Bernard Callebaut Chocolateire

Before I left Canada I needed to pick up a few gifts so I quickly packed for the flight home and walked across the river to this beautiful little chocolate shop that is tucked away on a corner in Kensington. Peter and I had passed many times. Bernard Callebaut is a local chocolateire who make chocolate that reminds me of what we had when we were in Belgium. Peter has brought some home before and it melts in your mouth. I had taken all of the larger coins that I had collected while I was in Canada and a few bills that were lying around the condo and decided that was all that I was going to allow myself to spend. There was very little room in my luggage to put anything else anyway so I knew that I would not be able to purchase a lot. The woman that greeted me as I walked in the sparkling little shop was so very helpful. She offered me a piece of candy while I looked around. We started talking and when I told her that I was traveling back to Houston, she told me that she had lived in Houston for ten years and that her son still lived there. We kept talking and realized that her son and his family live in the same part of town that we do. The world is such a small place. I made my purchases, took this picture, and quickly walked back to the condo. I had run out of time. Reality was knocking at the door and Houston was waiting. It was an amazing visit and I can't wait to return to Calgary.

A Walk in the Park

Peter and I walked along the Bow River last night before it got too dark. I had the idea that it was too cold for snakes in Canada. The picture proves that theory wrong. As we were walking next to some thicker vegetation, I glanced down and saw this little snake warming itself on the rock. After Peter took the picture, it just slithered down toward the river.

The flowers around town are just beautiful. Most all of the buildings have either multicolored window boxes, huge overflowing planters, beautifully landscaped grounds, or these beautiful huge full hanging baskets. The flowers in these pictures are on Prince's Island. I think that Calgarians make the most of their short summers by enjoying as many flowers as they can while they can.

Karla and Cody Leave

We had a great visit with Karla and Cody in Canada. We were able to cross off almost everything that we had on the original list of things that we wanted to do. It was a packed fun filled four days. The zipping and zorbing that Karla and Peter did was incredible. Like father like daughter in more ways than one. Cody also survived the gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain although I am sure that he will never do that again. What a good sport he was about that. The wildlife that we saw was amazing. Most people never see one bear let alone four. Peter and I are looking forward to the next visit. I am keeping white water rafting on the list for next year. Thanks Karla and Cody for letting us show you around. We had more fun that you did!

The Chuck Wagon Races

The annual Stampede Chuck Wagon races are a highly anticipated event in Calgary. The night that we attended, there were nine heats with four wagons participating in each heat. It is a little more that just a wagon race. To start, there are three outriders with each wagon. Each wagon is pulled by four horses. The thorough bred horses that pull the wagons are older horses that were once race horses. They range in age from from 10 to 20 years old. The outriders horses are also thoroughbreds but they are from 9 to 12 years of age. When the whistle is blown, two of the outriders throw a barrel and some sticks in the back of the wagon while the other outrider stands by waiting for the wagon to get on its way. The outriders must mount their horses and be within 150 ft. of the wagon when it crosses the finish line. The wagon owners are kind of like celebrities in this area. Usually their fathers and grandfathers have been Chuck Wagon racers. Chucks have been racing since the 1920s. The sad part about the Chuck Wagon races is that horses die each year. This year six horses died, some from heart attacks and some from injuries.

The Calgary Tower

The Calgary Tower was an unexpected pleasure. It has been part of the downtown Calgary skyline since 1968. Christopher and I visited the Calgary Tower in 1997 but there has been a little addition since then. Karla and Peter are standing on a glass extension that juts about three feet out of the tower. You can see all the way to the ground 525 ft. below. What a weird sensation. Cody and I just looked down but as you can see, Karla and Peter walked right out there. It was a clear day and the panoramic views of the area were beautiful. The mountains in the distance seem to go on for hundreds of miles when we looked to the west. The rolling hills were visible to the east. It was also interesting to see the urban sprawl all around the city.

The Calgary Stampede cont.

As you can see from the pictures, we had tickets for the day with the absolute worst weather of the entire Stampede. We were wet and frozen much of the time that we were there. Most of the food vendors never even opened that day. The weather was so bad that the Chuck Wagon races were cancelled for the first time in 35 years. We were able to get tickets for the Chucks, what the locals call the Chuck Wagon races, on the following evening. As you can see, I forgot to bring a cap so Peter gave me the hood off of his jacket. Who would think that you need a cap to keep you warm in July. Beautiful I was not but it really did helped me stay a little warmer and drier. Who says chivalry is dead?

The Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede is Canada's version of a rodeo which is billed as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. It is also the rodeo that has the biggest payout, about two million dollars. We saw all of the regular rodeo events including Bareback, Bull Riding, Barrel Racing, Saddle Bronc, Steer Wrestling and Tie-Down Roping. Cody had an added treat when he got to watch a professional rodeo friend, Clint Cannon, from Waller, compete in the Bareback event. There were many cowboys and cowgirls from Texas and the United States. Even two of the announcers were from Texas. We had great seats that were under cover which was important because it had rained most of the day. Beside raining it was windy and in to 40's. We enjoyed the Stampede but we were glad to get home and warm up. We were so cold that we went to the grocery store and bought the ingredients to make chili to help us warm up. It hit the spot.

The picture of the cowboys in the horseshoe shape is part of the opening ceremony. All of the competitors come out and stand around the Stampede logo which it on fire in the dirt. I wish that I had a picture of what most of the cowboys looked like after their events as many of them were covered in mud.

Thomas the Tank Engine

I bet you are still laughing after looking at these two pictures of Peter, Karla, and me with Thomas and his friends. The things that you do for your grandchildren or your nephew. Peter never hesitated standing in line for this one. How cute is that? By the way, Elijah loves these pictures. I have already talked to him about them!

More of Sulphur Mountain

Peter and I had taken the gondola up to Sulphur mountain not long after I arrived in Canada. We enjoyed it so much that we wanted to share that experience with Karla and Cody. Peter was also hoping that Karla would walk out to the Cosmic Ray Station with him. The Cosmic Ray Station is about a one kilometer hike on a very well built boardwalk to a little stone building that was built in 1903 and used through the 1960s as a weather station. The day that we went to Sulphur Mountain the wind was howling and it was very cold. It actually sleeted while we were there. Karla decided that she would enjoy the view from the observation deck but Peter did take the hike to the Cosmic Ray station and was glad that he did. Karla, Cody and I were glad that we did not. Peter found us nice and cosy in the Starbucks at the base of the mountain. We all enjoyed our day.

Bears, Big Horn Sheep, Ground Squirrel

The little ground squirrel came out of its hole as we were walking the trail at Johnston Canyon. He was not afraid of us at all. He looks like a chipmunk but the park information says the he is a squirrel. The picture of the bear is actually not one but four bears. There is a momma bear and three cubs. We saw them up on a hill as we were driving out of the canyon so we quickly pulled over and Karla jumped out ans got this shot. It is very rare to see bear from the road and to see a momma and three cubs is even more rare. Before we left from taking the picture there was a traffic jam as everyone that drove by stopped to get a picture. One family pulling a huge camper just stopped in the middle of the road. Not five minutes later we saw the big horn sheep next to the road and we were able to take that picture from the car.

Johnston Canyon Upper Falls

Johnston Canyon Lower Falls

Johnston Canyon

Wild Rose

I never really never knew why so many things around here are called "Wild Rose" until we walked the trail at Johnston Canyon. As you walk the trail among other flowers that you see, there are these little rose bushes with small blossoms on them everywhere. Those must be some hardy little roses to withstand the winters here.

The Wild Rose Brewery is a little micro brewery close to the Farmer's Market. As you can tell by the picture, it is not a luxurious spot but Peter, Karla, and Cody enjoyed several kinds of beer. Since I don't drink beer, I ordered wine. The guy kind of laughed when I did and he told me that all they had was boxed wine. So, boxed wine it was. It really wasn't too bad. That could have had something to do with the atmosphere and the company.

Calgary Farmer's Market Revisited

We wanted to show Karla and Cody the Farmer's Market. The only problem was that we did not get there until after 3:00 and they close at 5:00. We could have used another hour or so to see everything. They did manage to enjoy some of the food. They got to try poutine while we were there and we had some stuffed mushrooms and pot stickers. They do want to make this a stop the next time they visit.

Zorbing

The Zip-liners

The zip-line at Canada Olympic Park is advertised as the fastest zip-line in North American. After a short training, participants, in this case Karla and Peter, are taken to the top of the 90 meter high ski-jump that was used in the Olympics. The drop is a mere 100 meters during the 400 meter ride. Cody and I went to where the zip-line starts and I can tell you, we have a new appreciation for both the zip-liners and skiers who participate in the high jump. After looking at the picture, you can decide who had more fun, Karla or Peter.

Canada Olympic Park

Karla and Cody Arrive!

Nanaimo Bars

Carlton introduced us to Nanaimo Bars. They are a very nice Canadian treat. As you can see by the picture, there are made up of three layers. The bottom layer is a cookie type layer that has coconut in it. The middle layer is a vanilla cream and the top layer is thick, melt in your mouth chocolate. What's not to like about that combination? Thanks again Carlton!

Calgary Stampede Parade-Caring

Calgary Stampede Parade - School

Calgary Stampede Parade-Animals

Calgary Stampede-People

As with any parade, is it fun to see all of the different kinds of people. The estimated crowd was over 300,000 so there was a lot to look at. This two hour, 25 block parade was a little different from any other parade I have ever been to because every possible culture that could be included was represented by a parade entry. Participants included many of the indigenous Indian tribes (referred to as First Nations or Aboriginals), marching bands from as far away as Arizona, the various Canadian military forces including several thundering tanks, bag pipe marching troupes in kilts, the police force, firemen and their antique wagons from local cities, the Pakistani Community group, the local Chinese cultural group, the local Muslim group, various community organizations (Shriner's, Kinsman, Salvation Army, etc.), belly dancers, many Canadian Olympic athletes, two previous contents from the TV show The Great Race, and the list goes on and on. It is hard to pick a favorite but I really enjoyed the bagpipers in their formal dress and the Chinese Cultural entry. On the Chinese float were traditional costumed drummers with their huge drums keeping rhythm as they traveled by. Following alongside were several costumed characters that interacted with the crowd. There was also a traditional dancing Chinese dragon that followed the float. At some points during the parade, I wondered if I were in Alberta or Texas because of all of the cowboy hats, boots, and western wear. I was always jolted back into reality by listening to Yee-Haw's and Yah-Hoo's of both the crowd and the parade participants. Great fun! Thanks Carlton for the great seats!