we are family...

Sometime last year this invitation arrived in the mail...and has been on my bulletin board since that time...

...reminding me of the last family reunion in Pinawa, Manitoba three years ago...and another coming soon.

The time has arrived...and I'll be away this weekend...meeting with uncles, aunts and cousins...nieces and nephews and siblings...and anyone else who calls themselves family. We come from near and far...to connect with each other...and remember the tree from which we all came. To know where we are going...it helps to know where we come from. Families are a good thing!

Have a wonderful weekend...

getting wet!

We don't mind getting wet in the summertime...not when it is 29 degrees Celsius...and we are in our swim suits. And it's all the more fun if we are in good company...

...and at a place that we have frequented since our children were little. It was known as the Trans-Canada Waterslides in those days...and was quite close to home...and had evening rates of $5...and so we went as a family. It seems we once went while Heidi was at a friend's place...and so she missed out on one occasion...and for all these years we have been accused of planning family outings to the waterslides without her. Yesterday we had a family outing to the waterslides...and no one was left out!

Baby Maelyn came for her very first time...and thought it was most fun!

Ryder and Ranen took very good care of their cousin...

...when they weren't too busy frolicking in the water.

What fun those two have together!

Emme and Spencer brought a friend...and tried every slide on for size. I caught them on the run...as they were off to make the next trip down.

As for Grandpa...Ryder took him down the slide...and they were both all smiles...before they hit the water. And Grammy's favorite tube ride was still there...unchanged after all these years...and so she took one ride down for old times sake. Thankfully I left my prescription sunglasses behind...because they would have been lost in the rapids! I had visions of riding down...sitting nicely on the tube...and sailing smoothly across the last pond. It didn't quite turn out that way...but I did finish together with my tube!

It was a fun time! We hadn't been there since 1991...and it seemed like yesterday. The rates have gone up a little (quite a little)...the park is now called Bridal Falls Waterpark...but the fun remains the same. Maybe we'll go again one day...if our grands invite us. Getting wet is quite okay once in awhile!

Have a great day...

The Grouse Grind...

I We did it! Perched 4100 feet above the city of Vancouver is Grouse Mountain.


With amazing views of the city, the wilderness, and the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges...more than 880,000 people take the skyride to the top annually. Then there are another 100,000 every year that take the alternate route...


...the Grouse Grind. I'm not sure why 100,000 crazy people would attempt this steep, mountainous trail annually...but we did it ONCE! People come from around the world to try to reach the mountain peak in record time. For us...it was just about getting to the top...and enjoying the journey. We soon figured out that the only enjoyable moments...were those where we were resting...or taking photos...or having a drink. Yup...it was pure torture...all 2,900 upward steps.
We moved aside to let many hikers by...and were so thrilled to actually pass a few people near the top. And once we arrived...it was worth every moment of pain. We sat on a deck...enjoyed a snack...

...and took in the amazing views...the city of Vancouver...

...the harbour...

...and a few paragliders taking a joy ride down.

The wildflowers are in full bloom....

...and the bees and butterflies had found their way to the mountain peak as well.

We have some amazing artists in this area...

...and the wood carvings on Grouse mountain are incredible!

Once we finished our 'breakfast'...we decided to do a little mountaintop exploring. Once you have conquered the Grouse Grind...everything else is gratis. We were not expecting to see grizzly bears...

...but as luck would have it...the two grizzlies that reside in the Grouse Mountain grizzly bear habitat...were just waiting for visitors!

It was rather hot...and so one of them decided to take a dip...

...and the other one put on a show for us. They weigh between 750 and 900 pounds...and are about 8 years old. Both were orphaned cubs...and have been raised right there...at the top of Grouse Mt....in a five acre retreat centre.

They are amazing...and agile. I took lots of pic's...since Ryder will want to hear every detail about the bears!

A little further down the trail...we discovered we could take a scenic chairlift...

...with more amazing views (no tickets required). I'm not sure why I had this fear...that I might not be able to dismount at end of the ride...but everything turned out just fine!

Oh yes...and there was even a little snow...here and there.

Grouse Mountain will soon be home to a wind turbine...and the bits of pieces of the first tower lay on a pad...ready to be assembled.

We returned from our scenic chair ride...

... just in time for the famous lumberjack show. Logging in British Columbia may not be what it once was...but these loggers are good!

This guy knew how to give us all a good fright...

...I'm hoping his wife was no where nearby.

We spent many enjoyable hours on Grouse Mountain...and know we will be back again...soon. I think we will take the easy way up next time...but who knows?

On the way home...

...we made a quick stop at Capilano Suspension Bridge.

The 450 foot long suspension bridge spans the 230 foot deep canyon. They happen to be celebrating their 120th birthday this year...

...and since neither of us had been here since we were kids...we thought it was time! As you can see...we were in good company. Once across the bridge...

...we took a short 'walk in the park' hike through a forest of ancient Douglas fir and western cedar. And before we left for home...we sat down in the shade to enjoy a nice cool ice-cream cone. As I was nearing the final lick of my cone...I looked up to see a crow perch on the shingles above me.


Oh yes...I have lots to crow about. It was a great day!