Cowboys, mounties and working life

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Hello Everyone

Guess what!! I've actually done some work!! I have spent the past three weeks working for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) processing an official information request (or FOIP as they are called here). ASRD are a department of the Alberta government. So I have traveled half the way around the world to work for local government again. Although the job itself is a bit on the tedious side, the department is quite interesting, and the people are lovely. The Forestry section, where I am based, also deals with the mountain pine beetle. The mountain pine beetle is a native species which, as you may have guessed from the name, attacks pine trees. The beetle is normally kept in check by Canada's cold winters, but over the past few years the winters have not been cold enough and the species is now running a muck. Thousands of hectares of forest have been destroyed by the beetle. So the department is looking for ways for the pine industry to cope.

Anyway, what I was going to write about was the Calgary stampede. Emily and I went down to Calgary the other weekend on the Greyhound bus to join the festivities. I've never seen so many cowboys!!!! Seriously there were thousands of them. The stampede is one huge carnival, with rides, food galore and everything cowboyish. The main attraction was the chuck wagon races. I'll try to explain what I understood of the rules, but I'll be impressed if anyone can follow this. There are four teams in a race, each team consists of one wagon towed by 4 horses and 4 free horses and 4 riders for the free horses. When the races starts the 4 free horsemen have to chuck 4 sticks from a barrel into the back of the wagon and jump on their horses. Then the whole team has to do a figure of 8 around the barrel and a second barrel 10m or so away. Once the figure of 8 is completed all teams race around the track (which is like your normal horse racing track) and the first team home wins. All team members have to be within 40m or so of each other. All this is done in quite a tight space and can cause a few accidents. Anyway this is all quite exciting, and everyone is up and hollering about. It was great fun to watch. The night must have concluded at about 1am. As Emily and I decided to head down to the stampede late, we kinda missed out on any accommodation as it was all booked up. The bus back to Edmonton left at 8am the following day, so we just figured we would stay up all night. The Calgary night life died at about 2am, so we wandered through town until we found only open food joint - Subway - and stayed there until about 6am. I think I may have even slept on the floor for a bit.

Edmonton has kept us amused for the past few weeks with an international busker’s festival and now the Edmonton food festival. Canada day weekend was spent down in Jasper National Park (in the Rockies) with the Ruske family and that was another awesome weekend surrounded by the mountains, lakes and ever abundant wildlife. Other weekends have been spent in Elk Island National Park (great for bison and beaver viewing) and Ukrainian village. Both are well worth a look.

Anyway, hope everyone is well and those in NZ are surviving the winter. If it makes you feel any better the weather hasn't been the best here either - we've been sweltering in 25-30 degree heat and sunshine 😉

Take care

Cielle

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Photos

Mounties!!!
Sorry, mum. I wasn't allowed to take these ones home

Comments

[Eleanor]

Hollering!
Wow - the Calgary stampede certainly must have made an impression on you...never heard you say the word 'hollering' before. Must be all them cowboy folk eh?? Sounds great...another reason to visit Canada now!

[Neville Ruske]

Grant
Lost touch Grant, send me an email