Ethiopia: September 2014

At the end of June we left Ethiopia for a 2 month vacation in Canada. We took the "direct" flight that Ethiopian Airlines had to offer. Direct in that we didn't get off the plane until Toronto but we did have to land in Rome to refuel. We were not allowed off the plane as we were only there a couple of hours. So 16 plus hours on the same plane was not the most fun I have ever had! We ended up missing our expected connecting flight from Toronto to Calgary, but we didn't mind the few extra hours to get our land legs back under us before another flight. The initial feelings and thoughts of being back in Canada went something like this for me:

Happy sigh after a safe landing
Anxious "GET ME OFF THIS PLANE NOW! I HAVE BEEN IN HERE FOR TOO LONG!!!"
Confused "Where are all the people?" Ethiopia has almost three times the population of Canada living in an area the same size as Alberta and Saskatchewan combined.
Excited "Is that a Starbucks?!!!"
Overwhelmed "Was there always this many choices?! I just don't know what to order....Something hot? cold? whipped? frothed? flavored? Never mind, my brain can't process all these choices, I will just watch Cameron drink his.

Before we left Addis Carolyn had given Cameron her Starbucks card (knowing that she will not be using it anytime soon!) and told him to have a caramel frappacino on her :)

We landed in Calgary July 1 in the afternoon. Sheldon and Denise King kindly offered to pick us up and take us to Holly's where we planned to stay while in Alberta. Brenda and Emily Jeung also met us at the airport. Brenda was standing there with open arms and a pretty pink box....how lovely, a gift....oh! its a flea collar!!! Thanks a lot haha.

We had to make a very important stop on our way to Holly's...That's right! McDonald's! Yummy milkshakes, burgers and fries.

Was SOOOOOO wonderful to get to Holly's and have Brennan there waiting for us. I will remember his hug for a long time. We hadn't seen him in 10 months.

Well there was big talk that night of taking in Canada Day fireworks. We made it until 6:30 pm and then crashed. Woke up at 6:30 the next morning and were good to go! No jetlag for us, we had people to see, places to go, things to do :)

We stayed in Alberta for 3 weeks and had some wonderful days. We enjoyed so much our time with friends and family. It was very special to take in bits and pieces of both Didsbury conventions.

One of the first Calgary icons we hit! YUM, I had to get my fill of milkshakes while in Canada. Icecream just doesn't taste the same in Ethiopia. I did find a 2 litre of import strawberry icecream in Addis. It was $ 35.00 Canadian so I denied myself.

We went to see Matix and Shadow just east of Airdrie.

Travelled down to Claresholm to spend time with family.

My Cousin Leta and her Family adopted Jasper :) They are taking good care of him, he was huge!!

Auntie Mary, Leta and Tyler making rollkuchen (sp?) a favorite family tradition of fried dough served with fresh watermelon.

Jasper in the garden of Eden...I mean Aunties forbidden flower bed

One of our friends kindly let us borrow the truck his family had named "the pretty truck". It was ("was" being the key work here) a pretty truck until we got stuck in a bad Alberta hail storm. On the news it showed hail stones the size of tennis balls! Many vehicle and house windows were smashed. The "pretty truck" looked more like a golf ball with all the divets it had on it :(

These were the "little" ones

We took our first family picture in four years out at Big Hill Springs Provincial Park just west of Airdrie

We left Alberta (with many hugs and tears) and headed on to British Columbia to spend some time with Warren's folks in Fairmont. On our way through Banff National Park we we amazed to see a wolf running in the ditch. It was the first one any of us had seen in the wild.

From there we headed down into the U.S. to visit Mark and Karol Sanderson at their home on Lake Chelan. This was the view from our bedroom.

Cameron having fun on Lake Chelan

We only had a few day's there before we left back to Canada and my dad's place in Chemainus BC. Driving through the Cascades on our way to Vancouver Island

The only snow we had seen in a year and a half. We haven't missed it a bit.

On Vancouver Island we enjoyed time with family. Mike, Lynell and the kids came up from Florida. We had not seen them in over 2 years. We were able to take in Duncan Convention with them. We stayed with dad and Lorna in their home with a beautiful view of the ocean.

A colorful sunset and a tugboat pulling a barge.

When the tide is out you can walk out to this little lighthouse.

Enjoying an afternoon of ocean kayaking.

Special times for Brittany and cousin Ashley

After our time on the island we spent a few days with mom in Chilliwack

On August 11th we flew from Vancouver to Toronto. Jayme and Laura rented a mini van that JUST fit the 6 people, 8 suitcases and 8 carry on bags that needed transport to the farm.

We enjoyed our time relaxing, and also doing some chores :) Warren is feeding Bubba the calf and Brittanys' dog Zeus also got in on the action.

He is only a six month old puppy but he thinks he's pretty tough stuff. You tell that bull Zeus!

Cameron taking his turn feeding Bubba

Selfies with Peanut the cow. This is Jayme's pet cow that he bottle fed as a calf. She is very tame and posed nicely for the camera....both times

It's the circle of liiiiife!

Cameron had been bugging us nonstop from the time we got to Canada to let him drive. We finally gave in... This was NOT what he had in mind.

He mowed some really straight lines so we let him graduate on to the really thing. Poor Jypsy and Uncle.

We took a day to go on a hike at Tobermory on Lake Huron. Lake Huron is so beautiful. Reminded me of the ocean.

The kids getting a little to close to the edge for my comfort!!!

Laura spotted this rock formation that looked like a heart

Look at this water! So clear! Cameron was the only one who braved its chill.

Met some fungis

More fun guys on our hike

Warren at one of the more challenging parts of the hike

For our 22nd year anniversary Jayme and Laura booked Warren and I into the Benmiller Inn near Goederich. It is a scenic, quaint location that years ago was used as a wool mill, but is now an amazing Inn, restaurant and spa.

One evening we went into Kincardine, a little town on Lake Huron close to the farm. We were amazed to see Santa there! I have always wondered what he did for a vacation. I imagine one can only handle so much snow and time with elves!!!

A very cool summer camp for teens. They go out on the boats for a few days.

Cameron always mocks the way girls take selfies with "duck lips"

Seriously though, we had an amazing family, minus Brennan :( *sniff, vacation.

Every Friday nite the "Phantom Piper" plays until the sun sets.

We spent the night before we left for Addis in Toronto. We enjoyed catching up with Richard, Megan, Hunter and Mia Holley before we left. Had our final supper on Canadian soil with them at Boston Pizza.