Bonjour

Just a quick hello from Bidart - internet time is limited so I'm working against the clock. We are loving the Basque country and we are enjoying a great holiday. Simon & Nadia are spoiling us. We managed to tick off a few tourist destinations in Paris.

Eiffel Tower?
Oui.
Notre Dame?
Oui.
Musee de Louvre?
Oui.
Sacre Coeur?
Oui.

Photos will follow some time soon I hope.

Big hello to Jessie Carter. We won't be visiting Toulouse Jessie, but you should be very excited - this is a wonderful place to be.

Must beat the clock.
Bye for now.

A TOAST TO GANGALINA AND GRANDAD

Will, Janet, Jack, Bernie, George, Amanda, Lachie & Pete share a tasty meal at La Fiesta, Jasper. Thankyou Mum & Dad.

Holidays begin

School's out!

A couple of ageing penguins standing around on several hundred feet of slowly moving ice.

Given that we missed our Australian summer holidays by coming to Canada we feel ready for a holiday. George's tonsils (or at least the holes where George's tonsils used to be) appear to have healed well. We're now priming ourselves for Europe.

We've just returned from 5 wonderful days at Patricia Lake, Jasper with Janet, Peter and boys. Weather was lovely. Scenery astounding. There is so much to do and we came away feeling happy that we struck the balance between exercise, food, relax, fun and tourist trail.

Golfed at Jasper Park Lodge. Rafted down the Athabasca River, slid on the Athabasca Glacier, leaped into Horseshoe Lake, BBQ'd at Honeymoon Lake, trammed up Whistler Mountain and puffed our way to the top. Canoed on Patricia Lake, strolled the Maligne Canyon.

Accommodation perfect.

Patricia Lake.

The Ice Beavers at work stemming the effects of global warming by building a small ice dam on the glacier. A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazon resulting in a storm in the French Alps. An Ice Beaver stems the flow of water off the Athabasca Glacier just for a second resulting in...

Given the general frenzy of digital camera activity demonstrated by your regular tourist I thought it would be appropriate to take a photo of Janet taking a photo of this Japanese family.

We're still looking for the guy who took a photo of me, taking a photo of Janet, taking a photo of the Japanese family.

Jasper 2

Brave Bernie contemplates the leap into the frosty depths of Horseshoe Lake. He led the way. Others merely followed.

Leaping Lachie


Car travel heaven - for some...

One of Jack's fabulous Hoary Marmot photographs. Enjoying one of its annual (estimated) 13 minutes of basking in the sun atop Whistler Mountain.

Whistler Mountain. Gasping for air all the way up. Smiling all the way down.

Jasper 3

Hoary Marmot hunting

At the Jasper Tramway Jack & I saw a Hoary Marmot. It started off with one of them but then there were about thirteen of them. I loved them. They were so cute I wanted to hug one (even though they have claws about as sharp as a lions teeth). So that was the thing that kind of put me off hugging one. Anyway, I probably wouldn't have hugged one.

by George

Rafting

15 km of the Athabasca River included some spectacular views and a few good waves. Fun.

Friendly Farmer John pays a visit

Versatile Farmer John paid us a visit for a week or two in June. John was here wearing his LandCare hat, taking in a few Canadian farms and a conference or two along the way. John is not happy unless he has a problem to solve and we gave him plenty. Having solved all problems in Alberta, John is now in Ontario solving problems over there - and they've got a few - ask any Albertan.
Lawn manicure.



Bicycle repair.


Shopping (and loving it).


Electrical work.

Lecturer and mentor ("so with the anticlockwise turning of the earth... the circumpolar vortex...")
Kitchen hand.

Soccer supporter.

Excuse me John. When you get home, would you mind fixing that leak and replacing the ceiling in the dining room? Cheers.

Thanks Mrs V

Mrs V (Rita) is the Assistant Teacher in Will's classroom and has been a tower of strength. Claude, Ros and W, A, J & G were treated to large amounts of very tasty food at Rita and Jan's farm recently. We also met Simone (Rita's mum) who was visiting for the day.

The boys loved the animals especially the cats - much to Amanda's dismay. They found 12 kittens hiding in the shed and named 3 - Darcy, Orlando & Rusty. We all felt totally spoiled by the generosity of Rita and Jan.

We also saw our first Ruby-throated Hummingbird and also the magnificent (predominantly orange) Baltimore Oriole.