Auntie Nur and Andrea's Visit

My Auntie Nur and cousin Andrea came to visit us for the weekend, July 24 - 26. Saturday morning we toured around town. Checking out the local farmers market, the local park and walking back to the house the long way. Saturday afternoon we spent or tried to spend the afternoon at the beach. We got all the way up to Lockheart Creek on Kootenay Lake. After getting set up on the beach the rain rolled in, we spent about half an hour in the RAV and then re-set up on the beach. When the second rain storm rolled in we, packed up and drove home in a really bad rain storm. Sunday we relaxed around the house and took a tour up to the top of Mount Thompson.

Scott, Andrea and me - before we went for our walk about townAuntie Nur and I - at Millennium ParkOn our way home - the trail through the dog walking park is getting over grownScott's first attempt putting up the hammock - it didn't work too well, time to re-adjustThe second attempt worked much better - good enough for Scott to enjoy ice cream in the hammockAuntie Nur enjoying the hammock too!Setting up at the beach - the first timeIt's finally sunny!!But the water is coldAuntie Nur, Andrea and I at the top of Mt. Thomspon, with the Creston Valley in the backgroundAndrea and Auntie NurGreat Toyota Advertisement Photo!

Painting the Baby's Room Part II - Finally Finished

We finally finished the last coat on the Baby's room, after starting it almost 2 weeks ago. The photos make the colour a little more blue than it really is. It is more of a sage green colour, Scott figures it is a bit "institutional". But maybe once we get a crib, a dresser/change table and other baby stuff it will look less "institutional".

Looking from the corner by the window back towards the door and closet Looking from the door towards the window
We still had the step ladder in the room, and I heard this really weird noise - it turned out to be Polly climbing the step ladder and making her self at home at the top

Alexander Keith's Approved to be Made in Creston!

It all started when Scott got to go to Halifax way back at the end of April, to learn how to make Keith's. It took quite a while for Scott and his team to get the beer to taste just like it does when made in Halifax, but Scott has finally done it!! Alexander Keith's has been given the go a head to be brewed right here in Creston.

The brewery had a celebration and Scott got to even wear a kilt. Everyone had lots of fun and of course they got to drink lots of Alexander Keith's

Scott with the Plant Manager (middle) and the Brew master from Halifax

Cheers with Graham (Halifax Brew master)Everyone wearing their Alexander Keith's Stag AntlersScott and the "Tarts in Tartans"Scott making his speech

Goat Style Mountain Bike Competition

The Mountian Bike competition ran from Friday night till Sunday afternoon here in town. A huge course was set up at the local recreation centre, with lots of wooden ramps, and big dirt jumps. The winner got $3000.00 and a chance to compete in Whistler at Kokanee Crankworks in a few weeks.

Friday night they were giving the riders that did really great jumps/tricks cash. Saturday morning we got a call from one of Scott's co-workers, asking if we could help him put up a huge promotional ballon beer can. It was suppose to have been put up by the sales/marketing guys on Friday but for some reason they didn't get it done. So we went down and helped put it up, it was really easy to do.

Sunday we went to the competion to watch the finals. Wow is all I can say about the tricks the guys were doing off the big dirt jumps. They made it look so easy, but I am sure gravity would have a greater force on me if I tried doing the jumps.

Friday Night - Cash for big Tricks

Saturday Morning - Terry and Scott setting up the Beer Can BallonSunday Finals - note the big beer can that Scott and I got to help set upSasq even got on the bike for a ride down through the course

Recreational Property on Kootenay Lake

Scott and I have been discussing how it would be nice to have a piece of lake front property for recreational use and of course it would be a good investment.
We spotted a local listing that had 16 acres with 300 feet of water front for the bargain price of $500,000.00. We drove out to check it out, as it was only about 50 km North of here.

This is the photo that was used to to show the "water front"

(you too can own the rocky point and the land beyond)

Here is the actual water frontIt was a little hike down to the water You too can own this property with a highway running through the middle…

And your very own swamp, mosquitoes included!

Visit from Shaun

Our friend Shaun from Calgary (he was one of Scott's groom's men), stopped by for a visit. As Scott was working all day, we got to tour around. After doing a brewery tour, we stopped by the local bakery for a take out lunch. Our goal was to have a picnic at the top of Mount Thompson (Scott and I tried to get to the top on June 11th but didn't make it due to snow). No snow this time, but Shaun and I barely got to the top before a big rain storm blew in. It was neat to see the clouds roll up one side of the mountain, around your feet and off the other side. It was too bad I don't have a video camera, as a video of the clouds swirling around our feet would have been great to show.
After eating our lunch in the RAV, we headed back down to the valley floor. As Shaun had never been out to Duck Lake, I took him out to the Wildlife Management Area. Duck Lake's water level is controlled by using dykes and pumps. You can drive all the way around the lake on the dyke system, supposedly it is a great lake for bass fishing (I think it was stocked years ago). It is a great place to bird watch and get eaten by mosquitoes.

Shaun at the top - the temperature is dropping and the rain rolling in

A few of the clouds rolling off to the east - see there is blue sky out thereThe clouds rolling up the mountain at us from the westDuck Lake - looking North towards Kootenay Lake

Ultrasound Photos

We got our first look at the baby today.
Here is a sneak peek of our baby-Stokes-to-be:

Painting the Baby's Room - Part 1 Preparations

I thought we'd get started getting ready for the new baby, as we are already half way through. Yikes, when did that happen!!

We are choosing not to find out the sex, so I chose a sage green colour for the walls, hoping that it would be uni-sexed enough. Right now the walls in both small rooms are light baby blue, the new colour is called Herbal Lift, from Beauti Tone found at Home Hard Ware. Also, the colour I chose is not super pale and light, I like colour and hope the baby does to (remember the orange bathroom at the old house).

There were a few holes in the walls from the previous owners, shelves I think. I filled those, sanded them and put a first coat of paint over them, as I didn't want to buy primer just for a couple of spots. I've taped the moldings and now I just have to borrow a step ladder to get started painting, I can't quite reach the top edge between ceiling and wall with just a chair.

Day at the Lake

I think Scott has me convinced that we need to buy a boat!

We got to spend a day on the western shore of Kootenay Lake (boat access only), with a bunch of friends from Scott's work. Everyone at the brewery worked Wednesday July 1st and took Friday the 3rd off, to make it a long weekend. I had to work night shift on Saturday, so we didn't go camping with everyone, but just spent the day with them.

It was an amazing day, of sun, fun, water, boating and wake boarding. I would have loved to go wake boarding, but I didn't. I got practice putting the baby to sleep in the boat while spotting for the skiers and wake boarders.

Heather and Becky soaking up the Sun

Callum playing on the beach - He is just over a year old and is Caroline and Brad's boy

Heather helping out with Callum

"Our beach" for the day - getting ready for supper and eating supperScott and Terry hanging out on the beach after dinnerScott went biking in the morning before we went out to the lake, this is the result of one of his falls - His left hip/thigh is mostly bruised but a bit of scrape too!