcDVgITu1nZEMS6XxPBGzTqT1YBPRXY_mf_cRzHgAMGrDc8MnTLrH9UmtWHThyEUbKLA0AcNkgpHG_pQM7lC9-RYJSiQh/s1600/photo-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7C_HgiVYiAev2hDlpi3PKcW55H6pg-KO_2iQJoLpzZdJSqTTcDVgITu1nZEMS6XxPBGzTqT1YBPRXY_mf_cRzHgAMGrDc8MnTLrH9UmtWHThyEUbKLA0AcNkgpHG_pQM7lC9-RYJSiQh/s400/photo-9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLC8rdHftb2V9rKje3b8WSsivSMtda9h8qBSqdOIOl0OWORY8qEPlmwO33XCQJls4RFfPkXGT2fXNU2zKmUL5zigTIusmXGWp38J9-7kMS7-VE1u2I7TyrfgFHVpruzzUuvVvYh3qeIpy/s1600/photo-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLC8rdHftb2V9rKje3b8WSsivSMtda9h8qBSqdOIOl0OWORY8qEPlmwO33XCQJls4RFfPkXGT2fXNU2zKmUL5zigTIusmXGWp38J9-7kMS7-VE1u2I7TyrfgFHVpruzzUuvVvYh3qeIpy/s400/photo-12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmws2m_p3Mt8vJqzIh8GZtBMnvg7UeFcfq_TrMv3SYnLfWDVN795K5mqnmzVeTd9BNUp09uhquwZmwpWjpsYJxUjtDfR_6iUJQrDPvS4A1hhAd8eyNYry0oeRxmn4-3LggxXTP3xgyDcA/s1600/photo-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmws2m_p3Mt8vJqzIh8GZtBMnvg7UeFcfq_TrMv3SYnLfWDVN795K5mqnmzVeTd9BNUp09uhquwZmwpWjpsYJxUjtDfR_6iUJQrDPvS4A1hhAd8eyNYry0oeRxmn4-3LggxXTP3xgyDcA/s400/photo-10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVgN1Wu3vG9jkKdAKYKeUl593F_3gCDTkV-bDqsiE4WBWt0UPDmQ6S5jCWvN4tXv7KYJfnJ1qAv1kypzVyfw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwxOtCM_NMejDb7ew0jiDE1kUSYqRtiwhMnNfrg-hUWoqVw4Kpp56nCfAAFbKjMsE71KocDCZ1uwd3pUKxj2Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxZus4yCE5ufj6i-Ioj0kL-CvdkUIVbK5rDpclLMh_BZVGKFepOj33iBm56v84ndFj5R1A2-aWaqW7CVh-k2A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyNRymFKZCnFu1GdsqMDVL-MV4-YPqERRTZc5n6M19vN610VJx_C05hhboomUPeD-P_89G6qnPEA3-DSxNTcQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyqVI5S-RzMIibfqkhT9p-XOKMB_EA6VJq1rysawGPPKWF2O4KZGepNurNRqi9i8ADawxUTlZK_L47b0GFGag' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span id="goog_142452479"></span><span id="goog_142452480"></span><br />Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7630327061287806063.post-66595695443041791272012-12-11T12:20:00.000-07:002012-12-11T12:20:04.176-07:00I'm back ... <div style="text-align: center;">
Wow, it sure has been a while. The last month has been absolutely crazy. Between hectic work weeks, super busy social weekends and the cold darkness of winter, I haven't had a moment to write. Work has been busy with getting ready for and then running Student Led Conferences as well as putting out parental 'What do you mean you don't have report cards?' fires and I've been doing some tutoring on top of that to earn some extra cash. Outside of work, C and I have been busy with music concerts and Christmas celebrations as well as a wonderful weekend in Vancouver. When I haven't been busy working and socialising, I've been trying to sneak in gym sessions, start yoga again, do some reading (I'm struggling through the final Hunger Games at the moment ... Suzanne Collins should have stopped at one book, in my opinion) and becoming absolutely addicted to Downton Abbey. So, while it's been some time, the blogging urge has returned and I look forward to filling you in on the last month of hard work and fun.</div>
Anna Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12773065671687779845noreply@blogger.com0