June 11

The road to Radium was awesome as we towed the bikes to Radium Valley Vacation Resort with a stop in Fernie and spent a week riding, golfing and soaking in hot springs. The stay in the 3 bedroom house was a surprise and the riding in the mountains for the first time was scarey. I had to remember to breath when we went around corners on our way up to Panorama but after 5 days of experience up and down the road from Radium to Invermere to explore (and sing at open stages and karaoke bars) I finally felt comfortable and look forward to riding all the way to Penticton rather than towing next trip.

The trip home was though Golden where we stopped at the Glacier Raft Company to do a double run of the Kicking Horse River and what a rush that was! Next time we hope to do the lower half that is supposed to be even more challenging!

Mid month was another milestone celebration when Simon & Mary celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. With 4 generations in attendance, it was a good time had by all! End June was the 5th Annual Dead Hog Boogie. This year was once again at the Manyberries Rodeo grounds. Did not successfully defend my rodeo game title but I met a new friend, pictured below. HARLEY!

Mmmmm May!

From a birthday dinner to a mini vacation to Radium Hot Springs it was a wonderful May! Mother's Day was spent at a branding party a friend's farm. I have been to one before and saw the branding, and even the culling of semen from a bull...ew...but this was the first time that I was there for the castration and even was involved hands on! Hands on the other end thankfully and left the rest to the experienced. I love animals and have my way with dogs, cats, a few horses I am far from a cow whisperer. I did help reunite a maimed calf with his mama and spent the rest of the day taking pictures and enjoying prairie oysters and beer popsicles on the porch playing with kitten and watching the sunset before riding our bikes back to the Hat!

On the ride home, I had to stop and take pictures because the sky was so gorgeous and it reminded me of my book that sits on my coffee table back home. "If you're not from the prairie..." by David Bouchard & Henry Ripplinger. "If you're not from the prairie, You don't know the sky, You can't know the sky.....If you're not from the prairie, You don't know the sky." And that began a string of photos just taken on my iphone that shows just how much I love my prairies too.




"You don't know the sun."



















You've never heard grass."



















"You don't know our trees."

 "You don't know what's flat."


















Cold, snow and me coming to a prairie girl blog real soon!

Another Awesome April

This month, Chelsey graduated from Lethbridge College with a diploma in graphic design. It was a rush to make it to the ceremony to see her graduate but thankfully made it in the nick of time and then went for lunch after to celebrate with Japanese cuisine and rice wine. Good thing I didn't have to drive home! So proud of the girl who starts a new job on the Monday after grad with Data Boss to help launch a phone app called Mutranium! Can't wait for the release of the game so please buy it on your smart phone to help the girl's profit sharing!!!

Not so Mundane March

Boy oh Boy was it ever boring this month other than celebrating Monroe’s birthday. It was a wonderful day at the Family Leisure Centre swimming and a family party followed. Monroe is so talkative and her personality so vibrant she was the star of the show at her 2nd birthday party!!

Mid March we headed to Cabo San Lucas for a weeks stay at The Solmar at the same time 8 other friends were there to celebrate a few of their 50th Birthday's so as a birthday present, I arranged for the flights and time share exchange and stayed right on the tip of Baha California on Thunder Beach. After 2 nights of barely being able to sleep because of the noise from the aptly name beach, we requested a different room and moved further back into the resort to get some well needed rest. It was a cool experience with time spent on a catamaran with our friends, dancing up a storm at Cabo Wabo, winning a Mexican hollering contest at a Fiesta and winning a bottle of tequila, getting a tattoo fixed, renting a car to Todo Santos to see the Hotel California, touring a glass factory, free booze cruise and meeting a great couple from Alaska that we plan to meet again next year to do it all over again! Can't wait!

Fabulous February

February was full of birthdays; Brad, and Mary (80 years young) and our friend Dave on the weekend we went to Empress for to raise funds for a their friends whose house burned down. After the potluck dinner at the hall we headed to the local tavern and set up our gear there and entertained the townsfolk. First time I ever worked for wine! Too Much Fun!!!!

Jumpin' January

Holy Snow Batman! Talk about a brutal winter so far. Apparently it hasn't snowed here this much since 1978! Travel is preceeded by checking the AMA road reports and it may be fine on the way but that could change midway or on the way back. With an approaching storm, we still traveled to Lethbridge for Rob's 50th birthday party.

Arriving a day, early we checked in and went to dinner at El Comel Mexican Restaurant before heading to the Sound Garden and then to Ezzies to dance the night away and partied the next night away at Rob's birthday bash. I even got up on stage with the band to sing Me & Bobbie McGee. Even though I was the only one to bring cheat sheets, the manager loved what she heard and was ready to see a repertoire to hire me to sing in the lounge. Quite flattered, but not quite ready to turn professional, Won't be quitting my day job any time soon.

Nor will I be a card shark even though my first ever 24 hand on January 20th allowed me to stomp on the competition with ease! Sorry, just the way the cookie crumbled!

January 28the was a busy night cramming as much in as possible. After dinner at friend’s in town, we went to the Esplanade to see Rich Little! He brought back so many memories of the family watching the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson! I would post a photo but no cameras were allowed! After his performance we gathered back at our friend’s, along with the Beierbachs, who were in town for hockey tournament then headed home in dangerous weather. We were supposed to go back into town the next day but Old Man Winter would not allow. I would miss out on emceeing the Tongue On The Post Folk Festival and the men would miss out on a night of too much tequila! Thankful for at least one miss!

Damn Good December

Canada Cup came to town and the Alexander Keith's Patch was the party at the Medicine Hat curling club. For a change, more time was spent at the Arena watching games than in the Patch! It was a great experience and we met lots of curling fans from across the country. I even won a prize this time around. Not first for my impression of Marilyn Monroe's Happy Birthday where as a certain someone won first prize at the Continental Divide during the Continental Cup in 2007. 

Brad spent most of the month at the farm working on a huge doll house for his daughter Monroe and his dog Hot Rod became a regular part of the family. I know the red neck rules of etiquette state never allow a dog to eat from the table no matter how good his manners are, but it has to happen at least once, at least for the photo op!

We once again headed to Chestermere for the Beierbach's Annual Christmas dinner and I did eventually, sort of put up a Xmas tree. It may be only a 6" pre-decorated punk and the presents were bigger than the Charlie Brown mini me. It was a quiet Christmas Eve with only us two at the farm, Christmas Day was spent with family in the Hat and then it was a shooter party at friends in Seven Persons on Boxing Day. Back to Seven for a New Year's Eve Dance. Ringing in the new year with the ones you love is the best!

Not too much in November

November was busy with renovations but there was still time to squeeze in a trip to Butte Montana to check out the Copper Canyon Harley Davidson. It used to be Thunder Bolt Harley so I was on the search for anything with BOLT on it. We jumped in my car with our friends and made it as far as Helena the first night. After a night bar hopping, which wasn't two difficult as they were all attached in a row, we headed for Butte for lunch and a major dent to my credit card, then went on to Billings for another night out, meeting up with Randy & Julie for dancing at Montana Chads. Boy do I ever like late check out. That extra hour of sleep makes it easier to drive home, which ended up as plan B to avoid a major snow storm without winter tires.  

For the next while it was driving the 4x4 truck to and from work. Winter followed us back from Montana and hit with a vengance. But we were in the Christmas mood for the first CJCY only Xmas party at Ralph's Texas Bar & Steak House. Found one picture I could actually post!



Too bad it's missing Sara and Janine, who along with Kristin created the absolutely beautiful creation for the United Way's Festival of Trees at Medicine Hat Mall. The Christmas trees are here and the snow is here and soon it will be Christmas. I don't know that I will even set up a tree at the house this year. With decorating two trees under the belt already, will have to see about setting up a third in a child free home.











This month there were snow days, music days,

October Firsts

Although I had to work and missed the wedding ceremony, Wanda & Paul's Wedding social was an absolute blast. I wish I could have seen the bride ride away on her horse in her wedding dress. The Seven Person's Community Hall was beautifully decorated with saddle and cowboy boot figurines that were filled with Durum wheat and lovely souvenirs. Talk about a true Alberta country wedding. The first wedding I have ever attended in boots and Wranglers.

Thanksgiving weekend started at 40 Mile Park camping with friends and playing the board game Operation... yes, operation... for drinks! Pretty easy at the beginning but the tables turned when we used opposite hands and spent more time drinking than operating! On Monday, the family came to dinner at the farm and so did grand daughter Monroe for the very first time. It was filled with a play mate her same age, puppy dog tales and a snake! What? Isn't that what little girls are made of?

This was the month to scratch something off my little bucket list. I have never been the the Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller so we jumped in the car and headed north west to explore. There were so many new things to see and do along the way my camera was going crazy. Good thing I wasn't driving. We stopped to walk the Star Mine Suspension Bridge in Rosedale, drove Eleven Bridges Road to Wayne to check out the Last Chance Saloon and the haunted Rosedeer Hotel (would have stayed the night but it was all booked up) before checking in and heading out again to the Outlaw Saloon for a night of karaoke. After a late check out, we toured the Museum and headed home the long way after missing a turn off but still made it home. I was driving.

Then it was off to Edmonton to celebrate my nephew Matthew's  birthday via Calgary for the first night to spend the evening with two of my sisters and cousins reminiscing over many laughs and glasses of wine. After a late check out~lol and a 3 hour drive to Edmonton it was the big birthday party and check in to a hotel with all 4 sisters (another first) and head downstairs to the Monkey Cage to make plans where to head next. We decided on the West Edmonton Mall to find entertainment. And that we did! From dancing and bonding with Rider fans at Whiskey Jacks to singing along with the dueling pianos at the red piano, it was a late night and check out again and a long drive home after visiting my wonderful friend Tami in Sherwood Park. My daughter even met us there and surprised us by bringing a guy friend, who joined right in the girl talk! Another first! Then I was on my way home. Then it was the first time ever handing out Halloween candies out at the farm, most years I've either worked or partied so it was nice to see all the kidlets dressed up! Now to emotionally prepare for our first Xmas alone at the farm. Our kids are all grown up!

Racing Through September

The long weekend of September we jumped on the Road King and headed to the Highway To The Sun Road through Glacier National Park to Whitefish. It was gorgeous weather at the start and a few flakes fell while descending the mountain but after checking in we rode around town and stopped in at the Wasabi Sushi Restaurant for a fantastic meal and wine. After a bit of shopping, we walked downtown to hit every single bar on the main drag, and after 7 stops, back tracked to the Great Northern where the Elvis impersonator rocked the bar. The walk back was a little longer than on the way to even though we took the same route.. if you know what I mean.  

The next day's tour meant bundling up with rain and hail ahead of us but it also meant frequent stops to warm up. It's not the destination, it's the journey and the stopping in between is definitely the most fun. The fine folks at the Tall Pine Lounge in Big Fork were also riders and it was great to visit with the locals who pointed us in the right direction around Flathead Lake on East Shore Road for the next stop in at Swanee's Bar & Grill in Polson before heading back to Whitefish to rest up for the ride home.

On Sept 12th. I was finally able to take part in the Media Race at the Medicine Hat Speedway on their final night of racing. After a nerve wracking race, even though my time was not that great, I still managed to make it into the trophies! I got points for my default win last month and tied for first place... even though I came in dead last! lol. We even stuck around for their wind up BBQ for some burgers around a bonfire as the nights were getting quite cool to be on the track after dark.

It's always a treat to play music with my friends Dave & his father in-law Peter and it was even more exciting to head to Maple Creek for Peter's 75th Birthday Party. We parked the RV at Willowbend Campground & jammed at the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre where the food excellent and the entertainment was entertaining. We all fell in love with Peter's birthday present, a hand made wash tub bass. First stop on the way back was to spend a night at Eagle Valley Campground located just off the #1 where the wash out occurred and was partially open after the June flood. Second stop was Peavey Mart to buy parts to build a wash tub bass!