Friends And Flamenco

Tonight I went out for dinner with some of my special friends in Vancouver, Alfonso, Sanjit, and Vero.  We met at another favourite, Marcello's, and stuffed ourselves with pasta.

Currently my thoughts are quite occupied with work and friendships in Saskatoon, so I don't often think about "what I'm missing" here on the west coast.  After all, I felt let down by friendships here a few years ago.  That was part of the reason I moved to the prairies.

But when I experience the warmth of community, and being with interesting, thought-engaging people with whom I have lots in common, I end up missing the west coast.  These things - community, thought-engaging friends - I don't have in Saskatoon yet, with the exception of Eric and Francis.

What got me thinking even more about the benefits of living on the west coast, was visiting the Kino Cafe, where Alfonso, Sanjit and I went after dinner and enjoyed just a fantastic evening of rhythm, music, dance, and singing - flamenco.  And to think that I lived within walking distance of this Cafe for 10 years and only visited it a handful of times....incredible.

In the coming days and weeks I will see how things work out with Michelle.  Things have been good, but there are storm clouds on the horizon.

My gut tells me that I will come back and live on the west coast.  But I think that's still a few years away.

Daytrip To MJ

I went to MJ today, to visit some old friends.  Rick, Alison, and I went out for dinner.

Boy, healing takes time.  Poor Alison is struggling, having been chased out of Providence Place by a monster.  Rick, on the other hand, while retired and seemingly happy,  My own healing too is taking time.  Things are going well - so much positive in my life currently, what with a new job, new coworkers, new friends, a new house, a new church, a new worshiping community, and a new girlfriend - but I can't deny that my heart still aches from my experiences at my previous workplace.

God, continue to heal your broken children!

I also dropped by Lloyd and Judy's art gallery to say hello.  I had a good conversation and caught up on all the gossip in town.  Tha's MJ, everyone talks about each other.  But I spent some serious money too, buying two paintings which I will be my feature art in my living room walls.  

The first painting is a farming scene set in the prairies.  This painting highlights the simplicity and peacefulness of prairie life.  The second painting is of the west coast, probably Parksville.  It has ocean, a rocky beach, evergreens, mountains, and of course, clouds in the distance.

I connect strongly with both of these picture.  The first one because of where I live now, and because of the simple beauty the prairies communicate.  The small hut in the shed, the fence, and the overgrown path reminds me of the footprints of previous generations, and how life is always in flux.  The second picture touches me because I miss the west coast - the ocean, the rocky, log-strewn beaches, and the cloudy sunsets.  I kind of sehnsucht for the coast pervades me when I look at it.

Borden

Today I went hiking with Eric and other hikers from the area.  The hike was organized by the local ski club, whose members stay fit over the summer by hiking the surrounding area.

After the hike we ate dinner at a restaurant in Borden.  The company was pleasant, the hike was decent (could do with more hills, though!), and the food afterwards was good.

 

Pizza And A Gorgeous Smile

Michelle and I went out for dinner tonight at a place just outside of town.

We connect very well.

Earlier this week we ran into a major roadblock.  Miscommunication and misunderstanding.  Mutual stubbornness.

But this evening we put that stuff aside and enjoyed each other's company.

Feminine company in my life is a fresh and welcomed change.

And she has a gorgeous smile.

The Blessing of a Home: A Rite

Here's yesterday's blessing in full:

Invocation

Leader (Francis): As God's holy people we recall the promise that wherever two or three of us are gathered in God's name that our God is present among us.  Remembering this Presence let us begin our prayer...

All: In the Name of the Fahter and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Leader: Peace be with this house and with all who live here.

All: May the peace of Christ dwell with us forever.

Leader: When Christ took flesh through the Blessed Virgin Mary, he made his home with us.  Let us now pray that he will enter this home and bless it with his presence.  May he always be here among us; may he nurture our love for each other, share in our joys, and comfort us in our sorrows.  Inspired by his teachings and example, let us seek to make this home before all else a dwelling place of love, reflecting far and wide the goodness of Christ.

All: Amen.

Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Nicole: A reading from Paul's letter to the Colossians.

You are God's chosen race, his saints; He loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience.

Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins.  The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same.

Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love.

And may the peace of Chirst reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body.

Always be thankful.

Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you.  Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom.  With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Procession through the house and sprinkling of Holy Water 

Leader: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation: you have shared your life and grace with us.  May this house be a place of prayer and peace.  May all who live here remain in your love, and be generous in their love and service for others.  May the love of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and all your saints inspire us to follow the example of your Son, Jesus, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

At the Entrance

Edgar: O God, protect our going out and our coming in; let us share the hospitality of this home with all who visit us, that those who enter here may know your love and peace.  Grant this through Chirst our Lord.

All: Amen.

In the Living Room

Heather: O God, as we gather in this room to share friendship, be present to us and bind us together in love and peace.  Grant this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

In the Kitchen

Carla: O God, fill the hungry with good things.  Send your blessing on us, as we work in this kitchen, and make us ever thankful for our daily bread.  Grant this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

In the Dining Room

Rae: Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth, for you give us food and drink to sustain our lives and make our hearts glad.  Help us to be grateful for all your mercies, and mindful of the needs of others.  Grant this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

 
In the Bedroom(s)

Deb: Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, we may rest in his peace.  Grant this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

In the Bathroom(s)

Laura: Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth.  you formed us in wisdom and love.  Refresh us in body and in spirit, and keep us in good health that we might serve you.  Grant this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Blessing of a Crucifix

Leader: O Lord, hear our prayer.  Answer us when we call.  Lord, bless this crucifix which is hung in this home.  May our lives bear witness to the faith we provess, and may our love bring others to the peace and joy of the Gospel.  We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: Let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us.  Our Father...

Final Blessing

Leader: Be our shelter, Lord, when we are at home, our copanion when we are away, and our welcome guest when we return, and at last receive us into the dwelling place you have prepared for us in your Father's house, where you live for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Leader: May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, and may the word of Christ in all its richness dwell in us, so that whatever we do in word and in work, we will do in the name of the Lord.

- In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit - 

All: Amen. 

House Blessing

This evening I had some friends over at my place for a house blessing.  It was a special event for a few reasons: one, it was the first time I hosted people at my place since moving here from BC (that's one and a half years ago!); and two, having my home blessed was very meaningful from a theological perspective.

I asked my mentor Francis to do the honour of blessing my home.  He began by blessing the crucifix which I then proceeded to hang at the front entrance.  Then we blessed my living spaces: the entrance, the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom(s), and bathroom(s).  He'd selected various people from our group to read a small service he'd put together.  After each reading we all said Amen!, it was lovely.

 

After the blessing was complete, people mingled, while (Carla's) Chris and I got the bbq going in preparation for dinner.  People brought appetizers, salads, and other dishes along, so that when the steaks and sausages were all grilled and ready to go we had a complete meal.  Add the various juices, wines, and beers to the food, and it truly was a feast.

From left to right: Eric, Laura, Lisa, Christine, Francis, and Becky.

For the rest of the evening we mingled, chatted, and laughed.  I'm so blessed, because the people I've met here have wonderful senses of humour.  Deb and Eric were quite funny making up stories about my past.  And Heather - innocent Heather - led everyone in pulling a couple pranks, such as hiding my shoes in the basement, saran-wrapping my toilet(!), and turning my mattress upside down!

 From left to right: Edgar, Carla, Chris, Heather, Nicole, Deb, and Connor.

I'm feeling very blessed.  I have a wonderful job and amazing coworkers.  I bought a great house in a well established part of the city.  I am finding my way spiritually too, attending St. Mary's on the westside, and enrolling in RCIA at Holy Spirit Parish.  And finally, I seem to have found a wonderful new friend in Michelle - I hope to see a lot more of her when she returns from California.

Thank you Lord for these and all other blessings you bestow upon me in your kindness.  I pray for a grateful heart.  I pray for continued blessings upon me and all those I care for.  Amen.

Missing Her

Michelle went to California early this morning.  I brought her to the airport at 4am.

This, after a late night last night, going for dinner at Calories and then watching a movie afterwards (the movie was very forgettable).

I really enjoy my time with her, and so the next few days are going to be hard.  We're starting to spend a lot of time together.

She's away until Monday night.

A downer: she's at an Evangelical women's conference in California.  I don't know why, but women conferences, especially of the Evangelical stripe, irk me.

Fall Is On

I really noticed the change in season today when I went hiking.

Gone are dark, moist browns and lush greens, replaced by dry, dusty yellows and oranges.  As Fall continues to arrive, reds will come too.

Hiking Buffalo Pound today reminded me of the days not so long ago when I lived not too far from the lake, in Moose Jaw.  As we approached the area on highway 2, crossing the Qu'Appele valley, a sense of yearning came through me to go back to the Jaw, but when I thought about the pain I associate with that place, I at the same time had a sense of relief go through me, that I don't live there anymore, and that I didn't have to go back there.

At some point in the not too distant future though, I'd like to return there, to reconnect with friends, particularly Lamont, and possibly some ex-coworkers.

We're On!

I've been texting and emailing Michelle all week, since our first date last Friday, and I think things are on.  We're on!

Tomorrow we're going out for dinner at the 2nd Avenue Grill.

Grass!

Finally ... grass was laid down at my place today!

Slowly but surely, my place is starting to look like a real home!

On another note, I went out for breakfast with Eric this morning.  His mom's in town and so she treated us for the occasion.

I was surprised how convinced (dogmatic?) she felt about certain theological viewpoints.  I had to contain my tongue.  I wanted to engage and counter (perhaps with equal dogmatism) but thought it wiser not to.

When she asked me what church I attend, for example, I didn't mention to her that I'm attending a RC church, and that I'm entering the RCIA program within the next few weeks.  That would've opened up a can of worms that I'm not really interested in discussing, at least not with someone that "has all the answers".  I've been on this trajectory for 5+ years now, and any conversations at this point about how "we're right" or "they're off" on such and such matters are superfluous to me.

I went on a date with Michelle last night.  Oh my God.  I can't mess this one up...

A Date

I have a date tomorrow night.  Coffee at D'Lish.

Banff

I just came back from a weekend camping and hiking trip to Banff with my great friends Marty and Ruth.  I left early Friday morning, and returned late this afternoon.  I stopped in Calgary both, on the way there and on the way back, to eat some lunch, as well as taking a peak into MEC.

The above picture was taken by Marty.

We had a nice campsite, slightly outside of town and away from all the action and noise.  I didn't sleep so well though, even though I have a decent sleeping pad.  Next year I'll have to get a better one!

We brought along much of our own food.  I brought meat from BCW, and they brought rice, pasta, and veggies.  

Now as far as hiking is concerned, my goodness, I'm not sure there's a more picturesque place than Banff.  The scenery is simply stunning.

We hiked on Saturday and on Sunday, but ironically, we didn't stay in Banff to hike.  We drove to Lake Louise on both days (!) (all pictures depict the Lake Louise area, not Banff).  On Saturday, we began around noon, hiking up to Lake Agnes Teahouse, and then continuing on to Devils Thumb, eventually connecting with the return stretch of Plain of Six Glaciers, taking us back to the beginning point at the Fairmont Chateau.  In all, we did about 14kms.  Along the way, we stopped numerous times if not for snacks, certainly for picture-taking.

On Sunday we did the Moraine Lake trail, a short trail of 3kms leading us to more amazing vistas.  The second picture above is of Moraine Lake.  Marty took that picture lakeside, while enjoying a sandwich lunch!  I, on the other hand, picked a large rock overlooking the lake (picture below) for my lunch spot.

As always, we had amazing conversations.  Ruth and Marty view the world very differently than I do, and yet, we have very meaningful conversations.  We agree to disagree on fundamentals, but what I appreciate about both of them is that they're engaging conversation partners, open to hearing another's point of view, and they are interested in finding meaning and significance in the lives that we live.  They have an admirable commitment to simplicity of lifestyle, and a joyful, amicable spirit.  And their love for each other is truly exemplary.  I'm blessed for having them as friends in my life.  They are an example to follow.  Below, we're eating lunch at Lake Agnes.

We've decided to do this again, if not later this Fall, than certainly next summer.  Maybe next time we'll camp near our hiking trails!

Grasslands II

Last year around this time I went camping at Grasslands with some of my hiking friends from Regina, and it turned out to be one of the best trips of the summer for me.  Here's a walk down memory lane.

After such a good experience last year, I decided to go there again this year,  but this time with Eric.  Pavel from Regina joined us also, for the second day of hiking.

On the first day of hiking we hiked to Zahursky's Point, much like last year.  Actually, we added about 3kms to this year's loop, so it took us longer to do the hike.  And the mosquitoes were out in full force, my goodness....

On day two we did another loop, and much like last year, found ourselves "lost", miscalculating directions and distances.

I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm not a very good camper.  I like tenting: setting it up and sleeping in it; but I don't like the food portion of the experience.  Too much work goes into drying my own food (that's why I've never done it), and the packaged food that I've had is less than tasty.  I'm also not particularly good at starting campfires.  I love the hiking, I love the scenery, I love the company, but at the end of the day I wish all hikes led to small towns with albergues, like the Camino did in Spain.

In the end, we hiked around 30kms in 2 days, leaving us physically tired (but not exhausted), slightly burned by the sun, and with plenty of red welts from mosquito bites.

Eric drove his old Beamer, so the route he picked was via Moose Jaw on the way there, and via Swift Current on the way back.  A nice loop, about 800kms in total.

Ribfest

Never been to a ribfest before, but I didn't have any plans for this evening and the weather was just too good to stay indoors, so I walked the 20 minute stretch to Exhibition Park and stuffed myself full of ribs.

Over the past few years I've eaten lots at Tony Roma's and have become accustomed to their bbq sauce, thinking that it's pretty good, but after tonight I see the light.

Trips to Tony Roma's will be very limited from now on.

Anger

Here's a letter I wrote to mom and dad this evening.  I don't know where the rage comes from...

Hi mom, hi dad.

I received your voicemail, thank you.

I do not wish to speak to you.  I have a lot of anger and rage inside me, which I do not wish to unload on you.

I do not think I will come to BC at the end of August.  I am not in a spiritual or psychological condition to enjoy my trip there.

Please do not call me for a while.

Living Room

Almost a month after I moved in, I finally got my main floor cleaned up enough to take a picture and share.  Here it is.

I guess I'm taking a minimalist approach - not too much clutter.  I like the bar stools (Ted and Karin brought them from Vancouver).  I also like showing off the (sparkling!) hardwood floor.

I'm very blessed to live here.  Everything's new and smells like it.  I love going to bed at night, and feeling the warm breeze flow through my room.

Currently I'm getting estimates for putting up blinds.

Contrary to about a month ago when there was lots of activity going on as the builder tried to finish up the interior in time for me to move in, very little action is taking place right now.  The outdoor has been all but forgotten.  Canola weeds are growing in my back yard...

Vices

Gluttony.

Sloth.

Anger.

Lust.

Avarice.

Pride.

And envy.

I didn't realize until today that envy is perhaps the vice I struggle with most.

I don't think it's always been this way.

Maybe vices accompany the various seasons and stages of life.  Right now it's envy-season.

Oh, and anger too.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a Sinner.

Ted In Saskatoon

Ted, Karin, Dylan and Natasha dropped in for a visit yesterday and today.  They're on their way to Winnipeg to visit friends.

They arrived yesterday late afternoon.  I welcomed them, and together we went out for dinner at the German Cultural Centre.

After dinner we went for a walk along the west side of the river.  Walking along the Meewasin trail, we passed the Bessborough hotel (we took a peak inside too) and Memorial Park, all the way to the Mendel Art Gallery near College Drive bridge.  The temperature was perfect, cool, and not too many mosquitoes around.

Ted and Karin slept on my pullout couch, while the kids slept on the floor on air mattresses.  While it was good to be able to host them here, it was disappointing that I still don't have a queen size bed for guests.  It's on order, but hasn't arrived yet.

This morning we all got up around 8am, ate some breakfast, and by 10am they were on the road.  I am thankful for the many blessings I have received through family.  While things are hard at the moment, particularly with mom, I am thankful to have family as a strong source of support.

Dear Lord, bless Ted and his family as they travel to Winnipeg.  May they be refreshed by family, friendship, and fun.  Amen.

Germany On Top Again

Well it was an interesting World Cup.  Germany beat Argentina 1-0 a few days ago, in extra time, and it took an amazing goal by Götze to clinch the win.

Best goal: James Rodriguez - Colombia vs. Uruguay.  Rodriguez won the Golden Boot award too.  Nice to see it go to a very skilled and humble player.

Biggest surprise: I can't believe Argentina made it to the final.  Great individual players, but historically not so united as a team; Sabella somehow managed to gel the team into a nice and cohesive unit.

Biggest disappointment: Brazil losing to Germany 7-1.  It's one thing to lose, but 7-1?  And at home?

Best player: Ok, so Messi won the Golden Ball award, but I wonder whether that was a good selection.  He played ok in the first two rounds but then disappeared.  I think I'd have given it to the Manuel Neuer.

Here's an ode to futbol - the best goals of the World Cup 2014: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/videos/goal-of-the-tournament/index.html.

Hail to the beautiful game!  Now begins the waiting again ... another 4 years...

Bedroom

Here's what my bedroom looks like.  I like the two shades of grey on the wall.

Words As Weapons

Somehow the train derailed - and badly - during mom's stay here.

She was supposed to stay here 'till at least Tuesday, but yesterday afternoon she went for a walk and upon her return she requested that I change her flight tickets to today.

I let it sit for a bit, but in the evening when she requested it again, I called WestJet and had the flight changed.

Words - both mine and hers - were used as weapons during her stay here.

And so today, at around 10am I drove her to the airport, and 20 minutes later she was gone.

We're treading on uncharted territory now...

Que Golazo!

My goodness .. what a goal by James Rodriguez.  Colombia 2 - Uruguay 0.

Coy Move

Today I finally moved into my new home in Buena Vista.  I'm very pleased.

Mom arrived on Wednesday night from Abbotsford, and as always, she helped me pack everything.  I really would not have made it through the past few years without my parents' moving help: first from Vancouver to Moose Jaw, then to an apartment in Saskatoon, and now to my new house.

After her arrival Wednesday night we went out for dinner.  Dad wasn't able to come along this time around, so it was just mom and me.

Yesterday I worked, while mom packed.  My coworkers teased me about this to no end: "So, let's get this straight, while you're pushing a pencil at the office, your mom's pushing the piano?"

Today at 8am I met the builder at the new home.  We did a walk-through, signed some documents, and then he gave me the keys to the house.  I felt so proud...

At the same time, mom was "lifting the piano" at the apartment with the movers.  By noon the apartment was empty, and mom and I were on the way to the new home.  By 3pm the movers had brought everything to the new house.

For the next day or so we'll be finding a place for everything.  Unlike previous moves, space will not be an issue this time around.  There should be plenty of space for everything.  In fact, once everything's in its place, my place will look rather empty.  I'll (finally) look like the minimalist that I claim to be!

At the end of the day I'm tired.  But today my heart is filled with gratitude.  I have good feeling about this move.  I plan to have a home blessing within the first few months.

Signatures

I've been signing papers and documents lately like there's no tomorrow.

Bankers...

Lawyers...

Builders...

Real estate agents...

They all want something from me.  Mostly money...

Spain: Another Loss

This time against Chile: 0-2. 

Spain was in a group with two of the teams that I dislike the most: Holland and Chile.

They lost to - no, they were humiliated by! - Holland 1-5.  And today they lost to Chile 0-2.

What's this world coming to.

I sure hope they have some self respect left and beat Australia!

Other scores:
Germany clobbered Portugal 4-0.  Good!
Argentina barely beat Bosnia 2-1, and they looked less than convincing in doing so.  Messi saved them from embarrassment.

Another Camino?

I've been itching to do another Camino.

Thanks to one of my coworkers who connected me with someone who'd recently completed the Camino de Santiago and who was eager to share her experiences, I met with her and a few others who have completed the walk in the past few years.  Their stories and enthusiasm brought back memories of my own experience of 1.5 years ago, and made me want to pack my backpack and get on the plane again.  Like, now.

But even before this conversation I was already pondering it.  I don't know yet what the purpose would be, but that will become clear as time goes on.

Possible timeframes are later this year in September, but more likely, mid-2015, in May.  I'm too new in my job right now to request for a month off.

Which route would I take?

How far would I walk?

Go alone or find another soul-searcher to join me?  Who?

Two Great Games

I drove to Moose Jaw today to watch some good futbol with Father Dean and other folk from my church there.

Four games were played in total, but two are noteworthy.

Costa Rica 3 - Uruguay 1.  Wow, unexpected, but here's the thing: Costa Rica looked very good.  Confident, well organized, and tactically very well-prepared - well deserved winner.

Italy 2 - England 1.  Another great game.  Oh and how happy I am that England lost.  Andrea Pirlo, what can I say - what a player!

Other scores of today:

* Colombia 3 - Greece 0.  Colombia looked very good.

* Ivory Coast 2 - Japan 1.  Blah.

So Much For La Furia Roja

España 1 - Holanda 5.

Que horror.

The least desirable score came true today.

Spain looked dismal.

Plus, Van Persie's goal was absolutely phenomenal.

Can Spain recover?

I'm consoled by the fact that Spain beat Holland at the last World Cup.

I do not think Holland has it in them to win this World Cup.

A Different World Cup

The FIFA World Cup started today in Brasil.

This is the first time in 20 years that I haven't attended it.

USA 1994 - check.

France 1998 - check.

Korea/Japan 2002 - check (I went to Japan).

Deutschland 2006 - check.

South Africa 2010 - check.

And now, Brasil 2014 - ?

I didn't go because I just don't care (did I really say that?).

Maybe I do care, but my life is in a stage right now where I feel I need to forego this tournament: new province (this may be stretching it, but it still feels new to be in the prairies, even a year after my arrival), new city, new job, new apartment, and (in two weeks' time), new house.

Today Brasil beat Croatia 3-1.  I watched some of it at work.  Almost nobody cares about soccer here.

Tomorrow is España - Holland.  Vamos la furia roja.

Favourites are Germany and Brazil.  My favourite is Spain.

I like Colombia and Uruguay.  I also like Italia.  Somehow, this time around Argentina doesn't grab me, even though Messi - the best player in the world - is on the team.

As long as Holland doesn't win I'm happy.

Prairie Lilly

I'm amazed at how much I've been welcomed at my new workplace.  There's something different, something special about this place.  People seem to genuinely care about the work they do.

Today after work we met at Kinsmen Park (literally across the street from where I live!), had a bbq dinner, and then got onto the Prairie Lilly, a small boat that does tours up and down the South Saskatchewan river.  About 40 staff came for the event.

I hung out with my closest coworkers, Deb, Laura, and Carla.

Below are some pictures.

College Drive bridge.

The Bessborough.

Broadway Street bridge.

Kiwanis Memorial Park

Hiking Waskesiu

The weekend began cool and damp on Friday, dried out and warmed up on Saturday, and ended with a huge thunderstorm - lightning and all - on Sunday.

After spending a few very good days with Sanjit here in Toontown last week, it was good to get out with John and do some camping this weekend.

I departed for Waskesiu around 5 in the afternoon Friday, arriving there close to 8 in the evening.  John was already there, having set up his campsite previously.  Mosquitoes, plenty of them, were there as part of the greeting committee also.  After setting up my tent, we made a fire and sat around and talked for the rest of the evening.

Saturday morning I got up around 8, made myself a good coffee - Bailey's and all - and then got ready for a hike.  John's friend Deana also joined us.  It was a good day for hiking as the sun came out, burning through the clouds, warming up the weather.  This meant less mosquitoes too, which we welcomed.

We hiked around 18 kms, completing most of the Red Deer trails, covering mostly level ground through forested trails, but with some nice views of the lake and town along the way.  Getting out on the hiking trails was a breath of fresh air for me, both literally and figuratively!

After the hike we settled down in our campsite again, built a fire, and made dinner.  I'd brought food along, but John was keen on trying out and sharing his newly concocted camping-quiche recipe (pictured below).

We had a good conversation throughout the evening, John and I.  It seems to me we're both bruised and battered souls, but still in battle.

Sunday morning we were greeted by ominous, thunderous clouds.  We promptly packed up our stuff, avoiding having to pack up all our tenting gear in the rain.  We also managed to eat breakfast before the intense rain began.

We decided to do another hike, though, even though it was pouring rain.  We settled for the Spruce River Highlands Trail, an 8.5 km loop with some nice ups and downs, and some nice viewpoints too.  It poured for about the first 20 minutes of our hike, but then the rain stopped, and surprisingly, within an hour, it was hot and sunny again.  The loop took us about 2 hours to complete.  We spotted a moose (my first one since arriving in Saskatchewan!) along the way too.

I took a lovely alternate route home; a narrow, windy, hilly, tree-lined highway leading out of Prince Albert National Park.  I saw elk like the one below along the way. 

It was a good weekend.  I am happy to be back home and look forward to sleeping in my own bed again!

Tomorrow a new day of work begins.  I look forward to it.  The people of St. Ann's have been like the balm of Gilead to me.

Thank you Lord for a great weekend.  Bless this upcoming week.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

House Progress

I went to my new home today, and took a few pictures.  The work has shifted towards the backyard now, where a garage is being built.

June 1: prep work for garage

June 2: floor laid

June 2: stairway

June 2: front of house

June 4: garage framing

June 4: master bedroom

June 4: back deck