Successfully, and thankfully, back on terra firma...

It was an uneventful flight to Calgary, and, when it comes to flights, uneventful it what you want to be sure. We were both incredibly tired and had counted on sleeping through most if not all of the flight, however, Darryl’s seat was broken and wouldn’t recline and I didn’t do anything but doze.

We landed in Calgary at 10:30am local time, got our luggage and rental car…a brand new (and I do mean new – only 800km on it) Impala – which those of you who know me will know I wasn’t thrilled about, however, I (grudgingly) admit that it has thus far been a nice, quiet and comfortable ride.

We spent a couple of hours at Spruce Meadows shooting show jumping until the wind got to be too much to handle – it was incredible!


We’re on our way to Vauxhall now, where we are due for dinner at 6pm this evening. It’s about 3:30 now, but at the rate we are going, the 3 hr drive is going to take MUCH longer as we’ve already had one detour for a coyote spotting and eagle-eye Darryl spotted a red tailed hawk on a fence post along side the highway. It’s a true testament to how tired we are that we didn’t go back for the hawk…I hear a pillow calling my name. It’s 6pm at home now and we have been up and on the road since 5am and had very little sleep the night before, so I think we will get this drive out of the way and tuck in to unwind for the night and get serious about getting out and doing things tomorrow. I feel naked without a blackberry on my hip…although I can hear it buzzing away in my purse…I’m having to conscientiously wean myself from grabbing it to see what’s happening every time I hear it buzz. By the end of my vacation, I hope it’s “Blackberry? What blackberry?”

We will be in and around Vauxhall for the next 3 days visiting with family I haven’t seen in many years – some since our wedding 12 years ago, most not since I was last out here 23 years ago!! I am looking forward to renewing family ties!

- Paula

Today’s tally:

Saw –
1 coyote
5 hawks
1 near miss with a prairie dog in the middle of Hwy 36 (saved at the last possible second by Darryl’s dexterous driving – no doubt gleaned from his Mosport Race 2000 training – I knew it would come in handy some day)