Dinosaur Park Again, Biking This Time

So I had never been to Dinosaur Park since I was a child and now I went twice this summer.  Never planned to go again but on the long weekend I saw a post they were allowing you to walk or bike on the Nature Preserve Trail.  Normally you don't get to go on that trail unless you work there or on a bus tour.  So I figured it was worth it to go on.  And it was.  Neil suggested we biked so biking it was.

When we got there the park staff suggested we go left on the loop and I'm glad she did.  It was gravel and kinda hilly, but the biggest hill was on the right and we got to coast down it.

(not 5 minutes in Neil sees someone he knows)

(Admiring the view while stopping for water)

(I think these are cool)

(another water break)

(and I got him to take my picture)

(pretty high cliffs in some spots)

(nice road to travel on, a lot of big gravel which was a challenge)

(the scenery is just cool!)

(a ferry type boat the lived on and got to the park with, its new this summer)

(so Neil rowed it)

(a rib fossil they left partially burried)

a trial for lifting crates onto boats, cars now)

(the cube rock was pretty cool)

(and Neil again waiting for me to take more pictures)

Took us an hour 20 ish.  And I was a little tired, had to walk up some hills but makes me feel like the rode from Banff to Canmore is totally doable.  Yay!  Since that's coming up this weekend!  Yikes.

August at our Place

Been busy here still, summer is just that way, I get doing so much and forget to blog it all.  Of course I have hardly rode at all since July since the bugs have been so bad, have never seen so many mosquitoes in my whole life as I have this summer, the horses and cows (and me) are just miserable.  So I been spending my time inside doing stuff and its worked well the last 2 weeks with the Olympics on, it gave me an excuse to stay inside.

I been canning away, its a lot nicer to can when we have air conditioning, doesn't matter the outside temp its still decent in here.  First my Mom and Clint come out and they brought peaches and so we made peach jam, salsa and canned some as fruit.  Then I picked chokecherries and made syrup and I have 0 crapabbles on my tree and so I posted I was looking for fruit on Facebook and I got a message from a nice lady who has a bunch of fruit in her yard they just want picked cause they don't use it.  That was perfect, pears, plums and cherries.  There was a couple apples but they had hail a few weeks ago and it pretty well ruined them.  It it the other fruit but not as bad.  So I got a bunch from her and made cherries and cherry jelly so far, the plums are almost ripe now and the pears not sure.  I might go back in a couple weeks and pick some more ripe ones.

(Cherries and cherry jelly)

(pickles)

(my mom stirring peach jam)

(peach jam)

(chockecherry syrup)

(plums and pears)

While my mom was out we took a side tour to Dinosaur Park, I have never been there and so we did, it was pretty cool, sure is a view up top there.  of course my Mom was most interested in John Wares Cabin cause its log.  But the mosquitoes were out pretty bad there too which was too bad.  Then we headed to Patricia for supper and it was really good, even though we were not that hungry.

(my mom, we were bored Clint got lost lol)

(Clint and Neil taking one of many paths)

(haha I made Neil turn around under the dinosaur)

(Neil at the edge of a cliff)

(Clint over a undercut spot)

(John Ware's Cabin)

(cooking at the Patricia Steak Pit)

We had a stagette for the neighbor girl and we went floating down the river, I was pretty hesitant to go cause I never have and she borrowed me her kayak and it was so fun!  After a day there I thought I could be in the Olympics.....well at least I'd like to do it again, it was fun but I'm probly not that good.

We also worked the casino for the Ag Society and while we were in Medicine Hat we stopped at the Teepee and got some pics, I had never stopped there just seen it on the way by but its on my list and now its checked off.  They also said there was a giant moose in front of the Moose Lodge but they musta moved it or tore it down cause we sure couldn't find it.

(the big Teepee)

(it really is BIG!!)

And yesterday we headed to Fort Macleod to watch Neil's cousin and his daughter participate in a triathlon, they were so awesome!  It kinda made me wanna do it.  My swimming isnt that strong but I think if I swim over the winter a bit I could improve enough.  Last winter they had drop in swimming lessons and I might do a few of those as well.  Be funner if I could find someone to go with me tho.

And while we were there went to Lethbridge to visit and shop, and see the giant Wind Gauge, which is funny cause there wasn't even a tiny breeze that day and we coulda used one it was hot!  Then on to Taber which has the giant Corn and Lady.

(the carnival musta been travelling somewhere, I wanted to join in)

And now off on another adventure this week :)