Carrick to Calgary

My goodness! What a long time since we blogged, and what an even longer time since I (P) took to the keyboard! No excuses - it just seems like Mr White has been doing such a great job keeping everyone posted on our weird and wonderful experiences, that I haven't needed to....

However, I thought I'd take a few minutes to provide a Christmas in Calgary update... first of all, a very big thankyou to everyone who took time to wrap up some presents to send to us here. Being so far from home, its absolutely lovely to come home, and either find a parcel in the post box or a note telling you to go to the post-office, Purolator office or DHL office because there is a parcel waiting. We now have a very nice pile of wrapped pressies under our tree, all waiting for Christmas morning. Thank you also to everyone who sent us a card - again, its just so nice to know that people are thinking of us enough to make the effort to put something in the mail.

I think Mr White promised that we would post a few pics of this year's Christmas decorations, so here goes...

This is the main event - a large plastic christmas tree from Canadian Tire (which we originally thought was a tyre shop, but turns out to be a big store that sells tyres, car stuff, homewares, sports gear, DIY stuff - in fact, you name it, Canadian Tire probably sells it). We did have romantic notions about having a real tree (let's face it, there's no shortage in this part of the world), but on the day that we had designated as tree buying day, it snowed all morning. So - consider this - wet, dirty tree being trailed into rented house with cream lino and cream carpet = big mess, vs plastic tree in clean box.... so plastic tree it was.

Here it is during daylight - balls and other shiny things supplied by Canadian Tire...



and here is a slightly blurry picture (minus flash) taken at night ...



The one good thing about a real tree is the fantastic smell of pine. We have attempted to recreate a bit of a festive whiff by putting a Yankee Candle beside the tree (not quite the same, but not bad!). The candle is of the Balsam Fir variety...




We also fell for a very tacky fibre optic tree for the bonus room upstairs - its a bit manic, but we like it!




Other decorations came from various sources... thanks to my mum and dad for sending this in the Christmas box (very cute!)...



and to Denise and Roy for the festive (and also cute) stockings... please note that they are way up on the shelves beside the rusty buffalo because we had Emma and Richard and Hannah and Benjamin round the other night. While Benjamin is not a household hazard yet, Hannah (at two and a half years old) is just a little bit curious about wrapped Christmas presents, and we didn't want our stockings opened early!








We also took ourselves out to Bragg Creek to look for something 'different' that we wouldn't necessarily find at home. It was lovely out there last week - snow on the trees, Santa sleigh rides going on etc. Bragg Creek is a small village just on the edge of Kananaskis Country, and is only 25 minutes drive from our house. I think the village has a population of about 400, but there is a shopping area that has some really lovely craft shops, art galleries etc. One of our favourite places is just opposite the main block of shops, and its basically two very small wooden cabins just on the edge of the woods. The guy who owns it makes wooden stuff in one of the cabins, and sells it (as well as candles, glass stuff and metal things) in the other cabin.

Some time ago, I had bought a wooden tree with small light bulbs stuck in it, and this time, we bought a steel tree, with star shapes cut out - hard to imagine, so here they are...(along with the German Nativity scene from home)




And here is a star mobile - from the same place




Actually the trip to Bragg Creek turned out a little more expensive than anticipated! We are very fond of a particular art gallery called the Ali Cat Gallery, and for the past four months we had been gazing at a particular painting. We hadn't bought it because we really felt that it was a little expensive, but last week, we took the head staggers and parted with our money...Its by a guy called Rod Charlesworth, and is called 'The Backyard Rink'. We liked the fact that it looks as uniquely Canadian as a painting could be, and we also loved the bright colours...

Here is how it looks on the wall ...





But you get a better idea of the colours and of some of the artist's other pictures on the website of the gallery in Bragg Creek...




So, that's about it for now... I'll leave you with some scenery pictures and one of the poinsettia...





Canada Olympic Park at sunset



View over to the mountains in the evening




And the Canadian Christmas drink - egg nog and rum...