Golden Days

Three times today we tried to get out to enjoy the Golden Days, only to be frustrated by showers that last just long enough to see us back indoors. This morning Bernie declared officially that we will not bother try to ski again on this trip, so we will slip-slide our way through the end-of-season slop that is all that is left of the snow.
Last week in Canmore we did get out for a most enjoyable short ski (13 km mostly downhill from Canmore to Banff, constitutes a short ski by cross-country standards). The snow was perfect, the sky was blue, the air mild, the trail fast, all in all a very good ski memory for our only real ski of the year. Next day we did our one and only snowshovelling job with Nath and Greg, 25 houses in 2hrs, unlike last year when we did this particular keep-fit program every second day. Then while Nath and I clocked up a lot of walking miles between Scrabble games, Bernie and Greg went motorbike hunting and did some work on Greg's 1950's truck restoration.

We are loving all the attention we get in our Westphalia Volkwagon camper ( very kindly lent by Anne French). It is awesomely laid-back and has a really "on holiday" feel about it.

The drive through the mountains to Golden was on a glorious day, the Rockies truly are spectacular.

We have actually been getting quite a few walking miles in, though not on consecutive days like we really should...... With Caimin and Tessa (and 1/2) we went up to Thomson Falls which was a good 12kms in slushy snow which feels like walking in sand. The Falls were subdued compared to their usual deafening roar, but seeing the churning foam emerging from the peaceful snow and then disappearing again under another drift before the next drop-off is mesmeric.
Tessa has a lovely bump now. We spent a good day in Revelstoke meeting her Mom, Joanie, fellow Grandparent-to-be. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to meet her Dad, Brian, because he had to work ( he is a ski-guide and works in the back-country). We are all very excited. Fun times ahead.