Death By Chocolate Part 2

Death by Chocolate

Oasis Players' 8th annual Dinner Theatre was held last weekend. We were sold out for all three evenings. The evening started off with a delicious meal, followed by the fantastic pre-show music. You could have heard a pin drop during Julie and Richard's vocal selections. And finally, the main event, a comedy murder mystery called Death By Chocolate. The long hours of rehearsals paid off as the cast did a wonderful job each evening. We received so many wonderful comments and the reporter who did the review for the local paper declared the evening a huge success!! Hats off to the cooks, the bar workers, waiters and waitresses, hosts and hostesses, the musicians and especially the actors!!!

A Winter Storm

When we arrived back home in early December we were greeted by -40C temperatures and both Senor Ping and I (but especially Senor Ping) were wondering what the heck we were doing coming back to the great white north. But then in early January milder temperatures arrived and it has been very pleasant here in "flatskatchewan". We have had above average temperatures, the snow started to disappear (which might not have been the best thing for the farmers) and you didn't need to start your car and let it run for half an hour before going anywhere.

Well, this weekend the mild weather came to an end!! It started with freezing drizzle and fog on Thursday evening. And wouldn't you know it, I was booked to substitute teach in Marengo on Friday, a 45 minute commute from home. For those of you that commute daily, you're probably saying "So what, suck it up!!" But you have to realize that for 24 years of my teaching career I lived next door to the school. This meant that it took me 57 steps to go from my door to the door of the school and if I cut through the playground I could do it in considerably less steps. And on Friday morning I had to drive cross-country on grid roads, through fog and freezing rain with the worst sense of direction anyone could have. Senor Ping suggested it might be in my best interest to take the truck with 4 wheel drive and the GPS. Thankfully, I made it to and from Marengo without getting lost or stranded. I really do admire anyone that has to commute to work, I'm so glad it's not me!!!

Anyway, by Saturday morning the snow had begun to fall, the wind was blowing and there were winter storm warnings!! Watching the snow pile up on the driveway brought back memories of some of the rare "snow days" we have had over the years. The days the buses didn't run, but the parents drove through the blizzard just to make sure their Kindergarten student didn't miss a day at school (which really wasn't necessary) while the high school students that lived down the street from the school didn't show up. Those few times when commuting teachers couldn't make it home and would spend the night at our house, and the last big storm we had on April 1, 2004 when the car was buried in the driveway, the drifts reached the roof of the school and the 57 steps to school was through thigh deep snow.

However, by far the most retold "snow day" story is the about the time I buried our jeep in a snowbank. The storm had started early one Sunday morning and by mid afternoon there was lots of drifting snow and high winds and zero visibility. I ventured out in the storm to pick up prizes we had won in the annual Ladies Bonspiel. I picked up my curling buddy and Al had a movie to drop off. We put the jeep in 4 wheel drive and off the three of us went. We made it to the curling rink and the convenience store without a problem. We were homeward bound!! I followed the usual route from the store to home. My buddy suggested I might want to take Main Street. "Not a problem," I replied. "I have 4 wheel drive!" And that's when we came to a grinding halt. No warning, nothing!! We couldn't see beyond the hood of the jeep, but then it didn't matter much because we really couldn't see the hood either....it was buried in the snowbank!!! I tried to get out and assess the situation but it soon became apparent the the snow was blocking my escape. Fortunately Al was able to get his back door open and by crawling over the seat I was able to get out and go for help. Off to the nearest house I went to call for help. A phone call home brought this response from Senor Ping. "Call a tow truck!" Eventually, after many head shakes, questioning looks and a few chuckles the jeep was extracted from a 3 foot deep and half a block long snow bank. So much for the jeep advertisement that maintained "Jeeps will take you anywhere" Ha!!! When I got home I had to put up with wise cracks and smart remarks from my family but the humiliation didn't end there. The next morning I arrived at school to find photocopied hand drawn pictures of a jeep buried deep in a snowbank posted throughout the school for all to read. So much for "What happens in the snow bank, stays in the snowbank!!"

The storm of 2010 is over, we have a few snowbanks in the backyard, some snowdrifts on the streets and the temperatures have dropped. Overall, not one of the more memorable blizzards. Of course, the jeep story was told once again (I can't believe there are actually people who have not heard the story) at a birthday party this afternoon. And when we were leaving, I offered my friend (yes, the same buddy) a ride home. She declined. I wonder why?????

Winslow Arizona

Well, I did it!  I always wanted to stop in Winslow Arizona and get my picture taken in front of the Eagles display.  Note the girl in the flat-bed ford slowin' down to take a look at me.  Also see the Eagle perched in the upstairs window!

Cool eh!

Me and my New Gretsch!

Here are my latest acquisitions, a '63 Fender Vibrolux and a '66 Gretsch 6120 Nashville! Both Guitar and Amp are doing well and putting out those fabulous vintage sounds.

Thanksgiving on 12th Street

Senor Ping and I celebrated American Thanksgiving with our friends and neighbors in Val Vista. Carol and Sandy organized the dinner and everyone contributed by bringing appetizers, hot and cold dishes and desserts. We spent the afternoon (and into the night) enjoying delicious food and drink, beautiful weather, wonderful companionship and great music. People from elsewhere in the park dropped by to listen to the singing and share in the good company. We are so thankful to be a part of such a wonderful "snowbird community".

Glass Blowing

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Green Is The Color!!!

I decided to change the template on my blog in honor of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. We will be cheering them on when they meet the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup next Sunday. GO RIDERS!!!!

Frost Delay in Mesa????

Yesterday the Jacobs' and Baileys' had a 8:37 AM tee time at Superstition Springs Golf Course. When we arrived they told us our tee time was delayed due to frost....now, I admit it was a bit chilly the night before, but these people do not know the meaning of November frost!!! Needless to say, we hit a bucket of balls at the driving range, enjoyed the view and relaxed until we teed off.
We had seen the golf course from the freeway as we had driven by, but this was our first time golfing at this course. The landscape was spectacular. It was full of undulating greens, rolling fairways, water hazards, sand traps, birds of all kinds (we saw herons and egrets just to name a few) waterfalls and challenging holes.



This hole is known as the volcano. A long par 3 surrounded by sand bunkers. I have to admit I was at the beach on the way to the top!!



There was water everywhere. Quite a change from our regular course where the only water is in your glass. Senor Ping had a tough out on this hole.

Golfing at Kokopelli

We made a return trip to Kokopelli golf course last week with friends Loreen and Gavin. It was a beautiful day for golf, slightly overcast (meaning not as hot as it has been) but no wind or bugs!! The course is lush with rolling fairways, lots of water and sand (my favorite things ....just not on a golf course) and no obstacles like houses for Senor Ping to worry about. What a great way to spend the day!!!

Guess What I Found!!

Last week we went golfing and I took my little camera along and took a few shots of Senor Ping and the golf course. When I went to upload the pictures to the computer t I was quite surprised to find golf photos from Desert Blume in Medicine Hat. In August Doug and Debbie K. and I enjoyed a round of golf in Medicine Hat. Although we drove through rain most of the way to Medicine Hat, the rain clouds lifted and we were able to enjoy our round of golf at one of the more challenging courses we have played.

Up To Speed

One of our biggest beef's about the RV park we are staying in is the high speed internet. At times it works just fine, but on occasion (and those occasions have been getting more frequent as more people arrive), it slows to a crawl, times out and generally annoys us to no end. It is very difficult to harvest and plant crops on Farmville when it is so slow and last night we skyped Megan and had to reconnect 4 times to finish our conversation. Last year I had to sit outside to use skype or walk to the laundry room to improve the strength of the signal.

This morning we had an internet provider come and hook up a modem and now things are zooming along. I can farm all I want, Senor Ping can check out how the Roughriders are preparing for their next football game and we can skype (and hopefully not lose our connection). I will also be able to post more photos on my blog without waiting and waiting and waiting.....

Exploring the Cliff Dwellings

The drive from Moab Utah to Cortez Colorado is very scenic. We left the red rock cliffs behind and drove through flat prairie. The trees were golden in the sunshine and it was a beautiful fall day. After getting set up in the campground we drove to Mesa Verde National Park. The road to the top is full of switchbacks and deep ravines. We watched a short video about the Puebloans and then toured the museum. The viewpoint from the museum overlooks Spruce Tree House, the park's best-preserved cliff dwelling. We chose to tour the Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in the park. Our tour took us down uneven stone steps, paths around rocks and into the Cliff Palace. (Should I mention at this time that I am not fond of heights or edges???) It was amazing to see what these ancient peoples had designed and built with none of the modern technology available to us today. The climb back up involved more uneven stone steps and climbing ladders for a 100 ft vertical climb. It was not a climb I would care to repeat anytime too soon, but very much worth it!!!

A Hike to Landscape Arch

This morning Senor Ping and I drove up to the Devil's Garden in the the Arches National Park. The hike was marked as an easy trail so we were confident that "flatlanders" would be able to successfully make the hike without needing CPR.
The trail led us through red rocks and sand, up, down and between crevices formed by nature. At the end of the trail we were amazed by the huge arch before us. What a spectacular sight!!!

We Saw Utah!!

Senor Ping and I headed south earlier this week, leaving behind a skiff of snow and below average temperatures. Our first night was spent in Butte and we were very pleased with the furnace in our new rig. It kept us nice and toasty warm! Our second night was south of Salt Lake City and then we had a short drive to Moab on our third day. We settled in at an RV park on the edge of town, did some grocery shopping and then spent the day relaxing in the sun.
The next morning we drove to Arches National Park. We decided to follow the auto tour, stopping at various roadside turnouts to take pictures and marvel at the beauty of the landscape. Some of our favorite stops included the Three Gossips, Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch and the Double Arch. We did a short hike up to the North and south Arches and then had lunch at the base of the trail. There were bikers and hikers of all ages enjoying the trails.
Here are a few of our favorite stops on the trip.

Mesa North

Last week Senor Ping and I joined 3 other couples for "Mesa North". Our hosts, Gavin and Loreen, welcomed us into their home on the lake for 4 days of fun, food and music. We arrived from California, Saskatchewan and B.C. with guitars, amplifiers, microphones, song lists and tons of food. We took turns cooking dinner each night and enjoyed lingering over a glass of wine as the sun set over the mountains. We had many laughs, numerous discussions, played board games, swapped recipes and shared book lists. Gavin also took us for a cruise on the lake. It was a wonderful week that ended with a concert in the garage. We each went our own ways on Friday morning with a promise of more good times to be had when we meet up again in Arizona.

Alberta Fastball Championships

Here is a picture of Allan rounding 3rd base en route to a Game-Winning, inside-the-park 3 run Home Run.

The Maiden Voyage

Senor Ping has brought our 5th wheel to the street in front of our house and I am busy packing the last of the groceries. We are finally going to take our "new to us" Cougar on its "maiden voyage". I started organizing the cupboards a couple weeks ago. I have now moved 1 saucepan and 2 frypans to 3 different cupboards, and I'm not sure if they will stay where they are. There is quite a bit more storage in this RV but, as it seems with all things, the more storage you have the more things you take.

Senor Ping in the meantime has perfected the art of setting up the new TV and satellite dish. He has packed and organized the "basement" storage and installed the new bike rack (although we are not taking bikes on this trip). We have the golf clubs packed, guitar (only one this trip) and other necessities.

Today we are going to Irma, a small town in Alberta, hoping to set up for the weekend and watch some provincial mens' softball (Allan is playing). We are going to have time to visit with Ray and Ronnie and play some golf before the ball games start on Friday.

On Sunday we are going north to Cold Lake Provincial Park. I am facilitating a drama camp for youth at the military base in Cold Lake. The camp should be lots of fun and we are looking forward to seeing some new country. There are 2 golf courses in close vicinity so Senor Ping is going to check them out while I am busy during the day.

From there we are going to head south to Sylvan Lake for the weekend. Ted and Colleen will be out at the lake for the weekend so maybe we will play some golf and have a few beverages. Hopefully the kids will be able to come for a visit and we can have a "mini reunion".